Hi Marylou, and welcome to planDisney. Thanks for bringing us your question!
The
Family & Friends list in
My Disney Experience is such a helpful tool, especially when traveling with a larger group. You’re right that you’ll see both “Guests I Manage” and “Connections,” and it’s a good idea to understand the difference. Guests you manage are profiles that you’ve set up and control directly, like for a child or someone who doesn’t have their own Disney account. For these Guests, you’re the one making and managing all their plans. Connections, on the other hand, are people who have their own Disney account but have chosen to link with you. Once connected, you can see and share each other’s plans.
When you and your group are connected through Family & Friends, everyone can make and share
dining reservations,
Lightning Lane selections, theme park reservations when available, and other plans across the party. If one person books, the rest of the group will see those plans appear in their own account. If you are managing someone’s profile, you’ll always be able to create and control their plans. If you’re linked as a connection, you can choose whether or not to share your information. The
FAQ section of the Family & Friends list on the Walt Disney World website guides you through adding a Guest, connecting with someone, and setting your sharing preferences, which I’ve found to be very helpful.
This is exactly how my family keeps things organized when we’re traveling with grandparents or friends. By linking up, it ensures everyone is in sync and no one misses out on the plans that have been made. Recently, our family friends decided to join us on our land and sea adventure this upcoming holiday season. We added each other to our Family & Friends list, and I was able to purchase and assign tickets to
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party on their behalf. Now, they can view those tickets in their app. Easy peasy!
Marylou, I hope this clears things up so you can feel confident when making plans with your travel party. If you need help with recommendations on dining reservations to prioritize or strategies for using the Lightning Lane Multi Pass, feel free to ask.
I’m happy to help make sure your vacation planning comes together seamlessly.
See you real soon!
Brent