Florida Resident Rules

Yellow Shoes

Yellow Shoes

Well-Known Member
Florida Resident Rules
Here's my disclaimer:
I am not looking to get around the rules, but rather looking for a way to make the rules work for me.

Brother in law and wife live in Florida. We do not.

I am trying to figure out how to do a two-fer, i.e., see BIL and also see Mickey--as inexpensively as possible.

I think I have heard that the Fl resident can book up to 2 rooms.

BIL books the rooms
BIL checks in, shows FL driver's license, and puts room charges on his charge card
We pay BIL back.

Here's the question--BIL may not be too excited about staying the night on-site (he lives in Ocala, not that far away, and he has a BIG dog). Are we OK with staying in the rooms? We'll do the express checkout deal, so we shouldn't have any more encounters with the front desk staff.
Or, BIL might just come down to Orlando for the weekend and would stay 2 nights and we would stay for 6. (I would seriously consider keeping the second room, however. )

I'm thinking that he gets 2 rooms for 6 nights. He may or may not decide to sleep in one of them.

Is there any reason that we would be asked for Florida ID other than at check in? (We would NOT try this for park passes. We would just pay the regular price.)


Thanks.
 
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wannabeBelle

wannabeBelle

Well-Known Member
My understanding is that they check ID for everyone in the rooms to insure Florida residency. I Am not 100% sure how strictly this is enforced. Belle
 
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wdwmom2+1

wdwmom2+1

Active Member
They usually never check all id's only the person booking. we have never gone around the rules. because we usually book two rooms one fro me and my husband and kids and one for my Mother (who she lives in florida too, so it wouldnt matter ) but we book them together so the rooms will be connected they've never asked to see anyones id besides mine. never my husbands or my mother's. we've stayed at the all stars tons and it has always been this way. we're going again in may :)
 
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krazyjon

krazyjon

Member
Yep, they only ask for one person's I.D. (the person checking in) and never ask again. If you do express checkout, you'll never see the front desk again.
 
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Yellow Shoes

Yellow Shoes

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Thanks so much, everyone.

Now the really hard part will be convincing my husband to go again.

Can you believe that he wants to go to the Grand Canyon?

I'm going to play up the brotherly love angle and see what happens.

DS has a 5 days off school in September and I've got the itch.
 
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RogueHabit

RogueHabit

Well-Known Member
Ok, will be as nice as I can about this, and I really do not mean to judge, but isn't this basically fraud?

If you got caught and WDW decided to make a point, couldn't you go to jail?
 
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Woody13

Woody13

New Member
Originally posted by Catch 22
Ok, will be as nice as I can about this, and I really do not mean to judge, but isn't this basically fraud?
Click to expand...

Yes, it is clearly fraud and deceit and it is against the law. It's a third degree felony under Florida law! To wit:

Chapter 509
LODGING AND FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS; MEMBERSHIP CAMPGROUNDS



509.151 Obtaining food or lodging with intent to defraud; penalty.--

(1) Any person who obtains food, lodging, or other accommodations having a value of less than $300 at any public food service establishment, or at any transient establishment, with intent to defraud the operator thereof, is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083; if such food, lodging, or other accommodations have a value of $300 or more, such person is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
 
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Yellow Shoes

Yellow Shoes

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tell me what I'm missing here.

Let's say that my Florida relatives will be staying at the hotel with us. (Forget the idea that they would stay a day or two and we would stay a week.)

Any other type of discount would not require that every person in the room qualify for it.

For example, I have a Disney VISA; my mother does not. I can book the room using the discount and she can stay in it. Any private arrangements we have made regarding her paying half are immaterial.

My friend the travel agent can book a girls' weekend in Cancun using her discount and we all can stay in the same room even though all of us aren't travel agents.

My friend the flight attendant can rent a car using her airline discount and I can ride in it.

So why can't my brother-in-law rent a room(s) using the discount to which he is entitled and share it with us?

I don't see the intent to defraud.
 
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Woody13

Woody13

New Member
Originally posted by Yellow Shoes
Tell me what I'm missing here.

