Booking a resort/ticket package for family when one person has an AP

[jrsharp21]

I am putting together our September trip to WDW for my daughter's 21st birthday. I want to book the resort and ticket package online. I have an AP so I only need to purchase tickets for my wife, daughter, and son. I noticed that I can't enter that I want to book the room for 4 people but only need 3 tickets. If I only book the reservation for 3 people and put my wife, daughter and son down as the three people, how can I connect the reservation also to my profile? Sorry if I confused anyone. LOL.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would book room-only (keep checking back for AP discounts) and then purchase the three tickets they need separately. You can then link everything - room and tickets - to your MDE (linking their tickets to their profiles). If you book a room/ticket package, you would have to purchase another ticket for yourself as part of that package.

Edited to add: You could book the package and only put the three people on and then add yourself at check-in, but that could potentially mess up DME if you are all flying in together as you would not be eligible for DME until you are on the reservation.

If you buy the tickets separately, you can even look to see if you can get a discount on tickets through a third-party broker like Undercover Tourist.

 

[tjmw2727]

When you book a package its required that everyone have the same exact entitlements, so you really can't book a package unless you add a ticket for yourself. Is there a reason you want a package?

Personally I prefer room only with tickets added separately for many reasons one of which is that my older dd and I have AP's! I also like the smaller deposit requirement and greater flexibility that a room only offers. You may also end up being able to get a seasonal or AP rate on a room only. Adding tickets is easy, just purchase what you need individually for each person through Disney or even a discounter and add them to your MDE account. (I like undercover tourist)

HTH

 

[CarolynFH]

If you want a package because it includes the dining plan, you can book a “ticketless package” - but I think you have to call for that. You would then buy your family’s tickets separately, as previous posters have said.

 

[jrsharp21]

I was booking a package so that I could make payments on it through the next 7 months. But it looks like that may not be an option.

 

[dansdad]

I was booking a package so that I could make payments on it through the next 7 months. But it looks like that may not be an option.

You can make payments along the way on a room only. I do it every trip. Just takes a phone call, either a live CM or through the automated prompts.

 

[CarolynFH]

You can make payments along the way on a room only. I do it every trip. Just takes a phone call, either a live CM or through the automated prompts.

And you can buy the tickets one at a time along the way - as long as all are bought and linked by FP-making time !

 

[Marionnette]

The only drawback of buying tickets along the way (vs a package) is that they are non-refundable if you cancel. Whereas with a package, if you have to cancel then the tickets are also canceled/refunded.

 

[jagafen]

I would book room-only (keep checking back for AP discounts) and then purchase the three tickets they need separately. You can then link everything - room and tickets - to your MDE (linking their tickets to their profiles). If you book a room/ticket package, you would have to purchase another ticket for yourself as part of that package.

Edited to add: You could book the package and only put the three people on and then add yourself at check-in, but that could potentially mess up DME if you are all flying in together as you would not be eligible for DME until you are on the reservation.

If you buy the tickets separately, you can even look to see if you can get a discount on tickets through a third-party broker like Undercover Tourist.

This is what we did (booked room only) and then got tix from Undercover Tourist (and saved about $100 off the Disney's price).

The only drawback of buying tickets along the way (vs a package) is that they are non-refundable if you cancel. Whereas with a package, if you have to cancel then the tickets are also canceled/refunded.

The tix from Undercover tourist ARE refundable as long as you get the cards mailed to you. The emailed tix are not refundable. I believe the cards are refundable as long as they are not activated, but check with them if that's the route you go. Also, ticket prices went up recently, and UT still has tix from the old pricing levels.

 

[Marionnette]

The tix from Undercover tourist ARE refundable as long as you get the cards mailed to you. The emailed tix are not refundable. I believe the cards are refundable as long as they are not activated, but check with them if that's the route you go. Also, ticket prices went up recently, and UT still has tix from the old pricing levels.

Refundable minus a restocking fee. And you have only 90 days from date of purchase to apply for the refund.

Refund
MAILED TICKET: 90-Day Return Policy - 95% of the item(s) order amount will be refunded back to you. Yup, we are friendly frogs. The 5% fee will cover the delivery, handling and the processing fees associated with accepting payment and fulfilling the order. Tickets must have been purchased within the last 90 days and not gone past the start date selected. They cannot have been modified by Disney Guest Services or through My Disney Experience or been activated by entering the park. Expired tickets, or any ticket not currently sold on this site are non-refundable. Please contact our customer service team so we can give you instructions to make the process run smoothly.

 

[Moliphino]

The only drawback of buying tickets along the way (vs a package) is that they are non-refundable if you cancel. Whereas with a package, if you have to cancel then the tickets are also canceled/refunded.

You can use the value of the tickets for a future ticket purchase, though, right?

 

[Marionnette]

You can use the value of the tickets for a future ticket purchase, though, right?

Yes. Your tickets are not worthless. But you would be tying up hundreds of dollars in tickets, rather than having the money back in your pocket. It’s a personal decision. Not everyone sees that as a negative but it’s something that should be mentioned when weighing packages vs. room-only reservations.

 

[CarolynFH]

I was booking a package so that I could make payments on it through the next 7 months. But it looks like that may not be an option.

Based on the other comments above, what you could do is keep the package but use your AP when you’re there, then keep track of the number of the package ticket that was assigned to you so you can apply its value to the cost of your AP renewal or to a ticket for a later trip. Just make sure that before you enter a park at the start of this trip you go to Guest Relations and have then prioritize your AP to be used instead of the package ticket.