I booked for everyone, it was bound to happen.......

[Forevermarypoppins]

I've been saving for this upcoming trip since my grandson was born 5 years ago. Last Oct my daughter and I came up with a timeframe ( and that was well thought of) for May 2020. So come NOV, I booked 3 rooms , a discounted package ( I got a Pin Code!!) with the tickets included for room#1 myself, DH, room #2 my sister, room 3# daughter, grandson and her boyfriend. At the time I was thinking to myself: boyfriend, do NOT *** this up for me financially ( as in decide 2 weeks ahead of time you're not going). The only $ I wanted from daughter and company was $ for airfare, everything else on me.

Of course something happened:
one : I booked airfare too soon. BUT in my defense, I wanted SW , I wanted certain times for departures and I wanted nonstops, all of which I got.
Boyfriend decides to break up with my daughter the night before Thanksgiving ( we're all happy, she wasn't but has finally seen the light....). I am out his airfare. Lesson learned: NEVER buy airfare for persons who have no moral obligation to pay you back. I called SW, hoping I could get the credit for his ticket and was told NO, his name, his ticket. That sucks!! I don't want a refund, just a credit so I can fly.

two : asking TOO soon, of my stepson who lives in Florida if he wants to take so and so's place and vacation with all of us. Basically a free vacation for him He was totally on board. But it was in DEC and I knew there was too much time here for things to change and NOW THEY HAVE. It's not so much a mistake, just had I waited, then asked him with our dates, he may have said No or said Yes for only a weekend.

My stepson was just telling my daughter this past weekend that he has to work Mon-Weds that week because of inventory. He can come arrival day Sat and leave Sun pm, then drive back WEDS pm and stay until Sun am our departure day. I don't want to have to rearrange any of our plans to accommodate his leaving Sun pm and coming back Wed pm. I figure he is an adult and he is perfectly capably of getting on a bus to return to the resort and grabbing his car keys on his own. and then getting on a bus WEDS and meeting us at the park we're in, when he shows up.

That's not much a problem, we'd all love to have him there for anytime. But with the package...……. I'm not going to try to change anything. If he wasn't coming at all, my daughter and grandson stay in our room, and there room reservation get cancelled. I do NOT want to cancel anything. It will be most beneficial to keep things as they are so I can make FP's for ALL of us and that way if he ends up being able to be with us even one extra day, it's cool. My husband on the other hand, looks at the finance part of it only and wants to tell his son, either ALL, week and No week. I'm not gonna let that happen.

Is there anyone out there who has ever dealt with the part-time quest, someone who can only be there some of the days and how did you work it out?

 

[PixieLily]

I know the feeling. I have learned that unfortunately; no good deed goes unpunished....

 

[chaoskids]

We tend to stay 10-12 days. My son and his wife can’t stay as long this trip and are heading home four days before us. It makes planning a little harder. We usually intersperse a lot of down time but it’s harder trying to get most everything in before they leave.

It doesn’t work for everybody but if we have someone going with us that we aren’t completely sure about, we try to have enough SW points for their flight. The points go back to the account they came from if cancelled.

 

[gharter]

Trying to arrange for a large group always encounters problems.
Some years back, I took a group of 11 of us and had rooms, dining, FPs arranged.
Then one of the days 4 of them decided they wanted to drive to the beach instead for a day.
They went to the beach, the rest of us stayed and did what we planned. You can never count on it going smoothly, as somebody will decide that the previously accepted plan is not wha they want to do.
You just have to go with the flow and enjoy the time.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

Sorry this is happening, your heart was in the right place. Can you not shuffle everyone around in order to be able to cancel one of the rooms? That in itself would go a long way in lightening the $$ situation for your dh and helping you recoup some of the lost airfare. Perhaps your daughter and grandson can stay in your room when your stepson is not there and she can share the room with her aunt on the days he is there. Six people with 2 rooms is very doable. If I was getting a free vacation on you (with the exception of airfare) I certainly would not complain about sharing a room with a relative. Now that you have extended the invitation to your stepson and he has accepted it would be cruel to take it back just because he has to work some of the days. Good luck.

 

[bumbershoot]

I booked 3 rooms , a discounted package ( I got a Pin Code!!) with the tickets included for room#1 myself, DH, room #2 my sister, room 3# daughter, grandson and her boyfriend.

I’d drop the cancelled one off the reservation to get that ticket off of it.

Doesn’t sound like you have a dining package.

If he wasn't coming at all, my daughter and grandson stay in our room

Ugh no don’t do that. Grown daughters and their kids shouldn’t have to stay with parents. Let them have their own room. If stepson comes then that can be worked out.


Drop the one off the reservation. If stepson comes magical express can be worked out once you’re there, and he can buy his own ticket. I think you guys can share plans and get him onto the FP+. Dining might be harder, but if you made the ADRs for all of you that’s not an issue. If you have prepaid ones call when you know he won’t be there to drop him.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

We tend to stay 10-12 days. My son and his wife can’t stay as long this trip and are heading home four days before us. It makes planning a little harder. We usually intersperse a lot of down time but it’s harder trying to get most everything in before they leave.

It doesn’t work for everybody but if we have someone going with us that we aren’t completely sure about, we try to have enough SW points for their flight. The points go back to the account they came from if cancelled.

Good to know, THX! I recently got a SW Visa card deciding that I want those points more for traveling than I want Disney dollars- sorry Disney!
I've just changed , actually added an ADR to make sure my stepson cam join us for 50's Primetime. I'll cancel the first one when I'm positive he won't be there that day. It's a FAV of mine and I don't want him to miss out. I'm going to make all the FP's as if he will be there .

