Big Mess, how to make this all work...

[mouselovenfamily]

Wow...where to start. I have been planning since January, we did our GAD activity, got up at 5 am on our 180 to get the exact dining reservation we wanted, worked with 4 families to get everyone on the same page at the right parks on EMH days, etc.. .and then yesterday my sons basketball coach says try outs are the week we are to be at Disney

The groups are: Group 1: my DH, DS13, DD17 and myself at CSR. Group 2: is my parents, their first trip staying at BW. . Group 3 is: my sisters family staying at POFQ and our friends joining us mid trip staying at CSR.

I had checked in May and try outs were to be the first couple weeks of November. Now they are pushed back to Oct 25-27th. We are to be in WDW from Oct 22-Nov 1. So my daughter and I think we will go ahead and go down as scheduled. My DS and DH will join us later in the week.

So now the hard part. Should DD and I stay with my parents for the first part of the trip? If we do a split stay do we have to re-purchase our tickets all over again or do we still get the price break if we change resorts? ( after the first 4 days you get the price break) Is there a better way to do this that I'm not seeing since my head is spinning?

This is unbelievable! I have even checked with the principal to make sure try outs won't be moved or adjusted. They won't. So we have to get the next best plan rolling. Any ideas are appreciated!

 

[ancestry]

Sorry this is happening to you guys. I'm not sure what to suggest that would work for your family.

If it was me, my son would be missing try-outs as family time ALWAYS comes first in our household. We try to arrange our schedules to accommodate everyone's activities but when something unforeseen happens, as did to you, the family togetherness takes priority.

I hope you can work something out that works for you.

 

[mouselovenfamily]

Sorry this is happening to you guys. I'm not sure what to suggest that would work for your family.

If it was me, my son would be missing try-outs as family time ALWAYS comes first in our household. We try to arrange our schedules to accommodate everyone's activities but when something unforeseen happens, as did to you, the family togetherness takes priority.

I hope you can work something out that works for you.

Thanks for your help. Him not trying out is not a option. We would totally cancel and go another time before we would not allow him to try out. This will effect his entire high school career of bball and it's way too important. We totally support him are proud of him choosing to stay for try outs.

We go to WDW every year if not every other so it's not like this is our first trip. That helps. NOW, if he doesn't make the team, my DD will hold the coach down for me!!! Totally joaking but hopefully he has an excellent shot!

It will all work out, I just haven't figured that part out yet

 

[Kathy Z]

So now the hard part. Should DD and I stay with my parents for the first part of the trip? If we do a split stay do we have to re-purchase our tickets all over again or do we still get the price break if we change resorts? ( after the first 4 days you get the price break) Is there a better way to do this that I'm not seeing since my head is spinning?
QUOTE]

The following link is from the top of each Disboards forum page when you click on "tickets" http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/ticket-descriptions.htm As you will read on it, tickets expire 14 days after first use unless no expiration option is purchased.

People do split stays all the time and are able to make use of the savings of a single multi-day ticket. The question would be whether you just let your DH's and DS's extra days go to waste or if you want to purchase the no expiration option (it's pretty pricey.) If you have not already purchased the tickets you could just buy their tickets for the number of days they will be there. But you sound like a planner who would have purchased tickets prior to the price hike the beginning of this month.

The other major question would be whether CRS would be willing to let you book just part of your stay there. Essentially you are changing your reservation with them and it may require a cancellation and rebooking. I'm not sure of that.

There would be an extra charge for you to be in your parent's room because you are an additional adult. Since your daughter is 17 she just makes it under the children category as far as room occupancy is concerned.

Are you on any kind of dining plan or will you be paying OOP?

Good luck in figuring it all out. I hope that your son makes the team. It sounds like it is very important to him.

 

[vicki_c]

I'm confused by your post. There is no price break on tickets connected to your resort stay. All Disney tickets get cheaper for adding days as you go on, with the biggest break coming around day 4.* If that's what you mean, it has no relation to your resort stay - that is true whether you buy tix w/your package, separately from Disney, or separately from a 3rd party reseller.

I would reduce whatever tickets you have in your family's package to the # of days that your DH and DS will need. Then after you arrive, you and DD can upgrade your tickets to add how ever many additional days you need to cover the whole trip.

*1 day ticket = $82 w/o tax
2 day ticket = add $81
3 day ticket = add another $62
4 day ticket = add another $8
5-10 day ticket = add another $5 for each additional day

 

[mouselovenfamily]

The other major question would be whether CRS would be willing to let you book just part of your stay there. Essentially you are changing your reservation with them and it may require a cancellation and rebooking. I'm not sure of that.

