Adding additional family members to Disney Hotel

[DWLA]

We are having a Disneyland family trip. Some of our family will be in a Disney hotel, some of our family will be in good neighbor hotels. I read a great suggestion made to me on this board that we could add some family members to the Disney hotel so that we could get others in for Early Magic Hours (increase the total number of family that can get in for EMH, even if some are at good neighbor hotels).

I was hoping someone could give me more info on how that works, so we can prepare. Our main goal would be to get the kids in with an adult so they can have some rides in that time. In the thread that suggested it, it was mentioned Disney didn't seem to have any issue with adding others to the room (up to max capacity), so is there any reason NOT to do so?

Thanks for any help - this is one area we are still pretty confused on.

1. Do the family staying at the hotel add the others to the room prior to the trip, or at check in?
2. Do the other family need to be present?
3. How does EMH work? Does everyone have a special card or ticket? Do they scan you as a group or one at a time? (ie, do the added family members get a room key, or is it some other items that proves they are listed at the hotel?)
4. Do the children get their own key? That seems kind of odd. How do they identify a valid child for EMH?

 

[Girimama33]

Everyone under your reservation will be given a room key. The room key and ticket is what is used for each person (adults and children over 3) to gain access to EMH.
Depending on how you booked, you may have to wait until check in to add the names. You can always call and ask. The people you are adding do not need to be present.

 

[Lynne G]

I added my other family member at check in and she was not present when I added her. She came much later than we did. We did not go over the maximum number and since she became the second adult, no extra charge for her either. Room key was used for early entry with a valid ticket. And if I remember there was an A or C on the room card. I held my kids tickets and room cards after we entered. No issue. And since I was paying for parking at the hotel, it is for 2 cars, so my other family member could park her car at the hotel and we were not charged more. Happened both times at the Disneyland Hotel and Grand C.

 

[Girimama33]

I added my other family member at check in and she was not present when I added her. She came much later than we did. We did not go over the maximum number and since she became the second adult, no extra charge for her either. Room key was used for early entry with a valid ticket. And if I remember there was an A or C on the room card. I held my kids tickets and room cards after we entered. No issue. And since I was paying for parking at the hotel, it is for 2 cars, so my other family member could park her car at the hotel and we were not charged more. Happened both times at the Disneyland Hotel and Grand C.

If you were able to park 2 cars at the hotels with no cost, you must have been staying using DVC points.

 

[SMD]

If you were able to park 2 cars at the hotels with no cost, you must have been staying using DVC points.

Until 3-4 years ago there was a resort fee charged to all hotel guests that covered parking for 2 cars. Then they switched to charging for parking. I've read recent reports that the daily parking fee is now for only 1 car.

 

[5forMickey]

If you were able to park 2 cars at the hotels with no cost, you must have been staying using DVC points.

The $17.00 fee covers up to two vehicles . We have done this often and my upcoming confirmation also states this. As others have said, as long as you don't go over the max. room occupancy you can add or delete people at any time.

 

[Girimama33]

The $17.00 fee covers up to two vehicles . We have done this often and my upcoming confirmation also states this. As others have said, as long as you don't go over the max. room occupancy you can add or delete people at any time.

You learn something new everyday.

 

[MommyJKM]

1. Do the family staying at the hotel add the others to the room prior to the trip, or at check in?
2. Do the other family need to be present?
3. How does EMH work? Does everyone have a special card or ticket? Do they scan you as a group or one at a time? (ie, do the added family members get a room key, or is it some other items that proves they are listed at the hotel?)
4. Do the children get their own key? That seems kind of odd. How do they identify a valid child for EMH?

We have had to pay for both cars at valet at GCH the past few trips - I think $25 each car.

You can have up to 5 people on the reservation - we have added 2 adults at check-in for the exact reason you are going to. My brother and SIL took my DD in the parks this May while my DH and I slept in and went to the spa. You can add names at check-in - they don't require a proof. It's also good practice if you're having guests at the pool, they get their own key card.

They do require kids to have a key with their ticket. We once went in the GCH/DCA entrance and hadn't added my 5-yr old niece to the room and they actually made us go and add her (this was in 2012). Despite everyone disliking this entrance we always use it and in my experience they're pretty strict about EVERYONE having a key. Now if you were a family of 6 and one person didn't have one I don't think it would be an issue. Ours was because we had 5 plus the little one.

Each person gets a key with their name on it and they show it with their ticket.
Have fun!!!

 

[Malcon10t]

The $17.00 fee covers up to two vehicles . We have done this often and my upcoming confirmation also states this. As others have said, as long as you don't go over the max. room occupancy you can add or delete people at any time.

They used to have this policy, but in Jan 2014 it changed. Check your bill carefully as they now charge for each vehicle.

 

[5forMickey]

I did go back and look at my receipt from December of 2014. Only one charge, however, we did stay in a two room suite so technically we did have two rooms so maybe that is the difference.

**Update - I decided that was a dumb reason -- cause then that would mean they would charge it on each room. I have no clue I guess but there was only on charge and we did have two vehicles.

 

[disneyfirsttimer18]

We stayed at the DLH in March. Each of us had a room key with our names on it. We actually put my kids' in the backpack and there they stayed. They only asked my DH for his room card for EMH, as he was carrying all of our tickets in a lanyard. We had no issues with the 5 of us getting in with just the scan of our tickets.

 

[Malcon10t]

We stayed at the DLH in March. Each of us had a room key with our names on it. We actually put my kids' in the backpack and there they stayed. They only asked my DH for his room card for EMH, as he was carrying all of our tickets in a lanyard. We had no issues with the 5 of us getting in with just the scan of our tickets.

I've had them accept only 1 key, but I have also had them ask for all keys including my 4yo granddaughters. It depends on the person manning the gate.