Fastpass vs. Super Fastpass vs. Unlimited Fastpass????

[BTMichael]

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. When I am not swamped at work, I will contact Disney Travel to see what they can do for me.

BTMichael

 

[BTMichael]

Just an update on our booking situation:

WD Travel called us back and explained that we could indeed have ordered what is essentially a Resort Magic Package without the room reservation. The travel insurance would be transferred to the ticket purchase (or forfeited!). This is not a trivial cost since they are still adding on the "extras".

I called the (714)956-MICKEY and found out they still could access our original reservation via the confirmation number. Despite being cancelled, the reservations stay in their system for at least a year (according to the person I spoke with).

So, I asked for the cost of the original reservation without the "old-style" park hopper tickets. This cost, plus the cost of the WD Travel package and insurance, is about $80 less than the complete WD Travel package.

I was all set to go until I asked about the "reserved" park view room. I was told that they could not guarantee us this view, directly the opposite of what I was told when I made the reservation originally. It is exactly as mousetrom described, each successive call leads to different and often conflicting information.

Well, at least I know it can be done. It's too bad you can't just get the Ultimate Park Hopper tickets alone. Being a AAA member, I thought I could, but most seem to think you still need to order a package deal from AAA to get those tickets.

Michael

 

[PASSPORT_PLUS]

To BTMichael,

What I'm about to tell you may sound really crazy, but, even though Walt Disney Travel Company is owned by The Walt Disney Company and when you call the Central Reservations Office to book a "rrom only" reservation at a Disney-owned hotel, both groups you are speaking with are actually two separate and independent companies, that are both owned by The Walt Disney Company.

When you are calling the hotel direct (Central Reservations Office) those employees can see the actual grid of the rooms and some (not all) have the capability where you will be staying in one of the 3 Disney-owned hotels. From a business practice perspective, employees are trained NOT to release or provide room assignments in advance and they can be in serious trouble when the call is reviewed for doing so.

Now, getting back to Walt Disney Travel Company, that company was/is set-up by Disney to book complete vacation packages. They are independent from the Disney-ownded hotels, and legally have to maintain an "arms-length" distance away from the hotels as they are a "wholesaler" who has signed a contract to sell hotel rooms of the Disney-owned hotels (along with Good Neighbor hotels to Disneyland) to consumers, travel agents, AAA and Disney Club members.

Disney Travel uses an entirely separate computer system from the Central Reservations Office at the hotels and has no way of knowing what room type, or floor that you will receive. Disney Travel cannot even guarantee the bedding or smoking/non-smoking request! The only area that Disney Travel guarantees is the view type and even at that, it could be anywhere in the hotel, but tey do guarantee that if you paid for a city view, you'll get it. If it's theme park view, you'll get it.

Everybody in both divisions is employed by Disney, but they operate as two separate companies.

It's a strange set-up, but it must work for Disney, as Disney Travel sure books a TON of hotel room nights not only at the hotels the parent company owns, but at the Good Neighbor Hotels. At several of the hotels, Disney Travel is their single LARGEST customer. Much of this is driven by vacation packaages booked by travel agents and AAA. They have to be making a huge amount of money. I can just imagine the amount of money they make selling all these hotel rooms, plane tickets, car rentals, etc. I consder Disney Travel just a BIG travel agency.

Anyway, now that you read that long story about why Disney Travel cannot tell you which floor, tower or room you will be assigned is because they really don't have access to it in their computers. Only the employees at the Central Reservation Office have the information.

As far as which is cheaper. It just depends on the season and availability at the hotels. Sometimes Disney Travel comes out on top with free room night offers and kids fly free promotions. Other times, the hotel only reservations are the betetr way to go, nut your own air and add Passport Plus from Disney Travel is the way to go.

You really have to put pen and paper together and compare. It's a lot of work, but for those making the effort, you may save money, you may not. It's dependent on a lot of variables and no two families will have the same requirements.

 

[BTMichael]

PASSPORT_PLUS,

I am guessing you saw my post on the other forum!

Yep, the information you just stated is something I had to learn the hard way. Disney Central Reservations and WD Travel are indeed on different systems. In fact, the "call-in" and "online" WD Travel reservations are separate! You can only review a reservation online through WD Travel that was booked online, you can't review a call-in reservation.

I was told that the WD Travel reservations are not sent to the hotels until about a week before they are due. This accounts for the lack of guarantee in the room location, as you mentioned.

With a Central Reservation desk call, while they aren't suppose to guarantee a room, they can specify a "preference", like "pool view room on the 3rd or 4th floor". If you book enough in advance, your chance of getting that "preference" increases, at least far more likely than a WD Travel booking.

As I stated on the other post, WD Travel was not very helpful and skirted the issue of booking a "no room" PassPort Plus package, which we eventually booked. Central Reservations helped in finding a room discount (AAA) and setting up our "preferences". Since we are driving from No. California, this combination worked out best.

BTMichael

 

[PASSPORT_PLUS]

Disney Travel does offer Passport Plus, however, it is only available when you call-in and not over the Internet.

Even how Disney Travel processes the Passport Plus ticket-only package is different than if you were to order a Park Hopper pass over the Internet, minus all the goodies that are provided with Passport Plus.

From what you have just experienced, it's as if you're dealing two or three different companies, except in this case they are all owned by Disney. No wonder the mass confusion over this one tiny little product that's just a blip on the radar!

Disney Travel employees employees are trained to always fact-find and offer a complete travel package, including air, car and hotel, airport transfers, tickets and transportation to other theme parks and hotel stays in San Diego.

Unless you ask for Passport Plus, they usually wont offer it to you on the first go around because if the employees are trained to do first...sell airline seats and hotel rooms.

If you specfically ask for Passport Plus, the employees know what the product is, oftentimes people call-up just wanting to know ticket prices for the day and so on, without ever getting into the details about Passport Plus.

Passport Plus truly is one of the hidden Mickey's of Disneyland because of the unlimited Fastpass feature and is designed for people who based on the premise that are staying at a time-share, hotel out of the Anaheim-area not booked by Disney and/ or staying with relatives. It will not be marketed to those who are already staying at a Disney or Good Neighbor hotel. If asked for by name, employees are tarined to offer it.

I'm sure much of the confusion has to do with the misconception by posters on other boards who have gotten the word out about Passport Plus that it's only available through AAA, when that is NOT true, or that it is somehow less expensive if booked through AAA, again not true as it is the same price.

I can understand the misconception about Passport Plus and the supposed discount through AAA, as many AAA clubs do sell admission-only tickets that are discounted over what you would pay at the park.

So, in theory, many just assume the same discount applies to Passport Plus, but again this is a different divison of Disney who is selling the product not Park Event Sales who sells admission only tickets.

I'm sure the folks in marketing will come-out with a better communication package to clearly inform all what Passport Plus is all about and better educate those AAA clubs that seem to have a hard time truly believing that Passport Plus does exist.