Free Dining Tickets

[CdnKayDee]

Hi all,

If we did free dining and did not want to utilize our tickets for this trip (we would not activate them), would they be good for a future trip? Also, when we do activate them would we still be able to upgrade them to an annual pass?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Robo]

Hi all,

If we did free dining and did not want to utilize our tickets for this trip
1. (we would not activate them),
2. would they be good for a future trip?
3. Also, when we do activate them would we still be able to upgrade them to an annual pass?

Regular Magic Your Way tickets don't need to be "activated."
1. If by "activate," you mean you would not use them to enter a park.
2. Yes.
3. By "activate," you simply mean "ready to start use them."
Yes, you can upgrade a ticket at any time during its useful life.

However, when you now buy tickets (even package tickets,) they each have an "expiration date."
Currently, tickets purchased (or part of a current package) will "expire" if not first-used by Dec. 31, 2019.
But... even if a ticket is allowed to "expire," unused, its original value can be used to help
pay for a (then) current, new ticket when you are ready to visit WDW.

 

[Momto8]

I have an annual pass and I'm going with my daughter and her two kids in September. She wants to do free dining, so we have to buy 4 day PHs (they will upgrade to 6 days at check in). Since I want to use my annual pass, will my 4 day park hopper automatically be linked to the magic band? For obvious reasons I want to save the 4 day pass for future use or renewing my annual pass when it expires in December. How do I make sure I'm using my annual pass and not the 4 day PH?

TIA

 

[IrishNYC]

I have an annual pass and I'm going with my daughter and her two kids in September. She wants to do free dining, so we have to buy 4 day PHs (they will upgrade to 6 days at check in). Since I want to use my annual pass, will my 4 day park hopper automatically be linked to the magic band? For obvious reasons I want to save the 4 day pass for future use or renewing my annual pass when it expires in December. How do I make sure I'm using my annual pass and not the 4 day PH?

TIA

You can purchase 6 day PHs with the free dining package. You don't have to - and shouldn't - wait until you check in if you want to make FPs for all days of your trip.

Yes you can use your package PHs to upgrade, just make sure your tickets are prioritized so you use your AP and not the package tickets on this trip.

 

[Robo]

I have an annual pass and I'm going with my daughter and her two kids in September. She wants to do free dining, so we have to buy 4 day PHs (they will upgrade to 6 days at check in). Since I want to use my annual pass,

1. will my 4 day park hopper automatically be linked to the magic band? For obvious reasons I want to save the 4 day pass for future use or renewing my annual pass when it expires in December.
2. How do I make sure I'm using my annual pass and not the 4 day PH?

TIA

1. Yes. (To your MDX account.)
2. Rather than just having the "priority" set, by Guest Relations,
here's something that YOU can do without a trip to Guest Relations.
Create a "fake name" person in your MDX and transfer the new tickets that you do not want to use
to under that "fake name" and those tickets will remain safe and unused.
When you ARE ready to use (upgrade, renew AP, etc.) those tickets, you can transfer them back to your name.

 

[BrianL]

I have an annual pass and I'm going with my daughter and her two kids in September. She wants to do free dining, so we have to buy 4 day PHs (they will upgrade to 6 days at check in). Since I want to use my annual pass, will my 4 day park hopper automatically be linked to the magic band? For obvious reasons I want to save the 4 day pass for future use or renewing my annual pass when it expires in December. How do I make sure I'm using my annual pass and not the 4 day PH?

TIA

You can have your tickets prioritized at Guest Relations. Have them place the 4-day Park Hopper as the lowest priority.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I have an annual pass and I'm going with my daughter and her two kids in September. She wants to do free dining, so we have to buy 4 day PHs (they will upgrade to 6 days at check in). Since I want to use my annual pass, will my 4 day park hopper automatically be linked to the magic band? For obvious reasons I want to save the 4 day pass for future use or renewing my annual pass when it expires in December. How do I make sure I'm using my annual pass and not the 4 day PH?

TIA

The best way to guarantee that your park hopper ticket won't get used is to follow Robo's advice and assign the park hopper to a dummy person in your account. The trick is that the ticket won't become active until your check in day, so you will have to reassign it to the dummy person before you go to a park. You can do it on the app. Then just reassign it to yourself after your trip is over. We did that back in 2016 and it worked fine.

 

[Momto8]

Irish NYC, Oh yeah, forgot about not being able to book the fast passes for the last 2 days for DD. I've been in the middle of booking another trip and my mind has been mostly on that today, so I do need the 6 day PHs for DD and kids. LOL!!

Robo, I will assign the PHs to a fake account in MDX to save it for later as you suggested.

Thanks to all for the quick responses!

 

[Love Tink]

Irish NYC, Oh yeah, forgot about not being able to book the fast passes for the last 2 days for DD. I've been in the middle of booking another trip and my mind has been mostly on that today, so I do need the 6 day PHs for DD and kids. LOL!!

Robo, I will assign the PHs to a fake account in MDX to save it for later as you suggested.

Thanks to all for the quick responses!

remember that everyone in the free dining party has to have the same ticket. So you will need to buy a 6-day for yourself if you want them for the rest of the party.

 

[Momto8]

Yes, I'm aware of that. That's why I originally was going to do the 4 day PH for everyone since I already have an annual pass and wanted to get the minimum, but that won't work if we want to book fast passes for our entire stay.

Thanks!

 

[IrishNYC]

Yes, I'm aware of that. That's why I originally was going to do the 4 day PH for everyone since I already have an annual pass and wanted to get the minimum, but that won't work if we want to book fast passes for our entire stay.

Thanks!

The difference between 4 and6 days is probably only $30 each If that much. Going from 4 to 5 is about $20.

 

[Momto8]

I have one more question. How will this affect my free PhotoPass downloads? If my annual pass is not on my magic band, will I still get the free downloads?

 

[Robo]

I have one more question. How will this affect my free PhotoPass downloads? If my annual pass is not on my magic band, will I still get the free downloads?

Why won't you be using your MagicBands for your AP?
You certainly CAN use any MBs in your name that you already have -or will be getting- for your AP.

Regardless, if you DON'T want to use a MB for your AP, you can use your AP CARD
(looks just like an RFID ticket -which it is- ) for your MemoryMaker photos.

(And, to be clear no tickets or APs (or anything else) are ever "ON" anyone's MagicBands.
The MBs just ACCESS any tickets, APs, etc. that are actually "stored" in your MDX account.)

 

[Momto8]

Sorry, you're right. I am using my AP. Just getting confused. I've been so busy planning our trip to Italy and working on this trip at the same time, and then one of my best friends just passed away, so I'm very tired and just having a senior moment here.