Extra adult in room. How does WDW know?

[pjynx]

Ok where's my flameproof suit? I'm not trying to cheat WDW out of it's rental fees, but here's the thing....

BIL/SIL & kids are getting a FW cabin for 10 days. We're looking at WL for the same 10 days. We're looking at that because the cost is so much cheaper. MIL is also going and since we only have 1 child and BIL/SIL have 2 kids, we agreed that MIL could stay in our room. BIL/SIL offered to let her stay in the cabin, but we obviously will have a more comfortable bed for her (whereas in the cabin she'd have the pull-out couch). Anyway.....at the cabins, an extra adult is only $5 extra per night. At WL, that extra adult is $25 per night!!! For 10 night, including tax that is $278 that we are expected to pay since she's in our room and not theirs. Don't really want to ask MIL to pay since she is on a limited budget and both families already assured her that it wasn't a big deal to have to stay with one of us since we all were going anyway.

How does WDW know if an extra person is in the room? There wouldn't be any extra bedding used because she'd be sharing a queen bed with our dd. Does she have to have a resort ID to use the pool, etc? What if we registered her to stay in the cabin as a 3rd adult there (only $5 extra per night) but she actually stayed with us in our room? Can guests of one resort use the facilities of another resort? So if they asked for her ID at WL and her ID said FW, would that cause problems?

Again, I'm not trying to be totally dishonest about it, but I'd much rather pay only $5 extra per night instead of $25 if we can get away with it!

Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I don't think they would know. You could put her on the cabin reservation so that she would have a Disney resort room key for EMH and she could sleep in your room. I never really understood why an extra person charge should be different.

 

[sanibelover]

Quite frankly, I would let your MIL stay in the cabin in the bedroom with the kids and the other adults can stay on the pull down bed - which was very comfortable and a lot more private thatn staying in the room with the kids....

When we stayed in the cabin, we never stayed in the bedroom and we only have 2 kids.

 

[JCTigger]

Yeah I would spend only the five dollars a night however keep in mind that she will not have a room key to the WL because she will not be a registared guest at the resort... we tried this a few years ago when my friend surpised us while we were on vacation but she hadnt made any hotel ressies so she just crashed with me in my room, but be cause we had ajoinging rooms with my folks my mom gave her one of the room keys to there room and my mom and step father shared a room key and it worked out pretty well...

 

[Sandi]

The pull down bed is a murphy bed, not a sleeper sofa bed. I think with the larger space (the cabins are bigger than the WL rooms -- even with additional people), everyone would be more comfortable with MIL staying in the cabin.

 

[totalia]

As a hotel attendant, we will likely know. That is not guaranteed but housekeepers and front desk attendants are more observant than most people think.

 

[DianeV]

Being in the hotel business can you let us know what the reason is that an extra adult costs more and kids dont?

 

[Gillian]

I have read here that sometimes when people add an extra adult at check in they are not charged the fee. It's hard to plan for that, of course, and if you want to get a package it would be a problem.

If you are going at a busy time and they check ids at the WL lodge pool, your MIL will not have one. I don't know how often the check IDs there. Doesn't seem to happen a lot, but I don't really know. The front desk staff might be able to help with that. I am not trying to start a debate, just wanted to throw it out there.

The FW pools are pretty basic and I've never heard of them checking IDs there. I think FW people often go to the WL pool, even though they aren't supposed to.

Maybe you'll get lucky and there will be a great discount on the cabins when you go!

 

[DMRick]

We have never been charged when we add an adult at check-in, but it's not a sure thing. We've not had an extra adult at a Deluxe, so they may be different. Maybe you should consider the cabins yourself. It's often a pain to have friends and family in a different resort...it's not as easy to get to each other as it looks.
We did go over to the Fort Wilderness to eat at Trail's End Wednesday, and were surprised at the amount of people hauling towels on the boat and talking to the boat guy and loudly about going to swim at the Wilderness Lodge. I wondered if something was wrong with the Wilderness pool, and he said no, that they called over and were told they could come try out that pool. The boat guy appeared to agree that it would be fine, and others agreed they too had been swimming there this week. So if they didn't check ID's during this busy Northeast on Winter break week, or seem to care, they aren't likely to bother your mom.

