Just back-Here's some FAQ's!!

[jjsmom]

Hi All! Here we are home again! Once again, wallet is lighter, the scale is screaming! I have some answers to the FAQ's. Please feel free to ask a question if there is a subject I didn't cover!

1. Weather:
Iffy at best; some days were nice (sunny, low 70's), others were downright awful (50 & bone chilling raw).

2. Teeny bopper groups:
Pom poms/dance/drill teams descended on WDW Friday

3. Crowds:
Lower attendance than summer, but MK & MGM were still busy. MK was especially busy on Fri. 2/4. Character meals at Crystal Palace & Cape May Cafe were busy.

4. Longest waits (That I saw):
Mission Space-30 mins.
BTMRR-45 mins
Test Track-30 mins.

5. Closings:
Front of Castle
Small world
Carousel of Progress
Dumbo
Time Keeper

6. Best Show-Lion King at Animal Kingdom

7. Best meal-Shula's at the Dolphin (hands down-nothing else came close)

8. No, the new ticket system is NOT easier or efficient. Now everyone (not just AP holders) has to do the finger print thing. I'm here to tell you, I would dread the gate lines Easter week. Having to put your fingers in really holds up the lines. Also, many families (even vets like us) and CM's still seem confused about this system.

I think this covers the basics. Please feel free to question or comment.

 

[Bedknobs/Broomsticks]

Jjsmom, you just sent a shiver down my spine! You wrote: "8. No, the new ticket system is NOT easier or efficient. Now everyone (not just AP holders) has to do the finger print thing. I'm here to tell you, I would dread the gate lines Easter week. Having to put your fingers in really holds up the lines. Also, many families (even vets like us) and CM's still seem confused about this system. "
Of course, we are going Easter Week. Can you think of anything we can do to minimize the problem?

 

[lisa0477]

I am going then too. How fun that part will be.

 

[maps]

If you have regular park hoppers, can you avoid the lines with the finger scanners?

 

[goofyernmost]

Jjsmom, you just sent a shiver down my spine! You wrote: "8. No, the new ticket system is NOT easier or efficient. Now everyone (not just AP holders) has to do the finger print thing. I'm here to tell you, I would dread the gate lines Easter week. Having to put your fingers in really holds up the lines. Also, many families (even vets like us) and CM's still seem confused about this system. "
Of course, we are going Easter Week. Can you think of anything we can do to minimize the problem?

You could cut off your fingers, I suppose! If, indeed, Disney is going to the greed based scanning system for regular park passes then I predict that it will go the same way that the old "photo ID" system went a few years ago. Haven't seen it much lately have you? Hold up the quests to long and they don't come back. Not the most forward looking way of doing things.

I swear Disney is so worried about someone that didn't buy the ticket might use them, inspite of the fact that they accepted money for one admission. They are owed nothing and if they continue to treat quests in such a dictatorial manner they will lose many future visitors.....myself included!

 

[sjdisneywedding]

Just got back and the finger scan is absolutely nothing at all to worry about. It took no longer to get through the lines than at other times. The thing that boggles my mind is people see a line and they just get in it, look around people, there was always an empty line or 2 that people just refused to walk 5 ft further to get to.

Only had one delay and that was from a family of 5 not knowing what they were doing at all. They waited inline for about 3 minutes then when they got up to the gate the mom started shuffling through all her bags to get all their passes out. So really it had nothing to do with the finger scan.

 

[jjsmom]

Oh My Garrsh!!! I didn't mean to cause panic!!!

We had 4 day park hoppers with no extras (good thing; DD got a stomach bug and was out of commission for 1 1/2 days but that's another story). We did not avoid the finger scanner. By day 3, DD (age 13) finally got the hang of it (even though we had AP's before!!). You must press your index and middle finger very hard against the finger guides (?) AND make sure your finger TIPS are pressed down so the scanner can read them

On day 4, DH's ticket wouldn't go through. The CM at our turnstile had to find another CM (who was busy trying to get another family through the gate) to help. CM #2 punched in a code or something and DH got through.

Here are some suggestions: have tickets ready, make sure everyone has a different character on their ticket (how larger families do that, I don't know; all 3 of us were different). On another note, I don't know if the 3-9 yr old ticket requires a finger scan. I can't imagine that.

I certainly hope that Disney finds a way to make the process easier to accommodate the times of high attendance. I'm sure you'll have a great trip!

 

[blessedby3]

What is this about scanning your fingerprint? When you get the new Magic your way passes do you have to put your fingerprint on them? Are they personalized just for you by doing this? and you have to show your fingerprint each time you go to a park?? The last time I went we had regular park hoppers and I dont know much about the new ticket system yet. We are planning to go in Dec. so any info. would be appreciated!!

