Linking Reservations and Dining??

[kevmag]

If this is not the correct forum, my apologies...

We are going to WDW in late September, and are moving twice while there. So we have 3 distinct reservation numbers. We are roughly at the 180 day mark now (from the first reservation). My questions..

1. I've read on here about 'linking' reservations but (newbie!!), I don't know the advantages of doing that, or even how.
2. Can you make dining reservations at the 180 day mark for ALL of your reservations (or is that the whole reason for linking them)?

Thanks for any info.

 

[Chuck S]

True reservation "linking" can currently only be done if you are not changing room types or resorts. After the reservation system enhancements are completed later this year, reservations for your entire stay will be listed under one master reservation/itinerary number. For now, call Member Services to make your dining reservations, and they might be able to make them for your entire trip, you can not do so online, as the reservations will not be truly linked.

 

[Corwin]

True reservation "linking" can currently only be done if you are not changing room types or resorts. After the reservation system enhancements are completed later this year, reservations for your entire stay will be listed under one master reservation/itinerary number. For now, call Member Services to make your dining reservations, and they might be able to make them for your entire trip, you can not do so online, as the reservations will not be truly linked.

I'm confused by this response. Why do you need to "link" your reservations, anyway?

Last month, we did a trip that consisted of: 3 nights at the Poly, 4 night Disney Wonder cruise, followed by 3 nights at AKV. The trip consisted of three separate reservations.

I made ADRs for my whole trip all at once (before and after the cruise) that were linked to my telephone number.

However...I just remembered that I made my ADRs on the day that Disney switched back to 180-day reservations (in October 2009), so all of my ADR dates were already within 180 days of when I made the reservations. If I tried to do the same thing for our next trip (in 2011) exactly 180 days prior to our first room reservation, will they not let me make ADRs up to ten days beyond 180 days because the first reservation is only for 3 nights?

 

[Chuck S]

However...I just remembered that I made my ADRs on the day that Disney switched back to 180-day reservations (in October 2009), so all of my ADR dates were already within 180 days of when I made the reservations. If I tried to do the same thing for our next trip (in 2011) exactly 180 days prior to our first room reservation, will they not let me make ADRs up to ten days beyond 180 days because the first reservation is only for 3 nights?

Exactly, currently the Dining program does not see linked reservations, it would see a 3 night reservation, with a check-out date. But, for most reservatin, it is not necessary to reserve right at the 180 day mark, only the most popular character meals (and maybe LeCellier) fill up that early.

 

[mdinme]

Linking tends to be important to people that have one or more separate rez's but at the same resort and in the same room type.

Example: We booked four nights at BWV. A month later we added one night at the start of the the trip. We did not want to check in for one night then check out then back in to the same resort. Linking them makes it so we have one uninterrupted five day stay in the same room at BWV. We also have dining for the whole stay.

If you're doing 3 nights at AKV followed by 3 at OKW there's no reason to link since you have to move anyhow. Linking ADR's is a different matter, and a bit simpler.