Guest passes and fast passes

[Kyna87]

Hi everyone,

I am visiting WDW this coming September for the 1st time and im so excited! My cousin in Orlando has been a cast member for 20 plus years and has offered to sign us in to the parks but I have a few questions and she is not sure as she does not do this regularly.

What is the best way to add fast passes? We are only there for 3 days and want to make the most of our time and a 3 hour wait for avatar rides will not help. I read that if my cousin has a mde account she can add us as family and I can link the reservation but only she can book the passes through her mde account. Is that right?

If not or if she does not wish to link accounts, once we are in the park can we book at a kiosk? Will their be a good availability left at this point?

Once she taps us into a park and she goes off to work can we park hop or does she need to readmit us each time?

If I add her to the reservation does need she to be with us to gain entry each day? (She said this is no problem if this is the case but I feel bad making her run around after us).

Sorry for all the questions, completely new lol

 

[mrsdroz]

It depends on what kind of pass she is getting you in on. I don't remember the particulars, but I know my SIL who is a CM has parameters about them.

I have read from people if you get there before the park opens, like a half hour to 45 minutes, you can be one of the first online for Avatar and won't have that bad of a wait.

Sorry I can't help more.

 

[hiroMYhero]

I read that if my cousin has a mde account she can add us as family and I can link the reservation but only she can book the passes through her mde account. Is that right?

Yes. She can book the reservation at her CM rate and list your family on the reservation and in her MDX account. She can book FPs for you when her 60-day FP window opens.

Once she taps us into a park and she goes off to work can we park hop or does she need to readmit us each time?

Only immediate family members can park hop without the CM needing to be with them.

If I add her to the reservation does need she to be with us to gain entry each day? (She said this is no problem if this is the case but I feel bad making her run around after us).

Yes. She has to enter first at the park touchpoint before anyone else can enter using a Guest Pass.

 

[Kyna87]

Yes. She can book the reservation at her CM rate and list your family on the reservation and in her MDX account. She can book FPs for you when her 60-day FP window opens.


Only immediately family members can park hop without the CM needing to be with them.


Yes. She has to enter first at the park touchpoint before anyone else can enter using a Guest Pass.

Hi Hiro,

How would they distinguish between immediate family members? How would they know the difference say between a sister and a cousin?

I have already booked the reservation so if she does not want the hassel of linking accounts etc can we use the fast pass kiosk without her being there?

Thank you

 

[hiroMYhero]

CMs are very careful about park entrance rules regarding their Main Gate entrance passes and guests using their Guest Passes. Your CM relative will have to make that determination if she thinks you can hop without her. Park entry indiscretions can result in termination for the CM.

For the 60-day FP booking, her name needs to be on the reservation. You can add her name to the reservation and add her name and invite her to link through your MDX Friends list using her MDX email account.

Booking 60 days in advance is much better than using a kiosk but you can use your Guest Passes at a kiosk. She can also give you her MDX login to book additional FPs during your park day.

 

[Kyna87]

I have read from people if you get there before the park opens, like a half hour to 45 minutes, you can be one of the first online for Avatar and won't have that bad of a wait.

I kept an eye on it today. Before EMH began it was already at 60 mins for flights of Pandora which rose to 120 when EMH opened. 30 mins before general admission it's at 150 mins.

 

[Kyna87]

CMs are very careful about park entrance rules regarding their Main Gate entrance passes and guests using their Guest Passes. Your CM relative will have to make that determination if she thinks you can hop without her. Park entry indiscretions can result in termination for the CM.

For the 60-day FP booking, her name needs to be on the reservation. You can add her name to the reservation and add her name and invite her to link through your MDX Friends list using her MDX email account.

Booking 60 days in advance is much better than using a kiosk but you can use your Guest Passes at a kiosk. She can also give you her MDX login to book additional FPs during your park day.

Thanks Hiro, I in no way want her to get in trouble, she is being very generous by even letting us use her guest passes otherwise this vacation would not even happen. At least I know worse case scenario I can use the kiosk

 

[Fantasmic303]

I am not Florida based, but I can share my own experiences using the passes. I believe it's the same for all Main Entrance Guest usage, unless they're comps, which don't have the same restrictions.

If she's using her Guest Passes, they are linked to her account only, and you will not be able to see them unless you're in her account, even if you're linked. Guest Passes don't technically get assigned to a specific name/person - you're just Guest 1, Guest 2, Guest 3, for example, not Tom, Dick and Sue. She'll be able to book at 60 days out if she's on a resort reservation, I believe 30 days without a resort reservation, and she can only book FPs on 4 days of guest passes at any given time, even if the resort stay is longer than that. Just keep in mind that you physically need to have her actual hard "ticket" pass (like the credit card ones) for park entry and for FP touch points - they don't get linked to your MagicBands at any time, so even after she accompanies you into the park, you'll have to hold on to the pass if you intend to use FPs without her.

Hope that helps!

