Anyone else have problems with rate change during stay?

[IndyDisneyFan]

We have stayed at Disney resorts many times, but have never had this problem before. We checked into the Port Orleans Riverside on Feb 15 for 3 nights. We had one rate for the first 2 nights, then a nice discounted rate for the 3rd night. When we checked in we were told that we were only staying 2 nights. We corrected them, and he later found another reservation for the 3rd night, separate from the first two. We were then told that we would have to come back and "check in" again for the 3rd night. This was after we had waited over an hour to check in this time! The only reason they could give us was that their computer couldn't figure out rate changes, so it was like we were checking out, then checking back in again or we couldn't get the lower rate. Is that crazy or what? Not only that, housekeeping showed up to "clean out" our room on the 17th. We informed her we were not leaving until the 18th, and she told me that we were only staying for 2 nights. We did get a manager to send us 2 more keys(ours expired after the 2nd night) and a parking pass, but it took 3 phone calls and a lot of waiting. When the 18th got there(our actual check out date) we had express check out, but only got a statement for the 17th. The first two days were missing, and the front desk claimed we were only there for 1 night, not 3. Again, we had to wait on a manager who could find those first two days we were there so he could have someone bring us the statement. What a hassle!! Has anyone else had any similar experiences out there? I am also trying to locate a person to write to who is over the Disney Resorts, so if anyone happens to know this info, I would appreciate it! Thanks!

Laura

 

[cindala]

Our visit each year falls during a rate change from regular to value season, so we always make two reservations. The first is for the regular season, and the second is for the value season. We book the same level room and have them note on the reservation that it is a continuing reservation.

We have never had any problems. On the day the second reservation begins, we just go down to the main desk, and they have new room keys for us, and a new parking sticker. We don't change rooms or anything else.

However, we know all this going in, and make sure that the continuing reservation is properly noted. Maybe that is where your trouble started. Or did you have two room types, say standard view and waterview? Then you would have to change rooms, and it would be more confusing.

 

[cindyfan]

We have had to make seperate reservations because of rate changes a few times.
We were always told at the time of making the reservation that we would have to "check out" and "check in".
Because the system could not seperate the rate differences. If you had a "package" with a quoted total price, then you would not have had to do this.

BUT.....with room only....yes, you have to.
We were also told that we may have to switch rooms...although we have never had to.
When you made the reservations they should have noted that these 2 were linked together. Even if one is with CRO and the other WDTC, they can still "link" them in the computer so that they know what is going on. This is what we have for our trip in April. The first part is using DC discount the second half using the code. But we are not changing resort and probably will not change rooms.

So when you checked in on the 15th they should have noted the 2 reservations and explained it better to you.
It would have been easier to just go down to the desk and "check in" instead of the calls and waiting for someone to bring the new keys.

This is a common occurance and I don't think writing to someone will change any of their procedures.
You might want to email wdw.guest.communications@disney.com if you feel you were treated poorly.
Otherwise that is their procedure in order to get 2 different rates.

 

[Bob NC]

We, also, have done the same thing many times. We have had 2 reservations, the first nite or two at a higher rate, then a separate reservation for a 'value or regular season' rate. If you mention this at check in they will mark your file as a "continuing reservation". On the day of the rate change you simply go to the front desk and get new room keys.

It sounds like you made it a little more complicated than it needed to be by making the calls about it. This is one of those cases where you really don't have to do anything except pick up new keys....Anything more just gums up the works.

 

[>>^..^<<]

It wasn't really a problem but we had 2 ressies for my last stay at akl concierge..

The 1st night was high season and then next 8 nights were value season..

I was told the 1st night designates the rate for the whole stay - so it was better to do 2 reservations... but I had 2 vouchers...

WHen I checked in they said "Oh - only for one night" then realized 2 ressies.. had to make sure we did not have to change rooms after one night.

The next morning there was a express checkout bill under my door and I had a message from concierge thanking me for staying and telling me to come again... (duh - i'm not leaving!)

Then later in the day a new message - welcoming me all over again and saying to come check in at the lounge (duh I'm already here!)

I guess it is set up for a reason... but they could pay more attention to it.

>>^..^<<

 

[IndyDisneyFan]

Thanks for everyone's imput. I had one reservation number and all three days were listed on the same piece of paper. The last day was separated out, but that was it. I think that maybe there was just a lack of communication. My reservationist didn't say one word about there being two reservations or that I would have to check in twice. And there was not any type of link between the dates either in the registration area or the housekeeping area. No one seem to know that we were staying another night, even the manager! The strange thing was when we called from the room at about 5:00 p.m. asking where the new key was(a manager had already promised to deliver it to our room and we were told at check in we would be staying in the same the same room) we were informed that we weren't checked in yet. My question was then how could we be calling from our room? I just wished we had been better informed by all. And it seems to me that they would be finding a way to "fix" this computer problem so that us, the guests, would not be inconvienced by having to check in twice. It isn't like they don't know that we will be there longer. But I guess in my case they really didn't seem to know that we would be there longer....

Thanks again!
Laura

 

[n2mm]

Sounds like CRO was the problem, not the resort. You should have had to have 2 reservations. One for the 2 nights at one rate, and 1 for the 1 night at a different rate. This is normal procedure and we do it ALL of the time. As CMs, we can only have one 7 day reservation, so when it's longer we have to have several reservations. This happens on every trip we go on because we always stay more than 7 days. For our upcoming May trip, we are there 14 nights, hence 2 reservations. We have to pay 2 deposits, one for each reservation. Each reservation has a different confirmation number, but on each (in the computer) they are noted that they are continuing reservations. Yes we have to technically "check out" on our last day so after breakfast we zip back to the front desk, re-check in, always to our same room (and yes there is always the possibity that we may have to switch--haven't yet). We get new keys, new parking permit, put down our cc to use for charging, and pay the balance on our bill. I think the front desk was going out of their way to actually bring you your key cards (never happened for us after 25 split reservations). I think you got an uneducated CM who booked your reservations incorrectly. Since you had never done this in the past, you also didn't know the proper procedure, making the matter much worse than it had to be. Had you been informed, you would have known what to do. Next time you'll be ready.

 

[lindamg]

As many others have said, this is a pretty common occurence. I've never found it to be an "inconvenience" worth noting. All it takes is a simple stop at the desk on the day of the switch. In the overall Disney scheme of things, this is low on my list of complaints! Echoing other posters - this was a live and learn situation. It really is simple when you are aware it is going to happen.

 

[SueEllen]

We had a similar occurance once. We had booked for the Millennium and you HAD to book a package to get the room, etc. We used US Airways Vacations. Well apparently they had it booked as two separate reservations, which TOTALLY screwed EVERYTHING up becuase of the then "length of stay" passes. We were working on trading them up for APs and it caused all kinds of trouble. It was a hassle having to check out/in again with the LINES for the millennium (we were there from just after Christmas to Jan 2 2000.) I wish they would come up with a better system for that--and that when you are booked and reservations does something like that then they would inform you in advance.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.

Sue Ellen

 

[sha_lyn]

We too have had 2 separate reservation for the same trip. We couldn't book our first night at ASMu thorugh SOG so we booked the frist night with WDW travel. We notified the front desk as check in and were told to be sure to check out and back in early in the AM so we could remain in the same room. I think we had 2 separate final bills.