Seeking clarity... Ticket and Genie+ questions

[MonaMN]

It's our first trip to DLR in a decade. We're pros at WDW but there are some differences that I can't find clear answers to... hoping someone can help!

We are staying at the Grand Californian using DVC points. We pre-purchased tickets from a third party which include Genie+. They are already linked and we have park reservations. Questions are:

- Can we get hard copies of tickets once we get there from the front desk or Guest Services? I know we could get MagicBand+ or use tickets on phone, but I think I'd prefer to not have to pull the phone out for every LL - and I'm not sure we need more MagicBands.
- What time can the first LL reservation be made? Is it just when the parks open (at WDW, it is at 7 AM)? I assume if we use early entry, we'd still have to wait until park opening?
- Where does the PhotoPass code to scan show up in the app?

Who knew how much stress switching to DLR was going to cause?!?

 

[starry_solo]

You will get hard tickets and likely your photo will be taken the first time you use the tickets. Once you go through the turnstile, the cast member will provide you the hard ticket (it comes out of their machine automatically)

 

[sophy1996]

First LL return time window starts at park opening. But I recall that we could start making reservations as soon as we scanned in to the park.

App:
Three bars on bottom right
Photos in left column
Link photos at top right
Show Photopass Code on top bar

 

[pharmama]

You will get hard tickets and likely your photo will be taken the first time you use the tickets. Once you go through the turnstile, the cast member will provide you the hard ticket (it comes out of their machine automatically)

We were not given paper tickets on our first scan in (or at any time) for our mid December visit and I have read/heard this elsewhere as well- that they no longer automatically do this. I would guess there is some way to get still paper tickets but I'm not sure what it is.

ETA- we did get paper tickets in September. This is a recent change.

 

[Kerr84]

We went in June and received paper tickets. The biggest difference with the morning LL is that you have to be scanned into the park before you can make your first choice. I think we made LL choices after we scanned in around 7:30 even though the park didn’t open until 8:00. I could be wrong about that though.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

We were not given paper tickets on our first scan in (or at any time) for our mid December visit and I have read/heard this elsewhere as well- that they no longer automatically do this. I would guess there is some way to get still paper tickets but I'm not sure what it is.

ETA- we did get paper tickets in September. This is a recent change.

Huh, that’s weird. My dad got a hard ticket when he scanned in on 11/27.

OP: You have to be scanned into the park before you can start making LL reservations.

 

[LizzyS]

No more hard tickets, really? I'm not a fan of that, honestly, as I like to use them rather than my phone.

 

[pharmama]

I also preferred hard tickets for scanning into G+ and the parks vs swiping through the phone. I wasn't as annoyed as I thought I would be when we didn't get them but still find the paper tickets easier/faster. I'd guess this is meant to nudge people towards MB+

However, I'd still be interested in hearing from others who have gone in the last month if they received hard tickets on first scan in or not. I'm still not sure if this is across the board or only sometimes (and if only sometimes, I wonder what the factors are for when you do or don't get them).

 

[LizzyS]

And, uh, does my husband need to use his phone, too, or can I scroll at the turnstiles to him after I'm taken care of and also for LLs?

 

[Lisa24jks]

However, I'd still be interested in hearing from others who have gone in the last month if they received hard tickets on first scan in or not. I'm still not sure if this is across the board or only sometimes (and if only sometimes, I wonder what the factors are for when you do or don't get them).

It's not the last month, it's December 3rd, but we were all handed paper tickets on my last trip. I can't imagine not getting them since they come out of the thing automatically, but perhaps that has changed. I'm sure people can request them if they want them since not everyone has smartphones/magicbands and many people keep them as souvenirs.

And, uh, does my husband need to use his phone, too, or can I scroll at the turnstiles to him after I'm taken care of and also for LLs?

You can definitely do all his scanning for him if you have his ticket loaded on to your Disneyland app.

 

[foolish_mortals]

We went on NYE and NYD just two weeks ago and they gave us a paper ticket. It’s look like the only guarantee is that it’s inconsistent.

 

[DLgal]

If you don't get a ticket, just ask at the turnstile and they will print them for you. They do NOT automatically print unless they are one day, one park tickets. The CM has to manually print them. Because multi day tickets are assigned to a specific person and a photo is taken, they are not strictly needed. But some CMs just always print them out for people. Some don't. They are moving away from issuing paper tickets, and charging extra if you want one, so this could change at any time.

 

[Tom_E_D]

If you don't get a ticket, just ask at the turnstile and they will print them for you. They do NOT automatically print unless they are one day, one park tickets. The CM has to manually print them. Because multi day tickets are assigned to a specific person and a photo is taken, they are not strictly needed. But some CMs just always print them out for people. Some don't. They are moving away from issuing paper tickets, and charging extra if you want one, so this could change at any time.

Do you know how much the charge is?

 

[DLgal]

Do you know how much the charge is?

The rumor I heard was $5 per ticket. They currently charge like $20 for a physical (paper) Magic Key pass.

They have NOT yet started charging for regular tickets and that is just a rumor at this point. Sorry, I should have stated that more clearly.

 

[2tinkerbell]

We were there in December and received a paper ticket. I had purchased our tickets from a 3rd party and had the printouts (even though they were scanned into my App) which I gave to the CM. I noticed many others had the printouts as well and they automatically printed out a hard ticket.

 

[Bound4DisneyWorld]

This is the second thread I’ve seen asking about physical tickets and I thought I remembered reading they were on their way out. I found it, but it is listed as rumor.

It is from WDW News Today, October 2022 titled “RUMOR: Disneyland Resort to Retire Free Paper Theme Park Tickets This Week”

 

[Lisa24jks]

This is the second thread I’ve seen asking about physical tickets and I thought I remembered reading they were on their way out. I found it, but it is listed as rumor.

It is from WDW News Today, October 2022 titled “RUMOR: Disneyland Resort to Retire Free Paper Theme Park Tickets This Week”

Take everything Wdwt says with a grain of salt. They are notorious for posting click bait off of unsubstantiated hearsay. (And clearly the case here since “this week” in October has come and gone.)

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

The rumor I heard was $5 per ticket. They currently charge like $20 for a physical (paper) Magic Key pass.

They have NOT yet started charging for regular tickets and that is just a rumor at this point. Sorry, I should have stated that more clearly.

MiceChat reported recently that they won’t even sell you a paper pass for your Magic Key anymore. Digital only supposedly. The writer was advised to buy a Magicband+ if he wanted a phone alternative. So that’s a $30+ additional cost now.

 

[DLgal]

MiceChat reported recently that they won’t even sell you a paper pass for your Magic Key anymore. Digital only supposedly. The writer was advised to buy a Magicband+ if he wanted a phone alternative. So that’s a $30+ additional cost now.

That is so stupid. I mean, I don't miss having a physical pass anymore, but what is so hard about printing a ticket?

 

[MonocularVision]

That is so stupid. I mean, I don't miss having a physical pass anymore, but what is so hard about printing a ticket?

This is really strange. Perhaps people losing tickets is a bigger problem than one might expect? And they spend a lot of CM time dealing with that?