Disney confirming to TAs: BRP now REPLACES AP codes

[WillCAD]

Magical Journeys travel agency got word from their Disney rep - no more AP codes, the BRP is all they're doing from now on.

I am outraged over this and have sent a very angry email to WDW.

You can read more about it in threads on Tagrel.com and Kathi & Brian's Clubhouse:
http://www.tagrel.com/forum/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=13723&highlight=
http://www.clubhouse.kathiandbrian.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6812&highlight=

 

[Joan1]

Ok,
I will be the first to post this. Having an AP in no way guarantees that you will get a discount. This has been argued before, it has been posted before. The benefit of having an annual pass is that you can go as often as you wish without purchasing new park tickets each time. Along with the 10% discount you get on some of the restaurants

According to the post on the link you sent - most people are blaming the cm's about not giving out correct info. Since when have they given correct info about something not released yet? Most of the time they don't know themselves, that is why everyone gets all different answers everything time they call and speak to a different cm

 

[n2mm]

I fear this may be true too. This AM I got the normal passholder emails (to 3 different email accounts). This is the email I generally get this time of year annoucing AP rates. But no, this was different. It was annoucing the new 60 day BR program. If you go to the websites, on the Florida one, they have a link to get FL rates up to December at a discount, but on the passholder website, we just got the new link for the 60 day BR program. I remember many threads when the BR program began and one of the biggest (other than early Oct. folks) was that Florida residents like to plan their trips on short notice. Well it seems Disney took heart to these comments and gave them the regular way to book. And I guess disney listened to the complaint of AP holder (though there were many compaints) of the 120 day before arriving, causing many folks to miss their window of opportunity, so they changed it to 60 day. However, this still left a huge whole for early October. Maybe Disney looked at the numbers and saw there was no need to discount the rooms for this timeframe. As I watched the FL rate threads, I saw more and more folks not being able to get a discounted room for early October (Colombus Day weekend), so leads me to believe attendance is way up and there will be no discounts other than FL residents. However, I hope I'm wrong for many disboard members, but this is looking like the September that was forgotten several years ago. JMHO

 

[4orm]

anyone else planning on cancelling?
We are staying DVC for the begining of our trip, but Oct 6 we were to switch over to the Contemp....
Now I'm concidering the Swan and Dolphin. A mass of cancelling ressies might make them change their minds.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

wow i dont have an AP
if i did i would be SOOOO mad
i mean we all know the discounts arent guranteed but we all know disney uses this to get people to buy the AP for possibitlity of a discount
thanks for the links
interesting .....

 

[cobbler]

Saddened but not surprised. I think this is their way of fixing the problem with people buying a child's AP for room discounts and those that book and don't have an AP and then don't buy one either. This gives them more control.

I am not a huge fan of the program but at least they are making it better. I just wish they would get rid of the non-refundable deposit.

I figured when they changed the policy from 120+ days to 60+ days the same day they released FL resident rates that was the end of the call in rates. Doing that change at the same time spoke volumes to me.

 

[ECurto]

Well after all the people who took advantage of the glitch in there system, id be shoked if they gave it to us now, they are needing to recoup there money.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

Well after all the people who took advantage of the glitch in there system, id be shoked if they gave it to us now, they are needing to recoup there money.

good point, that glitch probably caught them a fortune

 

[Magicaltimes]

I think the biggest frustration that a lot of AP holders have is that Disney left a gaping hole in the month of October from the 5th thru the 19th. That was the time frame that you could not book under the BRP when it was dumped on all of us... I was just hoping that Disney would make an effort to be fair to ALL of its AP holders and release some rates to cover the interim.

And on another note, I guess we won't be taking any more spur of the moment trips like we did three weeks ago. Apparently we'll have to find another place to spend our money.

Bad Show Disney!

 

[tjmouse]

I think everyone knows that having an AP in no way guarantees a discount. However, when they announced the Best Rate Program, there were some people who were already past 120 days and could not use the program, even if they wanted too. Those are the people that I think Disney should honor the discounts for.

Whenever a company, any company, gives their customers a new benefit, they USUALLY announce it ahead of time and honor those customers who may have fell through the cracks so to speak. Disney did neither and that's not a good example of the great customer service that I rave about to all the people I speak to about Disney.

Now, if you were over 120 days and you chose not to book through the program, then I totally understand being disappointed and even angry at Disney. They should have been honest and straight forward and said "there will be no more AP codes, so book through Best Rate or you won't get a discount". How hard is that to tell people??

I do understand all points of view, but when you are used to getting a discount and then they take it away without telling you (which is basically what they did because they have never said no AP codes) it is really not good for public relations.

