Help!! Family of 5 at Animal Kingdom Lodge

[angel659]

Ok, now I am confused???? I was speaking to a certian person who works for Disney. I was told that Disney do not mind if you took an extra "child" with you if the room was to hold 4. As long as it was not an adult. Apparently they will turn a blind eye. It just means they would not get any room key, EMH etc... They just simply can not add them to the booking or provide a bed for them?

Not that I am agreeing with dishonesty, but I was informed this by a person who I trust and believes has the correct information.

 

[minnie61650]

Only at Disney does it seem to be such a big deal about families of five. We are five and travel all the time with an airmattress for the 5th child no matter where we stay. No other hotels seem so "strict" about how many are in your party........

In the past I have not been able to have 5 sleep in a standard room at off site hotels in the Orlando area.

I was told this was because of fire codes.
They told me the fire codes were very stict about that.

Sometimes some of the holtels/motels will not count a (1)
child under the age of 3 toward the total occupancy rate.

The reason this is allowed is because the Fire Marshal assumes that child will be carried to safety in case of an emergency and does not need to add that child when firguing how much suare footage per person is need to safely evacate a building.


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Some guests think occupancy limits are solely based on room size.
The room size is not as an important issue as are the width of doorways, widths of hallways, number of stair wells, location of stairways, number of fire walls, number of stories in a building and the total number of persons in a building when determining the fire code in regard to fire access and egress.


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Since 9/11 a lot of the fire codes are stricter especially in regards of the disabled and fire access and egress.


See this website about Resources on Emergency Evacuation and Disaster Preparedness for more info:



http://www.access-board.gov/evac.htm

There are real reasons why hotels/motels have room occupancy limits.

Just a little FYI

Have fun at Disney!

 

[Lynne M]

To the OP, I would keep your reservation and don't stress. Can you really imagine someone stopping your 3 year old to ask for a room key or ID?!

Yes, they do ask for a three year old's ID.

If you want to do morning EMH, all members of your group have to produce a resort ID or they don't get into the park. That includes the kids.

If you want to do evening EMH, if a guest doesn't produce a resort ID, they don't get a wristband. No wristband, no rides. Again, even kids have to show a resort ID.

Now, if a guest wants to lie to the CM and insist that their child is younger than three and therefore doesn't need to show a resort ID, that's their choice. The CM may buy it, they may not.

 

[Jen32113]

When doing EMH - they have never asked for my 2.5yr old's I.D./room key. We have done it with him at least 3 or 4 times. They put wristbands on me and my husband, nothing for my son. I guess that's not the norm huh?

Oh, i just read the post above mine. Maybe he didn't have to. Nevermind!

 

[sarijh]

Yikes! I just started research our first Disney World trip for the first week of December. My youngest daughter will have just turned 2. She is free for the park and everything else. I just though she could sleep with us, never even THOUGHT it would be an issue?!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Yikes! I just started research our first Disney World trip for the first week of December. My youngest daughter will have just turned 2. She is free for the park and everything else. I just though she could sleep with us, never even THOUGHT it would be an issue?!

A two year old child does not count towards room occupancy unless there is more than one child under the age of three. Only one child under the age of three does not count towards room occupancy. A child under the age of three also does not need theme park admission. They do not need to pay for the dining plan, nor do they need to pay for any buffet meal they go to. However, if you order any food for a child under the age of three at non-buffet meals, be prepared to pay for it. It is not free if you order it.

Enjoy your trip planning and your trip.

 

[sarijh]

Thank you Deb & Bill - I appreciate the info! Whew!

 

[maxiesmom]

Only at Disney does it seem to be such a big deal about families of five. We are five and travel all the time with an airmattress for the 5th child no matter where we stay. No other hotels seem so "strict" about how many are in your party. I always just ask for 2 queens and leave it at that. We are a family with 3 young children, not 5 adults looking to save cash by cramming into one room meant for 4 for goodness sakes. We would never travel if we had to always get 2 rooms. Now when they get bigger I can see the situation changing but for now this is how it goes.

Yes yes I know that Disney had plenty of other options for families of 5, like most of the other deluxes, POR and the Value family suites. And I can understand that being such a popular destination that there is a great risk of people trying to stuff as many bodies as possible in a room. But I think for the most part you have families traveling and if you happen to have a third small child I do not see this as somehow "cheating" the system to use an airmattress at the Wl or AKL.

