Booking 8 days, dropping to 7 = no availability?

[TheLittleRoo]

Here's my problem: I'm looking for availability for 7 days on the 4/3 plan. For my dates, I cannot find it at my resort of choice. BUT if I look for 8 days, including my dates, checking in one day earlier, it IS available.

So, my question is, can I book the 8 days now (which is giving me the 4/3 rate + one night rack rate) and then call back to drop one day, checking in one day later? If that's a no go, due to check in issues, how about dropping the last day of my stay?

One CM I chatted with said I could most likely do it, another I talked to on the phone said it would not work. He said pretty confidently I was getting a length of stay availability at the 8 day point. Meaning, my resort had availability at the 8 day mark for my dates, but the 7 day slots were booked out. If I tried to change my reservation to 7 days, it would not give me availability on the 4/3 deal.

I remember reading during free dining that people were doing this to their ressies without any problems. Does anyone have any experience or luck with doing this?
Thanks!

 

[ShellyLynn3630]

Ya go ahead and try it, I think it will work.

 

[disneymom06]

I just had the same thing happen to me. The CM suggested that we try 8 days when I really only wanted 7 (same4+3 offer) and WOW it was available. I am calling back tomorrow to drop the eight day (as well as the travel insurance that she added). I have done the same thing on previous packages, which is why I really didn't worry about the 8 day total.

 

[TheLittleRoo]

Argh! It's a gamble. I called back and got another CM saying the same thing: I won't be able to drop 1 nt and go to 7 nt b/c my availability is based on an 8 nt slot. If I change by dropping to 7 nts, there has to be availability for a 7 nt slot, which there isn't now. None of them believed there would be any increase in available 7 nt slots, when there are none now. Availability would decrease rather than increase.

Also, I'm within 45 days now. So, if I guess wrong, and can't drop the date, I'm stuck with it or pay $100 to cx completely.

I do know for a fact, however, that when I was booking my ADRs last year, I was told REPEATEDLY and confidently by all the dining reps that my party of 5 ADRs would not allow for a 6th person. I would have to call to make a new ADR if I wanted to so much as add one more person. During Free Dining, calling the day of, for a new 6 person ADR - what were the odds? Well, I can tell you every single time we showed up for dinner with +2 guests with us, no one even batted an eye at finding a table for 7, even though my ADR said 5.

So, I wonder.... would they drop an 8 night to a 7 night reservation without telling me there's no availability?

 

[cruzanmama]

Hope this helps. I had 8 nights booked with 4/3 deal. Didn't get airfare until right at 45 day marked. When I called CM said she could drop to 7 nights but would need guest services help. Took 35' on phone but I was able to drop to 7 nights at POR with special.

 

[darby888]

I just did this same thing two days ago. The CM I spoke to also needed to put me on hold while she worked with guest services to make the change.

 

[Disney Ron]

I'm with the others. We have the 4/3 package in March at CSR. With 7 days there wasn't any availability, but at 8 days there was so I booked the 8 days then called back and dropped a day. Like the others said they put me on hold and had Guest Services take care of it.

 

[StrwLady]

In the past, I have booked a longer stretch of dates to get a package and then dropped down to the dates I needed.

I think where you might run into a problem is being that you are in the 45 day out period. Will they even hold a reservation for you at this point or when you book it does it have to be paid in full? If so, then when you drop the one day you would be down grading a package and would be subject to a $50 (I think thats how much) fee.

I hope it works out for you!

 

[Mamiamjo]

Sounds like a good reason to stay 8 days instead!
Anyway, I hope you're able to work it out

 

[TheLittleRoo]

In the past, I have booked a longer stretch of dates to get a package and then dropped down to the dates I needed.

I think where you might run into a problem is being that you are in the 45 day out period. Will they even hold a reservation for you at this point or when you book it does it have to be paid in full? If so, then when you drop the one day you would be down grading a package and would be subject to a $50 (I think thats how much) fee.

I hope it works out for you!

Yes, there would be a $50 change fee if my package price total drops, which is why I would wait to add the dining plan until AFTER I dropped the dates. But now I may stay at CSR instead, so POR isn't critical to my success anymore!

 

[sjms71]

I wish I would have thought of this . We booked POR because CSR wasn't available. I did see that when I added a day (8days) it was available. We are booked 4/3 deal and going in 5 weeks. I am not sure what to do. I think we will like POR but booked it cause only Mod. available for our dates. This is our first time staying at a Mod. and it will be DD 11th birthday during stay. She really wanted CSR. Should I call and see if I can switch resorts? I just don't know what to do. I'm sure there still want be anything available.

 

[TheLittleRoo]

I wish I would have thought of this . We booked POR because CSR wasn't available. I did see that when I added a day (8days) it was available. We are booked 4/3 deal and going in 5 weeks. I am not sure what to do. I think we will like POR but booked it cause only Mod. available for our dates. This is our first time staying at a Mod. and it will be DD 11th birthday during stay. She really wanted CSR. Should I call and see if I can switch resorts? I just don't know what to do. I'm sure there still want be anything available.

Dang, girl - - what are your dates? Maybe we could swap ressies!

 

[Hollywoodhaha]

Don'tcha hate it when that happens?
Then you check back a week later and it is available.
Sigh. It annoys me alot..

 

[maggiew]

I had the 4/3 deal booked for mid June. I had to call and change due to some event popping up that we had to go to but it conflicted with our vacation. We decided to go over 4th of July instead. Since the last day of the 4/3 deal was June 27, we had to book 8 days instead of 7 so we could be there the night of the 4th. Anyway, the CM said she had to "switch codes" because the 8 night code was different than the 7 night code.

So maybe that is why there was availability for 8 nights for you but not 7 nights? Maybe there was only a certain number of slots for each code?

Maggie

 

[sjms71]

Dang, girl - - what are your dates? Maybe we could swap ressies!

Hey TheLittleRoo we are going 3/7-3/14 however, DH said to leave the reservation the way it is. He would rather stay at POR and since he's paying the bill......LOL. I'm sure everyone will be happy just to go to Disney in March (we are going in Sept too)