Dance the World with DVC membership?

[amybethchristiansen]

Hi--just throwing this out there in case anyone knows. My daughter's dance troop is going to be going to the Dance the World program. Is there anyway to utilize our DVC membership with this or do I have to book the whole package through them? I'd hate to have to stay in a non DVC resort!

 

[mdinme]

Sounds like you need the sports package, we are on it with my daughters HS softball team. You can still get DVC discounts while youre there...our group was offered two choices: POP or CBR...

 

[erionm]

You would need to contact the organizer to see if they will allow you to book your accommodations separately.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Most won't, FWIW.

 

[mousestruck]

My daughter participated in Dance the World last year, so we encountered the same issue. In a nutshell, you have to purchase their package to participate. If you contact the agency and tell them you have an annual pass (even if you don't), they will deduct a nominal amount from the package price. The tickets they provide are discounted significantly, so if you don't have an AP and are not planning to upgrade it may be worthwhile to purchase tickets through them. Just be aware that you cannot upgrade these tickets.

I purchased the smallest package possible through Dance the World - just three nights for me and my daughter, though I was able to purchase 8 day park hoppers even though we had a 3 night stay. They understand that some families want to extend their trips with different accommodations. Then I booked the rest of my vacation through DVC. (We stayed the night before at AKV and five nights after at the Poly.)

I did not include my husband or son in the Dance the World package. I bought their tickets separately and they got magic bands because of our DVC reservation. I could not add their names to our POP room for the three nights, but I explained the situation at the front desk and there was no problem. They added them as "day guests."

Dance the World was a fantastic experience! Seeing DD dance down Main Street was priceless. I hope you have a great trip!!!

 

[amybethchristiansen]

Thanks for all of your responses. That is kind of what I figured. Mousestruck--this specifically answers my followup. They allowed you to purchase the three night stay with eight day park hoppers? This is pretty much exactly what I would want to do, only with 10 day hoppers if possible. How much did they charge you extra for the tickets? When your husband and son were not on the Dance the World Package, were they able to watch the extra performance? Our parade is in Epcot as is their performance. I know they will be able to watch the parade. Will they be able to watch whatever showcase dance there is? Just curious how this is all going to work. I am fine with doing their package for the three nights, but want to add on a week afterwards. I didn't want to try to upgrade the tickets at the park because I'm sure they are discounted tickets as someone else mentioned. Thanks everyone!

 

[mousestruck]

Thanks for all of your responses. That is kind of what I figured. Mousestruck--this specifically answers my followup. They allowed you to purchase the three night stay with eight day park hoppers? This is pretty much exactly what I would want to do, only with 10 day hoppers if possible. How much did they charge you extra for the tickets? When your husband and son were not on the Dance the World Package, were they able to watch the extra performance? Our parade is in Epcot as is their performance. I know they will be able to watch the parade. Will they be able to watch whatever showcase dance there is? Just curious how this is all going to work. I am fine with doing their package for the three nights, but want to add on a week afterwards. I didn't want to try to upgrade the tickets at the park because I'm sure they are discounted tickets as someone else mentioned. Thanks everyone!

Let me try to answer your questions:

1. Yes, they allowed me to add several days to my ticket even though I only booked a three-night package. I recall the price per day being more than I expected, but it still worked out better for me to get the tickets through them. I don't remember the exact amount.(They give you a very small credit if you don't purchase tickets through them.) The people there were very nice. Just call and ask how much it would cost to add the days. Remember that you cannot upgrade these tickets at the park, so be sure to do it with the package!

2. There was no problem with my husband and son watching the Epcot showcase performance. I called to ask about this and they would not give me a guarantee, but assured me that they try to accommodate everyone and never had to turn anyone anyway. There were plenty of extra seats. So don't worry about that!

3. Also, I was able to purchase additional gala tickets for my son and husband so they could attend with us. I was told they were available if space allowed. I believe I purchased them when I made my final payment. Again, no problem!

All in all, Dance the World cost us significantly more than our typical Disney trips (with DVC) and made for some challenging, complex planning - but it was worth it. I have to say it was organized very well and made for a memorable trip my daughter will always treasure. I'm glad that you can benefit from what I learned along the way! Please let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[amybethchristiansen]

Thanks! Called the company today and they are getting back to me about the added cost. They said the maximum is 8 day hoppers. I'll still take it. To us, 3 days is just a complete waste of time by the time you pay for airfare. I'm glad to hear the husband can watch performance if he isn't on package. They told us at our meeting something like $100. I found that hard to believe, but still, you never know! I'm afraid of the "significantly more", but it is rather a once in a lifetime sort of gig!

 

[mousestruck]

Thanks! Called the company today and they are getting back to me about the added cost. They said the maximum is 8 day hoppers. I'll still take it. To us, 3 days is just a complete waste of time by the time you pay for airfare. I'm glad to hear the husband can watch performance if he isn't on package. They told us at our meeting something like $100. I found that hard to believe, but still, you never know! I'm afraid of the "significantly more", but it is rather a once in a lifetime sort of gig!

If an 8-day hopper is not enough, ask how much the package would be without any tickets. (You may want to tell them you usually buy an annual pass.) Then you can decide if the 8-day PH works better or you'd rather purchase a 10-day or Gold AP yourself.

$100 for your husband to watch the Epcot performance? That may be a new fee. We did not pay anything for that. They seemed to understand that families had grandparents and other guests who would not be purchasing the package and would like to see the performance. I believe we paid about $75 per person for extra gala tickets.

Good luck sorting it all out - and enjoy! It really was a once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing. (Though my daughter's dance school is already planning a return, so we may have to go through this one more time before she graduates!)