2024 Reservations/Packages Open on May 31, 2023

[StormyCA]

I wonder if the 500 day rule will still be in effect on May 31? That only takes us out as far as arrivals on Oct 12, 2024. Or will they open up booking for all 12 months of 2024 on May 31? I wonder.

Bama Ed

IIRC they're now using the 'package rules' for 'hotel only' bookings, and packages could be booked on 'opening day' through the end of the following year

I think that was changed in 2020 as I tried to book a site only for 2021 at 499 days (to 'hold' and convert to package) and was told I was too early and I'd have to wait for 'package day' to book a site only. It was a moot point by then as 'package' day was about a week away anyway.

I mean, I know I'm not a bus driver........but that was my experience.

Sounds to me as if we're (hopefully) going to be pretty much back to 'pre pandemic' WDW. They're supposedly 'working on ways' we can pre-book LL and ILL similar to FP+. If they'd just go back to the 'old' ADR policy of 180 days I'll be a really happy camper.

 

[Teamubr]

Sounds to me as if we're (hopefully) going to be pretty much back to 'pre pandemic' WDW. If they'd just go back to the 'old' ADR policy of 180 days I'll be a really happy camper.

And get rid of the 2pm restriction on hopping.

j

 

[bama_ed]

Could this be to discourage them from booking sites for people staying offsite so those people get onsite benefits?

I can't imagine a reputable TA doing that, but who knows?

I think the TA commission issue for 2024 is more about maintaining profitability at the General Manager level and how they are measured and paid versus the value a TA adds. If you reserved a Premium site for tonight by yourself with the tool, you would pay (example) $190 which all goes straight to Disney. However, if you use a TA to book that site for tonight the TA pockets a percentage for their time/effort of 10% (example) so the net pocket money to Disney is $171 ($190-$19). Would you have eventually booked that yourself and saved Disney paying TA commission? The General Manager would rather have $190 hit his net revenue column rather than $171.

I understand that TAs work hard on behalf of their clients and should be paid for their time and effort. Disney, on the other hand, is looking at their commission expenses saying "how much of this revenue would we get if the guest booked directly with us"? I belong to AAA and their TA's are always pushing Rhine River cruises or Hawaii vacations. Do you think those all book up at 500 days in advance by themselves? No, they need the TAs to promote them and sell the available inventory of trips that might otherwise go unsold (and generate zero revenue).

It's long been my contention that the Fort is in such high demand (very little expansion, growing RV/Trailer users) that the Fort/WL GM feels folks will book online and come anyway even if they can't use the convenience of a TA. 2024 will be the test of that belief apparently.

This is all speculation on my part. I've had Profit/Loss responsibility (paid by it) and this is the logic you go through on each expense line.

It's sorta like the boats we had running between WL/FW/CR. Somebody (the general managers) of those resorts would have to pay out of their expenses for the boats. The reasoning was that guests would dine at those resorts if transportation between them was convenient. But the Fort pays for the bus run between WL and the Settlement Depot already. And there is a boat/bus direct all day to MK from the Settlement area to serve CR customers (I did it last trip - boated to MK and walked to CR for Steakhouse 71 brunch). The question is would I have cancelled my S71 meal if there was no direct boat to CR? Obviously I didn't. So the GM's save the boat expense because we would still go to S71 (or Chef Mickey's) anyway.

I'm trusting that the post about TA commissions for 2024 is correct. It might have made more sense to limit paying to certain times of the year that are slow at the Fort. But that might have been an IT and business process hill too high to climb.

Bama Ed

 

[StormyCA]

And get rid of the 2pm restriction on hopping.

j

DLR went to 11 am in February. Hopefully WDW will at least follow suit on that at some point.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I think TA changes has several facets, the one that sticks with me is Disney trying to change the guest profile to more people that will stay for 7-10 days and go to the parks often and eat in the restaurants. This goes all the way back to the loss of the winter settlers rates. My belief is that they are trying to change to guests that are more profitable and stay fewer days.
Its just a hunch, unconfirmed by any bus driver(s)
I fear that Disney thinks people cannot survive without them, the decisions at the top havent exactly been stellar in the last few years.

 

[garneska]

We're YNP 'veterans' and made our 8th trip there last summer. &ou can get good reception at Fishing Bridge, Mammoth Hot Springs, and at Old Faithful. In fact, I think all of the 'villages' now have good cell service except Roosevelt Lodge area. So unless you're back-country you should be OK.

Good signal at Colter Bay Village in GTNP too.

I am not telling anyone at work this

 

[StormyCA]

I am not telling anyone at work this

I don't blame you!!!! We didn't have jobs where contacting us when we were on vacation was permitted. In fact, it was verboten! But one of our DSs has 'that kind' of job and I don't think he's had a 'no-contact' vacation in years! He's not only gotten calls in the wilds of Costa Rica, but also when he was in the hospital. I think it's crazy but he says the salary and the perks are worth it.

 

[Disneypeach]

Anyone have an idea of what time on the 31st we’ll be able to start book ing 2024?

Midnight? 7am?

 

[bama_ed]

Anyone have an idea of what time on the 31st we’ll be able to start book ing 2024?

