Which Guest Services tends to be least crowded/most efficient?

[Surgie2]

I will be going on a Friday this month and need to activate AP, buy TiW, add a day to some tickets, etc. I can either do this at Disney Springs or Epcot. Does it make any difference?

 

[gap2368]

no, it does not.

 

[Mainemama]

Epcot international gateway is almost always empty. We have walked right up during high crowd seasons. We were grateful for that tip we originally read here. However, if you are not staying in the IG area, it might not be worth skipping a longer line to get there.

 

[Surgie2]

Epcot international gateway is almost always empty. We have walked right up during high crowd seasons. We were grateful for that tip we originally read here. However, if you are not staying in the IG area, it might not be worth skipping a longer line to get there.

We are not staying onsite this trip (will be in Marriott Village) but will be going to both DS and EP. We'll give IG a try.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Maybe not a fair criticism but I'm not a fan of the Guest Relations outside the Epcot main entrance. I had a ticket priority screw-up awhile back and had to go there before they'd let me in the park. The line was very long and it took about 30 minutes total. Not the end of the world obviously, but it wasn't all that fun when we were trying to hit rope drop.

YMMV!

Haven't been to Guest Relations at DS.

 

[Disnsyncey]

I activated my AP at the will call booth at MK, I don't know what else they do, but it was about 9:15 one Thursday morning (I had flown in from ATL that morning and wasn't aiming for any parks for RD) and it took like 5 min....and that was with the line......

 

[Mainemama]

We are not staying onsite this trip (will be in Marriott Village) but will be going to both DS and EP. We'll give IG a try.

If you are staying offsite, there isn't an easy access to the IG from the parking lots. You can't reach it from Epcot, you could take the boat from HS.

 

[holden]

EP IG is least crowded. We’ve also had good luck at DHS. I think that’s because it’s not often the first park people visit on their trip.

 

[gap2368]

EP IG is least crowded. We’ve also had good luck at DHS. I think that’s because it’s not often the first park people visit on their trip.

But the op is not staying at one of the EPCOT resorts so getting there will be harder

 

[holden]

But the op is not staying at one of the EPCOT resorts so getting there will be harder

True. I just wanted to answer the question. Minnie Van/Uber are options for getting to BC.

 

[Sleepy425]

Last week I went to Disney Springs to activate my AP renewal, and the CM could not figure out how to do it. It took a while, and he ended up having to ring it out like I had just bought it that day (not by charging me anything, he changed the value in the computer to $0). My husband mentioned the next day on the bus to MK, "I think when the guy did it he changed your end date." So I went on MDE to see what the expiration date was, and the pass was gone. I had a little freak out, but thankfully we were super early for MK opening (they hadn't even started letting people into the park yet), and the CM at MK guest relations was able to see what happened and get it back onto my account.
The plus side is the first CM did change my expiration date from Nov to Jan, so in the end it worked out in my favor. The down side is I am now trying to convince my husband I should get to go for one more trip next Jan and he is giving me a firm "no."
Moral of the story - wherever you get it done, check MDE while you are still standing there to make sure everything is correct! The MK CM said that the Disney Springs CM aren't very ticket savvy.

 

[PlainJane]

I am not a fan of GS at the main Epcot entrance. We have used outside MK, outside DHS, and at the IG without issue. I don’t remember if we’ve ever used DS’s GS.

 

[Robo]

Speaking as someone who closely follows the "We had problems at / We had good luck at" GR locations, if guests avoided all the locations where the CM made errors or was untrained, nobody could go anywhere for GR services.

Being no fan of X location by someone on Y day at Z time, does not mean anything for another day and/or time.
There is no way to head to the "best" location.
Epcot's IG can be backed up at times, simply because there is only one GR window and one Ticket Window, so if there are over two guests there already (and there is some sort of delay or other problem) or the CM there happens to be, well, the "wrong CM," you can be stuck.

With all GR locations, guests can either be lucky with timing... or not so lucky.

 

[PlainJane]

Speaking as someone who closely follows the "We had problems at / We had good luck at" GR locations, if guests avoided all the locations where the CM made errors or was untrained, nobody could go anywhere for GR services.

Being no fan of X location by someone on Y day at Z time, does not mean anything for another day and/or time.
There is no way to head to the "best" location.
Epcot's IG can be backed up at times, simply because there is only one GR window and one Ticket Window, so if there are over two guests there already (and there is some sort of delay or other problem) or the CM there happens to be, well, the "wrong CM," you can be stuck.

With all GR locations, guests can either be lucky with timing... or not so lucky.

I understand what you’re saying, but we’ve been dissatisfied with the service at Epcot multiple times (which I did not state in my post). MK and IG have provided us consistently good service. My experience with DHS is more limited. Based on my experiences at Epcot, I’ve wondered if their training/management differs from the other locations.

I do agree that you cannot get around the CM variable (as can be observed on the EMM refund thread).

 

[hsmamato2]

MK is a nightmare IMHO - I personally like Epcot IG entrance and Studios.... they have mutliple gs windows outside the park and I've always had no problems there.(last trip I walked over from the Swan just to visit GS there....so nice and uncrowded lol) AT Mk I've had multiple awful experiences with gs so I avoid if possible.

 

[tjlamphere]

Last week I went to Disney Springs to activate my AP renewal, and the CM could not figure out how to do it. It took a while, and he ended up having to ring it out like I had just bought it that day (not by charging me anything, he changed the value in the computer to $0). My husband mentioned the next day on the bus to MK, "I think when the guy did it he changed your end date." So I went on MDE to see what the expiration date was, and the pass was gone. I had a little freak out, but thankfully we were super early for MK opening (they hadn't even started letting people into the park yet), and the CM at MK guest relations was able to see what happened and get it back onto my account.
The plus side is the first CM did change my expiration date from Nov to Jan, so in the end it worked out in my favor. The down side is I am now trying to convince my husband I should get to go for one more trip next Jan and he is giving me a firm "no."
Moral of the story - wherever you get it done, check MDE while you are still standing there to make sure everything is correct! The MK CM said that the Disney Springs CM aren't very ticket savvy.

I must have been lucky then...I got the absolute BEST CM at Disney Springs..she was training a new CM, so they both worked on my and my DW AP activation. Then, we went an bought MB and we went back and go them again....stroke of luck...they linked our MB to our AP so well...they were the BEST CMs ever. So, I guess it depends who you get.

 

[Robo]

I guess it depends who you get.

That is exactly the point.

And, who you get can vary by date and time.

 

[Wendie]

Am I able to add an AP the night before? Like if we plan on heading to the parks on Tuesday, can I go to Disney Springs Monday night to set up AP or no?

 

[loves to dive]

I always activate mine at a ticket booth, I've been able to walk right up to them instead of waiting at GS. It might depend on the time of day, I tend to arrive around 2 or 3 my first day. I've done it at MK, AK and front gate at Epcot and IG at Epcot and every single time walked right up. I've found since there are many ticket booths and only one GS, it's easier that way.

 

[Sleepy425]

Am I able to add an AP the night before? Like if we plan on heading to the parks on Tuesday, can I go to Disney Springs Monday night to set up AP or no?

Yes, this is what I did. Just know your year starts the day you activate it, not the day you enter the park.