Hi Jenny! Welcome to planDisney!
Oh my goodness, I am so excited to hear you will be staying at Disney's Beach Club Resort for your upcoming visit to Walt Disney World Resort. It's my absolute favorite hotel from the Disney Resorts Collection, and I just know you are going to love it. If you do nothing else, make sure you spend some time at Stormalong Bay, the fabulous pool at Disney's Beach Club Resort. Did you know that Stormalong Bay has a sand bottom pool, lazy river, AND pirate shipwreck water slide? It's like having an incredible water park right in your backyard. Don't forget to pick up some delicious ice cream from the Beaches & Cream to-go window next to Stormalong Bay. Can you think of anything better than a poolside ice cream cone? Sign me up!
How fun for your son to be celebrating his birthday during your Walt Disney World vacation. I'm sure it will be such a special day that he won't soon forget, so let's talk about that fabulous birthday dinner! I am happy to share that you can absolutely make an Advance Dining Reservation for all of the members of your party, whether they are on the same hotel reservation or not. When you book your dining reservation, you will need to select the number of people in your party, but you do not have to assign specific Guests to your group. Once your reservation is confirmed, you have the option to link Guests to your reservation, but it is not required.
I would, however, recommend that your party be all linked up in your My Disney Experience ahead of your visit, so you can share plans, make Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations together, and much more. Linking your party makes planning a group visit an absolute breeze. Adding your family and friends to your My Disney Experience App is as easy as can be. Just follow these simple steps:
- First, have your group log into their My Disney Experience app and open the menu (the three stacked lines on the bottom right corner).
- Then, scroll down and click on "My Profile" and select "Show My Linking Code."
- Have them jot down the six-character manual code on this screen, and send it your way.
- Once you have their manual linking code, open your My Disney Experience app and navigate to "My Profile."
- Then, toggle over to "Family & Friends List" and scroll down to select "Add a Guest."
- Click on "Scan their linking code," then "Manually Enter a Code," submit, and you are all set!
The manual linking codes are only valid for 30 minutes each, so keep that in mind as you follow the steps above.
Jenny, there are so many wonderful restaurants to consider for your son's birthday celebration, but I recommend grabbing a bite in EPCOT, given how close it is to your resort! You can stroll over to EPCOT after a day at Stormalong Bay and enjoy a delicious hibachi dinner at Teppan Edo. That sounds like a fabulous night to me!
I'll be wishing you an absolutely wonderful vacation, Jenny!
Until next time,
Diana