Booked at Hotels.com--How do I book DME?

[lilpooh108]

I posted this in the Transportation board but got no answer

Hopefully someone can answer my question

I paid for a room at All Stars Music through hotels.com.

How do I go about requesting DME from Disney if I booked through a third-party website?

Also, can I book a dining package if my reservation is booked through a third-party website (I do not need tickets).

I didn't see a separate Disney confirmation # on my confirmation page.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[TDC Nala]

Call Hotels.com and ask how you would add Magical Express to your reservation. I did it through Expedia once. I believe Disney will not deal with you, because technically the reservation does not belong to you - the broker is the holder of the reservation. I know you can call DME directly, so you can try that, but I don't know if you can do it without a Disney confirmation number.

Unfortunately, if you purchase a room reservation through a third party broker, you are not eligible for a dining plan.

 

[lilpooh108]

Call Hotels.com and ask how you would add Magical Express to your reservation. I did it through Expedia once. I believe Disney will not deal with you, because technically the reservation does not belong to you - the broker is the holder of the reservation. I know you can call DME directly, so you can try that, but I don't know if you can do it without a Disney confirmation number.

Unfortunately, if you purchase a room reservation through a third party broker, you are not eligible for a dining plan.

Thanks for your response!

When you booked with Expedia, did Expedia provide you with a Disney Confirmation number? Did they book DME for you or did you call DME yourself?

My hotels.com reservation is fully cancellable, so I might book with Expedia if they provide a Disney Conf without me jumping through hoops.

I'm on hold w/Hotels.com and they just don't have a Disney Conf and keep telling me to call Disney, etc.

Thanks again.

 

[cwt580]

Also you can't get dining plan w/o reservation PKG W/ TIX. at least 1day tix.


Room only reservations are in different system then pkgs. U must cancel room only and rebook as pkg

 

[TDC Nala]

Expedia will also not qualify you for a dining plan. If you want a dining plan, cancel the room reservation and book a package through Disney, but unless you have an annual pass or are eligible for the military room discount you would still have to purchase at least 1 day tickets as part of the package. I don't remember how I actually did Expedia. Just that I called them. And the DME did get added.

Call DME directly. I don't have the number. If you google it you may find it.

You can try calling Disney. Usually they will not work with anyone but the booking entity.

 

[MMS1125]

ignore I somehow missed the poster above me and just repeated pretty much everything they said

can a mod delete please?

 

[bumbershoot]

From the hotels.com page about the resort:

Guests must pre-book Disney's Magical Express, a complimentary transfer from the Orlando airport to the hotel. Visit www.disneysmagicalexpress.com/USA for registration.

But you can't add Dining onto a room-only. And the only way to get Dining without tickets (without it being a DVC points reservation, that is) is if you book an AP Dining package (which doesn't seem like you're booking a package but you are).

So if Dining is what you want and if you have an AP, call Disney and get that booked. If you don't have an AP, though, you'll either need to book a package and just hold on to the tickets for the future, OR give up Dining.

 

[HeartMickeyMouse]

I booked with hotels.com and booked dme with this website, https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/reservations/dme/index?bhcp=1. I put in my hotels.com reservation number. It worked fine, I also later called and confirmed with dme, and they then gave me the disney reservation number that allows me to check in online.

 

[shaynar]

Afaik, hotels.com is no cheaper than the rate you'll get directly from disney. It might say (picking arbitrary numbers) $250 per night and special rate of $120. However the $250 is the price of high season. If you went on the disney website you'd find the rate for $120 and you wouldn't have to deal with a third party.

Have you already purchased your park tickets? Depending on what time of the year you go you may be able to find a dining promotion that will work for you.

 

[MFfan310]

Our forthcoming WDW trip was booked through Delta Vacations. DME was automatically added to the flight and hotel reservation, and the passes came in the mail a few weeks ago. Expedia did it the same way as well on our last trip, but we booked flight and hotel together then as well.

Oh, and some third-party sites like Delta Vacations do offer the Disney Dining Plan, but I know that Expedia doesn't, nor does Priceline or Orbitz.

Hope that helps!

 

[bumbershoot]

Afaik, hotels.com is no cheaper than the rate you'll get directly from disney.

FWIW, sometimes it's nice to get the perks of those sites for other reasons. We use hotels.com a LOT to get their WelcomeRewards, and we get rewards through a different site clicked through as well (they allow double-dipping). hotels.com is a pretty good site to book through (though I haven't yet for an actual Disney hotel), especially if you're like us and have no loyalty to one hotel brand, but still want some "frequent stayer" perks.

(using them so often is how I knew to scroll ALL the way down to where they keep info like parking fees (not WDW of course), resort fees (again, not Disney), and things like how to book DME.)

 

[TDC Nala]

Oh, and some third-party sites like Delta Vacations do offer the Disney Dining Plan

Some of the airlines or other travel companies, when they offer "travel packages," are basically acting as a travel agent and they book directly through Disney and can do a pacakge with dining. But if you are dealing with a broker that prepurchases blocks of rooms and then resells them, that can't be made into a package.