Is this possible?

[Lolsmum]

I am not trying to break any rules, just trying to figure out if this is possible.

We're in the UK but my divorced parents both live in the US. We're planning a trip in 2014. The plan is to have my mom and stepdad there the first week and my dad and stepmom the second. If we were to book a 2 bedroom villa for all 2 weeks, with tickets and free DDP for us, is it possible to have them all stay with us? It would put 4 adults and 2 kids there the whole time, but two of the adults from the first week would leave and 2 more arrive. We would buy tickets for dad and stepmom when they arrive and I assume they could not take over the rest of mom and stepdad's DDP. Dad and stepmom are actually hoping to have an AP by then, if a move to FL works out in time.

Is this possible?

We're still not sure if we want to share a villa with relatives, but looking at our options.

 

[RocketEAR99]

I would say call Disney about it to see what is possible, but I think when you get DDP, it has to be for all occupants for the entirety of the reservation, so to have your relatives be different from one week to the next and be on separate charges for DDP, you may need to have (at least on paper) two separate reservations.

That said, however, guest services might be able to work it out that your two separate reservations are booked in the same room so you don't have to relocate. Even if you would have to relocate, they're pretty good about making that a painless procedure. People change resorts mid-stay all the time.

 

[WizardLarz]

Sounds like an easy task to pull off, most likely you can book each week separate and link the ressies. I'm sure one of the experts here will be able to tell you the best way. You could Email Dreams Unlimited and see if they can help you out.

 

[Lolsmum]

Coming from the UK, we will not be booking our weeks separately. The 14 day ticket is the same price as the 7 day one, and DDP is included free. There's no 1 or 2 day ticket available to us for a package, so it would cost us an additional £1000+ for just the four of us to book each week separately. I know a lot of UKers have looked into split stays and it would mean an extra set of tickets to keep free dining for us.

My dad and stepmom don't mind missing out on the DDP or buying a 7 day (or 14 day even, since it's the same cost) UK ticket to get the DDP.

I'm sure we could pull it off by breaking the rules, just by giving my dad and stepmom my mom and stepdad's room keys and then they buy tickets to the parks or an AP. I suppose we could even use the remaining week of my mom and stepdad's DDP. I would like to do things the right way though, if possible, as long as it doesn't cost us a wasted £1000.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Here's what I would do. I would book the reservation with the first set of parents included. When the 2nd set arrive, I would add them at the front desk for the remainder of your stay. Since the occupancy of a 2-BR villa is 8, you'd still be OK there, and since it's a villa, you wouldn't have to pay the extra-adult per night fees. That way, each set of parents has keys with their own name on them. I would use the dining credits spread out over both weeks, since your room-key will say 4A2C, it would allow you to use the credits for both sets of parents. You'll just have to be the one to present your key to use the credits - they wouldn't be on the 2nd set of keys.

The only thing the 2nd set of parents would have to do is buy their own tickets, as the ones from the first set of parents wouldn't be transferable.

I am definitely a rule-follower and I see no issue in doing the above. You're not cheating Disney out of anything, you don't have more people than allowed, you're buying the required tickets and getting the dining.

 

[Lolsmum]

Thank you! I hadn't even considered that even with all of us we are still in the room limits.

Now I just have to decide if I can handle that much family togetherness.

 

[bumbershoot]

Here's what I would do. I would book the reservation with the first set of parents included. When the 2nd set arrive, I would add them at the front desk for the remainder of your stay. Since the occupancy of a 2-BR villa is 8, you'd still be OK there, and since it's a villa, you wouldn't have to pay the extra-adult per night fees. That way, each set of parents has keys with their own name on them. I would use the dining credits spread out over both weeks, since your room-key will say 4A2C, it would allow you to use the credits for both sets of parents. You'll just have to be the one to present your key to use the credits - they wouldn't be on the 2nd set of keys.

The only thing the 2nd set of parents would have to do is buy their own tickets, as the ones from the first set of parents wouldn't be transferable.

I am definitely a rule-follower and I see no issue in doing the above. You're not cheating Disney out of anything, you don't have more people than allowed, you're buying the required tickets and getting the dining.

And the key is adding the second set of parents after you arrive. That's when the resorts get flexible in their policies, and allow people to join without adding the dining plan for the new people.

If they are taking DME, you will want to add them to the room with enough time to arrange DME for them. They wouldn't get tags for the bags anyway (since last I read they don't mail them overseas) so they would just follow whatever procedure you follow.

 

[Lolsmum]

They'd hopefully be driving up from the Tampa area if all goes well, otherwise from Kansas. (Please let it be Tampa, because otherwise that means 6 of us driving back to Kansas in time for Thanksgiving dinner!)

 

[amym2]

If you decide you'd rather have separate space, you could always book yourselves for 2 weeks in a 1-bedroom and two separate weeks in studios for the grandparents.

You could request that the rooms be close together, or you could accidentally forget to make the request and hope you end up being far away .