We are heading to WDW in 3 weeks!! for DD8’s much anticipated birthday trip. As of now we (Me, DH, DD8 and DD5) are set to stay at AKL for the first time. Grandma winters in Florida and wants to come over for a few days around the birthday and join us. There was talk about she and her partner using their timeshare points to get a place in Orlando for a few days. However now he isn’t coming, just her. What to do…
We could…
Squeeze her into our AKL room and put a kid on an air mattress for a night or two. Yes that puts us over max capacity but would anyone notice?
Get another room for her at AKL (this gets cost prohibitive for more than 1 night).
Move to Yacht Club where we can get room for 5, advantages there anyway with location and separate beds for the girls. Would cost $500 more for our stay, plus any extra adult fee. I don’t want to pay extra adult fee all 7 nights if she is not there most of the time. Would they let me add her on for only a few nights? Or I could add a teenager (sons ex-GF who is still on my account) onto the reservation to ensure we get a room with 5 sleep spots (got burned on that at BC last summer!). I have a magic band for that personae also…if I linked a ticket would they notice/care that she obviously isn’t 16 at the parks?
Right now I’m holding reservations at both resorts. Don’t want to drastically increase our expenses but can’t leave Grandma out in the cold by herself either. What would you do?
I would move to YC for 5 bc they do room checks daily and will probably notice a 5th person. They are doing fingerprint scanning at the parks so she could not use the teenagers band. I know some people have avoided the extra guest fee by adding them at the front desk when they arrive instead of adding at booking.
Early entry, they are only having one person scan in and then asking how many. Does AKL get deluxe? Otherwise, why would it be important that she be officially listed? Particularly since it is just a night or two. I also don’t see how a room check of an empty room could tell whether there was 4 or 5 in a room. Air mattress could just mean bickering siblings.
The ex-GF only went with us once right after reopening when they were not using fingerprints, so that should not be an issue. And, she’ll obviously never go with us again. I did include her in the booking for now so they definitely give us a room with extra bed for one daughter to use. Even if Grandma didn’t come at all if we go to YC that would be one major reason why. When DS13 and DS18 went with me to BC and we only got 2 beds we were not happy! And we stongly recommend against Disney’s rollaways.
But then how do I tell them person A isn’t actually there and person B will be there just two nights? Seems overly complicated and suspicious. For the prices they charge, extra adult fees are ridiculous. But I get that those are the rules.
I think it’s difficult for them to change a reservation for only a few nights. My MiL came and spent a few nights w/ us one trip. I went to the front desk to have her added and pay for parking her car. The CM was visibly angry b/c she couldn’t make the adjustments and had to let her park at the resort for free.
She has decided to come for two nights right in the middle of our stay. I’m leaning toward YC, leaving the 5th person as is on the reservation and not linking her ticket to that person. We would only need it for early entry and she should be able to get in with us. Then again, we’ll probably head to 7D at rope drop and she doesn’t ride that anyway. So if there is a problem she can just meet up after park open. Being at YC means we can probably do without the rental car as we would only drive to AK so between that and parking fees we nearly make up the difference!
@vcka - I know you live in FL and maybe are military? My mom has military benefits (divorced from my dad who is retired AF) and lives part time in FL, would she be better off looking for a military ticket or FL resident ticket? Would she have to go to Shades of Green for the military ticket or just call somewhere to order it? Do they do one-day military tickets or only multi day? We already have passes/tickets so only she needs one. Sorry if I’m wrong…
…wrong about??? As long as your mom has a military ID (it would be for retirees) she can go to the SoG or a local military base ITT office. The base closest to me has limited hours due to covid so I would recommend looking/calling ahead. Here is the direct link for all the ticket prices at SoG: Ticket Prices :: Shades of Green
Some other things to consider: There can be very long lines at the SoG ticket office; it’s best to get there right when they open. Prices will differ from base to base and SoG due to handling charges, but none will add tax. There is a Navy EX near the MCO airport that sells tickets too, I’ve never been there but SoG told me about them when their systems were down one day.
Also, about the room issue. Your mom can get a room at SoG and sponsor the family there. The rooms are as big as any deluxe room on WDW property at a considerable discount. But getting a room at the last minute would be difficult and your mom would have to be there at check in as the sponsoring military ID holder.
I might have booked a room for 5 (3 adults and 2 kids ages 6&7) for a stay at the Boardwalk this summer, despite there only being 3 of us (me, DS18 and DD20). We don’t share beds and want that 3rd sleeping surface and know we won’t get it if I only book for 3 of us.
I would move to a room that will sleep 5. Adding the ex GF to get a 5 sleeper room would work, and then just tell the front desk that sadly one couldn’t come but that you will have an extra guest for a couple of nights.
If you stay at AKL she won’t be able to use early entry or the deluxe hours. Experiences vary for early entry,. I think at DHS and Epcot they don’t let non resort guests into the park at all, they have to wait outside until later. For MK and AK it would depend on the CM as to whether they ask everyone to scan or just one person. For the evening hours she wouldn’t be able to ride.
If she’s driving she’ll have to give your name and room # to get through the gate; they may well note the registration #. And if you are caught they will make you pay for a second room. To me it wouldn’t be worth the worry.
I also wouldn’t try and pass her off as the ex GF at the parks. It would be very embarrassing if a CM did pick up on it. For example if the finger scan didn’t work and they had to take her photo, her name and details would come up on MDE on the iPad. There could be a lot of explaining to do.
Yep, embedded in my later post I backed out of those ideas. I really don’t want to have to worry about any hassle, just want things to go smoothly. She would only go to the park with us one day and it’s not an evening hour day anyway, and she wouldn’t ride what we would during the early half-hour.
Hooray! We are now booked at SOG from the day Grandma arrives until the end of our trip. As I discussed it with her yesterday the last day became sold out…but I kept checking and our dates opened up tonight! I’ll let the birthday girl choose if she wants AKL or YC for the first portion of the trip. Thanks so much @vcka for the suggestion and good solution to my dilemma!