Having guests visit/swim/monorail or Bringing a friend?

Raya · May 17, 2019

My BFF has finally decided to come to Disney World! She's never been and waited until much too late, so she can't get reservations at our hotel (BC). Since I know I'll want to have her come hang out in the lobby, swim at the pool, take the monorail, and generally tour our resort, should I add her to the room or can I have her visit the hotel without a magic band?

My concerns with adding her to our room:
is there's a cost for 3 people instead of 2 in the room?
is there a way to give her a magic band that doesn't allow her to charge back to the room?
if I don't add her to the room, will she get a magic band at the Swan?
She doesn't understand FP, so I'd want to manage that for her - can I manage her FP from My Disney Experience app, even though it's attached to her room? Or if I add her to our room, can I just request one new magic band for her and have her stuff go through our Disney Experience app?

BrianL · May 17, 2019

Raya said:
My BFF has finally decided to come to Disney World! She's never been and waited until much too late, so she can't get reservations at our hotel (GF). Since I know I'll want to have her come hang out in the lobby, swim at the pool, take the monorail, and generally tour our resort, should I add her to the room or can I have her visit the hotel without a magic band?

My concerns with adding her to our room:
is there's a cost for 3 people instead of 2 in the room?
is there a way to give her a magic band that doesn't allow her to charge back to the room?
if I don't add her to the room, will she get a magic band at the Swan?
She doesn't understand FP, so I'd want to manage that for her - can I manage her FP from My Disney Experience app, even though it's attached to her room? Or if I add her to our room, can I just request one new magic band for her and have her stuff go through our Disney Experience app?

Okay, someone else can probably elaborate better but, I'll tell you what I know:

There is a charge for a third adult in the room (with the exception of certain larger suites).
Magic Band charging abilities can be setup by the front desk. She could set hers up to charge to her own credit card (assuming she is indeed put on your room).
I do not believe The Swan & Dolphin gives out Magic Bands.
You can link her as a friend in My Disney Experience. FP's aren't directly associated with specific rooms or Magic Bands (nothing is stored on a Magic Band - it merely links to your MDE account). If you add her to your room she will be listed in your MDE account.

Brett Wyman · May 17, 2019

The only "restricted" activity you mention is the pool and your BFF is free to join you as a guest as long as you are there(but technically cannot enter without you). The other benefit of being listed would be easy access to the resort. If they are driving their own car being listed on the room would allow them easy entry and parking. But if they are arriving any other way thats not an issue.

But if you don't mind the extra cost of adding a third adult its certainly the easiest way and you'll get a third MB. But are you getting a package or room only booking? Adding a third adult on a package will add a 3rd park ticket with the same options as yours.

DLgal · May 17, 2019

Brett Wyman said:
The only "restricted" activity you mention is the pool and your BFF is free to join you as a guest as long as you are there(but technically cannot enter without you). The other benefit of being listed would be easy access to the resort. If they are driving their own car being listed on the room would allow them easy entry and parking. But if they are arriving any other way thats not an issue.

But if you don't mind the extra cost of adding a third adult its certainly the easiest way and you'll get a third MB. But are you getting a package or room only booking? Adding a third adult on a package will add a 3rd park ticket with the same options as yours.

Non resort guests cannot enter the pool area, period. Everyone needs a magic band that shows they are staying at the resort.

Add her to your room and consider asking her to pay the additional nightly fee as a fee to access the pool as a paying guest. This will also get her DME service to the BC, where she can easily walk to the Swan/Dolphin. Just don't use the luggage delivery.

The other things (monorail, visiting in the lobby, etc) are open to the public.

Brett Wyman · May 17, 2019

DLgal said:
Non resort guests cannot enter the pool area, period. Everyone needs a magic band that shows they are staying at the resort.

Right right. Was thinking of EVERY resort in the world except Disney for a minute : )

But its definitely a rule thats for the best especially at SAB.

