confused about package or room only?

[jjjbennett]

Can someone help me understand the pros and cons of booking a package and having to pay 45 days before and just booking my rooms and then picking up tix separately. (I'm not doing the dining plan)

I see some small perks like 2 Disney Quest tix per room package and some arcade points....are these useful, worth it?

 

[danceintherain]

Can someone help me understand the pros and cons of booking a package and having to pay 45 days before and just booking my rooms and then picking up tix separately. (I'm not doing the dining plan)

I see some small perks like 2 Disney Quest tix per room package and some arcade points....are these useful, worth it?

We did a package on our first "planned" trip to Disney 4 years ago, and it worked fine for us, but we haven't done another. Mostly this is due to the Armed Forces Salute tickets, which cannot be bought as part of a package, and are cheaper when bought other places (military bases).
In part, it is due to the fact that I don't like having to pay 45 days in advance. Some people really like this, because they like having everything paid off in advance. I find that we save money by paying as we go.

When we did a package, the only "extra" that we used was the arcade time. We would have been fine without it, but it helped us kill time on our departure day. The DisneyQuest tickets weren't included back then.

If you think you'd enjoy a trip to DisneyQuest, and you don't want to pay for the tickets individually or get the Water Parks & More option, then I doubt you'd lose a lot by booking a package. It really depends on how good of a deal you can get on tickets otherwise.
We could have gotten a package by adding the dining plan, but chose not to, because we'll save around $200 by NOT doing the the dining plan, which is more than what it would cost to buy tickets to DisneyQuest and even some arcade time if we wanted it. We probably won't feel compelled to do either on this trip.

So...it's really up to you and your preferences.

 

[Dis703]

There was a slight discount on tickets for the package we had booked for next months trip but the room cost was the same. I guess the benefit would be towards room only as its a more lenient cancellation policy. Unless of course you really wanted the dining plan. We never used those extra little add ons with the package like the mini golf and Disneyquest.

We ended up deciding to purchase annual passes and booked a better rate on a room only with the pass holder discount.

 

[Sandi]

We've done both, but usually just do a room only and buy our admission tickets from Undercover Tourist. When WDW releases package discounts, there is usually a parallel room only discount offered, too. Packages can work great with stuff like the old by 4 days and get 3 free, but I think those sorts of deals are long gone.

You just have to run the numbers and see what makes the most sense for your situation.

I do like the more generous cancellation policy offered with room only reservations and the fact that you only pay one night to secure the reservation. You can cancel up to 5 days before your arrival with no penalty. However, there are a lot of people who like to get the payment done in advance so it is all paid before you arrive.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I do like the more generous cancellation policy offered with room only reservations and the fact that you only pay one night to secure the reservation. You can cancel up to 5 days before your arrival with no penalty. However, there are a lot of people who like to get the payment done in advance so it is all paid before you arrive.

I think this is the biggest benefit of booking a room only reservation. I love the cancellation policy. If I want to add tickets and/or a dining plan, I wait until the week before my trip. Then it is all in the same credit card billing period, too.

 

[mickeynut1]

Can someone help me understand the pros and cons of booking a package and having to pay 45 days before and just booking my rooms and then picking up tix separately. (I'm not doing the dining plan)

I see some small perks like 2 Disney Quest tix per room package and some arcade points....are these useful, worth it?

There's really no advantage (IMO) to booking one over the other besides the cancellation policies. The little extras that come with the packages are nice if you will use them, but they aren't really that significant (at least not to us). Sometimes there are discounts strictly for packages (i.e., free dining), but usually discounts are for the room (which can be applied toward a room only reservation or the room portion of a package). Some people book packages to have everything paid for ahead of time, but you can pay a room only reservation in full prior to arrival as well.

If I want to add tickets and/or a dining plan, I wait until the week before my trip. Then it is all in the same credit card billing period, too.

This can be done, but I wanted to clarify that the room only would have to be cancelled/refunded and a package booked, requiring everything to paid in full since it would be so close to arrival. Since room only and packages are different reservation systems, money paid toward one cannot be applied to the other.

 

[princessap]

There's really no advantage (IMO) to booking one over the other besides the cancellation policies. The little extras that come with the packages are nice if you will use them, but they aren't really that significant (at least not to us). Sometimes there are discounts strictly for packages (i.e., free dining), but usually discounts are for the room (which can be applied toward a room only reservation or the room portion of a package). Some people book packages to have everything paid for ahead of time, but you can pay a room only reservation in full prior to arrival as well.



