Share dining plan. Being someone not on reservation

Aubrey Breezechild Jessup

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jul 27, 2017
I just booked my trip to stay on property in the cars Family suite with deluxe dining plan in April 2018. Originally booked for me, my husband, my mother-in-law and three kids. Now my father would like to come and share the room without being on the reservation or deluxe dining plan. He doesn't really want to go into the park but would like to be at the hotel with our one year old on days it's too much for her.

* can I get a extra magic band for him to use without us so he can get food of out DDp and get in the room at the resort.

*will he be given a hard time for not being on the reservation

* my mother in has cancer and has very strict diet and doesn't really need the dining plan so we were kinda thinking she could get the most use from the tickets and my dad could have the most use on the food.
 
I had thought that once you had the plan, anyone could use the food option,like if you had an extra guest, you could 3 ts instead of two ts credits. I don't think it matters which person uses the actual food credit if you're all together as a group...right?
 
He would need to be on the reservation, and thus would have the dining plan, as well.

Are you able to do ala carte...I am not sure. Room only, add tickets. Forgo dining plan...
 
Assuming all your kids are 3 and older, he cannot share the room and therefore will not have a magic band. If one of your kids is under 3, you can have 6+1 under 3 but it will be tight. You can add him to the reservation when you get there and not add the meal plan but he would not be able to take Magic Express to the resort until he is on the reservation. You can now share the meal plan with people who are not on the meal plan (at least you could last time I checked) but I believe someone on the meal plan has to be there to access it.
I would either add him to the reservation if there is room and maybe consider downgrading the meal plan to the regular and then you can use your MIL's credits if she does not use them.
 
Quick answers to your questions:
  • No, you cannot get an extra MB for him without registering him in the room.
  • Possibly. He would NOT be able to ride Magical Express from the airport if arriving at the same time as the rest of you. If it becomes known that he is staying in the room and not registered, he and/or the whole party could be kicked off property. You may simply be required to register him at that point since there is occupancy available in your room. Nobody can guarantee how that might play out and I wouldn't want to chance it.
  • DDP credits can be shared, so in that regard no problem if he's eating with the family. However, since at times he would be eating with just your youngest I'm not sure it will work because she has no ticket/DDP credits, and if not on the reservation he wouldn't be able to access the credits either.
Since the youngest child is under age 3, you can add your father to the reservation and still be within occupancy limits. But since you have a package (room+tickets+dining), you would need to add him for the full package if you do so in advance. Alternatively, you can add him to your reservation at the front desk when you arrive, though he would not be allowed to take Magical Express with you if that was your plan; if he will be arriving after you it would work.

Alternatively, and it's far enough in advance that this shouldn't have any negative impact -- change to a room-only reservation or a room+dining (without tickets, you have to call to book this). Include dad on the reservation. Then buy the tickets separately but don't buy one for dad. He'll have access to Magical Express from the airport, access to the room, access to the dining plan credits. You may have extra DDP credits, but those can be shared and do a signature dining meal, or purchase a kids meal for the little one (would she be eating off grandpa's plate?).

Enjoy your vacation!
 


Your best bet, as others have said, is to book a room + dining package with everyone on the reservation and then buy your tickets separately so you don't have to buy your dad a ticket. You can share dining credits with people who are not on the dining plan, but someone on the dining plan has to be there to redeem the credit. Or, just book room-only, buy your tickets separately and pay for your food OOP.
 
I just booked my trip to stay on property in the cars Family suite with deluxe dining plan in April 2018. Originally booked for me, my husband, my mother-in-law and three kids. Now my father would like to come and share the room without being on the reservation or deluxe dining plan. He doesn't really want to go into the park but would like to be at the hotel with our one year old on days it's too much for her.

* can I get a extra magic band for him to use without us so he can get food of out DDp and get in the room at the resort.

*will he be given a hard time for not being on the reservation

* my mother in has cancer and has very strict diet and doesn't really need the dining plan so we were kinda thinking she could get the most use from the tickets and my dad could have the most use on the food.

Will your father really be comfortable (or your MIL) sharing one bedroom area with 3 kids? One of them is going to have to sleep on the fold down bed, one on the sofa bed, each with a kid?
 

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