Best way to ensure correct tickets are used on a school trip?

[Heartheocean]

My son will be traveling to WDW with his school band and will be getting a discounted group ticket for the length of his band stay (3 days). Our whole family will also be going but the rest of us are buying our own regular park hoppers (5 days), NOT band issued tickets, and we are staying onsite while he will be offsite with the band. We are staying a few days longer than the band so that we can spend a few days in the parks with him after his band group leaves. I have him on our room reservation so that he can join us for the last two days and plan on assigning him a couple of nonexpiring single day tickets that I have been holding on to, in my MDE account for him to use on his last couple of days with us. I also plan on making fastpasses for him for the days when he will be with us when our 90 day window opens. So far does this make sense? No red flags with this plan right?

Secondly, I'm not sure if they will try to use fastpasses for the school portion of the trip or not. If so, I believe he will need to log in and/or create an MDE account and link the band issued ticket, correct? Should I be worried about the single day nonexpiring tickets being used first, instead of his band issued tickets? (They will not have hoppers, and I want him to have hoppers to use with us.)

Would the best way to handle this be for him to create an MDE account that is not linked to mine? (I think he would just need to use a unique email address??)

Thanks for any advice!

 

[amyeb]

My son will be traveling to WDW with his school band and will be getting a discounted group ticket for the length of his band stay (3 days). Our whole family will also be going but the rest of us are buying our own regular park hoppers (5 days), NOT band issued tickets, and we are staying onsite while he will be offsite with the band. We are staying a few days longer than the band so that we can spend a few days in the parks with him after his band group leaves. I have him on our room reservation so that he can join us for the last two days and plan on assigning him a couple of nonexpiring single day tickets that I have been holding on to, in my MDE account for him to use on his last couple of days with us. I also plan on making fastpasses for him for the days when he will be with us when our 90 day window opens. So far does this make sense? No red flags with this plan right?

Secondly, I'm not sure if they will try to use fastpasses for the school portion of the trip or not. If so, I believe he will need to log in and/or create an MDE account and link the band issued ticket, correct? Should I be worried about the single day nonexpiring tickets being used first, instead of his band issued tickets? (They will not have hoppers, and I want him to have hoppers to use with us.)

Would the best way to handle this be for him to create an MDE account that is not linked to mine? (I think he would just need to use a unique email address??)

Thanks for any advice!

I am interested in answers as well. We are doing the same thing but with son’s baseball team. I haven’t yet added him to our room - he only will stay with us the last night. DH and I have room/ticket packages so I didn’t want to add him when I booked. Guess I will do that once we arrive at hotel. I plan to buy him a 2 day ticket for those last 2 days with us but again plan to work with AKL concierge to do that once I am there. Hate that the school tickets aren’t upgradable

Just hoping it all works out with magic bands, etc.

 

[Robo]

Would the best way to handle this be for him to create an MDE account that is not linked to mine? (I think he would just need to use a unique email address??)

That would do it.
During the school portion of the trip, he'd use the plastic ticket provided.
Then, use his MB provided by the WDW resort during the last portion of the trip.

There are other ways to do this, but I like the two separate accounts approach.

If there is no special reason to buy your family's tickets as part of the resort room "package,"
I'd re-buy ROOM ONLY and dump the package tickets right now.
Then, you can buy everyone's tickets in advance (even from a discounter, if you like) and you could book your son's FP's in advance for the last couple of days.

 

[Robo]

I am interested in answers as well. We are doing the same thing but with son’s baseball team. I haven’t yet added him to our room - he only will stay with us the last night. DH and I have room/ticket packages so I didn’t want to add him when I booked. Guess I will do that once we arrive at hotel. I plan to buy him a 2 day ticket for those last 2 days with us but again plan to work with AKL concierge to do that once I am there. Hate that the school tickets aren’t upgradable

Just hoping it all works out with magic bands, etc.

Same answer above about dropping the "room and tickets" package and buying tickets separately from the room.
Advance FP+ issue solved.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

My son will be traveling to WDW with his school band and will be getting a discounted group ticket for the length of his band stay (3 days). Our whole family will also be going but the rest of us are buying our own regular park hoppers (5 days), NOT band issued tickets, and we are staying onsite while he will be offsite with the band. We are staying a few days longer than the band so that we can spend a few days in the parks with him after his band group leaves. I have him on our room reservation so that he can join us for the last two days and plan on assigning him a couple of nonexpiring single day tickets that I have been holding on to, in my MDE account for him to use on his last couple of days with us. I also plan on making fastpasses for him for the days when he will be with us when our 90 day window opens. So far does this make sense? No red flags with this plan right?

Secondly, I'm not sure if they will try to use fastpasses for the school portion of the trip or not. If so, I believe he will need to log in and/or create an MDE account and link the band issued ticket, correct? Should I be worried about the single day nonexpiring tickets being used first, instead of his band issued tickets? (They will not have hoppers, and I want him to have hoppers to use with us.)

