Curious

[devores]

I am trying to book a weekend at the Fort. I was able to get some of the dates, but with it being a holiday weekend, 2 of them are booked solid. I took the advice of those on the board and am trying to piece together a weekend.

I was able to get a check in of 21 May and a check out of 23 May. I would like to get a check out of 25 May.

What are the chances of me getting these extra days? I know its a major holiday weekend and I am crazy for even thinking I could get all of the days I wanted, but I wasnt able to make definet plans until now (military life makes pre planning impossible).

I figure I can wait until my 5 days prior and if I do not get the extra days, I can just cancel. The days I have will not do me much good with out the extra ones and would actualy hurt our trip with having to break camp on the 23rd to move elsewhere. But Iam crossing my fingers that somone cancels at the last minute and I get lucky.

So for those who have done this, is it likely I will get the extra days, or should I go ahead and book elsewhere?

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I have always had good luck in getting last minute reservations, even on holiday weekends (knock on wood). Sometimes, it has only been days before our anticipated arrival day that I have been able to piece the reservation together. People cancel all the time, but it may not be until 5 days before their arrival date, so the campsite does not show up as available until the very end. Having to call everyday and enduring the WDW phone system is annoying, but it probably will work out for you if you are persistent.

TCD

 

[TheFlame]

We also have to plan alot at the last minute and have usually been able to piece together a trip(I had 6 diff. ressies last year for one trip!) but holidays are a little hard. I don't know if you can get them before you leave, but this is what we did this past Thanksgiving....

Our only experience with staying over without having a ressie before we left was this past Thanksgiving. At check-in I mentioned that I tried to add days before we left to add Thanksgiving day and the weekend after to our stay and that we wanted to be able to stay and watch the Osborne Lights come on(I kind of looked pitiful when I told him this) and if it wasn't available we were just going to leave on Thanksgiving day(glad we didn't have to). I didn't think I would get those days in a million years because it was already so crowded and Thanksgiving has to be one of the busiest weekends at Disney.

Anyway, he asked if I wanted those days and I said I did. He immediately added them with no second thought. That was also during alot of the reno's I might add so I was very surprised. I was not surprised however that the internet or reservation line showed nothing available when we left home.

I guess I would have a back-up plan but would definitely tell them at check-in you want to stay over. You will probably get the days you want, you just might have to move to a different kind of site. If they say it isn't available call or go up there every morning to see if anything opens up. Make sure they know you will move if you are willing to do that.

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[Shan-man]

Keep trying, especially early AM and with increasing frequency as the 45 day cancellation deadline approaches. I bet you'll get it. You may also want to try booking a larger block than just the days you need, sometimes 1 and 2 day searches come up blank but a 3+ day search will show a hit (not sure why). Once booked you can cancel the days you don't need, and get the two ressies combined.

 

[mdoc]

Keep trying - I think you'll have success as the time gets closer. An awful lot of people make reservations at the Fort well in advance for popular times. It's a lot easier to cancel a reservation than to make one at the last minute. I've been able to piece together reservatons for spring break and Thanskgiving a few times (you'd think I'd learn after the first time. . .), but at least once I wasn't able to get my last couple days on the day I would have needed to cancel the days I already had. Also, if you get right up to the day you need to cancel and still don't have all your days, talk to Disney about it - I believe you can modify a reservation without penalty even after 5 days before - I know we've moved our reservation to a different time rather than cancelling in the past.

 

[Shan-man]

Yes, you can cancel up to 5 days out without penalty for a site-only reservation. For a package, the no-penalty cancellation is 45 days.

 

[TheFlame]

We do as shanman said and reserve more days than we need to when we are trying to add days to a trip and can't just get one or two days at a time. We usually reserve two weeks at a time anyway since we are never sure what day we can leave and how long we will stay. We just cancel the ones we don't need at a later date but 5 days before. I have had to cancel within 4 days and I just changed it to another date and didn't lose anything.

I checked the online ressie system as I typed this and your days are available in a tent, full and premium but I checked for a two week stretch...May15-29. Just reserve this and cancel the days you don't need tomorrow. I sent you a pm.

Good luck!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

We do as shanman said and reserve more days than we need to when we are trying to add days to a trip and can't just get one or two days at a time. We usually reserve two weeks at a time anyway since we are never sure what day we can leave and how long we will stay. We just cancel the ones we don't need at a later date but 5 days before. I have had to cancel within 4 days and I just changed it to another date and didn't lose anything.

