A heads up for anyone who just booked

[Tess]

I know nothing about "airline discounts", but the admission media you mention is added expressly for the purpose of calling it a "package" thus giving the booking to WDWTC--and more restrictive reservation/cancellation policies. Quite a racket, wouldn't you say. I have only held one reservation with WDTC a room only that had the "mini golf/sports complex" admission tix--never used the tix--in fact, I'm sure they're still in my old Disney file somewhere. Frankly, we have PAP and/or length of stay and admission to WWoS is included with both of those types of media.

 

[skiwee1]

Add me to the list now!! I had booked the Poly through CRO back in December for this April. When the new code came out I called and had it applied to my existing reservation. I just got my confirmation in the mail today and my room only ressie through CRO is now a package with the full amount due 21 days prior to my arrival. I just got off the phone with CRO and this is the new way that CRO is now doing things! I had to speak to a supervisor to get the scoop. She told me that every room discounted with a code is now called a package even though it is a room only reservation. She also said that they are now putting the 21 day due on all of them and come April anyone that doesn't pay the full amount by the due date will LOSE their reservation. The computer system will not be fully up until then so any ressie made prior to that will not be lost if you do not pay the full amount. The CM I had first spoke with said this is the way it has been done for 5 years. I said bull****. I know it hasn't! She turned me right over to her supervisor. I also told the supervisor that they need to train their CMs not to lie and to get their facts straight. So now all ressies using a code and going through CRO will have a full amount due 21 days prior to your arrival. It is still CRO but they want their money due ahead of time.

 

[peachgirl]

As I had said earlier, my reservation was originally a Disney Club discount, which has rules of it's own. I changed it to the AXA discount on 2/17. My confirmation doesn't say anything about being due 21 days in advance and I was told on the phone that all I needed was to pay the deposit in 14 days, balance due at check-in, 5 day cancellation. However, on my reservation it is calling it an "AXA Disney Package". I had heard they were making this change and it sure looks like they've done it.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by peachgirl
As I had said earlier, my reservation was originally a Disney Club discount, which has rules of it's own. I changed it to the AXA discount on 2/17. My confirmation doesn't say anything about being due 21 days in advance and I was told on the phone that all I needed was to pay the deposit in 14 days, balance due at check-in, 5 day cancellation. However, on my reservation it is calling it an "AXA Disney Package". I had heard they were making this change and it sure looks like they've done it.

Mine wasn't through the DC because I didn't like the rules of theirs and now it doesn't seem to matter anymore. Oh well. Sometimes I pay my room in advance but I'm worried that the AP rates might be better and come out later then when I need to pay in full. Then what? The cancellation policy is still going to stay at 5 days I was told so at least that is something.

 

[Margaret West]

I originally called the CRO # and told the CM that I wanted a "Room Only Ressie". According to my invoice I got a Pkg through WDTC with the DC $100 deposit. Now, in order to get the AXA or AXB code I would need to cancel my original ressie and make a new one and then apply the code, if there is availibility at my resort. My original ressie was at YC Concierge with hopes of getting an AP or "anyone"code. On my invoice it says payment due date on May 02 and we check in on May 23, that calculates at being 21 days out from arrival. Do I take a chance at getting the code by canceling my original room and then losing my 21 day "pay by date"? Or would you just leave everything as is and hope for better codes. It also states on the back that if you make changes 45 days before arrival you are charged a fee, anyone ever have this happen?

 

[Philly12]

I booked with my travel agent discount (50%) and was told that all discounted bookings now go through the WDTC. I too was suprised when I was told I needed to 45 days in advance. I guess they figure they can make up the difference in the $$'s investing it up front.

 

[peachgirl]

This really is a pain in the backside. Usually our vacations are set in stone. Once we make a reservation, we go. This year though there are things up in the air that may make it impossible to go. Right now it looks like our reservations are under the old rules, but if AP rates come out, I'd definitely want to use them. At that point it looks like I'd be subject to the new policies.

It's really hard enough to plan vacations without having to worry about fees and charges for making changes and cancellations. If they put me under the 45 day cancellation policy, we may well not go at all. I'm not going to pay excessive fees for cancelling a hotel reservation a month in advance. I don't know of any hotel or resort that has such a restrictive policy. We're talking $2600 just for our resort. That's a lot of money to let Disney have for 6 weeks. The idea of them making a profit from having the cash for the extra time is probably right on point. I don't like it at all, but it looks like take it or leave it are the choices I have. We may well leave it.

What is the fee for changes or cancellations inside the 45 day window for WDTC? I know for the Disney Club it's $100 for under 45 and $200 for under 5 days. Is it the same for WDTC?

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by Philly12
I booked with my travel agent discount (50%) and was told that all discounted bookings now go through the WDTC. I too was suprised when I was told I needed to 45 days in advance. I guess they figure they can make up the difference in the $$'s investing it up front.

The supervisor I spoke with today said that CRO will still remain seperate from WDTC but will use the package and make you pay it ahead. CRO is adopting some of the rules of the WDTC but not all. So I am booked with CRO yet have to pay in full 21 days in advance. Yet I still have the 5 day cancellation policy without penalty.

