Supercomplicatedmydisneyexperiencefastpassplusneurosis - Please help!

[disneysailor]

I've happily made many trips to Disney in the past and always have considered myself a pretty competent planner. As we are about to embark on our maiden My Disney Experience/Fastpass + adventure, I am feeling completely overwhelmed. Our fastpass window opens next week and although I have tried to read through many, many posts, I still do not feel up to the challenge.

Our trip has evolved from it's initial itinerary since as it turns out now, our grown children can join us for one night on 12/7 so we added a separate reservation for us all for that which will commence a day ahead of our initially planned arrival date. At first, we were going to do a Wishes cruise that night but they decided that they want to go to the Magic Kingdom for that one night (Can't fault them for that!). They each have a one day leftover ticket which I will link to that reservation. DH and I already had a reservation for the next 5 nights. The two of us purchased MVMCP tickets for the first night of that reservation (12/8) and those are linked to that reservation. I have also purchased 5 day non-hopper tickets through Undercover Tourist for DH and myself to use for the first day with the kids and the four days after the party day. I see that we have two different sets of MagicBands showing in My Disney Experience. Does this seem right? I think I link the tickets for DH and myself to the first reservation. If so, can I make Fastpass+ reservations for all six nights of our trip on 10/8 at the strike of midnight (is the date right?) for four of us for one night and then only two of us for the rest of the nights? Do I have to link all four of us some special way? Do I have to get up two separate nights to make reservations? Also, will everything except the first day be linked to one MagicBand for DH and myself and then all the other days of tickets and fast passes be linked to the other bands?

I'm SO confused and the clock is ticking! Please help!

 

[pooch]

Can't answer everything but your magic bands are just the link to your MDE account. Everything on your account can be accessed from either of your bands as long as they are active in your account. I currently have 4 magic bands linked to me in my MDE. I can use any or all of them interchangeably. Hope that helps some.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I'm no help as I've never done it myself. I'm just here to compliment you on your thread title!

 

[DVC4US]

I see that we have two different sets of MagicBands showing in My Disney Experience. Does this seem right? Yes, you will have a magic band for each reservation. Although, now you can decline one of those MBs if you want. Just think of the MB as a link to your My Disney Experience account and as long as the MB is active it will access everything on your My Disney Experience account. I have about 10 active on my account right now.

I think I link the tickets for DH and myself to the first reservation. The tickets are linked to your My Disney Experience account and not a specific reservation.

If so, can I make Fastpass+ reservations for all six nights of our trip on 10/8 at the strike of midnight (is the date right?) for four of us for one night and then only two of us for the rest of the nights? As long as both room reservations are showing on your My Disney Experience account and you have the tickets linked you should be able to make FP+ reservations for all of the days.

Do I have to link all four of us some special way? If your kids have their own My Disney Experience account then they would need to be listed as Friends and Family on your account and you have to link the two accounts. There is place to select "Connect through a Disney Account" - once you select it sends an email to them and they have to go into their account and approve it. This allows you to make all the plans for them and they can see them. If they don't have their own account you can just add them to yours and manage their account. It sounds difficult but it's not.

Do I have to get up two separate nights to make reservations? You should be able to do it all on one night.

Also, will everything except the first day be linked to one MagicBand for DH and myself and then all the other days of tickets and fast passes be linked to the other bands? No, as I stated above the MB is just a link to the My Disney Experience account. Both MB's can access all the information. The only thing you might have to do, is just make sure both bands are active for your hotel when you check-in. The front desk can do this for you.

 

[kangamama]

I'm a WDW and MDE newbie and was feeling totally and completely overwhelmed when I was about a week out from my ADR window. I wound up calling guest services to help me manage the My Family and Friends section, and they helped make sure that all the right people were linked and all the proper reservations and magic bands were accounted for. Once this was all set up, it was easy for me to go online yesterday and make the reservations that I wanted for my group.

Making reservations wound up being easy peasy. I was all set to have to fight for some of the ADRs I was hoping to get, so I got up at 6 am EST (3 am for me!) to log in and make reservations the morning that my window opened. It wound up taking about twenty minutes and every ADR I was hoping to get I was able to find easily. Good luck!

 

[disneysailor]

I'm no help as I've never done it myself. I'm just here to compliment you on your thread title!

Thanks! And thanks to all for the advice and reassurance! I must say that this is the least amount of fun I've ever had planning a Disney trip. Hopefully, once I can get the FastPass stuff done, the stress level will go down and the excitement and anticipation will go up!

 

[kangamama]

I'll add that it was also easy to make a whole bunch of changes to those ADRs a couple of days later. Now that ADRs are set, the planning is feeling a lot more fun.

 

[disneysailor]

I'll add that it was also easy to make a whole bunch of changes to those ADRs a couple of days later. Now that ADRs are set, the planning is feeling a lot more fun.

Glad everything has been working out for you! Have a wonderful trip!

 

[momof2n2]

I'm sorry Disneysailor. I actually cancelled our WDW trip in 2014 b/c I wasn't up to the changes.

I hope someone with the right experience can come along and help you.

Love the title.
I miss the old days.

 

[cgattis]

I can't offer you any words of comfort WRT the MDE. But I really do think you need to put that title on a shirt for your trip

 

[disneysailor]

I'm sorry Disneysailor. I actually cancelled our WDW trip in 2014 b/c I wasn't up to the changes.

I hope someone with the right experience can come along and help you.

Love the title.
I miss the old days.

Sorry to hear that. I'm feeling your pain but am hoping to have that old warm, fuzzy WDW feeling back once we arrive. Before that though, I still have to get past the midnight FP+ trial and what I imagine will be many attempts to get the ones I really wanted. Hope you're able to give it another try in the future. I know we'll make our next Orlando visit Universal for a change of pace.

I can't offer you any words of comfort WRT the MDE. But I really do think you need to put that title on a shirt for your trip

LOL! I think I might not get a very warm reception from the big cheese if I was wearing that!

 

[Nohal]

Love your thread title.