man am I mad

[disneegrl4eva]

I thought by being a AAA member I would automatically get unlimited fastpass with my parkhopper tickets...then I found out that the only way you can get it is if you have purchase a package with AAA...I had to buy the tickets separately because during the time I'm going, there was nothing available in any of the hotels I wanted to stay in...now I will cry

 

[tink2dw]

Don't Cry too hard!! I was at AAA tueday and while the are saving me money on a WDW onsite stay pkge, I would have spent way more on DL than I am booking it myself!!
DL Trip Budget - Days 5-12 = 8 days

Gas ---------$ 100.00
Hotel--------$ $425.00
Tickets------$ 340.00-5day hopper AAA
Food---------$ 400.00-$25 a day x 2 x 8days
Stuff---------$ 75.00


Sub-total--------$1340.00

 

[MsYumiBr]

What! Oh, that is terrible! I am so sorry you had to find out the hard way about unlimited fastpasses with AAA. Have you read Darkbeer's Ode to Fastpass yet? I too purchased a package through AAA but because we are all AP holders, we don't get the unlimited feature either. I prepaid over $2000 for the hotel rooms and over $2000 for the APs and we don't get it and I am *not* paying over $400 for tickets I don't need just for the fastpass. I wouldn't worry too much about it. #1, EE is better than unlimited Fastpass because the key is to get there early enough to get in more rides before the crowd hits. #2, fastpasses run out by noon on the days you really need it and if you wait 2 hours (or end time of the fastpass) to go around the park again to get the fastpass, you end up with spending a whole lot of time running around the park collecting fastpasses before they run out instead of just enjoying staying in an area long enough to appreciate the atmosphere. If I wanted to run around the park all morning, I'd join the 1/2 marathon event coming up. #3, fastpass machines are not always working. I do not know who turns them on but if the attraction is not at a certain wait time level, you can't get fastpasses and knowing our luck, we will get there, it'll be closed, run around the park getting other fastpasses, they will be closed and then back to the first fastpass machine and they would have run out. So, it's not a big loss and only worth the money on days so crowded that you are lucky to get 5 rides in without a fastpass. That would be peak season holidays. Just go and have fun. In my opinion, the unlimited fastpass thing takes up a lot of precious time running around the park and not riding anything when you could just as well be getting a fastpass, standing in a line for a couple of rides, use the fastpass and go get another fastpass.

Don't be sad, be happy that at least you will be able to go to Disneyland in a month!!! Yay!

 

[samkj]

The ONLY way to get the unlimited fastpass is to stay at the Disneyland Resort Hotels and book a package through AAA. Even if you booked an offsite package with AAA you would not the get the unlimited FP with your parkhoppers.

 

[MsYumiBr]

Oh, oops, I should have made myself clear. I booked 3 nights at the Disneyland Hotel and because we didn't buy tickets with the AAA vacation package since we have passes, we didn't get the bonus fastpass feature.

 

[Judy from Boise]

yup, sorry, thats how the program works.You will still havea great time!

 

[Pir8girl]

I feel your pain. I just discovered that even tho I'm staying on site at GC and have a premium AP, I'm NOT eligible for EE. You have to buy hoppers.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

The DLR hotels have been allowing guests of their resorts early entry on Sat, Mon, Tues, and Thur by showing their white charge slips at the turnstiles. Again, this can change at any moment, but you should ask at check in. We did this on our trip in Oct. We used the parkhopper ee on sat, then showed our charge slips on mon, tues, and thursday to get ee as well.

 

[MsYumiBr]

You can take this with a grain of salt because I was told this by various people at reservations, WDTC and the VP that the resort hotels were offering the EE to resort guests because of the popularity of the 50th celebration (I guess they were getting too many complaints from unhappy guests). They also said I will have EE through the hotel thing during my stay later this month. However, I won't be bent if they don't offer it because my family just can't get up that early anyway. We will sure try though!

