WDW In Park Quests and Halloween Party?

[SorcererRocks]

Can anyone who is local or has been to MNSSHP at WDW confirm if VMK Central is still open during the party and can you redeem the quests using the Halloween party tickets? I'll be attending on Thursday and wondered if I should print an extra set of quests.

Yvette

 

[Dagny]

We were there last week and lets just saythey were not enthusiastic about using your party tickets for redeeming quests....

 

[VirtuallyMe]

We were there last week and lets just saythey were not enthusiastic about using your party tickets for redeeming quests....

That may be an understatement, Dags...


You can get into the park at 4pm on your MNSSHP tickets and VMK Central is open until the party starts at 7pm. So you may want to try to go close to 4pm and get quests on your party tickets but don't make a big deal of it.

 

[aeryn]

We were there last week and lets just saythey were not enthusiastic about using your party tickets for redeeming quests....

ROFL Dags... That is one way to put it

 

[Beherenow]

"not enthusiastic"

 

[Roxane]

It depends on the CM you get. When I did mine I had no problem at all.

 

[SnowWtch]

My family did ours 10/5 at the MNSSHP and didn't have any problems at all. Most of the CM's were in good spirits b/c of all the stuff going on for the party.

 

[aeryn]

It *really* does depend on what CM you get. I won't rehash the tale here of the troubles we had redeeming ours but suffice to say, it's all in the CM and their 'interpretation' of policy...

 

[BriarRosie]

It *really* does depend on what CM you get. I won't rehash the tale here of the troubles we had redeeming ours but suffice to say, it's all in the CM and their 'interpretation' of policy...

You must have gotten that cranky lady I've heard so much about.

Last year, I entered the park for the party on the party ticket about 4pm or
so. I did use my party ticket to redeem quests, and they didn't give me
any trouble.

If I had heard that I couldn't, I'd ask to see where it says I couldn't redeem
quests against the ticket I used to enter the park. There's no argument
there. And if there was, I'd calmly walk across the street to Guest Relations
in City Hall and ask them why I was given a hard time doing something
perfectly ok. (Although I do agree it is bending the rules a lot.)

For those who are going to try redeeming quests on their party tickets,
if they get this cast member, I would LOVE for one of you to ask,

"Were you trained in Traditions?"

(aeryn and dagny know what I'm talking about LOL)

It is NOT the Disney way to defeat guest expectations over something
rather trivial. It costs Disney nothing to give those quest cards away
except the cost of the cards themselves. There's no profit margin loss
like the merchandise sold in the stores. A smart cast member will know
to exceed the expectations....if they were trained in Traditions.

Wow, that must have been my soapbox from when I worked at
The Disney Store. (And yes, I was trained in Traditions. )

 

[Laurabearz]

VMK central closed by 630ish on the MNSSHP night that I was there.... So if you go... go early.

 

[aeryn]

You must have gotten that cranky lady I've heard so much about.

Last year, I entered the park for the party on the party ticket about 4pm or so. I did use my party ticket to redeem quests, and they didn't give me
any trouble.

If I had heard that I couldn't, I'd ask to see where it says I couldn't redeem
quests against the ticket I used to enter the park. There's no argument
there. And if there was, I'd calmly walk across the street to Guest Relations in City Hall and ask them why I was given a hard time doing something perfectly ok. (Although I do agree it is bending the rules a lot.)

Actually it is NOT bending the rules. The Halloween ticket is a perfectly valid ticket. It is how I entered the park that day NOT on my annual pass.
If I chose to buy 365 one day park passes and use them as my admission to the park, that is my business. It is also perfectly valid to use them for quest redemption, as it is a NEW admission instrument. Granted, it'd be pretty darn stupid to do that since financially it would be a ridiculous cost. BUT it is still a valid admission ticket.

Darn it Briar. You got me on my soapbox again

For those who are going to try redeeming quests on their party tickets,
if they get this cast member, I would LOVE for one of you to ask,

"Were you trained in Traditions?"

(aeryn and dagny know what I'm talking about LOL)

It is NOT the Disney way to defeat guest expectations over something
rather trivial. It costs Disney nothing to give those quest cards away
except the cost of the cards themselves. There's no profit margin loss
like the merchandise sold in the stores. A smart cast member will know
to exceed the expectations....if they were trained in Traditions.

Wow, that must have been my soapbox from when I worked at
The Disney Store. (And yes, I was trained in Traditions. )

Heh. Been there, done that. And I believe my exact quote to the Guest Relations and Area manager was "I am NOT having a Magical day."

And no, it wasn't a cranky woman, but someone who I would not have expected such an attitude from. I've been thru Traditions, both the Disney Store version *AND* the Disney World version. There was definitely Magic missing from my interactions.

As a side note: VMK Central typically closes when the park closes to 'regular' guests. In this case, they closed about 6:30 or 7 pm, *WHILE* I was in discussion with Guest Relations and VMK.

Now that I'm off my soap box: Have a Magical Day

 

[LisaInNc]

I was at the party twice. The first time they said they were not accepting MNSSHP tickets for quest and I asked why my answer was VMK Central would not be open during the party. I that seemed like a very flimsy reason to me. They were checking the tickets carefully.

Next party I was told that the tickets were not regular admission tickets. Well tell that to my checking account! They cost just about as much! My group spend a small fortune of party tickets.

Next day I went in with them and they took them without a word. I figured someone made a fuss because having them all do and say something different just does not seem very Disney to me.

There is one person that works there that acts like the quest cards have fifty dollar bills attached to them and I wish she would lighten up with the KIDS! I can't tell you how many she has turned away because they had a wrong answer at a quest. The looks on their faces, NOT very Disney like. I say give them the cards.

