Magical Gatherings is a Disney Myth

[Jake & Crew]

Any suggestions on this one? Feb 18-25 we have 5 rooms at the WL for our grand gathering of 14. I originally booked through WDW at $2550 per room for the week. My dad, the official leader of the group, rebooked through an agent for the AAA room only rate of $2481 ( saving $79 per room.) The agent just told us we can not do the DDP with the AAA rate ( which I suspected, but who am I to question Dad? ) So as it stands we keep the rate we have or we change to the DIS package at $3883 per room including 7day park hoppers( retail $496) and the dining for 2 adults per room (retail $546). Difference is $310 per room for the week.

My husband and I are willing to pay that difference ( we also have 2 kids so really wanted the DDP), however that difference would be applied to every room in our party and only 3 out of 5 rooms are super interested in the dining plan. The agent says every room has to have the same ~ Disney said every one in the same room has to have the same thing when I originally booked in August. So if my two of my siblings do not care about the dining, how can ask them to pay an extra $310 even if they do not have to have the dining?It is not worth going as a group, everyone should have done their own thing.

My dad is upset because he does not understand why we can not get the ddp ( but not upset enough ~ nor should he be ~ to pay an extra $1550 in rooms). Any suggestions?
Anyone had this before? Not easy to travel in a large group, you would think for the money Disney is generating from this family for one week they could be better about this. I understand about rack rates, but it is really starting the trip off on a sour note, especially for my poor dad.

 

[Scratch42]

Ask yourself, who is paying for the meals? If dear Dad is for everybody, then maybe it would be worth the extra expense for the DDP.

Where do you all plan to eat, as a group, then maybe, yes worth the DDP.

There are many factors to consider but if you are planning on at least one TS per day, well worth it!

j

 

[InstImpres]

Sorry to say you have an uninformed TA. AAA (when booked with them directly) offers "room only" or packages which can include dining. The beauty of Mgical Gatherings is that you can all be at different resorts for dates that overlap but are not identical and on the plan that suites you. I would call and ask for a supervisor.

 

[blsx3]

there is an added cost $40/day per adult for the DDP.....since it wasn't originally added to your reservation you need to pay for it....

you can add it on to your tix either before you go or when you get to the resort, but i would call the wdw with your reservation # and find out what's going on....then i would call your TA and stink it up a bit to see what other discounts are available....keep calling and checking about 2 days before you leave,,,i would once/week, to see if there are any other discounts/specials that they are running...

if you booked before december 16, 2006 they were offering free park hopper/free water park and more (includes pleasure island and disney quest), and a couple of other perks,,,it saved me about $400.00 but i was told it could not be used with AAA discount,,,,always shope around with different travel agents, including calling walt disney travel, to see what is out there as far as discounts....

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

Sorry to say you have an uninformed TA. AAA (when booked with them directly) offers "room only" or packages which can include dining. The beauty of Mgical Gatherings is that you can all be at different resorts for dates that overlap but are not identical and on the plan that suites you. I would call and ask for a supervisor.

I ditto this. Our original plan was a grand gathering (it has since changed). We had two families at Fort Wilderness, room only ressies, no dining plan, tickets purchased through ticketmania. A third family in a value, no DDP, tickets purchased through Disney. Fourth, my parents in a deluxe for just three nights of the vacation, with DDP and tickets.

It didn't matter. Disney still linked us as a Grand Gathering. Oh, and the room only ressies for FW, one was a AAA rate, one was not.

 

[jcemom]

We just did a Grand Gathering in October. Your TA is misinformed (not a surprise considering it's AAA).

 

[Minnie&Nana]

... but i would call the wdw with your reservation # and find out what's going on....then i would call your TA and stink it up a bit to see what other discounts are available..

Unfortunately, if booked with a TA it is a different reservation number and Disney cannot/will not help in any way. It all must go through the TA. Would definitely speak with the TA's manger and get this straightended out. The TA is either very mis-informed or does not want to bother finding the correct info.

Sure hope this gets cleared up! Good luck!!

 

[MinnieGi]

Its a shame you all booked together as a group if not everyone wanted the DDP. For a grand gathering you do not have to be booked together or even at the same resort to qualify. Could everybody rebook again now depending on wether they want DDP? So for rooms that do not want it they could keep the AAA room rate and the others could move to a Disney package.

Good luck!