Raya · May 17, 2019

Thanks for your replies! Does anyone know roughly what the extra fee would be for one adult? We have 2 adults in a 2 queen bed/1 king bed room. I'm seeing between $10 and $25 a night via google.

DLgal · May 17, 2019

Raya said:
Thanks for your replies! Does anyone know roughly what the extra fee would be for one adult? We have 2 adults in a 2 queen bed/1 king bed room. I'm seeing between $10 and $25 a night via google.

It's $25 at the deluxes, per night.

Shelly F - Ohio · May 17, 2019

BC pool will scan everyones MB in order to use the pool. So she can not join you at the pool

SG131 · May 17, 2019

If you do put her on your reservation. I would have her buy her tickets either directly from Disney or from a 3rd party agent and add the ticket directly to YOUR MDE account. I would not even bother linking the swan reservation to her own MDE account because as a guest listed on your room she'd have the same benefits. That would make booking her FP easier and be sure the magic band works with her ticket. If the ticket is on her reservation with the swan, but the magic band is on your reservation, you may have problems using the MB for her ticket even if the two accounts are linked since its showing two reservations for her at a time and disney IT gets confused easily.

sndral · May 17, 2019

Raya said:
Thanks for your replies! Does anyone know roughly what the extra fee would be for one adult? We have 2 adults in a 2 queen bed/1 king bed room. I'm seeing between $10 and $25 a night via google.

I believe if you add your 3rd adult to your BC room they will not assign you to a king bed room since that only has 2 sleeping surfaces.

DLgal · May 17, 2019

sndral said:
I believe if you add your 3rd adult to your BC room they will not assign you to a king bed room since that only has 2 sleeping surfaces.

They will. The king rooms have a daybed. We were a party of 3 adults at the Contemporary and we got a king bed room. The daybeds are twin sized beds and all king rooms at the deluxes will accommodate up to 3 adults except WL and AKL.

mickeynut1 · May 17, 2019

Raya said:
Does anyone know roughly what the extra fee would be for one adult? We have 2 adults in a 2 queen bed/1 king bed room. I'm seeing between $10 and $25 a night via google.

DLgal said:
It's $25 at the deluxes, per night.

Just wanted to clarify that the extra adult fee at the deluxes is $35/nt.

DisneyWishes14 · May 17, 2019

Raya said:
My BFF has finally decided to come to Disney World! She's never been and waited until much too late, so she can't get reservations at our hotel (BC). Since I know I'll want to have her come hang out in the lobby, swim at the pool, take the monorail, and generally tour our resort, should I add her to the room or can I have her visit the hotel without a magic band?

My concerns with adding her to our room:
is there's a cost for 3 people instead of 2 in the room?
is there a way to give her a magic band that doesn't allow her to charge back to the room?
if I don't add her to the room, will she get a magic band at the Swan?
She doesn't understand FP, so I'd want to manage that for her - can I manage her FP from My Disney Experience app, even though it's attached to her room? Or if I add her to our room, can I just request one new magic band for her and have her stuff go through our Disney Experience app?

Has you friend purchased her tickets yet? Does she have her own MDE account? What type of reservation do you have (room-only? room/tickets?, etc.). Will your friend need transportation from the airport?

You have a lot of options here. You could add her now and she will get a MB, access to the BC pool the whole stay, plus DME to and from the airport (which could be a cost savings as the Swan doesn't offer free airport transportation). Or, you could simply add her for the days you are planning on going to the pool - just let the front desk know you are adding a guest for a night, two nights, etc. - then you are only responsible for the extra fee for those nights. If you are managing the FP+'s, your friend doesn't even need an MDE account. You can simply create a profile for her in your MDE, link tickets and then make FP+ for everyone regardless of whether she is listed in your room or not.

sndral · May 17, 2019

DLgal said:
They will. The king rooms have a daybed. We were a party of 3 adults at the Contemporary and we got a king bed room. The daybeds are twin sized beds and all king rooms at the deluxes will accommodate up to 3 adults except WL and AKL.

