FP 60 days out when traveling with another family not staying at a disney resort

[disleeprincess]

We are traveling to WDW in April with my family and sister's family. While we are staying at the Swan resort, they are not staying at a disney resort. I have already linked everyone together under my disney experience for restaurant reservations and tickets, as well as my family's hotel reservation.
I'm looking to book my FP 60 days out (next week!!) and wanted to know:
1. Can I book FP for my family and my sister's family even if they are not staying at a disney resort but are under my account?
2. If not, will I still be able to book my family FP 60 days out if my sister is linked to my account?

In the disney window, it is showing the "hotel" symbol for my family of 4 and not theirs. I was able to book restaurant res for all 8 of us 160 days out.

 

[DryerLintFan]

You will only be able to book the fastpasses for those linked to your hotel reservation, not for those staying offsite. Everyone can book dining at 180 out, but if they're in your account and linked to your hotel reservation, you may be able to get around the fastpass rule.

Did you link their reservation or add them to yours when you connected them to your friends and family?

 

[disleeprincess]

You will only be able to book the fastpasses for those linked to your hotel reservation, not for those staying offsite. Everyone can book dining at 180 out, but if they're in your account and linked to your hotel reservation, you may be able to get around the fastpass rule.

Did you link their reservation or add them to yours when you connected them to your friends and family?

Thanks for the info! They are not under our hotel reservation :\, so it sounds like I can only book my family 60 days out for FP. Another quick question though, when I look at the FP calendar right now, it's only showing 30 days out even if I'm only selecting my family. Does that automatically change when the window opens to 60 days?

 

[DryerLintFan]

Thanks for the info! They are not under our hotel reservation :\, so it sounds like I can only book my family 60 days out for FP. Another quick question though, when I look at the FP calendar right now, it's only showing 30 days out even if I'm only selecting my family. Does that automatically change when the window opens to 60 days?

Yes. At 7 am the days of your trip should become available. I say should because sometimes their IT is glitchy, but if you don't see it at 7 am or shortly after, then call the customer service number.

 

[nickys]

That is not correct info.

As long as they are linked to you under friends and family, you will be able to book FPs for them at your 60 day window. They must have valid tickets linked to them too.

They will have to have the same Fastpasses as your family. Once they reach their 30 day window, they can change them if they wish.

 

[RememberWhen]

That is not correct info.

As long as they are linked to you under friends and family, you will be able to book FPs for them at your 60 day window. They must have valid tickets linked to them too.

They will have to have the same Fastpasses as your family. Once they reach their 30 day window, they can change them if they wish.

Is this true for family coming later? We’ve got one group coming in 7/1, one coming 7/2 and another coming 7/3. Can we make FP for everyone when the 7/1 date opens? We’re all connected.

 

[nickys]

Is this true for family coming later? We’ve got one group coming in 7/1, one coming 7/2 and another coming 7/3. Can we make FP for everyone when the 7/1 date opens? We’re all connected.

Yes, for the days that their tickets are valid for! They will have to do the same FPs as you.

 

[RememberWhen]

Yes, for the days that their tickets are valid for! They will have to do the same FPs as you.

Awesome! We’re a large group (17 of us) and it would be super convenient to be able to at least try to get FP for some things. Might have to do it in batches with this big a group but it means I can at least have a shot at some rides for the 4th a little earlier.

 

[jinx8402]

Awesome! We’re a large group (17 of us) and it would be super convenient to be able to at least try to get FP for some things. Might have to do it in batches with this big a group but it means I can at least have a shot at some rides for the 4th a little earlier.

One thing to keep in mind, and I just found this out, is that this is not true if everyone booked with a package. If you all booked a pacakge, your fp window opens from the day you check-in. I believe this is because the system does not see you as having valid park tickets. I am in a similar situation where my brother comes down 3 days after us and we both have packages. I would not be able to book FP for him until 60 days from his check-in date.

If these are room only reservations with separate ticket purchases then you will be fine.

 

[nickys]

One thing to keep in mind, and I just found this out, is that this is not true if everyone booked with a package. If you all booked a pacakge, your fp window opens from the day you check-in. I believe this is because the system does not see you as having valid park tickets. I am in a similar situation where my brother comes down 3 days after us and we both have packages. I would not be able to book FP for him until 60 days from his check-in date.

If these are room only reservations with separate ticket purchases then you will be fine.

Packages can cause problems but usually you can book for others even if the packages start on different dates. This is one of those situations where sometimes the popular perception is not in line with actual practice. Many people are able to book for others, even where they have a package starting at a later date.

My advice is to make sure you are all linked and then see what happens when your booking window opens. YMMV of course, but don’t assume you won’t be able to book for brother.

 

[RememberWhen]

One thing to keep in mind, and I just found this out, is that this is not true if everyone booked with a package. If you all booked a pacakge, your fp window opens from the day you check-in. I believe this is because the system does not see you as having valid park tickets. I am in a similar situation where my brother comes down 3 days after us and we both have packages. I would not be able to book FP for him until 60 days from his check-in date.

If these are room only reservations with separate ticket purchases then you will be fine.

We’re all in rooms booked with DVC points, so we all have tickets purchased separately. Hopefully it’ll be easy peasy

 

[jinx8402]

Packages can cause problems but usually you can book for others even if the packages start on different dates. This is one of those situations where sometimes the popular perception is not in line with actual practice. Many people are able to book for others, even where they have a package starting at a later date.

