DVC & Grand Gatherings?

[BellaBuggy]

We are DVC members and planning a trip for a large amount of family. Can we still qualify for a 'grand gathering', or is that not applicable for DVC members?

Thanks!

 

[BellaBuggy]

n/m

 

[BeccaG]

Yes you can get a GG # with DVC, I did for my family even though now I don't know if we will be doing any of the special events!! LOL Oh well! I think you can even get the number from MS (I did not since we are staying at another hotel for the first night) although I am not sure! Have fun on your family trip!

 

[wildernessDad]

See below. Let me know how this works out for you. It's been working for others.

How DVC Members Can Set Up Grand Gatherings (GG's)

Hi, all! I thought that I'd post a procedure, that I basically discovered by trial and error (mostly error), on how DVC members can set up grand gatherings. I will list it as steps.

1. Think about who you want to invite and what DVC resort you want to stay in. I will assume in this procedure that your party will all be staying at your home resort. I assume this because that was the case for me. If you have a different plan, please post here with how my procedure should change.

2. Assuming that you are the 'group leader,' make sure that you get all of the names AND addresses of everybody in your party AND also get their ages. Disney needs their ages so they can put in whom in the party can officially check in. Nobody under age may do so.

3. Plan out what GG special products (GG events), if any, your group wants to experience. This step can be quite significant if you are informing others about these events. You may be dealing with people who have never been to WDW before or have not been there 'like this.' So, you may have to do a lot of explaining to them on what it's all about. You are the expert! They are not! Tell them what it's all about!

4. AS SOON AS YOU CAN, call DVC Member services (DVCMS) at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx to make your room reservations AND tell them
that you have a GG. Give DVCMS all of the information about your party. DVCMS will then contact the GG folks and inform them of the upcoming GG. DVCMS will get a magical gathering (MG) number back to you in a few days. It was only a day wait for me. Remember that number. It will be very important.

5. Call the GG people at 1-407-939-7526 to make reservations for your GG 'events' using your MG number. The Safari Celebration dinner, the International Dinner and Fireworks show, and the Good Morning Gathering can be placed on the dining plan (DP). If the DP is not available yet for when you are going, my recommendation is to call the GG people and make the reservation BEFORE the DP becomes available. If the DP IS available when you want to make the GG event ressies, then skip this step ONLY for all ressys for which you want to use the dining plan and see step 7 below.

6. After the DP becomes available, and assuming that you want to use the DP, call DVCMS to add the DP and also to tell them that you will be placing one or more GG events under the DP. At that time, DVCMS will call the GG people and transfer you over to them. They will have to rebook the ressy, if you had one, under a new number and cancel the original ressie. If you had to go to step 6, then the original ressy was a placeholder until you could get the ressie with the meal plan. If by now you are wondering if this is all a big runaround, then my answer is yes. The GG people, like the Disney dining people, do not have access to the DVC room reservation numbers, which makes all of his a necessity.

7. Now that you are done, sit back, relax, and let Disney magic take you where you need to be.

 

[Tink-aholic]

Thanks, wildernessDad for putting that together! I am just beginning the process of scheduling for a Grand Gathering at DVC. I have told everyone they need to let me know by the end of August if they will be going, but I am going to attempt to reserve the rooms tomorrow. Do I need everyone's info at the time of the reservation, or can I do the GG stuff later? If I do have to hand it over now, can I change it later?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

 

[Debby7]

We are planning to book a GG for next July later this month. I too would like to know about having to have everyone's address when I book.

 

[BeccaG]

From my experience yes! you absolutely need all the personal data (age, addresses, and phone numbers) when you book the rooms at DVC or any resort. Our family is headed for a GG this upcoming Christmas. We are staying at the Pop-Century the night we fly in from California and then the rest of our stay is at Saratoga Springs. I made all the calling and booking for the Pop rooms in addition to DVC just to simplify everything. Both times, when I called to book the Pop rooms and DVC I needed the addresses, phone numbers, and ages of children. Since I originally booked I needed to make changes and that was no problem, I just called MS and did so.