I don't see the intent to defraud.
Click to expand...

You incriminated yourself in the first post:

"I'm thinking that he gets 2 rooms for 6 nights. He may or may not decide to sleep in one of them."

"Is there any reason that we would be asked for Florida ID other than at check in? (We would NOT try this for park passes. We would just pay the regular price.) "

You incriminated yourself again in this post:

"(Forget the idea that they would stay a day or two and we would stay a week.)"

Based upon these statements, your clear intent is to defraud the innkeeper (i.e. Disney). Fraud and deceit can be accomplished by either act or omission.

Also, out of curiosity, why wouldn't you try the same technique to purchase park passes?
 
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wdwmom2+1

wdwmom2+1

Active Member
if they did try to purchase a discount on park passes they ask for all id's for florida residents. we have florida play 4 days and they ask for everyones id except children.
 
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JPVonDrake

JPVonDrake

Well-Known Member
To get a FL Resident discounted room only the lead guest on the reservation needs to be a resident of Florida. The FL resident can book up to 3 rooms on one reservation as long as the dates are the same on all rooms. If you have 2 rooms with different lengths of stays, your confirmation may show one itinerary number but there will be two reservation numbers, one for each set of dates. Therefore if this is the case a FL resident must be in each room.

For security purposes Disney must have the correct names of each person staying in each room on their property. If you claim that BIL (a FL resident) is staying in Room A for the 6 days, and MARY is staying in room B for 2 days, then BIL leaves after 2 days and MARY stays the 6 days in the Room A instead, then Disney (legally) can and will evict MARY without refund. I do know Resort Managers who have needed to do this and have evicted people.

(No offence to anyone named MARY :D )
 
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Yellow Shoes

Yellow Shoes

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Everyone going through the turnstile needs a park pass. And Florida residents are often asked for proof of residency. It isn't worth running that risk.

However, one hotel room can accommodate 4 people. And while you must give the names of the people in the room, WDW only bothers to put one name on the room keys.

And I backed off the original idea that BIL wouldn't stay because we have talked in general terms about this and he would like to stay for the duration with us.

No one has shown me by statute or anecdotal evidence that EVERY human in a room rented with a Florida discount must be a Florida resident.

As I said before, with other discounts, only the person booking the room needs to qualify for the savings. And I'm not understanding why it isn't true in this situation.

There are hundreds of legitimate reasons why a non-Floridian would be in the same room as a Floridian--grandparents and grandchildren, Girls' Weekend, a group of college students, and, yes, the type of family get-together that I am proposing.
 
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JPVonDrake

JPVonDrake

Well-Known Member
The Resort ID's are always all printed with the name of the Lead Guest only. He (or She) is the one responsible for any and all room charges.

Please understand that only the LEAD guest (the one person who's name appears on the top of the Reservation Confirmation) needs to be a Florida Resident. All other guests in the room(s) DO NOT need to be residents of Florida.

If BIL has proof of Florida Residency and is staying in one of the rooms for the same length of stay as you then yes your rooms will qualify for the FL Resident discount, no problem.

One Florida Resident can book up to 3 rooms on one reservation as long as the dates are the same for all 3 rooms.


I hope this helps to clarify Disney's Resort Discount Policy.
 
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trendymagic

trendymagic

Member
Originally posted by Woody13
Chapter 509
LODGING AND FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS; MEMBERSHIP CAMPGROUNDS



509.151 Obtaining food or lodging with intent to defraud; penalty.--

(1) Any person who obtains food, lodging, or other accommodations having a value of less than $300 at any public food service establishment, or at any transient establishment, with intent to defraud the operator thereof, is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083; if such food, lodging, or other accommodations have a value of $300 or more, such person is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
Click to expand...


Geez. Relax man. They are just trying to save a few bucks so they have more spending money and what not. It happens everyday.
 
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trendymagic

trendymagic

Member
It is not theft when Disney is making the offer available. They do the same for Passholders. Passholders can book many rooms as well, only one person needs to have the pass.
 
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