Weird issue with our tickets

[ms.yt]

I was at WDW from Nov. 11-15 for a high school journalism convention. Through our group we were able to buy discounted tickets through Hello Florida. We all two separate tickets, an after 4 pass and a 2 day park hopper.

When the tickets came in, I linked them all to my account on My Disney Experience under each of the kids' names (there were 7 students who each had tickets as well as myself). On our first day, we arrived at MK a little before 4 p.m. to use our after 4 pass. We were waiting by the entrance and the CM told us to come on in. I told her we were waiting for 4 p.m. since we had the after 4 pass, but she said since it was just a couple of minutes early, it should work. We tried, and it did in fact work. We went in and didn't think anything else about it.

The next day we took our 2 day park hoppers and went to all four parks in one day (a first for me). Although a couple of kids had a problem with their finger scans, nothing made us think anything else was wrong.

The problem came on the second day we were trying to use the park hoppers. Several of our group members weren't able to get in, and when the CM came to check their cards, he said it was because it was an after 4 pass, even though we were using the 2 day hopper pass.

He directed us to guest services and the CM there said that because we entered the park with the after 4 pass a couple of minutes early, that the system automatically transferred that pass to the hopper since I had them all linked in My Disney Experience. So even though the second day we were using a totally different ticket, it still was registering in the system as the second day of a hopper, not the first day. Then by our third park day, we had already used up our 2 day hopper and were left with the after 4 pass, which wasn't working because we were entering Epcot at rope drop.

The CM fixed it for us. I just had to fill out a form. He told me that the problem was that the CM at MK on our first day shouldn't have told us to go ahead and enter the park before 4. However, I think it's crazy that the system just alters your tickets in this way. The whole issue could have been avoided if the after 4 pass just simply didn't work before 4. We would have waited the extra 2 or 3 minutes and not had any problems later on. Thought?

 

[scrappinginontario]

There is no way for the system to know if you enter the park a few minutes before 4pm that you are intending to use a ticket that is not valid until 4pm. It would automatically default the the first valid ticket which was the first day of your 2 day hopper. I'm sorry you were given incorrect information by the first CM but I understand why the system used your tickets they way it did.

 

[ms.yt]

I just thought the system would read the information from the actual ticket you were using. The ticket we were using that first day had "After 4" printed on the back of it. The others had "2 Day Park Hopper" printed on them. I figured the ticket numbers of each ticket were coded with what type of ticket it is and would only allow entry as such.

 

[DavidNYC]

Not sure if the cast member did anything wrong unless you explicitly told him that in addition to your after 4 pass you also had hoppers on the band. Having different media on the same ticket and trying to use them without explaining at the entry (or guest services) exactly how you want to use them is often going to cause a problem. When you told him you were waiting because you had an after 4 pass (but didn't say you had an after 4 pass and a normal hopper tied to the band), he was trying to do you a favor by letting you in when he knew the system would let you in.

Furthermore, I'm not even sure if waiting until after 4 would have saved you the trouble. As far as the system was concerned, how was it to know you wanted to use your after 4 pass and not your hopper since they were both on your band? Perhaps you wanted to head to MK for a few hours and then over to Epcot. In that case, you would have had to use your hopper ticket. I'm sure someone on the board will know the answer as to what the default prioritization is for when you're entering a park with multiple tickets that would allow you entry. But in any event, I believe there is a way to set the priority with guest services and someone can chime in with that.

But in short, if you're ever entering a park with more than one type of ticket that would allow you to enter at that time, it's up to you to make sure the system knows which ticket you want to use.

[Just saw your follow up which explained you used the actual media and not the band. I think the confusion is that once electronic media is linked to your account, all media become a link to your pot of entitlements. Probably would have been best - although not obviously - not to link the after 4 ticket to the account]

 

[mackeymouse4eva]

There is a way to prioritize your tickets in the system, however I BELIEVE that it must be done by a cast member. The system would not recognize which ticket that YOU preferred to use, it would just take the highest in "its" queue. Honestly entering a few minutes early may not have been the problem, it may just be that your 2day hoppers were the "default" ticket ahead of the after 4pm ticket. I don't think the "my Disney experience" gives an option to prioritize order of tickets to be used & then changed by the users- nor does it show how many entitlements are left- to me this is a BIG flaw to the system. All this being said assumes that you were using Magic Bands with the tickets linked to them....if you used a RFID card it shouldn't have been able to happen. The first cast member was probably correct that a couple of minutes prior would not be a problem, the 2nd cast member may have thought that using it minutes before was the obvious answer or easiest explanation to you, however I THINK ticket hierarchy was the culprit here.

