Best rate to the "public"

[A Mickeyfan]

I was just about ready to book my Dec stay thru the Best Rate site & decided not to after reading this! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First paragraph:......
Planning a vacation in a few months? Then it's time to try our Passholder Best Rate Program! Now Passholders booking a Disney Resort room online under the Passholder Best Rate Program at disneyworld.com/passholders can rest easy knowing they have received our best room rate offered to the general public* at that time for the room and nights booked. And, if we subsequently reduce our room rate to the general public for the same room and nights you booked online under this Program, we will automatically reduce your room rate to match that lower rate.
Last paragraph:.......
* Does not include group rates, auction rates or rates conditioned on group/club memberships or other specified eligibility requirements.

I am reading this as, once AP rates (or FL resident rates) come out, Disney will not lower your room rate thru the Best Rate Program. They will only lower if a lower rate is offered to the general public. How do they figure that this is for Passholders as they state??? Sorry if this has been posted before...
I think I will wait a bit longer to see what happens before I commit to giving them my money. Or maybe just book at a value (they are the lowest they will go anyway) & if anything when the other rates come out, see if they will allow me to upgrade using the regular AP or FL resident rates???????

 

[sherry8253]

From what I understand, Disney considers AP rate a public rate unlike group rates or snail/email offers with PIN codes attached which are specifically for the recipients. I am about ready to book. Our dates are now firm. I am going to buy the airline tickets this week. But, I have been holding off because the rates are so much higher at AKL and WL then the last several years. A standard room at YC or BC is only $109 more expensive than standard savannah AKL and $70 more than WL Villa for 7 nights. We usually go with one of the lower level deluxe but for $100 more we can do one of the more deluxe deluxe. If I knew the prices at AKL would go back to closer to what they have been, I would take that because I love the AKL. Guess you can call me undecided.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

My dates are set in stone since I am going to the MVMCP & have the tickets already. Problem is, my daughter is bringing her boyfriend (makes us a total of 4) but now I am not sure if my son & husband will end up coming with us. My daughter wants me to book the Cabins & if not that, she figured PO-R since they have the trundle that her boyfriend can sleep on. I figured if it was just 4 of us, we could save money (spend it on food ) and stay at a value & just take the air mattress for him to sleep on. It would be my luck that I lock into the Best Rate rate & then the FL Resident rates come out. I know as far as the value resorts go, the rate the Best Value is showing is like $66 ($59 + tax). It may not get any lower (have seen the $49 & $55 at that time of year). That wouldn't be a big difference. The mods are coming up around $104 per night with tax ($92 + tax), which I think that has a chance of dropping. The cabins come to like $182 per night (161 = tax)...so if the mods or the cabins were to drop, that would be a larger amount that I would be locked into... I am so confused all I know is I don't want to get stuck off property! I have a ressie (which the deposite is due tomorrow) for Pop Century at full price. When I booked it 2 weeks ago, the CM said that when the AP rates come out, I can switch it over & I have done this several times before & never had a problem. Maybe I will just stick with that for now...

 

[aubriee]

I'm also hesitant to book through the Best Rate Program, but for a different reason. I really want to rent DVC points for five nights of my stay in December and then add two nights before and two nights after using the Best Deal Program. The lady I rented from in May has checked and was able to get three of my nights at BCV and waitlisted for the other two. She has said I'm under no obligation and if the waitlist comes through and I've made other plans she will either cancel it or put it on the rent/trade board.

If I could get the Best Rate Deal for the first two and last two nights of my vacation and the waitlist comes through I'd be fine. However if the waitlist doesn't come through and I'd need to add five more nights to the existing Best Deal ressies, I wonder if I'd have to pay a change fee? I'd be upgrading to a more expensive stay then, not downgrading. Anyone have any ideas? With two nonrefundable deposits on the line I'm a little hesitant to book right now, but am afraid if I wait too long all the deals will be gone. This is supposed to be the best deal the AP holders can get. Right? If the Best Rate Program goes over well, I can't see them offering any other AP codes or general public codes either. Remember there have not been any general public codes since early last spring.

 

[pennst8r]

I would check on the trundle bed. We've used them before---and my 5 yr old was almost the length of it last year. We've booked a deluxe this year because I thought it would be uncomfortable. It is much shorter than the bed since it slips underneath with plenty of room. I'd bring the air mattress! Or, see if they have a cot?

 

[kbratich]

Do you need to be an AP holder to book through the best rate site? Thanks

 

[pennst8r]

yes. It doesn't have to be an activated AP, tho. You can use the voucher they send you. Don't know when your planning to go, but it takes a week or so to get the voucher (unless you pay for faster shipping) and from what I've read, some are having trouble already getting rooms for their dates in Dec.

 

[kbratich]

I am not an Ap .. but am waiting patiently for a special package (free dining/room rate) to come out for my trip in mid October. From what I've read it sounds like there may be one coming out the end of August.

 

[pennst8r]

that would be nice! I hope they do. I was hoping they'd be out this month, but decided not to wait anymore. I'm sure they'll come out with something. I hope the free dining, etc wasn't just to get people to come during Hurricane season!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I would check on the trundle bed. We've used them before---and my 5 yr old was almost the length of it last year. We've booked a deluxe this year because I thought it would be uncomfortable. It is much shorter than the bed since it slips underneath with plenty of room. I'd bring the air mattress! Or, see if they have a cot?

We have used the trundle before. I stayed there 2 summers ago with my son (then 16), and believe it or not, all the kids fought over who would sleep on it (they all wanted to). I did myself one time just to see what it was like, I didn't think it to be that bad. I am 5'6", I wouldn't want to sleep on it for a week, but 3 nights isn't too bad.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Do you need to be an AP holder to book through the best rate site? Thanks

You cannot log onto the passholder site without a passholder number.