Disney's POP CENTURY RESORT Information & Questions

[bluezy]

Also random tidbit. The CM that was wonderful and helped us said the “limits” were for max spent during a trip. I asked him how that was possible, my Dad met a man that was here for two weeks from Canada, I have a hard time believing he isn’t spending more than $1000 during his 2 week stay.

I think the "max limit" is simply the most they will allow to accrue in room charges before putting the charges through to the guest's credit/debit card. We only stay 7 nights and we always charge more than the total limit regardless of what it's been. They just usually put through the charges 2 or 3 times during the week. I thought that all Values & Moderates were now $1500 and Deluxe resorts are $2000 (all were increased a few years ago). I know that AoA is $1500 because that's where we've been staying the last few visits. With 5 or 6 people (mostly adults) in the room, no dining plan, and buying all meals, snacks, and water/drinks in the parks/resorts (other than breakfast -- we bring breakfast foods from home and eat in the room) we have no trouble hitting the $1500 limit by day 3 or 4 usually. When it was $500, we used to hit it at least 4 times during the week.
I've given up trying to use gift cards to pay my room charges...it was always a race to see if I could get to the front desk before they charged my credit card. Now I use the gift cards and Disney Rewards to pay for our package and I just let all the room charges go to the Disney Visa to start earning rewards for the next trip. Then I use all of the cash (loose change, $5 bills I've set aside, Chase Rewards <converted to cash>, etc.) we've saved up for the trip to put towards the credit card bill for the room charges. It eliminates some stress for me.

 

[DizneyMommy]

See I'm in the other camp where I want to have control over when and what gets charged. Our trip is totally paid for prior to our trip - room, dining plan (this time by the grandparents, yay!!), and grocery delivery, and I save the gift cards for anything we buy in the parks rather than charging the room. We will use the room charge a few times for small things out of convenience, but for the most part our "extras" budget is all on gift cards. We may barely break even on the dining plan but it is nice to know it is paid for and done and then not think about how much you are charging to the room!

 

[bluezy]

See I'm in the other camp where I want to have control over when and what gets charged. Our trip is totally paid for prior to our trip - room, dining plan (this time by the grandparents, yay!!), and grocery delivery, and I save the gift cards for anything we buy in the parks rather than charging the room. We will use the room charge a few times for small things out of convenience, but for the most part our "extras" budget is all on gift cards. We may barely break even on the dining plan but it is nice to know it is paid for and done and then not think about how much you are charging to the room!

We're really not that different. Our trip is totally "paid" for before we go as well. We have the money saved up in cash, rewards, and gift cards. We have at least half the estimated cost of the trip saved up before we even make a reservation (which is usually 9-12 month before our travel dates). We know we'll have the remainder of the total cost of the trip (including meals, snacks, and souvenirs) saved up way before the final payment date. We don't worry about what we're spending/charging back to the room when we're there because we know we have more than enough money in our vacation account to cover it (we know how much we typically spend on meals, snacks, souvenirs, etc. when we're there). We don't spend frivolously while we're there, but we're not there to save money and watch every penny we spend. We're on vacation. We just prefer the convenience of tapping our magic band rather than digging out a credit card or gift card every time we want to pay for something. It's our method of having our trip paid for before we go. For us, having the money in our vacation account = having our trip paid off. We don't worry about every little expense while we're there and we've never come close to spending the amount we have saved up in our vacation account...which is nice because that balance gets rolled over towards the next trip! And we like being able to look back at that itemized detailed list of room charges to get a better feel for where we spend our money while we're there. It makes budgeting for the next trip easier.

 

[CouponGirl]

We couldnt opt out of housekeeping because we booked with a conference discount...and we had great services everyday!

Did they just let you know it wasn't an option due to the discount?

 

[MamaJessie]

Also random tidbit. The CM that was wonderful and helped us said the “limits” were for max spent during a trip. I asked him how that was possible, my Dad met a man that was here for two weeks from Canada, I have a hard time believing he isn’t spending more than $1000 during his 2 week stay.

We don't have a lot of room charges at all.

How do you manage to get to WDW so often during college? I'm asking because my eldest will start this fall and I'm having a heck of a time figuring out future family vacations with her schedule. Do you take shorter trips?

College is proving to be a problem here too, hence our first summer vaca

 

[Iowamomof4]

We don't have a lot of room charges at all.


College is proving to be a problem here too, hence our first summer vaca

I'm also considering summer (2018 or 2019). One school she is considering has a J-term that she could potentially skip so we could go in January instead (though by some accounts, we might face smaller crowds in the summer).

 

[supitscarrie]

I only ever went once while I was in college, which was a January trip - weather was all over the place if I remember correctly (it's been 10 years since then, haha) but I was glad that the crowds were pretty down!

 

[scrappinginontario]

I only ever went once while I was in college, which was a January trip - weather was all over the place if I remember correctly (it's been 10 years since then, haha) but I was glad that the crowds were pretty down!

We were there this January. Weather was also all over the place. Crowds were higher than we normally see in the fall.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

Also random tidbit. The CM that was wonderful and helped us said the “limits” were for max spent during a trip. I asked him how that was possible, my Dad met a man that was here for two weeks from Canada, I have a hard time believing he isn’t spending more than $1000 during his 2 week stay.

I've gone on vacation to Disney multiple times and not until the last visit had I ever charged anything to my room and that was one meal at OHana.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

We were there this January. Weather was also all over the place. Crowds were higher than we normally see in the fall.