There would be an extra charge for you to be in your parent's room because you are an additional adult. Since your daughter is 17 she just makes it under the children category as far as room occupancy is concerned.

Are you on any kind of dining plan or will you be paying OOP?

Good luck in figuring it all out. I hope that your son makes the team. It sounds like it is very important to him.

I can just downgrade my CSR to the shorter time. I will have to check on the age of my DD. That could help!! We are on the dining plan, and we will keep that. For us it pays off in the end.

I hope he make's the team too!

I'm confused by your post.

I would reduce whatever tickets you have in your family's package to the # of days that your DH and DS will need. Then after you arrive, you and DD can upgrade your tickets to add how ever many additional days you need to cover the whole trip.

That's exactly what I needed to know how to do. We've always just had a length of stay pass so the upgrade is perfect! Thanks so much!!!!!

 

[stephgles]

Is there any way you can speak to the principal again since he stated that they will not be moved and see if there is a way your son can try out prior to the trip?

 

[mouselovenfamily]

Is there any way you can speak to the principal again since he stated that they will not be moved and see if there is a way your son can try out prior to the trip?

I WISH!!! They need to see the guys all at the same time to see how they work together as a unit...which makes sense, however, the coach pretty much knows theses kids abilities too.

It's just heartbreaking for me. But, I see both sides of the coin. It's completely unfair to kids who are there trying out and then my son is not there and some how makes the team...in our district heads would roll. There isn't even any guarantee my son will make it at all.

I offered my husband who played collage bball on a full ride to come up and help with try outs if they would hold them a week earlier

We will speak with the coach one more time this week before we change everything

 

[PKWallaby]

If I am following you correctly, your are thinking of modifying your CSR reservation for just the number of days your DS and DH will join you...and you and DD would stay with your parents at BW for the beginning of the trip?

If that is your plan, and you intend on adding the DP, just be careful since you will be required to pay DP for the entire length of the reservation. Meaning, if you and DD only stay with your parents the first 3(4?) nights of the trip, you will still be charged dining for the remaining days (even if you then stay at CSR with your DS and DH). It may make sense to drop dining from the CSR reservation and pay OOP for your DH and DS for the meals they are able to make. Unless you are getting free dining, then I guess it would not matter (but I assume would will have to switch the CSR reservation to just the required 2 day base tix for DD and yourself since you would have Tix remaining from the BW reservation).

Sorry if I am confusing you...I see where this is becoming a dilemma. BTW, as far as whole the forgoing try-outs for the family vacation, I completely understand. I know every family handles things differently (neither one being more "right" than the other) but we nearly had the same problem last year with my DS and hockey try-outs. We also had a trip planned and there was a chance the league was going to hold try-outs the week we would have been gone (which of course happened after airfare was booked!). The policy with our association is that if a skater misses try-outs (lacking a signed medical excuse) he/she is placed on the lowest level team for your age group. Rather than force my son to go to WDW, my DH would have stayed home (actually would not have had to twist his arm either ) in order for our son to make the try-outs. Like you, we know we are going again and it would have been tough on him to not be on a team with so many of his friends. Fortunately the HS team needed the ice for their try-outs that week and we were able to work it out without a problem.

How did this get so long? Sorry...this is about YOUR problem, not me

 

[DCDisney]

You would need to switch the stay with your DH and DS to a room only stay because otherwise you and your daughter would have to purchase 1 day tickets at $80 each. Since you will have already used your tickets there would be no other way to make a package work. Since you probably have free dining already though...hmmmm? To get free dining on the later stay they would have to be checked in by Oct 28 since thats the last day before blackout. The best thing you could do would just be to stay with your parents the whole time financially. If finances aren't primary you could just stay at CSR like you planned and decrease park tix to the number of days of DH and addon for you and DD once you get there. If you are getting free dining you'd have lots of extra credits to use which might be fun if you could get ADRs to use them...

 

[mouselovenfamily]

If I am following you correctly, your are thinking of modifying your CSR reservation for just the number of days your DS and DH will join you...and you and DD would stay with your parents at BW for the beginning of the trip?

