Cancellation policy for deluxe resorts

[Papillon]

What is the cancellation policy for room-only ressies at the deluxe resorts? I'm thinking very hard about making two room ressies at the Poly for early next Dec. One ressie is for concierge, betting on receiving a great AP rate. The other ressie is for a standard Poly room, in case we DON'T get a great AP rate. Has anyone else done this? I will cancel the other ressie as soon as the AP rates come out and I see which room I can afford.

 

[ILoveWDW2003]

Room only cancellation policy for any Disney-owned resort is the same, a deposit equal to one nights stay with tax is needed to hold the room, you can cancel up to 6 days before arrival without penalty. If you cancel 5 or less days before arrival, you lose your deposit. Your balance is due when you arrive.

 

[Taratink]

So if you cancel lets say one day prior, you only lose your deposit or do they still expect a payment in full?

 

[ILoveWDW2003]

Originally posted by Taratink
So if you cancel lets say one day prior, you only lose your deposit or do they still expect a payment in full?

Payment of the balance is not expected until you check in, so you would only lose the deposit if you cancelled one day prior.

 

[cigar95]

I think there's a simpler solution.

It sounds like there's no way you'll keep the concierge reservation unless you get a passholder rate. If that's the case, just wait until the passholder rates are released to make that reservation. Then you can cancel the existing reservation and have that deposit applied to your new one.

It's no easier to apply a discount to an existing reservation than it is to simply make a new reservation from scratch. The discounted room is either available or it isn't.

Make sense?

 

[Papillon]

Yes, that does make sense. But I'm really afraid I won't be able to get a room if I wait that late. There's been lots of talk about people making their ressies for the Poly Dec. 2005 right now. I'm way too anal to take that chance.

 

[cigar95]

Yes, that does make sense. But I'm really afraid I won't be able to get a room if I wait that late. There's been lots of talk about people making their ressies for the Poly Dec. 2005 right now. I'm way too anal to take that chance.

This too, has a simple solution!

Make a reservation for a standard room. Now you know you'll have a room at the Poly.

If concierge rooms are booked so fully, then it's likely that no passholder rates will be offered on those rooms. If the passholder rates aren't available for anyone making a new reservation, they won't be available for someone who already has a concierge reservation either.

If you make a reservation that you already *know* you aren't going to use, it just seems you're tying up your deposit for no real reason.

 

[tjmw2727]

The cancellation on a room only reservation is 5 days prior to arrival date.

Making a reservation now does not guarantee you a room at an AP rate if/when they come out as you can not transfer your reservaton to the new rate. You would only be able to book whatever AP rooms/rates are available when you call, if it is something you like then you would have to cancel both your existing reservations.

I don't understand the logic in booking 2 rooms, neither of which you will keep if you get an AP rate. If anything this could make it less likely you will get the discount you want.

My advice is to book the room that you will be comfortable in at a price you are willing to pay and then if a better deal comes via codes or an AP change at that point if you can.

Good Luck
TJ

 

[cigar95]

TJ, most of what you're saying is correct, but not quite all. When discounted rates are released, they can, in fact, be applied to the existing reservation.

However, they could only be applied if they were available for new reservations. Because of this, you're correct that there's no advantage to reserve the room just in anticipation of applying a discount to it.

 

[tjmw2727]

TJ, most of what you're saying is correct, but not quite all. When discounted rates are released, they can, in fact, be applied to the existing reservation.

However, they could only be applied if they were available for new reservations. Because of this, you're correct that there's no advantage to reserve the room just in anticipation of applying a discount to it.

Agreed, but having done it several times in the past my experience has been: If I have a standard room reserved at rack rate the CM doesn't actually "apply the discount". What has been done for me is that the CM makes a new reservation with the AP rate code or general discount code and then cancels the old reservation. In the 6-8x I have been lucky enough to get an AP discount never once was I able to keep the existing reservation and or number even when the resort and room category was the same.

I also used the wording I did to try and keep it as simple as possible for the OP.
TJ

 

[cigar95]

In the 6-8x I have been lucky enough to get an AP discount never once was I able to keep the existing reservation and or number even when the resort and room category was the same.
TJ

Interesting how experiences can differ. I've managed to apply a passholder rate to an existing reservation probably three or four times, and each time I've been able to keep the same confirmation number. Obviously the training of the phone rep has something to do with it.

But I think the basic point we've both made remains clear - no need to make a reservation that one *knows* one is going to cancel unless a discount is applied to it. Better to just make the reservation if and when the discount appears.

 

[Sandi]

I thought WDW would not take two reservations under the same name for the same time period unless you had sufficient people to go in the rooms.

 

[SnackyStacky]

I thought WDW would not take two reservations under the same name for the same time period unless you had sufficient people to go in the rooms.

That's true. People have reported that reservations have been cancelled without notice if more than one reservation is sitting in the system under the same person's name.

 

[Papillon]

Gee, so much I don't know! I will just make the one ressie at the Poly and cross my fingers that I can apply the AP rate when it comes out. Sorry, I didn't realize that I would be hogging the available rooms, and possible affecting the codes!