how to keep guaranteed connecting rooms

[harmsja]

We are a family of 6 traveling to Yacht Club in Sept 2012. We currently have a reservation with two CL rooms lagoon view guaranteed connecting.

Now my sister in law wants to come with us. My husband and I figured we would stay in one room with 2 kids and she could share the other room with the other two kids.

When I talked to Disney today, they informed me if I added another adult, they would have to split my one reservation into two, and that they would no longer guarantee the connecting rooms. In order to guarantee connecting, there has to be more kids that adults in each room.

Should I leave the reservation as is, and just add her when we get there? (can I even do that?). Another problem is that we are hoping for free dining. We are going Sept 2 - Sept 9 and have gotten that several years running. If I add her when we check in, does she still get the free dining? Isn't the free dining based on the room?
Maybe if they don't offer free dining, it may not be an issue to add her later.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[chicklet2]

I wish there was an easy helpful answer to your question, but I'm not sure there is.Like they said the only way, and it truly is the only way they guarantee a room request like this, is that there must be more kids than adults in room.If I were you I would wait to add your sister in law until you get there.This probably is very frowned upon but if you tell Disney now you will most likely loose connecting rooms.At least if you leave it the way it is you will get the connecting rooms and I would think once you are checking in and you say your sister in law came with you it would be less likely that you would loose room bc it's already been held for you and I would fight to keep it.In regards to the dining plan I don't know enough about it to comment but I would rather have my whole family together than anything else so I would hold off on announcing sister in law.

 

[vwaller72]

I'm not sure if this will work but add her at the age 17. You would be paying adult prices for everything but she would count as a child on the reservation. I don't think it changes anything.

Someone else might have a reason this wouldn't work but it seems like it should.

 

[maxiesmom]

I hate to tell you, but Disney doesn't even 100% guarantee connecting rooms . It may state it on your reservation, but Disney in reality guarantees nothing. Not even that you will get your club level lagoon view room, not even that you will end up with rooms at the Yacht Club.

There have been posters who have had to split up and an adult sleep in each room, as the rooms did not connect. There is even a poster who was the only adult with a number of kids who did not get connecting rooms. Disney does try to give them out when asked, but sometimes they have none to give. And they have an out, because they tell you straight out nothing is guaranteed. Even though they then sometimes put "guaranteed" on some reservations.

If you know your sister in law is coming for sure, then add her to the reservation, and keep your fingers crossed. Also, if you can check in earlier in the day, that seems to help. They will have more connecting rooms in inventory to hand out than they will later in the day. Odds are you will get your request for connecting rooms, but be prepared just in case you don't. No matter what Disney tells you, they truly are NOT guaranteed.

 

[purple figment]

Should I leave the reservation as is, and just add her when we get there? (can I even do that?). Another problem is that we are hoping for free dining. We are going Sept 2 - Sept 9 and have gotten that several years running. If I add her when we check in, does she still get the free dining? Isn't the free dining based on the room?
Maybe if they don't offer free dining, it may not be an issue to add her later.

Yes, you can add her when you arrive, BUT you won't be able to get free or paid dining for her because the dining plan has to be added 72 hours before your arrival. Also, if she's coming the same time you are and you're flying in, she won't be able to use ME because she won't be on the reservation.

 

[DebbieB]

I would talk to the club level planner when you get close to the date, they assign rooms for club level. As maxiesmom said, it's not guaranteed anyway, even if they say it is. If they don't have 2 connecting rooms on your arrival date, there's nothing they can do. All the club level rooms are on the same floor so even if you don't get connecting, they should not be far apart.

 

[revmommy]

Just a small warning: We had reserved 2 connecting rooms at ASM for 2 adults, 3 kids, and then my parents decided to go at the last minute. It should have worked fine, but when tried to add them, we ran into a problem because one of the rooms we were assigned was a handicapped accessible King room, and then we had to be reassigned at check in becasue there weren't enough beds.