reservation swap - need serious WDW experts on this one

[kermit116]

This is a little complicated so I need some serious Disney experts to help me with this one. Here's our rather odd situation:

We're going on a family reunion trip to WDW in a few months - meeting up with lots of family members from all over the country. DH & I will be staying at FW, in a camper that belongs to my cousin and her husband. My cousin and her hubby will be driving the camper to FW, but they will actually be staying at the Poly and are letting us stay in their camper in FW so we can save some money.

We all arrive on a Thursday and are suppose to leave the following Wednesday (1 week stay). I just got word from my cousin that her husband has a work commitment he can't miss on Tuesday, so they will now have to leave (with their camper) on Monday morning. Since they still have their reservation at the Poly for the two remaining nights of our family reunion trip (Monday & Tuesday), they have offered to basically swap reservations with us for the last two nights since they will be leaving early with the camper. So, basically, we'd stay in their camper in FW for the first 5 nights, and then we'd move into their room in the Poly for the last 2 nights.

I'm wondering if this is possible? I would assume Disney wouldn't care who is in the room as long as it's the same number of adults in the room each night (which it would be). My main concerns are:

(1) Will we need to change the name(s) on the Poly reservation for the last 2 nights? Will they even let us do this?

(2) KTTW card - I wouldn't even bother changing the name on the room reservation at the Poly for the last two nights, but I'm wondering if we'd have a problem using their KTTW cards for EMH and FP? We all have APs so our tickets will not be attached to our KTTW card. I doubt we'll still be able to use our KTTW cards that we'll get from FW, because they will be checking out of that reservation when we'll still be at the parks. Can we just use the KTTW cards with their names on them for the room key and for EMH/FP? Obviously we would not be charging anything to the room with their card, I'm just worried about EMH & FP.

I plan to call WDW reservations about this, but I'm sure I'll get different answers depending on which CMs I get on the phone, so I thought I'd be better off getting information here first. Thanks!

 

[Deb & Bill]

They will need to make sure they pay any charges on their bill before they leave the Polynesian. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with those.

 

[notaclue]

You might have a problem using their cards to enter the parks because you have to put your finger in a scanner in order to get in. I don't know if the system would compare your fingerprint to the original owner's or not.

 

[Sammie]

Honestly I would wait and talk to the front desk about it. If you call reservations they are going to give you the official policy, of NO, you can not do this as reservations are not transferable.

For security reasons Disney actually does care who is in the room.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

There are a couple of things....

It depends a tad if they have a package, or a room only booking. If they have a package- i.e. dining - then it's more of an issue. see below.

If you are just using their room for sleeping , it's less of an issue. You could just modify the reservation (down to five nights), and make it a new one for the nights you are there. that's probably the best option if it will end up being the same price. (assuming your dates are far enough away)

If you tell DIsney, but don't make a new reservation, likley you will want to do it after you are there, basically. Disney does not come by rooms to verify who is sleeping there. Likely though your friends will not want you making charges to their room, so that is something you will have to work out if they give you their room keys.

You will not be able to use their park tickets. There is no fingerprint system to use the kttw as a room key though.

No, you would not be able to use their key to get fp since you can't use their park tickets, but you will be able to use your park ticket for fp. I don't see that this in any way changes your need to have your own park tickets. You would just use your park tickets in the park both to enter the park and to get fp.

You could use their room keys also during emh. You wouldn't be able to use them to get into the park, as I said, but simply to show you are staying on property- you simply display them. (If you are using AP's, then you will be using two cards your entire stay, you will not be using your kttw key ever for FP's. You will be using your AP for fp the entire time.)

During EMh, Disney doesn't check rooms keys against ID - however, as I said, the easiest thing might be to change the room reservation. BUT it depends how far out you are. It could get complicated if there were any problems with incorrect room charges and you aren't the person listed onthe room. Disney will usually only discuss sensative personal info with a person who is listed on the room. IF the reservation is a package, you cna make chnges fee free up unitl the 45 day mark. If you have a room only reservation, you can make changes up until - I think five day- it may be seven days. Teh exception woudl be if you used discount and that discount is no longer available. Otherwise, putting ther eservation in your name the last two nights should not cost extra - assuming your friends are still paying for those nights. That's pretty generous.

Are you expecting to use Magic Express to get back tothe airport? If so, then you need to tell DIsney where you are staying. They will not let you use ME, if your friends have already checked out their camper at Ft. Wilderness, and you are not listed as staying on property.

It may be possible to add you to their reservation, once at WDW. If there are more than three adults on any given night, they will charge a fee of $28 per adult - but if your friends are leaving, and there will only be two adults in the room on those two nights, they may be able to avoid charging you extra. But I think it woudl be easier to simply change the reservation.

