Crossover stays with another family group - FP strategy

[tlmadden73]

I have a trip planed for Nov. 10 - 16. After I had planned those dates, I found out my cousin and his family (including my Aunt and Uncle) have a trip planned Nov. 6 - 13.

Can they make FPs for me and my family (we are friends right now in MDE) for the few days we have crossed over? That seems like it would be helpful as it would give me a jump on securing those hard to get fast passes .. as they could make them 4 days before I could.

Then, when my FP window opens up, can I just modify the ones they made myself .. or are they in "control" of them?

I don't know what their park plans are for the crossover days (Nov. 11 and 12) , but basically, I am looking at doing AK on Nov. 12 (an morning EMH day (and a holiday)) and hoping they could help secure me that elusive FOP since that would be 60+6 for them, but only 60+2 for me.

Can they do that, since I am on their Friends/Family list .. even if they aren't going to AK that day? I guess I need to make sure they have all my wife, kids and parents in their list as well.

I think they have a travel agent doing their trip, so not sure if they will be making their FPs or if the travel agent would be.

Their FP Window is coming up in 11 days! Exciting!

 

[shifteru]

Same situation (and almost same dates!) for us.

To my understanding, they can book for you if you’re linked, but will NOT be able to book yours until YOUR 60 day window opens. In other words you won’t get a jump or a benefit over doing it yourself.

So those days that overlap they can book for themselves but your accounts won’t be available for dates until 60 days prior to the resort reservation that you’re on.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Can they make FPs for me and my family (we are friends right now in MDE) for the few days we have crossed over? That seems like it would be helpful as it would give me a jump on securing those hard to get fast passes .. as they could make them 4 days before I could.

Then, when my FP window opens up, can I just modify the ones they made myself .. or are they in "control" of them?

We do this all the time. I make Fps for my 2 kids -- whose accounts I manage -- AND my sister and husband who manage their own accounts. They can then go in and modify all FPs just as I can.

That said, everyone having FPs booked for them should be within their 60-day windows. By my calculation, that would mean the crossover days can be booked for all concerned on 9/11/18. But I assume they'd want to be booking all of theirs as early as they can (9/7/18).

ETA: Theoretically, they could book all of their FPs 9/7/18, and then try to "Modify Guests" and add you guys on 9/11/18. That's obviously subject to whatever FP availability is like at that time.

The workaround that Hiro talked about is just that — a workaround to circumvent Disney’s desire to have the 60-day window only apply to onsite guests.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Can they do that, since I am on their Friends/Family list .. even if they aren't going to AK that day?

Yes they can book for you even if they have plans for a different park.

Whoever is doing the booking needs to select an onsite person along with selecting your family.

As soon as they’ve selected the date and park and the Warning appears that the onsite person already has FPs, they remove the onsite person from the group and then follow through booking for your family.

This step works if they’ve already booked for their own park before they book for yours.

 

[tlmadden73]

Yes they can book for you even if they have plans for a different park.

Whoever is doing the booking needs to select an onsite person along with selecting your family.

As soon as they’ve selected the date and park and the Warning appears that the onsite person already has FPs, they remove the onsite person from the group and then follow through booking for your family.

This step works if they’ve already booked for their own park before they book for yours.

Cool.

Unfortunately this sounds overly complex to try and explain to my cousin how to do (over e-mail or the phone) They are WDW newbies and frankly not into the planning themselves as much as I am (thus going through a travel agent for that planning assistance).

Do travel agents usually make FP reservations for their clients? If so, the travel agent probably has the expertise to be able to do that for me.
if not, no big deal . .just trying to "game" the system a bit .

 

[shifteru]

Cool.

Unfortunately this sounds overly complex to try and explain to my cousin how to do (over e-mail or the phone) They are WDW newbies and frankly not into the planning themselves as much as I am (thus going through a travel agent for that planning assistance).

Do travel agents usually make FP reservations for their clients? If so, the travel agent probably has the expertise to be able to do that for me.
if not, no big deal . .just trying to "game" the system a bit .

Many TAs will book for you, but I want to be clear, unless something has recently changed, you CANNOT game the system. Your FastPass window will open up 60 days from YOUR first day of arrival. So FastPasses can only be booked for your party starting September 11th regardless of who books them.

