DVC reservation with DDP -- adding guest after check-in

[robinb]

I have a DVC reservation for January. In the past the DDP has not worked out for us, but I have been re-thinking it with the addition of alcohol. We usually have a beer with lunch and wine with dinner. My daughter is in college and on her own schedule now. Last year she joined us for a few days but not the whole week and I expect her to do the same this year since she'll want to spend time with friends. She is not currently on our reservation and we will be renting a car so she won't need DME. We will not be over the limit on the room.

Would I be able to book the DDP for my husband and me but add her to the reservation when she arrives? If I add her to the reservation in advance and pay for meals she won't be around to eat any savings I might have goes right out the window. We would just pay OOP for her meals.

Would that work? If not, we'll just stick with paying OOP for all of us and taking advantage of DVC/AP/Visa card discounts.

(Cross-posted on the DDP board)

 

[bumbershoot]

In the past it’s been possible. More recently it’s been weirder.

I was able to add two guests to our room in February, and they got cards and no one said they were limited in any way. But we weren’t on the dining plan.

I personally would probably do it. They don’t have a way to charge the dining plan at the desk, so I would assume they literally can’t make a change that would cause you problems.

 

[disneynutz]

Policy is that all on the reservation must be on the dining plan. Wouldn't it be easier to add her to the reservation, you use the DDP credits on the days that she won't be there and she use the credits on the days that she is there? You could do a couple of signature restaurants that way.

Bill

 

[Dean]

I have a DVC reservation for January. In the past the DDP has not worked out for us, but I have been re-thinking it with the addition of alcohol. We usually have a beer with lunch and wine with dinner. My daughter is in college and on her own schedule now. Last year she joined us for a few days but not the whole week and I expect her to do the same this year since she'll want to spend time with friends. She is not currently on our reservation and we will be renting a car so she won't need DME. We will not be over the limit on the room.

Would I be able to book the DDP for my husband and me but add her to the reservation when she arrives? If I add her to the reservation in advance and pay for meals she won't be around to eat any savings I might have goes right out the window. We would just pay OOP for her meals.

Would that work? If not, we'll just stick with paying OOP for all of us and taking advantage of DVC/AP/Visa card discounts.

(Cross-posted on the DDP board)

Our last 2 trips we were unable to add people that we were not sure were going to go until they got there. It seems now they have to actually cancel and rebook the reservation to do so which is risky. If you truly don't know if/when she'll be there, I'd just wait and let the FD know, they can put a note on the account but no FP and no room key. If you do know and are just trying to avoid the charges for when she isn't there, I wouldn't think that right or honest.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

Our last 2 trips we were unable to add people that we were not sure were going to go until they got there. It seems now they have to actually cancel and rebook the reservation to do so which is risky. If you truly don't know if/when she'll be there, I'd just wait and let the FD know, they can put a note on the account but no FP and no room key. If you do know and are just trying to avoid the charges for when she isn't there, I wouldn't think that right or honest.

Dining plan aside, I have almost always added my son to the reservation (hoping he will join us) - sometimes he is there for a few days; sometimes he is not. Room occupancy is never an issue. We have a 2 bed with 6 max. What issues are you seeing?

 

[Dean]

Dining plan aside, I have almost always added my son to the reservation (hoping he will join us) - sometimes he is there for a few days; sometimes he is not. Room occupancy is never an issue. We have a 2 bed with 6 max. What issues are you seeing?

There was a change about 2 years ago but in this situation you can't separate out the DP issue unless they decide not to get it.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

There was a change about 2 years ago but in this situation you can't separate out the DP issue unless they decide not to get it.

Hmmm - we did not add him to our trip last year (and it was a rare DDP trip). I guess it has been just over 2 years. I have an upcoming trip and he is added as a guest. Should I remove him now before FP day Are you thinking they will cancel my reservation of I call them to say he isn't coming? That would be a crazy situation to lose a reservation for everybody else and all the add-ons that have been booked (Golf, HDR, MNSSHP - he is not booked for nay of these but everyone else is)

 

[Dean]

Hmmm - we did not add him to our trip last year (and it was a rare DDP trip). I guess it has been just over 2 years. I have an upcoming trip and he is added as a guest. Should I remove him now before FP day Are you thinking they will cancel my reservation of I call them to say he isn't coming? That would be a crazy situation to lose a reservation for everybody else and all the add-ons that have been booked (Golf, HDR, MNSSHP - he is not booked for nay of these but everyone else is)

No need without the DP or if you will use the credits, it's adding that's the issue unless you end up paying DP for someone not there.

 

[supersnoop]

They don’t have a way to charge the dining plan at the desk, so I would assume they literally can’t make a change that would cause you problems.

I’ve witnessed someone adding the dining plan as they checked in at the front desk. I know it doesn’t comply with policy (adding 48 or 72 hours in advance), but somehow it can be done.

 

[n2mm]

Adding without the ddp is doable. If you have the ddp, you will not be able to add. I went through this last year. My grandson & GF came down for a couple of days. We had the ddp and was told no at the front desk. I call members services and they called the resort manager and was again told no. If I did not have the ddp it was not a problem, but with the ddp it couldn’t happen, I was at the bcv so needed access to SAB. I was even denied a day pass. So we hung out at the villa pool and grandson used our Magicbands. I was only 2 in a studio so we had the room to add them.

 

[Sandisw]

We are faced with the same situation for my upcoming August trip. I am bringing family that have never been and we are doing the QS plan this time (for a variety of reasons). My DD25 may only join us for two or three of the days. We are adding her for the entire time and will just use the dining credits that she doesn't when she isn't there. Figure it gives the rest of the group a few extra meals to split when we are there. I thought about waiting and seeing what would happen, but as mentioned, I don't want it to mess things up so its worth spending the extra upfront.