UO Plastic Annual Passes coming June 3

[Teebin]

I think the idea is that after these dates you'll be able to go to guest services, the event is just to take care of the bulk of them.

Way back when, I was sent to Guest Services to pickup my new card. I expected to have to pick it up but the line and drawn out experience of it was disappointing as I was really into hopping around the park. I think it was back when they put your photo on the card. So, turn on your patience, it ain't a themed queue!

 

[IAmFloridaBorn]

Thank you. Can't wait to get a new pass!!

 

[anihilnation]

Way back when, I was sent to Guest Services to pickup my new card. I expected to have to pick it up but the line and drawn out experience of it was disappointing as I was really into hopping around the park. I think it was back when they put your photo on the card. So, turn on your patience, it ain't a themed queue!

I assume the new passes don't have your picture, so that will save some time, though I agree, don't think you can print things as fast on plastic as on paper, since the later is practically instant.

 

[Teebin]

I assume the new passes don't have your picture, so that will save some time, though I agree, don't think you can print things as fast on plastic as on paper, since the later is practically instant.

Yeah, I was probably less patient back then.

 

[anihilnation]

Yeah, I was probably less patient back then.

I heard having to go to guest services can often be an exercise in patience, the three times I have ever needed it there was no one in front of me; though two of those times was right at park opening (and it was the guest services inside of Studios) so that might have something to do with it. In any case, I as well dislike waiting in line for stuff like this. Worst was back in January in Busch Gardens, my pass said it was expired, so I had to wait 20 minutes in line at the front ticket windows, only to find out a system glitch had marked my pass as non-valid (something like that).

 

[Teebin]

^ I have never attended a park opening in my life. I was lucky to be there by 11:30.

 

[UNIrd]

Finally! I remember I happened to be at Epcot when Disney first moved to plastic passes. That was like.. 3 years ago? Took Uni long enough!

 

[IzzyB]

^ I have never attended a park opening in my life. I was lucky to be there by 11:30.

I am like you lol I have to say the last month I have gone to parks way earlier than normal for various reasons and still didn't get there at opening or near opening. My youngest daughter is an early riser so that tends to start all of our days off before we normally would. Making getting the parks before noon possible. But park opening? Probably never happening. I guess I shouldn't say never lol

As for guest services. Yes, a pain. We had to go to all the parks guest services a lot with my son and Universals was the worst of all of them. Disney was the best experience. They moved thru people pretty quickly and when it got busy they had people at the end of the line to answer general questions and only put people in line if they really needed it. This helped a ton too. Sea World was in the middle. It wasn't a long wait, but they seemed less experienced with everything, so sometimes simple things took a little longer than they would at Disney. But Universal was always a long wait, mostly outside, and each CM would give you different information. One cast member would do something that the next said was impossible. So it was always a role of the dice to see who you got and whether they knew what they were doing or not.

Finally! I remember I happened to be at Epcot when Disney first moved to plastic passes. That was like.. 3 years ago? Took Uni long enough!

It was longer than 3 years ago. Believe it or not MM+ is now 3 years old. AP holders didn't have bands yet, but the system was being used at this point. Plastic passes were given out long before MM+ started.

 

[Teebin]

But Universal was always a long wait, mostly outside, and each CM would give you different information.

If you have a smart phone, you would almost be better off asking this website live and wait 15 minutes rather than asking a CM anything. Sure, there are some very good and capable ones, but you never know who they are. Many are just veggie brains.​

 

[IzzyB]

If you have a smart phone, you would almost be better off asking this website live and wait 15 minutes rather than asking a CM anything. Sure, there are some very good and capable ones, but you never know who they are. Many are just veggie brains.​

Agreed. I never went to ask questions, but it was nice when those people got weeded out making the lines shorter. We were always getting my sons passes renewed so that his stroller was considered a wheelchair and stuff like that. Universal was even more annoying because they didn't have a AP holder version so every trip you had to renew it unless you got the select few CMs that actually knew how to make it for longer periods, then they would give you either a week or up to 2 months in one case. But again, that went back to each CM giving you a different answer. Disney gave 60 day passes, so only every other month we had to go in and get it renewed. They also gave stickers to put on the stroller which made things easier thru the day because then we didn't have to get a pass out to show anyone.

 

[Teebin]

Why do they only offer 30 or 60 day passes for children? I don't understand what a stroller or wheelchair has to do with it.

 

[ChrisFL]

Having a plastic AP at their new official water park is going to be good as well

 

[IzzyB]

Why do they only offer 30 or 60 day passes for children? I don't understand what a stroller or wheelchair has to do with it.

Wheelchairs are allowed in the lines, playgrounds, etc. Strollers are not. So since my son had medical equipment we needed to be able to take him and all his equipment into the line and not just him. So we needed to be able to take the stroller as the battery and other equipment he had were way to heavy to carry for long periods of time. He was too young for a wheelchair, so the parks basically say your stroller is a wheelchair.

