Multi-room reservation - switching assigned passengers?

[Bmlors]

Here is our scenario -- we have 5 rooms booked on the Magic coming up over Thanksgiving. I booked through Costco and they assigned our room numbers at time of booking. Now that we've reviewed the layout (and figured out which rooms are connecting), I'd like to change what rooms we have assigned to our party. Additionally, our teenage/early adult kids now would like to switch room assignments to be with each other (but on the original booking, I have them in different groupings). At least one person is over age 18 in each room, so I don't think we have any restrictions due to ages. Without using the actual room numbers or names, let me try to explain with an example using just 3 of our 5 rooms:

As Booked
Room 1234: Person 1, Person 2, Person 3, Person 4
Room 1235: Person 5, Person 6
Room 1236: Person 7, Person 8

What I Want
Room 1234: Person 7, Person 2, Person 3, Person 4
Room 1235: Person 1, Person 8
Room 1236: Person 5, Person 6

From what I've read, it sounds like I can do this once we're on the boat and hopefully get it all straightened out so that room charges, MagicBand+, etc all work right. But I'm wondering if there's a way for me to do this now -- either via Costco or direct with Disney? Now that our excursion/activity booking window opened up, it's causing a bit of a headache for things like couples massages where the reservation is by room, but I don't have the right people assigned together in the same room.

Any insight would be appreciated...I know I need to call, but like to be armed with information from this forum before making the call.

 

[Sleepyluke]

The only thing I think would be an issue is if the prices have changed since booking. I am not sure if that would make a difference on anything, but maybe when moving the 3/4 people, and maybe into that $50 fee window, but Thanksgiving may be on the border of the PIF date stuff. They can swap/print new cards once on board and wouldn't matter except for time spent in line to do it. The charging would be the biggest issue that would benefit from swapping now, i think.

 

[sponica]

The thing that gives me pause is it looks like you're moving the lead guest on these rooms and I'm not sure if that would be considered a cancellation.

 

[lanejudy]

Agree with above -- you may not be able to change the lead.

That said -- if you are only looking at changes onboard for who-sleeps-where, then DCL doesn't really care and you can leave it as-is and get extra key-cards. Just set each individuals' onboard account to an appropriate credit card.

One note about the young adults and teens, ages 18-20 can be in a room together but not with a younger teen. Anyone under 18 must be booked with someone 21+ in the room. Again, you can sleep wherever.

 

[Girl of the South]

Is there any way to make this a bit easier? I assume the 4 younger folks are in 1234.

Why can't Person 5 and person 6 just stay in 1235 instead of moving them to an entirely new cabin?

Then you just need to switch Person 1 with Person 7. One switch. That would be easier I think, for Disney to deal with/approve.

As Booked
Room 1234: Person 1, Person 2, Person 3, Person 4
Room 1235: Person 5, Person 6
Room 1236: Person 7, Person 8

With one change
Room 1234: Person 7, Person 2, Person 3, Person 4
Room 1235: Person 5, Person 6
Room 1236: Person 1, Person 8

There's more to switching rooms than just a key to the room. Including life boat stations, charging, The KTTW cards have photos and financial info on them.

 

[lanejudy]

Why can't Person 5 and person 6 just stay in 1235 instead of moving them to an entirely new cabin?

Probably due to connecting staterooms, the OP wishes to have certain individuals in the connecting rooms. My guess is those 2 individuals don't need to be connected to another room.


OP -- you will need to do this through Costco as the Travel Agent, and it could get messy if DCL isn't willing to just swap names. Especially if the other 2 rooms will be involved with the changes as well. Also keep in mind if there are different CC statuses across your group, shifting folks around could "lock" a room from excursion/activity booking until a later day and/or online check-in will be done at a later date.

Are your reservations linked? That should help with excursion/activity booking across staterooms.

 

[Bmlors]

Thanks for all of the insight -- armed with this info, I contacted Costco (who proceeded to conference call in Disney). All the advice here was right on (and ultimately I was unable to change anything and will have to do it when we board). Here's a summary for anyone else in the same scenario:

1. You cannot move all the guests out of a stateroom or it is considered a cancellation.
2. One of my swaps was to put a 20 year old with other teenagers, and as noted above, this also isn't allowed until onboard.
3. I am moving around due to the connecting staterooms (i.e. which families will be connected to share bathrooms), just to answer the question by @Girl of the South.
4. I think we will be able to get it all resolved when we board, just will take a bit of time at customer service.

Lesson learned -- before finalizing with Costco (or even Disney), make sure to vet the room assignments ahead of time.

 

[Bmlors]

To answer one more question from above, I do have the reservations linked together. This definitely helps with the majority of excursions/activities. But I was getting tripped up booking a couples massage at Senses for my wife and I, as we are on two different rooms (to ensure someone 21+ is on each room). That booking looks only at individuals in the room. So I booked it with the “wrong” second person and will just update onboard.