If that is your plan, and you intend on adding the DP, just be careful since you will be required to pay DP for the entire length of the reservation. Meaning, if you and DD only stay with your parents the first 3(4?) nights of the trip, you will still be charged dining for the remaining days (even if you then stay at CSR with your DS and DH). It may make sense to drop dining from the CSR reservation and pay OOP for your DH and DS for the meals they are able to make. Unless you are getting free dining, then I guess it would not matter (but I assume would will have to switch the CSR reservation to just the required 2 day base tix for DD and yourself since you would have Tix remaining from the BW reservation).

Sorry if I am confusing you...I see where this is becoming a dilemma. BTW, as far as whole the forgoing try-outs for the family vacation, I completely understand. I know every family handles things differently (neither one being more "right" than the other) but we nearly had the same problem last year with my DS and hockey try-outs. We also had a trip planned and there was a chance the league was going to hold try-outs the week we would have been gone (which of course happened after airfare was booked!). The policy with our association is that if a skater misses try-outs (lacking a signed medical excuse) he/she is placed on the lowest level team for your age group. Rather than force my son to go to WDW, my DH would have stayed home (actually would not have had to twist his arm either ) in order for our son to make the try-outs. Like you, we know we are going again and it would have been tough on him to not be on a team with so many of his friends. Fortunately the HS team needed the ice for their try-outs that week and we were able to work it out without a problem.

How did this get so long? Sorry...this is about YOUR problem, not me

My parents would do a split stay the BW. First with a party of 4 and the second with party of two.

You would need to switch the stay with your DH and DS to a room only stay because otherwise you and your daughter would have to purchase 1 day tickets at $80 each. Since you will have already used your tickets there would be no other way to make a package work. Since you probably have free dining already though...hmmmm? To get free dining on the later stay they would have to be checked in by Oct 28 since thats the last day before blackout. The best thing you could do would just be to stay with your parents the whole time financially. If finances aren't primary you could just stay at CSR like you planned and decrease park tix to the number of days of DH and addon for you and DD once you get there. If you are getting free dining you'd have lots of extra credits to use which might be fun if you could get ADRs to use them...

I called Disney and they are saying, my DD and I are required to purchase tickets for both packages. Tickets with my parents and then tickets again with my husband and son. They require at least a two day ticket to be purchased in order to get free dining. Oh my, this is crazy!!!

 

[DCDisney]

This clarifies things a lot. So to do the 2 split stays to share with your parents it would cost $160 times 4 for the tickets which shouldn't be that much different than just keeping your own room. If you keep your own room you'd also have all the extra meal credits.

 

[mouselovenfamily]

So I think theses are my options:

Do a split stay with the parents. Book two packages for them, one with four adults for 4 nights and one pkg for two adults on a 5 night pkg. I pay $25.00 upgrade fee for me in room on the first 4 nights(dd is free in room due to age) pay for tickets and DP for me and DD. Then I book a room at CSR with hubby and son for remainder of trip (5 nights) with tickets (again) and DP so we all have it.

Option 2 is:I stay put, split my say at CSR and do 4 nights of me and DD and then add 5 nights with DH and DS, still paying for tickets twice again.

I'm being told I have to book two nights tickets in order to get free dining.

Option 3 is staying with my aunt in who lives 10 minutes away, but again purchasing tickets.

I feel like there is a better way I'm not seeing when it comes to these tickets. I know you get the price break after the 4th day but somehow I keep ending up paying the first 4 days for me and DD twice...

 

[DCDisney]

You left out the option of leaving your reservation as is and just reducing your ticket days for all 4 of you to the shorter amount and then just paying to upgrade the 2 tickets that will need extra days. That way you don't have to pay twice for the most expensive ticket days.

 

[mims6219]

Wouldn't it make more sense to just keep your existing reservation but decrease the number of days on all 4 tickets to 5 days (since I believe everyone has to all have the same on a reservation) but add days to you and your daughters once you get there? I know that doesn't save you much money but it is less complicated.

Option B would be for you and your daughter to be booked with your parents the entire stay (technically as far as tickets and dining credits are concerned) and book the shorter stay for your husband and son(but of course you and your daughter would stay in that room also. I don't think Disney really cares where you sleep as long as it is paid for!)

I don't know how much option B would save since you would be paying for 4 fewer nights at CSR but paying 9 nights at $25 each on your parents reservation. Or you could keep your daughter only on your parents reservation(again technically) since she does not have to pay extra and then only you would have to pay twice for the tickets. Then if you just added days to your original ticket, you could save the new 2 day ticket for another visit

 

[snykymom]

I'm not sure I totally understand the options you have now. Let me assume that you have 2 rooms both with the dining plan.

