Costco ticket exchange at Guest Relations!

[Jenny]

maybe i'm the only one that didn't know this but you have to exchange the $85/3-month tickets that you get in the mail from Costco at Guest Relations before first use.

My husband & I were in line w/ our kids & my mom at IOA's Guest Relations to pick up some other multi-day tickets (not Costco ones). We then got in the slowest line at 9 a.m. w/ 2 obviously new employees (their manager was overseeing them). The employees were scanning the tix w/ a handheld device & we didn't have to use the finger scan, which puzzled me. My mom & my daughter were the ones w/ the Costco tix. My daughter who probably didn't have to do the biometric scan got in then the manager walked my mother in & over to us. The manager said that we had to go to Guest Relations to exchange the Costco tix in for other tix. I checked the Costco site & saw nothing about this. A real inconvenience to find this out after we had already waited in line to get in AND after we had already been to Guest Relations. The manager punched holes in our tix & said that if we failed to go to Guest Relations that the tix would no longer be good after tomorrow.

We proceeded to go into IOA then on the way out we went to Guest Relations. Apparently, they check your ID & put your name on the ticket. The CM at Guest Relations said that it was Costco's responsibility to inform the costumer about this procedure & the CM's responsibility to inform the costumer at the gate like she did if the costumer didn't already know.

Maybe I missed something but I just wanted all of you to know about this so that it doesn't happen to you.

 

[t-and-a]

It sounds like the same procedure as when you purchase an AP online. In the past, when you purchased an AP online, you would receive a paper ticket which would only be good for one use through the turnstiles. From the turnstiles, you would be sent to Guest Relations where they made you a plastic pass with a photo, but from what I understand, they are now paper without a photo.

 

[bubba's mom]

from what I understand, they are now paper without a photo.

yep....that's what ours are

 

[Tank]

Just used my costco tickets this week, went straight to the turnstiles and had no problem getting in. They did have me go to guest relations inside the park and have our names put on the tickets.

 

[macraven]

It sounds like the same procedure as when you purchase an AP online. In the past, when you purchased an AP online, you would receive a paper ticket which would only be good for one use through the turnstiles. From the turnstiles, you would be sent to Guest Relations where they made you a plastic pass with a photo, but from what I understand, they are now paper without a photo.

but if you currently have the photo id ap, it can be renewed.
once you lose it, then you go to paper ap