 

[hiroMYhero]

To clarify: A CM only has a 7-day FP booking window for their Main Gate and Guest Passes. The only time they have a 30-day Booking Window is when someone listed or linked to their MDX account has a regular, not Comp, ticket linked to their Profile.

The 60-day window opens with a resort reservation or when an onsite guest is linked to the CMs MDX and is selected as part of the FP grouping.

 

[disneylover102]

I can’t answer most of your questions, but as far as FP+ availability, try as hard as you can to get them in advance. If you book them at a kiosk when you get there, times for rides that get long lines might not be as early as you would like and rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Flight of Passage will be gone.

 

[3kidsdad]

This right here exactly.

To clarify: A CM only has a 7-day FP booking window for their Main Gate and Guest Passes. The only time they have a 30-day Booking Window is when someone listed or linked to their MDX account has a regular, not Comp, ticket linked to their Profile.

The 60-day window opens with a resort reservation or when an onsite guest is linked to the CMs MDX and is selected as part of the FP grouping.

My wife is a CM, and a union rep, and she has told me about many other CM that have had their Main Gate privelidges suspended due to them not remaining with their guests who were in the park while the CM was working. With that said they really have no way of knowing if you are immediate family or not.

Now if she is giving you comp tickets that's another story. She does not have to remain with you and you could link those tickets to your own MDE account. However you still only get a 7 day window.

 

[Kyna87]

I'm not sure if they'e comp tickets. I assumed they were her guest tickets as all she said is she would sign us in but she has gave me the impresion that this is allowed to be done. She Is a long standing employee and I doubt she would do anything to get herself in trouble. I just really don' want to miss avatar rides

 

[hiroMYhero]

I'm not sure if they'e comp tickets. I assumed they were her guest tickets as all she said is she would sign us in but she has gave me the impresion that this is allowed to be done. She Is a long standing employee and I doubt she would do anything to get herself in trouble. I just really don' want to miss avatar rides

If she has stated she’ll be there for your park entry, she’s planning to use her Guest Passes.

If she has comp tickets that she would allow you to use, you can link the Confirmation #s to your MDX account and book FPs 60 days out based on your onsite stay.

 

[Kyna87]

Thanks for clearing that up guys, I did look at buying my own tickets to save my cousin all the hassle but from the UK for 3 day tickets the price is extortionate so I'll be happy with what ever I can get.

 

[3kidsdad]

Yes, if your cousin is "signing you in" they are using guest passes. I didn't see where the O.P. said they were staying onsite. They did mention reservations but I thought they were talking about FP+ ressies.

To the O.P. you may want to look into staying onsite as your cousin can apply their friends and family discount to your reservation. This can be up to 40% off rack rate even if they are not staying at the resort. It can be up to 60% if they are staying. All they have to do is book the stay for you and show their cast I.D. at the front desk no more than 7 days before you check in. If you do this, as previously stated it will open up your FP+ booking window to 60 days.

 

[Kyna87]

Yes, if your cousin is "signing you in" they are using guest passes. I didn't see where the O.P. said they were staying onsite. They did mention reservations but I thought they were talking about FP+ ressies.

To the O.P. you may want to look into staying onsite as your cousin can apply their friends and family discount to your reservation. This can be up to 40% off rack rate even if they are not staying at the resort. It can be up to 60% if they are staying. All they have to do is book the stay for you and show their cast I.D. at the front desk no more than 7 days before you check in. If you do this, as previously stated it will open up your FP+ booking window to 60 days.

I have already booked a room in allstars nusic though, how would that affect this? As I have to have the hotel paid in full I arrive by a good few weeks

 

[3kidsdad]

Recently my wife booked a room for some good friends of ours for the Cabins at FW for July 4th week. All she needed was their credit card number, names and ages of all guests in the party and an email address. Yes they trust us that much with their personal info. She called reservations and booked it for them at 40% off rack rate.

Disney only required they pay for the first night as a deposit and balance is due at check in. Then anytime within 7 days of you checking in your cousin will have to go to the front desk of your resort and show them her I.D.

It may be beneficial for your cousin to call reservations and tell them you already booked the room and see if they could honor the discount. If not and there are still rooms left, you could cancel your reservation and have her make a new one for you.

 

[Kyna87]

Thanks, I called disney yesterday to explain. The CM checked the rate for me, mine is still better atm but he said better rates may come out closer to the time and if that is the case as long as my name is on the other booking they will fully refund my booking, deposit and all.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Thanks, I called disney yesterday to explain. The CM checked the rate for me, mine is still better atm but he said better rates may come out closer to the time and if that is the case as long as my name is on the other booking they will fully refund my booking, deposit and all.

The full refund is standard for all room-only bookings.

If your CM friend sees a CM rate for your chosen property, tell her to book it using her CM access on The Hub. As soon as it is booked, Cancel your room-only Room.

With the CM name on the reservation, she can book FPs for all Guest Passes at 60 days prior to the actual check-in date.

 

[Kyna87]

Question. If I book tickets for MNSSHP and add them to my account will that open up fast pass action for my stay?