Can anyone give me any tips on cancelling HIS FP, when and if the time comes. I worry about messing up everyone else's FP. Is it easy to drop one party name on the MDE app from my phone?

 

[Anna131517]

My sister in law only came for a few days our last trip. We had gotten two adjoining rooms - one for my family and one for my in-laws. Sister in law got herself to and from the hotel and stayed in my in law’s room on their pull out couch. She got her own ticket and made her own fast passes. She got her own magic band. We called and added her to dining reservations where possible.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I know the feeling. I have learned that unfortunately; no good deed goes unpunished....

I have to look this quote up and read how it came about,
because it is TRUE!!

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

My sister in law only came for a few days our last trip. We had gotten two adjoining rooms - one for my family and one for my in-laws. Sister in law got herself to and from the hotel and stayed in my in law’s room on their pull out couch. She got her own ticket and made her own fast passes. She got her own magic band. We called and added her to dining reservations where possible.

This is what I was wondering: is it difficult for the SINGLE Guest to get a FP during the same timeframe as the GROUP? It's only 3 FP's and of course we'll do much more than that anywhere we go.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Drop the one off the reservation. If stepson comes magical express can be worked out once you’re there, and he can buy his own ticket. I think you guys can share plans and get him onto the FP+. Dining might be harder, but if you made the ADRs for all of you that’s not an issue. If you have prepaid ones call when you know he won’t be there to drop him.

Luckily, he's driving in from the coastal side of Florida. No ME needed for him. Collectively we are doing 3 ADR's, thats it!!! and he'll miss out on a Character Breakfast, oh well and I'm sure he won't care. I just added another ADR for 50's PrimeTime so he can share in that dining experience with all of us. If he really is working M-W, then the 1st 50's PT ADR will get cancelled. For sleeping, showering, dressing, the only person(s) my sis would be comfortable with is me and/or my daughter. But with my 5 year old Grandson, he could get upset if his mommy isn't with him. If I stay with my sister, then that leaves Hubby, stepson, daughter and grandson for 2 beds- NOT HAPPENING. rotflmao thinking about it.

 

[DrummerBoy523]

Good to know, THX! I recently got a SW Visa card deciding that I want those points more for traveling than I want Disney dollars- sorry Disney!
I've just changed , actually added an ADR to make sure my stepson cam join us for 50's Primetime. I'll cancel the first one when I'm positive he won't be there that day. It's a FAV of mine and I don't want him to miss out. I'm going to make all the FP's as if he will be there .

Can anyone give me any tips on cancelling HIS FP, when and if the time comes. I worry about messing up everyone else's FP. Is it easy to drop one party name on the MDE app from my phone?

If he is not coming at all (for the entire trip), then as I understand it - if you cancel his ticket - his FP+ will go away with it.
If he doesn't come that day, I am not exactly sure how to remove his FP+. then I think there is a way to cancel just his FP.

 

[Mambo Junkie]

Personally, I would book as if he were going to be there the whole time. No need to change Dining reservations if he can't make it - as long as you show up, they don't penalize you for 1 less guest. I would also make all the fps as if he was going to be there - better to have them than not. When you find out for sure he's not going to be there, you can drop his or change it to something you want to do. Maybe you want to ride something a second time. I don't see where it will cost any more money than you have put out already. If you're not going to cancel a room, or not going to get money back from SW, it really makes no difference.

 

[AngelDisney]

If he is not coming at all (for the entire trip), then as I understand it - if you cancel his ticket - his FP+ will go away with it.
If he doesn't come that day, I am not exactly sure how to remove his FP+. then I think there is a way to cancel just his FP.

To cancel fastpass, you select CANCEL, then the App allows you to select the person whose FP needs to be cancelled. Then select CONTINUE.

 

[maccagerl]

It doesn’t work for everybody but if we have someone going with us that we aren’t completely sure about, we try to have enough SW points for their flight. The points go back to the account they came from if cancelled.

Wow! I fly SW all the time and never realized that about points going back to the account. Thank You for this!!!

 

[Belle1962]

Does she have a friend who might want to come?

 

[kaytieeldr]

[QUOTE="Forevermarypoppins]
For sleeping, showering, dressing, the only person(s) my sis would be comfortable with is me and/or my daughter.
[/QUOTE]
Have you confirmed with your sister that she would be unwilling to share her room with both your daughter and your grandson?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I called SW, hoping I could get the credit for his ticket and was told NO, his name, his ticket. That sucks!! I don't want a refund, just a credit so I can fly.

I found this
"Re: "Extensions"

There actually are no such thing. Southwest won't extend any expiration dates. They can, however, offer some possible relief, granted on a case-by-case basis. Once expired, Customer Relations (not the regular number) can reissue the funds, minus a $100 per passenger/ticket fee, as a new voucher. You have 6 months from funds expiration in which to make the request, and the voucher, usable by anyone (not just the originally named passenger, as the funds were) will be valid for 6 months from date of issue. In some special cases, a CR rep may issue the voucher prior to funds expiration. Note that everything about this unpublished policy, inclusing the $100 fee, is subject to change at any time. Hope this helps." here https://www.southwestaircommunity.com/t5/Travel-Policies/Unused-Travel-Funds/td-p/48008

 

[eeyoreandtink]

I would just plan as if he is going to be there the whole time and when he can join you, great. You don't need to bother with cancelling his FP, just let them expire.

 

[mjkacmom]

Wow! I fly SW all the time and never realized that about points going back to the account. Thank You for this!!!

My sister booked flights for my 5 kids to fly out to her, when we had to cancel, only they could use the credits.