SDFP: CHANGES COMING!! Beware the 7th of June?!

[marciemi]

You can mix and match parks with SDFP. However, if you book an afternoon SDFP at one park, then go to a different park and attempt to get morning SDFP, in all probability, you're going to run into a snag. Book SDFP at a park, then use those SDFP before attempting to book SDFP in a second park on the same day. Can you cancel an unused SDFP from park #1 at a park #2 kiosk? @marciemi ??!!???

I'm not certain I've ever done it with a SDFP but I have done it with regular FPP's back in the "pre-phone-#4/different park" era. Ran out of MK when it was pouring and skipped our Thunder FPP and got to Epcot and when I scanned the band it allowed me to choose a new FP in that park and said something like "You will be cancelling Thunder Mountain 10-11" from within Epcot. I would believe it would work the same way with SDFP and allow you to cancel for a different park but not choose rides for one.

 

[disneydad1]

we'll be at WDW the 1st week of June with a party of 7 - have tix in hand, linked to MDE account and all FP+s set up - getting magicband 2.0's and customized them on MDE account.

I read the FAQ's (only once, though....sorry). Since I have not received the new magicbands yet (and therefore, not linked the new bands to MDE), I should create a phantom MDE account, link the new ones to the phantom account when we receive them, then use them for SDFP's. I need to make sure NOT to add the phantom to my original account.

We would use our old magicbands from a couple years ago for park admission - they are already linked to MDE account, so nothing to do there.

That doesn't sound too complicated....am I missing something?

Does SDFP availability merit going to the effort of hitting the kiosk during prime AM touring time to acquire more FPs - especially with 6 or 7 people?

appreciate any thoughts or clarifications.

we used to be super-users of old paper FP system and "maximized" the use of those, so i'm intrigued by this.

 

[ScrapYap]

we'll be at WDW the 1st week of June with a party of 7 - have tix in hand, linked to MDE account and all FP+s set up - getting magicband 2.0's and customized them on MDE account.

I read the FAQ's (only once, though....sorry). Since I have not received the new magicbands yet (and therefore, not linked the new bands to MDE), I should create a phantom MDE account, link the new ones to the phantom account when we receive them, then use them for SDFP's. I need to make sure NOT to add the phantom to my original account.

We would use our old magicbands from a couple years ago for park admission - they are already linked to MDE account, so nothing to do there.

That doesn't sound too complicated....am I missing something?

Does SDFP availability merit going to the effort of hitting the kiosk during prime AM touring time to acquire more FPs - especially with 6 or 7 people?

appreciate any thoughts or clarifications.

we used to be super-users of old paper FP system and "maximized" the use of those, so i'm intrigued by this.

When they arrive, the 2.0 bands will already have been linked (by Disney) to the resort guests on your MDE. You can't unlink them.

Your old MBs are presumably clones of the new ones.

The first post really has every thought and clarification you're likely to require.

 

[samantha217]

Just wanted to thank whoever made this post. I utilized this on my last trip and the most we waited was 25 minutes for soarin. My mom thoroughly enjoyed the trip and even told me "disney wasn't so bad when you don't have to wait". Success! Thanks!

 

[sweetpea29488]

One more question. My brother and sister-in-law are coming on this trip. They have magic bands from another trip but the bands are not connected to my disney experience account. They are on another account. They are not showing on the MDE account that I have set up. Can they be used for SDFP? If I understand right I think they can.

Ok, two more questions Do you switch from magic band to magic band? Like take one off and put the other on and vise versa? Sorry if it's a dumb question but I'm quessing you wouldn't keep a band on and use the other one at the same time.

 

[CapJames]

I would be interested to know some examples of what's been available from each park for those who have gotten SDFPs. I know it can vary greatly day to day but would be interested in hearing from those of have utilized it successfully. Thanks.

 

[samantha217]

I would be interested to know some examples of what's been available from each park for those who have gotten SDFPs. I know it can vary greatly day to day but would be interested in hearing from those of have utilized it successfully. Thanks.

I utilized this system every day in the parks. I got at least 9 fast passes per day, park hopping too. I was able to get popular rides as well. Hollywood studios I got TOT and star tours in the morning, got Seven Dwarfs, space mountain twice and Peter Pan at MK and was able to get test track and soarin at epcot. I checked throughout the day to switch passes around though. It was a little confusing the first day and I forgot to switch my band at one ride but I didn't have any other issues. Worked out great. I was only a party of 2 though, I would not use this system if it was more than that. I would assume it would also limited FP choices as well.

