Help...picking up tickets b4 check-in

[brajfamily]

We ate headed to Disney in April and will be arriving two days before we check into our diseny hotel. When I booked the CM told me that we can get our tickets up to 2 days prior to checking in. Has anyone ever done this and just how does it work? We are staying at AKL so does that mean we have to go there to get our tickets? We are offsite the first 2 nights right neae downtown disney so didn't know if we would be able to take care of it at DTD. thanks!

 

[seashoreCM]

t's a complicate procedure and yes it involves going to your resort.


In addition, various CM's have to perform various steps and this operation is specifically low priority which can result in your waiting long periods of time while others behind you in line with more routine matters are served.

1. Go to your booked resort. To speed things up, tell the entrance guard you are checking in.

2. Decide what park you want to go to.

3. Have the concierge telephone ahead to that park's Guest Relations telling them you wish to have your tickets taken off of your package and issued.

4. Go to that park with your reservation papers.

5. See the Guest Relations manager who can then have your tickets printed.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I have a friend who is a Lobby Concierge at one of the Deluxe Resorts. I asked him what can be done about this.

He told me that he cannot do anything. However there are procedures in place, and two possible situations.

One is that both reservations are at the same Resort. In that situation when you check in they will have to find a Guest Services Manager who will have the ability to link the reservations and get you the tickets early.

If you are staying at another Disney Resort, or off-site, it becomes much more complicated and difficult. (1) You have to go to the Resort where you have the package. (2) You have to meet with a Guest Services Manager. (3) You have to let the GSM know at which park you want to pick up your tickets. (4) The Resort GSM has to contact a GSM at the park you will be going to and provide certain information about your reservation to that person. (5) You have to go to an outside Guest Relations Window at that Park. (6) The person at that window has to contact the GSM there. (7) When the GSM is able to come to the window they can then do something with the terminal to provide you with the tickets.

And be aware that the GSMs tend to be very busy and may have much higher priorities that getting you your tickets early.

 

[brajfamily]

WOW! That's quite complicated. I called Disney earlier and was told there was nothing they could do . . . did not even mention the above option. I am dissapointed because when we originally booked our reservation, we were told that we could pick up our passes up to 2 days prior to our actual check in....clearly this was the wrong information. oh well, we will have to do some non-park stuff that first day!

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I was going to try to do the same thing for our last trip and found it to be so hard that we just decided to go ahead and check in at Disney early so that I wouldn't have any problems. You would think that they would make this a little easier, but they don't.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, no - really there doesn't seem to be ANY reason Disney would try to make it easier/easy for a Guest to obtain one component of a package reservation a day or more before checking in for the actual reservation

 

[wdwmom0f3]

I see what you are saying. Maybe the best thing to do if you know you are going early would be to buy your tickets once you get there and not with the package.

 

[seashoreCM]

Well, no - really there doesn't seem to be ANY reason Disney would try to make it easier/easy for a Guest to obtain one component of a package reservation a day or more before checking in for the actual reservation

Here's a reason. Don't the brochures describing tickets include "The more you play the less you pay"?

Admittedly it will take awhile for the software imagineers to get the system refined and there are no plans to hire additional Guest Service Managers so for now we will have to live with the hodgepodge of steps described above.

Another alternative on Dinsey's part would be modifying the package to start earlier upon inquiry by the guest who just arrived to perform step 1 above.

I see what you are saying. Maybe the best thing to do if you know you are going early would be to buy your tickets once you get there and not with the package.

You could do this: Buy new tickets to cover this entire vacation. Save the package tickets (perhaps just one day was ordered) for this vacation and use them for next vacation, upgrading them then if needed. Save the package tickets for next vacation and use/upgrade them during the vacation after. Etc.

 

[brajfamily]

We check in on Sunday at AKL and are willing to check in on Saturday at the $$$$ of $450 for one night so we can get our tickets. However, if we check in a day early we don't get the $750 giftcard. Now to me that makes no sense on Disney's part...they are losing out on $450! We're just going to be creative on that Saturday and do non-park stuff. Of course it will be hard because we always go to MK our first day . . .

 

[kaytieeldr]

Here's a reason. Don't the brochures describing tickets include "The more you play the less you pay"?

I'll take your word for what's in the brochures - but that's a reasonable policy once the Guest has checked in for their Disney vacation package.

Another alternative on Dinsey's part would be modifying the package to start earlier upon inquiry by the guest who just arrived to perform step 1 above.

Which makes sense only if the Guest modifies their side of the package by checking into the resort the day they wish to pick up the tickets.

Would it be reasonable for Disney to provide any other segment of the package two days before the reservation actually starts? Say, letting the Guest into their room two days early? Of course not - so, given the Guest's expected knowledge of the definition of "vacation package", it's not reasonable to expect the provider to then break it down and provide various aspects of the package in pieces - tickets Friday, dining plan Saturday, room Sunday...