Disney to cancel FPs if room is cancelled

[rteetz]

WDWNT is now reporting this as well

 

[eagle1992]

Good...I'm surprised it has taken them this long to plug up this loophole...

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Though I have a feeling it’s going to create havoc for people booking in the next couple weeks it looks like a welcomed change is coming to Disney policy.

https://wdwnt.com/2019/02/wdw-fastpass-to-be-revoked-with-canceled-resort-reservations/

Tells you how clueless I am. I had no idea people were doing this. Help me understand, they would book a resort simply to get the 60 day window and then cancel at the 30 days to retain those hard to get FPs?

 

[anniemae]

Yes, if you follow the 'throwaway room' thread, the whole concept is to book and pay for your room - not cancel it. We have done this for campsites. We used it for day use, not the night. I see absolutely no problem with it because we reserved and paid for the campsite just like everyone else. Free perks like fp, parking and magic bands are available for anyone who pays for a reservation.

It's no skin off of Disney's back to have you pay for a reservation and not stay - just means they save money on housekeeping! I can't see them changing the rules such that you would only receive the perks if you pay AND are physically on the resort at night. It would take far too much work for Disney to keep track of that - especially with online check-in options.

This news does not change the concept of the throwaway room. It only means trouble for the very rare person who uses the throwaway unethically by canceling at the last minute.

This may be a stupid question. But if you are staying off site for a week, and book and pay for a Disney throwaway room for one night, do you only get the perks (fp's, magic bands etc.) for the one night you pay for the room? I suppose it would be two days, the day of check in and the day of check out?

 

[SinCityMMAFan]

I was wondering how long it was going to take Disney to do this. There are many people who abuse the system by doing this and glad Disney finally caught on to this.

 

[Upatnoon]

Tells you how clueless I am. I had no idea people were doing this. Help me understand, they would book a resort simply to get the 60 day window and then cancel at the 30 days to retain those hard to get FPs?

It isn't allowed on this forum to discuss breaking Disney rules, so don't feel clueless.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Thread began yesterday:

Throwaway rooms no more, Disney to cancel FPs if room is cancelled

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Help me understand please. People would book a room for the 60 day window and then cancel at the 30 day mark to keep the hard to get FPs?

 

[anniemae]

I don't see how this is rude to fellow visitors. If I were in a hotel, I would love it if the rooms next to me were empty. On the other hand, it would upset me a ton knowing that people who hopped ahead of me in the fastpass line did so by gaming the system. If they are paying customers, same as me, then good for them, even if they aren't actually camping out.

I think, and I could be wrong, that one issue is if someone books a one night campsite to get the perks, then stays off site, it prevents someone who maybe wanted to stay on site for a week, but there was no availability due to one night stays disrupting the week. It would only be an issue during busy times, which I guess is all the time now LOL. Yes, it's true that people book and pay for a room and who cares if they actually sleep in the room or not. But at the point where it prevents Disney from making money, like if people wanting to stay on site can't because of multiple throw away rooms clogging up the availability then it becomes a problem. If Disney wanted to allow off site folks to get perks, I would think they would simply implement something allowing them to pay a fee to get perks. Since they have not done this, one can only guess they want people staying on site. You spend more money on site.

 

[mamaofsix]

This may be a stupid question. But if you are staying off site for a week, and book and pay for a Disney throwaway room for one night, do you only get the perks (fp's, magic bands etc.) for the one night you pay for the room? I suppose it would be two days, the day of check in and the day of check out?

You would only get free parking in the parks on your check-in and check out days. The magic bands can be used however long, even on future trips, as that is how magic bands work. You can make fp's at 60 days out from the one night you book onsite. However, you can't book your future days of fp's on that day. You would have a 'rolling 60 day' window and have to keep booking your fp's each day consecutively if you need fp's for more days.

 

[rteetz]

Help me understand please. People would book a room for the 60 day window and then cancel at the 30 day mark to keep the hard to get FPs?

Yep

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Yep

Oh good grief! I'm not really sure why that surprises me.


Well hurrah Disney for nipping this in the bud!

 

[piccolopat]

Disney should also close the rolling FP+ loophole. If you only book one night, you should only be able to get FP+ for your day of check in and check out and then have to wait until the 30 day mark to book the rest. I also agree that ADRs booked more than 180 days in advance should also be cancelled, at least for the hard to get ones.

 

[anniemae]

You would only get free parking in the parks on your check-in and check out days. The magic bands can be used however long, even on future trips, as that is how magic bands work. You can make fp's at 60 days out from the one night you book onsite. However, you can't book your future days of fp's on that day. You would have a 'rolling 60 day' window and have to keep booking your fp's each day consecutively if you need fp's for more days.

Ahhhh, so if you are staying a week, you can book your fp's at 60 days out for two days, (the day you are checking in and the day you are checking out) then day by day for the entire week. And if you are staying off site and not doing a throw away room, you have to wait until 30 days out for fp?

 

[mamaofsix]

Ahhhh, so if you are staying a week, you can book your fp's at 60 days out for two days, (the day you are checking in and the day you are checking out) then day by day for the entire week. And if you are staying off site and not doing a throw away room, you have to wait until 30 days out for fp?

Yep.

 

[chaoskids]

It seems Disney is closing this loophole.


https://wdwnt.com/2019/02/wdw-fastpass-to-be-revoked-with-canceled-resort-reservations/

 

[mamaofsix]

Disney should also close the rolling FP+ loophole. If you only book one night, you should only be able to get FP+ for your day of check in and check out and then have to wait until the 30 day mark to book the rest. I also agree that ADRs booked more than 180 days in advance should also be cancelled, at least for the hard to get ones.

I understand what you are saying, but just think how many people do split stays. They might stay at Disney for a few nights, then switch to Universal, then back to Disney, for example. All the while still quite possibly attending Disney parks on the days they are staying at Universal. Or, what about those who book a few nights on property and then stay with a friend or relative for a few nights after? It would be so confusing on the fp system for those people to book half of their trip's fp's at 60 days and then wait until 30 days out for the other days.

If they are legitimately paying for at least one night at Disney, I feel that they should have access to the 60 day window for the duration of the tickets purchased, but that's just my opinion.

 

[cakebaker]

It's about time. That should pretty much stop the throw away scam.

 

[Capang]

It's about time. That should pretty much stop the throw away scam.

It doesn't stop the booking and paying for a night and not showing up, though. I can see that loophole being the next to somehow close.

 

[cakebaker]

No, it doesn't. But if people want to pay that much money just to get a few fp's, have at it. My guess is a great many who claim that they don't cancel, actually do. There was no incentive to keep the reservation before. Now there is. I do think the campgrounds are an issue, hopefully Disney will fix that as well. As long as it took them to do this though, I don't hold out a lot of hope.