 

[4orm]

I have a question. It states on those sites that BGR is only to be booked online. My mom was a travel agent but still has a log in on the disney travel agent site. There is no way to book BGR there. So does this mean that BGR is only bookable by the AP holder? This will piss off many travel agencies if that's the case, causing them to lose business.

 

[petchie]

Travel Agents have access to the Best Rate. I had one make mine since I needed more than one room and they can do that.

 

[tjmouse]

TA's can book Best Rate on line for their clients. They can even book more than one room at a time which is a benefit for using a TA to do this.

 

[think tink]

i don't mind doing it online or even the no refund policy, my problem is the 60 days. i think that is part of the draw of ap's is you can take a couple of quick trips a year. all of our trips are always planned last minute due to my dh's work schedule. i don't think it is fair that they are giving discounts but not to people who plan last minute. i find this very confusing that they offer discounts in advance when they could be getting those booked at rack rate and not offering discounts to last minute guests who are filling rooms that would otherwise be empty ?? i thought it was the other way around

 

[karebear1]

Can someone please enlighten me as to this "glitch" I keep seeing mentioned? Thank you!

 

[n2mm]

Whenever a company, any company, gives their customers a new benefit, they USUALLY announce it ahead of time and honor those customers who may have fell through the cracks so to speak. Disney did neither and that's not a good example of the great customer service that I rave about to all the people I speak to about Disney.

They did this exact same thing once this summer already. Many of us had already booked all of our ADRs 90 days out for our arrival in July, then they changed the ages of children from 11 to 9, and guess what, they would NOT honor any of the earlier ADRs (except paid for dinner shows). So this does not suprise me at all.--I don't think they have ever heard of "grandfathering".

On another note, the BR program will certainly eliminate the folks who book rooms that they have no intention of keeping unless they get a discount on it. How many of us have read the threads where folks book rack rate rooms to HOLD them and HOPE they can apply an AP discount to them later.....this policy just disappeared, giving Disney a more accurate account of how many rooms they have available, which really does help them know how many rooms they actually have to fill.

 

[zakerdog]

Ok,
According to the post on the link you sent - most people are blaming the cm's about not giving out correct info. Since when have they given correct info about something not released yet? Most of the time they don't know themselves, that is why everyone gets all different answers everything time they call and speak to a different cm

I was one of those AP holders who complained by email when Disney first announced the BRP. I am not blaming CM's for giving me incorrect information, the gentleman that I talk to (he phoned me) was a senior manager in guest services. His job was to ensure that correct and accurate information was given to guests and told me he had been doing this public relations job for over 4 years (not inexperienced). He very thoroughly explained that the BRP was a test program, it was an enhancement to the existing AP program, it was in addition to the old AP rate system and it WOULD NOT replace the old AP rate discounts.

If what I am reading on the boards is correct - then he basically lied to me. I know that an AP has never guaranteed an AP rate and according to the list of benefits it states that a limited number of room rates MAY be offered. When Disney changed the program to BRP had they just made it an official announcement I would have been disappointed with the change but I would have moved on knowing the facts. Instead I was given incorrect information, so I was waiting for the "old" AP rates to firm up my plans.

I will still be vacationing at Disney, I have AAA rates which are not too bad, but I won't be able to split my stay and upgrade to a Deluxe, but I will still be at Disney and that is a good thing. What I will be sad about is the fact that Disney has lost some of its magic because of the way this whole thing has been handled and the fact that I was told something that was not true.

 

[petchie]

i don't mind doing it online or even the no refund policy, my problem is the 60 days. i think that is part of the draw of ap's is you can take a couple of quick trips a year. all of our trips are always planned last minute due to my dh's work schedule. i don't think it is fair that they are giving discounts but not to people who plan last minute. i find this very confusing that they offer discounts in advance when they could be getting those booked at rack rate and not offering discounts to last minute guests who are filling rooms that would otherwise be empty ?? i thought it was the other way around

they changed it from 120 days to 60 days-maybe they will change it again?

 

[4orm]

Interesting - The Canadain travel agent site doesn't have BGR available to book (but the lst time it was updated it was to announce the Crush n' Gusher). I think the Canadian site is way out of date.

I totaly agree with the 60 days booking thing. I'm in Canada and can't take advantage of quick trips, but if you are able I would think Disney would want to encourage those to come as often as possible and have AP rates for them to fill up empty rooms. They'll end up losing $$ on this. I'm sure a lot of AP trips are last minute. Why discourage them?

 

[tjmouse]

Can someone please enlighten me as to this "glitch" I keep seeing mentioned? Thank you!

You don't want to open that can of worms. There is a post on this board about it. Basically, the computer screwed up and gave people incorrect balance due information and basically Disney lost their butts if they decide to honor those who got in during the problem.