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When NOT to Go to Disney World Guest Relations

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Guest Relations is a mythical place where any question can be answered and any problem can be solved. These magical powers attract many guests with a variety of concerns and issues, many of which are not solved quickly. This often makes Guest Relations long and slow-moving. So when you see a queue of people wrapped around City Hall, check this list and see if your issue can be solved somewhere else.

Disney World Guest Relations
You don’t always need to wait at Guest Relations. Photo By Todd Perlmutter.

Upgrading Tickets

If you decided to upgrade your ticket, head to the vacation planning booths–the ticket sales booths at the entrance of the parks–on your way out of the park. There are virtually no lines at the vacation planning booths after noon and they can upgrade your ticket just as well as Guest Relations.

Exchanging Old Ticket

Tickets purchased before 2004 don’t expire, but they need to be converted to the new RFID media (the ticket cards or MagicBands) before being used. Even unused A to E ticket books can be converted into a Magic Kingdom ticket, though they are worth much more than the $105.44 cost of a Magic Kingdom ticket. The conversion can be done at the vacation planning booths.

Replacing Lost Tickets

So you dropped your ticket on the bus/boat/train/plane. No need to fear, just head to the nearest vacation planning booth. Helpful things to have when replacing a lost ticket are all of the other tickets for your party, the will call information you used to pick up your tickets, your credit card you used to buy your tickets, the receipt from your ticket purchase, and/or your My Disney Experience account opened on your phone.

Getting Celebration Buttons

No need to stand in line at Guest Relations just to grab a birthday button. Stop by one of the vacation planning booths at the entrance of park or any of the larger merchandise locations. The Cast Members in front of the merchandise locations are often loaded with buttons and just waiting to entertain guests.

Fixing Your MyMagic+ Account

Get help with the My Disney Experience app at the MyMagic+ Service Center. Photo copyright Disney.
Get help with the My Disney Experience app at the MyMagic+ Service Center. Photo copyright Disney.

Issues with the MyDisneyExperience app–tickets not connecting to your account or MagicBand–should be brought to the MyMagic+ service center. They are located at the Town Square Theater in Magic Kingdom, in Innoventions West in Epcot, next to Guest Relations (Ed. – the former Sid Cahuenga’s location) in Hollywood Studios, and at Creature Comforts in Animal Kingdom. Guest Relations Cast Members who are experts in MyMagic+ and dedicated MyMagic+ Cast Members staff the location. The areas have iPads set up on kiosks with the My Disney Experience website open. I’ve never noticed a queue in the area, so they’re a good alternative to the often-crowded Fastpass+ kiosks.

Getting a Parking Refund

Free parking starts the day you activate your annual pass. So if you paid for parking when you entered the park and either bought or activated an annual pass that day, you can get a refund right at the ticket window when you purchase the pass instead of making a separate trip to Guest Relations. The refund can be applied to your purchase or refunded in its original form. Make sure you bring the receipt!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help on the spot when you need it. While Guest Relations Cast Members are always there to help, but you can often save time by addressing an issue when it happens or at the relevant location.

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Maddi Higgins

Maddi is a full time vacation planner at Magic Kingdom. She is a graduate of the Disney College Program and Disney Professional Internship Program. She is a long-time Disney World fan and her family has been DVC members since 2008. You can see more of her work at maddihiggins.com.

9 thoughts on “When NOT to Go to Disney World Guest Relations

  • We have 10 day NEPH tickets, and we will need to change our son to adult ticket our next visit (he is turning 11). Guest relations or vacaction planning? Thanks!

    Reply
    • You can go to either the vacation planning booths or Guest Relations to switch a child ticket to an adult ticket (for no charge).

      Reply
      • Perfect!

  • Hello team,

    I just read on your blog that tickets purchased before 2014 don’t expire and just need to be upgraded to the new “Magic Bands” and can be used again.

    Can you please confirm if this is the case for UK visitors please?

    I ask because I am planning another trip for 2015 & this will be our 6th visit to Disney World in 9 years (we got married at the Grand Floridian in 2006) and every trip has resulted in a ticket purchase. At no time has any travel company advised us that tickets never go out of date. Is this just the case for USA Patrons?

    Thank you (in advance) for your assistance with my enquiry,

    Yours sincerely

    Tracy

    Tracy Carlin (Mrs)

    Reply
    • Depends on your ticket but the common 1, 2 and 3 week tickets sold in the uk will have expired 14 or 21 days after first use.

      Sorry

      Reply
    • UK tickets expire 14 or 21 days after first use and as far as I know always have.

      USA tickets before 2004 (not 2014) lasted until the “days” were used up. Since 2004 they expire 14 days after first use too (so a ticket for 3 days can be used any 3 days within the 14).

      Reply
    • UNUSED tickets never expire. I think that is the case for all tickets. US tickets expire 14 days after the first use unless you have paid extra for the non-expiration option, but you had to have done so before that 14 day expiration.

      Reply
    • Hey, to clear up confusion, it’s tickets purchased before 2004, NOT 2014.

      Reply
    • Thanks to all of the readers who responded. Tickets from before 2004, not 2014, don’t expire. The UK Ultimate tickets expire either 14 or 21 days after first use. The UK Ultimate tickets can’t be upgraded to non-expiring options.

      Reply

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