Arriving After Your Check-in Date?

[RealBlast3]

Hi guys, I have a question and a bit of a dilemma and hope this is the appropriate place to ask this question. I have miscalculated the availability of the Disney resort in early December and have waited to long to book and get an affordable package.

I thought for sure I could get a value or moderate package for 12/1 - 12/12 even if I booked very late, only now I'm seeing nothing at all for those dates for single rooms. The cheapest thing is the suite at Art of Animation and $300+ a night is too expensive for me.

But here's the weird thing! So my arrival date (I've already bought plane tickets months ago) is on a Tuesday (12/1), and anyway, I thought I would just fool around online on Disney because I had a sneaking suspicion that somehow, I wasn't being shown all the availability because I wanted to start a vacation on an odd day of the week, a tuesday.

And sure enough, there is more value and moderate availability if I start my trip a day and 2 earlier, on the Monday and the Sunday, keeping the same length of my overall trip! Isn't that crazy? Obviously, the rooms are available for when I'm asking from the 1st of December to the 12th if they're also available from the 29th of November to Dec. 12!

So, my question is, if I wanted to book it on that Sunday at one of the values, but still only arrive in disney 2 days later, on Tuesday, would Disney care and let me do this? Because, believe it or not, even with 2 extra days on my package, it is MUCH, MUCH cheaper staying at a value for that extra time, than staying someplace that is nearly 3 times as much. I am willing to pay for those extra 2 days even though I wouldn't be there.

If I booked it online this way, and then called Disney a couple of days before, to tell them I wouldn't be able to arrive until Tuesday, would Disney be accommodating and still let me keep my trip and pick me up at the airport and all that? I do realize I could just call Disney and ask them all this, but before I go through all that, I wanted to get advice on here and see if anyone has experience of arriving after your check-in date. Thank you all.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I would think Disney would cancel it, thinking you aren't going to show up at all since you would be 2 days late. But I don't know for sure.

Can you book so you would only be one day late? I'd think that would work better maybe. It's so hard to tell with their new rules regarding date changes.

 

[holbie18]

Could you book and then call up and change your dates? If the dates and rate are available for a longer length it doesn't make sense to me that it would not be available for a shorter length. I'm not a disney expert though.

 

[austinsmommie]

I would book it online with the extra say or 2 and then try calling and shorten the trip going by your planned arrival day.

 

[Three cats]

That sounds like your best bet. Book the longer trip and then call to have your dates adjusted to what you really need. Either that or try calling to book instead of doing it online? Good luck!

 

[nkereina]

You would be marked as a no show and your reservation would be cancelled. Computers roll over to the next day at 6am (not midnight), so if your check-in date is booked for 11/29, you would need to show up by 6am on 11/30 or else your reservation would be cancelled.

I agree that you should book it how you can and then call in and adjust your dates to the day you are actually arriving.

 

[jvncnt]

Since you are going to call and make a change anyways, I would call first and try to book it the way you want. If that doesn't work, then i would book online, and then call to cancel days.

 

[buzznina]

Yes they would cancel your reservation if you just did not show up. Also; I have started reading more posts where WDW are not allowing you to just cancel a day or two off your reservation and are making customers cancel the whole reservation and then re-book with the new dates. Just something to keep in mind. I would call the reservation line and see if they can get you in on your dates.

 

[Magical JenK]

Yes they would cancel your reservation if you just did not show up. Also; I have started reading more posts where WDW are not allowing you to just cancel a day or two off your reservation and are making customers cancel the whole reservation and then re-book with the new dates. Just something to keep in mind. I would call the reservation line and see if they can get you in on your dates.

A few months ago Disney started the "length of stay" requirement for reservations. So many rooms available for so many nights starting on this date or that date. You're seeing that example...while the resort is available for your dates if you arrive a day or 2 earlier, but not on the actual date you want. It seems odd to me considering it's obvious your resort IS available...but I guess many other destinations have this same type length of stay requirement.

I guess I'd call & see what they say. Really hope it works out for you!!

 

[JimmyBean42]

If you can book it for the day before, I would do that. Then call up and say you could only get a flight there for the next day and ask for a change. If they don't allow the change, then just flat out ask them if coming in a day late b/c of your flight would they hold your room even if you arrive the next day and that you'll still pay for the extra day.

Different question - ties into the original. With online check-in, do they even know if you arrived or entered your room? B/c then the OP would be fine. Just do online check in and pay for the extra day.

 

[tinka-belle]

The availability you are seeing might not make sense to you, but it's common in the hotel industry and Disney is catching up to that. Not all of these apply to Disney, but they are pretty common. Disney used to be very flexible, but is coming closer to these industry norms. Problem is that planning a Disney trip is so much different from a "normal" hotel stay!

1.) Hotels do not want pockets of one or two nights of an empty room and their software now tries to fill all nights without leaving those gaps. An unoccupied room is lost revenue.
So you will see a longer stay as available but not a shorter one.
2.) Most hotels have a limit for check ins or check outs per day due to housekeeping limits, and the software will block them when that limit is reached.
3.) During special events or on holiday weekends most hotels have a minimum length of stay requirement.

 

[HopperFan]

First I would call and see what they offer you.

But a quick out loud thought. If rooms are available at front to make it work, are they also available at the back to make it work? Then you can just leave early, telling them you had an emergency to leave.

 

[Hi Pluto]

That's a long time frame. Have you tried breaking it up into two separate reservations?

~Cari~

 

[Hi Pluto]

Cariibbean beach is available from 12/1-12/8 for $248. Then POP for the remainder (12/8-12/11) for $114.

 

[RealBlast3]

Thank you all so much for your help! I am so grateful to the DIS! So many great suggestions and input. I now feel like I have options. I appreciate that, since I wasn't sure what to do and my solution wasn't a very good one. I have alot to think about. The split stay is a great idea, Hi Pluto, and thank you to everyone who said I could book it for longer and then just call to take away the extra day(s), or of course, just call to start with and try to book the stay with them on the phone because they may be able to help me. I feel alot better about it now.

And yes, tinka-belle, it's funny you say that about the hotel industry, because I was just speculating to my co-worker and Disney best friend at work that some of those reasons might be at play here.