This can be done, but I wanted to clarify that the room only would have to be cancelled/refunded and a package booked, requiring everything to paid in full since it would be so close to arrival. Since room only and packages are different reservation systems, money paid toward one cannot be applied to the other.

I was told this could be done up to five days before arrival day and you don't have to rebook at all??? is that not right as I have the same thinking as the previous poster! LOL

 

[TDC Nala]

Nope, if you go from a room only to a package, you are rebooking. You can't add dining and tickets to a room only reservation, so it has to be rebooked as a package.

 

[princessap]

Nope, if you go from a room only to a package, you are rebooking. You can't add dining and tickets to a room only reservation, so it has to be rebooked as a package.

so is there a chance you could lose your room then??

 

[pepe of ohio]

We're room only bookers, no packages... 47 trips sbd we prefer the room only discount! Packages usually include things we're not interested in... Do not like their dining plans (no money saver for us) and the WP + doesn't interest us at all...

We book the room, take our discount, whether AAA, code, pin or AP.... Pay the one night deposit and count the days till... Not alot of my money tied up!

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm not sure how they work it but they may be able to rebook the same room as a package. I'm not really up on the ways of Disney booking agents. I think the relevant way to look at it is that the reservation is no longer a room only reservation - you have to pay in full at 45 days and there are change and cancellation policies kicking in after that, etc. Once you add the dining and tickets, you can't pay the balance at check-in anymore.

 

[mickeynut1]

I was told this could be done up to five days before arrival day and you don't have to rebook at all??? is that not right as I have the same thinking as the previous poster! LOL

The DDP must be added at least 3 days prior to arrival, so if you already have a room with tickets, the DDP is easy to add (as long as it's done no less than 3 days from arrival). But if you have a room only reservation, that would have to be cancelled/refunded and a package booked, requiring payment in full if this is done 45 days or less from arrival. The two are different reservation systems so money cannot be transferred between them, which is why one must be cancelled and the other one booked.

so is there a chance you could lose your room then??

If there is still availability at the resort and with the room type you already have booked, the CM could just book the package and then cancel the room only reservation. With that said, if you are in this position, make sure the CM does in fact make the new reservation before cancelling the other one to make sure you don't lose the room.

If the resort/room type you have is not available, guest services will have to make the change to make sure you don't lose your room (but it can be done as I have done that once or twice in the past).

 

[heyitsmejosh]

The DDP must be added at least 3 days prior to arrival, so if you already have a room with tickets, the DDP is easy to add (as long as it's done no less than 3 days from arrival). But if you have a room only reservation, that would have to be cancelled/refunded and a package booked, requiring payment in full if this is done 45 days or less from arrival. The two are different reservation systems so money cannot be transferred between them, which is why one must be cancelled and the other one booked.

are you sure about that?? ive booked annual pass room only rooms like a few days beforehand and added the DDP the day we got there

 

[dansdad]

are you sure about that?? ive booked annual pass room only rooms like a few days beforehand and added the DDP the day we got there

Your situation, annual passes, is handled differently than a package.

 

[dansdad]

so is there a chance you could lose your room then??

Not if the CM handles it properly. They should look for availability and book your package before cancelling your room only.

 

[TDC Nala]

Even annual passholders should not be able to add DDP at the check-in desk. It needs to be done no later than 3 days before arrival according to WDTC. and an annual pass room with DDP IS a package, albeit a ticketless package.

 

[mickeynut1]

are you sure about that?? ive booked annual pass room only rooms like a few days beforehand and added the DDP the day we got there

Not sure how you were able to do this as TDC Nala is correct that an AP room with the DDP is still a package even though it does not require a ticket purchase (it is an AP + Dine ticketless package). If you had a room only reservation and wanted the DDP, your room only would have had to be cancelled and an AP + Dine package booked. AP packages are handled the same way as a regular package and follows the same deposit and cancellation policies.

Your situation, annual passes, is handled differently than a package.

AP packages are handled the same way as I posted above.

 

[Wood Nymph]

so is there a chance you could lose your room then??

We did not lose our room discount when we changed it to a package. Our CM handled it properly.

 

[heyitsmejosh]

Not sure how you were able to do this as TDC Nala is correct that an AP room with the DDP is still a package even though it does not require a ticket purchase (it is an AP + Dine ticketless package). If you had a room only reservation and wanted the DDP, your room only would have had to be cancelled and an AP + Dine package booked. AP packages are handled the same way as a regular package and follows the same deposit and cancellation policies.



AP packages are handled the same way as I posted above.

hmm maybe i got some pixie dust or something then because the one and only time i had the ddp they added it for me at the counter.