Need help with FASTPASS+ off site tickets.

[mickeyway]

Ok I have been to DW many times but not since FP+ and magic bands. I am planning an offsite visit in August and have no idea what to do. I am buying my tickets from another site not Disney. How do I link them? What is linking them? Do I need a magic band? Do I buy magic bands ahead of time? How can I make reservations? It seems very confusing. Please help.

 

[Robo]

Ok I have been to DW many times but not since FP+ and magic bands. I am planning an offsite visit in August and have no idea what to do.

I am buying my tickets from another site not Disney.

1. How do I link them? What is linking them?

2. Do I need a magic band?

3. Do I buy magic bands ahead of time?

4. How can I make reservations?

5. It seems very confusing.

6. Please help.

1.& 2. Set up a MyDisneyExperience account.
Put your ticket numbers into that account in the area provided.

2. No.

3. You can if you like. You can buy them at WDW, but they are not necessary.

4. 30 days before your first day at WDW,
you can log on at midnight (or the next morning) to your MyDisneyExperience account and make FP+ for the first day.
The next day, you can log on at midnight (or the next morning) to your MyDisneyExperience account and make FP+ for the second day. etc.

5. Yup.

6. FP+ questions like these are answered (and FP+ Priorities listed) in the highly recommended, super-complete, often discussed, gotta love it, gargantuan juggernaut, constantly updated and refreshed by the DISboard's own mesaboy2... FP+ thread found HERE.

 

[mickeyway]

Thanks . So basically winging it is out of the question. I see a cruise in my future.

 

[staceyeileen]

Thanks . So basically winging it is out of the question. I see a cruise in my future.

Your question was specifically how to link your tickets ahead of time so that you can pre-plan your FP+. You didn't ask how to wing it. If you want to just wing it, you don't need to link your tickets ahead of time.

 

[ConnieB]

You can wing it.....FP are NOT necessary if you're willing to wait in line. My suggestion, if you have a smartphone....download Disney's app.....it shows current wait times. You can't make your FP for several months, so whenever you think of it, check the app and see what the waits are like for the rides you want to go on......check different times of the day, different days of the week.....get a feel for the average waits (keep in mind this week is Easter so it's gonna be very busy). If the wait times are generally acceptable to you, then no need for FP.....if the wait times make you want to change to that cruise, consider booking FP for the longer waits.

Something to know.....just this week they started giving people making new FP a 4th ride.....they choose it, but you can then change it. No one is sure if this is just an "Easter week" thing meant to ease the big crowds, or if this is a trial and by the time you go in August, there could be 4 available ahead of time. Most people are hoping for 4 in the future!

FP sounds complicated, but it's not really as bad as it seems once you've done it a few times. If you're going to get your tickets soon, go ahead and put them into your MDE, then play around with making FP. Since you don't need a hotel reservation to make FP you can make them now for anything up to 30 days ......so make some just for practice and to see how it works, and then just go in and cancel them when you're done practicing. The first time you make FP many people get frustrated and maybe a little lost on what they're supposed to do.....in typical Disney style the app has some quirks....learn them now when it doesn't matter.

I have Magic Bands but have never liked wearing watches or bracelets, so I don't use it. I use my ticket to gain entrance to the parks and to use my FP.....so buying a MB is absolutely optional.

 

[richmo]

Robo gave you the detailed, and correct, answer above. But don't think of it as that complicated and don't feel that you need to stay up to midnight every night for the number of days you'll be at WDW just to make FP+ plans.

If you have your tickets/vouchers, do set yourself up with an MDE account on your desktop/laptop computer and smartphone and link your tickets. Get an idea of what parks you would like to visit on what days. Especially if your August visit is in the first part of the month, you might want to look at the crowd calendars (easyWDW is a good source) to help you figure out which park to visit on which day. Early to mid August is still quite crowded.

As far as making the actual FP+s, you might want to do the midnight reservation for Anna and Elsa at MK, if that's something you want to do. Other than that, you shouldn't have much trouble picking things up later in the day or even doing them all in one shot (once all your days are in the 30 day window). You may not get exactly the times you want, but there should be availability. (7DMT at MK might be another exception)

Of course you can wing it if you like, but I would definitely make some plans or you may be up for some long waits.