Best option for adding grandpas to reservation?

[XaviZixxeR]

Hi all

I know the parks to some extent (4 times in DLP, 1 in Anaheim), but I rarely went to Disney hotels, and I never changed anything once reserved, so I need advice from the experts here.

We're going to enjoy the Christmas season for the first time, arriving Dec 5th in the evening, returning Dec 8th in the morning, we'll be in the parks for only 2 days. We have the flights (reserved directly with easyjet) and a phone reservation with Disney Spain for the Sequioa Lodge (more data below)

Something unexpected has happened to us: we had asked my in-laws several times to come with us, but it seemed impossible (nobody in the family thought they would come). They kept saying "maybe, but if we come, it will be by car, as a part of a longer stay across France.
Yesterday they called and in a 5 minute conversation, we ended up booking their flights! We managed to get them tickets for the same return flight, and they will be going the same day (Dec 5th) but two hours and a half earlier.

I rang Disney Spain to ask for options for their stay, but it was already closed.
I'll be ringing during the afternoon, but I thought I'd ask here for advice from planing experts.

Any recommendations?

The complete data:

-We reserved with 40% discount (Fantasy AP), 1 room for 4 (2 adults 2 children aged 5 and 8) in the Sequoia Lodge, Standard bedroom, breakfast included.

-No park tickets, we have Fantasy annual passports

-I have shareholder discount, although the discount with the annual passport is superior.

We will land in Paris-CDG (grandpas at approx. 14:30, and us at approx. 18:00).
We have booked a car for 4, possibly may be switched for a larger one, but that would be only be useful got the return trip, as they are not going to wait 2.5 hours lying around in the airport.
At the moment, it seemed a better option than private shuttles, same cost but more freedom, but now it it worse... there is a 50 eur cancellation fee for the car rental. A 7 seater is very expensive and so, not an option.
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A simulation in the disneyland site is not worth doing, because it will not consider the discount, and I cannot get 3 nights with park tickets for only 2 days.

After all that text... the important question:
Do you think it is better to ask (not sure if that is possible, I expect that it is) to add a room to my reservation? Or to ask for a new reservation?

The truth is that we look forward to enjoying the park with them (yes, even if they are the in-laws ).
I think that, besides enjoying the ambiance, the decor (specially the Christmas one), the music ... they will have a great time watching the kids enjoying the magic

Any advice will be welcome! Thanks.
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[DLPdaft]

as an AP holder you can book up to 2 rooms for the same trip - so I'd phone Disney to see if there is still a 40% reduction available to you to do this for your in-laws.

Also, at the moment Expedia are selling the onsite hotels for winter dates without park tickets, so that may be an option for your 2nd room?

Sorry I can't advise at all regarding the transfers/hire car etc, my initial reaction would be to leave things as they are for you with the hire car, and book a shared shuttle transfer for your in-laws from CDG to their Disney hotel with rstransports, so at least they can wait for you at the hotel rather than at the airport.

 

[XaviZixxeR]

Thanks, those were the ideas we had, so that confirms they were probably the best ones.
Thanks for the tip about Expedia.

 

[XaviZixxeR]

After calling Disneylandparis.es (well, their phone), I now understand why I studied so much in my life: to face the puzzle that I just have now...

- There is no second room available in the SL.

- In the NPB, which I consider worse than SL (older rooms), we'd have a plus of 606 eur (compared to the already existing one-room-for-four booking), plus tickets (128 euros in CE-Multiavantages).

- I did not ask them to quote all hotels (ie, Santa Fe and Cheyenne) as I could not spend more time on the phone

- If we want to be together, rooms for 6 are only available in the Davy Crockett Ranch: Premium bungalow next to the pool (which is very good, we were in 2005) for a plus of just 4 euros (for the 6 of us!) in exchange for losing some of the magic (not being in the Village), not having breakfast (no big deal, cost-wise, we could buy the needful in the Val d'Europe and it we would be cheaper and better than what we had in 2005 in DCR), and having to change the car we have rented (4 seater) for a 7 seater (estimated cost, about 350 eur). Overall, less than 400 euros for the change, plus tickets (again 128 eur in CE-Multiavantages). To that we would have to subtract the shuttle back to the airport for the grandparents, 65 euro.

- Another option, with the downside of being in separate hotels, would be: keeping our room in the SL, for us, grandparents, or grandparents and children (so we take advantage of the 4 included breakfasts, and for the kids to enjoy being in the village), and, having already paid the 4-seater car, book the bungalow at the Davy Crockett Ranch for the rest. The plus would be 467 euros plus the 128 eur tickets for grandpas.

And there is the very remote possibility that someone cancels a room in the SL and we can book that one tomorrow. That would be ideal, we would pay plus of about 465 euros plus 128 for the tickets, being all together in the hotel we wanted, in the village, and breakfast included.

For the moment, considering that the cancellation (up to 16 days before) is free of charge, I kept my reservation in the SL, and I booked the Premium bungalow in the DCR.

Tonight my in-laws are visiting and we'll discuss the options


* Sorry, as my poor English might be even worse this time, as I google-translated the original text, and corrected it afterwards (quick and dirty).