YEah, different CM's in CRO might not give you the correct answer, but basically you should be able to get someone at CRO who can help. I had something slightly similar on a recent trip - with one person being in my room only part of the stay. (but we were still there too) The way to add that person to my room for the last few nights was to do it once we were there - so that we were only chraged teh extra dult fee for the nights they were actually in our room.

We did not have DDP, but it is not possible if you have someone staying like that to get the DDP for just two days - hope that makes sense.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

They will need to make sure they pay any charges on their bill before they leave the Polynesian. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with those.

Disney will charge all room charges to the cc on file. So likley it would be the other way around- your family members would get stuck with any charges you made, if you simply used there key.
However, that would not happen at all if they don't authorize room charges on their room key. No matter what kind of reservation you have, the cost of the room stay itself is charged either upon arrival or 45 days before arrival with a package.

If you talk to them, they CAN add your cc for yoru room key, but it can be complicated. They like to have one cc per room. I had major problems trying to put two cc on file for the same room.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

You might have a problem using their cards to enter the parks because you have to put your finger in a scanner in order to get in. I don't know if the system would compare your fingerprint to the original owner's or not.

That is the point of the finger scanners. You would not be able to use their card to enter the parks, but if they have AP's they will not be using their room key to enter the parks either. They will be using their AP's, which will be seperate card. They will not be putting their room key inthe turnstile at teh parks; they will only be using it to enter tehir room (and DDP, if they get it) If you are getting your own seven day tickets or AP's, then you would just continue to use your tickets to enter the parks.

Even if you weren't using AP's...there's not really any savings to be had if you did try to use their park tickets on their room keys. I presume the other five days that you are both there, you will be going to parks. There's no discount on park tickets when you stay at the Poly vs. Ft. Wilderness. Beyond that, once you are buying five day tickets, days six and seven are like $5 each. So even if you bought five day tickets for yourself and somehow illegally forged their fingerprints and used their seven day tickets the savings would only be $10 per ticket. Hardly a windfall.

 

[kermit116]

That is the point of the finger scanners. You would not be able to use their card to enter the parks, but if they have AP's they will not be using their room key to enter the parks either. They will be using their AP's, which will be seperate card. They will not be putting their room key inthe turnstile at teh parks; they will only be using it to enter tehir room (and DDP, if they get it) If you are getting your own seven day tickets or AP's, then you would just continue to use your tickets to enter the parks.

Even if you weren't using AP's...there's not really any savings to be had if you did try to use their park tickets on their room keys. I presume the other five days that you are both there, you will be going to parks. There's no discount on park tickets when you stay at the Poly vs. Ft. Wilderness. Beyond that, once you are buying five day tickets, days six and seven are like $5 each. So even if you bought five day tickets for yourself and somehow illegally forged their fingerprints and used their seven day tickets the savings would only be $10 per ticket. Hardly a windfall.

We have APs so we would NOT be using their room key for park entry. We'd just need it as proof that we're staying on property for EMH. I had a mind blink on the FP issue - obviously since we're using our APs we won't need the KTTW card for FPs, just for EMH.

 

[bumbershoot]

Would the Poly reservation allow 4 adults in the room? I assume it's just you and hubby and cousin and hubby, with no one else.

If they would allow 4 people on the reservation, when you get there, can't you just ask to have you and hubby added to their room? Then you would get your own KTTW cards and there wouldn't be a problem.

Many people have stated that once you're there you can add people to the room legally, even if they are not on the package (if there's a package), so that's the route I would go, if 4 people would be allowed on the Poly reservation.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Would the Poly reservation allow 4 adults in the room? I assume it's just you and hubby and cousin and hubby, with no one else.

If they would allow 4 people on the reservation, when you get there, can't you just ask to have you and hubby added to their room? Then you would get your own KTTW cards and there wouldn't be a problem.

Many people have stated that once you're there you can add people to the room legally, even if they are not on the package (if there's a package), so that's the route I would go, if 4 people would be allowed on the Poly reservation.

But they'd have to pay an "extra adult" fee of $25/person/day for that.

OP, I am very by-the-book, but in this case, I would say that it would be perfectly fine to do what you're planning. You use your cousin's room keys for the last 2 days. I can't think of any instance where you'd be asked to show your personal ID to compare to the room keys, unless you happened to lose them or needed to replace them for some reason. Don't charge anything to the room, do express check-out and mail your cousin the bill when you get home.

 

[nonnasally]

There are a couple of things....

It depends a tad if they have a package, or a room only booking. If they have a package- i.e. dining - then it's more of an issue. see below.