Midnight? 7am?

Good question. It would be the same as all the other resorts. Maybe it will come up soon on the Resorts Board.

 

[StormyCA]

Anyone have an idea of what time on the 31st we’ll be able to start book ing 2024?

Midnight? 7am?

If you're booking with WDTC phone lines are 7am - 11pm Eastern.

Trust me, I'm always up and dialing at 4am in my time zone lol!

 

[bama_ed]

If you're booking with WDTC phone lines are 7am - 11pm Eastern.

Trust me, I'm always up and dialing at 4am in my time zone lol!

Walt Disney Travel Company is for packages, though, correct?

The main "book a room only" phone line for Disney prolly has the same hours. I have dialed 1-407-WDISNEY for 30 years and punched through the menu "press 2 for a resort reservation...." etc. to get to where I needed to go.

I wonder if online adheres to the same schedule.

 

[StormyCA]

Walt Disney Travel Company is for packages, though, correct?

The main "book a room only" phone line for Disney prolly has the same hours. I have dialed 1-407-WDISNEY for 30 years and punched through the menu "press 2 for a resort reservation...." etc. to get to where I needed to go.

I wonder if online adheres to the same schedule.

That's the number I have saved as WDTC.

I've booked packages at that number as well as booking online. I also used that number for a 'room only' in 2021. To my knowledge you can book any type of ressie with WDTC. I've also used WDTC for Disneyland, but I don't know if it was using the same number.

Online booking does open at the same time as the phone lines.

 

[bama_ed]

I used the WDTC number to book 'room only' in 2021 and they didn't say I had to call 'elsewhere'.

"All roads lead to Rome" I guess ....

The Mouse get his Moola no matter what.

 

[StormyCA]

"All roads lead to Rome" I guess ....

The Mouse get his Moola no matter what.

Shouldn’t that be “all roads lead to Disney”?

Yup, and I’m still happy to feed the Mouse.

 

[Paulaparm]

TA made our reservations Wednesday. Jan 22-Feb 11...and we decided the next day to postpone until 2025. We were in Charlotte last week for the NASCAR race and while there decided that we'd like to do another track next year instead. I told him I was fine with waiting until then to get back, but we HAVE to go then
As long as I keep up with everyone else's travels, I'm ok
Funny thing...I emailed my TA when I saw people talking about the fact that TA's would no longer receive their commission on booking the Fort. She said she would still get the commission and I was on her list for the 31st.
When she emailed me with the booking Wednesday, she said that, in fact, she did would NOT receive it. I figured she was okay with it since we are repeat customers and she would most likely get something from us buying tickets(?).
Then, we decide to cancel and I feel like a complete witch!! I did of course apologize numerous times and sent her a gift card for her time. She was fine with it.
So now, off to decide what track we will visit (probably) next Spring and perhaps look for a condo on the beach in N/S Carolina for 2 weeks in the winter

 

[camiam]

when does complimentary parking return?

 

[jkh36619]

Good new is this will stop *some* TA's from reserving huge blocks of sites

 

[StormyCA]

Good new is this will stop *some* TA's from reserving huge blocks of sites

Will it though? I get that there's no financial incentive anymore, but if they have 'repeat clients' that they've done FtW reservations for in the past, especially multiple times, I'd think they'd still want to keep those people 'happy' for future vacations, especially if they also use that TA to book other destinations. And it'd still be 'good PR' to be able to say "Our agency can still get you a site at FtW". Maybe they won't book big blocks of sites, but I still think they may have enough incentive to book a number of them. After all, they can book with a $200 deposit then cancel at 30 days with a full refund, so it's no 'loss' to them even if it isn't a 'gain', other than some dubiously 'good' PR.

If Disney truly wanted to discourage TAs 'hoarding' FtW ressies, then they'd either suspend or cancel booking privileges, not just for those TAs but for the entire agency, for all WDW properties.

 

[jkh36619]

Will it though? I get that there's no financial incentive anymore, but if they have 'repeat clients' that they've done FtW reservations for in the past, especially multiple times, I'd think they'd still want to keep those people 'happy' for future vacations, especially if they also use that TA to book other destinations. And it'd still be 'good PR' to be able to say "Our agency can still get you a site at FtW". Maybe they won't book big blocks of sites, but I still think they may have enough incentive to book a number of them. After all, they can book with a $200 deposit then cancel at 30 days with a full refund, so it's no 'loss' to them even if it isn't a 'gain', other than some dubiously 'good' PR.

If Disney truly wanted to discourage TAs 'hoarding' FtW ressies, then they'd either suspend or cancel booking privileges, not just for those TAs but for the entire agency, for all WDW properties.

I believe so because they have made it much more difficult to modify the reservations from what I understand.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

No matter what Disney's motivation was its still a defacto price increase. In the end Disney's dithering on the 24 ressies left a hole in my plans that couldnt be filled until the end of May after all my other plans were nailed down in Feb and March. On top of the rapidly increasing site prices I now had to pay a separate fee to the TA rather than spend an entire day on hold with central reservations. This is my reality of diminishing value for a Disney stay. I think Disney is at serious risk of over spending their long built up goodwill with people.