Would the best way to handle this be for him to create an MDE account that is not linked to mine? (I think he would just need to use a unique email address??)

Thanks for any advice!

That's what I would do. That way, the tickets will remain completely separate and there is no risk of the wrong tickets being used during the band trip.

I am interested in answers as well. We are doing the same thing but with son’s baseball team. I haven’t yet added him to our room - he only will stay with us the last night. DH and I have room/ticket packages so I didn’t want to add him when I booked. Guess I will do that once we arrive at hotel. I plan to buy him a 2 day ticket for those last 2 days with us but again plan to work with AKL concierge to do that once I am there. Hate that the school tickets aren’t upgradable

Just hoping it all works out with magic bands, etc.

Yes, I would make two separate accounts and link the band tickets to one account and the 2-day ticket he will use when he is with you to yours. If you'd like, you can buy those 2-day tickets now and link them to his profile in your account so you can make his FP+ for the days he will be with you. He does not have to be listed on the reservation in order for you to make FP+ for him when you make yours. He just needs to have a profile in your account and have valid ticket media linked.

Same answer above about dropping the "room and tickets" package and buying tickets separately from the room.
Advance FP+ issue solved.

I guess I'm confused. PP should be able to keep the room/tickets package, buy and link separate tickets for his/her son and still make advance FP+ for everyone with valid ticket media in their MDE account. The son doesn't have to be on the room reservation in order to do this.

 

[osufeth24]

If I can piggyback on this thread, I have a somewhat similar question.

I am a Gold AP holder. I am going with friends and staying onsite in April for the Star Wars Run. That Thurs and Fri are blacked for Gold/Silver AP. I am considering buying the FL resident special tickets that don't have a blackout and use it for those 2 days (and then use it toward renewing my AP which runs out a week later).

Will the system know to not use that ticket if I go on a day i'm not blacked out?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

If I can piggyback on this thread, I have a somewhat similar question.

I am a Gold AP holder. I am going with friends and staying onsite in April for the Star Wars Run. That Thurs and Fri are blacked for Gold/Silver AP. I am considering buying the FL resident special tickets that don't have a blackout and use it for those 2 days (and then use it toward renewing my AP which runs out a week later).

Will the system know to not use that ticket if I go on a day i'm not blacked out?

The system is not intuitive. Your best bet is to stop at Guest Services prior to entering the park and ask that they "prioritize" whichever ticket you want to use that day.

 

[Robo]

I guess I'm confused. PP should be able to keep the room/tickets package, buy and link separate tickets for his/her son and still make advance FP+ for everyone with valid ticket media in their MDE account. The son doesn't have to be on the room reservation in order to do this.

If they have a "package" (room and tickets) every guest on the room reservation must buy the same tickets in advance of the stay.

We are doing the same thing but with son’s baseball team. I haven’t yet added him to our room - he only will stay with us the last night. DH and I have room/ticket packages so I didn’t want to add him when I booked.

If they drop the "package tickets," (book room only) they can add the son to the reservation now (instead of doing so after check-in) and buy everyone's tickets in advance (even get them from an authorized ticket discounter.)

 

[2PrincessesRmine]

I’m not sure how far out you are, but when our band goes, they offer heavily discounted tickets to family as well.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

That would do it.
During the school portion of the trip, he'd use the plastic ticket provided.
Then, use his MB provided by the WDW resort during the last portion of the trip.

There are other ways to do this, but I like the two separate accounts approach.

If there is no special reason to buy your family's tickets as part of the resort room "package,"
I'd re-buy ROOM ONLY and dump the package tickets right now.
Then, you can buy everyone's tickets in advance (even from a discounter, if you like) and you could book your son's FP's in advance for the last couple of days.

This isn't necessary. They can book DS's FP+ along with theirs if he has valid ticket media linked to a profile in their (or his linked) MDE account. He does not need to be on their reservation.

Same answer above about dropping the "room and tickets" package and buying tickets separately from the room.
Advance FP+ issue solved.

Again, not necessary. As long as DS has valid ticket media linked to a profile in OP and PP's MDE, there are zero advance FP+ issues.

If they have a "package" (room and tickets) every guest on the room reservation must buy the same tickets in advance of the stay.

If they drop the "package tickets," (book room only) they can add the son to the reservation now (instead of doing so after check-in) and buy everyone's tickets in advance (even get them from an authorized ticket discounter.)

That's true, but it still has zero bearing as to whether or not they can book DS's FP+ in advance. He does not need to be on their resort reservation in order to do that. They can keep the room/ticket package, buy his tickets in advance separately, link them to MDE, make his FP+ and then add him at check-in.

Unless DS needs DME on their arrival day (which he doesn't) I really don't see the advantage of them re-booking their package to a room-only simply to put him on their reservation since FP+ isn't affected by this at all.