 

[Marcy Mouse]

Do they do this for Disney World?

 

[wdwstar]

disneyworld all you need is your park ticket to slide thru the fast pass machines, you can get up to 2 fast passes at a time, once you use one up you can get another. It will tell you on the bottom of the fast pass when you can get another. If you stay on DW property you will get info on which park & on which day is EE. It seems alot easier at DW

 

[Chicago526]

I've always thought that FP's are usefull, but not the "end-all be-all" of park touring.

Basicly, on all but the most croweded days, just A) Knowing what rides you must do and what rides you'd like to do, but are expendable B) Getting to the park right at rope drop and C) Carefull use of the FP system is the best way to tour with as short waits as possible.

On truely crowded days, I'd then use the "Unofficial Guide to DL (or WDW if in FL)" touring plans. These guys researched what rides to do in what order in a way that is just mind numbing. Well worth the cost of the book (or the trouble of getting it at the library and making a few photocopies!). The plans also use FP and tell you what rides to get them for, and what rides to stand by for.

 

[Pir8girl]

I was under the impression that if you have an ap you are not eligible for EE. But hopefully I'm wrong! I don't mind not having the extended FP since we always use ridemax and have found that it works great.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

I was under the impression that if you have an ap you are not eligible for EE. But hopefully I'm wrong! I don't mind not having the extended FP since we always use ridemax and have found that it works great.

Since the 50th began, they've been allowing Disneyland Resort hotels' guets early entry REGARDLESS of entry ticket media (ap, parkhopper sing ticket). Ask upon check-in (they can at any point change thier "policy" though). You just need to show your white hotel chargeslip at the entry turnstile along with your APs.

 

[MamaKate]

I was under the impression that if you have an ap you are not eligible for EE. But hopefully I'm wrong! I don't mind not having the extended FP since we always use ridemax and have found that it works great.

As of a couple weeks ago they allowed AP holders EE while staying at one their hotels. The kids and I stay at a Disneyland hotel every month and we're AP holders. We used the on-site EE feature in December and at the end of January. All I had to do was show our hotel charge slip with the dates on it (the room key is not valid).

So unless they changed it in the last couple of weeks (which I don't think they have), you'll be able to use EE on all the days it is offered during your stay.

,
Katie

 

[Pir8girl]

That is great news! I was really whining about this. Not that I like to get up early lol but I've found that especially with ridemax it helps to have that extra hour.

 

[Michelle2]

Definitely! And maybe this will make you feel better. We did the AAA package just so that we could get the enhanced fastpasses. Yes, we were planning to stay onsite anyways, so thought, might as well check this out!

But we were there during the week at such a slow time (September), we did not even need hardly any fastpasses at all, let alone the enhanced fastpass, so it turned out to be completely worthless.

Of course this depends on the time of year you go, but with the regular use of fastpass, I am sure things will be just fine, and if it is a slow time, the enhanced fastpasses do not even matter. Trust me, we had a stack of fastpasses we had accumulated that was 2 inches thick that we never even had to use!

 

[hlbtimes2]

disneyworld all you need is your park ticket to slide thru the fast pass machines, you can get up to 2 fast passes at a time, once you use one up you can get another. It will tell you on the bottom of the fast pass when you can get another. If you stay on DW property you will get info on which park & on which day is EE. It seems alot easier at DW

I guess I"m missing something, but it doesnt really sound easier- it sounds the same except you only get one FP at a time in DL, not two.

 

[Skylarr29]

I guess I"m missing something, but it doesnt really sound easier- it sounds the same except you only get one FP at a time in DL, not two.

I think what they meant about WDW being easier is there EE system. everyone staying at a Disney Hotel recieves early entry no matter what type of tickets media you have. And the fast pass system is exactly the same ... you can not get two at a time , only one. And all the rides at WDW are connected so youdont even get the extra ones that are disconected at DL like Grizzly River and Roger rabbit.