I was over at my brothers house the other day and I am planning on getting him, his wife and two kids to Disney world. (Ya I will get the three oldest in for free so they just have to pay for the boy.) But since they got asking me I have a few tougher questions about discounts that I am wondering if anyone can answer. 1: I hear people say you get up to 50% off on a hotel, but what is the lowest. It would suck to make them think it is less money and suddonly be like... well now you have no money for food while your there. They are planning to go in April 2009 if that helps anyone get an idea on how much off it is. (Also as far as I know I wont be staying with them. So I am looking into what kind of discount I can get without me staying.) 2: Do we get discounts on food vouchers? They were wondering about that, and wondering if they could get a package - the tickets. I dont think we get discounts on packages but maybe someone can prove me wrong there. But what about food vouchers? 3: Slightly off. Something I am kind of wondering myself. How easy is it to get to know the characters? Mainly Captian Jack and Cinderella. Forgive me I have not been in years. My memory is fuzzy and infact last time I went down I dont remember seeing either, I dont think they had Captian Jack Sparrow last time I was there. Are they of the College program? My I am takeing the kids down right between their birthdays it is sort of my birthday present. My nephew LOVES Captian Jack Sparrow, and my neice of course loves Cinderella. How easy is if for a CRP cast member to talk to them before hand and maybe tell them the kids names and have a little magical moment for them. I know if they were to hear their names as if these people know them would probbly be the greatest moment of their lives. So just wondering about that for my own knowlage. I think that is it for now that they are wondering. They just sort of need to start thinking of numbers to save for. Sorry if these are already answered somewhere. I got myself a tooth ach and cant think of much else but how anoying it is. LOL.
Nikki, I can answer a few of your questions - a Cast Member will know more, but my son has booked 5 different hotels on property over the last 2 years for me. He stayed with me all of the times but 1. I have never booked a room in April - but each of my experiences has been the same. I have always had 50% off of the room when he stayed with me in it - never more and never less. The discount for the room when he was not staying in it was 40% off. I have heard, but only on this forum, of other deals you can get as a Cast Member for the hotels but have never been fortunate enough to take advantage of them. I imagine these specials just come up on the Hub and if you are quick enough to snap them up at the right time then you are lucky. I think if you plan on the 40% off for their room, if you are not staying with them then it will be pretty close to what you will get when you book their room. Close enough for budgeting for the trip anyway. This price might work out to be the same as it would be if you were actually going to stay in the hotel with them to get the 50% off since Disney charges you a fee per night for the extra adult in the room. If you are not staying with them you will not be able to take advantage of the extra magic hours in the AM or PM when or if they do. Plus they would not be able to go early in the mornings for this advantage since you couldn't. You have to go through the gate with them when you gain them entry. They will only get a one day hopper pass every time you go through the gate with them - so if they want to go for 4 days then you have to go to the gate with them each day they go and they will receive their hopper as you go through. If you are staying in the room with them, then you will have a resort key and you could go to the extra magic hours. If its Easter holidays that they are planning on for April of 2009 then I'm not sure if all of these discounts apply - I have never tried to go during a major holiday time and I don't know what the rules are. I have heard though, that at certain big holiday times, the Cast Member discounts do not work or are blacked out over that time period. Maybe somebody else knows what happens over Easter time. As far as the food specials - I know there was a deal for the meal plan for the Cast Members this year when I went in January. It was really good too - I think something like 40 or 50% off the meal plan but we didn't realize it and didn't actually try to book it until it was too late because it didn't become available until quite some time after we initially booked the room. The Cast Member had to stay in the room for everyone to get the deal. You have to buy it at least a certain amount of days before the reservation date starts. The meal plan is a great thing - expecially with a discount but I have never used it. You can book it with the reservation though but most of the time you pay the regular rate. They can use your food discount too at certain food stands and the restaurants but you have to be there and you actually have to pay for the meal - or whatever they are buying. Same thing goes for the merchandise discount. If they want the discount, you will have to buy whatever they want. So if you are working some of the days while they are there then it will be difficult for them to get into the park when they would like or use your food discounts. You will be able to buy the hopper pass (with a discount) for the one person that you can't get in. I think its only a 10% or maybe a 20% discount but still it will be a bit less for them than regular price. I think you have to go to Cast Connections for this but you'll find out when you get there how it is all done. As far as the characters go I am not sure how easy it is to get to know them when you're working at the pavilions in Epcot. My son knew a few "friends of" different characters when he worked attractions but I don't know if he knows any this time. Living in the commons is strictly for the pavilions, at least right now and you wouldn't work with any character performers in the Canada pavilion so it might be a bit hard to meet people in those roles. If you ever meet someone and they say that they are "a friend of Mickey Mouse" - that means they ARE Mickey Mouse. Hopefully somebody else will also make a comment on your questions. I hope your tooth ache is gone now too!
