Splitting Up the Bill

[HolleBolleGijs]

My mom and I are planning an extended weekend trip this fall (including F&W and MNSSHP). We want to spent 3 nights at a value and then resort-hop to a moderate/deluxe for one night.
She is paying for the trip, but she doesn't want to put the nicer hotel on her card because we're kind of keeping that part hush-hush from the rest of the family.

What is the easiest way to split this up? If she books the first 3 nights, and I book the last night, and we link our accounts on MDE, will they end up sending us two sets of Magic Bands? Or can she book the first 3 nights, and then use a different card to add another night on?

 

[DisneyJoe]

They are going to send a set of Magic Bands for each resort reservation.

Do you live at separate addresses?

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

They are going to send a set of Magic Bands for each resort reservation.

Do you live at separate addresses?

Really? That seems like overkill. So if they send two anyway, it doesn't really matter how we do it?

No, we live at the same address.

 

[Tuvalu]

Really? That seems like overkill.

Indeed it is. And I am one of many posters on these boards who have 15 or more MagicBands. With each resort reservation a new band is sent, so it is possible to accrue 2 or 3 from a single split-stay vacation.

If your mom does not want to charge the 1-night stay on her card, you could use yours but two MagicBand boxes will arrive just the same...you could stalk your mailbox to prevent others in your family from discovering your secret .

 

[lostpro9het]

Really? That seems like overkill. So if they send two anyway, it doesn't really matter how we do it?

No, we live at the same address.

You can have the bands sent to a place of business too. We had our Anniversary bands sent to my work last fall to keep the DD from knowing where we were going.

 

[Tuvalu]

You can have the bands sent to a place of business too. We had our Anniversary bands sent to my work last fall to keep the DD from knowing where we were going.

Sneaky...I like it!

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

You can have the bands sent to a place of business too. We had our Anniversary bands sent to my work last fall to keep the DD from knowing where we were going.

I (mostly my mom) was more considered about the charges, but I didn't even think that he might get suspicious about an extra set of bands; I just wanted to make it as convenient and hassle-free as possible. Although I'm sure he would believe that they sent us two accidentally...

So if we book 3 nights at a value and a 5-day park ticket, plus the one night at a moderate/deluxe, would we have to switch magic bands to get into our resort for the last night? Or all they all connected?

This all bothers me more because of the waste. I mean I would love to have a collection of Magic Bands (I saw a post about someone using 15+ bands to decorate their Christmas tree), but I feel like it can't be *that* expensive to have some sort of replaceable battery, although that discussion is for a different forum.

 

[lostpro9het]

So if we book 3 nights at a value and a 5-day park ticket, plus the one night at a moderate/deluxe, would we have to switch magic bands to get into our resort for the last night? Or all they all connected?

All connected, only need the one set.

This all bothers me more because of the waste. I mean I would love to have a collection of Magic Bands (I saw a post about someone using 15+ bands to decorate their Christmas tree), but I feel like it can't be *that* expensive to have some sort of replaceable battery, although that discussion is for a different forum.

IMO, MM+ has been a tremendous waste to date! Between the packaging/shipping on the bands, all the bands they send, and then all the MM+ promotional literature you get with every reservation it is a lot of waste! Our little family of three is up to 39 bands we are slated to get a dozen more between now and the new year.

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

All connected, only need the one set.

That's great! Thanks!

IMO, MM+ has been a tremendous waste to date! Between the packaging/shipping on the bands, all the bands they send, and then all the MM+ promotional literature you get with every reservation lots of waste! Our little family of three is up to 39 bands we are slated to get a dozen more between now and the new year.

That's pretty much my only beef with MM+. I don't care about the alleged tracking, and I even quite like the idea of planning FPs ahead of time, not to mention the convenience of having everything on your wrist. But there has to be a better way than forcing new bands on people for every reservation, especially since the batteries are supposed to last for, what, 3 years? How has no one done anything about this? It would probably save them a heck of a lot of money!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

So if we book 3 nights at a value and a 5-day park ticket, plus the one night at a moderate/deluxe, would we have to switch magic bands to get into our resort for the last night? Or all they all connected?

You could take a band from your trip ten months ago and it would still work.

This all bothers me more because of the waste. I mean I would love to have a collection of Magic Bands (I saw a post about someone using 15+ bands to decorate their Christmas tree), but I feel like it can't be *that* expensive to have some sort of replaceable battery, although that discussion is for a different forum.

It's not a cost issue, it's a customer service issue. Many guests aren't the smartest folks on the planet, and Disney needs to make their system idiot-proof because they get blamed for things all the time, even if it's the guests' fault. Something like changing a battery, knowing if you've been within an appropriate window to need a new band, or a form designed with the removable parts necessary to replace batteries would all result in guests messing things up and then complaining about it. Remember, most guests don't do split stays or visit every year. They come once every five and the band is a souvenir for them.

