changing dates after booking with discount

[girlsmom]

is the new rule about not being able to change dates after you book w/ a discount limited to REDUCING days or does it apply to changing or adding dates too? (Super frustrating because to book with a discount for 12month or more away while the discount is valid is often before I am able to confirm time or work, so I can't know "specific dates" that far in advance)
I heard you would have to cancel the entire reservation and re-book --but most likely once I know the exact dates I am available for travel, the window for the discount will be closed.

is anyone else struggling w/ this rule change?

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Not when we call. They will explain everything to your situation and make the changes. Individual questions get a billion responses here, most opinion, which can be fun to read. Call Disney.

 

[mom2rtk]

Not when we call. They will explain everything to your situation and make the changes. Individual questions get a billion responses here, most opinion, which can be fun to read. Call Disney.

Have you tried to make a change since late April when they started this new approach?

OP, I don't know the answer. I know when we tried to change we were trying to take a couple nights off our reservation, so I'm not sure what happens if you try to add days.

I'm also curious to hear if they are still taking a hard line with this now that it's been a few months. I know we were flat out refused, but it was also just a couple days after they implemented this crazy new policy.

 

[girlsmom]

I am also wondering if the rule applies only to resort dates, or whether it encompasses park tickets too?
ex: if I book 7 days with 7 day park ticket and then once airline tickets are avail, the flight arrives late on day1 and leaves early on day 7, meaning I can only get to parks for 5 days, will they let me adjust my park ticket, if I keep resort res the same?

 

[jesse8931]

I am also wondering if the rule applies only to resort dates, or whether it encompasses park tickets too?
ex: if I book 7 days with 7 day park ticket and then once airline tickets are avail, the flight arrives late on day1 and leaves early on day 7, meaning I can only get to parks for 5 days, will they let me adjust my park ticket, if I keep resort res the same?

From what I was told on the phone last week no.

 

[Spoiledraf]

(Super frustrating because to book with a discount for 12month or more away while the discount is valid is often before I am able to confirm time or work, so I can't know "specific dates" that far in advance)

Did I miss something? Where are you finding discounts 12 months in advance?

 

[Ava]

(Super frustrating because to book with a discount for 12month or more away while the discount is valid is often before I am able to confirm time or work, so I can't know "specific dates" that far in advance)

Did I miss something? Where are you finding discounts 12 months in advance?

I'm guessing the OP is talking about bounce back offers. I'm wondering if this is Disney's way of trying to kill (or at least reduce the popularity of) bounce backs.

 

[girlsmom]

yes, bounceback! sorry!!

 

[Accident]

I've never tried this but someone in another thread not to long ago recommended booking the earliest and latest dates you might be able to go and just make the vacation shorter when they firm up. Your not moving the vacation, just making it shorter.

 

[girlsmom]

that's what I have done in the past, but according to the new rule, you can NOT change the dates at all after booking with a discount

 

[GreatLakes]

I'm guessing the OP is talking about bounce back offers. I'm wondering if this is Disney's way of trying to kill (or at least reduce the popularity of) bounce backs.

Could be. I believe that is why they released such limited FD this past year. They don't want to not offer FD or bounce back offers but don't want many people to take advantage of them either. You release just enough to have them while making the restrictions so daunting even with limited availability you don't get many guests taking advantage of the offer. It's quite brilliant really.

 

[girlsmom]

Could be. I believe that is why they released such limited FD this past year. They don't want to not offer FD or bounce back offers but don't want many people to take advantage of them either. You release just enough to have them while making the restrictions so daunting even with limited availability you don't get many guests taking advantage of the offer. It's quite brilliant really.

why offer it if they don't want ppl to use it? I don't understand how that's a good strategy? I thought a discount was to encourage ppl to go to wdw?!

 

[GreatLakes]

why offer it if they don't want ppl to use it? I don't understand how that's a good strategy? I thought a discount was to encourage ppl to go to wdw?!

It is just speculation on my part but I think people expect to see FD and, to a lesser extent, bounce back offers but Disney wants to stop offering them. They know there will be a PR problem when either are stopped so they phase them out in such a way that the last years they are offered they are so limited they get complaints. When they cancel them the following year they can point to the negative feedback from the previous release and spin it into a positive.

When you have enough people booking at full price you don't need to offer discounts to encourage people to go to WDW. In most situations that means you would just stop offering the discount but when there is a PR component to the offer beyond economics it isn't always such an easy call. Instead you find a way to phase them out in a way that makes them appear unappealing at the end of their life. That is the brilliant aspect of it IMO.

 

[Aurora0427]

We tried to take days off back in April for our late October BB trip. They said no- we'd have to cancel and rebook and sorry, there are no longer any dates available during that time for the BB offer.

I have read on here since then that you can go through guest services to try get an approval to change dates, but I have no experience doing that.

 

[Aurora0427]

In my opinion Disney is stupid for being so difficult about changing bounceback. Our last three trips only happened BECAUSE of BB. I guess the rooms may have booked anyway, but they've made really good money off our family from 3 BB offers. We wouldn't of stayed for as long as we did or spent as much money had there been no BB offer, and we definitely would not have gone twice in 2014 without BB.

 

[girlsmom]

And in my opinion Disney is stupid for being so difficult about changing bounceback. Our last three trips only happened BECAUSE of BB. I guess the rooms may have booked anyway, but they've made really good money off our family from 3 BB offers. We wouldn't of stayed for as long as we did or spent as much money had their been no BB offer, and we definitely would not have gone twice in 2014 without BB.

same here

 

[su_A_ve]

Ugh.. In the past the problem has always been to add days because of availability. I'm finalizing my FD and surely it looks I may need to take out one day - more than likely the last.

I tried changing resorts but there's no availability at this time - in the past if there was availability, GS would do it. Never had a problem with removing one day.

 

[DebbieB]

I am also wondering if the rule applies only to resort dates, or whether it encompasses park tickets too?
ex: if I book 7 days with 7 day park ticket and then once airline tickets are avail, the flight arrives late on day1 and leaves early on day 7, meaning I can only get to parks for 5 days, will they let me adjust my park ticket, if I keep resort res the same?

If you are more than 45 days out, they should allow you to change the ticket without a fee.

 

[LisaBi]

I hadn't heard about this before. Can someone post a link to more info?

 

[DebbieB]

In my opinion Disney is stupid for being so difficult about changing bounceback. Our last three trips only happened BECAUSE of BB. I guess the rooms may have booked anyway, but they've made really good money off our family from 3 BB offers. We wouldn't of stayed for as long as we did or spent as much money had there been no BB offer, and we definitely would not have gone twice in 2014 without BB.

I think the issue is people book more nights than they need and then want to take nights off closer to the date and Disney is left with random empty rooms that are hard to fill.