Any recent past or current cast members help please

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

My son is currently in the College Program and my wife and I are planning a trip in August to see him and visit the parks. He's been extremely busy at the moment and I've been having trouble getting quick answers to some questions from him, so I'm hoping some of you here might be able to help me out.

We are planning to stay on property and will be using his family pass for our park visits. Based on that can any of you offer some answers to this please?

*Since we're not buying actual park tickets with the resort is it possible for him as a cast member to still purchase the disney meal plan for the duration of our stay?

*Does he have to physically be with us each day when we plan to visit the parks in order to use his family/friends pass card to enter? (worried about issues of days he might have to work while we're there)

*He's been told his family/friends card does allow park hopping but he's also been told that it doesn't. Do any of you know for sure if it's allowed or not at the present time?

He's been having issues logging in to the hub recently as well so it's been rather difficult to get answers to some of our questions. I want him to concentrate on what he's there to do and not have to worry about answering all of dads questions so thanks very much to any of you who could provide me with some additional info.

 

[bopnopper9]

*Since we're not buying actual park tickets with the resort is it possible for him as a cast member to still purchase the disney meal plan for the duration of our stay?

As far as I know, yes. The meal plan comes with the resort room. CMs are able to get their "guests" or family the meal plans, and sometimes the price of the meal plan is cheaper than normal.

*Does he have to physically be with us each day when we plan to visit the parks in order to use his family/friends pass card to enter? (worried about issues of days he might have to work while we're there)

He only has to be with you to get you into the first park at the start of the day (each day). At this time you will be given your park hopper ticket. Since you are family, after you get your ticket, he can go off to work or whatever, and you are free to play in whatever parks you wish.

*He's been told his family/friends card does allow park hopping but he's also been told that it doesn't. Do any of you know for sure if it's allowed or not at the present time?

It was definitely parkhoppers when I was there in August-Dec 2009. I'm not entirely sure about right now, but as far as I know it hasn't changed at all.

I hope this helped a bit. Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[graygables]

I'm fairly sure the meal plan can be added to the resort room reservation.

His Main Entrance pass will be good for up to 3 people, a quantity of 6 times. The family members/friends who wish to enter that day will have to be all together at time of entrance (no stragglers). As you go through the turnstile, you will each receive a park hopper ticket which is good for that day at any of the 4 parks. Your son can then go on his merry way and you are good for the rest of the day.

If he is having issues getting on the Hub from his apartment, there are usually computers in break rooms, learning centers, and other backstage areas where he will have easy (and much faster) access.

 

[Berlioz70]

Parkhopper tickets: Specific parks are blocked out on certain days so the park hopper does not always work. When my parents were here last July MK was blocked out the whole month. Therefore, my maingate was a park hopper for the other three parks and they purchased separate tickets for MK.

DDP: I'm not 100% positive on this because my experience was with a non-discounted room... My family stayed for one week and had to purchase a minimum of a one-day ticket to get the DDP. The DDP was 7 days, based on the number of nights in the resort, but they wouldn't let them set it up without purchasing a ticket. They had to purchase a ticket anyway for MK, so it worked out.

 

[kmg148]

I used the discounted dining plan with a discounted room in March.

I had previously booked a room at the All Stars with the discount. In order to add the dining plan, they rebooked my current reservation (no price difference, luckily) and added the plan. The CM on the phone mentioned that with the discounted CM dining plan, you must book the room and dining at the same time, and sometimes the dining isn't available to add. I could only add the quick service plan, not the regular. This could vary, and maybe he could add the dining plan to an existing reservation without a problem. All he has to do is call the cast hotline.

 

[Itinkso]

He only has to be with you to get you into the first park at the start of the day (each day). At this time you will be given your park hopper ticket.
I hope this helped a bit. Let me know if you have any more questions.

Does this apply to any of the turnstiles? When we stay at BWI, can we go in w/our DD through the International Gateway turnstiles?

 

[graygables]

Does this apply to any of the turnstiles? When we stay at BWI, can we go in w/our DD through the International Gateway turnstiles?

Yes, we go through IG all the time.

 

[Itinkso]

Yes, we go through IG all the time.

Thanks! DD was able to book BWI club level for us and I hadn't thought about how to get into the parks - this will be easy!

 

[Praise2Him]

*Since we're not buying actual park tickets with the resort is it possible for him as a cast member to still purchase the disney meal plan for the duration of our stay?

Yes, I went in April and called and added the dining plan after I saw on here that it might be available. I was offered any of them but chose quick service. (Note: I was able to call myself instead of waiting on my DD to do it, who sounds like your DS - too busy.) And you do not have to buy a park ticket to get the dining plan

*Does he have to physically be with us each day when we plan to visit the parks in order to use his family/friends pass card to enter? (worried about issues of days he might have to work while we're there)

Yes, he has to be there to get you in the park at the beginning of the day. What we did on the days DD had to work was go with her to "her park" - DHS - and get our tickets. Then we would hop to whichever park we wanted to go to that day. A couple of times she was scheduled to go in later, so she went with us to the park we were going to for a little while and then went to work.

*He's been told his family/friends card does allow park hopping but he's also been told that it doesn't. Do any of you know for sure if it's allowed or not at the present time?

Yes, it is.

Have a great trip!