How many people hold multiple resort reservations for the same trip?

[Slip]

We currently have two reservations for the same period next July. One at the Contemporary and one at Port Orleans. We have stayed on property many times and have always done this to take advantage of the best discount whether it be a Disney Visa, general public or PIN code discount. With a family of five, the numbers work out differently depending on the discount offered.

For us, this strategy has allowed us to take advantage of the best discount available.

How many people do this and make the decision right before the cancellation date?

 

[3Gsandme]

Double bookings like this are likely the reason why discounts are becoming more and more limited. Disney doesn't have to discount rooms they count as occupied and with the new "we can't change a reservation, you have to rebook" policy, I don't see how this will be a feasible strategy going forward.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We currently have two reservations for the same period next July. One at the Contemporary and one at Port Orleans. We have stayed on property many times and have always done this to take advantage of the best discount whether it be a Disney Visa, general public or PIN code discount. With a family of five, the numbers work out differently depending on the discount offered.

For us, this strategy has allowed us to take advantage of the best discount available.

How many people do this and make the decision right before the cancellation date?

How can you reserve two rooms for the same period? Do you book them under different names?

 

[Slip]

When we booked them the agent confirmed that we could add the discount later depending on what is offered. I understand that sometimes the number of rooms offered for a discount is limited (we have run into this once) but we've always been able to change a reservation to add a discount.

 

[Slip]

How can you reserve two rooms for the same period? Do you book them under different names?

One is booked in my wife's name and one in mine. Same last name. When I booked the second the agent said that she could see the other one.

 

[Slip]

I just contacted Disney via chat. Here is the text:

Thank you for contacting Disney. Please hold while we route your chat to a Disney Cast Member who will help you with your question.

Welcome to Disney! My name is Cody. How may I help you today?

you: If a discount is released after my reservation I can apply it later, correct? Assuming that there are rooms available in the discount.

Cody: Hello! Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort Chat line. Yes, that is correct!

you: Thanks!

 

[gwynne]

Disney doesn't "apply" discounts. They search for availability with the specific discount. If there's no availability, no discount.

Every room that is booked at rack rate takes away a chance for a room that might be offered with a discount.
If you know you're going anyway, and are happy to pay rack, no problem.
But double booking (or booking a more expensive room than you'd be willing to pay at rack) is only lessening the chance at a discount.

(This issue comes up a lot with the military discount. Phone reservation people aren't likely to correct potential guests using words like apply or convert. Sometimes the reservationists use them, themselves. It's totally misleading, and I wish they wouldn't.)

 

[disneylovinfamilyof6]

I currently have a reservation through both Orbitz and Disney. The Orbitz ressie is my back up (plan B) if I can't get the days I need added to my Disney travel company reservation. Currently I'm 1 day short. I scored one more day that I needed through Disney yesterday and I check 2-3 times a day for new availability. If I can get the additional day added through Disney, I will be cancelling with Orbitz. My days are unfortunately non-discounted holiday dates, so they are full rack rate. FX that someone cancels the other day I need through Disney. I was really not thrilled with the prospect of using a 3rd party to begin with.

 

[Slip]

Disney doesn't "apply" discounts. They search for availability with the specific discount. If there's no availability, no discount.
Every room that is booked at rack rate takes away a chance for a room that might be offered with a discount.
If you know you're going anyway, and are happy to pay rack, no problem.
But double booking (or booking a more expensive room than you'd be willing to pay at rack) is only lessening the chance at a discount.

I disagree, a Disney agent told me years ago that they number of "booked rooms six months out" is not a stat that marketing prefers. They tend to look at the "conversion rate" (their nomenclature) of $200 deposits that become paid vacations. I'm certain that some discount strategies are used to turn those deposits into paid stays.

In regards to "applying" discounts: we have stayed on property in 2000,2004,2008 (2x),2011 and 2013. I have always gone with some sort of discount that was "applied" to a reservation that was previously booked. In one instance we had to change resorts but still got the discount.

 

[minnie mum]

It's people putting deposits on rooms at multiple resorts that are decreasing the availability of not only discounts, but rooms , period. No wonder we're seeing so many posts with people finding limited availability at resorts, months and months before a trip. I've never done it. Why should I let Disney have several hundred dollars of my money for 6 months or more? We pick the resort that we want to stay at, at rack rate. If and when a discount comes out that is useful to us, THEN we might consider a change to another resort. Already having a reservation at that resort is no guarantee that you can get a discount there. And as pointed out, if every one did it, Disney wouldn't offer discounts at all.