My advice is to make sure you are all linked and then see what happens when your booking window opens. YMMV of course, but don’t assume you won’t be able to book for brother.

In this case, we'd rather not take the chance. Likely the last time in a few years we are coming to Disney, and we specifically booked a 10 day vacation to get the benefit of getting the hard to get FP later in our stay.

We talked, and he is going to re-book his as reservation only and purchase the tix separately. We already priced everything out. The promo he booked is still available, so his cost is staying the same (and actually, if he decides to get his tix through UT, it will be a little bit cheaper). In this case, we rather be safe knowing that room only + tix vs taking a chance come FP+ day that something isn't working.

 

[jinx8402]

Packages can cause problems but usually you can book for others even if the packages start on different dates. This is one of those situations where sometimes the popular perception is not in line with actual practice. Many people are able to book for others, even where they have a package starting at a later date.

My advice is to make sure you are all linked and then see what happens when your booking window opens. YMMV of course, but don’t assume you won’t be able to book for brother.

Curious if the difference between sometimes being able to book for others when package arrival dates are different comes down to if you share all plans vs only "shared plans".

For example, my wife has a separate mde account and is linked to my hotel reservation. However, I could not see that she had a ticket assigned (ticket icon was grey and not blue). When I logged into her account and checked what permissions she gave me it was "shared only". When I switched to "share all plans" and went to my account I could now see she had a valid ticket.

I wonder if some people have the issue because they don't share all plans. So if I had logged in, my account would not have known they have a valid ticket until 60 days from their check-in. Since my wife would be "checking in" the same day, that wouldn't have been an issue, but my brother checking in 4 days later would have been.

Hopefully I explained that correctly. Lol.

 

[nickys]

Curious if the difference between sometimes being able to book for others when package arrival dates are different comes down to if you share all plans vs only "shared plans".

For example, my wife has a separate mde account and is linked to my hotel reservation. However, I could not see that she had a ticket assigned (ticket icon was grey and not blue). When I logged into her account and checked what permissions she gave me it was "shared only". When I switched to "share all plans" and went to my account I could now see she had a valid ticket.

I wonder if some people have the issue because they don't share all plans. So if I had logged in, my account would not have known they have a valid ticket until 60 days from their check-in. Since my wife would be "checking in" the same day, that wouldn't have been an issue, but my brother checking in 4 days later would have been.

Hopefully I explained that correctly. Lol.

That is a possibility. But there are other explanations too. MDE is notoriously glitchy, so just because one person cannot do something doesn’t mean no one else can. And of course people believe what phone CMs tell them , or that what was the case for them 5 years ago still applies. Which is why there are many who don’t understand the Fp+ system changes from 2016 or 2019.

In this case, the popular opinion is incorrect. Packages don’t affect the “umbrella” booking process unless there is a glitch.

 

[HoustonHorn]

Today was my Fastpass day (seriously, they should be holidays that are an excused absence from work). Our situation is similar to OP, so I wanted to share what I was able to do.

Two families arrive on Saturday, April 25, for an 8-day trip, so today is 60 days out for us. Another family arrives Wednesday, April 29, for a 4-day trip, so their 60-day clock starts Saturday. We all booked room/ticket packages through a TA.

I was able to make all Fastpasses for all days for the families arriving on April 25. And for Wednesday, April 29 - Saturday, May 1, I could include the later-arriving family in our Fastpass groups, but I could not make them any Fastpass reservations by themselves. So the late arrivals are all set for Fastpasses on Thursday, April 30 and Friday, May 1, but they will have to make their own for their arrival day and departure day (because they will be visiting different parks than the rest of us).

Thanks again to @nickys! Without your post above, I wouldn't have even known to try to include them in our FP plans!

 

[nickys]

Today was my Fastpass day (seriously, they should be holidays that are an excused absence from work). Our situation is similar to OP, so I wanted to share what I was able to do.

Two families arrive on Saturday, April 25, for an 8-day trip, so today is 60 days out for us. Another family arrives Wednesday, April 29, for a 4-day trip, so their 60-day clock starts Saturday. We all booked room/ticket packages through a TA.

I was able to make all Fastpasses for all days for the families arriving on April 25. And for Wednesday, April 29 - Saturday, May 1, I could include the later-arriving family in our Fastpass groups, but I could not make them any Fastpass reservations by themselves. So the late arrivals are all set for Fastpasses on Thursday, April 30 and Friday, May 1, but they will have to make their own for their arrival day and departure day (because they will be visiting different parks than the rest of us).

Thanks again to @nickys! Without your post above, I wouldn't have even known to try to include them in our FP plans!

You’re welcome!

 

[Eamethyst]

We are traveling to WDW in April with my family and sister's family. While we are staying at the Swan resort, they are not staying at a disney resort. I have already linked everyone together under my disney experience for restaurant reservations and tickets, as well as my family's hotel reservation.
I'm looking to book my FP 60 days out (next week!!) and wanted to know:
1. Can I book FP for my family and my sister's family even if they are not staying at a disney resort but are under my account?
2. If not, will I still be able to book my family FP 60 days out if my sister is linked to my account?

In the disney window, it is showing the "hotel" symbol for my family of 4 and not theirs. I was able to book restaurant res for all 8 of us 160 days out.

Fast passes can only be booked 60 days from your hotel reservation. If all of your tickets are in your account then you can get the FP's for all tickets. Who ever is linked to your account you will be bale to get the fast passes for.
If you weren't staying onsite then you could reserve fast passes up to 30 days.