You have several choices.
1) Keep the reservation as you have it, reduce your tickets to the number of days your H and S will be there and you and your daughter check in early. You two will have extra credits, which you also will be paying for. Or if it's free, you'll be paying for the extra nights at rack rate. Now, these expenses were already budgeted, so I'm assuming they won't break the back.

2) You reduce your second room reservation and move in with your parents.

3 (and the one that I would do)) Book a room only reservation for your and your daughter, husband and son at any of the discounts that are around now for the entire length of stay. Use the savings from the rack rate or the dining plan to pay for your meals OOP. Buy tickets at Undercover Tourist and sdave some money there as well.

That way you're not imposing on your parents, you've got your space, and you're saving money.

 

[mouselovenfamily]

You left out the option of leaving your reservation as is and just reducing your ticket days for all 4 of you to the shorter amount and then just paying to upgrade the 2 tickets that will need extra days. That way you don't have to pay twice for the most expensive ticket days.

True, it's just hard to believe that by taking two people off the package for 4 days saves less than $100.00

Wouldn't it make more sense to just keep your existing reservation but decrease the number of days on all 4 tickets to 5 days (since I believe everyone has to all have the same on a reservation) but add days to you and your daughters once you get there? I know that doesn't save you much money but it is less complicated.

Option B would be for you and your daughter to be booked with your parents the entire stay (technically as far as tickets and dining credits are concerned) and book the shorter stay for your husband and son(but of course you and your daughter would stay in that room also. I don't think Disney really cares where you sleep as long as it is paid for!)

I don't know how much option B would save since you would be paying for 4 fewer nights at CSR but paying 9 nights at $25 each on your parents reservation. Or you could keep your daughter only on your parents reservation(again technically) since she does not have to pay extra and then only you would have to pay twice for the tickets. Then if you just added days to your original ticket, you could save the new 2 day ticket for another visit

My parents are not on free dining, they have a 40% off code so if we stay with them we are paying dining the entire time plus $25.00 for me. So that's still about $1600 for me and dd in room with parents (tickets for 9 days $325.00x2=650 DP $42.00x2x9=756.00 Me in room $25.00x9=225)

 

[Disneymama5816]

Wow, took me a little while to wrap my head around this, but I think I understand it now. I know it seems a little strange that by subtracting your DS and DH, you are only getting about $100 back (although I didn't do the math). As others have stated, the first 3 days on a ticket are the most expensive, and with the DP being free, you are not getting much for the cancellation. By getting rid of the CSR for the first few days, you are essentially getting credit for about $170 per night (average) or $680, but the cost of buying the two sets of tickets are gonna eat into that a great deal. I think by just deleting the amount of days on the tickets (then adding them back for you and your daughter) might be the best way to go. Something that I don't think anyone has addressed yet though...when you check in, the CMs usually want to make sure everyone in the room is on property, especially during free dining. This might throw a wrench into this whole situation when you and your DD check in and the other two do not. I have never experienced this, nor have I had clients do this with free dining. Just another thing to keep in the mix. Good Luck.

 

[robinb]

How many days will you be with your parents? If you are there 3 days or less you can pick up your own tickets from your CSR free dining reservation in advance from an Guest Services location at the parks or at DTD. It sounds like your parents have a room-only code and plan on buying tickets at the gate/concierge anyway. Keep your reservation for the number of days that your DH and DS will be there and then you can upgrade your tickets to add the number of extra days you need.

Your other option is to purchase the minimum 2-day base passes for your family and then save the 2-days for you and DD for a later time. Once your DH and DS arrive you can upgrade them to the number of days they need.

Check out the ticket FAQ here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1452684

 

[mouselovenfamily]

How many days will you be with your parents? If you are there 3 days or less you can pick up your own tickets from your CSR free dining reservation in advance from an Guest Services location at the parks or at DTD. It sounds like your parents have a room-only code and plan on buying tickets at the gate/concierge anyway. Keep your reservation for the number of days that your DH and DS will be there and then you can upgrade your tickets to add the number of extra days you need.

Your other option is to purchase the minimum 2-day base passes for your family and then save the 2-days for you and DD for a later time. Once your DH and DS arrive you can upgrade them to the number of days they need.

Check out the ticket FAQ here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1452684

We would be with my parents 4 nights. They have a package with dining and 8 days of tickets.

Right now it seems like keeping our package is the best option and just using the extra dining. That seems hard to believe! we are there from the 22nd-1st so it's 10 nights total.