Disney gives you this red sticker that you place on your stroller (it wraps around and sticks to itself and not your stroller) and it is good for 60 days. They also give you a card for special access on rides if needed and those were also good for 60 days.

Sea World gives you a card that you show to get into the shows and park in the handicapped areas. Normally they never even asked for it because they either saw the red Disney sticker or the equipment and didn't even say anything to us. So we only got it the first two trips and then stopped as nobody asked for it. Even in ride lines they never stopped us.

Universal gives a card that says your Stroller is a Wheelchair however we always got stopped and had to show it. Even in the playgrounds we would get harassed multiple times by the employees about it. One even said, well if you are allowed in here how do I stop others with strollers. Oh I don't know, how about point to the machine hanging from his stroller and say that is why. So we always had to stop and get it or nobody was going to let us take his stroller where needed. We also had special access to the rides and had to get those cards too. So it was a stop at guest services every trip to Universal for us. Where the other two we hardly ever had to go and it was less of a wait at both of those too.

 

[Teebin]

Wheelchairs are allowed in the lines, playgrounds, etc. Strollers are not. So since my son had medical equipment we needed to be able to take him and all his equipment into the line and not just him.

Aaah, I had no idea med equipment was involved. That said, I never knew about it! The zillions of things a theme park has to account for astounds me. It's the veggie brains that wouldn't notice the med equipment and make a common sense accomodation. How disheartening.

 

[Scott W.]

What are the chances the new park tickets will be plastic as well?

 

[Brownie54]

This is great news! Now I hope they can come up with a RFID "thingy" like Magic Bands by the time Volcano Bay opens. I want the convenience of not having to go to a locker every time I want to get something to eat or drink. I know some on here don't like the Magic Bands, but I think the technology is here to stay. Please just give us the option to get them if we want them.

 

[IzzyB]

Aaah, I had no idea med equipment was involved. That said, I never knew about it! The zillions of things a theme park has to account for astounds me. It's the veggie brains that wouldn't notice the med equipment and make a common sense accomodation. How disheartening.

I am sure it was just a one off with that group of CMs who argued with my husband at the playground. They one guy was obviously not trained for federal laws when it came to handicapped people, but it shocked me he argued so much. But what shocked me more was there was more employees in that area and they seemed to agree with him. They even made it a point several times while we were there to announce over the loud speaker that strollers were not allowed. We even had the little card Universal gave us that said his stroller was considered a wheelchair. We got it all the time, so we were kind of used to it. Mostly from guests, really never employees, so that is probably why that one stuck in my head the most. Most employees and guests were very nice and would even ask general questions and stuff. But you would get the idiots here and there.

The other one that stuck in my mind was the two old people on their ECVs. It was a husband and wife and they were in the handicapped section for the Mardi Gras parade. They had their ECVs turned at an angle and I asked if they could straighten them out so I could push my stroller into the section. We tried once outside of the handicapped section and we got trampled by the people running into the road for the beads. I was by myself and felt that would be too much for me to handle my son, his equipment, and get trampled. So I opted for the handicapped section which I had every right to be in as my son even had a handicapped pass for our car. The guy looked at me and said this section is not for strollers. I nicely said back that my son is handicapped and his stroller is considered a wheelchair. No joke, he said back to me that this section is for catching beads and he obviously cannot catch beads. I so badly wanted to slap the guy since many handicapped people can't "catch" beads. Luckily this woman came over and told me to come down where she was and she would let us in next to her. She was appalled at the guy too since she also had a handicapped husband. You always find jerks in this world, but luckily the majority of people we ran into were very nice and very accommodating to our needs.

My husband and I both understood it was an odd situation because he was still in a stroller and since my son and daughter were twins it was a double stroller. So we were patient with CMs when trying to figure out the best way to do things everywhere. Like Disney had a rule that his stroller could go on any ride an ECV could go on, but my daughter had to be taken out of the stroller. I get it, probably a liability thing and we followed the rules. Plus I enjoyed her being on my lap. Eventually we never needed to take his stroller on the ride as he got off of O2. As he improved we needed to take less equipment onto the rides themselves.

 

[Nick]

Having a plastic AP at their new official water park is going to be good as well

They will also have bands at VB which they will heavily push.

 

[IzzyB]

They will also have bands at VB which they will heavily push.

They are going to be trying a virtual line system at VB, aren't they? Which would require a band. I think after VB is open with their bands that they will start to move towards a band for all the parks and hotels. But I can see it slowly implemented. It just makes sense. The people who stay at WDW and then go to Universal see a huge tech downgrade when going to Universal. My friends said it was much more convenient at Disney because they didn't have to keep track of passes and stuff especially with the kids.

 

[JungleSkip]

move towards a band for all the parks and hotels.

God I hope not.