 

[SnackyStacky]

No, the biometrics DON'T apply to old park hopper tickets. It is ONLY applicable to admission sold on or after 1/2/05. (Except for Annual Passes, as well as Florida resident admission)

If, indeed, Disney is going to the greed based scanning system for regular park passes then I predict that it will go the same way that the old "photo ID" system went a few years ago. Haven't seen it much lately have you? Hold up the quests to long and they don't come back. Not the most forward looking way of doing things.

I really don't see it as a greed based system. I really can't imagine that Disney cares one lick about what you do with your admission after you purchase it as long as you don't SELL it to somebody. Because YOU would then be profiting off of their product.

BUT, because people DID sell their admission (thus feeding the ticket black market on I-Drive), Disney decided to protect their product, and unfortunately, people like you did lose out on the option to gift their unused admission to family and friends.

The reason the photos went away is because that relied far too much on human interaction. The cast member did have to identify that the person using the pass matched the picture. It took a lot of time, and when the lines backed up, I'm sure the cast members didn't really spend a whole lot of time carefully examining each picture and each guest.

With the biometrics, there is far less reliance on human interaction. You stick your fingers into a little reader. It's not that complex. After a while, I'm sure all of this WILL die down because both you the guest AND the cast members will have dealt with it for a while, and will be able to work more efficiently from experience, and the lines will move much more speedily.

 

[Threehearts]

I would like to know too. I have a 7 and 9 yr. old and was hoping to buy a longer pass for the kids than the stay and then next time, buy a new pass for my my 10 y/o and let the younger one use the leftover days on the old 9 y/o pass. Fingerprinting sure won't help me if I have 2 different kids using the same pass. Yes, I know technically, they are not transferrable. Threehearts

 

[26555]

I don't like the inefficiency added just to make sure tickets are not transfered. It can't be costing them that much if occasionally someone sold a leftover day on their 5 day parkhopper to a neighbor. Disney still allowed entry to the parks for 5 days. I only think annual passes should have biometrics. If they increase the number of turnstiles to deal with peak entry times, I won't mind it so much. Waiting in a line to enter the parks is a huge pet peeve of mine.

 

[BoPeep]

Just an FYI, my 5 year-old son never had to do the finger thing for his 3-9 year-old annual pass.

 

[fam4jc]

I bought my 2 dd's child 5 day MYW hoppers, expiring for our April trip from ticketmania. They look like regular tickets. Will we have a problem with these?

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I would like to know too. I have a 7 and 9 yr. old and was hoping to buy a longer pass for the kids than the stay and then next time, buy a new pass for my my 10 y/o and let the younger one use the leftover days on the old 9 y/o pass. Fingerprinting sure won't help me if I have 2 different kids using the same pass. Yes, I know technically, they are not transferrable. Threehearts

Why would you do that? Just keep their tickets for themselves and the one that is then older- uses their OWN pass... they can get it upgraded FOR FREE to adult ticket to match their age since they are the one that used it as a child previously.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We bought 4 Day Hoppers (the old ones) in December at the Disney Store and used them for our trip last month. We did NOT have to scan our fingers. HOWEVER, the turnstiles all have the scanners on them, so no matter what sort of ticket you have you can go through any line. If the people in front of you don't know what they are doing you will have to stand there. This happened to us once.

I agree about there being turnstiles with no lines and people getting in lines anyway! It was bizarre! And the CM's are just shaking their heads. Pretty funny. Look for the green arrows on the turnstiles! Plenty of opportunity to stand in lines INSIDE the parks!

 

[Threehearts]

I will review my best bet for kids tix. I thought that if I bought 2 10 day passes for the one 7 y/o and the one soon turning 10 then the 7 y/o could use the older child's remaining days. I thought this would be more cost effective in case tix prices went up in a year. Threehearts

 

[adisneynut]

We have park hopper passes with 4 days left. Is Disney doing finger scans for these?

 

[Disneyfamfan]

We purchased our tickets in October and received the credit card type with a different character on each one. Do we do the finger scan?

 

[SnackyStacky]

We have park hopper passes with 4 days left. Is Disney doing finger scans for these?

We purchased our tickets in October and received the credit card type with a different character on each one. Do we do the finger scan?

I answered you already.

No, the biometrics DON'T apply to old park hopper tickets. It is ONLY applicable to admission sold on or after 1/2/05. (Except for Annual Passes, as well as Florida resident admission)

 

[fitzgra]

Does it matter which hand? I am left handed and would feel more comfortable doing it with that hand