Campsite booked up, make sure I know what I'm doing

[moesy4]

We are currently booked off site..our first choice had been to stay at the Fort but couldn't figure out how to do it economically. We have scraped together some more money for the trip, but of course the week we want is a popular week and is already booked. We are currently booked off site and will be fine to stay there, but our first choice is still the fort.
I went ahead and booked the available dates (Sunday through Friday). We are staying 8 nights, so we need the Saturday before and the Saturday and Sunday after. If one of those dates open up, I don't cancel and rebook right, I just add on a new reservation for the additional days and I would just have multiple reservations? I won't be forced to change campsites, correct? Even if it's a different category type (we are currently just in a full hook up site, but if all that came available is preferred, I could still book it but stay at the full hook up site)?
Is there anything else I should know about doing this or any pitfalls I should watch out for?

 

[moesy4]

Oh, one more question, not necessarily Fort related. Since we are staying off site, we have a one night reservation at CBR booked with our park tickets linked that we booked through a TA before the price increase. We would want to keep that reservation because of the price increase, will that be an issue? Is there anything I should know about technically have two reservations?

 

[Shanti]

If you have 2 reservations (even in the same category) you will NOT be guaranteed to stay at the same campsite (though they will try if you ask them). If you book 2 reservations in different categories, you will be guaranteed to NOT be at the same campsite, because each campsite falls into its own category.

The risk of having to change campsites mid-trip will be there unless you rebook for one single reservation. If you're unable/unwilling to do that, I recommend booking the camping trip for one part of the trip, then switch to a hotel/resort for the other part of the trip. I just can't imagine the hassle of setting up and taking down a campsite twice during one vacation would be worth staying at the Fort the whole time, but that's my perspective only.

Talk directly to Disney reservations, before making your final decision. They might be able to find one continuous reservation for you over the phone.

I would deal directly with Disney, not a travel agent, since you have a complicated reservation situation. Travel agents are notorious for messing up complicated situations like this at Disney, because Disney has many unique rules that other hotels/resorts don't- & many agents haven't learned all of Disney's rules. Your agent hasn't made you aware that you can't just book another reservation separately without having to possibly change campsites- so that is a bad sign about their competence with Disney vacations.

I hope things work out for you- the Fort is very nice, but so are other hotels & resorts.

 

[peg110]

We would want to keep that reservation because of the price increase, will that be an issue? Is there anything I should know about technically have two reservations?

I am not sure if you are saying you want to keep the Reservation (i.e. the Tickets already linked) OR you want to keep the Reservation (i.e. CBR with Tickets linked). If it's the later (CBR Reservation with tickets) I see no issues at all. If however you want to take the tickets OUT of the reservation with CBR and perhaps apply them to a reservation at the Fort, I suspect it will be a "Refund" of the Old reservation and a "Re-Book" of the new reservation with the ticket. In which case I would assume that the price in effect at that time would be what you get.

All that said, however Tickets purchased through Disney (i.e. Full Price) are not a thing to "Cling" to. You can usually safe a fair amount of money by using sites like Under Cover Tourist to get your tickets. Check also with your employer or even AAA (although AAA doesn't give you discounts for stay at Disney any more, I believe you can still get discount tickets from them). Personally, I can get tickets through my Employer at a higher discount then I can at Under Cover tourist. I guess my point here is not worry so much about the ticket costs (particularly if it's a 1 day ticket, the highest cost ticket you can get) and saving a few bucks (because of a Reservation) as you can typically make it up somewhere else.

 

[moesy4]

Well shoot, I could've sworn I read on here of people piecing together reservations to get a full stay. There is no way we would break down the site and reset up, so that would be out. We aren't using the TA to book this reservation, it was only for the other one to get the great deal on tickets (basically night at cbr free).
Well, I will have to keep strategizing, we are stuck on dates now because of dh work so maybe the fort I just out for us.

 

[parrothead64]

You can piece together ressies if the days open up, I had one for Halloween night and than checked out and back in the next day. I had premium site for both and didn't have to change sites. You would probably have to change if you don't have the same type of site, (full, preferred, premium). I would just keep trying for a full site and piece together. Good luck

 

[KristinU]

We ended up with three (or was it four?) reservations stitched together for last Christmas. I did have to go and check in every morning that a new reservation started, but since they were all the same level of site we didn't have to move all week. We went into it knowing that it would be a possibility, but we were assured at check in that we'd be able to keep the same site as long as we went and checked in first thing on the mornings that were a check-out/check-in day. Keep trying for the same site level and I think you'll be in good shape!