 

[mackeymouse4eva]

I just read that you did use a hard ticket not a band. I'm sure that "davidnyc" is probably correct that once registered on the account all RFID (bands or tickets) are enabled to "draw" from your ticket account per se. However I agree with you that IF I used the ACTUAL ticket that read "after 4pm" and not a Magicband, that I would have covered my bases. I'm sorry that happened to you, but thank you for sharing, it will help me in the future. Hopefully they will upgrade the system to allow the consumers to be able to determine which tickets are to used in which order.

 

[wilkeliza]

This happened to us and we were informed that once you link a ticket to MDE it is no longer a ticket for just that event it is now everythig you have linked to you on your MDE just like a magicband. Even with setting priority if you enter early or try to use your highest priority ticket in a way it isn't allowed (i.e. a non MK one day at MK) it will pull the next workable ticket allocation. They fixed ours pretty quickly and said it is best not to link specialty tickets (ours was a runDisney party ticket so a little different then just a conference after 4 ticket) but if we did it was up to us to ensure we followed the proper rules for it.

 

[ms.yt]

I just read that you did use a hard ticket not a band. I'm sure that "davidnyc" is probably correct that once registered on the account all RFID (bands or tickets) are enabled to "draw" from your ticket account per se. However I agree with you that IF I used the ACTUAL ticket that read "after 4pm" and not a Magicband, that I would have covered my bases. I'm sorry that happened to you, but thank you for sharing, it will help me in the future. Hopefully they will upgrade the system to allow the consumers to be able to determine which tickets are to used in which order.

We weren't using bands. We had two separate RFID hard tickets. We entered with the after 4 one the first day and the hopper the second and third day.

 

[dancin Disney style]

We weren't using bands. We had two separate RFID hard tickets. We entered with the after 4 one the first day and the hopper the second and third day.

You did mention that you linked the tickets in your MDE. Once that happens all your tickets are in the same pool regardless of using a hard ticket or a magicband for entry. The MDE is the hub with multiple points of access. The tickets then have to be prioritized for use. You would think that using the actual hard ticket for entry would solve the problem but it doesn't. IMO, this is a big flaw in the system and I'm sure it causes the CM's a big headache.

 

[larryz]

You did mention that you linked the tickets in your MDE. Once that happens all your tickets are in the same pool regardless of using a hard ticket or a magicband for entry. The MDE is the hub with multiple points of access. The tickets then have to be prioritized for use. You would think that using the actual hard ticket for entry would solve the problem but it doesn't. IMO, this is a big flaw in the system and I'm sure it causes the CM's a big headache.

It could be solved if they'd let you put ticket days against specific days in your MDE account, much like they put specific FP+s against specific days (and times)...

 

[dancin Disney style]

It could be solved if they'd let you put ticket days against specific days in your MDE account, much like they put specific FP+s against specific days (and times)...

I agree that seems like a simple fix.

 

[supersnoop]

I just thought the system would read the information from the actual ticket you were using. The ticket we were using that first day had "After 4" printed on the back of it. The others had "2 Day Park Hopper" printed on them. I figured the ticket numbers of each ticket were coded with what type of ticket it is and would only allow entry as such.

I think it's already been explained, but I'll try to make it simple. Once you link a card to MDE, the ticket is loaded to your account and the card is now just a link to your account. The individual ticket is no longer "on" the card. The card now acts just like a magic band.

 

[ms.yt]

I think it's already been explained, but I'll try to make it simple. Once you link a card to MDE, the ticket is loaded to your account and the card is now just a link to your account. The individual ticket is no longer "on" the card. The card now acts just like a magic band.

I understand that now, but this was in no way clear before we went. I think it's logical to assume that since you were given two tickets, they each acted as separate entities.

 

[ms.yt]

It could be solved if they'd let you put ticket days against specific days in your MDE account, much like they put specific FP+s against specific days (and times)...

Exactly. Or just let you know somehow when you enter the tickets that they are all lumped together now.

 

[supersnoop]

I understand that now, but this was in no way clear before we went. I think it's logical to assume that since you were given two tickets, they each acted as separate entities.

I'll agree it's not very clear. I added a ticket and then transferred that ticket to someone else. The card is still linked to me, and the other person has no band or card. I'm sure it can get very confusing!

 

[Accident]

Unfortunately there is no such thing as a specific ticket on a card or magic band anymore. It's all about what is in your MDE account when you swipe any of the cards or bands you have and there is a priority that appears to be least restrictions to most restrictions. Guest relations is the only way to really check what ticket is about to get used when you have many different types of tickets in your mde account. Luckily, they are convenient at every park and generally only adds 5 or 10 minutes to your time to ensure your about to use the ticket you think you are.