I am going to WDW in September. I booked the trip months ago. I wanted to beat the Star Wars rush. But I didn’t quite make that. I almost canceled but decided to make the best of things, figuring the crowds won’t get better for a long, long time. Making the best of things, I booked the lightsaber experience for my 16 yo and the droid building for my other son (12) and daughter(18). The site said to arrive 60 minutes prior to the experience. Then on MDE, in my plans, it said to arrive at the reservation time. To clarify, I called Disney. The cast member stated that I should arrive NO SOONER than 15 minutes prior. But then I found out that there was a problem with my reservation. It was reserved with my credit card but the participant names were those of my sons. He told me that my reservation would not be honored. He further stated that if should cancel it and rebook in the name on the credit card! I ask to modify the reservation and he told me that no modifications are allowed. How could this be? The policy said participants must be over age 5 and at least one member of the party must be over 14 and it must be guaranteed with a credit card. What 14 year old has a credit card? Thus the name on the card won’t match the participant. Also it does not say that the credit card holder must be present. It says be prepared to show the credit card. (give it to my 16 or 18 year old before we separate - check) Have valid ID (make sure 16 and 18 year olds bring their licenses - check) and confirmation (text copy of confirmation to 16 and 18 yo’s -check) Or so I thought. After 3 cast members, the last one from guest relations, and 3 hours on the phone. I MUST go with them to check in, but the reservation will then be honored. Seriously 3 hours before they would even say that the reservation would be honored. I have a special needs son that I WAS taking to another section of the park when my other children and their father were doing this experience but now I must go with them. YOU CANNOT BOOK THIS FOR YOUR OLDER CHILDREN AND THEN NOT AT LEAST GO TO THE VENUE DOORS WITH THEM. NO SENDING THEM TO THIS WHILE YOU RELAX AT THE POOL.(or to an attraction with your younger or special needs child) EVEN IF THEY ARE 18 YEARS OLD. (as is the case with my daughter.) I have a travel agent and so I called her for help. She got no where. They say that obviously the policy intends for the ID to match the credit card. That should be understood, No need to state this information. (Although at the behind the seeds tour all the adults must show ID to prove they are listed at a participant.Just saying…) So in reality you must accompany your child, no matter their age to these experiences if you book on your card. You don’t have to go in with them. You are free to wonder around in the heat and fight the crowd outside. Each participant does get to each take in one observer but I have several kids. All old enough to go to this (12yo the youngest except my child with special needs) so I was going to spend time in another area with the only child unable to go to this. Dad can go with them,… but too bad… I booked it with my card. So unnecessarily frustrating. Maybe this should be a prepay like the Cinderella castle or Behind at the seeds tour. But they won’t let you do that either. For this entire planing process, (I think part of the fun is planning) Chewbacca has been crapping on my vacation. So heads up - book this for your older teen using their debit card, if they have one. I would have done that but didn’t know that I needed to. I would change the card attached to the reservation but NO MODIFICATIONS ARE ALLOWED!!!
I understood that the credit card attached to the reservation was intended to serve as a credit card guarantee, kinda like for an ADR.
Can you not pay with another card or form of payment t when you actually arrive at the workshop? I would think they’d allow purchases with your magic band, in which case your kids should be able to pay using that and a PIN??
Thanks for the info. I guess we’ll find out for sure on 8/29.
I was told that they will be very strict. But I’m guessing it will depend on the cast member. The magic band will NOT work. They assured me that the physical card must be presented along with a matching picture ID to gain admittance. One cast member said no other form of payment would be accepted but I did not press that issue. I too thought that the card was like the guarantee on the ADR but after both myself and my agent spoke with them ad nauseum, this is far from the case. I’ll be curious how it actually plays out.
Thanks for the info! I’ll have to make sure I bring that card along since I usually just charge everything to my MB!
Shoot. I booked with the card Disney has on file because i didn’t want to tempt fate by changing my card info. (The site took FOREVER to load) I hate carrying a wallet and was just planning on using my MB and a disney gift card tucked into my phone case the whole trip.
I need a plan B
This is ridiculous. I feel your pain. I hope they figure things out better than this before you arrive.
I feel that they are making this up as they go along. The terms you heard about in the call are neither their normal practice nor clear in the agreement we all read and clicked agree-to on the on-line site. I would expect that feedback like yours will help them to wake up to reasonable accommodation terms. Give them a couple of weeks to realize they don’t want to be such crazy family- and guest-unfriendly bureaucrats and become professional yet reasonable.
I have been given misinformation by several very confident call center CMs in the past. This wouldn’t surprise me at all.
This freaks me out because I reserved the times for both Savi and Droid Depot for my hubs, son and FIL at certain times and I was planning on going somewhere else with my 2-year old. No way is my 2 year old being taken along to wait while they build. I can’t imagine the information you were given was true.
I agree with the person who said they are “making it up as they go along.” When I speaking with a cast member regarding dining plans I asked for info on Olga’s and she said, “I think I read about it…hang on…I think its a bar…” and then she proceeded to look it up online and read from the exact description on the site. And then was like, “OK, yeah, I must have a good memory…it IS a bar.” This is all new to them too and it sounds like it caught everyone by surprise.
I will be following along. I booked Savi’s for my DH and DS with my credit card. My DH has the same card, but with his name on it. Hopefully, as long as I show up for check in with my card, we should be OK? I have no desire to build anything.
I figure the policy won’t hold. It just won’t work. I just wish I was sure. But I spoke with 3 cast members and my agent spoke with 2. So I’m pretty sure that this is the policy. Just not sure if it will be enforced
.
I have heard from 1person who went to galaxy edge in Disneyland who had a similar situation. She said that the participants got a bit of a hassle but that the cast member did let them in. There is hope.
They must be very worried about scalpers if they’re being so strict. I have reservations for my two boys (ages 7 and 11) under their names with my credit card for August 30th, but was planning for my husband to be the observer for 1 of them. I’ll report back on how it plays out.
I’m glad they finally told you it would at least work if you’re there to check them in, but it sucks that took 3 hours and that you can’t be doing something else with your other child. I blame Disney, not Chewbacca, but I can see how this would make you anti-Star Wars!