Getting a burn room for Express Pass

[smiths02]

This is the policy I was quoted from my TA
Hotel only cancellation policy:
Cancellation Policy
Days Prior to Stay Penalties
6 days or more Full refund
0- 5 days prior Charged one night's room rate plus tax

 

[DisneyMom93]

This is the policy I was quoted from my TA
Hotel only cancellation policy:
Cancellation Policy
Days Prior to Stay Penalties
6 days or more Full refund
0- 5 days prior Charged one night's room rate plus tax

Yeah, I think the Early Departure fee isn't usually listed on the main Cancellation Policy when you book it. I booked mine and didn't see anything other than what you posted. You have to really search for it.

 

[smiths02]

Many hotels have early departure fees that they charge if you cut your trip short after checking in. That's probably what happened there. They paid for the room plus would be charged $100 for departing early.

That may be true, but I am not understanding this for a one night stay. Don't hotels WANT you to depart early?

 

[smiths02]

Yeah, I think the Early Departure fee isn't usually listed on the main Cancellation Policy when you book it. I booked mine and didn't see anything other than what you posted. You have to really search for it.

But you are charged an Early Departure Fee in lieu of being charged for the room that night not ON TOP of it, correct?

Although, I can see if you had a discount of say $100/night if you stayed 7 nights or more, but you left after 5 nights then you would be retroactively charged $500 (the room rate adjustment) plus the $50 early departure fee. I would also think you would be given the option to just pay off the reservation for 7 nights if that was cheaper and not use the room.

I know that hotels require check-in generally, but do they require that you use the room?

 

[DisneyMom93]

But you are charged an Early Departure Fee in lieu of being charged for the room that night not ON TOP of it, correct?

Although, I can see if you had a discount of say $100/night if you stayed 7 nights or more, but you left after 5 nights then you would be retroactively charged $500 (the room rate adjustment) plus the $50 early departure fee. I would also think you would be given the option to just pay off the reservation for 7 nights if that was cheaper and not use the room.

I know that hotels require check-in generally, but do they require that you use the room?

Yes, charged fee in lieu of being charged for the room that night.

Yes, the rate is adjusted, so I agree with you, if it comes out to more you just wouldn't bother doing the whole early departure scenario. Just leave the booking as is. Who checks out at the desk anyway?

 

[DisneyMom93]

But you are charged an Early Departure Fee in lieu of being charged for the room that night not ON TOP of it, correct?

Although, I can see if you had a discount of say $100/night if you stayed 7 nights or more, but you left after 5 nights then you would be retroactively charged $500 (the room rate adjustment) plus the $50 early departure fee. I would also think you would be given the option to just pay off the reservation for 7 nights if that was cheaper and not use the room.

I know that hotels require check-in generally, but do they require that you use the room?

Regardless of all this, I still don't understand the scenario posted earlier by the poster @fairygagamother who said it was $100 cancellation fee and messed up their room and left. LOL.

 

[smiths02]

Regardless of all this, I still don't understand the scenario posted earlier by the poster @fairygagamother who said it was $100 cancellation fee and messed up their room and left. LOL.

IKR. I am way too invested in this.

Hopefully, for OPs sake, someone can confirm that you can just check in, get your Express Pass and then not have to go back to the hotel (if it is a one night scenario), and you only get charged the room rate you agreed to.

 

[bobbie68]

IKR. I am way too invested in this.

Hopefully, for OPs sake, someone can confirm that you can just check in, get your Express Pass and then not have to go back to the hotel (if it is a one night scenario), and you only get charged the room rate you agreed to.

Hi I did this two summers ago. I had a week at Cabana Bay then had one night at RPR for the express pass. We checked in at 7am got our stuff and went to the parks. During the day we went back to the room for an hour to relax and freshen up. After that we never went back to the room .We went to Cabana bay that night from the parks. I was charged for one night I agreed on and that was what I paid. There was nothing ever said or done again.

 

[skylock]

I take it as fairy decided not to use the room so told the hotel, who then tried to charge a $100 cancellation fee on top of the room fee they would forfeit because of the late cancellation, so instead they went up and dirtied the room as if they used it, then went back to what they considered home.

To get a refund for a canceled room, you have to cancel I think 3 days in advance.

I don't remember seeing any extra cancellation fees on my paperwork from the hotel, but since there was very little change we were going to cancel, I didn't look at that part to carefully.

So anyone who's eye lit up with the thought of getting express passes for only $100, sorry, they have that covered.

 

[schumigirl]

IKR. I am way too invested in this.

Hopefully, for OPs sake, someone can confirm that you can just check in, get your Express Pass and then not have to go back to the hotel (if it is a one night scenario), and you only get charged the room rate you agreed to.

Many people do just that.

I gather with a one night stay it’s already paid for usually........so you do indeed just turn up, check in as such, get your room keys for the EP then be on your merry way.

You don’t have to set foot in the room at any time.

I believe if you want to cancel and have your one night refunded you have to cancel 5 days out. If you cancel after that you forfeit your money already paid for the night. But there is no issue at all with not using the room.