And this practice- reserving more days than you know you will need, and then cancelling within the 5 days allowed- frees up sites at the last minute, which gives those of us trying to make a last minute ressie hope.

This is an interesting quirk in the WDW reservation system. Just this weekend, I tried again for Thanksgiving reservations. I have been trying since just after last Thanksgiving, with no luck. I played around with the dates, and ended up getting an offer for a premium site for 21 nights, including all of Thanksgiving week. So I booked it. The deposit is only one night's rental, whether you are booking for one night or 21. I can hold these three weeks all the way up until 5 days before my stay is supposed to start, and then cancel the days I don't need, with no penalty whatsoever. I won't wait that long, so the days will be available for someone else, but I could wait to the last minute (well the last five days) if I wanted to.

And, just for giggles, I did the same thing for Christmas week, with the same result. Nothing if I try for just a week, but two different site categories if I try for three weeks, including the week that the site told me was not available. I didn't need these ressies, so I didn't make the reservation, but I could have reserved all of Christmas week, including NYE, even though it is usually very difficult to get ressies for that week.

TCD

 

[TheFlame]

And this practice- reserving more days than you know you will need, and then cancelling within the 5 days allowed- frees up sites at the last minute, which gives those of us trying to make a last minute ressie hope.

This is an interesting quirk in the WDW reservation system. Just this weekend, I tried again for Thanksgiving reservations. I have been trying since just after last Thanksgiving, with no luck. I played around with the dates, and ended up getting an offer for a premium site for 21 nights, including all of Thanksgiving week. So I booked it. The deposit is only one night's rental, whether you are booking for one night or 21. I can hold these three weeks all the way up until 5 days before my stay is supposed to start, and then cancel the days I don't need, with no penalty whatsoever. I won't wait that long, so the days will be available for someone else, but I could wait to the last minute (well the last five days) if I wanted to.

And, just for giggles, I did the same thing for Christmas week, with the same result. Nothing if I try for just a week, but two different site categories if I try for three weeks, including the week that the site told me was not available. I didn't need these ressies, so I didn't make the reservation, but I could have reserved all of Christmas week, including NYE, even though it is usually very difficult to get ressies for that week.

TCD

Hey TCD!!!

It is too bad that sometimes you have to reserve more than you need just to get a few days. I always try to cancel my extra days right away and wish others would do the same. It sure would make things easier. Then again, Disney really needs to overhaul their reservation system for rooms and dining. The dining reservation system really stinks!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Hey TCD!!!

It is too bad that sometimes you have to reserve more than you need just to get a few days. I always try to cancel my extra days right away and wish others would do the same. It sure would make things easier. Then again, Disney really needs to overhaul their reservation system for rooms and dining. The dining reservation system really stinks!

Amen to that!

But, until the system gets fixed, at least some of us have been able to figure out how to make it work. I know that as more people use this technique, it is going to cause problems for the already deficient reservation system. I would expect WDW management to do something about this, as in the end, it is causing guests who want to spend money on WDW property to look elsewhere.

And, as much as I dislike the on-line reservation system, I dislike the call-in system even more. It is so annoying! After enduring a virtual maze of prompts, it seems that the folks who ultimately answer the phones must be put to work with no training. And, I swear that the last time I called, I heard a baby crying in the background, and the person I was speaking to was clearly distracted. I think they have these phone calls going out to employees' homes, and that the people who take the calls are working at home, from a computer monitor, with no supervision. Some of them are great, but a lot of them are not so great. Not a good way to make a first impression.

TCD

 

[devores]

Thank you so much everyone, espescialy theflame. I did go back and play with the dates and am able to get a full hookup for 21 May - 29 may. This would cover all of our days nicely.

Who would have thought that booking a week would be easier to get than a couple of days.

Now my question is, do I need to cancell the ressie I allready have before booking this new one, or go ahead and book it and then cancell the current one plus the extra days? I dont want to screw something up and end up paying for two sites when I only need one.

Thanks all again.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Thank you so much everyone, espescialy theflame. I did go back and play with the dates and am able to get a full hookup for 21 May - 29 may. This would cover all of our days nicely.

Who would have thought that booking a week would be easier to get than a couple of days.

Now my question is, do I need to cancell the ressie I allready have before booking this new one, or go ahead and book it and then cancell the current one plus the extra days? I dont want to screw something up and end up paying for two sites when I only need one.

Thanks all again.

Book the new one as a separate, new reservation.