 

[sweetpea29488]

I utilized this system every day in the parks. I got at least 9 fast passes per day, park hopping too. I was able to get popular rides as well. Hollywood studios I got TOT and star tours in the morning, got Seven Dwarfs, space mountain twice and Peter Pan at MK and was able to get test track and soarin at epcot. I checked throughout the day to switch passes around though. It was a little confusing the first day and I forgot to switch my band at one ride but I didn't have any other issues. Worked out great. I was only a party of 2 though, I would not use this system if it was more than that. I would assume it would also limited FP choices as well.

When you said you switched passes around you had to do that at the kiosk, right?

 

[ScrapYap]

I would be interested to know some examples of what's been available from each park for those who have gotten SDFPs. I know it can vary greatly day to day but would be interested in hearing from those of have utilized it successfully. Thanks.

It varies from minute to minute! Providing you have a ticket linked to your profile, you could just log into your MDE every morning and have a look at what FP are showing up as available at rope drop versus an hour later, etc. Of course, that availability won't match what you see when you're in the park yourself - but it might give you a ballpark idea of what might be the most commonly available FP. Though common sense could tell you that right now!

 

[traveljunkie]

I have an MDE set up which has a room reservation and old tickets on it for DH and me. Daughter coming this trip and she's on the room reservation BUT she will not have a ticket through us so I'm not adding it to the MDE (she's going to park hop with a friend and that person will be managing daughter's FP). She's never had a MB or tickets listed on my MDE. I'm in the process of ordering bands through MDE and thought WAIT I better ask before doing so...Will her band be unlinked since she won't have tickets or is it already messed up since I'm linked? Also, I think another child could be coming -- say 13 yo and I need to add to the room reservation. I must call to do this, right? Any pitfalls in this plan?

 

[samantha217]

When you said you switched passes around you had to do that at the kiosk, right?

Yes, for the extra bands I did have to go to the kiosk.

 

[ScrapYap]

One more question. My brother and sister-in-law are coming on this trip. They have magic bands from another trip but the bands are not connected to my disney experience account. They are on another account. They are not showing on the MDE account that I have set up. Can they be used for SDFP? If I understand right I think they can.

Ok, two more questions Do you switch from magic band to magic band? Like take one off and put the other on and vise versa? Sorry if it's a dumb question but I'm quessing you wouldn't keep a band on and use the other one at the same time.

Just to clarify - do you have profiles for your brother and sister-in-law that you manage on your MDE? Probably not - probably they have their own MDE. And you're MDE "friends" with them, right? When you look at the Friends and Family page of your MDE, you see your brother and sister-in-law? But when you look at the MagicBands and Cards page of your MDE, you don't see their bands, right?

The fact that their old bands are not connected to *your* MDE doesn't matter. Those old bands are probably connected to your brother and sister-in-law's MDE. And the fact that their old bands were from another trip doesn't mean that they're not associated with the profiles you're booking FP for now. Most likely, their old bands are clones of whatever bands they are planning to use this trip. Unless you do have separate profiles for your brother and sister-in-law for this trip (on your own MDE?), their old bands won't work for SDFP.

 

[Music City Mama]

Ok, two more questions Do you switch from magic band to magic band? Like take one off and put the other on and vise versa? Sorry if it's a dumb question but I'm quessing you wouldn't keep a band on and use the other one at the same time.

Well, I was going to switch them each time, but see below from another poster:

It was a little confusing the first day and I forgot to switch my band at one ride

This happened to me, too. "I'm sorry, but your next scheduled FP is at Space Mountain at 3:00". My friend whispered to me that we forgot to switch bands. Oops. From that point on, I wore one on each arm and didn't care what anyone thought. I still could have accidentally tapped the wrong one, but with both staring at me, it made me think about it first!

 

[ScrapYap]

I have an MDE set up which has a room reservation and old tickets on it for DH and me. Daughter coming this trip and she's on the room reservation BUT she will not have a ticket through us so I'm not adding it to the MDE (she's going to park hop with a friend and that person will be managing daughter's FP). She's never had a MB or tickets listed on my MDE. I'm in the process of ordering bands through MDE and thought WAIT I better ask before doing so...Will her band be unlinked since she won't have tickets or is it already messed up since I'm linked? Also, I think another child could be coming -- say 13 yo and I need to add to the room reservation. I must call to do this, right? Any pitfalls in this plan?

The MagicBands you receive for a resort reservation will come already linked to each guest. Those guests may or may not also have tickets linked to their profiles.

The way you have it set up, your daughter's MB will not have a ticket associated with it. You won't be able to prebook FP for her profile on your MDE. She won't be able to use that MB for park entrance. But it can be used for SDFP.

