HELP! Slightly complicated situation...

[ericamcl]

Hi All,

DH and I are going to be staying at BLT this September.
I had everything worked out, planned and all that good stuff.
Over the weekend we somehow decided to invite my mom and her friend to come with us for just 2 nights in the middle of our trip.

DH and I are doing the dining plan, my mom and her friend will not be doing the dining plan. They do need ME - I know that the rule is that everyone on the ressie has to have the dining plan or not have it, depending on what you want- I guess what I'm wondering is this - do I HAVE to add their names to my ressie at all? Can they just take the ME to BLT if I provide their flight info to ME? They will be buying their park tickets once they get there, and they're really only going to be there for 2 nights and we'll be with them so do they really even need a room key?

I didn't realize how complicated this could potentially make things when we extended the invitation to them.


TIA for any advice!

 

[Brian Noble]

I think you're stuck. Everyone on the reservation has to have or not have the dining plan, and you have to be on the reservation for any of the other perks/benefits.

You *might* be able to segment the reservation, and not get the dining plan for the two nights they are with you. Otherwise, I'd personally suggest forgoing the dining plan---I've never found it to be that great of a deal, and it's more of a hassle to me than it's worth. However, I also understand that some people like it for the convenience and pre-paid aspects, so YMMV.

 

[Sandisw]

Unless they are on the reservation, they can't use ME. A person has to be a registered Disney guest to qualify.

What you can do, though, is segment your reservation so that you have the dining plan for the nights that they are not there, and then pay OOP for the nights they are not.

We have some guests joining us for a few nights for our August trip and one of the nights was a segmented night we have the DxDDP. We simply shared with them that it wasn't an option for them that night since the rest of us would be on it for that night and they would have to be as well.

If you and DH really want to be on the DDP for those same nights they are there, then just tell them that they would need to be as well. You can segment the trip so it is only for those nights.

If they don't want to use the credits, then maybe you and your DH could during the time they are there to do some signatures, etc.

Good luck!

 

[TDC Nala]

I am not entirely sure what to do about DME because as far as I know they have to be listed on the reservation to use DME. You MAY be able to contact DME directly and sign them up that way, although I do not know how that works. But I do know you can get them keys (no dining plan) after they arrive, as long as they don't exceed room capacity. At BLT you may want to attend a EMH at MK, and if they come along for EMH they cannot experience any attractions if they don't have room keys. They may also need room keys to access the pool (and the Top of the World Lounge)

 

[ericamcl]

thanks for all of the input.
I think DH and I will run some numbers this evening and decide if the dining plan is worth it for us or not - i've been debating it all along but he has been pretty adamant about wanting it, so i'm not sure which way will work out best for us.
if he decided he wants dining plan i'm just going to tell my mom she has to have it too - it'll be less complicated that way!

 

[TDC Nala]

thanks for all of the input.
I think DH and I will run some numbers this evening and decide if the dining plan is worth it for us or not - i've been debating it all along but he has been pretty adamant about wanting it, so i'm not sure which way will work out best for us.
if he decided he wants dining plan i'm just going to tell my mom she has to have it too - it'll be less complicated that way!

Unless you segment the reservation you will have to sign your mom up for the entire reservation and dining plan for every night you have it. I can't even tell whether or not at this point, with the reservation already booked, you will be able to split it into segments.

 

[DenLo]

It would be cheaper to segment your reservation and add your mother and her friend to the reservation for the nights they will be there and then there will only be two nights that they will be included on the DDP. Otherwise you'll have pay for the dining plan for them for your entire stay.

The only way someone can use ME is by being listed as a guest on a WDW reservation.

Or your other option is to get Mom and friend a separate room for those two nights.

 

[McCrae]

Why not just get them a taxi or a Mears bus? A lot easier for everyone.

 

[damo]

Why not just get them a taxi or a Mears bus? A lot easier for everyone.

And cheaper than paying for a dining plan for 5 days they won't be there.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Why not just get them a taxi or a Mears bus? A lot easier for everyone.

 

[Dean]

Why not just get them a taxi or a Mears bus? A lot easier for everyone.

And dishonest unless they segment.

 

[Worktoplay]

And dishonest unless they segment.

Dishonest....seriously??? It's not dishonest to only want to pay for what you plan to use....it's more dishonest to overcharge someone for what they cannot or will not use. JMHO.

 

[TDC Nala]

Anyone registered in the room can use the dining credits. It's just a question of, do they want that many dining credits.

 

[Sandisw]

Dishonest....seriously??? It's not dishonest to only want to pay for what you plan to use....it's more dishonest to overcharge someone for what they cannot or will not use. JMHO.

All guests staying in the room need to be registered guests so purposely not listing them could qualify of being "dishonest".

Having to get the dining plan for everyone is one of the drawbacks of the plan and why it doesn't work for every situation. The fact that DVC can now segment the trip in such a way that you can end up with some nights and not others is an advantage for those that have situations as above.

 

[dianeschlicht]

When we did some detailed accounting of our expenses for trips both with and without the DDP, we discovered that we spent hundreds of dollars LESS when we did NOT have the DDP. We find it's just too costly for what you get, so we just pay OOP and use the TIW card for discounts instead.

 

[ericamcl]

Thanks for all of the replies and for all of the input

DH and I are going to just pay cash for meals - I'm interested to see if we actually save money this way.

It will be much easier than segmenting, and all that - I just want it to be as easy as possible so I called MS last night added my mom and her friend to my reservation and that's that.

I was actually on the fence about the dining plan as I had stomach surgery last year and eat very little. I think this way I can at least order from and pay the prices on a childs menu should I feel so inclined. I know with the DP - stomach surgery and info from my surgeon or not - I had to pay the adult price...so this might actually work out better for us financially.

 

[Dean]

Dishonest....seriously??? It's not dishonest to only want to pay for what you plan to use....it's more dishonest to overcharge someone for what they cannot or will not use. JMHO.

It's their game and their rules. Their rules are that everyone in the unit must be on the dining plan, they do this for a reason. To purposefully not list guests for the purpose of circumventing those rules is dishonest plain and simple. There is nothing dishonest on Disney's part but I'd agree that they slant the table in their direction. One doesn't have to get the dining plan and now, they have the ability to segment to ease the impact even further.