That's pretty much my only beef with MM+. I don't care about the alleged tracking, and I even quite like the idea of planning FPs ahead of time, not to mention the convenience of having everything on your wrist. But there has to be a better way than forcing new bands on people for every reservation, especially since the batteries are supposed to last for, what, 3 years? How has no one done anything about this? It would probably save them a heck of a lot of money!

The battery is reliable for one year. It'll probably last longer but not with any degree of certainty. Any money that it would save in materials would cost them even more in managing the logistics of who gets what, and time is worth much more than rubber. It's much easier to just say "every on-site guest gets a band, end of discussion" than it is to build a dozen "what if" scenarios about whether they get one or not. What if they lost it? What if they were a child who wore the smaller size and now wants a bigger one?

 

[lostpro9het]

It's not a cost issue, it's a customer service issue. Many guests aren't the smartest folks on the planet, and Disney needs to make their system idiot-proof because they get blamed for things all the time, even if it's the guests' fault...

QFT!!

I work in an IT dept for a decent sized university and its amazing the number of PhDs, supposedly some of the smartest people on the planet, cant make simple technology work for them and it's ALWAYS the technology's or our fault for it not working.

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

You could take a band from your trip ten months ago and it would still work.


It's not a cost issue, it's a customer service issue. Many guests aren't the smartest folks on the planet, and Disney needs to make their system idiot-proof because they get blamed for things all the time, even if it's the guests' fault. Something like changing a battery, knowing if you've been within an appropriate window to need a new band, or a form designed with the removable parts necessary to replace batteries would all result in guests messing things up and then complaining about it. Remember, most guests don't do split stays or visit every year. They come once every five and the band is a souvenir for them.


The battery is reliable for one year. It'll probably last longer but not with any degree of certainty. Any money that it would save in materials would cost them even more in managing the logistics of who gets what, and time is worth much more than rubber. It's much easier to just say "every on-site guest gets a band, end of discussion" than it is to build a dozen "what if" scenarios about whether they get one or not. What if they lost it? What if they were a child who wore the smaller size and now wants a bigger one?

The last time I went to WDW the bands were still just being introduced in Beta, so there's a lot I don't know about the tech and how it all works, but I think they could have some sort of opt-out system. Like if you've been delivered a band in the past year, you opt-out of receiving a new one. The people this applies to the most would probably be familiar with MDE and how it all works. Maybe I'm underestimating the cost/tech though...

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The last time I went to WDW the bands were still just being introduced in Beta, so there's a lot I don't know about the tech and how it all works, but I think they could have some sort of opt-out system. Like if you've been delivered a band in the past year, you opt-out of receiving a new one. The people this applies to the most would probably be familiar with MDE and how it all works. Maybe I'm underestimating the cost/tech though...

I don't think you're underestimating the cost/tech. I think you're overestimating the guest. Give them an "opt out" button and they're going to click it. Then they're going to complain "what the heck!? They're so incompetent they couldn't even send me my band. Stupid $9 billion project was a complete waste."

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

I don't think you're underestimating the cost/tech. I think you're overestimating the guest. Give them an "opt out" button and they're going to click it. Then they're going to complain "what the heck!? They're so incompetent they couldn't even send me my band. Stupid $9 billion project was a complete waste."

If MDE recognized that you had a band shipped to you in the past year though, and then they gave you the option (not subtly). I feel like they could at least test it. But hey, I don't work for Disney (yet, anyway ).

 

[Hockey89]

I (mostly my mom) was more considered about the charges, since my dad likes to snoop around, but I didn't even think that he might get suspicious about an extra set of bands; I just wanted to make it as convenient and hassle-free as possible. Although I'm sure he would believe that they sent us two accidentally...

So if we book 3 nights at a value and a 5-day park ticket, plus the one night at a moderate/deluxe, would we have to switch magic bands to get into our resort for the last night? Or all they all connected?

This all bothers me more because of the waste. I mean I would love to have a collection of Magic Bands (I saw a post about someone using 15+ bands to decorate their Christmas tree), but I feel like it can't be *that* expensive to have some sort of replaceable battery, although that discussion is for a different forum.

Of course he snoops around, people in his family lie....

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

Of course he snoops around, people in his family lie....

Hey, if it were up to me, we'd just book it. I'm just the coordinator here...

 

[LdyApxr]

This is convoluted BUT in order to keep the dad from finding out(I hope you are surprising him, not just hiding expenses LOL) have your mom get a pre-paid card that you and she split the cost on and book with that card.

 

[Hockey89]

This is convoluted BUT in order to keep the dad from finding out(I hope you are surprising him, not just hiding expenses LOL) have your mom get a pre-paid card that you and she split the cost on and book with that card.

Nah, they are just hiding/lying....

 

[HolleBolleGijs]

Nah, they are just hiding/lying....

Again, this is not my decision! I don't agree with the sneaking around, but I told my mom I'd look into it.

 

[princessmommy]

Just don't customize bands for the second stay. Standard grey ones will be waiting at the resort. That way they don't show up at your house.