Will Park Tickets Work Before FD Reservation?

[FallsChurchDad]

We booked free dining for 6 nights, with 8-day park hopper tickets. We are thinking to book two nights off-site before we start the free dining reservation. We will do online check-in, and I assume we'll get our magic bands in the mail before our trip. Two questions:

1. Will we be able to simply scan our magic bands and start using our tickets, two days before our Free Dining reservation starts?

2. For our off-site nights, will we be able to book FPs at 30 days with the two extra days on our tickets?

I was going to call Disney, but I trust the answers on these boards a bit more. Thanks.

 

[hiroMYhero]

1. No. You must activate your package tickets at a Ticket Window or Guest Relations before you enter a park.

2. No. You won't be able to book FPs for the park days that precede your package check-in date.

As soon as you activate your tickets, you can book FPs for those offsite park days.

 

[Accident]

Just to add that fastpasses the same day, starting about noon have been plentiful so I wouldn't worry too much about fastpasses. Get the must dos for the ones you can do in advance and you'll get some the same day easily..

Even if you can't get the 1 or 2 major rides (you may, it's been great lately) you can definately shave 30-60 minutes off other lines so you can get your time savings elsewhere even if you decide to wait in a long line or more.

 

[FallsChurchDad]

1. No. You must activate your package tickets at a Ticket Window or Guest Relations before you enter a park.

2. No. You won't be able to book FPs for the park days that precede your package check-in date.

As soon as you activate your tickets, you can book FPs for those offsite park days.

Thanks. What is the easiest way to activate the package tickets? Can we just show up maybe 1 hour before park opening at one of the parks? Are there any Guest Relations locations other than at the parks?

 

[FallsChurchDad]

Just to add that fastpasses the same day, starting about noon have been plentiful so I wouldn't worry too much about fastpasses. Get the must dos for the ones you can do in advance and you'll get some the same day easily..

Even if you can't get the 1 or 2 major rides (you may, it's been great lately) you can definately shave 30-60 minutes off other lines so you can get your time savings elsewhere even if you decide to wait in a long line or more.

Thanks, this makes sense for my second question. And I agree we should be okay, especially since we have pretty tame plans for those first two days, and we'll have 6 days onsite to knock out all the rides.

 

[FallsChurchDad]

Related question: if we were doing a split-stay on-site (let's say, 2 days at an All-Star and then 6 days at Contemporary, with 8-day tickets attached to free dining at Contemporary), would they be able to stitch the reservations together, such that the package tickets would already be activated when we check in to the All-Star?

 

[hiroMYhero]

Thanks. What is the easiest way to activate the package tickets? Can we just show up maybe 1 hour before park opening at one of the parks? Are there any Guest Relations locations other than at the parks?

The Guest Relations at Disney Springs can also activate the tickets. An hour early at a park gives you plenty of time.

Related question: if we were doing a split-stay on-site (let's say, 2 days at an All-Star and then 6 days at Contemporary, with 8-day tickets attached to free dining at Contemporary), would they be able to stitch the reservations together, such that the package tickets would already be activated when we check in to the All-Star?

It wouldn't change. Package tickets are inactive until check-in day of your package reservation. Even with two onsite stays, your pre-booked FPs will be for your package Stay.

With a package, extra days at the end of the trip allows pre-booked FP.