To the OP, I would keep your reservation and don't stress. Can you really imagine someone stopping your 3 year old to ask for a room key or ID?!

Well, other resorts can set their rules as they wish, but Disney has their own rules. And why you stay on Disney property, those are the rules you need to abide by. And how could it possibly not be cheating to do otherwise?

Also, if you intend to use Magical Express you need to have the right number of people listed on your reservation. Everyone HAS to have a ticket. And every time I have been to an EMH they have been very strict about giving out wrist bands. My brother in law didn't expect to have to show a room key for his youngest daughter, but he sure did!

 

[happymommy]

Thank you Deb & Bill - I appreciate the info! Whew!

My sentiments exactly.

BTW, we stayed in a deluxe room, which I thought sleeps 5, at AKL once. I think we had an additional daybed.

They do make really nice aerobeds for little ones called a "sleepaway bed". It's smaller with raised sides, and has its own carrying bag that we've actually checked through as luggage several times. My DD used to love sleeping on it, even when we had two queen beds, it was nice to separate them to sleep better. I highly recommend them!

 

[Rylee]

Thanks to everybody that replied. I guess we will be cancelling our reservations at Animal Kingdom Lodge . Had a good rate also of $272 per night, peak season in March.

Better to do it now, than wait and have them make you change rooms/resorts at the time of check-in, and find out you owe more $$$.

(Friends of ours had to change resorts at check-in because an adult son decided to join them at the last minute.)

 

[G8r4evr]

If it were me, I would stick with AKL and just send my husband to EMH with 1 or 2 of the kids and meet up with them later....its not like the extra hours are all that great anyways...the last few times we have been, the crowds have been atrocious. But if you are using ME, you would definitely want to change resorts.

 

[Schmeck]

Ok, now I am confused???? I was speaking to a certian person who works for Disney. I was told that Disney do not mind if you took an extra "child" with you if the room was to hold 4. As long as it was not an adult. Apparently they will turn a blind eye. It just means they would not get any room key, EMH etc... They just simply can not add them to the booking or provide a bed for them?

Not that I am agreeing with dishonesty, but I was informed this by a person who I trust and believes has the correct information.

Cast members are notorious for giving out incorrect information - you can ask 3 CM's the same question and get 3 different answers! If WDW was found to be ignoring fire codes, they would be fined $$$, and possibly have that resort lose an occupancy permit for a period of time. If I was staying at that resort when it occured, and it was because someone thought it was OK to sneak an extra person into a room, I'd be a bit

 

[Deb & Bill]

My sentiments exactly.

BTW, we stayed in a deluxe room, which I thought sleeps 5, at AKL once. I think we had an additional daybed.

They do make really nice aerobeds for little ones called a "sleepaway bed". It's smaller with raised sides, and has its own carrying bag that we've actually checked through as luggage several times. My DD used to love sleeping on it, even when we had two queen beds, it was nice to separate them to sleep better. I highly recommend them!

We also had a deluxe room once on the fifth floor with bunk beds and a day bed. But when they started converting rooms at the AKL to DVC villas, they took all the fifth floor and sixth floor rooms for converting. Thus, no deluxe rooms anymore. But the DVC villas are supposed to be very nice. And the one bedroom villas DO sleep five with a king bed in the master bedroom, a queen sleeper and twin sleeper chair in the living room.

Glad to be of help.

When you start looking for rooms that sleep five (when the little one gets bigger), there are several to choose from including the Family Suites at All Stars, POR with the trundle bed in Alligator Bayou, the Fort Wilderness cabins and several of the deluxe resorts.

 

[Minniemomof4]

We also have stayed in a Deluxe room at AKL with 3 kids. It had the bunk beds and the daybed in addition to the double bed. It was not a suite or villa, just a Deluxe room. I would check to see if there are any available and what the cost would be. Do that before you cancel anything else so you know what you may be able to get price wise.

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

OK, I can't take it anymore! No more 5 in a room. no more sneaking your kid in a suit into your room. No more paper cups for free drinks. No more re-using your mug from your last trip. No more brining food into your room, so you can make a PB&J instead of buying a bagel in the morning. I can't take it anymore.

Like it or not Disney is a business. They are here to make money and bring happiness to everyone. Well, we all know happiness has a price. In my own opinion, Disney is an incredible value for what they offer. So just suck it up, follow the rules and have a great trip with lots of memories. If you really need 5 in a room or free drinks or eating in your room or lying about your kids age, go stay at universal, or rent a beach house!

