Split Stay Magicband and Park Tickets Question

[ekatiel]

We're considering a split stay over Spring Break. DH can attend a conference at GF from Saturday through Thursday of that week, so his work will pay for the hotel (GF) through Thursday night. If we move to AOA standard rooms for Friday and Saturday nights, can we book a package there with tickets and dining (I know we'd only be able to use the dining Friday and Saturday night, but I would try to schedule our expensive table service meals those nights)? My real question is with the tickets. I know you used to be able to get tickets for a package a few days in advance of your package dates. How does this all work with magic bands now? Is this plan even possible? We would need to use the tickets 6 days before we would check in for the package (ie--We'd want to use the tickets on Saturday, March 14, even though our "package" wouldn't start until Friday, March 20). Would we be given 2 sets of magic bands?-- One set for the conference stay at GF and one set for the 2 nights at AoA? Would this affect our ability to book FP+ for the time we are at the GF? Thanks for any input you have.

 

[Robo]

We're considering a split stay over Spring Break. DH can attend a conference at GF from Saturday through Thursday of that week, so his work will pay for the hotel (GF) through Thursday night.


1. If we move to AOA standard rooms for Friday and Saturday nights, can we book a package there with tickets and dining (I know we'd only be able to use the dining Friday and Saturday night, but I would try to schedule our expensive table service meals those nights)?

My real question is with the tickets.

2. I know you used to be able to get tickets for a package a few days in advance of your package dates. How does this all work with magic bands now? Is this plan even possible?

3. We would need to use the tickets 6 days before we would check in for the package (ie--We'd want to use the tickets on Saturday, March 14, even though our "package" wouldn't start until Friday, March 20).

4. Would we be given 2 sets of magic bands?-- One set for the conference stay at GF and one set for the 2 nights at AoA?

5. Would this affect our ability to book FP+ for the time we are at the GF? Thanks for any input you have.

1. Yes.

2. It's still the same. Up to a maximum of 3 DAYS before resort package check-in.

3. Sorry, but it's just 3 days.

4. Yes. (But, that doesn't figure into this ticket situation.)

5. You can book FP+ up to 60 days before your earliest WDW resort check-in.
(As long as you also have valid tickets purchased.)

Your main problem is with trying to get a dining package, and buying ONLY one
set of package tickets.

You can't get use of the package tickets early enough.
And, you can't use tickets bought outside of the resort package to get the dining plan.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

There's also the issue that if you choose to have 2 separate reservations and have tickets with a package on the second one, you don't have access to those tickets for the days preceding the package until you actually arrive at WDW and pick up the tickets early.

Therefore you have NO access to FP+ for those days at all, until you have picked up the tickets.

At any rate the maximum by which you could pick up the package tickets early is 3 days, not 6.

If you insist on having a package on the second reservation so that you can get a dining plan, I'd make it a ticketless package if they still offer those for any reservation.

 

[ekatiel]

There's also the issue that if you choose to have 2 separate reservations and have tickets with a package on the second one, you don't have access to those tickets for the days preceding the package until you actually arrive at WDW and pick up the tickets early.

Therefore you have NO access to FP+ for those days at all, until you have picked up the tickets.

At any rate the maximum by which you could pick up the package tickets early is 3 days, not 6.

If you insist on having a package on the second reservation so that you can get a dining plan, I'd make it a ticketless package if they still offer those for any reservation.

Thanks for the quick replies, guys. It looks like those two days of dining plan are not in our future, unless what I bolded in red above can happen. Is it possible to get the dining plan without buying tickets in a package? If so, we could just buy the tickets separately and go from there.

 

[Robo]

Is it possible to get the dining plan without buying tickets in a package?

Nope.

But, you COULD just buy the minimum ticket requirement for the package (1-day or 2-day tickets, depending on the plan)
and just HOLD those package tickets for use and/or upgrade on a future trip.

 

[ekatiel]

Nope.

But, you COULD just buy the minimum ticket requirement for the package (1-day or 2-day tickets, depending on the plan)
and just HOLD those package tickets for use and/or upgrade on a future trip.

Thanks for the info. I think we'll probably just buy the tickets separately and abandon the dining plan for this trip entirely. Still excited about getting to stay at the GF!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Actually they ARE offering ticketless packages for room and dining on any reservation...but you have to call, you can't book them online. And they say it's a test so it could stop anytime. If it hasn't already.

 

[Raenstoirm]

Is it possible to get the dining plan without buying tickets in a package? If so, we could just buy the tickets separately and go from there.

Actually they ARE offering ticketless packages for room and dining on any reservation...but you have to call, you can't book them online. And they say it's a test so it could stop anytime. If it hasn't already.

I heard they are allowing this, but I have not tried so I can't confirm. I suspect Marlena and I have the info fro the same source.