Ticket bridging to AP with TIW--proof this process

[stout]

I want to make sure I have this process 100% correct as we will be at WDW later this week:
Earlier this year I bought the discounted tickets through Orbitz. Orbitz emailed me the voucher. I printed the voucher out.
I called Disney IT, they linked the tickets to my reservation and they are showing up on MyDisneyExperience site.
I want to upgrade the tickets to AP and buy one TIW card. Our first day in the parks is this Friday. Going to MK, park opens at 9:00 a.m. We have 8:10 a.m. CRT reservations that I need the TIW card for.
Even though we have magic bands and the tickets are showing up online, we still need to go to guest relations just outside the MK gates to redeem the printed voucher from Orbitz.
To properly bridge the tickets at the current gate price, I will enter the park as soon as I can that morning with the basic tickets, going through the gates, but then promptly going to guest relations in City Hall inside the gates to upgrade the tickets to AP and buy a TIW card (or does this have to be done outside the gates by exiting after entering?).
Once that is all done, I will be able proceed to CRT and use my TIW card.
Is all of that correct, or is there anything that I need to do differently?

 

[vicki_c]

Yes, that's how it works and you don't need to leave the park after entering. Just go to Guest Relations on your left in the town square.

Make sure you know how much your upgrade should cost.

You're going to need to enter as early as possible to make your reservation. We had a new CM doing our AP upgrade in April (and buying TiW) and it took a long time. We were probably in there for 45 minutes or longer. It's quite a number of steps to upgrade (she didn't know about bridging and the supervisor had to get involved), then to update all 4 of our MBs, then do the TiW transaction. The printer ran out of card stock too. So even though it all went smoothly, it just took quite a while in total.

 

[stout]

Thank you! We are staying at Contemporary, so will walk over very early and pack a little extra patience.
Any idea when the guest relations outside of the gates opens?
Any idea what time we will be able to get in the gates for our 8:10 a.m. breakfast reservations?

 

[vicki_c]

Thank you! We are staying at Contemporary, so will walk over very early and pack a little extra patience.
Any idea when the guest relations outside of the gates opens?
Any idea what time we will be able to get in the gates for our 8:10 a.m. breakfast reservations?

Sorry I don't know accurate answers to either of those questions!

 

[jimandami]

We were let in around 7:40-7:45 for our 8:00 BBB reservation in December. Would like to emphasize what one of the PP said, definitely know how much you are supposed to pay. In December, I had to visit 3 different guest relations to have our tickets properly bridged. Is there no way you can run over to MK the night before and try to get it taken care of?

 

[POOHsie]

I'm no expert, but I have doubts that Guest Relations inside MK would be open prior to park opening. Outside-the-gate Guest Relations opens about 1 hr before park opening. Your ADR is at 8:10 and that is 10 minutes after outside GR could realistically open. What if there are others in line at GR and you have to wait? If you use your tickets to enter MK, then turn around and exit back to the outside GR, you have to get in line again and possibly wait again. Plus your transaction will take a little bit of time. And you can only hope you don't get a CM who doesn't know about bridging. I don't think you'll make your ADR.

I think your realistic choice is: you can upgrade your Orbitz tickets to AP before entering MK, then get your TiW card and you would lose Orbitz ticket discount. Or, you could enter MK with your Orbitz tickets and pay OOP for CRT without the TiW discount. Then do your upgrade. Either way, I don't think you can accomplish what you're trying to do with an 8:10 CRT ADR. Something has to give. My choice would be to forego the AP upgrade/TiW purchase before your CRT ADR.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Yeah, I don't see you being able to accomplish all that before your 8:10 ADR. When we had an 8:10 ADR at Crystal Palace, we weren't let in until right at 8:00 and there was quite a line of guests. Considering that you're supposed to check in 10 minutes before your ADR time, you really only have time to walk directly to CRT.

Since you're getting APs anyway, can't you just do the transaction on the day prior to your CRT ADR? Staying at the CR, it's a quick walk over to MK. Even if you just go by yourself without your spouse and kids and take care of getting your tickets, entering and doing the upgrade and getting your TIW card, I think it would be time well spent.

 

[POOHsie]

Yeah, I don't see you being able to accomplish all that before your 8:10 ADR. When we had an 8:10 ADR at Crystal Palace, we weren't let in until right at 8:00 and there was quite a line of guests. Considering that you're supposed to check in 10 minutes before your ADR time, you really only have time to walk directly to CRT.

Since you're getting APs anyway, can't you just do the transaction on the day prior to your CRT ADR? Staying at the CR, it's a quick walk over to MK. Even if you just go by yourself without your spouse and kids and take care of getting your tickets, entering and doing the upgrade and getting your TIW card, I think it would be time well spent.

This is a good suggestion, if OP checks into their resort while MK is still open. But I think a person getting an AP upgrade has to be there in person for that particular transaction. Someone correct me if I don't have this right.

Edited to add: OP and family would have to enter MK to get current gate price for their Orbitz tickets. So family would still have to come along if OP was able to do upgrade transaction the day before.

 

[vicki_c]

That's a good point about GR inside not being open that early. Didn't think of that.

I agree with the others. I was envisioning that if you got in the park at 7:40 or soemthing, you *might* have time to do it (although I was still thinking it was probably too tight but trying to be optimistic).

And yes, the adults have to be there to get the AP. They made both me and my husband show photo ID.

 

[jimandami]

This is a good suggestion, if OP checks into their resort while MK is still open. But I think a person getting an AP upgrade has to be there in person for that particular transaction. Someone correct me if I don't have this right.

Edited to add: OP and family would have to enter MK to get current gate price for their Orbitz tickets. So family would still have to come along if OP was able to do upgrade transaction the day before.

But she really only needs one AP to get the TiW card, which is why she wants to do the upgrade before the ADR, right? So, if OP or DH head over to MK the night before, they just need to use one ticket, upgrade, and then purchase TiW. The other upgrades can be done later in the trip.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

But she really only needs one AP to get the TiW card, which is why she wants to do the upgrade before the ADR, right? So, if OP or DH head over to MK the night before, they just need to use one ticket, upgrade, and then purchase TiW. The other upgrades can be done later in the trip.

Yes, that's what I was thinking with my post above. The OP could go and get all the Orbitz tickets, enter the park with his/hers, upgrade to the AP and get the TIW card, then exit. The rest of the family could have their tickets upgraded later in the week. It most likely wouldn't matter if their APs had different expiration dates.