getting CRO to keep a surprise?

[asktriplets]

hey all.

I'm trying to help my BIL and SIL plan their one and only trip to WDW for May, which will be a surprise Christmas present to the kids. I currently have a 7 day hold for a room with the 4+3 deal for them, and I am trying to figure out a way to keep ANY info. from getting to their house until after christmas...the 2 CMs that I spoke with regarding this reservation told me that the address on the reservation must match their ID when they check in (so I can't just put in my address and have it all sent to me). They said they would put a note in the file stating that there was a request not to contact them with the hold (and MY email address is in there, at least), but they told me they could not prevent the system from sending a conf. letter once we book.

I am hoping they'll extend the hold when I call tomorrow which will buy us a bit more time, but does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks,

 

[Lmichele]

Are you surprising your BIL and SIL or are they surprising their kids...I'm confused as to who the Christmas gift is for.

If they're surprising your kids then what does it matter if they recieve mail from WDW...wouldn't your BIL or SIL just be sure to they get the mail each day.

If you are surprising your BIL and SIL...I'm not sure exactly what the surprise is....that you have a hold on a room?

Not trying to be difficult, just don't understand?

 

[ga9497]

If you book through a travel agent the information will go to the agency and then they can forward it to whatever address you wish. This way there wouldn't be any issues of anything getting printed by Disney and sent to their home

 

[traci]

I think the surprise is for the kids...it sounds like the bil and sil are in on it (she's helping them plan).

 

[asktriplets]

I am so sorry...you are right, my post was confusing...

these reservations are for my BIL and SIL and THEIR children for a May trip. BIL and SIL want to surprise their children on Christmas, but I am acting as their planner as we're WDW regulars and they have never been before. This May trip is actually a Grand Gathering as my DH, kids, and I are going, as are my MIL and FIL (but we've all been before and had these May reservations for a while now. BIL and SIL just decided to go this past week).

Now that I think[/I] I have cleared myself up, does anyone have any other suggestions? One of the CMs I spoke with mentioned a TA, but is that really the ONLY way? Seems to me that WDW would offer this "surprise" option as it sounds, at least from reading here at the DIS, like many people do surprise WDW trips! I think this would be a great "What Will You Celebrate?" option.

Worst case is they get some mail from WDW and BIL and SIL don't catch it before the kids do (their kids are teenagers)...not the end of the world, but it would be great to be able to help them keep the surprise!

(BTW...I posted here, but I meant to post in the general Resort forum. Do I just post it other there, too, or are there "post-moving" fairies that can help me move it?)

thanks for you help,

 

[TiggerInLBV]

The only way to use your address for both reservations is this...

Package One: Book you as the lead Guest with your SIL and your two children
Package Two: Book your wife as the lead Guest with your BIL and their two children.

This way everything will be sent to you and your wife at your address...the only downfall to this is that you will have to keep it this way and your SIL will have a room key to your room and your Wife will have a room key to the other room.

Since you have already booked the other package you will need to cancel it and rebook as I have advised you as the lead name will need to change and Disney doesn't allow lead name changes if you are adding additional people to the reservation. You can replace your wife on your current package with your SIL's name.

I know this sounds convoluted but it is the ONLY way to assure that they will not get the mail at their address. Surprise reservations are not allowed and do not work in the Disney system. Also supplying your email address on their reservation is not allowed, and happened one time.

 

[ga9497]

The only way to use your address for both reservations is this...

Package One: Book you as the lead Guest with your SIL and your two children
Package Two: Book your wife as the lead Guest with your BIL and their two children.

This way everything will be sent to you and your wife at your address...the only downfall to this is that you will have to keep it this way and your SIL will have a room key to your room and your Wife will have a room key to the other room.

Since you have already booked the other package you will need to cancel it and rebook as I have advised you as the lead name will need to change and Disney doesn't allow lead name changes if you are adding additional people to the reservation. You can replace your wife on your current package with your SIL's name.

I know this sounds convoluted but it is the ONLY way to assure that they will not get the mail at their address. Surprise reservations are not allowed and do not work in the Disney system. Also supplying your email address on their reservation is not allowed, and happened one time.

But if they are going during the same dates I don't think Disney will allow a second booking with the same name

 

[mbanks21]

That is the ONLY way to do it. Disney does not condone or work with you on surprise reservations for security reasons. If you use a TA all the info will go to them or have you as the lead guest on one res and your wife as the lead guest on the other res. ONLY way.

 

[bumbershoot]

...the 2 CMs that I spoke with regarding this reservation told me that the address on the reservation must match their ID when they check in...