So your cousin will be able to book theirs 4 days earlier, but the system will not them or the TA book yours until 60 days from YOUR date.

The only way around this would be to somehow move everyone in your party over to your cousins room reservation, but that creates other logistical (and maybe ethical) concerns.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Cool.

Unfortunately this sounds overly complex to try and explain to my cousin how to do (over e-mail or the phone) They are WDW newbies and frankly not into the planning themselves as much as I am (thus going through a travel agent for that planning assistance).

Do travel agents usually make FP reservations for their clients? If so, the travel agent probably has the expertise to be able to do that for me.
if not, no big deal . .just trying to "game" the system a bit .

If you are linked up and can ‘share all plans,’ you can do the booking for everyone including your family with separate park plans.

 

[tlmadden73]

Many TAs will book for you, but I want to be clear, unless something has recently changed, you CANNOT game the system. Your FastPass window will open up 60 days from YOUR first day of arrival. So FastPasses can only be booked for your party starting September 11th regardless of who books them.

So your cousin will be able to book theirs 4 days earlier, but the system will not them or the TA book yours until 60 days from YOUR date.

The only way around this would be to somehow move everyone in your party over to your cousins room reservation, but that creates other logistical (and maybe ethical) concerns.

So who is right? Hiro or shifteru?

Or was Hiro just explaining how you they can make Fast Passes for me in a different park IF our check-in dates lined up?

So while I was looking for a way to get an early FP reservation, just seems like a flaw in the system .. I am sure there are plenty of friends/family groups that may arrive a day or two apart. Not being able to book the Fast Passes at the same time as the first person to check-in seems odd.

So .. you are saying (a hypothetical):
My family checks in on 11/10.
My parents (whose accounts are just under my control in my MDE account) check in on 11/11.
So when my 60 days hits on 9/11, I can ONLY make Fast Passes (for the entire length of the trip) for the people in my room? I have to wait 24 hours until the next day to make Fast Passes for my parents and hope I can find times that match? (OR just wait and not do my own Fast Passes until the next day?).

 

[hiroMYhero]

Or was Hiro just explaining how you they can make Fast Passes for me in a different park IF our check-in dates lined up?

No; your inference is incorrect - if you have separately linked tickets anyone with an open window can book for you.

I’m linked to a Mod who has onsite stays a few times a year. When his 60-day window opens, even though I don’t travel with him and am here in San Diego, I, too, have a 60-day window because of our link.

Follow the steps when that cousin’s window opens and he or you can book for your family.

 

[shifteru]

So who is right? Hiro or shifteru?

Or was Hiro just explaining how you they can make Fast Passes for me in a different park IF our check-in dates lined up?

So while I was looking for a way to get an early FP reservation, just seems like a flaw in the system .. I am sure there are plenty of friends/family groups that may arrive a day or two apart. Not being able to book the Fast Passes at the same time as the first person to check-in seems odd.

So .. you are saying (a hypothetical):
My family checks in on 11/10.
My parents (whose accounts are just under my control in my MDE account) check in on 11/11.
So when my 60 days hits on 9/11, I can ONLY make Fast Passes (for the entire length of the trip) for the people in my room? I have to wait 24 hours until the next day to make Fast Passes for my parents and hope I can find times that match? (OR just wait and not do my own Fast Passes until the next day?).

I think we’re both right. Hiro hasn’t referenced the timing yet, only the fact that someone else can book for you, which is true.

Your hypothetical is correct. And I’m dealing with same issue for my November trip where half our party arrives later.

While it’s definitely a pain to sync up, it’s not impossible (I’ve done it before and while I rarely get exact time matches, I generally can get times that overlap somewhere).

The reason they do it is to keep things fair I’d guess and I know at least some people were trying the game the system in the past by booking room only reservations at fort wilderness campsites days before their real reservations.

 

[shifteru]

No; your inference is incorrect - if you have separately linked tickets anyone with an open window can book for you.

I’m linked to a Mod who has onsite stays a few times a year. When his 60-day window opens, even though I don’t travel with him and am here in San Diego, I, too, have a 60-day window because of our link.

Follow the steps when that cousin’s window opens and he or you can book for your family.

This is the first time I’m hearing this and has never worked this way for us.

Do you have annual passes, Hiro?

Are you on their actual room reservation?

Again, this is new if true and I hope you’re right.

