Passholder discount restrictions on number of "guests"

[kmsprincess]

Tl;dr Does anyone here have any experience trying to use the dining discount for more than 3 guests? What about discounted single day water park tickets? Are they super strict about the "up to 3 guests" rule?

I just purchased an incredi-pass and will visiting this fall with my husband and our 2 year old. I plan on visiting the parks on subsequent girls trips so I only purchased an annual pass for myself and not my husband. My sister will also be meeting up with me for a weekend along with her husband and their 3 kids (so 8 of us total, 4 adults and 4 kids). I will be taking us all out for dinner in Disney Springs one night and to a water park the next day as birthday presents for my sister and her family. In the Annual Passholder discount terms it states "for passholder and up to 3 guests". How will the discount work for our dinner? I will be paying the entire bill. Do I have to decide which of the 6 (I assume my 2 year old doesn't have to factor in) will count as my guests for the purpose of the discount or will they allow me to use my discount for the entire bill?

Similarly, there is a deal right now for discounted single day water park tickets for annual passholders. There is the same language there about passholder and 3 guests. I have the water park and sports option on my pass and my husband will have a 7-day park hopper plus ticket, so I do not need to buy a single ticket for my family of 3, so I purchased one for my sister, my brother-in-law, and their three kiddos before I saw the text about "passholder and up to 3 guests". Will they allow me to pick up the 5 discounted water park tickets on our visit? Again, it's not like I'm passing my discount to other people, as I am buying these tickets with my own money as a gift to my sister and her family who are on a tight budget. Thank you in advance for any clarifications you can provide from your experience with this issue.

 

[Marthasor]

I can't speak to the water park tickets, but, yes, at restaurants it is the passholder and up to 3 guests. If they allow more, consider it pixie dust. Same at the water parks. They are pretty clear about what your entitlements and benefits are and, for both experiences, it's up to 3 guests.

 

[kmsprincess]

Update/trip report on this subject. I was able to use my passholder discount on a party with more than 3 guests at Disney Springs at two separate restaurants (Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' and Raglan Road). I was able to apply my passholder discount at Flying Fish with no issue (Party of 8). Not once was the 3-guest policy brought up by anyone we dealt with. I was also able to purchase more than 3 discounted water park tickets for relatives and not a single question was raised when we redeemed said tickets. Obviously, your mileage may vary, but this was my experience. I don't think they are strict about this rule/care, as long as you show your pass - they apply the discount to the bill.

 

[jillt2ph]

OP, thanks for posting a follow-up!!!

 

[philharmagic fan]

Update/trip report on this subject. I was able to use my passholder discount on a party with more than 3 guests at Disney Springs at two separate restaurants (Chef Art Smith's Homecomin' and Raglan Road). I was able to apply my passholder discount at Flying Fish with no issue (Party of 8). Not once was the 3-guest policy brought up by anyone we dealt with. I was also able to purchase more than 3 discounted water park tickets for relatives and not a single question was raised when we redeemed said tickets. Obviously, your mileage may vary, but this was my experience. I don't think they are strict about this rule/care, as long as you show your pass - they apply the discount to the bill.

Don't know about Flying Fish, but Homecomin and Raglan Road are third party contractors, not managed by Disney, so their interpretation of rules may be different. Only once has a Disney server applied the discount to more than the specified number for me, but they always automatically apply the discount to the more expensive meals (i.e. charge full price for the kids meal and apply the discount to the 4 adults in our group). Expect to get a separate check for the non-discounted meals and anything else that's non-discountable, like alcohol.

 

[kmsprincess]

Don't know about Flying Fish, but Homecomin and Raglan Road are third party contractors, not managed by Disney, so their interpretation of rules may be different. Only once has a Disney server applied the discount to more than the specified number for me, but they always automatically apply the discount to the more expensive meals (i.e. charge full price for the kids meal and apply the discount to the 4 adults in our group). Expect to get a separate check for the non-discounted meals and anything else that's non-discountable, like alcohol.

Interesting, not my experience at all. I believe Flying Fish is operated by Disney proper. Every time it has been altogether on one check, including alcohol and their system automatically discounted all the food and not the alcohol without needing to separate anything into a separate check. And like I said I even got 5 discounted water park tickets directly from Disney and no head was turned. Can I ask when your experience is from? because I wonder if their systems have been updated since then to accurately apply the discount without needing to split up a check.

 

[suzannews]

At my restaurant, the rule with an AP discount is up to 4 guests per pass. We also ask to see the pass in your my Disney experience app so we can verify the expiration date. I've been told by many guests that no one else has asked for this during their vacation. I'm just following the rules set by my managers but get yelled at for it often.

 

[jemtx]

On my recent trips I have been asked to show my AP on the app so they can verify the expiration date before applying the discount. I’m sorry that guests have yelled at you about it. Seems that you are following the same procedure that I’ve encountered at every restaurant. I’ve also had to show it at shops when applying the AP discount to merchandise.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Our experience has been that the AP discount will apply to everyone's meal that the AP holder is paying for, whether the diners are passholders or not. As long as the AP holder pays for it, the discount applies. If the non-passholder is paying for themself, then the discount doesn't apply.