I was there in Jan too, I couldn't believe how crowded it was, but still able to get fast passes everywhere for all hours of the day. Multiple Frozen fast passes and almost everything else in Epcot was open.

 

[sweetpeakaris]

I check in 3/25 and I still haven't gotten my luggage tags. Do they still send them out?

 

[scrappinginontario]

I check in 3/25 and I still haven't gotten my luggage tags. Do they still send them out?

Yes they do. Since you're getting close to your date (yay!!) I would recommend calling to ensure DME has your information and request that tags be mailed out.

They may already be on their way but better safe than sorry.

 

[dansdad]

I check in 3/25 and I still haven't gotten my luggage tags. Do they still send them out?

They usually come in the box with your Magic Bands. You only get them if you booked a package.

 

[scrappinginontario]

They usually come in the box with your Magic Bands. You only get them if you booked a package.

I have received them with a room only reservation when I booked a DME transfer from the airport.

 

[dansdad]

I have received them with a room only reservation when I booked a DME transfer from the airport.

So you got the decorative luggage tags with a character on them? If so, that's new with a room only.

 

[sweetpeakaris]

Oh ok, thanks. They didn't arrive with the magic bands, I do have a room only ressie, I have also not logged my airport info in for DME yet. So maybe that's why I don't have luggage tags?

 

[scrappinginontario]

So you got the decorative luggage tags with a character on them? If so, that's new with a room only.

As Canadians we don't receive our MagicBands until we get to the resort. Our luggage tags are normally with the MBs. Even with a room only reservation we need MBs to access our rooms. I know for sure we get them as one time I forgot so we received gray ones. Remembered after that.

Oh ok, thanks. They didn't arrive with the magic bands, I do have a room only ressie, I have also not logged my airport info in for DME yet. So maybe that's why I don't have luggage tags?

LOL - you won't receive luggage tags from Disney if they don't know you're using their service. Luggage tags are only issued to those who will be using DME transportation to their resort.

You need to add DME to your reservation as quickly as you can if you hope to have the luggage tags arrive at your home in time for your departure.

Hmmm....just thinking out loud as @dansdad and I might be thinking of 'luggage tags' as 2 different things...because they are!

Are you asking about

1. The yellow luggage tags that you attach to your luggage at your departing airport to route your luggage directly to your resort? (Those are the luggage tags I was thinking of)
2. The reusable, colourful tags you can use to identify your luggage with your name and address? (The tags I'm guessing @dansdad is referring to)

 

[sweetpeakaris]

As Canadians we don't receive our MagicBands until we get to the resort. Our luggage tags are normally with the MBs. Even with a room only reservation we need MBs to access our rooms. I know for sure we get them as one time I forgot so we received gray ones. Remembered after that.

LOL - you won't receive luggage tags from Disney if they don't know you're using their service. Luggage tags are only issued to those who will be using DME transportation to their resort.

You need to add DME to your reservation as quickly as you can if you hope to have the luggage tags arrive at your home in time for your departure.

Hmmm....just thinking out loud as @dansdad and I might be thinking of 'luggage tags' as 2 different things...because they are!

Are you asking about

1. The yellow luggage tags that you attach to your luggage at your departing airport to route your luggage directly to your resort? (Those are the luggage tags I was thinking of)
2. The reusable, colourful tags you can use to identify your luggage with your name and address? (The tags I'm guessing @dansdad is referring to)

I'm talking about the luggage tags you attach to your suit cases for DME. So if I don't get the tags in time, then I'm responsible for my own luggage right?

You are right lol...I assumed Disney knew I needed DME since they sent the magic bands, I know my brain hasn't been working right lately. I also don't have my return flight yet so that's one reason I haven't added DME info.

 

[dansdad]

I'm talking about the luggage tags you attach to your suit cases for DME. So if I don't get the tags in time, then I'm responsible for my own luggage right?

You can get your own luggage but you don't have to. When we've booked a couple last minute trips we didn't have time for them to send the DME luggage tags so we just give the Magical Express CM at MCO our baggage claim tickets and they grabbed our luggage and delivered it to our room.

You are right lol...I assumed Disney knew I needed DME since they sent the magic bands, I know my brain hasn't been working right lately. I also don't have my return flight yet so that's one reason I haven't added DME info.

It's a common assumption. Even if you book your round trip air directly from Disney, you still have to setup Magical Express. It's not automatic.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I'm talking about the luggage tags you attach to your suit cases for DME. So if I don't get the tags in time, then I'm responsible for my own luggage right?

You are right lol...I assumed Disney knew I needed DME since they sent the magic bands, I know my brain hasn't been working right lately. I also don't have my return flight yet so that's one reason I haven't added DME info.

I totally get it!

I help many people book trips and the one time I was helping a friend with final prep I mentioned, 'You have your yellow luggage tags right?' and she looked at me like a deer in headlights! Uh oh!! It was the day before their trip and I hadn't added DME to their trip!! D'oh!! Quickly called and had it added. The only thing it meant was that they claimed their luggage from the belt and then checked it in with DME at the airport before boarding the bus.

If you add DME soon you should get your tags in time but if you don't you can still have them transport your luggage if you wish by claiming it from the belt and then checking it in at the DME counter. Or, there is always the option to claim your luggage and then take it with you on DME to your resort. Some people prefer this option.