Is it possible to have a good experience without booking FP in advance?

[fla4fun]

I was trying to figure this out, it looks like when MYW was launched in 2005, all tickets sold were tagged with biometrics (at least according to what I found on allears) and then biometrics were applied to all tickets (regardless of sale date) after June 2005...again according to allears.

However the loophole is that if you have a pre biometrics ticket that is partially used, but has not been used since biometrics was applied to all tickets, it won’t have a biometric record associated with it until it is used for the first time WITH biometrics. So the op may have a little wiggle room if their tickets fall into that category.

 

[sponica]

However the loophole is that if you have a pre biometrics ticket that is partially used, but has not been used since biometrics was applied to all tickets, it won’t have a biometric record associated with it until it is used for the first time WITH biometrics. So the op may have a little wiggle room if their tickets fall into that category.

I probably should have said "biometrics were applied upon use to all tickets (regardless of sale date) after June 2005"

 

[runwad]

Hey OP call WD Ticketing anyway you just might be able to get those tickets applied to MDE b/4 you get there. We had old MYW tickets from 2005 that we were able to add. You never know it might be worth a try.

But like everyone else, I wouldn't let not having preset FP's stop me from going, you'll still be able to get a lot. Have fun!!

 

[mcm574]

Hey OP call WD Ticketing anyway you just might be able to get those tickets applied to MDE b/4 you get there. We had old MYW tickets from 2005 that we were able to add.

I had luck on that front, too, but it took a fair amount of tenacity - so if you go this route, and the first thing you hear is it's not possible, you might try to keep at it. It took me a couple of months (and, at one point, about 45 minutes on the phone with a Disney IT person), but they were able to do it. Good luck, either way!

 

[nkereina]

We are big planners and were unable to get some key FPs for our last trip because we were traveling with a large group. Even though we did not get to ride some of the bigger rides because the waits were too long for us, we still had a great time. Keep in mind that you CAN still ride - you might just need to wait 45 minutes instead of 5 minutes. You won't miss out on your must do's with no FP, it just might take longer. You can also minimize wait times for some of the more popular rides by taking advantage of rope drop, AM EMH (if staying onsite), or visiting some of these rides near park closing time.

 

[Keels]

This week I was able to get same-day FoP (for two people), and I just got same-day Frozen for tonight for four people ... so, it's possible! Just familiarize yourself with the app, be flexible (ie, singles/two-person are A LOT easier to find same-day) and be willing to spend some time on the app refreshing and searching through times to find what you want!

 

[DisneyWLLover]

I have chronicle daily migraines, so I never buy the Park tickets until I wake up and know my pain level. We have always had a wonderful time and have actually gotten fp for everything we wanted. We don’t like any huge rides though. It’s fun just being there! We always hit PoC, Jungle Cruise, PPF, SMall World..to name a few.

 

[Linkura]

LOL. My wife and I prefer to not commit ourselves to being at any particular ride at any particular time. Maybe we are in Mouse Gear for longer than we expect or our lunch at Chefs de France takes two hours instead of one? Why make a FP for Soarin when we might not make the designated time? Why make a FP for Peter Pan when we might sleep in till noon? It forces us to become regimented and denies another person the FP that will probably be more diligent in conforming to Disney's schedule. We are on vacation. In our opinions, it's a time to relax, not run around. We are not protesting anything. We go to Disney World to have fun, not to make a political statement.

If you're just getting FPs for you and your wife, it's very easy to get immediate or close to immediate FPs for most rides. It's basically a front of the line ticket as opposed to making your schedule rigid.

 

[Belia]

Just an FYI in your planning.
Tickets are non- transferable. If your “ free” tickets were used by someone (obviously they were) only that person can use that ticket. So your sisters tickets are out for sure.
I would hate to see you arrive at WDW to only be denied admission

I think we'll be ok. I think my sister / mom just bought the tickets when they were down there, but didn't actually use any of the days. They just knew that the price for Disney tickets keeps going up and up and up and that they never expired (at that time, anyway), so folks in my family tend to buy extra whenever they make a trip.

Of course, now that they're so expensive and expire, it's cost prohibitive to continue doing that. But we do have a healthy stash built up.

 

[Belia]

BTW, I dug the tickets out of my parent's safe and they are all 5-day park hoppers. Two from 2000 and four from 2001. My sister must have kept all of her recent tickets for herself. So I'm guessing the biometric issue is not an issue with any of these? I also need to find out if any of these have been partially used. I wonder if I can take them to a Disney Store and they can tell me there.

Anyway... questions for another day (and thread!) I need to do some research now that I know what I have.

Thanks for all of the feedback! Someone asked if I would be disappointed if I didn't get to ride every headliner, and I think the answer is yes. I haven't been to Disney in almost 20 years. This is my kids' first trip (and probably only trip for quite a while). I know we're going to have to take it slow due to my kids. So yes, I think I really will be disappointed if I have to miss certain rides. Certainly not ALL of them... I know we won't be able to do it all. But I have a list of big ones that I would be sad not to see.

 

[hes122]

BTW, I dug the tickets out of my parent's safe and they are all 5-day park hoppers. Two from 2000 and four from 2001. My sister must have kept all of her recent tickets for herself. So I'm guessing the biometric issue is not an issue with any of these? I also need to find out if any of these have been partially used. I wonder if I can take them to a Disney Store and they can tell me there.

I came across an old ticket before my trip last year and wasn't sure if I had any days left on it. I emailed Disney with the ticket info (I'd have to look and see what info they needed) and they emailed me back to let me know whether or not I had any usable days left on it.

 

[hes122]

BTW, I dug the tickets out of my parent's safe and they are all 5-day park hoppers. Two from 2000 and four from 2001. My sister must have kept all of her recent tickets for herself. So I'm guessing the biometric issue is not an issue with any of these? I also need to find out if any of these have been partially used. I wonder if I can take them to a Disney Store and they can tell me there.

I just finished hunting through my email and here's the info they needed:
-pictures of the front and back of the tickets
-name(s) of the ticketholder
-when/where ticket was purchased
-who purchased the ticket and form of payment
-contact phone number for you

I sent that info to ticket.usage@disneyworld.com and got a response about a week later.

 

[Belia]

I just finished hunting through my email and here's the info they needed:
-pictures of the front and back of the tickets
-name(s) of the ticketholder
-when/where ticket was purchased
-who purchased the ticket and form of payment
-contact phone number for you

I sent that info to ticket.usage@disneyworld.com and got a response about a week later.

Thanks for looking that up for me! What if I don't know the answer to the questions? Like, I legit don't remember who purchased what or when or the form of payment. My mom purchased some for future grandchildren (who weren't even born yet!) Should I just answer those questions for my current info? Or only answer what I actually know for sure?

 

[hes122]

Thanks for looking that up for me! What if I don't know the answer to the questions? Like, I legit don't remember who purchased what or when or the form of payment. My mom purchased some for future grandchildren (who weren't even born yet!) Should I just answer those questions for my current info? Or only answer what I actually know for sure?

I wasn't sure of some of the answers myself so I just guessed (I said that it was likely purchased in early 2006 at The Disney Store and paid in cash). The more info you have, the better off you'll be and they'll let you know if they need more than what you've given them.