 

[weluvDW]

I too called to modify an already existing room-only reservation with the AXA code. I asked if the 5 day cancellation, remainder due at check-in still applied, and he said yes. When I received the modified letter, it said AXA package, with the remainder due 21 days before my arrival. I immediately called and was told that when using a code, their computers automatically identify it as a package, and when it is a room-only reservation, there is another step taken (which apparently wasn't )so it doesn't say your remainder due is 21 days prior to your arrival. He said he would correct this and send me another modified confirmation letter. Its been about a week now and I haven't received it yet, but now I'm reading here that some people have called and are told that their reservation will be cancelled if payment if not received 21 days prior. I'll wait a couple more days for my modified letter before I call again. It seems though that it all depends on who you talk to, you might get a different answer every time

 

[RobinLyn]

I called again today and ask for CRO and than got a supervisor. This is what she said:

AXA (room only code) & ZXWB (package code, same as AXA code but has ulimate park tickets included and a few other features) are not Disney Club rate/package's and that DC rules do not apply under either one of these codes.

AXA, "room only", must be paid in full 21 days in advance.
ZXWB, package code, must be paid 45 days in advance.

Under either of the above two codes:
44-6 days before trip, cancellation fee of $100
5 days or less prior to arrival, cancellation fee is $200
44 days or less before trip, any changes make, fee of $50

I ask her if a Disney Club discount becomes available, like a $50 off per room for members or a cheaper DC package comes out, would there be a fee to make the change to my exsisting package after I already paid in full? She siad no, as long as it was a DC code or DC discount there would not be a change fee of $50. She also said the CRO and The WDTC are becoming one and pretty much are already.

 

[Chess]

I changed my DC reservation to AXA on the same day peachgirl did (02/17) and it does say it is a AXA Disney Package but nothing about the full payment needing to be made 21 days in advance. It actually does not say anything about amount due except that they recieved my one nights deposit.

 

[RobinLyn]

Chess, I did the same as you and peachgirl, called and made the change to the AXA package code (ZXWB) on 2/17. My original reservation was using a DC discount. My new reservation came in the mail with no payment date on the front but if you read the rules on the back it pretty much says the same thing as what I was told over the phone.

 

[Chess]

RobinLyn, where on the back is that listed? Mine talks about deposit requirement, and states five day cancellation policy.

My original reservation with WDTC states what you have written but my new reservation has 5 day policy on the back and it does not state anywhere that it is part of WDTC. Does your new reservation have 12 numbers which is what mine does. It does not make any sense that two reservation changed the same day have two different deposit requirements unless they were using up leftover forms and I got lucky.

I'm planning on paying mine off before we go anyhow but now you have me wondering.

 

[peachgirl]

Originally posted by RobinLyn
Chess, I did the same as you and peachgirl, called and made the change to the AXA package code (ZXWB) on 2/17. My original reservation was using a DC discount. My new reservation came in the mail with no payment date on the front but if you read the rules on the back it pretty much says the same thing as what I was told over the phone.

Your situations sounds exactly like mine. I originally had a DC discount, changed to AXA code on the 17th. Nothing on my new confirmation says anything about a 21 day advance payment. All it says is there is a 5 day cancellation policy on the back. If there is a policy of payment due 21 days before arrival, they darn sure better send me something that says that before they cancel my reservations. As it is, I was told payment was due upon check-in and that's what I'm going by. If they cancel me, we won't go, but I'm not paying for the phone call to straighten out a mess of their making. I love Disney as much as the next person, but there's a limit as to how much I'm going to put up with.

 

[Chess]

Actually peachgirl we probably wouldn't know if we had been cancelled until we got to check in so I would take and am taking my confirmation paper with me. That way they would have to give me a room and maybe an upgrade.

 

[RobinLyn]

Chess, my reservation number is still the same as from my original reservation made in October 2002 for May 2003. They just applied my $100 credit card deposit from the Disney Club reservation and kept the 8 digit reservation number the same. It says the same exact thing on the back of this confirmation paper (the new one) as it did on my DC confirmation paper from October. They are actually the same piece of paper on the back from WDTC, lol. Figure that one out! I think reservations needs to get it together. So who or what should be believe? Everyone is told something different. I plan to pay in full the 45 days in advance, I can't risk losing this reservation (mine is the package) as I already have our airline tickets. I hope we are helping each other here some what. Thanks for all the help on this subject everyone!

 

[eeyore0062]

I too have received that message on the bottom of my ressies for the past 2 times (Jan 2002 and Oct 2002), I called and they told me to disregard it. The balance can be paid at check in.

 

[Michelle]

Room only reservations, without passes added and with a 12-digit CRO reservation number, have the balance due at CHECK IN.

It does NOT matter what the confirmation says; the 21-day thing has been going on for YEARS whenever you add a code to a reservation. It is just a weird glitch they have. It is NOT necessary to pay 21 days in advance for a room-only reservation. Honest.

 

[peachgirl]

Chess, my reservation number is still the same as from my original reservation made in October 2002 for May 2003. They just applied my $100 credit card deposit from the Disney Club reservation and kept the 8 digit reservation number the same.

That may be the difference. My reservation number changed from the DC # to a 12 digit number. Who knows how or why, but it changed. It does say "Welcome Disney Club Member", but it's the standard CRO confirmation letter, not the type that you get from the DC.

I changed our reservations last year from DC to an AP rate and the same thing happened, I got a different confirmation number. Thanks for the info Michelle, I never even knew about the "glitch". Just in case, that confirmation letter is coming with me!

 

[powellrj]

I have a new question to ask. I made my ressie on 2-23 using cro with the axa discount. I just got my conformation letter yesterday and it says nothing about being due in 21 days, but under resort imformation the 2nd items listed says florida resident id required upon check in. The cro never said, nor have I ever seen that the axa rate was for florida residents only. Does anyone know anything about this? Thanks