booking best rate at rack ...confusion.

[tekmom]

I was under the impression that you must book best rate at rack and then wait for the reduction. By looking on the best rate site and typing in dates 2/4-2/11 for 2006, I keep getting the total cost as having the rate reduction already. Am I correct? It doesn't appear to be a rack price for 7 days. For example the price for 7 nights at akl standard view comes to $1053.78. This would be value season...when we went last month our AP total for 7 nights was $968.00. Figuring in the rate increase pernight, plus tax, this quote seems like it already contains the discount. Right? If so, I don't think best rate is too terrible. I'm assuming that if I booked that price, and then cancelled I would be charged one nights rack rate plus tax? If anyone can confirm that I may have figured this out...please let me know. Thanks!

 

[sue1013]

When you book best rate it should be at a discount. I'm not sure but if you try to book thru the ap best rate if there are not rooms available at the discount it won't return any availability and give you an alternate.

 

[tekmom]

Okay, but I was wondering why there seemed to be a negative response to the program. I was under the impression that the biggest negative besides booking at least 120 days out, was that you had to book at rack. So, I was very surprised to see that even this far out from Feb., the discounts are on the site. Thanks for your response, though, I'm still learning a little more each day.

 

[colleen costello]

People have been upset because a lot of times lately the site has been down, and no rates will appear. There has also been grumbling about the penalties associated with the program, which involve a fee for cancellation at any point.

 

[sue1013]

From what I remember reading from the pages and pages of complaints about best rate the number 1 complaint was booking more than 120 days out. I guess for some they don't plan vacations very far out. They must not work for big companies, DH needs to submit vacation in January for the entire year. Supposedly ap rates are going to be available the call in way also. Those rates are expected to be released late in August.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I know I started a thread & my main complaints are:

1. booking 120 days out for the following reasons:
(my DH does work for a large company & has in the past but still they do not put in all vacations in Jan) Between DH with his job, my 2 school age kids (you cannot predict when home-coming is 120 days out since school schedule isn't out or the football games, soccer games, baseball games etc....and one of them works so she needs to schedule her time off) We are a family that just cannot always book that far out (and we live less than 3 hours away; only planning we need is the room portion).

2. If I were to book 120 days out with best rate, & find out there is something else going on for that time frame (with my kids or DH not getting off etc) I would not get my 1 night deposit back.

3. Other was the $50 change fee..but they have since dropped it.

4. Site isn't always working properly

 

[tekmom]

Yes, I don't blame you about the risk of losing the deposit. I wish it had the 5 day cancellation policy the same as the standard booking. At this point though, I'm more upset that I can't prepay my trip with best rate...I'm not the put the money aside type. Prepaying, to me, makes taking a Disney trip a breeze...no bill at the end. Oh well. Can't have it all, I guess.

 

[aubriee]

Yes, I don't blame you about the risk of losing the deposit. I wish it had the 5 day cancellation policy the same as the standard booking. At this point though, I'm more upset that I can't prepay my trip with best rate...I'm not the put the money aside type. Prepaying, to me, makes taking a Disney trip a breeze...no bill at the end. Oh well. Can't have it all, I guess.

I agree. I'm doing a split stay in Dec and got POFQ and CSR for $94.00/night (plus tax). Because it's a split stay I had to pay two nonrefundable deposits. That was OK because I'm definitely going and if something did happen to come up I'd just move it back a few weeks. I would prefer to have it paid off before I arrive though. By doing a split stay at least I get to pay two nights of it.

 

[betterlatethannever]

...3. Other was the $50 change fee..but they have since dropped it.

Is this official? I guess I haven't been keeping up with the program as well as I thought.

Last I heard (read) was that there wouldn't be a charge if the total price stayed the same or went up.

Ed

 

[dzneprincess]

From what I remember reading from the pages and pages of complaints about best rate the number 1 complaint was booking more than 120 days out. I guess for some they don't plan vacations very far out. They must not work for big companies, DH needs to submit vacation in January for the entire year. Supposedly ap rates are going to be available the call in way also. Those rates are expected to be released late in August.

Well, FYI some of us dont plan that far out, because we live close enough to drive. I often will decide last minute to take a 3 day weekend, and to know that I can't use the best rate program kind of irks me. In fact, last week I decided to take a long weekend in Oct, and I thought I would finally benefit from this program (not realizing about the 120 day mark), to my dismay I cant use the program and I cant use a code because it exp on 10/04/05.....we are going 10/20/05...........so now I wait and hope........

 

[sue1013]

dzneprincess FYI I guess I was correct that the biggest complaint is the 120 day booking. I'm sure people have many reasons they do not want or can't book that many days out. Sorry if you were offended that we need to book our vacations early since DH must schedule vacation in January. You don't like the program fine it works for us and that's fine too.

 

[dzneprincess]

No offense taken....Just pointing out a valid reason why the complaints about the 120 day mark. Dh and I have to submit our vacations for the upcoming yea,r very early as well. We usually start picking our vacation weeks( for the next year)in December. I just feel that WDW is trying to discourage the last minute trips ( that I like to do) of passholders, and I think it is unfair. The program itself, I have never had an opportunity to use it, so I can't say I don't like it, only that it irks me that I can't use it.

 

[zagafi]

My *biggest* complaint is that I can only book one room. We're a family of five and if we want to stay onsite we need two rooms. (Unless the rate is phenomenal enough for us to afford the Contemporary or Poly--there's no way I'd squeeze us into POR)

 

[colleen costello]

Zagafi, everything I have read says you SHOULD be able to book two rooms, but perhaps they have to be separate reservations? I think that was it. This will cause you to have to put one night's payment down for EACH room, but otherwise you should be able to do it. There was a discussion of this here earlier somewhere... Anyone else sure?

 

[zagafi]

Zagafi, everything I have read says you SHOULD be able to book two rooms, but perhaps they have to be separate reservations? I think that was it. This will cause you to have to put one night's payment down for EACH room, but otherwise you should be able to do it. There was a discussion of this here earlier somewhere... Anyone else sure?

I think you're right--we *should* be able to do it, but I admit to being skeptical that the reservations will be linked properly. I have 3 kids and it's pretty much a necessity that our rooms connect (unless they'll be sending the Fairy Godmother or Mary Poppins to supervise them, in which case all is well )

I'd like to hear from someone who has returned after having successfully booked rooms AND had them properly linked. Any takers?