Then call back, and cancel the old one, and modify the new one. You will end up having to pay a new reservation fee, but the old one will be refunded.

TCD

 

[devores]

Allright,

Utilizing the vast knowledge of this site, I am now booked for a full hook up for 21 May through 30 May 09. I will cancell the old one for 21 May through 23 May and then cancell 26 May through 30 May.

Im throwing this out there in case anyone else needs those days. Keep an eye out for them, they will be cancelled 27 Apr 09, after we get back from our Disney Cruise.

This actualy worked out great. My DW is going to be doing the Memorial Day retreat ceremony at MK on 26 May and we had planned on doing Star Wars Weekends, so having a site for the entire weekend keeps us from having to drive all the way back to Tampa and then back out to WDW for 3 days straight. Thats allot of driving.

Once again, thanks to all of the experts on this site. I continue to learn allot from yall. If anyone is at the fort while Im there, youre more than welcome to stop by for a cold one. Itll be the site with white dodge Ram 2500 Mega parked in the front of it.

 

[cjalphonso]

I'll be there at the same time, 5/18-5/23. From my understanding, there is no penalty for cancellation, even on the day you leave. My resies will go thru the 25th, but I'll cancel the 23rd and 24th the morning we leave, the 23rd. Just in case we want to stay longer. I'm sure someone will be glad to pick up those days.

 

[Memph1s]

Boy, I really have a problem with Disney’s reservation system online. Disney is holding sites to maximize profits. Last week I tried to book a couple days for this coming weekend. For 2 days all that showed was a premium site so I added a day and then preferred sites showed also. I added a 4th night and I could pick any kind of site I wanted. So, obviously they had every kind of site available but only showed premium in their offer. I know Disney is a business but it stinks if you are a tent camper trying to get a partial site. The only thing they offer is a site you can’t stake a tent to without special planning. Not to mention paying 95/nt instead of 46/nt.

 

[devores]

I'll be there at the same time, 5/18-5/23. From my understanding, there is no penalty for cancellation, even on the day you leave. My resies will go thru the 25th, but I'll cancel the 23rd and 24th the morning we leave, the 23rd. Just in case we want to stay longer. I'm sure someone will be glad to pick up those days.

From my understanding, dont you have to pay the remainder of the balance when you check in? In my case, this would be around $600. If I cancel the extra days, it will only be around $300. I dont think Id want to risk loosing the $300 in case there is a penalty.

On a side note, I just cancelled the original 21 - 23 May and the nice lady tried so hard to make me keep those days. She did sound sincere in her efforts as she kept saying that is extremly difficult to get ressies at the fort and if I cancell I may not get more. She even offered to move them to another time. I didnt mention that I have another ressie for those exact same days allready.

 

[Goofyseven]

Last October our family had two camp sites, my son in his camper at the site next to us. He had to leave early to get back to work sooner than expected and thought he checked out, but didn't. When I checked out, (I had his res on my credit card), I was initially charged for the full res on his site. After explaining what happened, they refunded the unused portion of his res.

I would not recommend this procedure in the future, but should a similar situation happen in the future, I'll verfy the early check out.

 

[TheFlame]

We have left early a couple of times the past few years and there has never been a penalty.

In Oct. 07 it wasn't planned and we worried about losing the money but it couldn't be helped. I called the office and they said to come by there on the way out. They gave me credit immediately for the remaining days. There was a guy standing in line trying to get in that day and I had just canceled something like 3 or 4 days but they still told him they had no availability and there were campsites empty all over the campground that had been empty for days.

On our trip in Jan. 08 we decided upon arrival to shorten our stay by a couple of days and just told them at check in. They said we could just wait until the day we wanted to leave(which we figured out from last trip) and let them know then, but I didn't think that was very nice to others that may have wanted our site. I think it is crazy that they don't care when you leave and don't penalize you in some way for leaving early. I wouldn't have wanted to lose money but I would have understood. The way they handle the room and dining reservations at Disney really leaves alot to be desired. POOR MANAGEMENT! Always falls back to the guys(gals) in ties making all the decisions but doing none of the work.

 

[BradyBz12]

There was a guy standing in line trying to get in that day

Wow - blows my mind that someone would just drive up and expect to get a site at FW without a ressie.....

 

[cjalphonso]

I was told by reservations that if I wanted to leave early there would be no penalty or fees. If someone knows otherwise, please let me know as I am planning to do this. I was told, as long as I don't book a package, this would be the case.