Your daughter has a profile on her friend's MDE. So DD will be using a ticket card for park entrance and prebooked FP. Make sure she knows that the MB linked to the profile you have for her on your own MDE is "empty." Just keep it in your purse so she doesn't get confused and try to use it for park entrance. Will she beef because she doesn't have an MB? You could always get her a fun one on Shop Parks as a surprise and have her friend link it. Though this "friend" thing makes me uncomfortable. Your daughter should have her own profile so that, down the road, you can add her to your MDE as a friend if you want to book FP for her on a future trip. I wouldn't like giving up the control to the friend. (The friend won't be able to book FP for DD at 60 days out because that profile won't have a resort reservation, by the by.)

Before customizing your MBs, you might want to add that 13-year-old guest. (Good thing he's such a cooperative kid.) Set up a profile for that child on your MDE before calling Guest Services - that will make it easier for everyone. You do have to call to add him. Sounds like a plan.

When you check in at the resort, tell the front desk that you'd like a set of cards to use in case you don't feel like wearing the bands all the time. Sharpie the name of each corresponding guest onto the front of the cards. You're getting these cards, in part, because your daughter won't otherwise have a key to your room. (You're not letting her stay with that friend, right??) Easiest thing would be to let DD have the MB that I told you to put in your purse. DD can use it to get in the room. But she will understand that it won't work for anything else? (It would work for charging privileges.) Then you would have the two tickets cards - for DD and young Murgatroyd - which could be used for SDFP. (Easier to carry than two extra bands.) You of course would understand that your card and DH's card would not work for SDFP because they would be clones of your bands.

 

[runwad]

^^ Clear as mud right travel junkie.

You amaze me ScrapYap with how good you are with all these different scenarios.

 

[traveljunkie]

Ok great--I'm printing this explanation out!!!! I know it sounds weird but my DD will be 17. We have a family friend that grew up with my girls and lives in Orlando and she already has discounted hopper passes. I know it sounds silly & complicated. They will hop around all day and night while the old folks take our time at Epcot. They will be doing their own thing and YES DD will be staying with me. She will know to keep the band separate. She is aware that getting FP for the biggies like Avatar & whatever will be hard or impossible but she doesn't care, she's just excited to be at WDW. It may not be worth the hassle but thought I'd ask before I order the bands. I appreciate your detailed answers!!

The MagicBands you receive for a resort reservation will come already linked to each guest. Those guests may or may not also have tickets linked to their profiles.

Just keep it in your purse so she doesn't get confused and try to use it for park entrance. Will she beef because she doesn't have an MB? You could always get her a fun one on Shop Parks as a surprise and have her friend link it. Though this "friend" thing makes me uncomfortable. Your daughter should have her own profile so that, down the road, you can add her to your MDE as a friend if you want to book FP for her on a future trip. I wouldn't like giving up the control to the friend. (The friend won't be able to book FP for DD at 60 days out because that profile won't have a resort reservation.)

Before customizing your MBs, you might want to add that 13-year-old guest. (Good thing he's such a cooperative kid.) Yes! the most cooperative kid ever!

When you check in at the resort, tell the front desk that you'd like a set of cards to use in case you don't feel like wearing the bands all the time. Sharpie the name of each corresponding guest onto the front of the cards. You're doing getting these cards, in part, because your daughter won't otherwise have a key to your room. (You're not letting her stay with that friend, right??) Easiest thing would be to let DD have the MB that I told you to put in your purse. DD can use it to get in the room. But she will understand that it won't work for anything else? (It would work for charging privileges.) Then you would have the two tickets cards - for DD and young Murgatroyd - which could be used for SDFP. (Easier to carry than two extra bands.) You of course would understand that your card and DH's card would not work for SDFP because they would be clones of your bands.

 

[ScrapYap]

^^ Clear as mud right travel junkie.

Watch it, Wad! Travel Junkie is the one with the complicated scenario.

 

[AngelDisney]

When you check in at the resort, tell the front desk that you'd like a set of cards to use in case you don't feel like wearing the bands all the time. Sharpie the name of each corresponding guest onto the front of the cards. You're getting these cards, in part, because your daughter won't otherwise have a key to your room. (You're not letting her stay with that friend, right??) Easiest thing would be to let DD have the MB that I told you to put in your purse. DD can use it to get in the room. But she will understand that it won't work for anything else? (It would work for charging privileges.) Then you would have the two tickets cards - for DD and young Murgatroyd - which could be used for SDFP. (Easier to carry than two extra bands.) You of course would understand that your card and DH's card would not work for SDFP because they would be clones of your bands.

I like the idea of getting key cards. My two nieces may have allergic reactions to the MBs.
Thanks Karrie!

 

[ScrapYap]

It may not be worth the hassle but thought I'd ask before I order the bands. I appreciate your detailed answers!!

Definitely worth the time to work out any kinks in advance. And to have the option of a pair of SDFP for you and DH would be nice. Sounds like a great trip!

 

[traveljunkie]

It will be great if I get it done right with no glitches . You are amazing and very organized to keep all this straight and continually answering all the questions!