throw away booking questions

[Procrastinator]

Hello, we are staying offsite on idrive. But I am keen on the 60 day FP. We arrive 5:45pm on the 19th Aug. Now I don't really want to be sorting out the throwaway check in that night (might be rather late and if we have any time I want to get a grocery shop done). And I don't really want to do it the next morning either as we will be getting to one of the parks for rope drop. So my plan was to book the night of the 20th August and then "check in" on our way back from the park on the 20th. The downsides to this that I see are that 1) we will have not got that check in day parking free. And 2) we won't have the magic bands for that first day.

My questions are:

1) I'm guessing it doesn't matter that we use our passes for that first day rather than the magic bands and that once we get them it will still be fine linking that to MDE and all the FP we have booked?

2) How do people access the fort wilderness page? I get re-directed every time I try.

3) Any problems with doing the above that I have not thought of? Any other ways people have done something similar?

Thanks!

[Miss AliJS]

Originally Posted by Procrastinator

Hello, we are staying offsite on idrive. But I am keen on the 60 day FP. We arrive 5:45pm on the 19th Aug. Now I don't really want to be sorting out the throwaway check in that night (might be rather late and if we have any time I want to get a grocery shop done). And I don't really want to do it the next morning either as we will be getting to one of the parks for rope drop. So my plan was to book the night of the 20th August and then "check in" on our way back from the park on the 20th. The downsides to this that I see are that 1) we will have not got that check in day parking free. And 2) we won't have the magic bands for that first day.

My questions are:

1) I'm guessing it doesn't matter that we use our passes for that first day rather than the magic bands and that once we get them it will still be fine linking that to MDE and all the FP we have booked?

2) How do people access the fort wilderness page? I get re-directed every time I try.

3) Any problems with doing the above that I have not thought of? Any other ways people have done something similar?

Thanks!

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You will still have the free parking for your first day (20th) as you can check in online and the parking is automatically on your magic band (or your park ticket before you get magic band).
To access the campsite booking you need to go to the US site- go to top of page and change from UK English to America English. One of the positives about the US site is that you can cancel at any time with no fee.
We did this last year and are doing it again this year, no problems. You can still link magic bands when you get them with no change to Fps etc

[Procrastinator]

Originally Posted by Miss AliJS

You will still have the free parking for your first day (20th) as you can check in online and the parking is automatically on your magic band (or your park ticket before you get magic band).
To access the campsite booking you need to go to the US site- go to top of page and change from UK English to America English. One of the positives about the US site is that you can cancel at any time with no fee.
We did this last year and are doing it again this year, no problems. You can still link magic bands when you get them with no change to Fps etc

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Awesome. Thank you! Have found the site now. So I can check in online. I appreciate this is a bit of a waste, but if we end up deciding it is not worth the detour, can we actually never even bother going to the campsite? Just buy some magic bands, still get the free parking and the 60 days and that won't cause any FP issues with us not turning up?

[Miss AliJS]

Originally Posted by Procrastinator

Awesome. Thank you! Have found the site now. So I can check in online. I appreciate this is a bit of a waste, but if we end up deciding it is not worth the detour, can we actually never even bother going to the campsite? Just buy some magic bands, still get the free parking and the 60 days and that won't cause any FP issues with us not turning up?

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Yes, that is right. Last year we did exactly that as we already had magic bands from the year before.The free parking is for 2 cars too if anyone else in your party has a car.

[suehen]

You can also check if that day there are any EMH in the morning you can us the morning one as well as the evening ones, you can also checkin at reception from 6.30 am in the morning if you want to go and pick up your magic bands and then you can use the free parking.

[Paddcomp]

We're in the same boat, I've booked our second night in ASM to get 60 day FPs and MBs.
Our first day is EMH at AK which is our best chance of getting on FOP, so need to be there early. Also need to check in to the hotel to get our MBs, but from reading the above it sounds like we don't need them to get free parking. We have plastic cards and registered on MDE and done online check in.
Appreciate we'll be up early on the first moring so could check in at 7am and get to AK, which is close by. Good to know there's other options.

FYI the cheapest option for us was an All Stars hotel.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Paddcomp

We're in the same boat, I've booked our second night in ASM to get 60 day FPs and MBs.
Our first day is EMH at AK which is our best chance of getting on FOP, so need to be there early. Also need to check in to the hotel to get our MBs, but from reading the above it sounds like we don't need them to get free parking. We have plastic cards and registered on MDE and done online check in.
Appreciate we'll be up early on the first moring so could check in at 7am and get to AK, which is close by. Good to know there's other options.

FYI the cheapest option for us was an All Stars hotel.

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Hi, Can I ask why All Star was cheaper? also how did you manage to book in US site? I changed the menu to american but keep getting chucked out : (

[pad406]

Originally Posted by daisy_daft

Hi, Can I ask why All Star was cheaper? also how did you manage to book in US site? I changed the menu to american but keep getting chucked out : (

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I'd say they didn't. All Star would probably have been cheapest on the UK site.

I have always had to use a VPN in order to book on the US site, perhaps it can be done without it, but I find it very erratic unless I use the VPN

[cheekytink]

Originally Posted by pad406

I'd say they didn't. All Star would probably have been cheapest on the UK site.

I have always had to use a VPN in order to book on the US site, perhaps it can be done without it, but I find it very erratic unless I use the VPN

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I managed to do it without - you need to change it back to the US site when it gives you the search results of the available hotels/locations.
I recall it took a couple of tries, but was ok.

[Guest]

Thank you! got there in the end. Am I right in thinking as campsite guests we don't qualify for Extra Magic Hours? Very excited. Should be able to book from tomorrow now