Orbitz Questions from a Novice

marie8461 · Feb 3, 2016

Hi,

I have never booked a room any other way than going directly through Disney. And, I have never use Orbitz for any type of travel. If I understand what I have been reading here about Orbitz, they will charge your for the children if you put them down when you reserve with them. So, what you need to do is to put down only two adults, and then through contact with both Orbitz and Disney (I think you need to get a reservation number from Orbitz?), get the children added to the reservation. If someone can clarify the exact process I would appreciate it.

My other question is, what if this doesn't work and I can't get the kids added to the reservation? I thought I read on the Orbitz website that the charge a cancellation fee or is that only for certain types of bookings?

Thanks.

parith1114 · Feb 3, 2016

It's a very easy process. Make your reservation, I would recommend Cheap Tickets currently because they have a better discount currently. Call Cheap Tickets after you get your confirmation number and ask them to call Disney. They will call and add the kids to your reservation. While they have Disney on the phone ask them to get your Disney confirmation number, that way you can manage your stay on My Disney Experience. Make sure you go in and change the mailing address for your magic bands it will be set to go to the Cheap Tickets office. If the need arises and you have to cancel, there is a $25 cancellation fee. I've booked and stayed at Disney twice now with an Orbitz reservation and have had no trouble at all. Good luck, have a great vacation.

MakiraMarlena · Feb 3, 2016

You have already written down the exact process. You'll need a confirmation number. I had to do this once to add a friend to my reservation (an adult, not a child).

Orbitz, as far as I can tell, does not charge a cancellation fee for Disney resorts. They reflect the cancellation policies of the hotel. Which means with a Disney resort you can cancel and get refunded up to 6 days before arrival. The big difference is that you pay everything up front. I have never heard of there being a $25 cancellation fee via Orbitz. I don't know about CheapTickets (which is a separate, Orbitz-owned site).

shoreward · Feb 3, 2016

parith1114 said:
It's a very easy process. Make your reservation, I would recommend Cheap Tickets currently because they have a better discount currently. Call Cheap Tickets after you get your confirmation number and ask them to call Disney. They will call and add the kids to your reservation. While they have Disney on the phone ask them to get your Disney confirmation number, that way you can manage your stay on My Disney Experience. Make sure you go in and change the mailing address for your magic bands it will be set to go to the Cheap Tickets office. If the need arises and you have to cancel, there is a $25 cancellation fee. I've booked and stayed at Disney twice now with an Orbitz reservation and have had no trouble at all. Good luck, have a great vacation.

According to the Cheap Tickets website:

CheapTickets doesn't charge a hotel cancel fee, but the hotel might.

This is the same policy as sister company Orbitz.

parith1114 · Feb 3, 2016

It just started to my knowledge. I had never seen it either until my current reservation this May. As far as I know both Orbitz and Cheap Tickets now list it as a hotel cancellation fee.

marie8461 · Feb 4, 2016

Thanks for the info. Not ready to book yet. Waiting for November discount. Another question, is Orbitz for room only? Am I still able to add tickets and Disney Dining to the reservation? Thanks.

momandRN2B · Feb 4, 2016

marie8461 said:
Thanks for the info. Not ready to book yet. Waiting for November discount. Another question, is Orbitz for room only? Am I still able to add tickets and Disney Dining to the reservation? Thanks.

We've used Orbitz for our last three trips and have had no problems. I've also cancelled a reservation through them and did not get charged a cancellation fee.

Orbitz bookings are ROOM ONLY you can add park tickets but I find them to be more expensive than for instance Undercover Tourists prices. You can't add dining plan via Orbitz so if Dining Plan is what you're after then you have to book through Disney.

MakiraMarlena · Feb 4, 2016

I checked a booking on Orbitz just yesterday. It said "free cancellation." Nothing about an Orbitz fee for cancelling.

All reservations through third-party brokers are room-only. You cannot add tickets as a package, or a Disney Dining Plan. You can buy tickets through Orbitz, but it's a separate purchase from the room - they are not tied together - and you do not have a Disney package.

If you want a Disney package, the only way to get one is to book yourself through Disney, or have a travel agent book through Disney on your behalf (Orbitz is not a travel agency)

marie8461 · Feb 5, 2016

Thanks for the info. If a good deal comes up, it may be worth forgoing the dining plan and getting the tickets elsewhere.

theheartonfire03 · Feb 5, 2016

edit: answered.

JohnDaleswife · Feb 5, 2016

If some are being charged a $25 cancel fee, its not being charged by Disney, its by Orbitz.

melk · Feb 6, 2016

Can you buy just park tickets, specifically Disneyland tickets, through Orbitz? Or do you have to get the hotel too?

Thx!

MermaidMommy · Feb 7, 2016

shoreward said:
According to the Cheap Tickets website:

CheapTickets doesn't charge a hotel cancel fee, but the hotel might.

This is the same policy as sister company Orbitz.

I called Cheap Tickets yesterday and asked about the $25 cancellation fee. I told the customer service rep that Disney doesn't charge a fee, and asked her to call Disney to confirm. She says she called Disney and was told that they do charge a $25 fee, but that it can possibly be waived.

So, either Cheap Tickets is just trying to scam its customers by charging a $25 fee and passing it off as being from Disney, or Disney has started imposing a cancellation fee on third party resellers.

