Just to be Clear: GAD FP Redemption Available After Regular FPs Gone?

[GrnMtnMan]

I see all the threads with people having good experiences with the GAD FP option. But I haven't seen my specific question answered conclusively: are GAD FPs always available during regular park hours, even after regular FPs are gone?

Last year for the Birthday promotion, there was always (at least during regular park hours) a FP kiosk open to redeem the birthday FP option, even after all the normal FPs had been distributed for the day. I remember these very clearly. All the FP machines would be covered, except one, which had a sign on top indicating it was just for the Birthday FP redemption.

I thought this was the case for the GAD FP option, but I heard on a trusted WDW podcast contradictory information. The speaker was not focused on this detail, but he's otherwise very reliable.

So can anyone who has been to the park recently confirm that there's always (regular park hours) at least one FP kiosk open for GAD FP redemption?

 

[BrettS]

Last year for the Birthday promotion, there was always (at least during regular park hours) a FP kiosk open to redeem the birthday FP option, even after all the normal FPs had been distributed for the day. I remember these very clearly. All the FP machines would be covered, except one, which had a sign on top indicating it was just for the Birthday FP redemption.

It works the same way for this promotion, however, Disney has reserved the right to limit the number of GAD fastpass options that it will give out on any given day. If you go on a very crowded day and try to redeem your GAD voucher for the fastpass option late in the day it's possible that they will tell you that they've reached their limit and turn you away. If you go in the morning then you shouldn't have this problem.

However, once you've redeemed your voucher then you can use it to get fastpasses whenever you want and, as for the birthday promotion, one FP machine will always be open at each attraction.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

If you go on a very crowded day and try to redeem your GAD voucher for the fastpass option late in the day it's possible that they will tell you that they've reached their limit and turn you away.

You're talking about the 11 AM clause, and redemption not necessarily being available after 11, right?

Otherwise, I think we're on the same page. Thanks.

 

[BrettS]

You're talking about the 11 AM clause, and redemption not necessarily being available after 11, right?

Correct.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

You're talking about the 11 AM clause, and redemption not necessarily being available after 11, right?

Otherwise, I think we're on the same page. Thanks.

But this has YET to happen, even during the super busy spring break period and days leading up to ticket blackouts. If the promo made it thru that period the one and only other day I can see running out coming into play would be 4th July but I doubt it. Spring break was massive crowds this year that even Disney didn't expect, had to call in backup employees and extend park hours on last minute notice, etc. I have never seen anything like that unexpected spike in attendance happen in the past 5 years I've been following the crowd patterns.

The GAD FP kiosks are up and running when the rest are out the only issue we ran into was within the last hour of closing, they shut those down on Buzz and Space Mtn so we just went to the FP line CM explained and they gave us a FP and sent us on thru the line with no issues.

ETA: we were there last week & saw 1 kiosk open at all the FP places after the others were exhausted except during hour before closing.

 

[TikiGoddess07]

Len was wrong.

I heard the same podcast and immediately said out loud, "yes, you CAN get them after they have run out!" Coincidentally, I was the one who sent in the question for him to answer!

Kathy

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Len was wrong.

I heard the same podcast and immediately said out loud, "yes, you CAN get them after they have run out!" Coincidentally, I was the one who sent in the question for him to answer!

Kathy

I exchanged emails about this with him yesterday. He just hadn't noticed the way things work. He told me to post my findings in the comments for the show.

 

[Supermom3]

We just got back. We used GAD FP at DHS and MK. We had no issues at DHS where the FP for TSM were all distributed for the day, but there was one machine with a little GAD sign over it where we were able to get FP late in the day.

At MK we had a few issues. For our Daisy rides we had saved our GAD FP for later in the day and planned on going on Jungle Cruise and Buzz twice. At JC they still were distributing FP, but the CM there was trying to tell me that I should just ride stand by because there was only a 15 min wait. I explained that these were GAD FP and that we could ride right away with no wait. She kept insisting that if we got FP we couldn't use them until much later in the day. When I got the FP and they came out with the current time, we went to the FP line, and the guy checking the time kept looking at them and checking his time, and finally let us on. No one at JC had ever even heard of GAD FP.

For Buzz our experience was similar, but they had already distributed all FP for the day. I asked where the GAD FP machine was, and was told that stand by was my only option. I expained the whole GAD program to the CM who agreed to give me 2 blue passes that let my entire party ride twice (once for each pass). He kept inststing that my GAD passes were my park tickets, even though I showed him my Annual Passes, and that they wouldn't work in the FP machine. He said he could do me this favor just this once by giving me the blue passes.

For the Donald rides we used FP for BTM twice and Splash. We had no issues as we got them before all FP were distributed, but I did notice later in the day once all FP were issued that there was not a separate machine open for GAD FP. I might have just missed it though.

I did stop into Guest Relations on my way out the MK and let a manager type person know about my experience. He seemed very concerned, and said that he would make sure that something was done about it.

 

[seashoreCM]

Did a fastpass machine actually reject your GAD card after the (regular) fastpasses were sold out? Or were all the machines covered so you couldn't even try?

 

[Supermom3]

Did a fastpass machine actually reject your GAD card after the (regular) fastpasses were sold out? Or were all the machines covered so you couldn't even try?

At Buzz all machines were covered and the CM wouldn't let me try. At Buzz they issued hand written blue cards for us to ride.

At Jungle Cruise they were still issuing FP for the day, but the return time was about 2 hours out. The CM was just really confused about how I got FPs with an immediate return time.

At TSM we were able to get FPs with our GAD cards after all FPs were gone for the day.

 

[kimgg]

We were there this past week through 6/4 and used our GAD FP's at MK, DHS, and Epcot, and there was always at least 1 machine left open for us all day. It was a great feeling to be able to get instant fast passes when everyone else could not even get regular FP's, and to walk past people watiing up to 2 hours (Toy Story Mania) and get right on. This was our first trip and it will spoil us for sure for any future trips!!