That simply has to be nonsense.

There are plenty of people, like my father and my aunt, who have home addresses on their driver's licenses, but use PO Boxes for their mail because they either don't trust their neighbors or they simply do not have mail service at their home address. Or like in WA, they don't require you to get a new driver's license when you change your address; the DMV wants to be notified, but they do NOT require a new card be printed. My address is, totally on the up and up and fine with WA, 4 addresses out of date and I don't need to get a new card until 2010.

My aunt even lives in FL, so it's not like this is something unheard of in FL; if my aunt were to book a package, and if her ID had to match her mailing address, she'd be out of luck. So that just has to be nonsense, and they are just covering their bottoms in case something is sent to the other address.

I'm no expert, but I don't believe it for a minute! Just not possible.

 

[TiggerInLBV]

If your Aunt lives in Florida then her drivers license or ID should list her PO BOX. I live in Florida and my DL shows my PO BOX not my physical address. Just bring a piece of mail like a utility bill that shows your name and address and you'll be fine (you won't be asked for it but if you need the extra peace of mind...) Enjoy your Magical Vacation!

 

[anna08]

My DH planned a surprise huge birthday party for me this year and Disney was TERRIBLE about sending information to the house when he specifically asked them not to. Just make sure the kids don't check the mail before the adults do. You'd think they would make an effort when someone plans a grand gathering that costs a fortune...

 

[TiggerInLBV]

If you ever want a Surprise Reservation you MUST book it through a Travel Agent. There are plenty of TA's that only charge you what Disney charges.

 

[mbanks21]

Once again, Disney will ABSOLUTELY NOT help you with a surprise reservation. For security reasons I would imagine but they tell you right up front, they will be sending documents to the address listed on the res.

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

Change the address to yours. When it gets closer to the trip, change it again to the SIL's address. Wouldn't you be able to do that? People book trips a year in advance -- some people must move in between the time they book and the time they go. Surely, one should be able to update an address on a res, right?

Good luck!

 

[asktriplets]

thanks for everyone's ideas!
here's how it went:

i had their names and address on a reservation ON HOLD, and i was able to extend the hold for an additional 7 days (thinking that if it was only on hold, they wouldn't send anything out as it was NOT booked). during that hold time, i talked to 3 CMs who all mentioned that it was put in the "request" section to supress any mailings until 12/25 as it was a surprise.

as suggested by a CM, MY email address was listed and something was sent via email to me, as i requested.

my bil and sil STILL got a notice in the mail last week. when i called CRO and asked about it, the CM i spoke with told me that, by law when you book, they have to send out a confirmation. i reminded him that i DIDN'T book, but only had it on hold....*sigh* oh well. (and i'd think if you can BOOK a reservation strictly online, they could VERIFY a reservation strictly online, but whatever)

i finally booked it a few days before XMas and the CM i spoke with then was very kind, and was disappointed that something got sent out without our knowledge and potentially ruined the surprise. she said at that time that she was surprised that it got sent out as there were 2 requests in the system to wait on the mailings.

as it turned out, my neice that got the disney mail says that she didn't realize that it was vacation info. at the time, and the kids were all surprised when they opened their gift and they are all incredibly thrilled!!

all's well that ends well, but i do wish one of the first THREE CMs that i spoke with informed me that there would be a mailing sent out for holds...i knew i should have told bil and sil to check mail daily themselves, for as much as i love WDW, their reservation system seems to suck (i've had 3, yes, THREE reservations canceled completely when i have made modifications to a reservation over the last 4 years, and i only found out about those cancellations because i have learned to ALWAYS call back the next day to check to see if there was a mistake made with the reservation change!)

all said and done, and WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!...we've been loads of times with a bunch of different people, but never with a party of 15! it'll be crazy and so much fun.

thanks again, everyone, for your thoughts!

 

[mbanks21]

Once again surprise reservations are not condoned by disney. BUT it will help if you tell them when you make the res to suppress the print mailing but again, thats not guaranteed

 

[tzolkin]

hmmm... I guess I will have to watch for info in the mail. I just booked a trip that we would like to keep as a surprise for our kids. I got the email confirmation and it says "If you have trouble pulling up the reservation with the provided link, and would like us to Mail you a hard copy of the confirmation, please call (407) 828-8101 from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time." To me, that means that they won't mail anything unless I ask.

Last time I booked through AAA, so I wasn't sure how correspondence directly with Disney works. We've been talking about taking another trip in a year or two, so my kids probably wouldn't be too suspicious if they see some Disney evelopes in the mail. (They wouldn't open anything and see the actual info.)