Tickets - this is complicated

[HDCooper]

OK, I am placing this on the budget board since I can't think of where else to put it. Please feel free to move it.

Free dining starts on 12/15. I am arriving on 12/12. I am doing a split stay, checking out on 12/15 and then checking back in on 12/15.. to get the free dining from 12/15 - 12/20.

This is my question. I am going to purchase a seven day ticket on my 12/15 stay. I didn't think that I would be able to use it on 12/12, but the CM that I spoke to said that I could. (this saves me a bunch of money, I thought that I would have to purchase separate tickets) Does anyone have experience with this? This is what the CM said. I saved the chat. "You will, but they will not be connected to your MagicBands® and you will not be able to make FastPass+ selections in advance for your 1st stay. As of now, that is our policy! That is pretty new, actually. "

Does anyone have experience with this?

 

[Alesia]

From Cheshire Figment's Everything About WDW Tickets:

I. Picking up Package Tickets Prior To Start Of Package

In cases where Walt Disney World Resort Guests would like to begin using their Package Tickets prior to the day of check-in (up to three days in advance), the Guests will be directed to visit any Theme Park or DTD Guest Relations location and request Early Ticket Pick-Up. (Note this cannot be done at a water park.)

It is only valid for people with packages at a Walt Disney World owned and operated Resort. You can be staying off-property at the time you pick up the tickets. Note that if you have a package which includes Dining, although you can pick up your tickets early you cannot get access to the Dining until you have actually checked in to your Resort.

Note that since August 2011 the Call Centers have been telling Guests this cannot be done. However it is still a valid procedure and can be done with no problem at Park Guest Relations Windows.

There is a possibility that if your package and the stay prior to the package are at the same Resort that you will be able to get the tickets at the Resort and not have to go to a Park Guest Relations Office.

And the tickets issued will be valid for the entire stay; they will not receive valid tickets when they actually check-in to their resort. There is a strong possibility that the tickets you have received prior to check-in cannot be added to your KTTW on or after check-in.

I would suggest you copy down the following information if you are planning to upgrade promotional tickets. If the person in the window is hesitant to upgrade these promotional tickets, ask them go go into The Hub >> WDW >> Work >> Ticketing >> Processes & Business Rules >> Early Ticket Pickup For Resort Packages where they will see the procedure.

 

[supersnoop]

Not complicated at all. Just go to Guest Services and have them activate your package tickets early.

 

[seashoreCM]

Using the tickets early is still permitted as described by Cheshire Figment (q.v. above) and many others.

You may be the guinea pig when it comes to the software that makes the Fastpass Plus reservations.

The Rock Island Line is a mighty good road.
If you want to ride it you got to ride it like you find it ...

Try it. If you can make your FP+ reservations from home in advance for the up to 3 days before your main package starts then fine. If not, then you have to accept it like you find it and wait until you get there and validate the early ticket pickup outside the park and then immediately enter the park and make same-day FP+ reservations at the kiosks.

If the software does not work for your FP+ reservations for the preceding room-only stay then it is too early to say there is an error & omission (it's a bug) versus an intended behavior (it's a feature).

 

[HDCooper]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I was a little concerned about it. She said that I should be able to get the tickets at the resort. Since they are not linked to the magicbands, I will receive physical cards/tickets?

SeaShoreCM, I'm a little confused by your comment. Do you think I could do fast passes for the prior days? When do you think I could do these? If I won't have magic bands with the tickets, how will it work?

 

[HDCooper]

duplicate

 

[seashoreCM]

Start by making your advance Fastpass Plus reservations for the days after you would check into the package stay. Then try to make the advance FP+ reservations for the days before.

If you have trouble making the FP+ reservations for the package stay itself then we have a completely different unrelated problem. Here you would contact Disney for help but not refer to the prior days in your conversation.

 

[SMD]

It would be so much less complicated if they would just let you pay 2 different rates on the same reservation.

 

[POOHsie]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I was a little concerned about it. She said that I should be able to get the tickets at the resort. ...

Maybe you can get the tickets at the resort -- but I wouldn't bet on it. Lots of resort CMs don't know how to do it. Resort CMs aren't trained in advanced ticket procedures, although some have previous experience with tickets. That's why Cheshire Figment wrote to pick up early tickets at Guest Relations at the theme parks or Downtown Disney.