ME? It's Complicated...

[SiAmCrAzY]

So I was up late trying to figure this out by myself when it occured to me to ask the experts.

I am planning a trip for myself and 3 of my friends. The reservation is currently under my name only. Why you ask? I am arriveing several days before my friends and staying several days later than they are and the CM I made my reservation with said they will charge $25 per night per person over 2 for the whole entire trip ($50 extra per night, even the 7 nights they are not there) if I add their names on now. To avoid that and only pay the extra for the nights they will be there he said I should wait untill the morning of the day they are to arrive to add them on to my reservation. This means waiting to sign them up for ME and has me and my friends worrying they may end stranded at the airport. Of course they are all on seperate flights and are flying in on 2 seperate days makeing this even more complicated should ME not be able to add them on the day of.

Has anyone ever done this before? Added people to ME at the last minute? Is this even allowed? I don't mean to second guest the CM that helped me- they were wonderfull I just want to make sure that my friends first visit to WDW starts and ends without a hitch.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated- I am sorry if I am asking a question that has allready been answered I did a search but was unable to find anything.

 

[CleveRocks]

Call back and see if someone else can provide you with better assistance.

The big problem, as you suspect, is that DME needs advance reservations ... if someone shows up to the airport, they can't get a DME ride even if they are named on the room reservation, if that person doesn't have a separate DME reservation. And they can't have a DME reservation if they don't already have a resort reservation.

Head spinning yet???

 

[seashoreCM]

Normally you need to make the DME reservation 2 days in advance, or in unusual cases one day in advance.

Ask about how to deal with roommates going home early. The idea is, if you have to pay for extra persons to bein with, you then get a reduction or refund for when they leave.

 

[clkelley]

Absolute worse case scenario, they arrive and they don't have a DME reservation.

They go to the MEARS desk right next to DME. Pay the Mears desk $20, then ask where to board. They will be put on a DME bus.

Will they be checking bags??? That adds another dimension to the whole thing.

 

[clkelley]

Another option.

Add them for the whole time, and pay the fee. Book DME for EVERYONE with your flight times.

Then when YOU arrive at the DME desk at MCO, revise their arrival times and flight numbers to the correct flight numbers and dates.

Then once they arrive, talk to the front desk and have the charges removed for the days they are not there.

Then once they leave, make sure the front desk removes them from the reservation.

Also, double check your bill that you receive upon checkout, and make sure the extra adult charges are correct. If not, contact the billing phone number on the bill and correct it with them.

I had this happen once. I added extra guests at checkin (DME not involved), then when I got my bill, it showed the extra adult charges for the entire 14 days. My extra guests departed after 7 days. I just told them when my extra guests left and they took off the extra charges.

Your last and final solution, (especially if this is all room only), is to have separate continuing reservations for the days when you have more than two guests. You won't have to change rooms, but just get new room keys.

The front desk can do many things that CRO cannot

 

[kaytieeldr]

Other option, especially room-only: add ONE friend to reservation NOW. Each room holds two adults for the same basic room charge. Make that friend's DME reservation now as well. When you get your Magical Express packet, call and request two additional luggage tags. Give one luggage tag to each friend, with instructions how to attach (found on back of tag).

On arrival, add the second friend to your room reservation. You should only have to pay the third adult fee the nights that friend is there. You may get some pixie dust (but not if you ask for it, you need to let it happen, or not). Ask how to get that friend a Magical Express reservation. Worst case, that friend will - as clkelly states above - have to walk up to the Mears counter at the airport and pay about $19 for a one way trip to your resort.

Since you've already gotten some wrong information on the phone - mind if we ask where you're staying?

 

[SiAmCrAzY]

Thank you everyone!

We are staying at the Beach Club

Clkelley- Thank you for the information about MEARS, at least now we have a back up plan

Kaytieeldr- Thank you, I think I will take your advice and call tommorow and add one of my girlfriends to my reservation. Then when I check in I will ask the front desk If I can add the other 2 on when they arrive and remove them when they depart. I am not hopeing for pixie dust (I have had more than my share) I am just happy to know that even if I can't get them added to ME they will still get the same experience through MEARS. I arrive 2 days before them so I am gonna keep my fingers crossed that we may be able to get ME for them.

My husband is trying to convince me that the best solution is to shave a few days off of my trip and come home early.
I am giving this some serious thought