Using Someone Elses' Pass

[skiwindham]

To test the system at entering the MK, my son and I swapped our Annual Passes and entered at different turnstiles.

Result?

After several failed swipes, the gate agents reset the fingerprinting on our passes, after asking us only when we last used our passes.

They did not ask for ID or any other personal info.

So I'm wondering if it's really this easy to use someone elses' pass, or did we just happen to get gate people that were bending any rules?

Anyone else have any experience getting their pass' fingerprint reset?

 

[Tampa Mousekeeter]

We have AP's and have switched unintentionally once or twice and they have worked..I believe if the passes were all bought together, which ours were, they will work interchangeably for everyone in the group...that being said you would not be able to give your pass to another person who is not in the "group" after you use it the first time.

 

[Pecobill]

The fingerprint scanners at Disney don't actually scan your fingerprint.They scan the general size of your fingers and that's how it works.That's what a CM told me and I believe it.Because well I don't have fingerprints on 4 of my fingers.

 

[Eljay]

Your fingers are probably similar size and shape.

 

[Disney Princess]

When we've had problems scanning our APs (and they were actually ours) we were asked to show our ID and they just checked that it matched with the name on the pass.

 

[doconeill]

The fingerprint scanners at Disney don't actually scan your fingerprint.They scan the general size of your fingers and that's how it works.That's what a CM told me and I believe it.Because well I don't have fingerprints on 4 of my fingers.

This isn't quite right. It's more like a low-res image is taken, and then some identifiable points chosen, and numbers assigned to those points, and a new number basically computed from that. That is the number that is retained in the computer. From what I've been told, there is a roughly 1:10000 chance of duplication, which leads me to believe its simply a 4 digit number. It definitely is NOT a full fingerprint scan like you see on CSI.

There are many anecdotal reports that tickets purchased together are linked together, but this doesn't always seem to happen so I would not count on it.

I'm surprised that the CM would just reset them in general without at least checking additional info. APs have a name on them - normally I would expect them to ask for your ID. And now you could potentially have issues if someone DOES ask for your ID to match against your AP, since your finger scan doesn't match...

 

[BradyBz12]

When we've had problems scanning our APs (and they were actually ours) we were asked to show our ID and they just checked that it matched with the name on the pass.

Yup - here too. DH had an issue when we first got ours and he had to produce ID a couple of times to prove the pass was his.

As in checking KTTW cards at EMH, and really all things Disney, it's likely that it depends on the CM you happen to be dealing with at the time as to how "picky" they are about checking ID. I've also heard that APs or tix bought together are somehow "linked" so that it isn't a huge deal if you accidentally swap tix, but not sure how accurate that info is.

That said, I wouldn't take the chance that if you tried to use another's ticket "illegally" (i.e., not someone else in your party/family) it would be the one time you get the picky CM... and get your tix confiscated.

 

[Pecobill]

This isn't quite right. It's more like a low-res image is taken, and then some identifiable points chosen, and numbers assigned to those points, and a new number basically computed from that. That is the number that is retained in the computer. From what I've been told, there is a roughly 1:10000 chance of duplication, which leads me to believe its simply a 4 digit number. It definitely is NOT a full fingerprint scan like you see on CSI.

There are many anecdotal reports that tickets purchased together are linked together, but this doesn't always seem to happen so I would not count on it.

I'm surprised that the CM would just reset them in general without at least checking additional info. APs have a name on them - normally I would expect them to ask for your ID. And now you could potentially have issues if someone DOES ask for your ID to match against your AP, since your finger scan doesn't match...

I would rally like to believe that especially since it's Disney but that can't work.If it was like that then I couldn't get into the parks because I don't have fingerprints.And there is proof I don't.When I went to go join the Army they spent about a week trying to get a fingerprint out of me using all kinds of methods and none of them worked.

This argument really should be dropped as everyone thinks it's something different and there are plenty of examples of people beating the system.For instance last week I swapped my ticket with a friend and it let us right in no problem.Both were purchased at separate times and are different types of tickets.

 

[doconeill]

I would rally like to believe that especially since it's Disney but that can't work.If it was like that then I couldn't get into the parks because I don't have fingerprints.And there is proof I don't.When I went to go join the Army they spent about a week trying to get a fingerprint out of me using all kinds of methods and none of them worked.

Note: I did NOT say it was a fingerprint. Nothing I said contradicts that...I only said it wasn't just the size and shape of you finger. Your finger will still produce enough information for it to take a reading and come up with a value. Yours may perhaps be less accurate though.

The blue light itself I believe allows bone structure to become part of the equation as well.

This argument really should be dropped as everyone thinks it's something different and there are plenty of examples of people beating the system.For instance last week I swapped my ticket with a friend and it let us right in no problem.Both were purchased at separate times and are different types of tickets.

There are plenty of reasons why you might be able to use someone else's ticket - sometimes they turn off the scanners (especially at park open), etc. etc. And there are plenty of cases where is is plainly obvious the scanners ARE on and matter - my DFiL had problems because he used the wrong finger the first time, and it wouldn't work again unless he used the same finger - AND it was a problem with the CMs because they kept berating him to use his right index finger, which WASN'T the finger he used...