Cinderella its pretty easy....most of the princesses live at chatham or vista¡¡¡ jack sparrow thought i have never heard or known someone who portrays that character and is on the college program¡¡¡ (I think Jack is hired as an actor rather than a face charcter....wich for payroll and disney its completly different)
Mom-eh: Awesome info there. Ok I will pass on the info to them. I might see about getting a cot in the room and staying with them then. I wont be able to take the week off but it saves me taking the trip to see them then trip to the park, take them in then head to work. Only reason being is I got two groups in a row. People are too fussy and don't want to go in the summer. So I got them, then I have my friends only a week later who I will have to have the week off to be with. So not sure if they would want me doing that. But staying with my brother and them does make more sense and make it easier for me. (And for them.) Thanks so much. (Tooth is feeling fine, now it is my sunburn. Working all day in the sun. Oh well it was worth it. I had an awesome weekend at work so I don't mind it much.) Mauro and Mom-eh: Thanks for the info on the characters. I guess we will have to wait and see. Good to know princesses are easier to find. I guess I should have known that. I know a few people "Friends of" a few of the costumed characters. So surely it is possible. LOL. Was not thinking. Thanks a lot both. You helped a lot as I can help give them an idea what to expect and hopefully ease their worries about how disorganized I seem to be over planning their vacation before I get there. LOL.
Mom-eh, just wondered if you could help me. I will be booking a room for my parents when they come to collect me next year. How far in advance can you book the rooms? and also since there is a limit of rooms you can book, is there also a limit of how long you use the room for, since I will be booking it for a 2 week stay. Also, do I still have to be in the program while my parents are staying at the resort? I'm guessing so. Thanks!
Yes, there is a limit for how long you use the room - for a two week stay you will have to do two separate bookings. You can only reserve with your ID for 7 nights. I have stayed for two weeks before as well. Each time I moved from one hotel to the other for my second week. I have heard you don't have to do this - but you still might have to move to a different room if you choose to make both of the bookings in the same hotel, there's no guarantee's that you can stay in the same room. I just thought if I had to move I might as well check out a different hotel. Its really no problem doing this except the time factor on your end to do the separate bookings. You need to show your ID at the hotel before the reservation starts - l think its up to 10 days before the reservation. If you don't go and do this then when your family checks in they will be charged full rate and will not get your discount. The days that I arrived I used the Magical Express from the Airport - my son was not with me when I checked in and they did not ask for him to show his ID for me, I was able to check in without him because he had showed his ID to them a few days ahead BUT each time he moved and stayed at the hotel with me - when he checked in he had to show his ID. As long as your parents arrive before you are finished your program you will have your ID to show at the front desk. You could then stay in the room with them after your program finished without being asked for your ID. I'm not sure how it would work for the second week reservation - I think maybe if you stayed in the same hotel and had already given your ID that you could get away with it. My son is at the end of his program - he just had to hand in his ID today at 11 AM. His finish date was June 28 but he had to be out of the Commons today! He has been staying in a hotel for the last 2 nights and will be staying for another night while he doesn't have an ID. So I think if you planned on starting the two week stay just a few days before you were finished your program it would be alright. As far as how far in advance you can book your hotel - it depends - I'm not sure how they do it but last August my son began trying to book rooms for us for a visit the following January - the Hub would not allow him to book so he called the Cast reservations number - they told him he would not be able to make a reservation for a few months. His managers at work told him he could not book a room for any time in 2008 until the first week in December. We were a little paniced because it would be less than two months before our arrival but he managed to get on the Hub the first day that he was allowed to book the rooms and we got everything we requested. We did want to stay in the deluxe resorts though and those are usually available and open for booking longer than the moderate or value resorts. The other times that I have stayed in Orlando we have booked three months in advance - the value resorts were gone and the moderate resorts didn't have a lot of selection left for hotels but there were a few left and there were some choices in the deluxe hotels as well. Those times I didn't get to stay in the hotel I wanted but I did get the level that I wanted and the hotels were fine anyway - we would have booked sooner but my son started in June and I wanted to visit at the end of September. So after all of that rambling I really haven't told you how soon you can book the room because my experiences have been different. I know that the one time we tried to book (last