Interesting, I’ve stayed in the YC 3 times but not the BC & never in a king bed room & know that not all the 2 QB rooms have daybeds, since I’ve never gotten one.
Just checked the WDW site and the king bed options are 1 KB and daybed or 1 KB - which is consistent with reports & photos I’ve seen of BC KB rooms without daybeds. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/beach-club-resort/rates-rooms/

DLgal · May 17, 2019

sndral said:
Interesting, I’ve stayed in the YC 3 times but not the BC & never in a king bed room & know that not all the 2 QB rooms have daybeds, since I’ve never gotten one.
Just checked the WDW site and the king bed options are 1 KB and daybed or 1 KB - which is consistent with reports & photos I’ve seen of BC KB rooms without daybeds. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/beach-club-resort/rates-rooms/

But if you book as 3 adults, they can put you in a king with daybed room at YC/BC. At Contemporary, King room is a bookable category in the garden wing, and that is what we had because it was the only room type available with the discount we were using.

ScubaCat · May 18, 2019

Raya said:
Thanks for your replies! Does anyone know roughly what the extra fee would be for one adult? We have 2 adults in a 2 queen bed/1 king bed room. I'm seeing between $10 and $25 a night via google.

mickeynut1 said:
Just wanted to clarify that the extra adult fee at the deluxes is $35/nt.

Yes, just to confirm the clarification (

) it is definitely $35 per extra adult per night. It was 25 but went up (because why wouldn't it??) Access to stormalong bay is pretty strictly enforced, so you'll definitely need to add your friend to your reservation if you want her to join you at the pool.

Wood Nymph · May 18, 2019

She won't be able to get into the main pool at the Beach Cub unless she is listed as a guest in your room. You can add her to your room for a fee and she will get a MagicBand. If you don't tell her your PIN then she can't charge to your room.

Whether or not she stays in your room you can make fps for her. You just have to invite her as a friend who shares plans in your MDE account. As long as you can see her tickets you can make fps for her. It doesn't matter what resort she is staying.

If she already has a MDE and has tickets attached to that account, then if you add her to your BC room then you have to use her profile associated with her account. You cannot create a new profile for her because then her tickets would not be linked to the MB that comes with the BC room.

Fldisneyfamily4321 · May 27, 2019

Anytime we have stayed at a Disney resort if we have a guest ( nephew lives near ) we go to the desk and ask permission for the guest to visit the pool with us , they also say yes with no issue . If it is really crowded they may ask you to add them to your room but this has never been a issue for us . The last stay was at the poly resort and it wasn’t crowded at all so they did not care . We also do not spend a entire day at the pool .. maybe a hour or so .

Deb & Bill · May 27, 2019

Fldisneyfamily4321 said:
Anytime we have stayed at a Disney resort if we have a guest ( nephew lives near ) we go to the desk and ask permission for the guest to visit the pool with us , they also say yes with no issue . If it is really crowded they may ask you to add them to your room but this has never been a issue for us . The last stay was at the poly resort and it wasn’t crowded at all so they did not care . We also do not spend a entire day at the pool .. maybe a hour or so .

Except the front desk has no idea of the status of the pool. The lifeguards are the final word on guests swimming.

Fldisneyfamily4321 · May 27, 2019

Deb & Bill said:
Except the front desk has no idea of the status of the pool. The lifeguards are the final word on guests swimming.

Yes and they always say to make sure to let the lifeguard know , never had a issue .. but we also never went in peak crowd seasons . I’m not sure why people get so testy when they assume others don’t follow a rule when it’s obviously Disney’s choice to enforce the rule . I notice lots of “ gatekeeping “ that goes on .. it’s simple , make sure to ask and follow the resorts rules and if they make a exception ( on any rule ) then it is their choice and your good . I would not tell anyone to sneak anything by but asking and getting permission is 100% ok .

Having guests visit/swim/monorail or Bringing a friend?

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