FTP - all rooms are booked

[momxx5]

Thought -

WDW introduced to FTP to get people into the resorts and spend money at the parks. Many, many people took this opportunity(our family included) to come to WDW and stay for a week.

My understanding is that most all the resorts are full during these times and that no other discouts - AP, codes, room only, etc, will be offered because WDW doesn't need to offer that incentive.

Does that make any sense? What are your thoghts?

 

[Lesley]

It might seem logical except that there have been many people staying on this package over the summer and there have also been plenty of other discounts available. We stayed on an AP rate in July.

I honestly don't believe all the rooms are full for the fall. Summer is typically busier, except for certain fall weeks.

 

[ww52]

Certainly possible - I know the resorts and parks seemed more crowded last week than any of our other five trips (all taken in the summer also). But not offering an AP rate seems unfair.

 

[caitycaity]

But not offering an AP rate seems unfair.

can i ask why?

 

[ww52]

FTP offered 7 nights for the price of four, including park tickets. An AP holder would not take advantage of this becuase they would be buying something (tickets) they don't need, so it wouldn't be an overall savings. I got the impression from the OP that with the introduction of FTP, no AP room only rates were offered during the same time period.

 

[Kimberle]

humm, I have my doubts.

I'm always looking to see if I can get a better deal. I kept checking if I could get other rooms the very last few days of the FTP and I had no problem. I could have booked lots of different rooms at any resort I wanted.

Now, 2 years ago, I had to change my dates cause CR was totally sold out. We paid rack, too. Go figure....

Personally, I think FTP will increase the volumn a bit, but I don't think it is going to fill all the resorts.

I'll let you know when we get back in Sept!!

 

[dg39]

We went to disney with the FTP after our trip was over I called(while still in orlando)to see if there was anything available to extend our stay. I called several diff. times to see if I could get a good deal. The cm's told me there was availability in every one of the disney resorts on property. And I asked this question every time I called, they all said the same thing. So while you may have felt the parks were more crowded then previous times, there was still rooms empty at the resorts. IMHO, the FTP worked great for us, but those with ap's I don't think it did anything for. Maybe disney will think of a discount that would benefit those with/without ap's next time, so then everybody wins.

 

[CamColt]

Just yesterday I checked WDW's site for availability at ASMO for 8/24-8/30. Thats less than 2 weeks away at one of the most popular resorts(from what I hear) and there are still openings for both standard & preferred rooms. Since the FTP cant be booked anymore I think Dsiney needs to offer some sort of incentive to entice people to come and fill up those rooms.

 

[Gillian]

Originally posted by CamColt
Just yesterday I checked WDW's site for availability at ASMO for 8/24-8/30. Thats less than 2 weeks away at one of the most popular resorts(from what I hear) and there are still openings for both standard & preferred rooms.

This is usually a slow week because people in the south are already back in school, and people in the North (east, at least) are just about to start.

Why is it unfair not to offer AP rates? Because AP holders do not need a package, and because they are frequent Disney visitors (one assumes) so they deserve a loyalty discount (IMO).

 

[ceecee]

I booked the FTP a month after it started and all standard rooms at ASMo were booked for Sept 24-Oct 5. So we went with the preferred, which I really don't prefer!!!

 

[Lesley]

When I booked ASMo on a AP rate in May or June (can't recall when it was) all that was available were preferred rooms as well. But that's to be expected in the summer. I was kind of surprised I could get a room at ASMo at all. In 2000 when I tried to book it in May for the end of Aug. it was full. That said, the resort was completely full the nights we stayed....they even had trouble finding a room for us. (btw, I didn't prefer the preferred location either....)

There are still plenty of Disney rooms available for the fall....which leads me to believe there will be further discounts offered eventually. Whether these are AP discounts or generally available discounts remains to be seen...

When I called to book the Polynesian for last Dec. with the AP rate, I actually got a better rate using a code that was available to the general public.....which is why I say that I think we'll see discounts, but not necessarily the AP ones (or that AP discounts may not be better than what everyone else can get....)

 

[Gary M]

Last Dec. we stayed at the WL with an AP rate which was $5 less per night than the code we originally had.

I phoned CRO yesterday about an AP room rate at the WL for next week and they had standard view rooms available for the AP rate(about $127 total per night). The ATA flight from IND to MCO was only $131.50 r/t for Aug. 17-21. For last minute room and air reservations I thought this was very unusual. We decided the heat and humidity was too much to handle, so will stay home.

 

[DianeV]

Isnt the fact that there were not many rooms left for FTP misleading in that they usually only allot a certain amount of rooms for a certain rate/code? I dont think they usually allow ALL of their available rooms to be available for certain rates?

 

[ILOVEDVC]

It's very simple. Disney is playing the same game as the airlines this year; the rules have changed. They aren't going to give away all rooms at the FTP package, just some of them, just the same as the lowest fares on any given flight.

Once they see how the bookings look, as they go along, they may or may not adjust.

And seriously, just because one holds an AP, doesn't mean that they HAVE to offer a discount. Sure it's nice, and they've done it in the past; I've used it myself over the years many times. But by holding an AP you've already received a much-reduced perk: Getting into the parks for 365 days per year for about a $1 a day. Talk about a bargain! (Of course I realize people don't go every day, but the option exists if you want). To my way of thinking, a reduced hotel stay on top of that was gravy. IMHO, I think we've been spoiled. I'm just not expecting it. But I'm hoping.