Change Reservation Cut-off?

[wendlle]

At what point is it too late to change a reservation?
I have a room booked at HRH for 5 nights starting Sept 3rd and am looking daily for a cheaper AP rate but nothing is coming up yet for the room that I want that is cheaper than the SMSM rate that I have.
I may consider going from a King Club Room all the way down to a Standard 2 Queen as money is becoming a factor.
I'm just wondering at what point is it too late to change a reservation?

 

[georgina]

At what point is it too late to change a reservation?
I have a room booked at HRH for 5 nights starting Sept 3rd and am looking daily for a cheaper AP rate but nothing is coming up yet for the room that I want that is cheaper than the SMSM rate that I have.
I may consider going from a King Club Room all the way down to a Standard 2 Queen as money is becoming a factor.
I'm just wondering at what point is it too late to change a reservation?

What is the cancellation info on your confirmation say? For some reason I never get the confirmation emails, so I am not sure of the details, but it should be in the fine print. (Might be 5 days but I am not sure?)* Changing from SMSM to AP rate means booking a new AP ressie then cancelling the old one. I do know that the 7 day SMSM rate is usually better than an AP rate, so you may not find a comparable rate to your current one with AP unless you do downgrade room category. I have found that the AP room inventory continues to change as time goes on, for my last trip at first they only loaded suites, then pool side rooms, and finally weeks later the standard rooms became available.

If money is an issue, consider a split stay - 2 night deluxe, 3 nights cheaper. That would give you 3 days of EP, and Sept is not that busy. I do that frequently as I am a fan of Cabana Bay and its proximity to VB.

* found it - Cancellation Policy
Cancel by 6:00 PM local hotel time at least 5 days prior to arrival to avoid a 1 night(s) cancel fee.

 

[wendlle]

Awesome thabks
Yes we’ve done cabana bay before but want to walk to the parks this time and not move as we have an infant and toddler and we’re already moving 3 times at WDW so don’t want to split stay at at universal.
5 days before is fine I would only look up to about 2 weeks before anyway I like to have everything set at least a fortnight before we leave.

 

[georgina]

Awesome thabks
Yes we’ve done cabana bay before but want to walk to the parks this time and not move as we have an infant and toddler and we’re already moving 3 times at WDW so don’t want to split stay at at universal.
5 days before is fine I would only look up to about 2 weeks before anyway I like to have everything set at least a fortnight before we leave.

Understandable! I walk from CB sometimes but with 2 kiddos much easier to stay closer. Moving 3 times at WDW, wow!

 

[wendlle]

Understandable! I walk from CB sometimes but with 2 kiddos much easier to stay closer. Moving 3 times at WDW, wow!

The triple split stay at WDW isn't entirely by choice. WE are renting DVC points and staying 19 nights so we couldn't get anyone with that many points to rent so thought what the heck let's just see a few resorts we've never stayed at before.
It's going to be hard with the kids (3yrs and the other is 10months) but I'm packing light and doing laundry so should be able to manage.

 

[wendlle]

I've just spent the last hour comparing prices of all the Universal resorts and basically I can save $1000 by staying at Cabana Bay 5 nights and adding 1 night at PBH (cheapest AP rate) than doing the 5 nights at Hard Rock in a King room.
I'd get an Interior room at Cabana Bay that is a family suite - I'd have to pay for breakfast, take the bus to the parks and city walk.
I'm not sure if I want to save the cash or save the hassle?

 

[cfoxga]

Our first stay was a family suite a CB. We liked the extra space in there and the kids loved the pool/lagoon, but there were some downsides. We didn't like the bus, and the walk to SF to the boat was too long. We didn't care so much for the overall feel of the property.

Our second stay was RPR and it was a great trip. Short walk to the boat was nice and even walking to the parks was not too bad (when the boats were backed up). Express pass was awesome; we will not go without it now.

If you end up going for CB, then you might want to consider SF too. Taking the boat the to park instead of a bus really made it feel like a resort instead of a hotel. Given that most kids are in school, the parks might not be too bad without express passes...

 

[wendlle]

Thanks for the reply.
Yes, the last time we went was in 2017 and stayed at CB. We only had one kid she was 19 months at the time, the bus was OK but a bit of a hassle after styaing at RPH before and being able to walk.
I also said I would NEVER go to Universal again without the EP.
We always go in September, yes it is quieter but with a kid who can't even go on the rides, the lines were just too long for her to wait around.

I've been checking daily for AP rates to come down, yesterday HRH went down just over $100 (overall) so hopefully it may come down even more.
I love the extra space at CB but TBH walking to the parks and restaurants with a 3yo and 10mo old is going to trump the extra space I feel.