Hey Mary!
Welcome to planDisney! I'm so excited about your upcoming trip to Walt Disney World! You will be arriving just in time for the Grand Finale of the
50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort! I thought I had my fill of the fun but I still find myself wanting to come back for more of the
special treats and merchandise!
After some research, I found out that if people who are connected to you on your Family & Friends list are also on your Resort hotel reservation then they can
view the remaining balance and make a payment. This is true only if they are 18 years or older.
If I were you and looking to keep these details a surprise I would add them to my
Family and Friends and just not "share" this plan with them until I am fully paid and set up. I spoke with Walt Disney World IT Cast Members and they recommended that while setting up your reservations, I would just create a "guest" account under your own. Then, after paying off the balance,
reach out to them and have the "guests" you made be linked to their real accounts. They asked me to make sure you ask for "Technical Support" or "Website Support".
I experimented with this myself and tried to find hotel-only reservation details that my husband had made a few weeks ago. I know we have a balance and that I am linked to it. I found that under the hotel-only reservation, there was a "View Details" button that only told me to see the confirmation details in my confirmation letter, email, or by calling
Walt Disney World Reservations. If a person really wanted to snoop they could call that number and try to figure it out. This is why I recommend waiting until the balance is paid off before you link to them. If anything, at that point they may see that your Resort balance or Package is now at $0.
What an adventure you are making for your family! I hope this helps and wish you luck and pixie dust with your surprise!
-Nimmy