DME Reservations

[zskid00]

My apologies if this was posted elsewhere in this forum, but I didn't see it. I rented points through a third party for a May trip (I know there's a chance it may get cancelled anyways). I called the DME number on the Disney website, (407) 939-1936, and they said I could not make reservations on DME without the DVC member who owns the points used to book the reservation in my name. Is this true or is there a way to get around this? It seems very complicated considering I am staying on property and the reservation is in my name and everything is loaded into my MDE account.

 

[FCDub]

Try the online form: https://secure.reservations.disney.go.com/ibcwdw/en_US/dme/dmeform

 

[Stacybaeasm]

Technically, the DVC owner still owns the reservation until you check in, even though it shows in MDE under your name. I rent DVC points all the time and I just ask the owner to make my magical express reservation for me once I have my flights booked.

 

[zskid00]

Try the online form: https://secure.reservations.disney.go.com/ibcwdw/en_US/dme/dmeform

That worked great! Thank you! I don't know why Disney is sending people to customer service to book these DME reservations. It's taking up a lot of valuable resources when they could just direct people to the online form.

 

[erionm]

That worked great! Thank you! I don't know why Disney is sending people to customer service to book these DME reservations. It's taking up a lot of valuable resources when they could just direct people to the online form.

DVC members can submit a DME request (for themselves or a renter) online using a separate website specific for DVC reservations.

 

[Fangorn]

I called the DME number on the Disney website, (407) 939-1936, and they said I could not make reservations on DME without the DVC member who owns the points used to book the reservation in my name.

This is NOT the actual DME number though. The real number for DME is 866 599-0951. DME is NOT owned by Disney. DME is part of Mears and Disney contracts with them to provide the service. All (407) 939 phone numbers are Disney numbers, so calling that number means you're talking to someone at Disney, not at DME. As you found out, Disney states that only the DVC member can make a DME reservation, but it's not actually true. It is true that DVC Member Services will only speak to the member -they will not speak with a renter. Because of that, Disney as a whole applies that same restriction to DME - and says they won't make the reservation unless speaking with the points owner.

But DME does not care. If you have a Disney Resort confirmation number, you can call them directly and make a DME reservation for anyone on that reservation. While I've never rented points (I'm a DVC member), I have made DME reservations for family and friends and at times they've made their own. Not a single time has the DME person asked any of us if we were the member. As long as the name(s) are on the Resort reservation, they don't care who makes the reservation.

And, also as you found out, the on-line form works just fine too. The form actually goes to DME directly and bypasses Disney completely.

Steve

 

[zskid00]

Thanks for that explanation. All I could find on the Disney website was the 407 number.

 

[Fangorn]

Thanks for that explanation. All I could find on the Disney website was the 407 number.

Yeah, Disney doesn't publish the actual DME number (or at least I've never seen it published on any of their sites). The 866 number is on the letter you get from DME with your yellow tags, and if you do a google search for "Disney's Magical Express phone number" it'll come right up.

Steve

 

[Jimsig]

What @Fangorn said and a great explanation of how it works Have also done it myself when friends booked us using their DVC points.

 

[easyas123]

But DME does not care. If you have a Disney Resort confirmation number, you can call them directly and make a DME reservation for anyone on that reservation. While I've never rented points (I'm a DVC member), I have made DME reservations for family and friends and at times they've made their own. Not a single time has the DME person asked any of us if we were the member. As long as the name(s) are on the Resort reservation, they don't care who makes the reservation.

Spot on - rented points numerous times, never one had a issue when using DME, I just all and put us on the list. Same if we do a room only reservation thru Disney.

 

[Thumper99]

My apologies if this was posted elsewhere in this forum, but I didn't see it. I rented points through a third party for a May trip (I know there's a chance it may get cancelled anyways). I called the DME number on the Disney website, (407) 939-1936, and they said I could not make reservations on DME without the DVC member who owns the points used to book the reservation in my name. Is this true or is there a way to get around this? It seems very complicated considering I am staying on property and the reservation is in my name and everything is loaded into my MDE account.

Whether you like it or not the reservation is owned by the member. You are simply a guest. You have to do EVERYTHING through them (and in fact the third party person also has to have the member do everything, they can't touch your reservation). Its a simple chat with a DVC member services or a simple online form to fill out with your flight info. Your third party person should have gotten that taken care of when you rented if you had the flights already booked. Do you have a problem contacting the third party/member? Good Luck. I hope you can go to Disney but May is not looking good. If you are planning on luggage to your room you need to get on the DME thing because they usually send out luggage tags three weeks ahead.

 

[nkereina]

Whether you like it or not the reservation is owned by the member. You are simply a guest. You have to do EVERYTHING through them (and in fact the third party person also has to have the member do everything, they can't touch your reservation). Its a simple chat with a DVC member services or a simple online form to fill out with your flight info. Your third party person should have gotten that taken care of when you rented if you had the flights already booked. Do you have a problem contacting the third party/member? Good Luck. I hope you can go to Disney but May is not looking good. If you are planning on luggage to your room you need to get on the DME thing because they usually send out luggage tags three weeks ahead.

As was mentioned up-thread, the OP can simply fill out the online form to set themselves up for DME. The owner does not need to do this. To clarify, only changes related to the resort or travel dates would need to be done through the owner or third party. Everything else such as DME, ADRs, FPs, etc. can all be done by the renter themselves.

Also, I did not get the impression that the OP was perturbed by the possibility that the owner/broker would need to make the DME reservation, but that they'd rather cut out the middle man and take care of something so simple themselves. Which they can through the online form.

Lastly, no one has any information on May at this point. We have to get through April first. May is more promising than April, with the peak expected to hit in 4 weeks.

 

[easyas123]

You have to do EVERYTHING through them (and in fact the third party person also has to have the member do everything, they can't touch your reservation). Its a simple chat with a DVC member services or a simple online form to fill out with your flight info. Your third party person should have gotten that taken care of when you rented if you had the flights already booked

Sorry, but this has never been my experience.
We've rented points (both private transaction and thru a broker) about 7 or so times now, and never once did I have to have them put my flight into in for me or make a reservation for me on the DME. I did this all myself, often weeks or months after renting the points depending on when I book flights.