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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

The Up's and Down's of booking a Disney Vacation

I've been working on my fall Disney trip for the last few months. Deciding where I am going to stay, making reservations, making dining reservations, watching videos, etc.

This year there will be five of us my mom, my husband, my 2 kids, and myself. Because of the amount of people I automatically counted out moderate resorts. I wasn't going to pay for 2 moderate rooms and the only resort that holds 5, I think would be cramped with 3 adults and 1 child that's the size of an adult. I narrowed it down to a deluxe resort, deluxe villa, Art of Animation suite, or 2 value rooms. I decided to go with deluxe, since I have never stayed at one before.  

My dream has always been Beach Club Resort since the first time I laid eyes on it. What's not to love, it's right next to my favorite park, Epcot. Everyone was OK with the choice, especially Eve because she wants to swim in a sand bottom pool. I called and booked in February. 

Every year that we have went the same week in October free dining has been offered. This year, however, it was released and my week was not included. Sadness. My only hope was for it to be added later or wait for one of those wonderful PIN codes. 

What I failed to mention is that one of my friends has decided to go the same time. She has a daughter Eve's age and they have been friends since they were toddlers. These 2 girls are super excited to be able to ride rides together. My friend and I have stressed out several times about the lack of free dining. She almost changed her vacation dates. 

Then the PIN code came. Excitement all around......or so we thought. The PIN code went to my friend. She was booked in a Finding Nemo suite at the Art of Animation but that was not included in the free dining promotion with her PIN code (WTH?). The agent on the phone booked her for 2 rooms at Pop Century (she also has 5 people in her party).  She was disappointed but went with the positive thought that she is going to Disney and it shouldn't matter where you stay.

Next up it was my turn to call. Well, we thought it sucked for her, that was only the beginning. I called and told the agent that my friend and I were going on the same dates and I wanted to use her PIN code as well. That agent said that I had to have my friends reservation number, not just the PIN code. No problem, I thought, so I text her and got her reservation number. I then called back for the second time, this agent said that I not only had to have the PIN code and reservation number, I had to have my friends street address as well. WTH? So, I hung up with that agent and text my friend for her address (because let's be real, how many of you have all your friends address memorized). 

After I got that info I called back for the third time. This agent dropped the bomb, I had to stay at the SAME RESORT as my friend to use her code. Sadness starts now. Beach Club is my dream and I'm not sure when we will be able to go back to WDW after this year. Also, we have already stayed at Pop Century and I want to try different places. But free dining is important. I need that or my stay at Beach Club would be astronomical.

So, reluctantly I said I would stay at Pop Century again. Then the lady said that I had to make 2 reservations for my 2 rooms. UGH!! After 30 minutes on the phone, I ended up at a resort I didn't really want to stay at again and 2 reservations to manage, one under my name and one under my mom's. We may or may not have connecting rooms.  BUT, I guess, I at least got free dining.

This 2 reservation thing has turned my vacation planning in to work. I have to manage 2 MyDisneyExperience accounts, fastpass + will probably be a nightmare, and I am not looking forward to dining reservations with 2 different reservations. 

Looking at the bright side: At least I get to go to Walt Disney World!!

Pop Century here we come!!
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