I have always gone with some sort of discount that was "applied" to a reservation that was previouslybooked. In one instance we had to change resorts but still got the discount.

ETA: That may have been the word that was used, but when you did this you were changing your existing reservation for a rack rate room to a reservation for a discount room. They come out of separate inventories. If there had not been a room available in the discount inventory, your existing reservation would have done you no good at all as far as getting that discount.

 

[GreatLakes]

When we booked them the agent confirmed that we could add the discount later depending on what is offered. I understand that sometimes the number of rooms offered for a discount is limited (we have run into this once) but we've always been able to change a reservation to add a discount.

That is correct. What others are saying is that the offering of discounts, and how good those discounts are, depends on current rooms and packages booked. The more rooms and packages they have booked, fully paid or not, the less likely they will release any discount at all or the more likely that the discount will be lower (20% instead of 30% for example). Since you have two rooms booked they are two rooms closer to whatever threshold they use for these decisions. That is bad. Multiply that by every person who does this and you are lowering the chance that a discount will be released. If rooms are booked Disney doesn't have to discount anything.

In order to increase the chance of Disney releasing better discounts it is best if no one books any rooms before the discounts are announced and definitely don't book any that you intend to cancel. There isn't anything wrong really with what you did but you might be hurting your own cause by falsely increasing the booked occupancy rate.

 

[wdwrich]

In regards to "applying" discounts: we have stayed on property in 2000,2004,2008 (2x),2011 and 2013. I have always gone with some sort of discount that was "applied" to a reservation that was previously booked. In one instance we had to change resorts but still got the discount.

That was definitely the case in the past, but a recent policy change requires one to now cancel and re-book. At least that's what's been reported by multiple folks on these boards lately.

 

[Slip]

That was definitely the case in the past, but a recent policy change requires one to now cancel and re-book. At least that's what's been reported by multiple folks on these boards lately.

Posted above - from Disney Chat 15 minutes ago:

Welcome to Disney! My name is Cody. How may I help you today?

you: If a discount is released after my reservation I can apply it later, correct? Assuming that there are rooms available in the discount.

Cody: Hello! Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort Chat line. Yes, that is correct!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Saddly double booking makes it harder for other guests to make reservations.

AKK

 

[gwynne]

Posted above - from Disney Chat 15 minutes ago:

Welcome to Disney! My name is Cody. How may I help you today?

you: If a discount is released after my reservation I can apply it later, correct? Assuming that there are rooms available in the discount.

Cody: Hello! Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort Chat line. Yes, that is correct!

Sometimes they use a simple concept-"apply" to keep it simple for the customer, or because it's a word the customer used first.

Disney resort discounts are not magically applied. The reservationists have to search for the actual discount code, and check to see if it is available for your preferred dates and resort. I'll leave it there.

 

[wdwrich]

Posted above - from Disney Chat 15 minutes ago:

Welcome to Disney! My name is Cody. How may I help you today?

you: If a discount is released after my reservation I can apply it later, correct? Assuming that there are rooms available in the discount.

Cody: Hello! Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort Chat line. Yes, that is correct!

I don't doubt that the above was stated by the CM, but phone and chat CMs at Disney's call center are notorious for giving incorrect information. There are hundreds of posts on these boards confirming that fact.

 

[minnie mum]

Posted above - from Disney Chat 15 minutes ago:

Welcome to Disney! My name is Cody. How may I help you today?

you: If a discount is released after my reservation I can apply it later, correct? Assuming that there are rooms available in the discount.

Cody: Hello! Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort Chat line. Yes, that is correct!

Please read the edit to my earlier lost.

 

[wdwrule]

Not sure why this thread has been created. Not understanding the point of it.

 

[mmmears]

Double bookings like this are likely the reason why discounts are becoming more and more limited. Disney doesn't have to discount rooms they count as occupied and with the new "we can't change a reservation, you have to rebook" policy, I don't see how this will be a feasible strategy going forward.

I totally agree!

 

[lustergirl]

Not sure why this thread has been created. Not understanding the point of it.

Quite simple: