Redeeming FP for a group

[Butterfly123]

What do people find is the best or fastest way to redeem FP for a group? I‘m thinking that one person scanning everyone in with their phone would be preferable to everyone scanning in their ticket individually, either with their phone or their ticket. I do see people talking about keeping their tickets in a lanyard, and everyone scanning in themselves. We are a family of five. Just curious about what works best

 

[pharmama]

Scan individually using the paper ticket media/Annual Pass. Each person can just stick it under or in the scanner as they walk by. Scanning them all on one phone creates a clump of people clustered around the scanner while you swipe through each FP on the device. The clump often ends up blocking access to the other FP scanner and generally just slows down the FP line all around. FP return lines have gotten out of hand largely due to people fumbling with devices at the scan in point (I'm looking at you, Indy and Space... and others).

 

[MonocularVision]

I always end up scanning everyone in on my phone but 1. My family is properly trained to keep out of the way of others and 2. I can do it pretty dang fast. It is probably way easier for each person to do a paper ticket but make sure people are ready and don’t end up fumbling for their ticket in line.

 

[figment_jii]

I would say that it depends on the group. When I was with a big(ish) group (6 of us), we had one person scan all of the tickets into their app. They would approach the FP scanner first and then as they scanned each person's FP into the machine, that person would enter the FP queue. We knew in advance what order to line up in, so it made the process fast and smooth.

 

[ZCarroll]

Scanning everyone in with the phone is definitely fastest as long as you have it up and ready to go before you get to it -took less time for me to scan in 7 that way than for two separately ticketed people to scan in- however, many times the app would stop working so we were always prepared with tickets as well.

 

[dieumeye]

The fastest way is to be prepared and know what to do. Whether one person does it, or everyone does it individually, it will be fast if everyone is prepared, and it will be slow if everyone is not prepared.

As someone with 2 young kids, it's going to be faster for me to scan for everyone with the app instead of having the kids do it themselves. FYI if one person is scanning, you don't have to take the phone off or away from the scanner. You can just keep it in place and flip with your thumb as soon as the reader dings.

 

[tink89]

It is so much easier to scan individually and you do not hold up the line. I always scan for my daughter who walks in front, then me then the rest of the group each scans their own. Sometimes groups will stand in front of both or all scanning machines blocking them just waiting for one person to scan in everyone.

 

[Butterfly123]

If you do keep your ticket in a lanyard, do you like the retractable kind better, or just the regular type.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

If you do keep your ticket in a lanyard, do you like the retractable kind better, or just the regular type.

We use retractable badge reels (Disney themed, of course!) -- super easy to use at FP scanners and at cash registers. Lanyards work, too, but we like the badge reels (more Disney things to collect and more Disney cuteness to wear -- and we can match them to our Disneybounding). Now that I've convinced DH to wear them, too, he finds them convenient and easy to use.
Either lanyards for individual scanning or one person scanning on the phone can work well -- whichever works fastest and most efficiently for your group is what works best. Just make sure that your group understands to stay in one line, not to block the other scanners or guests, and to move quickly through as you scan so that the return line can keep moving.

 

[PHXscuba]

If everyone is old enough to wear a lanyard with their ticket inside a clear pouch, my experience has been that individual scanning goes faster. Sometimes the phone app won't come up quickly and correctly. If there are 2 scanners, a person/group behind your family (even if they stand off to the side) doesn't always catch on that they can go ahead to the second scanner.

PHXscuba

 

[cruisnfamily]

We don't have paper tickets....bought online, got an email, scanned into the app. It's just 2 of us, guess we'll just use the phone? So 1 of us can scan both of us in?

 

[pharmama]

We don't have paper tickets....bought online, got an email, scanned into the app. It's just 2 of us, guess we'll just use the phone? So 1 of us can scan both of us in?

When your e-tickets are scanned in at the gate a paper ticket will be automatically generated and handed to you.

 

[SteveNZ]

We use retractable badge reels (Disney themed, of course!) -- super easy to use at FP scanners and at cash registers. Lanyards work, too, but we like the badge reels (more Disney things to collect and more Disney cuteness to wear -- and we can match them to our Disneybounding). Now that I've convinced DH to wear them, too, he finds them convenient and easy to use.
Either lanyards for individual scanning or one person scanning on the phone can work well -- whichever works fastest and most efficiently for your group is what works best. Just make sure that your group understands to stay in one line, not to block the other scanners or guests, and to move quickly through as you scan so that the return line can keep moving.

can you buy the retractable badge reel lanyards in the park? Like, can I buy them the instant we first get into the park on day one? Or do you buy elsewhere? If so what size are the tickets?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

can you buy the retractable badge reel lanyards in the park? Like, can I buy them the instant we first get into the park on day one? Or do you buy elsewhere? If so what size are the tickets?

The paper tickets are about the size of a credit card. They fit in the clear plastic ID holders that come with most badge reels. We get our badge reels on Amazon.com or etsy.com. We've asked about the badge reels in the parks, but have not seen them for sale there.

 

[lcp9]

We have 5 tickets to scan and we prefer clear ID badges on a lanyard. I put two back to back, my husband puts two back to back, and my daughter gets to scan her own. This makes it easier to split off (our 3 year old is only 44" and is out for Indy and IC.)

ETA: even with an external battery case, being on and off with the DL app getting max passes runs it down quickly - wifi is terrible in spots so I'm on data anyway. Using tickets vs app saves quite a bit of battery.

 

[disneylover102]

Don’t waste your phone battery by using FPs on it. It works great to just scan your ticket and then all you have to use your phone battery for us to get FPs with Maxpass and check wait times.