 

[BriarRosie]

Actually it is NOT bending the rules. The Halloween ticket is a perfectly valid ticket. It is how I entered the park that day NOT on my annual pass.
If I chose to buy 365 one day park passes and use them as my admission to the park, that is my business. It is also perfectly valid to use them for quest redemption, as it is a NEW admission instrument. Granted, it'd be pretty darn stupid to do that since financially it would be a ridiculous cost. BUT it is still a valid admission ticket.

Darn it Briar. You got me on my soapbox again

See, that was my first response. I used that party ticket to enter the
park (during a party last October) and NOT my annual pass, so I figured
it was considered a valid admission ticket against the quest redemptions.
But I could see how WDW might be ambivalent towards guests who
know that loophole. Ok, loophole. I like that word. I think I'll keep it to
describe the situation. Disregard my earlier comment about "bending the
rules".

Heh. Been there, done that. And I believe my exact quote to the Guest Relations and Area manager was "I am NOT having a Magical day."

Oh, I love that. Dang it, I really would have loved to have been
there while you were saying that.

And no, it wasn't a cranky woman, but someone who I would not have expected such an attitude from. I've been thru Traditions, both the Disney Store version *AND* the Disney World version. There was definitely Magic missing from my interactions.

As a side note: VMK Central typically closes when the park closes to 'regular' guests. In this case, they closed about 6:30 or 7 pm, *WHILE* I was in discussion with Guest Relations and VMK.

Now that I'm off my soap box: Have a Magical Day

I know that if I were the area manager and saw that CM doing that, I would
pull that person aside out of the hearing of the guests and "educate"
him/her.

And when I did this last year, I deliberately went to the park to enter the
park on the party ticket slightly after 4pm. I figured VMK Central wouldn't
be open during the party, and I was able to redeem without a problem.

 

[Since1971]

There is one person that works there that acts like the quest cards have fifty dollar bills attached to them and I wish she would lighten up with the KIDS! I can't tell you how many she has turned away because they had a wrong answer at a quest. The looks on their faces, NOT very Disney like. I say give them the cards.

I think I've come upon this person before. It is amazing how different each CM can be. This past weekend we had the nicest CM. Another time it would seem like the quest cards were gold, like you said.

 

[PrincessOp]

All I can say to all these posts is "I hear DAT!" The last time I was at WDW, I turned in one of each available quest for each ticketed member of my party. Now, keep in mind that these were REGULAR park tickets, not even for MNSSHP. The woman at the counter (not sure if she was the cranky lady or not, but I will add there seemed to be a huge language barrier and lack of understanding on her part of how the quests work) - handed me two High School Musical room cards and said "Thank you, have a Magical Day!"




When I tried to explain to her what I was actually supposed to get (I was turning in Thrillseekers, all the land quests, new Pirate, etc...) She looked confused and told me I had already gotten my cards. She also said, and I quote "It's only a game!" She also told me that my "Magic Your Way" cards (which were also hotel room keys) needed to be changed at guest services for regular, paper tickets. (!!!) She also said my tickets were expired (even though they were not and I had used them to get in the park that day. Again, there was a language barrier at work. Well, after a very upsetting 25 minutes of arguing, I asked to speak to another cm. She was great. She knew exactly what she was doing and what guests were supposed to get for each quest. She apologized profusely for the misunderstanding and the way her coworker had handled the situation.

So, in the end it all worked out. Still, I have to beg the question of Disney - why put your guests through this?

 

[PrincessOp]

This thread has inspired me to write a letter to Guest Relations about the way CM's at WDW handle the whole VMK issue. Would anyone who has posted on this thread object to me quoting your posts in my letter?

 

[VirtuallyMe]

On my most recent trip I went into VMK Central daily turning in quests since I did happen to have a new ticket for each day I Was there... and through the course of the few days I was there I probably met all the cast members some were really great, some a lot confused, and some acted like I was imposing on them to get my quests completed.

Two of the younger cm's who seemed to actually know the most about the game were very generous and even gave me a set of all the extra cards- and when I didn't have a thrill seeker quest paper stamped and ready to turn in- just gifted me a set... I let them know that I appreciated them being magical and sharing some with the guests- I saw them help little kids answer the quests and I after I went and a kid asked about what all I turned in on paper- they just gave him the cards for all the printable quests too- you would have thought they handed the kid gold with how he responded it was really nice of them. These two were also cutting up and joking around and making VMK central a fun place to be.

Then other days I over hear a CM tell someone- you come here too much to one kid who just wanted to play the game. And turn others away who had wrong answers on the quest- I shook my head at the first and snagged the parents of the second and helped them correct the answers of the kids quest- and even had an extra tent room pdf or two to give them as well.

It really is one of those luck of schedule things to get a "good" vmk cm... and on my entire trip- that is the only location I ran into cm's who were less than magical. It really is a shame- so many of the kids I saw go in were so happy to actually be in VMK central for the first time that they couldn't believe it- it was great to see some have the experience be more magical with great helpful, friendlly cm's and really sad to see how other's had a really bad experience and their parents think vmk really is just a waste of time.

 

[darkacre]

At Disneyland, the situation is different. The Halloween event is next door, at DCA. Has anyone tried to use that ticket at VMK? I'd love to get an extra pumpkin for everyone in the family. It doesn't seem that unfair. After all, there are questions that require admission to DCA....

 

[Grumpy_Disney_Dad]

If the tickets do work Darkacre will you adopt me so i can get a pumpkin? On a serious note is the policy that you can only do 1 quest per ticket or 1 of EACH quest per ticket?

 

[Since1971]

Not sure for DL, but for WDW you can do one of each quest per ticket every 90 days.