 

[Jake & Crew]

Yes the TA, while very nice, is not very informed. I originally booked the rooms in Aug through Disney ($2550), Dad went to a TA and got a reduced rate of $2481. He was happy, I was not certain, but he was Dad and it was his trip and TA, who was I to question. I am learning there are ways to have both, not the way these rooms were rebooked though.

TA was told by Disney on Friday that each person has to pay an additional ( on top of there 5 or 7 day passes) one day pass for $71 and we can add the ddp. Well 13x $71 ( my niece is under 3) was enough for dear Dad. He now is working directly with Disney ( exec) and we will see where we go from here.

He was making progress on Friday but the 5pm bell rang, so we will see what they come back with in the next few business days. Will keep you posted.

 

[jcemom]

I hope they are able to come up with something satisfactory for you!!

 

[welovedisney7778]

We took a trip as a "grand Gathering" last January, and we'll never do it again. Even though I was the one who called and made all the reservations, they somehow had someone else listed as the "official coordinator" and when I called back they wouldn't let me make any changes...it was a mess. They couldn't get it straight who was in what room with who, and there were only 9 of us in 3 rooms! Plus, whenever I called they would have to transfer me to someone trained in grand gatherings, so I'd sit on hold forever. We all went down again in August, everyone handled their own ressies, and it was so much easier. Never again.....

 

[MEK]

I think you need to start over. I think its true that if you have an AAA room only rate and seperate tickets, it does not consitute a package. You need a "package" to be able to purchase the dining plan. If you purchase the package through AAA you can add the dining plan. In fact, you can only purchase this "poackage" through AAA.

I am not sure what that does to your grand gathering status. You would have to call a reliable AAA travel agent and inquire about booking a grand gathering with the AAA packages. That might be tricky.

A grand gathering may only be able to be booked through Disney. That may be the problem. I would call an AAA agent and ask. The Mid atlantic AAA internet fulfillment center number is 888/203-6348. I use the agent at extension 2. I don't know if she has experience with grand gatherings, but I am sure she or a coworker could find out. I wonder if the two things are mutually exclusive.

Good luck!

 

[disneymom06]

OUr family of 6 is going to Disney and two relatives want to come along. Total 8, which meant that now we were a grand gathering. I said no, we are just going to Disney. The Disney CM said that it didn't matter, it was just Disney's way of trying to keep our rooms close together. No price increase, and we were eligible to attend an Illuminations Dinner,(we pay for that!!).

This was all done with AAA rate room only reservations. When I asked about discounts on packages, the CM stated that I would have to speak to AAA to book that BUT that it could be done.

I told AAA what I wanted and I knew the prices. It worked for me because I basically told the agent about the prices I had already been quoted. She did have to go back to her computer a few times but in the end I got 2 rooms, for 8 nights at CS with tickets and the DDP for $500 less than what Disney quoted. We are still condidered a grand gathering.

I think that to get the best available price, you really have to do your homework.

 

[ga9497]

A grand gathering may only be able to be booked through Disney.
Good luck!

This is untrue, any travel agent can book a grand gathering but it does have to be booked through Disney and not through a third party, say American Airlines vacation packages.

 

[nin8jc]

Went last April my family of 5 booked thru AAA added DDP and my cousin's family of 4 booked thru Disney and we had a Grand Gathering # w/ no problem. Be persistent and if that agent doesn't know how to deal w/ it ask for someone else in that office that does to help you out.

 

[SueEllen]

Just to add a bit to what has been posted here, just because you have a grand gathering all rooms do not have to be booked the same.

For instance, some of you can book a package (with dining) and some can be on a room only reservation. The grand gathering just links the reservations together for location at the resort and any special events you may wish to book.

I can tell you that to book the dining plan (as I'm sure you are finding out) that you must book a package stay, not a room only option, so tickets must be part of the package.
If the TA is not a AAA agent then you cannot have the AAA discount and package offer together because Disney does not offer direct AAA rates on their packages. You would either be able to book a AAA discount on the room (thus not being able to book the package with dining) or you would have to book the current rates offered on a package (if you want the dining plan.)

Everyone in the same room must be on the same package (i.e. on the same reservation ID) but each separate reservation can have a different reservation type (and different resort for that matter if you wish.)
That grand gathering ID does not limit your resort choice or your package/room reservation to the same thing everyone else on the gathering has, but each person on the same reservation ID/room must be on the same package or room stay.

