Calling and making multiple reservations until you get a good rate

[CapeCodTenor]

Does anyone do this? You know, you call to secure a room at regular rate, or a slight discount, and then call back once you the deals come out to secure a better deal? As a cast member with the Disney Stores I use to do it all the time. I'd call and get and get a room discount, say 25%. Starting the next day, and every day after, I would call until I got a discount of 50% off. After obtaining the discount I wanted, I would hang up and then call back to cancel my other reservation. As non-cast members, we'll ever get 50% off, but I was wondering if anyone else does this? I'm planning a trip for next year and was going to call and secure a room for the week I want for next year, and then call back once the discounts come out. I've not done this as a non-cast member so I had to ask. Also, I'm not sure if that'll set off any flags in Disney's reservation system that I have multiple reservations. Anyone know if Disney tracks that stuff?

Thanks,
Steven

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

This is a popular strategy among the "Free Dining" people. But it often backfires.

I was on the "Free Dining Watch" thread back in April. MANY people on there had booked a room with no discount with the hopes of simply converting it to the free dining offer when it was released. Only to discover that you couldn't do this from Disney website. They had to wait until 7am EST to call Disney. Free Dining was released at 4am EST this year and many of the available rooms were snatched up well before 7am. (I booked my CSR standard room at about 4:15am and they were quickly sold out not long after that)

 

[dansdad]

This is a popular strategy among the "Free Dining" people. But it often backfires.

I was on the "Free Dining Watch" thread back in April. MANY people on there had booked a room with no discount with the hopes of simply converting it to the free dining offer when it was released. Only to discover that you couldn't do this from Disney website. They had to wait until 7am EST to call Disney. Free Dining was released at 4am EST this year and many of the available rooms were snatched up well before 7am. (I booked my CSR standard room at about 4:15am and they were quickly sold out not long after that)

This!

 

[CapeCodTenor]

This is a popular strategy among the "Free Dining" people. But it often backfires.

I was on the "Free Dining Watch" thread back in April. MANY people on there had booked a room with no discount with the hopes of simply converting it to the free dining offer when it was released. Only to discover that you couldn't do this from Disney website. They had to wait until 7am EST to call Disney. Free Dining was released at 4am EST this year and many of the available rooms were snatched up well before 7am. (I booked my CSR standard room at about 4:15am and they were quickly sold out not long after that)

WOW! So of those discounts that were snatched up, were they room only, room + free dining or both? Makes me wonder how I'll b able to get a discount on a room only for late April/early May of next year. Any suggestions? I wake up at 4 am everyday, so I can easily be on the phone if I have to, I just have to know when the discounts are coming out.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

WOW! So of those discounts that were snatched up, were they room only, room + free dining or both? Makes me wonder how I'll b able to get a discount on a room only for late April/early May of next year. Any suggestions? I wake up at 4 am everyday, so I can easily be on the phone if I have to, I just have to know when the discounts are coming out.

Free Dining is by far the most popular promo. I don't think you will have any problem with booking a room-only discount.

4am is when Free Dining was released THIS year. That doesn't nescessarily mean all discounts are released at that time of day.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

It's not so easy to do it that way anymore. Disney will only change the room to one with a discount if the discount is still available for those exact dates and room type and resort. You may have to go from one resort level to get a discount (ie standard to pool view).

Not every resort gets a discount either - sometimes Disney blocks out certain resorts from certain discounts so if your heart is set on a particular resort - you may not get a discount there.

I've found that I had to switch resorts to be able to take advantage of room discounts (and 25% discount was the most I got). Sometimes I don't change because I want a particular resort so I just deal with not having a discount.

Hopefully this isn't too confusing!

 

[CapeCodTenor]

Free Dining is by far the most popular promo. I don't think you will have any problem with booking a room-only discount.

4am is when Free Dining was released THIS year. That doesn't nescessarily mean all discounts are released at that time of day.

That's good to know. I wasn't planning on going with the dining plan anyways, so this helps.

It's not so easy to do it that way anymore. Disney will only change the room to one with a discount if the discount is still available for those exact dates and room type and resort. You may have to go from one resort level to get a discount (ie standard to pool view).

Not every resort gets a discount either - sometimes Disney blocks out certain resorts from certain discounts so if your heart is set on a particular resort - you may not get a discount there.

I've found that I had to switch resorts to be able to take advantage of room discounts (and 25% discount was the most I got). Sometimes I don't change because I want a particular resort so I just deal with not having a discount.

Hopefully this isn't too confusing!

I'd be willing to go with a different resort for a discount, I was needing to branch out and try new resorts anyways.

 

[fla4fun]

Disney uses the promotions to fill rooms. If everyone books the room they want hoping for a later discount, then the rooms show as booked and Disney has no incentive to discount the rooms. I remember a few years ago when tons of people booked WL in December, and then were upset that no rooms at WL were included in the December discounts - so they either had to pay rack rate or change resorts.

I prefer to wait until the discount is released and book based on the rooms available. Most of the time I am able to book my first or second choice of resort, but I usually have a third and fourth choice picked out, just in case.

If you do decide to go the pre-discount booking route, so long as you are either willing to pay rack at your first choice of resort, or change resorts to get a discount, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Shanti]

WOW! So of those discounts that were snatched up, were they room only, room + free dining or both? Makes me wonder how I'll b able to get a discount on a room only for late April/early May of next year. Any suggestions? I wake up at 4 am everyday, so I can easily be on the phone if I have to, I just have to know when the discounts are coming out.

I've had no problem getting room-only discounts (and not on the first week available, either). There is a large group of people who plan most of their WDW trips around Free Dining promotions. That's the promotion to which the feeding frenzy occurs.

 

[Nancyg56]

Does anyone do this? You know, you call to secure a room at regular rate, or a slight discount, and then call back once you the deals come out to secure a better deal? As a cast member with the Disney Stores I use to do it all the time. I'd call and get and get a room discount, say 25%. Starting the next day, and every day after, I would call until I got a discount of 50% off. After obtaining the discount I wanted, I would hang up and then call back to cancel my other reservation. As non-cast members, we'll ever get 50% off, but I was wondering if anyone else does this? I'm planning a trip for next year and was going to call and secure a room for the week I want for next year, and then call back once the discounts come out. I've not done this as a non-cast member so I had to ask. Also, I'm not sure if that'll set off any flags in Disney's reservation system that I have multiple reservations. Anyone know if Disney tracks that stuff?

Thanks,
Steven

No. I don't see any reason to book a book I do not want if I cannot secure a discount. You cannot just apply a discount, you need to book if the discount is available for your dates and resort. I will book a discounted room if it matches my dates, and call and make a change if a better deal comes available.

If you are going either way, and you dates and resort are set in stone, then book. If not it is counterproductive.

 

[CapeCodTenor]

I'm so glad I asked this question.

 

[AJA]

You don't have to wake up early to get a room only discount in early May. We have been 3 times in early May and never had any trouble getting a room with a discount. Look for the historical dates for room only to become available and check every few days around that time for the discounts to roll out. You will be fine.

 

[lennyd]

I do it and i change hotels too

 

[margot31]

I did it for military. I had a UIC and booked using that at first. I called often but not like every day. Maybe every other week. I was able to get military and at the resort I really wanted.