 

[hiroMYhero]

This is the first time I’m hearing this and has never worked this way for us.

Do you have annual passes, Hiro?

Are you on their actual room reservation?

Again, this is new if true and I hope you’re right.

A person in Party2 only needs valid ticket media that is not packaged.

The step is to always include an onsite person, and in tl’s case, his cousin will book for him after he completes his own booking.

Cousin Selects himself and tl.

Cousin Selects Date and Park.

Warning appears and Cousin removes himself.

Window stays open for tl to book FP.

 

[shifteru]

A person in Party2 only needs valid ticket media that is not packaged.

The step is to always include an onsite person, and in tl’s case, his cousin will book for him after he completes his own booking.

Cousin Selects himself and tl.

Cousin Selects Date and Park.

Warning appears and Cousin removes himself.

Window stays open for tl to book FP.

This so true even booking 60 days out? I’ve never been able to do this, but not sure I’ve tried these exact steps.

So you have to book the FPs for the first party to arrive first, then go in afterwards and tweak it to add the others?

That makes sense. I’ve always just tried to book them all at once and it’s never let me choose the folks whose 60 day window hasn’t opened
Yet.

 

[hiroMYhero]

This so true even booking 60 days out? I’ve never been able to do this, but not sure I’ve tried these exact steps.

So you have to book the FPs for the first party to arrive first, then go in afterwards and tweak it to add the others?

That makes sense. I’ve always just tried to book them all at once and it’s never let me choose the folks whose 60 day window hasn’t opened
Yet.

As soon as the window opens, it’s available to anyone listed or linked as long as an onsite person is included in the booking group and/or removed when a Warning appears.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

A person in Party2 only needs valid ticket media that is not packaged.

The step is to always include an onsite person, and in tl’s case, his cousin will book for him after he completes his own booking.

Cousin Selects himself and tl.

Cousin Selects Date and Park.

Warning appears and Cousin removes himself.

Window stays open for tl to book FP.

Seems like the kind of loophole that may close when Disney gets its act together. Can’t be what they intend, allowing some to circumvent the 60-day window benefit for those staying onsite.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Seems like the kind of loophole that may close when Disney gets its act together. Can’t be what they intend, allowing some to circumvent the 60-day window benefit for those staying onsite.

It’s been available to anyone listed or linked in MDX ever since they opened FP pre-booking to everyone - offsite and onsite.

It’s Disney’s way of allowing groups of offsite/onsite guests to enjoy their visits as a group rather than a ‘frustrated’ group.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

It’s been available to anyone listed or linked in MDX ever since they opened FP pre-booking to everyone - offsite and onsite.

It’s Disney’s way of allowing groups of offsite/onsite guests to enjoy their visits as a group rather than a ‘frustrated’ group.

Not sure. There were other loopholes around since the beginning that they’ve closed over time. I wouldn’t be surprised if this follows.

I could be one person booked in the cheapest room onsite with a dozen staying offsite and book FPs at 60 days for all 13. That can’t be what they intend IMO.

Perhaps the level of abuse isn’t high enough yet.

 

[shifteru]

Seems like the kind of loophole that may close when Disney gets its act together. Can’t be what they intend, allowing some to circumvent the 60-day window benefit for those staying onsite.

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. If it was their intent to have this work, then simply adding anyone who is linked and has active tickets when you're booking initially should work as well.

Especially since it appears to work even with people who don't have an onsite reservation at all based on Hiro's earlier post. It would be one thing if it worked if the second party had a confirmed onsite reservation within X number of days of the person booking, since one could reasonably assume you're traveling together then, but if someone who doesn't have a reservation at all can do this, it's definitely a loophole that will be closed eventually.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. If it was their intent to have this work, then simply adding anyone who is linked and has active tickets when you're booking initially should work as well.

Especially since it appears to work even with people who don't have an onsite reservation at all based on Hiro's earlier post. It would be one thing if it worked if the second party had a confirmed onsite reservation within X number of days of the person booking, since one could reasonably assume you're traveling together then, but if someone who doesn't have a reservation at all can do this, it's definitely a loophole that will be closed eventually.

Exactly.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Perhaps it may be eventually closed but this info has been on TPAS for the last few years. CMs also give out this advice when guests call in - so it is a known function of the system.