JohnDaleswife · Feb 7, 2016

MermaidMommy said:
I called Cheap Tickets yesterday and asked about the $25 cancellation fee. I told the customer service rep that Disney doesn't charge a fee, and asked her to call Disney to confirm. She says she called Disney and was told that they do charge a $25 fee, but that it can possibly be waived.

So, either Cheap Tickets is just trying to scam its customers by charging a $25 fee and passing it off as being from Disney, or Disney has started imposing a cancellation fee on third party resellers.

Disney does not charge the fee, unless its something brand new with 3rd party vendor . But other TA don't charge it, so I call BS.

shoreward · Feb 7, 2016

When clicking on Orbitz T&C for a Disney Resort reservation in process, but not completed, this is what is dislayed:

We understand that sometimes plans fall through. We do not charge a cancel or change fee. When the hotel charges such fees in accordance with its own policies, the cost will be passed on to you. Disney's xxxxxxxxx charges the following cancellation and change fees.
Cancellations or changes made before 4:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada)) on xxxxxx xx, 2016 or no-shows are subject to a $25.00 hotel fee.
Cancellations or changes made after 4:00 PM (Eastern Daylight Time (US & Canada)) on xxxxx xx, 2016 or no-shows are subject to a hotel fee equal to the first night's rate plus taxes and fees.

The $25.00 cancellation/change fee applies if cancelled more than five days prior to check-in. I have used Orbitz quite a few times over the past couple of years and have never been charged a cancellation fee, if cancelled with more than five days notice. The problem is not so much the cancellation fee, but cancelling a reservation and rebooking a new reservation is the only way to make modifications. It does not seem fair to be charged a fee, if just wanting to modify dates, length of stay, etc., as they are not losing the booking.

These new T&C need to be prominently displayed on the payment page, to see prior to completing the booking.

customer relations · Feb 8, 2016

marie8461 said:
Hi,

I have never booked a room any other way than going directly through Disney. And, I have never use Orbitz for any type of travel. If I understand what I have been reading here about Orbitz, they will charge your for the children if you put them down when you reserve with them. So, what you need to do is to put down only two adults, and then through contact with both Orbitz and Disney (I think you need to get a reservation number from Orbitz?), get the children added to the reservation. If someone can clarify the exact process I would appreciate it.

My other question is, what if this doesn't work and I can't get the kids added to the reservation? I thought I read on the Orbitz website that the charge a cancellation fee or is that only for certain types of bookings?

Thanks.

Hi,
My name is Jeanna, and I am part of the Orbitz Customer Relations Team. We want to learn more about your experience so that we can address the issue. Please email us at socialnetwork@orbitz.com and enter my name in the subject line, so that I can investigate further.
Thank you for your patience, and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Sincerely,
Jeanna
Orbitz Customer Relations
Chicago, IL

MermaidMommy · Feb 8, 2016

customer relations said:
Hi,
My name is Jeanna, and I am part of the Orbitz Customer Relations Team. We want to learn more about your experience so that we can address the issue. Please email us at socialnetwork@orbitz.com and enter my name in the subject line, so that I can investigate further.
Thank you for your patience, and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Sincerely,
Jeanna
Orbitz Customer Relations
Chicago, IL

Hi Jeanna,

If you're still reading on here, I was wondering if you could answer a question that a number of us have. Orbitz seems to have recently implemented a $25 cancellation fee for Disney resorts. However, Disney doesn't charge a cancellation fee if a reservation is canceled 6 days or more prior to check-in.

Since Orbitz's T&C state that they only charge a cancellation fee if the hotel itself does, why is there now a $25 cancellation fee, when no Disney hotel charges one?

dizzyinwdw · Feb 10, 2016

This is the same policy on travelocity and expedia for disney resorts. Not sure if this is new-haven't had to cancel yet through a 3rd party vendor. If I book through Disney Travel company and cancel I haven't been charged at all.

dmunsil · Feb 10, 2016

dizzyinwdw said:
This is the same policy on travelocity and expedia for disney resorts. Not sure if this is new-haven't had to cancel yet through a 3rd party vendor. If I book through Disney Travel company and cancel I haven't been charged at all.

As near as I can tell, Expedia doesn't charge a cancellation fee, and shows Disney resorts' cancellation fees correctly, i.e. there's no fee until 5 days before arrival. So they don't have an $25 cancellation fee. And I just checked Orbitz and I didn't see any cancellation fee; on the contrary, they say "FREE Cancellation" in bold letters. Their terms and conditions didn't show any $25 fee. So if they ever showed one, it was an error.

shoreward · Feb 10, 2016

dmunsil said:
As near as I can tell, Expedia doesn't charge a cancellation fee, and shows Disney resorts' cancellation fees correctly, i.e. there's no fee until 5 days before arrival. So they don't have an $25 cancellation fee. And I just checked Orbitz and I didn't see any cancellation fee; on the contrary, they say "FREE Cancellation" in bold letters. Their terms and conditions didn't show any $25 fee. So if they ever showed one, it was an error.

The $25 cancellation fee is listed on Orbitz's payment page, as the second bullet point of "Rules and Restrictions." This is a very recent change in policy.

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