fall) it was 5 months ahead and it wouldn't let him do it until about 6 weeks ahead. I think if you try as soon as you have their dates it will hopefully let you. If it won't try to make a call and find out the day they will begin taking the booking from CM's for that time and hopefully you will be able to access the Hub that day. Make sure you have lots of choices in the level of hotel they would like to stay in and maybe some choices in the other levels as well because sometimes you can't get a room in the one you were planning on. Each time my son booked for me I was also on MSN waiting for him to tell me my choices and ask any questions to me that might come up. It worked really good that way for us. My younger son flew down to Orlando Tuesday to help with the moving out process and the 5 to 6 day drive home (we're from Canada). We booked his room only maybe 3 weeks ahead. There were no value resorts available and only 2 resorts left with rooms in the moderate level - The Caribbean Beach Resort is the one he picked. My son has had a his car there this whole year and last Sunday he had a car accident and totalled his car. Him and his friends are OK but we now have to rent a car for him to drive home. It was very hard to find a place that would rent a car for a one way trip this time of year. I found it harder to find a car rental place than it was to get a Disney hotel booked. We ended up being able to hire a car from Avis but they had to go to the airport to pick it up - they weren't allowed to get a car from the WDW resort area. The car can not be returned in Canada so I will be driving down to the United States to pick them up where they can return the rental car. So for anyone wanting to rent a vehicle and return it in a different city - if it is a busy time of year and you are having trouble finding a rental place that will do it - call Avis, you might have to go to the Airport to pick up the car but at least they'll hire you one. Sorry that was a bit off topic but I was trying to say - it was harder to get the car rental than it was to get the hotel room at short notice. I hope that information helps you a bit BriarRose. Just try as soon as you know your dates and go from there! Oh and just to add to that - as far as the limit on amount of reservations you can make - if you are staying in the rooms there is no limit on the reservations that you can make. There is, however, a limit on rooms that you will not be staying in - I think it is limited to 6 reservations per calendar year - so you would have 6 of those in 2008 and 6 in 2009 (but only limited if you aren't staying in the room).
Thanks for the great info, sorry to hear about the car accident, I'm glad he is ok. We don't mind resort hopping, so I guess I will book one week for my parents with my ID, my Dad wants me to book the Polynesian for my mum as a surprise (if its available!) and the second week I will be staying with them but we will probably end up paying full price for the 2nd week, don't want to risk anything since I wont have my ID anymore by then. I worked in a Disney Store for a couple of years and it sounds like the discount is very similar to that. I had to wait 6 weeks before my stay before I could book a hotel at Disneyland Paris or WDW and I had to take what hotel was available, couldn't choose! But I will see if I can book it as soon as poss when I know the dates. Thanx again for the help!
I have stayed at the Polynesian twice - you Mom will LOVE it!! I also find it so convenient because you can take the boats or the monorail to Magic Kingdom. Its also nice because of the convenience of the monorail and the ttc (ticket and transportation center) right beside the property! You might get away with the discount on the second week too - you could show your ID for the second booking 10 days ahead of when the reservation starts. If your parents check into the hotel without you, they will not ask them for ID. Not sure if it would work but you might get away with it. Do try to book sooner than 6 weeks before though because we have been lucky enough to book 3 months ahead before as well. Oh you are going to have such a great year - I'm excited for you!
Thanks! Yes the Poly looks amazing! We wouldn't be able to afford it for a whole week normally, but I will definitely be taking advantage of these discounts! ;D
Sorry I know this has been asked before but how many people are you allowed to get into the park for free at one time with you and how many times are you allowed to get them in?
You're allowed to let 3 people in 12 times during a calendar year This means that most people would be able to let people inn to the parks 24 times a year, depending on when they arrive
ok thanks and i think i remember reading somewhere that if you don't use all the times for those ppl then the free entries don't "roll over" to the next year or anything right?
No it doesn't, but a friend of mine says that it's possible to go to celebration and collect the tickets you have left on the card. I haven't tried it though...
Hi aswell as the free entry for friends and family 12 times a year can u get discout on park tickets too??? Thanks xxx
woo good news sorry to be a pain what percentage is it??i have lots of not so rich friends at the minute lol!!! thanks again xx
Hey guys Id love to know if I can get discounts on tickets for people, when im not using my free ones. Im actually going down early and am hoping one of my lovely canadain friends can get me a discount on my ticket before i start. So if anyone knows how much that would be great!