Disney wouldn't waste all the money on the technology just to make it LOOK like they are doing finger scans when they aren't.

All that should be said here at this point is that you MAY be able to use another pass, and you MAY NOT. You take your chance. And if it fails and they check and it becomes obvious you are doing something you shouldn't, you might find it a little harder to get in next time...

 

[jctwizzer]

the whole system is a joke........i frequently find that my annual pass, which
has been accepted several times on a trip, then won't work.....after several
tries the cm invariably turns the thing off and passes me thru...when things
are really busy, they turn the system off to prevent hugh backups....not sure why they bother...the prior system worked much better........IS is not their strong point

 

[starbox]

Disney wouldn't waste all the money on the technology just to make it LOOK like they are doing finger scans when they aren't.

Disney NEVER spends money giving the illusion of technology that does not actually exist.

 

[larryz]

To test the system at entering the MK, my son and I swapped our Annual Passes and entered at different turnstiles.

Result?

After several failed swipes, the gate agents reset the fingerprinting on our passes, after asking us only when we last used our passes.

They did not ask for ID or any other personal info.

So I'm wondering if it's really this easy to use someone elses' pass, or did we just happen to get gate people that were bending any rules?

Anyone else have any experience getting their pass' fingerprint reset?

I love reading about people who intentionally mess with the system, just because they can.

The company has the right to institute measures they feel will reduce fraudulent use of ticket media. When people expose, then exploit, the flaws in the system, control measures tend to become more obtrusive (read: oppressive).

Thanks for posting your experience. Any guesses as to what the next security measure will be?

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Disney wouldn't waste all the money on the technology just to make it LOOK like they are doing finger scans when they aren't.

Immediately the letters TS and A come to mind. . .

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Disney NEVER spends money giving the illusion of technology that does not actually exist.

Of course not. . .I trust them implicitely. Don't you? I'm sure they'd never, ever, ever lie about anything. They're DISNEY for cripes saike!

 

[art010606]

as far as the just asking question, why they ask that, and i dont know what your answer was, but this is what the person told me on last visit.......

if your at one park (we were at mgm) and you leave very shortly there after (we walked in to see the usual 80+ min wait for toy story and it was late anyways) and go to another park and it its in a short amount of time (we walked from mgm to epcot on the boardwalk, slow pace only 30 min, fast about 25), then it wont accept it bc the system is thinking your in this one park, and your trying to use your pass at another.

idk, just what the guy told me when my pass, my wifes pass and my daughters wouldnt work at the last visit but they worked about 30 min earlier at mgm.

if they saw you had season passes, and you said it was recent, then that could be why. they said it can also happen if you leave then try to come back in real quick.

 

[BradyBz12]

if your at one park ... and you leave very shortly there after... and go to another park and it its in a short amount of time ... then it wont accept it bc the system is thinking your in this one park, and your trying to use your pass at another.

Hmm - I've gotta wonder how accurate this is. We've done quick hops from one park to another - most notably racing out of MK after Wishes to catch Illuminations at EP. We've definitely done it within 30 mins (a couple of times last month in fact) and had no problem getting into EP with our APs.

 

[elleherself]

So that was you I was behind in line last week! Just kidding, but I swear there was this couple at the entrance in Epcot, and both of them kept scanning over and over, every finger on every hand, and it wouldn't accept it. Finally the cast member just let the wife through, before repeating the entire ordeal with the husband. I know they didn't check for i.d. as I was right behind. Five minutes of a non-moving line later, they were in, and I breezed through the finger scan as I always do. It made me wonder what was up with their tickets. Maybe they swapped them accidentally.

It makes me want to try that with my sister's annual pass next time. Oops, wrong one! Maybe it will even accept my finger scan. But what's the point really? I'd rather get in the parks faster.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

If you go to the locked sticky Everything About WDW Tickets in this Forum, especially Post #14, you can get a lot more information. An easy way to get to the sticky is by clicking on the link in my signature.

 

[seashoreCM]

It is a good idea to get in the habit of putting your name on your ticket. Just your first name (assuming your friend with the same first name isn't with you) will do.

You don't want to grab a ticket from Mom and rush of on your own to a water park and find that all the plusses were used up on the ticket you brought.

I consider it bad practice to hold up the line while someone tries his ticket over and over. That maneuver should be "taken off line" so to speak, which in this case means have another else interact with the guest out of the way either before or after the turnstile.

OT: I think stores should eliminate price checks at the registers. That process should be performed off to the side before or after the register. One way to accomplish this is to let the cashier guess the price and customers would be subject to secondary screening after leaving the register.

 

[doconeill]

Disney NEVER spends money giving the illusion of technology that does not actually exist.

We are not talking technology that doesn't exist. It absolutely does exist, it is fairly commonplace now (my laptop has a finger scanner!) And it IS USED, just with varying degrees of success and varying degrees of CM tolerance.

We HAVE to stop getting into these, "Well, it obviously doesn't do anything because when I used it..." "Well, it wouldn't let me in..." arguments.

Immediately the letters TS and A come to mind. . .

Well, I could only DREAM that Disney took that over and fixed the customer service aspect...