Due to a family emergency (more detail below, if you’re interested, but it’s not crucial to my question), I had to end a trip early. I had used 1 out 4 days of a parkhopper ticket. I worked with Disney guest services outside of the gates at AK, and they were able to give me a future-use “ticket credit” for my unused 3 days. (An aside that the CM was so nice and professional with me, while I was fighting tears the entire time—not because of her but due to the situation.) But they did not give me a physical ticket. Instead, I have a handwritten file number and details to present at guest services at any of the four parks alongside photo ID. When I arrive for my future trip, after I provide the file number and my ID, guest services instructed me that I will be provided with a physical ticket. The CM at guest services also explained that this is common, no one should give me any pushback, etc.
However, for my future trip, because I won’t have a physical ticket, I can’t book park reservations. Guest services told me, somewhat cryptically, that “if park reservations are still in place” for my future trip—they emphasized IF—when I am obtaining my physical ticket, guest services will be able to get me reservations that match my travel party’s reservations.
My main concern is Genie Plus. My anticipated future trip is late April. I will arrive at Pop likely around 8:45 or 9 PM on a Thursday. Ideally, I would hop on the skyliner to go to Epcot or HS guest services outside of the gates that night and get my ticket squared away so I can go into the parks on Friday without issue and buy Genie Plus on Friday morning without issue. So here are my questions:
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Is there a number that I can call to try to get this resolved ahead of time before my arrival? I’m thinking no because they told me I could not get my tickets until I return to guest services upon my arrival, but it never hurts to ask.
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In determining if I can get my ticket issue addressed the night I arrive: When does the physical guest services location outside of each park close? Are they open up until park close? What if the park has extended evening hours, does guest services stay open?
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If I can’t address the ticket issue the night I arrive: When does guest services at each park open? (I assume AK would open the earliest.)
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If it appears I won’t be able to work with guest services until my first park day around 8 or 8:30 AM, e.g., after the 7 am drop: Which park is best for buying Genie Plus later in the day? I am going to assume not HS — maybe Epcot or AK? Give me your thoughts. I want to ride Tron, which I assume will have a 7 am drop too, so I’d like to avoid MK.
**more details re what happened, if you’re interested - this was a planned sisters’ trip with my sister who lives in Florida. I arrived mid-day on a Friday, and we got into the parks around noon. Around 5 pm, she got a call from her husband that he was sick, and shortly thereafter he tested positive for Covid. My sister and BIL have two little boys, and my BIL needed my sister to go home to help him. She was also worried that she would soon become sick with Covid, since she had been around my BIL hours prior. So she left and drove home. I stayed at Pop one night, then the next morning I talked to the CM at the front desk, with the assumption that they wouldn’t be able to help and I’d be on my own for a 3-day trip (that my sister and I both had planned as a needed mental health break after a tough year). The Pop CM was incredibly sweet, and while talking to her, I unsuccessfully held back tears and ended up crying pretty hard. I felt mortified being a grown woman crying in the lobby of Pop. The Pop CMs said they could only help me the hotel reservation and sent me to AK guest services (because they were open first) to resolve the ticket issue. I was so impressed with Disney the entire time. I expected them to say basically, “too bad, so sad, no refunds, no credits issued,” but then again, I guess they generally would prefer for Covid-exposed guests to leave. I was able to adjust my flight and left less than 24 hours within arrival, masked in an N95 just in case I had been exposed. My sister ultimately did not test positive, and I didn’t either, and my brother in law recovered without issue.
Thanks in advance for your help, all! This is an unusual situation, and if anyone can assist, I figure it’s Liners.