 

[Pinnochio]

Our experience has been that the AP discount will apply to everyone's meal that the AP holder is paying for, whether the diners are passholders or not. As long as the AP holder pays for it, the discount applies. If the non-passholder is paying for themself, then the discount doesn't apply.

same

 

[kmsprincess]

Our experience has been that the AP discount will apply to everyone's meal that the AP holder is paying for, whether the diners are passholders or not. As long as the AP holder pays for it, the discount applies. If the non-passholder is paying for themself, then the discount doesn't apply.

This! When we got the discount for a party of 8 (7 guests), each time I paid it all on one check.

 

[kmsprincess]

At my restaurant, the rule with an AP discount is up to 4 guests per pass. We also ask to see the pass in your my Disney experience app so we can verify the expiration date. I've been told by many guests that no one else has asked for this during their vacation. I'm just following the rules set by my managers but get yelled at for it often.

I was always asked to show my pass in the app - that part was fine.

Although why give out an annual pass card at all?...they could print an expiration date on it so that it is actually, you know, useful. One time my phone died at Hollywood Studios and despite having my physical AP card I had trouble getting my discount at one shop. This was not an issue at any other park - if it was more convenient to flash my card vs pulling open the app, I was able to do so everywhere except HS. It's not the guest's fault that Disney's systems suck and you can't verify the expiration with a swipe of the card or that they don't, like I said, provide a pass card each year with an expiration date on it like credit card companies have figured out for decades, or have a property-wide system where they can scan your magic band or other ticket media and verify the pass like they do at the turnstiles. It's not the cast members' fault either but as a representative for your company that they are coming face to face with, people will expect you to answer for it.

Disney's policy here is also ageist and elitist. Not everyone has a smart phone, particularly the elderly who probably make up a fairly good chunk of AP holders. As a CM, you probably do have some amount of discretion in how you treat guests beyond what is black and white in a policy.

 

[HopperFan]

At my restaurant, the rule with an AP discount is up to 4 guests per pass. We also ask to see the pass in your my Disney experience app so we can verify the expiration date. I've been told by many guests that no one else has asked for this during their vacation. I'm just following the rules set by my managers but get yelled at for it often.

In the past I was always asked for my hard card and ID to prove it was mine. Last few trips they have always asked to see my AP in my MDE. When going through toll booths I hold up my MagicBand and they then ask for my ID so I always have it out and ready.

AND THEY SHOULD! And guests should be ready to supply it before even being asked.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Just got home and everyone except a couple of restaurants asked to see my AP in the app for dining discounts. Only 2 of us and of course got discount for both. Only 1 check and alcohol was on it and I assume not discounted tho I didn’t actually check. At a store my daughter just showed her card and ID when she made a rather big purchase. I automatically had the pass pulled up on the app before being asked most of the time when shopping.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Expect to get a separate check for the non-discounted meals and anything else that's non-discountable, like alcohol.

Non-discounted alcohol has never been presented to me on a separate bill and I’ve bought more meals with alcohol at Disney than I care to admit

At my restaurant, the rule with an AP discount is up to 4 guests per pass. We also ask to see the pass in your my Disney experience app so we can verify the expiration date. I've been told by many guests that no one else has asked for this during their vacation. I'm just following the rules set by my managers but get yelled at for it often.

I’m so sorry people are idiotic jerks!! I hate showing my AP in the app because the tech freezes up so much but I NEVER take it out on the CM. Y’all don’t make extra work for yourselves for kicks and giggles.



I have and will continue to write Disney about how ridiculous the show in the app policy is. It should be as simple as scanning any ticket media and verifying the ID matches to receive your AP discounts. Showing in the app is a cheap work around because they don’t want a proper system in place.

 

[focusondisney]

I’m so sorry people are idiotic jerks!! I hate showing my AP in the app because the tech freezes up so much but I NEVER take it out on the CM. Y’all don’t make extra work for yourselves for kicks and giggles.

I was gonna go with Entitled jerks. But idiotic works too. The very 1st thing it says under the Dining Discounts is

“These discounts are:

• only for the use of Passholders and, unless otherwise noted, up to 3 Guests”

But of course entitled jerks, these things don’t apply to you. I mean, present your discount, expect it to apply to yourself & 3 guests. If you get it for more than that, just thank the CM & count yourself lucky.

 

[HopperFan]

I have and will continue to write Disney about how ridiculous the show in the app policy is. It should be as simple as scanning any ticket media and verifying the ID matches to receive your AP discounts. Showing in the app is a cheap work around because they don’t want a proper system in place.

Which they used to do all the time but now that they are trying to not give out a hard ticket to AP holders, the app is the only really visual for the ticket.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Which they used to do all the time but now that they are trying to not give out a hard ticket to AP holders, the app is the only really visual for the ticket.

No. I said SCAN ticket media. Looking at the physical AP with its broad year exp was always dumb. Scan the AP, MB, room key, app, Magic Key, whatever media you chose to use. The system will verify it’s valid and the name without inconveniencing the AP holder and causing backlash at your CMs when the tech doesn’t work. Disney is shortcuting the process by forcing everyone to show the AP in the app- and they’re so cheap about it they haven’t even programmed in an option to show it from the app homepage without having to work through the menu

 

[Rpo0921]

they’re so cheap about it they haven’t even programmed in an option to show it from the app homepage without having to work through the menu

they have though

 

[gottalovepluto]

they have though

Finally! Where is the shortcut?