Hand problem and tix scans?

[MarieS]

I have been reading on the other boards about the new tix and the biometric scanning. I read that you will need to put 2 fingers in the machine. My oldest son has fisted hands and I don't know if I can get his hands to open up enough to do this. Does anyone have any other info on this? Thanks!
Marie

 

[Michigan]

I haven't heard that regular tickets now do this but annual passes do. They can set it to by-pass the fingers. My kids are both in wheelchairs and when I had an annual pass neither girl was tall enough to get their hand under so I would just hand them the ticket and tell them and they would run it through.

 

[Schmeck]

According to everything I have read on theis site, the new tickets do have the biometric feature, but I'm sure you can get that bypassed for your son. Just ask at guest relations before you get the tickets, or enter the park.

 

[SueM in MN]

First of all, if your child is younger than 10, they won't be doing a finger scan at all on children's tickets. I can confirm that because DH and I were at WDW over New Years and saw the new scanners and the signs that go with them.
I agree with what Michigan posted.
For people over 10, they will probably do what they do with annual passes.
We've had annual passports for 10-15 years. AP used the biometric scanner for a long time (at least 5 years, probably longer). I think in all that time, we've been asked once or twice if DD was able to do a hand scan. We said no, and the CM just took her ticket.The last time was so long ago that I can't even remember. My DD is easily able to get her fingers open, so there is no visible sign that she can't do it, but she would not be able to get her hands into the correct position and hold them there.
One of us just hands DD's ticket over to the CM and they put it through without her doing the finger scan. We've also not been asked for ID for her either. I think the fact that she is with a bunch (from 2 to 6) of other people who do finger scans is what they go on.

 

[andrew_bichard]

Last visit to WDW, I almost never used the finger scanner with my annual pass. They just bypassed the scanner and let me in. They did however ask me for a photo ID each time instead.

I don't have any trouble with my hands, Its just that as a wheelchair user, I have to go through the gate to the side of the turnstile which doesn't have a finger scanner.

Make sure they bypass the scanner correctly. Once, they pushed the wrong button on the turnstile letting me in, so the big computer in the sky had no record of me having entered the park. As a result, the fastpass machines rejected my AP.

Andrew

 

[SueM in MN]

Make sure they bypass the scanner correctly. Once, they pushed the wrong button on the turnstile letting me in, so the big computer in the sky had no record of me having entered the park. As a result, the fastpass machines rejected my AP.

Andrew

I had written that too, but deleted it out because I couldn't figure out how to explain. I don't think it will be as much of a problem in the future as it was in the past with AP (because I think it didn't happen all that often.
They have several ways they can bypass the scanner from I've been told. One way (the one that Andrew mentioned) just sends your pass thru the machine without reading it. The other, reads it, lets the computer know that you were going into the park, but that there is no scan associated with the pass.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

Be prepared to show a photo ID for your son. It may not be asked for by every CM, but we can, and do ask for photo ID in cases where the person may not be able to do a finger scan.

 

[dj2]

Be prepared to show a photo ID for your son. It may not be asked for by every CM, but we can, and do ask for photo ID in cases where the person may not be able to do a finger scan.

even for children? most kids don't have a photo id. airlines do not even require it for kids.

 

[SueM in MN]

While they could ask for photo ID, in all the years we've had AP, they have nver once asked for a photo ID for my DD. I would not worry about it as long as your child is a minor and youhave photo ID for yourself.
We always carried DD's school ID which did have a picture. You can also get a photo ID card for non-driving people thru your state department of motor vehicles/transportation. Once your child with a disability is an adult, you will need one of those anyway.

 

[Talking Hands]

I use a wheelchair and have an annual pass and do not do the biometrics. I have been asked once but cannot reach the scanner from my wheelchair. Now I just have my ticket and id out and the CM takes the ticket and puts it through for me. Sometimes they actually look at the id but most of the time they don't.

 

[MarieS]

I appreciate all the replies. My son will be 13 when we go and he uses a wheelchair. He cannot handle his own ticket. I will have my ID with me and hopefully that will work. I am still trying to understand the new tix changes. We had originally planned this trip for last October, but after one day at the park, we got a call that my Dad passed away. So I still have days left on the park hoppers we bought and hope to reschedule for Oct 05.

Marie

 

[SueM in MN]

We had originally planned this trip for last October, but after one day at the park, we got a call that my Dad passed away. So I still have days left on the park hoppers we bought and hope to reschedule for Oct 05.

Marie

Sorry to hear about your dad. Hope you have a good trip.

I'm not entirely sure that you will have to even use the hand scans since you have days left on old tickets. I think they are only doing the scans on the new tickets (plus ones that they always did do scans on - like APs).

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

even for children? most kids don't have a photo id. airlines do not even require it for kids.

Children's tickets don't have the finger-scans encoded on them, so you don't need to worry about having ID for kids. Even with adult tickets, depending on the age of the person, you may not get asked for ID. (an 11 year old probably won't be asked for ID, an 18 year old probably would ... the CMs know that kids generally don't have ID)

 

[Nanajo1]

I'm in an ECV and as Andrew has said the gate entrance doesn't have the scanner. I always have my photo ID ready but the CM rarely asks for it. Some CMs like to have fun and ask me to spell my name or ask if this has been my name my entire life. Cute interaction

 

[MarieS]

Sorry to hear about your dad. Hope you have a good time.

Two days before we were suppose to leave I still hadn't bought our tix because my Dad was sick and I wanted to cancel the trip. He insisted we keep our plans and really wanted the trip for my boys. So I want to reschedule and have the trip he wanted for them. We are scheduled to have a MAW trip in the fall 05( this came up after we had already reserved our 04 trip) and I'm thinking to go down a couple days earlier to use up our park hoppers. I am glad the park hoppers don't expire and if we do end up ever buying new tix I will be sure to pay for the no expire option.

Marie