Question regarding free passes/disney package- will we get caught?!

[disneygirl29]

Hello all,

Let me explain my situation...Ok… in 2004 we had a very bad experience at the Cont… which lead them to comp’ing us (12) 1 Day hopper passes, plus a few nights stay free. OK so fast forward to Nov 2006 we were going to stay at the Swan, two rooms, and buy tickets for everyone, except two people using the comp’ed tickets! (ages are 2, 4,5, 7, 9, 11, and 3 adults)… at the last minute (just a few weeks ago really) someone talked to me into the staying onsite and doing the package with dining… so I started checking into it… we originally had the CBR booked, then switched to POFQ when I found a discount code… originally we didn’t think this would be an option for us, since everyone staying in the room needed to have the same park passes for the dining… however someone told me to adjust the ages of our two younger (the 4 and 5 yr old) to under 3… use the passes on them, and then buy there food… I mentioned it to a CM on the reservation line, she said that would be a possibility, as it would not matter for Magical Express, and room wise, she said we would never get in trouble, and if “caught” we would just have to add them to the package… I felt ok with this since we technically aren’t cheating Disney… I mean we are going to pay for their meals, the hotel would be no more expensive, and we have tickets to get into the park for them (comp’ed) tickets… so here is my issue… we got our Magical Express tags in the mail, and now I am worrying as it is realty now!!!! OMG should I be concerned, nervous? I am looking for someone to say don’t worry. The CM said obviously at check-in would be when they may notice that the 4 & 5 yr old are not under 3…. And it is not like they will be standing there when we check in. I am sure they will be off looking at xmas decorations while just one of the adult (I am sure it will be me) checks in! Someone please reassure me that we did the right thing going this route… it would have been silly to just not use the comp’ed tickets… ugh all for the meal plan!

 

[ProudMomTo3Boys]

In my opinion, pay for the kids for the dining plan, it only costs 10.99 If you pay out of pocket you will probably pay more as you get one table service, one counter service and one snack. If it is worrying you that much, I would say just pay for it.

 

[disneygirl29]

You see we can't add them to the dining plan, b.c in order to use the comp'ed hopper passes, we ahd to say they were under 3 so that we didn't ahve to buy them the same park passes as we have (since we have the comp'ed passes)... I don;t think I am explain this very well... I would love to be able to put them on the dining plan, but in order to use the free passes we have we had to say they were under 3 so as to not pay for hopper passes for them (included in the package)... does that make sense?

 

[ProudMomTo3Boys]

ok yeah I gotcha.
I must have just not read it correctly. The only way you are going to get caught is if they see them at check in. You don't have to worry about the parks, because you have tickets for them.

 

[julia & nicks mom]

What you need to do -and I am not sure if you can at this point - is put everyone on the reservation and have the DP for everyone and pay for one day park hoppers for everyone - then you could have added days to everyone else's tickets

you would also be better off using the comped tickets for the adults since they are more expensive anyway -

When you buy the package you can choose the number of days you want on a ticket - but everyone has to have the same number of days - so if you just say you want a one day base ticket - you will be paying the least amount for those tickets - then you can take those tickets to guest relations when you get to the park and there you can add days and the park hopper option on -

if you leave things as they are - your whole party does not need to be there when you check in - so if you are really nervous about that - have someone take them out to check out the pool while you check in -

 

[disneygirl29]

ok yeah I gotcha.
I must have just not read it correctly. The only way you are going to get caught is if they see them at check in. You don't have to worry about the parks, because you have tickets for them.

OK so I really should not be worried then?! This is the first time using the meal plan and the magical express... so I am so nervous somehow with in that we will get "caught"... I really don't think at the check in we will, as I do not think I could (if I wanted to, which I don't) get all 6 kids to stand there while I check-in!

I guess if worse comes to worse, we end up getting caught, have to buy them park hoppers (and use our comp's some other trip- ugh I hate the thought of putting off using them another year) and then add them to the meal plan (which I would love to do anyways)!

OK thanks for putting my mind at ease a bit!

 

[disneygirl29]

What you need to do -and I am not sure if you can at this point - is put everyone on the reservation and have the DP for everyone and pay for one day park hoppers for everyone - then you could have added days to everyone else's tickets

you would also be better off using the comped tickets for the adults since they are more expensive anyway -

When you buy the package you can choose the number of days you want on a ticket - but everyone has to have the same number of days - so if you just say you want a one day base ticket - you will be paying the least amount for those tickets - then you can take those tickets to guest relations when you get to the park and there you can add days and the park hopper option on -

if you leave things as they are - your whole party does not need to be there when you check in - so if you are really nervous about that - have someone take them out to check out the pool while you check in -

I could have done it that way, but 1 day hoppers are not a good deal (x8)... it would have been more cost effective to just buy the two girls the same hoppers and save the passes for another year (but I dreaded the thought of not using them this year, and losing them or something!) but alas at the time I wasn't nervous about it... and since I guess it seems the only concern shoudl be at check-in I am sure we can avoid ahving them standing there at check-in! I think I am going to quit sweating it! Heck I have to! I so hope the meal plan was worth it!!!!!

 

[saschab]

I'm not knowledgeable enough to have the answer, but...

I have seen people post about upgrading tickets they had in hand.
Is it possible that you could get the single days upgraded...somehow get a credit for those towards your ticket package?

Just thinking outloud.....
.........maybe someone can pick up on this and give a definitive answer.

Maybe call Disney?

 

[julia & nicks mom]

I could have done it that way, but 1 day hoppers are not a good deal (x8)... it would have been more cost effective to just buy the two girls the same hoppers and save the passes for another year (but I dreaded the thought of not using them this year, and losing them or something!) but alas at the time I wasn't nervous about it... and since I guess it seems the only concern shoudl be at check-in I am sure we can avoid ahving them standing there at check-in! I think I am going to quit sweating it! Heck I have to! I so hope the meal plan was worth it!!!!!

you don't have to have park hoppers

buy a one day base ticket for everyone in your party - then go and upgrade all the tickets but two - I could be wrong about this but they might even let you apply what you paid on the tickets you aren't using towards your tickets - you pay the same for everyone else's tickets and just about 110 extra for the one day base tickets

a one day base is $56 for a child and $67 for an adult -

 

[mickeyfan2]

I could have done it that way, but 1 day hoppers are not a good deal (x8)... it would have been more cost effective to just buy the two girls the same hoppers and save the passes for another year (but I dreaded the thought of not using them this year, and losing them or something!) but alas at the time I wasn't nervous about it... and since I guess it seems the only concern shoudl be at check-in I am sure we can avoid ahving them standing there at check-in! I think I am going to quit sweating it! Heck I have to! I so hope the meal plan was worth it!!!!!

You would just upgrade the 1 day passes to the pass you wanted at guest services. Not everybody would upgrade their pass. The ones who did not would just use the free ones.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Or you could go back to purchasing the same original passes for everyone that you planned originally; then put two of the ADULTS' newly-purchased tickets away immediately for another trip and have those two adults use the free single-day hoppers you have.

This way, everybody's being entirely honest about ages; everybody gets to park hop together (or separately, if they choose); and adult passes purchased now but not used at all are a reasonable investment toward another trip. Prices always rise - twice this year, so far - and even if the new tickets expire, they can't START expiring until the first time they're used to enter a park.

Trust me.