Convention Hotel rates, but not attending

[g8rben]

A few years ago I attended a convention at CSR and there were special hotel rates for convention goers. Unfortunately our family of 5 was too big for CSR and we ended up at POR (which worked out great, but didn't get the lower rate). That trip actually got me hooked on Disney after going many times as a kid, but not having been for 20 years, and that was while still attending a convention. My wife and I are looking at an adults-only trip in January and there are a couple of conventions happening around that time. I found their websites and easily clicked through to their special rates. Nothing in the booking process specified I had to actually be attending a convention. Anyone ever tried to book one of these rates and not been a part of the convention? Seriously doubt I'll try it as I don't want the headache but genuinely curious if Disney does anything specific to disallow this type of thing.

 

[ellie05]

Convention rates are negotiated for only the people attending the convention not for the general public to take advantage of. They contract a certain number of rooms if they go over they can go through the list and compare to the attendees and cancel your reservation.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

The best thing to do, IMHO, is look for travel agencies that run agency exclusives with WDW (there are several EarMarked agencies that do this). Those agencies are actually contracting through Disney group sales to create room blocks and are basically offering "convention" rates to their clients for different time periods throughout the year. Along with the group rates, you can add on convention rate park tickets. That is really the only legitimate way, that I know of, of getting a convention rate without actually attending a convention.

 

[g8rben]

Thanks, I wasn't going to take the risk and I'm not really a shady guy but AKL for $154 a night...

 

[gwynne]

.

 

[Marionnette]

A few years ago I attended a convention at CSR and there were special hotel rates for convention goers. Unfortunately our family of 5 was too big for CSR and we ended up at POR (which worked out great, but didn't get the lower rate). That trip actually got me hooked on Disney after going many times as a kid, but not having been for 20 years, and that was while still attending a convention. My wife and I are looking at an adults-only trip in January and there are a couple of conventions happening around that time. I found their websites and easily clicked through to their special rates. Nothing in the booking process specified I had to actually be attending a convention. Anyone ever tried to book one of these rates and not been a part of the convention? Seriously doubt I'll try it as I don't want the headache but genuinely curious if Disney does anything specific to disallow this type of thing.

Disney Meetings & Conventions encourages you to invite friends and family. But they check to confirm that you are either attending the meeting or traveling with someone who is attending the meeting. The meeting organizers supply a list of registered attendees to the hotel.

We've had people travel with us when my husband attended a meeting. They booked thru the meeting website but they included his professional name in the comments section on the reservation form.

 

[Lynne M]

I'm going to close this thread, with a reminder that discussions of ways to circumvent Disney's rules and policies are not permitted on the DISboards.