Discounts - Room Only Vs Packages

[cindernat]

Hi all,

We are planning our first WDW trip in April next year, and as you know 2018 rates are out but of course are at full price currently. I'm thinking of booking our 7 night stay at Beach Club, and I have been reading that often Disney will release 15-30% off room rates closer to the date, which if you're lucky you can then apply to your existing reservation.

My question is, does this work regardless of whether you have a room only booking or a package booking? Or that kind of discount only applicable if your booking is room only already?

I know that sometimes for packages they open up 'free dining' which you then can possibly apply to a package, but for us, the accommodation saving would be worth so much more due to awful Aussie $ exchange rate.

I am keen to lock something in now at least, and hope to be able to add a discount at a later date.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Shanti]

Hi all,

We are planning our first WDW trip in April next year, and as you know 2018 rates are out but of course are at full price currently. I'm thinking of booking our 7 night stay at Beach Club, and I have been reading that often Disney will release 15-30% off room rates closer to the date, which if you're lucky you can then apply to your existing reservation.

My question is, does this work regardless of whether you have a room only booking or a package booking? Or that kind of discount only applicable if your booking is room only already?

I know that sometimes for packages they open up 'free dining' which you then can possibly apply to a package, but for us, the accommodation saving would be worth so much more due to awful Aussie $ exchange rate.

I am keen to lock something in now at least, and hope to be able to add a discount at a later date.

Thanks in advance!

You don't actually get to "apply" the discount to an existing reservation, even though that phrase is often misused on the boards. There has to be availability for the discounted rate at your desired resort & room type, at the time you inquire about the discount, to be able to take advantage of the discount.

So if you already have a garden view room or package at Beach Club booked, & when the discount comes out, it shows that no garden view rooms at Beach Club have availability at the discounted rate, then you won't be able to get a discount.

What you're really doing by getting a room early is not holding the room or package to later "apply" a discount to it, you are reserving a room in that category at full price, simply because you want to make sure you can get that resort & room type at all.

So if you aren't really willing to pay rack rate for the room, don't bother booking it before the discount comes out. Doing so actually makes it less likely that the room will be available for discount later, because that is one more room that has been taken out of their discountable inventory.

 

[cindernat]

You don't actually get to "apply" the discount to an existing reservation, even though that phrase is often misused on the boards. There has to be availability for the discounted rate at your desired resort & room type, at the time you inquire about the discount, to be able to take advantage of the discount.

So if you already have a garden view room or package at Beach Club booked, & when the discount comes out, it shows that no garden view rooms at Beach Club have availability at the discounted rate, then you won't be able to get a discount.

What you're really doing by getting a room early is not holding the room or package to later "apply" a discount to it, you are reserving a room in that category at full price, simply because you want to make sure you can get that resort & room type at all.

So if you aren't really willing to pay rack rate for the room, don't bother booking it before the discount comes out. Doing so actually makes it less likely that the room will be available for discount later, because that is one more room that has been taken out of their discountable inventory.

Thanks, yep understand all that, and of course if I end up paying rack rate I end up paying rack rate.

My actual question was can you apply a discount (should one be offered) to either an existing room only booking or a package booking, or only one of those.

 

[Shanti]

Thanks, yep understand all that, and of course if I end up paying rack rate I end up paying rack rate.

My actual question was can you apply a discount (should one be offered) to either an existing room only booking or a package booking, or only one of those.

Well, I was trying to explain that you can't really "apply" it at all. But nevermind.

 

[cindernat]

Well, I was trying to explain that you can't really "apply" it at all. But nevermind.

I've read many threads where people have mentioned they've just had to log into their Disney Account, go to their booking an apply the discount.

 

[purple figment]

Hi all,

We are planning our first WDW trip in April next year, and as you know 2018 rates are out but of course are at full price currently. I'm thinking of booking our 7 night stay at Beach Club, and I have been reading that often Disney will release 15-30% off room rates closer to the date, which if you're lucky you can then apply to your existing reservation.

My question is, does this work regardless of whether you have a room only booking or a package booking? Or that kind of discount only applicable if your booking is room only already?

I know that sometimes for packages they open up 'free dining' which you then can possibly apply to a package, but for us, the accommodation saving would be worth so much more due to awful Aussie $ exchange rate.

I am keen to lock something in now at least, and hope to be able to add a discount at a later date.

Thanks in advance!

Don't get hung up on the word "apply" because if your stay qualifies and there is availability you will be able to take advantage of the discount. "Apply" is a simplification of the process that will happen. As Shanti said, you cannot just "apply" a discount. If a discount or special comes out and there is availability for the room category, resort and dates you've chosen, you can take advantage of the discount. You will not see a new reservation number and it will look like the discount was "applied" to your existing reservation, but internally within the Disney booking system a new reservation was created with the discount/special. If you have to change room categories, resort or dates to take advantage of a discount you will see the modifications on your reservation even if the reservation number stays the same - in this case the discount/special was not available for your original reservation without changing some aspect of your resort reservation.

If you book a room only through Disney or an authorized travel agent, you can usually take advantage of a % off room rate depending on the availability and whether your room category, resort and dates are included. Room rate discounts are applied on a night by night basis so it may not be applicable to every night of your stay. If you book your room through a third party reseller such as orbitz or expedia, it would not qualify for any additional Disney generated discounts.

Packages can be eligible for a discount on the nightly room rate, but it will depend on the package you book. If there is any other discount or special attached to the package (e.g free dining or stay, play and dine) you can only have one discount/special applied so you'll have to do the math to see which discount is best. If the discount/special requires a package you will not be able to apply it to a room only reservation. The room only would have to be cancelled and a package reservation booked.

 

[cindernat]

Don't get hung up on the word "apply" because if your stay qualifies and there is availability you will be able to take advantage of the discount. "Apply" is a simplification of the process that will happen. As Shanti said, you cannot just "apply" a discount. If a discount or special comes out and there is availability for the room category, resort and dates you've chosen, you can take advantage of the discount. You will not see a new reservation number and it will look like the discount was "applied" to your existing reservation, but internally within the Disney booking system a new reservation was created with the discount/special. If you have to change room categories, resort or dates to take advantage of a discount you will see the modifications on your reservation even if the reservation number stays the same - in this case the discount/special was not available for your original reservation without changing some aspect of your resort reservation.

If you book a room only through Disney or an authorized travel agent, you can usually take advantage of a % off room rate depending on the availability and whether your room category, resort and dates are included. Room rate discounts are applied on a night by night basis so it may not be applicable to every night of your stay. If you book your room through a third party reseller such as orbitz or expedia, it would not qualify for any additional Disney generated discounts.

Packages can be eligible for a discount on the nightly room rate, but it will depend on the package you book. If there is any other discount or special attached to the package (e.g free dining or stay, play and dine) you can only have one discount/special applied so you'll have to do the math to see which discount is best. If the discount/special requires a package you will not be able to apply it to a room only reservation. The room only would have to be cancelled and a package reservation booked.

Thanks for the clarification, makes sense. Will just have to wait and see whether any discounts come out for April next year! And if so, that someone posts it on Disboards so I know about it

 

[jelange64]

I notice that most of the talk is for WDW, but has anyone seen 2018 rates for DL yet? I try online and I cannot access for the 2018 months yet.