Can someone explain the "Best Rate" deal?

[GADISNEYGIRL]

This has obviously been much discussed here, but I didn't find any helpful threads thru search. What is the deal with this~you book at rack rate, then "better" deals are applied as you go along? Please explain or direct me to an explanatory thread! Thanks!

 

[diznee25]

"The Passholder Best Rate Program guarantees that Passholders will receive the "best room rate offered to the general public" (not including group rates, auction rates or rates conditioned on group/club memberships or other specified eligibility requirements) at that time for the room and nights booked. If Disney subsequently reduces the room rate "to the general public" for the same room and nights you booked online under this program, they will "automatically reduce your room rate to match that lower rate."


Hopefully this explains it. I personally wouldn't book a room at rack rate, because there is no guarantee that Disney will offer the public discounted rooms. And therefore you'd have to pay what you booked the room at----which is rack rate.

Diznee25

 

[GADISNEYGIRL]

Okay, so this is only for APHolders? Does this mean there will be no more "AP Rates"~that AP holders will just get the same rate as someone else with a code or something comparable? Please say it ain't so!! Not just when we've decided to go for APs!!!

 

[diznee25]

I went to WDW 3 years ago on a general public discount. POFQ KNG bed $99 per night. The annual pass discount for that same room, and date was $89.
So as you can see, even 3 years ago Disney was giving the public almost as good as a rate as AP holders.

Diznee25

 

[GADISNEYGIRL]

True, but at 11 nights, even a $10/night difference would save me some $$! Hey, that's a TS meal!

 

[dizplanner]

Now, since I don't currently have an AP, I can't get on the site and look. But my understanding from reading the boards is when you book with the AP Best Rate, you are getting a discounted room. Not as good as a discount in the past, but better than AAA. However the discounted rooms are limited. So it can come back with rack rates - no AP availability. The thing is if you book the rack rates, you are NOT booking the AP Best Rate - your rate won't go down - you are booking the same thing as on the disney web site. They are just allowing you to book without switching sites. So the bottom line is this - make sure what you are booking is the AP rate. And while it will be adjusted if they lower offer lower AP rates (or other public rates), the likelyhood of lower rates is almost nill - you have to be happy with the rates you are booking. The only thing you can take comfort in is that they will be the best rates you can get.

NOTE: The rack rate confusion came about during the first weekend when they put up the site and didn't have the AP rates loaded yet. It started working properly the following week.

 

[aubriee]

I don't know what it is about the Passholder part of the site, but quite a few people (myself included) are having trouble getting into the Passholder's site. It has to be something about our computers, but I can't figure out what. I can't get on using my computer at home nor can I get on using four of our computers at work. I've tried adjusting the security and cookie settings and even downloaded another browser, but still couldn't get in. The only computer I've found I can get into the site with is our secretary's computer at work. I can get into the rest of the site with no problem though. Before I found I could get on using our secretary's computer I called WDW to check to see if my AP# was defective, the CM got right on using my number, but then told me she wasn't allowed to book it for me even if I gave her my CC#. So just because you get an AP doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to book these deals, as they can only be booked online and you must be able to get into the AP site to do so. You also must book at least 120 days out and pay a one night nonrefundable deposit.

Saying that, I just checked and found the following for December:
All Star Music and POP at $59.00 plus tax ($66.67 and $65.79)
CB, CS, POFQ, and PORS for $94.00 plus tax ($104.81)
AKL standard view $129.00 plus tax ($143.84)

They seem to be changing almost daily though, because a few days ago POFQ and PORS had only water view rooms at $109.00 plus tax ($121.54). Something to keep in mind is that Disney has said if a lower price comes out for the 'general public' that your Best Rate price will automatically be adjusted,, but there have been no general codes since early last spring. Also you need to make sure that the room your are booking specifies it is under the Best Rate program, because quite a few people booked at rack rate the first few days the program came out, just to find that they had not booked a room that specified best rate program and when they called to check sure enough they were not booked with that specific deal and their rates would not have gone down if better rates came out.

 

[pennst8r]

I booked thru AP and it was about $80/night discount for YC. As more people book, tho, the choices go down. I've read that some dates are only showing concierge rooms available, or none at all.

I've posted my experience with the computers on other threads, but I know I can't access the AP site on my mac. I have to switch over to our dell laptop. I've read it's Safari that's the problem.

I also found that I only needed the last 2 #'s on my voucher in the last box to log in.....not all 4 like some posts have said.

Maybe this will help?

 

[chipscinderelly]

Also to note that general public codes have been few and far between this year with the MYW packages and new AP program