And as for the CBR reservation - like Peg110 said, check out Undercover Tourist and do some math, I'm guessing that it will be to your favor to just drop the CBR night. If you don't get the Mousesavers newsletter, sign up for it - they have a link to UT from the newsletter that is even a few more bucks off. If you don't want to wait for the next issue of the newsletter shoot me a PM with your email and I can send you the current newsletter.

 

[Chickp]

I think you should call as some others have suggested. I pieced together a tent site reservation for thanksgiving last year and called, and they were able to make it in to one reservation from four different ones (all tent sites, though) which eased my mind.

 

[moesy4]

Thanks, I was beginning to think I was crazy! We will keep looking then...we have a great villa booked off site so if it doesn't work out, it doesn't. I'll probably keep the CBR reservation since I can't guarantee we will be on site and I don't want to lose the ability to be able to do FP+ at 60 days out and our MBs...with our TA the cost of 1 night at CBR with the passes was almost the same as just buying the tickets direct and I can use Target cards to save another 10% plus we get water park passes for a day so as long as it wouldn't cause issues I'd rather just keep it. Thanks!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Well shoot, I could've sworn I read on here of people piecing together reservations to get a full stay. There is no way we would break down the site and reset up, so that would be out.

1) In many instances we can keep you at the same site, if in the same category.
2) However, if we have someone before or after you with a longer stay, we tend to let them keep the site.
3) Yes, this would force you to break-down and re-set.
4) I do not understand why you would not break down your site.
. . . it would most certainly be inconvenient
. . . guess it depends upon how much staying at The Fort means to a particular camper

 

[Judique]

Darn! Just checked and UCT hasn't got any more 'old' price tickets! I had started to buy a few last week, got distracted and forgot about them until today. Win some miss some!

 

[CruisingCamper]

I am having to piece together our stay for Easter break. I have two reservations right now in two different categories (preferred for 2 nights, the premium for 8), so I know that if I can't get the first one, the preferred switched to match the same category as the last one which is the premium, then we will have to break down and move...but that's something that I am willing to do to stay at the Fort

First two nights, I just won't get out anything...then last 8 nights...we can set up more.

I am trying several times a day to get the preferred switched to premium, but no luck

BUT, at this point, I am just thankful to have a reservation at all, bc we didn't decide to go to the Fort until early January 2016, so I was so shocked to see that they had anything available, so I just booked whatever we could get.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Just checked and UCT hasn't got any more 'old' price tickets!

1) Start calling EVERY discounted ticket site, including AAA.
2) If they have them in-stock, they can sell them at the old rate.

 

[moesy4]

1) In many instances we can keep you at the same site, if in the same category.
2) However, if we have someone before or after you with a longer stay, we tend to let them keep the site.
3) Yes, this would force you to break-down and re-set.
4) I do not understand why you would not break down your site.
. . . it would most certainly be inconvenient
. . . guess it depends upon how much staying at The Fort means to a particular camper

We would be renting a camper, so I'm assuming they wouldn't want us asking for them to come back and move the camper mid week, which is why we would need to stay on the same site!

 

[peg110]

1) Start calling EVERY discounted ticket site, including AAA.
2) If they have them in-stock, they can sell them at the old rate.

I am thinking in this day and age of technology, that the re-sellers like UCT and AAA don't "Stock" the tickets, rather they have access (through an application) to the Ticketing system (through an agreement with Disney) that allows them to sell the tickets directly. The system then produces the desired tickets.

In the past we have bought tickets from AAA and we would select our desired Disney Character Card for each member of our group, and AAA would process our payment and then swipe the cards to "Program" them. (reality is, is the mag strip in the card or RFID is just an "ID" that links back to the WDW system to know what our "Entitlement" is.)

All that being said, I think when prices were changed, all legitimate re-sellers saw the price increase as instantly as the WDW Gate.

 

[CruisingCamper]

I have been trying EVERY DAY, TWICE PER DAY to switch our preferred to a premium and I finally got it this morning!!!!!

 

[Nan P]

Yay! I've pieced together vacation days in the past, so I know the feeling when it ALL comes together. Have a great stay at the Fort!

 

[tcu4me]

We have pieced together days on 2 or more ressies in the past. If you call Disney with all your details, they can consolidate mutiple reservations into one. Get it consolidated before you start trying to make FP or dining resizes. You still might have to move sites if you are booked in more than one type of site, but as others have suggested if explain what you are trying to do when you get to the Fort, they will do what they can to keep you from moving.