Advice for ticket/FP+

[Seattlehasnodisney]

So my wife is a travel agent. As a result we are getting a discount on our February 2018 trip to Disney World. We will be staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge for a really reasonable price. My wife also get's a park hopper ticket at a significant discount. But she cannot get it until we arrive. I will have to purchase my own full priced ticket.

This is where the dilemma comes in. If she cannot pick up her ticket until the day we arrive, we cannot book fast pass + reservations for both of us. How much of an issue is this likely to create for us? Will we not even be able to ride things like the Avatar rides at Animal kingdom? If I book fast pass + for my ticket and we pick up hers at the gate, can we still both ride?

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice as to how we should proceed?

Thanks!

 

[hiroMYhero]

So my wife is a travel agent. As a result we are getting a discount on our February 2018 trip to Disney World. We will be staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge for a really reasonable price. My wife also get's a park hopper ticket at a significant discount. But she cannot get it until we arrive. I will have to purchase my own full priced ticket.

This is where the dilemma comes in. If she cannot pick up her ticket until the day we arrive, we cannot book fast pass + reservations for both of us. How much of an issue is this likely to create for us? Will we not even be able to ride things like the Avatar rides at Animal kingdom? If I book fast pass + for my ticket and we pick up hers at the gate, can we still both ride?

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice as to how we should proceed?

Thanks!

For the Pandora rides in AK, you’ll need to plan on arriving well before the park opens and then head straight to Pandora. Or, plan on riding the Pandora rides in the late evening.

For your other booked FPs, as soon as her ticket is linked, Change Party for each booked FP to see if she can be added. If the system can’t add her, search for FPs for her with a return window that overlaps yours.

If you know you’ll be returning in the future, you can buy another multi-day ticket to link to her to book your FPs and then reassign it to a ticket saver/fake person after her TA ticket is linked.

 

[mesaboy2]

Everybody entering an FP queue needs a FP, and FPs for the Pandora rides are among the most difficult to get even 60 days in advance. Day-of availability for them is almost nonexistent.

By “pick up” her ticket do you mean purchase it? (Most types of tickets can be purchased in advance, the ticket numbers entered in MDX for scheduling FP, and then picked up day-of.)

 

[Seattlehasnodisney]

Everybody entering an FP queue needs a FP, and FPs for the Pandora rides are among the most difficult to get even 60 days in advance. Day-of availability for them is almost nonexistent.

By “pick up” her ticket do you mean purchase it? (Most types of tickets can be purchased in advance, the ticket numbers entered in MDX for scheduling FP, and then picked up day-of.)

The Disney travel agents program requires you to request the travel agent ticket in advance, but you must then go in person to purchase and pickup your ticket at the guest services window. We emailed the travel agent ticket request department and they said they are trying to implement a program so that you can purchase travel agent tickets remotely and utilize FP+. The rep said that it is doubtful it'd be available in time for us to take advantage of it.

So basically, I could purchase my ticket ahead of time and do FP+. I mean we could purchase hers ahead of time too and just forget the discount, but it is substantial... it will save us a couple hundred dollars. If it's not impossible to get fast passes for the majority of what we'd want to ride then I am fine I guess just waiting until we get there. I just don't want it to screw us out of most of the good or popular options.

 

[Seattlehasnodisney]

For the Pandora rides in AK, you’ll need to plan on arriving well before the park opens and then head straight to Pandora. Or, plan on riding the Pandora rides in the late evening.

For your other booked FPs, as soon as her ticket is linked, Change Party for each booked FP to see if she can be added. If the system can’t add her, search for FPs for her with a return window that overlaps yours.

If you know you’ll be returning in the future, you can buy another multi-day ticket to link to her to book your FPs and then reassign it to a ticket saver/fake person after her TA ticket is linked.

These are good suggestions thanks! However, with us living in Seattle, the trip to Florida is pretty sporadic. I don't think buying the extra ticket would be a good or valid option for us. We are staying at AKL so I guess getting to Pandora during a magic hours period or as early as possible would be in the cards. Also, I typically get a disability access pass when we visit Disneyland. I wear a medical device that must be removed before riding anything that experiences G forces, strong magnetic fields, etc.... pretty much any and all "thrill" rides. They give me the ability to make an appointment vs waiting in line so that I can lock up my device, ride and get back to the locker before too much time has passed. I really dislike using it unless I absolutely have to because I can usually make do with just fast passes if I am careful with planning. I always feel like I get looks or people suspect I am abusing because I don't appear handicapped even though my need for the service is completely legitimate.... but anyway... Does anyone have experience using the disability access service in Disneyworld? Does it operate much like Disneyland? I know at Disneyland I can make an appointment for any attraction even for rides that are "sold out" so-to-speak for Fastpass.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Does anyone have experience using the disability access service in Disneyworld? Does it operate much like Disneyland?

The DAS will be available for you at WDW. That will help with the Pandora rides.

This forum will have more specific DAS info for you: https://www.disboards.com/forums/disabilities.20/

 

[Lesley Wake]

In some instances you may be able to get the CM to let you both into the FP queue. But that is not guaranteed at all, and really depends on which ride, who you talk to, how they are feeling, how crowded the park is, etc.

If I was in your shoes, I would book FPs for myself as if we both had tickets, including for Pandora, if you are able to get any. Then once you connect the other ticket into MDE, use change Party/overlapping times for her FPs. If you can get a FP for the ride just at a slightly different time, you can make sure to nicely ask the CM at the first scan point, knowing they may say no (don't lie, just explain she couldn't get a ticket until the day before, so wasn't able to prebook FPs with you). I had good luck with a CM who let me get into 7DMT an hour early with my sister so I wouldn't have to be late to my dessert party. Same sort of thing if you can't get a FP for her at all for a particular ride. In the event the CM won't let her come in with you, I would then just cancel your FP and rebook ones together. It's a risky strategy, but possible.