I hope I did not confuse you.
Sue Ellen

 

[Jake & Crew]

Sue Ellen

You did not confuse me ..... I am a mom who gets her brain exercised every day by the why questions of a preschooler !!!

Thank to all posters, just want to let you know where I stand on all this.

I understand we in each room have to be on the same plan ( which is not what our last CM at Dis said so I knew we needed to keep asking!) Also knew the package vs the room only change that was made was the problem, the bigger problem is talk to a different person get a different answer so the remedy change one room to package and pay more would not work. Also my father was being penalized for a mistake that his TA made ( she is not with AAA so she should not have been allowed to book the rate without the Disney quoting the policy), which ordinarily I would say well our mistake but bringing 15K into the resort in just rooms and having a policy that his misquoted eevery step, not to mention now we find out on these boards mind you, not by Disney, that our pool and kiddie pool will be closed during our whole stay (which happens to be a busy week - Presidents week )....well lets just say I am glad Dad is pursuing this.

More than the $ is the shadow it is casting on the trip, this is all suppposed to be pure magic....this is my mothers birthday trip and with the personal year my family has put in we all are so in need of this special time.

I do have one bone to pick with Dis Reservations, when discount rooms are booked they should inform the TA or customer if that has any impliactions on their vacation, you know how we have to ask if they have a discount rate for say a tour.....well I get that but I do not get that only Disney ( and very informed people here) know all the fine print. A simple, "By booking this room at a AAA discount you will be ineligible for the DDP" would have put the burden on the customer.

This is Disneys business they do it every day, the guests have so much to consider ( when to go, where to stay, the airlines) just a simple policy and procedure reference tool would be helpful. It should not be a fulltime job to book a vacation. If you book a cruise you get all the info either via the website or in the mail. Heck if you sign up for some of those make simple meals at our store deals you check off the I agree to the policies part, why in this $30K ( airfare, passes etc) is the assumed the customer knows all the ins/outs of a very tricky business. If Disney were simple, half of the threads on this board would disappear!

The point about grand gatherings is it is a marketing myth.......what do you get for bringing more than 8 people, a different phone number with less informed reservationists and the right to buy more things( special cruises etc).

Many of you agreed to this point in your posts.

Said my piece, off my soap box.

Okay I am ready for the pixie dust, going back to being the positive gal I like to be

 

[kidsister]

So you asked for advice: here it is.

Do this and it will save you not the little bucks but really big bucks.
Go over to the DVC Rental board and rent some studio untis or 1 or 2 bedrooms at the WL for @$10 per point. So a studio room would cost you about $120 a night. You can add the DDP to that or not, as you prefer. You can take ME or not, as you prefer. If a group of you want a 1 or 2 bedroom, you can do that instead. ANd save yourself a BUNDLE, which I suggest you send a 25% referral to ME...LOL!

The studios are ever so much nicer than a hotel room, and you can make breakfasts, coffee toast etc in the room, store leftovers from those on the DDP etc. And you will enjyo the extra room.

And yes, DVC members get to book Grand Gatherings too!

Yes, I 'm a DVC owner, no, I don't rent points (just don't have enough) but I think Greenban might have some points that he'd be willing to rent, or you could just book wiith different owners.

Good luck! Save money! Have a magical time!

 

[Jake & Crew]

Sounds great, and may be I will give it a whirl in the ( later ) am.....

but what are my chances of finding 5 studios for a trip that is in less than 40 days and during a peak time

 

[pickles]

The point about grand gatherings is it is a marketing myth.......what do you get for bringing more than 8 people, a different phone number with less informed reservationists and the right to buy more things( special cruises etc).

Many of you agreed to this point in your posts.

Said my piece, off my soap box.

Okay I am ready for the pixie dust, going back to being the positive gal I like to be

Well, you have come to the conclusion I have
For a grand gathering you can get..tshirts with your names on them..course, those are $20 each extra
You can get the choice to try one of their package deals like seeing a private AKL safari. going out ona wishes boat etc...most those deals seem to cost about $50 extra a person..
You get to wait on hold for your grandgather cm to book a adr for you(only at certain events tho, a reg cm can book the others, however never should the 2 meet)
Grand gathering I think is Disneys way of gathering extra money..just no one realized what they meant by that

If you get something for free/included in your grand gathering let me know as my family qualifies for one on our next trip