 

[cvjw]

We were not able to switch passengers to different cabins in January on the fantasy. Guest services just gave us extra keycards for the people who were going to sleep in different cabins to use. That meant 2 of our party of 4 had to keep up with 2 keycards. Their original for charging, getting off/on the ship, etc. And their new one for opening the door to the cabin they were sleeping in. Was a pain. But we did all get free Palo and booked all activities and excursions on the same day.

 

[Bmlors]

We were not able to switch passengers to different cabins in January on the fantasy. Guest services just gave us extra keycards for the people who were going to sleep in different cabins to use. That meant 2 of our party of 4 had to keep up with 2 keycards. Their original for charging, getting off/on the ship, etc. And their new one for opening the door to the cabin they were sleeping in. Was a pain. But we did all get free Palo and booked all activities and excursions on the same day.

Ugh, I hope that doesn’t end up being the case for us, as I literally have everyone in our party of 14 in different rooms from what is currently booked. I’m less concerned about the room charges, as we can sort that out later if needed. But I do want magicbands to unlock the right doors.

 

[ljhayes]

As Booked
Room 1234: Person 1, Person 2, Person 3, Person 4
Room 1235: Person 5, Person 6
Room 1236: Person 7, Person 8

What I Want
Room 1234: Person 7, Person 2, Person 3, Person 4
Room 1235: Person 1, Person 8
Room 1236: Person 5, Person 6

You should be able to swap rooms 1235 and 1236 (as long as they're the same room category) without changing who is on the reservations. Then you'd at least have the right people connecting.

 

[ljhayes]

You should be able to swap rooms 1235 and 1236 without changing who is in the rooms. Then you'd at least have the right people connecting.

Just beware that sometimes room attendants will close the connecting doors when they clean, so don't rely on a key to 1234 to let you into 1235.

 

[auntlynne]

The biggest kink: Magic Bands.

If your group would be okay with using them for Muster Drill Check-in (I assume that is now an option) and when going on and off ship + any onboard charges and photos - BUT are willing to use a KTTW card to open the cabin door, all this tweaking should work.

Anyone without a Magic Band just always carries both assigned cabin KTTW card for checkins, ID - and the blank one that gets them into sleeping room.

Take one person from each cabin to Guest Services. Get the needed blank (but keyed) cards to assign to your party. They will be blank. Take a Sharpie and write first names / nicknames on the new cards.

Carrying two cards or one (blank) card while wearing a Magic Band should be a fairly easy fix.

Your Persons 2, 3, and 4 just use original KTTW - and/or use Magic Band. I’m guessing some of those are children.

This can work!

 

[auntlynne]

Are you doing a photo package/ packages?

 

[Bmlors]

Are you doing a photo package/ packages?

No, not planning to.

 

[auntlynne]

No, not planning to.

That makes it easier!

 

[Erica1016]

Ugh, I hope that doesn’t end up being the case for us, as I literally have everyone in our party of 14 in different rooms from what is currently booked. I’m less concerned about the room charges, as we can sort that out later if needed. But I do want magicbands to unlock the right doors.

We're cruising in December with my in-laws and would love to know if you end up being able to adjust the magic bands once on board. And if so, how you go about it. Hopefully you can update us! We currently have two rooms booked (me with his mom, him with his dad). We did this for the purpose of being able to get our placeholder discount and gold-status check-in time.

Once on board, we will sleep as couples in each room. We were told by guest services in May (on the Magic, actually) that we'd be able to go to guest services once on board and they could change his MB+. We have since also travelled on the Fantasy and got a similar, but not as confident answer. I haven't heard of any reports of people actually being successful in doing this. It's not the end of the world, but we do like using our MB+ as a room key and would like if both of ours worked on the same room! If not, my father in law will luck out and probably get to wear DH's and DH will wear mine...and I'll just use a KTTW card.

 

[lanejudy]

Ugh, I hope that doesn’t end up being the case for us, as I literally have everyone in our party of 14 in different rooms from what is currently booked. I’m less concerned about the room charges, as we can sort that out later if needed. But I do want magicbands to unlock the right doors.

Just to temper expectations -- I don't think you'll be able to adjust the MBs onboard. Most likely you will be given extra key cards to open the staterooms doors for those who are sleeping elsewhere from where they are booked. Especially the 20-yr-old and teens -- DCL requires an adult 21+ be listed on the stateroom with any minor. Also be aware everyone will need to do the muster drill based on the stateroom in which they are originally booked, not based on where they sleep.

I suggest you let the family know they may not be able to get the MBs changed officially, just so it isn't a major issue with anyone if denied onboard. If it's allowed, it can be seen as a plus.

 

[DCLMP]

Disney doesn’t care where you sleep. Is it going to mess up who pays for what? The charges will go to the room they are booked in not where they are sleeping.

 

[auntlynne]

Disney doesn’t care where you sleep. Is it going to mess up who pays for what? The charges will go to the room they are booked in not where they are sleeping.

And charges are linked to your KTTW card or Magic Band associated with your name. Always present your printed KTTW card and it should be okay. Yes?

Can you think of a charge where this isn’t the case? I don’t do extra spending, so I can’t see any problems.