If you are just using their room for sleeping , it's less of an issue. You could just modify the reservation (down to five nights), and make it a new one for the nights you are there. that's probably the best option if it will end up being the same price. (assuming your dates are far enough away)

If you tell DIsney, but don't make a new reservation, likley you will want to do it after you are there, basically. Disney does not come by rooms to verify who is sleeping there. Likely though your friends will not want you making charges to their room, so that is something you will have to work out if they give you their room keys.

You will not be able to use their park tickets. There is no fingerprint system to use the kttw as a room key though.

No, you would not be able to use their key to get fp since you can't use their park tickets, but you will be able to use your park ticket for fp. I don't see that this in any way changes your need to have your own park tickets. You would just use your park tickets in the park both to enter the park and to get fp.

You could use their room keys also during emh. You wouldn't be able to use them to get into the park, as I said, but simply to show you are staying on property- you simply display them. (If you are using AP's, then you will be using two cards your entire stay, you will not be using your kttw key ever for FP's. You will be using your AP for fp the entire time.)

During EMh, Disney doesn't check rooms keys against ID - however, as I said, the easiest thing might be to change the room reservation. BUT it depends how far out you are. It could get complicated if there were any problems with incorrect room charges and you aren't the person listed onthe room. Disney will usually only discuss sensative personal info with a person who is listed on the room. IF the reservation is a package, you cna make chnges fee free up unitl the 45 day mark. If you have a room only reservation, you can make changes up until - I think five day- it may be seven days. Teh exception woudl be if you used discount and that discount is no longer available. Otherwise, putting ther eservation in your name the last two nights should not cost extra - assuming your friends are still paying for those nights. That's pretty generous.

Are you expecting to use Magic Express to get back tothe airport? If so, then you need to tell DIsney where you are staying. They will not let you use ME, if your friends have already checked out their camper at Ft. Wilderness, and you are not listed as staying on property.

It may be possible to add you to their reservation, once at WDW. If there are more than three adults on any given night, they will charge a fee of $28 per adult - but if your friends are leaving, and there will only be two adults in the room on those two nights, they may be able to avoid charging you extra. But I think it woudl be easier to simply change the reservation.

YEah, different CM's in CRO might not give you the correct answer, but basically you should be able to get someone at CRO who can help. I had something slightly similar on a recent trip - with one person being in my room only part of the stay. (but we were still there too) The way to add that person to my room for the last few nights was to do it once we were there - so that we were only chraged teh extra dult fee for the nights they were actually in our room.

We did not have DDP, but it is not possible if you have someone staying like that to get the DDP for just two days - hope that makes sense.

The above advice seems very wise. We too have had a similiar experience and I took care of it at check in. If your ressie was room only as well as your Poly friends you actually have more bargaining leverage.I have changed and added people on my ressies many times in the past. If you call, I think you may be told to make two separate ressies. I vote to take care of it when you arrive.

 

[snykymom]

You might have a problem using their cards to enter the parks because you have to put your finger in a scanner in order to get in. I don't know if the system would compare your fingerprint to the original owner's or not.

That's only if the tickets were on the KTTW card. Since the OP has APs, they won't be using the KTTW card to enter the parks. There's no finger scan at the Poly.

Changing the reservation: I'm not even sure it can be done. Disney will NOT remove the lead guest from any reservation, so either your cousin or her husband will need to remain on the reservation. They can add you, but then you'll have to pay the additional adult charge.

If they're paying for those 2 nights, then don't worry about it. Just get their keys when they pick up the camper, have them drop you & your luggage at the Poly, and go up to the room. All done.

If you're paying for those 2 nights, make your own reservation, and have your cousins modify theirs to 5 nights. Of course, you won't get any discount that your cousins have. Then have them drop you at the Poly, check in and you're all set.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

If you're paying for those 2 nights, make your own reservation, and have your cousins modify theirs to 5 nights. Of course, you won't get any discount that your cousins have. Then have them drop you at the Poly, check in and you're all set.

That all depends...If OP has AP's, there's a strong likelyhood they could get the AP discount those last two nights. The discount just has to be available. If you have online access to the AP section (you need to already have AP or AP voucher), you can look it up (with discount), and even book it online before you change anything on the original reservation. Though if you book it under two reservations they may assign you to a different room those last two nights.

Likely that is the discount cousins are using anyhow, if any. AP discount is likelt to be as good as any others out there.

 

[snykymom]

That all depends...If OP has AP's, there's a strong likelyhood they could get the AP discount those last two nights. The discount just has to be available. If you have online access to the AP section (you need to already have AP or AP voucher), you can look it up (with discount), and even book it online before you change anything on the original reservation. Though if you book it under two reservations they may assign you to a different room those last two nights.

Likely that is the discount cousins are using anyhow, if any. AP discount is likelt to be as good as any others out there.

Understood, but that's a different discount, not the one on the rest of the reservation. That was my only point.