Hand Stamps and Same Day Re-Entry

[seashoreCM]

On a few occasions this month, including Monday Aug. 30 at 3:45 PM at the Magic Kingdom, the CM at the exit gate has been telling guests that hand stamps were not needed for re-entry to parks. This was in direct contradiction to the sign directly above him.

Still you should ask for a hand stamp each time. It may be only on selected days that hand stamps are not being given or checked.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[danny1649]

A CM at other park may not be on same page has the one telling you that you don't need one.

 

[LibertyBelle]

MK turnstiles just got over 30 new College Program CM's... I am going to go on a limb and say you spoke to one of them. Handstamps are required as well as your park ticket to re-enter any of the parks on the same day (as I can tell you already know by the way your post was written but wanted to stress).

Always get the handstamp. Don't be disappointed later.

 

[disneylovr1]

I've actually never had a hand stamp checked that I can remember, but I would still NEVER leave without getting one. What a dissappointment that would be, to not be able to get into the next park. It's such a simple thing to do, and the signs do say you need one.

 

[Kitster]

WDW is sneaky in checking for handstamps. The CM can see the back of your hand when you go to grab your ticket after putting into the gate ticket reader. That's when they check for handstamps........they don't need to ask you. That's why there's a small blacklight over the ticket machine.

 

[karensi]

If you have a park hopper pass would you still need to get your hand stamped? It sems to me that you wouldn't because with the park hopper you can go to as many parks, or re-enter a park, as you like in any one day,am I missing something Thanks, we are going in Nov and want to be sure we get the hand stamp if we need it.

 

[LibertyBelle]

The purpose of the handstamp is so that you don't go to one park in the morning, head back to your hotel and hand your ticket over to your mom so she can go to another park at night. It is making sure that the same person that used the ticket the first time is using the ticket on re-entry. So YES anyone (park hopper or not) that is leaving and planning on returning to any park the same day would need to get a handstamp.

Kitster brought up a good point, the turnstile CM's know what they are looking for. They don't need to ask to see your handstamp, they have other ways of telling if you have one. In my expereince most people that do have a hand stamp will favor the hand that the stamp is on as they are re-entering the park (as if trying to find somewhere to put it). There are ways other than directly asking you to show it that they can tell it is there.

 

[mrsltg]

I don't recall needing the handstamp with AP's. LB- can you clarify whether or not you need one as they do the finger scan?

Thanks!
Erin

 

[LibertyBelle]

AP's use the Biometric readers therefore a handstamp would not be needed (but is still a good idea to have). Since you are using the Biometric finger reader you can't give you AP to someone else, they wouldn't match your scan...

 

[swilphil]

I always get my hand stamped just in case, but I was wondering what would happen if I wanted to reenter two parks on my park hopper?

For instance, I go to MK for EE, hop to Epcot at noon, return to MK that night for Spectro, then take the monorail over to Epcot at the end of the evening to walk through WS and exit the International Gateway to return to my Epcot area hotel.

 

[LibertyBelle]

As long as you have the hand stamp and a hopper ticket you can hop in and out of whatever park as many times as you want to in a day...Go to all 4 if you want... there is no limit to the hopping privledges.

 

[skiwee1]

I forgot to get my handstamp when using a 7 day pass one year. I didn't remember that I would need one until day 4. I went up to a CM and he sais no problem. He said that handstamps are just a theft deterrent to keep flks from sharing passes. They do nothing to your pass itself. So I went in and out of parks without ever getting stamped or anyone ever checking.

 

[HumphreytheBear]

Originally posted by skiwee1
I forgot to get my handstamp when using a 7 day pass one year. I didn't remember that I would need one until day 4. I went up to a CM and he sais no problem. He said that handstamps are just a theft deterrent to keep flks from sharing passes. They do nothing to your pass itself. So I went in and out of parks without ever getting stamped or anyone ever checking.