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

No more brining food into your room, so you can make a PB&J instead of buying a bagel in the morning.

Are you kidding? You think this is unacceptable?

Just to clarify, is this a PB&J from stuff you brought from home? Or is this a PB&J made from those little individual serving packets you can get at a counter service?

And where did the bread come from? From home? Or did the guest save the top of their bun off their burger from their CS lunch? I think that should be allowed.

 

[stellablue]

We also have stayed in a Deluxe room at AKL with 3 kids. It had the bunk beds and the daybed in addition to the double bed. It was not a suite or villa, just a Deluxe room. I would check to see if there are any available and what the cost would be. Do that before you cancel anything else so you know what you may be able to get price wise.

I just read on the all-new AKL thread that the deluxe rooms have all been converted into AKV.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I just read on the all-new AKL thread that the deluxe rooms have all been converted into AKV.

Exactly.

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

Are you kidding? You think this is unacceptable?

Just to clarify, is this a PB&J from stuff you brought from home? Or is this a PB&J made from those little individual serving packets you can get at a counter service?

And where did the bread come from? From home? Or did the guest save the top of their bun off their burger from their CS lunch? I think that should be allowed.[/Q


I am only trying to say that one, this is a vacation, and my idea of a vacation is not buying food at a food store and keeping it in my room over ice so i can make meals in my room. Thats not what hotel rooms are for, unles you are in a DVC room which has a kitchen. Disney does not hide any costs or prices from anybody. When you book a disney vacation you know exactly what it's going to cost. Disney has their rules wether we like them or not they should be followed. If people keep trying to sneak people in thier rooms disney will make other changes that effect everybody. so, IMHO if the room limit is 4 that's the limit. don't bring air mattress and extra bedding. If you need a room to fit 5, then book a room thats coded for 5, if you need two rooms then book two rooms. But don't try to sneak people in your room or lie about your childrens age. If you can't afford two rooms then that's the way the ball bounces, don't stay at AKL and instead stay at a value. My DW, DS and DD go to disney two to three times a year, and we do without at home so we can afford these trips. We plan and save so we can do the trips right, and we stay a either ASM or POP not the GF or POLY.

 

[maxiesmom]

Are you kidding? You think this is unacceptable?

Just to clarify, is this a PB&J from stuff you brought from home? Or is this a PB&J made from those little individual serving packets you can get at a counter service?

And where did the bread come from? From home? Or did the guest save the top of their bun off their burger from their CS lunch? I think that should be allowed.[/Q


I am only trying to say that one, this is a vacation, and my idea of a vacation is not buying food at a food store and keeping it in my room over ice so i can make meals in my room. Thats not what hotel rooms are for, unles you are in a DVC room which has a kitchen. Disney does not hide any costs or prices from anybody. When you book a disney vacation you know exactly what it's going to cost. Disney has their rules wether we like them or not they should be followed. If people keep trying to sneak people in thier rooms disney will make other changes that effect everybody. so, IMHO if the room limit is 4 that's the limit. don't bring air mattress and extra bedding. If you need a room to fit 5, then book a room thats coded for 5, if you need two rooms then book two rooms. But don't try to sneak people in your room or lie about your childrens age. If you can't afford two rooms then that's the way the ball bounces, don't stay at AKL and instead stay at a value. My DW, DS and DD go to disney two to three times a year, and we do without at home so we can afford these trips. We plan and save so we can do the trips right, and we stay a either ASM or POP not the GF or POLY.

I get what you are saying. It IS very frustrating to see how many people justify doing things they know are not allowed to do, just because going to Disney World is expensive. I think most of us do not have a money tree in our back yard, and we save and scrimp in order to be able to enjoy our trips to Disney. You know what Disney's rules are. And if you have 3 kids and need to either stay in a suite, or a delxue resort, or get 2 rooms, or even stay off-site, then that is what you should do. You shouldn't try and re-arrange Disney's rules to suit you.

I am all about finding codes that I can use, and doing other things like eating lunch for my big meal instead of dinner, to save money. But I draw the line at cheating the company that I am going to for my entertainment.

I really don't get when it became so acceptable to break the rules just because you think you can get away with it.

BTW: Pb&J in the room=ok. Griddle, waffle iron, and crock pot=not ok.