Friends and Family Discount

[Sean O'Rourke]

Hey everyone,

West Coast Disneylander making my return trip with my family to WDW for Holidays 2018. 12/31/18 - 1/6/19. Our good friend made a FF reservation or us for a room at Poly with the Dining plan. After the reservation was made I priced it against the standard rack rate from the Vacation planner on Disney.com. The savings was only about $600. This was for the room and for the dining plan. I called reservations and had them remove the package for just the room. So there was no longer any dining plan attached. The calculation basically equated to to the Dining Plan costing about $3000 for 6 days.

I spoke with a supervisor and we determined that the room rates were probably discounted with the FF, but the packers have not yet been released/discounted. Does anyone have any idea at what point in the year that happens?

FF discount on packages.

Thanks!

 

[KerryCM]

2019 rates won’t be out until end of July or August.

 

[cwaltjen]

A friend of mine works at Disney and we have used her friends and family discount in the past. We have a reservation in July, but this time she will be staying with us and using the cast member discount. Does she have to be present at check in since we are using the cast member discount and not the friends and family discount? Also, are we not able to do online check in and skip the front desk because of this? Just trying to coordinate when she should meet us. I know with the friends and family discount she just had to fax in her employee ID a week before check in date. Thanks!

 

[MorganP]

My aunt is a cast member and has been trying to book a room for us for either august or September. We weren't picky with the dates. After 2 weeks of trying all she is seeing is "no availability." Does this just mean we are looking too far in advance or are those 2 whole months really blacked out?

 

[KerryCM]

My aunt is a cast member and has been trying to book a room for us for either august or September. We weren't picky with the dates. After 2 weeks of trying all she is seeing is "no availability." Does this just mean we are looking too far in advance or are those 2 whole months really blacked out?

No, what it probably means is there is no availability. Cast rates for this year came out a while ago and I booked my September dates back in November of last year. There was limited availability then. She can keep trying to see what becomes available, but you may be out of luck.

 

[MorganP]

No, what it probably means is there is no availability. Cast rates for this year came out a while ago and I booked my September dates back in November of last year. There was limited availability then. She can keep trying to see what becomes available, but you may be out of luck.

Oh ok thank you for the info! When she offered to book for us she gave the impression it was just a 40% Discount all the time because she had never had this problem booking before. Thank you for clarifying!

 

[KerryCM]

Oh ok thank you for the info! When she offered to book for us she gave the impression it was just a 40% Discount all the time because she had never had this problem booking before. Thank you for clarifying!

The discount varies. My trip in September I was only able to get 40% off , the 50% cast rates were gone already. I was able to book 3 rooms at that rate though. My son is going with his family and so are friends of their’s . I got other guest rooms. Sometimes rooms are at only 25%, so the general public discounts are better.

 

[Aerodyne78]

I'm a CM & I booked my September room about 2 weeks ago? We're staying at CSR. At the time there were plenty of resorts available.

 

[pinn1905]

If the current discount for F&F rate is 25% for this September is there a chance it could go to 40%? Or is there only a limited number at the higher discount and once they are gone they are gone? Thanks!

 

[Shaysbel]

I'm a CM & I booked my September room about 2 weeks ago? We're staying at CSR. At the time there were plenty of resorts available.

Are you able to help out other people with discounts? It's a honeymoon trip

 

[garris3404]

What exactly does the Family and Friends discount cover? Particularly interested for September? Does it cover room? Tickets? Dining plan? Special events like MNSSHP, MVMCP, Night of Joy?

Trying to see if this might be better than Free Dining offer (if it comes out for September)?

 

[garris3404]

Just bumping...

 

[cwaltjen]

The friends and family discount only includes the room.

 

[Aliceacc]

Hi everyone,

I have yet another question.
Thanks to the generosity of my niece, who works with Imagineering in CA, we're getting the Friends and Family discount on July's trip. She booked it for us last summer.

I went yesterday and tried to add in memory maker, and couldn't do it. The only "cart" that would come up was another niece (opposite side of the family; they don't know each other) who is planning a trip in a few weeks.

I did the online chat with a CM thing, and she couldn't figure it out. Then I had to drive my daughter to work, and ended the chat before resolving the issue.

The only thing I can figure is that, since CM niece applied the discount, maybe she needs to add on the Memory Maker package?

No huge deal; I can always either give her my Visa number or send her a check.

Does this make sense to anyone else? The CM I chatted with didn't seem to think so.

 

[KerryCM]

Doesn’t make sense at all. Go to the bottom of the page and click on help. Call the number and then wait for the option for the option for MDE help. They will help you. You should be able to add anything you want to your reservation.

 

[Aliceacc]

OK, thanks. I'll call this afternoon.

 

[Aliceacc]

I called Disney and had it added on. Thanks for the help!

 

[Aliceacc]

Yet another question, sorry to be a pest.

We've always booked through a travel agent, so payment was due at 45 days.

We're now 44 days from our trip, booked through the F&F discount thanks to our niece. It's a Magic Your Way package, including resort, tickets, and meal plan.

Is final payment due now, or on arrival?

 

[AZMouseMom]

Yet another question, sorry to be a pest.

We've always booked through a travel agent, so payment was due at 45 days.

We're now 44 days from our trip, booked through the F&F discount thanks to our niece. It's a Magic Your Way package, including resort, tickets, and meal plan.

Is final payment due now, or on arrival?

It is due on arrival

 

[Aliceacc]

Thank you!

ETA.. we got the email yesterday. It's due at 30 days out.