booking before discounts come out

[adriane812]

Is there any benefit to booking a room before discounts for those dates come out? (I'm specifically waiting for fall AP discounts, which won't be released for a couple of months.)

I know that you can theoretically get a discount applied to a pre-existing reservation, but since Disney only allows discounts for a certain number of rooms within a particular category, I'm wondering if it makes sense to book now or if doing that actually would make it less likely that a discount is available for that room category (since I'd theoretically be helping to fill the rooms at rack rate).

Thanks!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Is there any benefit to booking a room before discounts for those dates come out?

No.

To get a discount, you may need to change dates, resorts or room types, which may be awkward for you. When many rooms of a type are booked across certain dates, of course it is less likely those room types will be added to available discount inventory. Discounts exist to fill rooms. Those rooms are already full!

If you are traveling those dates, discount or no, sure, book. If your travel is discount-dependent, wait.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Depends on the discount and the type of reservation whether you can just add it to your reservation. If you book a room only reservation and the discount requires a package, you'll have to change the reservation to a package (not needed for an AP discount). If the discount excludes the resort or type of room you booked, you'd have to change that to get the discount. But the discount has to be available for you when you try to add it. If it's already gone, having a previously booked room reservation won't help you to get it.

If you're going anyway, then it might help you to already have a booking at your preferred resort/room category if it is what you REALLY want, but if you won't go without the discount and you'll change from your preferred location to get that discount, there's not much point in booking now.

 

[wilkeliza]

No real benefit and the more people do it the less likely Disney will continue to use discounts. The whole purpose of a discount is to fill un-booked rooms. If everyone who wanted to go during a discounted time booked long before the discounts came out then Disney would see a ton of rooms booked and think no reason to offer discounts we booked it all at rack rate this year.

 

[johnsonet]

No real benefit and the more people do it the less likely Disney will continue to use discounts. The whole purpose of a discount is to fill un-booked rooms. If everyone who wanted to go during a discounted time booked long before the discounts came out then Disney would see a ton of rooms booked and think no reason to offer discounts we booked it all at rack rate this year.

exactly

 

[adriane812]

Thanks! This is exactly what I was thinking--people often suggest booking what you want ahead of time and then calling to apply the discount, but it just seems counterintuitive to me for exactly the reasons you all are laying out.

We've already got 7 nights booked (BWV using rented DVC points) but now want to add on a night at the beginning of our stay, potentially in a room we wouldn't want for a whole week (theme park view at the Contemporary, savannah view at AKL, etc.). I think I'll just assess whether or not we'd stay without a discount, and if not, we'll hold off until fall AP prices are announced.

 

[wilkeliza]

It use to work when it was a few insiders who did it. Now that there is hardly any "insiders only" left when it comes to Disney then there is no point. I book when I want to for trips that are 100% I'm going (runDisney events or family meet ups) but for maybe trips I just wait it out and see what may come out. If I see that there aren't any regular rooms left then I just book what I can afford or skip that trip. I've never been 100% shut out of a discount but I'm more flexible than some when it comes to where and when they can travel.

 

[Princess Minnie321]

I knew I 100% wanted to go a certain week in November. I did not want to risk waiting for a discount and then not be able to get a reservation for my week. I decided to book at a price point that I was comfortable with at a moderate resort that I was happy to stay at. My plan was to then see if an amazing deal came up and if I could upgrade that is great, but if an upgrade would not work out, then I still had my reservation I am happy with. I ended up receiving an upgrade to a deluxe through an email from Disney for only a little more then I was paying so booking early worked for me!

 

[StirlingSilver83]

I usually book early as well...We only like to stay deluxe so I figured I would book when I wanted to go and if a discount came out I would either try to apply it to my current reservation or just leave it alone. My theory was I was happy with what I booked and I was ok with the price point as well...when discounts came out I called up and unfortunately they couldn't apply the discount to my resort (theme park view at the contemporary), but they did have a deluxe room available with the discount at the grand floridian and it would be $500 cheaper than what I was going to be paying at the contemporary. Needless to say I jumped at the chance to stay at the grand floridian, lol. Anyways I always book early for the same reason as the pp in that I want to make sure I definitely have a room that I would be happy with and not wait for discounts to come available and get stuck with a resort that I would not be happy with.

 

[FeliciaB23]

Maybe I'm in a different boat since I booked through AAA but when I booked, my TA told me that if Disney releases a discount, it will be able to be applied to my reservation. I booked without one and sure enough, they released one a month or so later which was able to be applied. Same room category, same dates, same resort. Just, $200+ cheaper!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

You were lucky enough that a discount came out that applied to your resort, dates and room category.

 

[wilkeliza]

Maybe I'm in a different boat since I booked through AAA but when I booked, my TA told me that if Disney releases a discount, it will be able to be applied to my reservation. I booked without one and sure enough, they released one a month or so later which was able to be applied. Same room category, same dates, same resort. Just, $200+ cheaper!

Yes it can be applied but there are no guarantees that it will be available when your TA gets to work that morning and finally gets around to adjusting your reservation. This means you could end up spending more to use the discount (so then what is the point) or you could have to change resorts and end up somewhere you may not have originally wanted to stay. They only hold a certain number of rooms of each category for discount so say you have a standard room at Coronado Springs and free dinning comes out, your TA gets in at 8 and goes to change your reservation but seeing as all regular standard rooms have been booked under the discount your TA has to call you and ask do you want to upgrade and break even or switch to Caribbean Beach Resort? Personally I wouldn't switch so then maybe I would take the upgrade. This happens a lot for people who are in the values. They cheapest value rooms are the first to book up on any discount. Also if you are at AoA little mermaid room or at POFQ it is very likely the discount won't apply so you will have to switch resorts and not everyone would want to make that switch.

 

[FeliciaB23]

Yes it can be applied but there are no guarantees that it will be available when your TA gets to work that morning and finally gets around to adjusting your reservation. This means you could end up spending more to use the discount (so then what is the point) or you could have to change resorts and end up somewhere you may not have originally wanted to stay. They only hold a certain number of rooms of each category for discount so say you have a standard room at Coronado Springs and free dinning comes out, your TA gets in at 8 and goes to change your reservation but seeing as all regular standard rooms have been booked under the discount your TA has to call you and ask do you want to upgrade and break even or switch to Caribbean Beach Resort? Personally I wouldn't switch so then maybe I would take the upgrade. This happens a lot for people who are in the values. They cheapest value rooms are the first to book up on any discount. Also if you are at AoA little mermaid room or at POFQ it is very likely the discount won't apply so you will have to switch resorts and not everyone would want to make that switch.

Guess I just got lucky then. 19 more days!