Other Guest Bedroom Question(s)

[Gruff320]

Ok, so I have reservations made by a friend who is a CM using his Other Guest Bedroom discount. We are staying at POR in September for two nights. It's a room only reservation. I'm new to posting to the boards and I've done a few searches for information regarding My Other Guest Bedroom to no avail so thought I'd ask a couple questions regarding my resort reservations. I hope I'm posting to the correct board. I've been reading about the May 9th Free Dining for September dates information and it got me thinking...


1. If they DO offer Room Only discounts to the general public for September to coincide with the Free Dining offers as many predict, do the CM Room Only discounts usually deepen as well?

2. If they do give bigger discounts to CMs when they offer discounts to standard packages, do the same rules apply in calling CRO (is it still called that?) and asking to apply the newer discounts to our existing reservation? If so, does the CM have to call or can we do it since the actual reservation is in our name?

3. I've read that, unlike standard vacation packages, with room only reservations, you pay your deposit at time of booking and then pay the rest when you arrive. Can you pay early like you do with a standard package or do you actually have to wait until check in to pay since they are waiting for the CM to show their ID within 10 days of check in to keep the discount? UPDATE: Read a post that said yes to this one... I just have to call and make a payment.


My last question is in regards to the Dining Plan so it's off-topic for this board, but I'll throw it in just in case. I can repost it in the appropriate thread if I need to:

At the time of my reservations, they only had CM discount for the Dining Plan posted through May. If the prices stay the same/similar for September, it won't be worth it for us (he isn't staying in the room with us, so it's the higher price of the two CM Discounts). We are only doing Crystal Palace Bfst and Via Napoli Lunch the next day with random quick service for our other meals so I don't think we'd really save $. I think the CM Dining plan with CM NOT staying in the room was $43/person; That's about what we'd spend OOP: $30 TS meal and a $13 QS meal.

So, am I doing the math right in regards to the Dining Plan? Please feel free to let me know if I am wrong, I'd love to get a dining plan if it saved us $!



I LOVE the idea of MyMagic+ and hoping it's up and running in Sept, even if it's just the cards. I like the "all-in-one" card/wristband thing. We are even getting a photopass+ package (Hmmm, I wonder if there is a CM discount on those? LOL)

Sorry for the long post, my friend is not at WDW at the moment, he's out of town a few weeks dealing with a family emergency or I'd ask him to research this stuff. I just don't wanna bug him with vacation questions while he's dealing with the family situation.

Thanks in advance if you've read this far!

 

[baler31]

Typically,other guest discounts are always the same. I have seen fluctuations for the CM discount where the CM is staying in the room (as high as 60%). You will not be able to combine use of another promotion in conjunction with the other guest bedroom rate.

You will need to determine if any GP discount or free dining promotion would work better for your stay. I have never tried to call about my OGB rate, I have always had them call to make any changes. Sometimes the Dining Plan is not even offered at a discounted rate to CM's depening on other promotions and holidays so I would say pricing would generally be the same but that is more of an assumption based on my past bookings.

 

[Gruff320]

Great! Thanks so much for the insight! We are already getting a great deal and I don't expect it to get deeper, but thought I'd ask since I don't have a lot of experience with OGB. I don't even think I used it for friends/family when I still worked there.

He (the CM) did mention the price difference if he stays in the room with us vs. if he doesn't. It doesn't make a huge difference in price, at least with the quotes he gave me, because, although you do get the deeper discount with the CM in the room, you add another person to the reservation. It actually went up a little with 3 in the room incl. CM but at the bigger discount vs. 2 in the room with no CM staying.

The dining plan WAS quite a better deal, though, with the CM staying in the room, however, so we'll have to see if they extend the CM Other Guest Bedroom dining plan offer past May as you mentioned. Maybe they will with the predicted Free Dining for MYW package deals in Sept...

Much appreciated!!

 

[TXGRMAMA]

The dining plan WAS quite a better deal, though, with the CM staying in the room, however, so we'll have to see if they extend the CM Other Guest Bedroom dining plan offer past May as you mentioned. Maybe they will with the predicted Free Dining for MYW package deals in Sept...

Much appreciated!!

Traditionally, they do NOT even offer the CM discount for Dining in any time period where there is free dining going on. It just does not make financial sense for the WDW. Frequently, cast members cannot even use their own discount for meals in the restaurants during a free dining period because there are few openings and those are saved for full price dining guests.

 

[baler31]

Traditionally, they do NOT even offer the CM discount for Dining in any time period where there is free dining going on. It just does not make financial sense for the WDW. Frequently, cast members cannot even use their own discount for meals in the restaurants during a free dining period because there are few openings and those are saved for full price dining guests.

This +1. We have used our TIW for our niece when she was unable to use her CM discount.

 

[Gruff320]

Ahhh, good to know! Thanks for the info!!