Booking before I can see online questions

[Adora]

So I am looking at booking a particular resort in August 2020. I'm from Canada, and the plan was to wait out till end of June to look online and decide based on prices best dates for us, as we are teachers and have some flexibility. Maybe it's just because I'm on the resorts facebook but the talk of the UK dining plan and how they can't get certain rooms for Aug 2020 has me freaked out.
So I feel like I'm gonna have to book something (room only) through calling just to make my blood pressure slack back.
So two questions:
1) If I book something now (say a standard room) do I pay a deposit?
2) If I decide to change the dates once the availability is online do I lose the deposit? ie is there any thing I should know if I change the dates but keep the room type (still standard)?
3) If during the year there is a discount can I call to apply it to my room? Or would they only apply if there is more available? Say there were no standard rooms left would they allow this to be applied to mine?
4) Same question as #3 but with packages instead of room only.

Thanks! It's been 13 years since last visit and I am so thankful/excited that the Dis is still helping

 

[DisneyWishes14]

So I am looking at booking a particular resort in August 2020. I'm from Canada, and the plan was to wait out till end of June to look online and decide based on prices best dates for us, as we are teachers and have some flexibility. Maybe it's just because I'm on the resorts facebook but the talk of the UK dining plan and how they can't get certain rooms for Aug 2020 has me freaked out.
So I feel like I'm gonna have to book something (room only) through calling just to make my blood pressure slack back.
So two questions:
1) If I book something now (say a standard room) do I pay a deposit?
2) If I decide to change the dates once the availability is online do I lose the deposit? ie is there any thing I should know if I change the dates but keep the room type (still standard)?
3) If during the year there is a discount can I call to apply it to my room? Or would they only apply if there is more available? Say there were no standard rooms left would they allow this to be applied to mine?
4) Same question as #3 but with packages instead of room only.

Thanks! It's been 13 years since last visit and I am so thankful/excited that the Dis is still helping

1) Yes, if you book a room-only now, you will pay the equivalent of one night's stay plus tax. You will be paying 2019 rates. Once 2020 rates are released, your costs will be adjusted to reflect 2020 pricing.
2) If you have a room booked and decide to change dates, you can simply try to modify the reservation online. Sometimes the online modification doesn't work and then you would call in the modification. As long as you are simply modifying the room-only dates and not cancelling, you will not lose your deposit. If you go from a room-only to a package, you will have to cancel and rebook, but you still will not lose your deposit. A room-only deposit is fully refundable up to 5 days prior to check-in. A package deposit is fully refundable up to 30 days prior to check-in.
3) If a discount is released for your dates, you can either try to modify your reservation online to apply the discount or call in to try to apply it. You will only be able to apply the discount if the resort/room you have booked is in the discount inventory. If there is no availability for your resort/room in the discount inventory, you will not be able to apply the discount.
4) Packages are the same. The room has to currently be in the discount inventory in order to get the discount. I believe this is the issue with the UK discounts? People just aren't finding a lot of standard rooms were included in the discount inventory.

I really wouldn't freak out based on the UK promo availability. I'm assuming people are only freaking out because what they wanted is not in the inventory, not that, in general there aren't any rooms available. Over the years, WDW has had a tendency to put more expensive rooms in the discount inventory, but sometimes you can get lucky a snag a standard.

Are you hoping for a standard room at a particular resort? Unless WDW changes their 2020 rate seasons drastically, this site should give you a good sense of when you will get the best rack rates for the August 2020 dates you are considering. https://www.mousesavers.com/2019-disney-world-room-rates-season-dates/ If you know where and when you want to stay, it certainly wouldn't hurt to book now and then shop around again once the 2020 rates have been released. I would then keep your eyes open for discount releases. We have stays for both July and August this year and I just modified both reservations last week to take advantage of the newly released discounts. We had to change resorts to take advantage of discounts for July (from CCV to BCV which is fine with us!). And I adjusted our dates slightly in August.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I really wouldn't freak out based on the UK promo availability. I'm assuming people are only freaking out because what they wanted is not in the inventory, not that, in general there aren't any rooms available

In addition, some of the units some of these travelers like, at OKW and Saratoga, aren't available more than 11 months out even on cash.

 

[Adora]

1) Yes, if you book a room-only now, you will pay the equivalent of one night's stay plus tax. You will be paying 2019 rates. Once 2020 rates are released, your costs will be adjusted to reflect 2020 pricing.

Thank you so much!

 

[Dbktmc]

I would consider booking with a travel agent that watches the discounts and then automatically rebooks your trip to apply them to your reservation. You will not have to watch for discounts and then hope that you can get one. Lisa B with Dreams Unlimited has always done a wonderful job for us. (Dreams Unlimited sponsors the DIS boards.)