 

[zurgswife]

I would also suggest that your MIL stay at the Cabin with your BIL. There would be much more space and if she was going to share a bed with your DD she could have her own bed at FW and the kids could take the bunk and the BIL/SIL could have the murphy bed. There aren't any sofa beds at the cabins. That way she would have a key and be more comfortable.

 

[Lewisc]

Ok where's my flameproof suit? I'm not trying to cheat WDW out of it's rental fees, but here's the thing....

Most of us bend rules at some point in time and I'm sure many guests don't pay for extra adults. Doris is right many cm won't even bother charging the fee if you ask when you check in.

BUT cheating WDW out of the posted charge for an extra adult is exactly what you're trying to do. I'm not flaming you for trying to bend or finesse some rule but for trying to pretend that's not exactly what you're proposing to do.

 

[Aisling]

We had an extra adult in our room, and I paid the extra money because I had him listed on our original ressie. But I can't see how they would have known if I didn't tell them. I was the one to check us all into the hotel, and the desk CM didn't know who was with me. They didn't ask where the rest of my party was, so they didn't know who was with me and who wasn't. There were so many people coming in and out of the hotel, and I doubt anyone was keeping tabs on who actually slept there.

As far as the mousekeepers, we never saw them, they never saw us. I'll bet they weren't looking around for evidence to see how many people were staying in our room. Even if they did, how do they know if I paid for the extra adult or not? I'm sure they don't care either way.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Be a good example to your children. Do the right thing.

 

[pjynx]

Thanks for the (varied) advice. I think I will just suggest that MIL stay in the cabin with BIL and his family since they have a larger space.

 

[disneychrista]

Why not ask BIL if they would be willing to split the extra charge of his mom?

 

[mrsgus06]

We were at the cabins last week. The friend I was suppose to take with me (it was her and her dd) found out she was pregnant and back out at the last minute. I took my oldest son and one of his friends because they happened to be able to go. The number of people in the cabins were the same, but my son and his friend are 17 & 18, making them adults. I did not change my reservations and each of us was issued a room key. Sunday night we were at EMH at MGM, when we went to get the wristbands, it occured to me that the friend did not have a room key, and only then did it occur to me. We went as a group and I showed only 3 of my room keys (It was me and 3 of my dd's) and the cast members sent us down the line for wristbands. I don't know if they are more strict at one park over the other? I had another key in my wallet and my son had his key, but we were not asked to produce all 6.

 

[weregoingtodw]

Being in the hotel business can you let us know what the reason is that an extra adult costs more and kids dont?

Not sure of the why's on this, but my guess would be that adults use more electricity, water, wear and tear, etc.? Another reason could be just to make more of the green stuff, of course .

 

[DianeV]

hahaha..you obviously dont know my kids! I dont think an adult would use anything more of anything then a kid. I really think its a $$ thing

 

[Jamesbyr]

Hello everyone!

Hey, sometimes plans change. Those of you in such situations who are worried about over-observant cleaning staff, and have concerns about causing too much work for the cleaners, just be sure you show them that you appreciate the work that they do for you. Talk to them! You know that they will see the five inflatable matresses on the floor, and they know they will have more work to do. Help them out! (Just kidding, partly.)

I recommend this only in the case of unexpected situations. In other cases, the old dictum applies: "Get a room!"

I think that hotel cleaning people are really undercompensated and we should tip a bit more than we usually do (and I am probably a chronic undertipper in this area, even in cheap motels). But again, talk to them! They are really nice people.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I would say have her start out in the cabin and if it proves to be uncomfortable then she can move to the lodge.

Or you could rent points and stay in the villas so you don't have to worry about the extra adult charge.