Just wanted to point out that even though you did get in and out without the handstamp it is the policy to have the ticket AND the handstamp for reentry so if you are "the one" that they check and you do not have the handstamp they can (and most times will) deny you access back into the park.

The ticket actually does get held up in the turnstile and a message is displayed for the CM to "check for handstamp". As was stated most CM's have ways of seeing the handstamp without asking and sometimes they just don't worry about it, they don't regularly check everyone, but if you are the one they do check and you do not have it don't get upset when they say you can't return. It is clearly stated at the exit off all the parks (on a big sign) that a handstamp is needed for re entry and I believe it is also in the park maps.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by HumphreytheBear
Just wanted to point out that even though you did get in and out without the handstamp it is the policy to have the ticket AND the handstamp for reentry so if you are "the one" that they check and you do not have the handstamp they can (and most times will) deny you access back into the park.

The ticket actually does get held up in the turnstile and a message is displayed for the CM to "check for handstamp". As was stated most CM's have ways of seeing the handstamp without asking and sometimes they just don't worry about it, they don't regularly check everyone, but if you are the one they do check and you do not have it don't get upset when they say you can't return. It is clearly stated at the exit off all the parks (on a big sign) that a handstamp is needed for re entry and I believe it is also in the park maps.

I was just relaying my experiences and what I was told from a WDW CM. I don't have to worry about it nowanyway. I have had an AP for a few years which does not require a handstamp!

 

[sha_lyn]

The purpose of the handstamp is so that you don't go to one park in the morning, head back to your hotel and hand your ticket over to your mom so she can go to another park at night. It is making sure that the same person that used the ticket the first time is using the ticket on re-entry.

Oh a post a long while back someone actually asked if we thought they could go through the turnstile, and then meet their husband as an area and pass him her pass so he could get in.

 

[LibertyBelle]

Originally posted by sha_lyn
Oh a post a long while back someone actually asked if we thought they could go through the turnstile, and then meet their husband as an area and pass him her pass so he could get in.

Oh those are my favorite people...Happens all the time...People that do that must think WDW is stupid. The eyes that see but remain unseen see everything. For starters the CM's at the turnstiles can smell that a mile away, not to mention the security guards that are there lurking (but you don't see) and now a days we have Orange County Police officers out there too. And the fact that the park ticket will reject as recently used Disney knows all the tricks and those that try to pass off tickets are usually busted.

Skiwee I don't think Humphrey was really directing that "at" you, I think it was more a blanketed statement so that others would know that the potential was there to be denied access.

 

[seashoreCM]

Oh yes, get your hand re-stamped each time you leave a park, especially a water park. Although the hand stamp should not wash off quickly, its lifetime is not predictable after a few trips down a water slide ore even after a few trips to the rest room.

When I observed, the CM was confidently (adamantly?) telling exiting guests that hand stamps were not needed even when some guests asked questions. Therefore Disney needs to be sensitive to these irregularities and not be zealous about enforcing the hand stamp rule at re-entry. It is better to sprinkle some extra pixie dust unnecessarily than to unfairly make some guest's experience less magical.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

Originally posted by seashoreCM
Oh yes, get your hand re-stamped each time you leave a park, especially a water park. Although the hand stamp should not wash off quickly, its lifetime is not predictable after a few trips down a water slide ore even after a few trips to the rest room.

I was told that generally, the hand stamp ink will stay on at least 2 days with normal washing, less if you make a concentrated effort to get rid of it, or apply an alcohol-base product (such as sunscreen) to the area, and let it sit. (not sure about the effects of rubbing sunscreen in on the ink)

That being said, yes, it's still a good idea to get a handstamp as you exit a park.

As far as a CM actually CHECKING the hand stamp, our turnstyles are designed so that the CM will (theoretically) be able to see the stamp (without any prompting of the guest) as they reach to pickup their pass. In some cases, the UV bulb may be a bit worn out, our the stamp may be a bit faded, so the CM may move the lamp a bit, or ask you to put your hand a little closer. (or in cases where the CM at the exit accidentally got the left hand instead of the right)