 

[DisneyMom93]

My husband and I were discussing the scenario of early check-out but paying $100 more, and we thought maybe the hotel planned to charge them for 4 Express Passes (not sure how many they used since they didn't say) since they used them, and it came out to $100 more than the room price. ???

 

[fairygagamother]

To clarify about our attempting to check out early,I had never even heard of a “throwaway” room at the time we went to Universal. I did book a 1 night stay because it felt cost efficient at the time regarding the fast passes & we were excited to try a new resort. After we had done everything we wanted to do—& it wasn’t much because the kids were still little & one was afraid of just about everything!- we decided to go back to DW so we could start the next day there as early as possible. And, no offense to Universal, but the resort just didn’t do anything for us. We were chomping at the bit to get back to DW!
We had checked in & gone to the room to drop off our stuff when we first arrived, still intending to stay the night. After we realized we would rather return to DW, I went to the desk & told them we weren’t going to spend the night& that’s when we were told there was a $100–or whatever it was. —I honestly don’t remember exactly what the fee was, but do know it was more than I was willing to give them to let me leave! I truly thought they might want to know that the room would be
unoccupied for the night.
And, yes, the fee would’ve been added on top of the room cost, which was prepaid.
We went back to the room to try to make it looked lived in because I was fearful that housekeeping would report that no one had spent the night in there & would report it to someone& we would be charged the early checkout fee. That’s funny to me now! And all we did was pull the covers off the beds. Sorry, no Rolling Stones trashing the room shenanigans!! But also was afraid that housekeeping wouldn’t clean the room properly for the next guest if they thought it hadn’t been used.
I was a little irate at the time, but now that I’m more schooled in the art of throwaway rooms, I can understand that they don’t want people trying to take advantage of getting the fast passes.
Hope this has cleared up any misunderstandings. Certainly had no idea sharing this experience would cause so much confusion!

 

[bumbershoot]

Many hotels have early departure fees that they charge if you cut your trip short after checking in.

That's for multiple day stays, and they would refund the days you didn't use, but charge the fee.

And, no offense to Universal, but the resort just didn’t do anything for us. We were chomping at the bit to get back to DW!

Yes, obviously you were chomping at the bit. You didn't even give the place a chance. Imagine you reading of someone doing that at Disney.

I went to the desk & told them we weren’t going to spend the night& that’s when we were told there was a $100–or whatever it was. —I honestly don’t remember exactly what the fee was, but do know it was more than I was willing to give them to let me leave! I truly thought they might want to know that the room would be
unoccupied for the night.
And, yes, the fee would’ve been added on top of the room cost, which was prepaid.

99.99999% you misunderstood OR the front desk person thought you wanted a refund. I'd say 100%, but I'm anti-absolutes.

 

[bumbershoot]

I was a little irate at the time, but now that I’m more schooled in the art of throwaway rooms, I can understand that they don’t want people trying to take advantage of getting the fast passes.

They don't care about throwaway rooms. They totally understand it.

 

[DisneyMom93]

99.99999% you misunderstood OR the front desk person thought you wanted a refund. I'd say 100%, but I'm anti-absolutes.

Agreed. The resort cannot charge you for the full cost of the room PLUS a cancellation fee.

Something wasn’t explained to them correctly, or they misunderstood. You can’t just decide NOT to check-in once you’ve already checked in and used the Express Passes already.

The resort can’t put the room back up for booking that night unless the reservation is “canceled.” Also, they have to cancel at least 24 hours before check-in or they forfeit their deposit (usually one night stay cost).

Something is missing in the story.

 

[wareagle57]

P.S, Im going at the beginning of March, and I had to factor in, crowd levels, when I got paid, the weather, flight and hotel prices, so many things to consider, so do your research, I could probably write a book about how to plan a Universal holiday from the U.K!

Hey, you're going the same time as me, but I'll only be there one day (Saturday March 2). I'm really on the bubble about the express pass. Undercover Tourist and Touring Plans both have it listed as a 6, even thought TP updated the Disney calendar during that time to be much higher.

Should I trust the 6 and look at wait times on similar day? I'm worried it's going to be more like a 9 being Mardi Gras weekend, in which case I definitely would want us to get them. It will be a big group of first timers and not something I want to try to talk them into the day of. If it is a 6, I think UT recommends that Express is not needed.

 

[Spike101]

Hey, you're going the same time as me, but I'll only be there one day (Saturday March 2). I'm really on the bubble about the express pass. Undercover Tourist and Touring Plans both have it listed as a 6, even thought TP updated the Disney calendar during that time to be much higher.

Should I trust the 6 and look at wait times on similar day? I'm worried it's going to be more like a 9 being Mardi Gras weekend, in which case I definitely would want us to get them. It will be a big group of first timers and not something I want to try to talk them into the day of. If it is a 6, I think UT recommends that Express is not needed.

If it was me in your situation, I'd play it by ear and see how the crowds are on the day.

 

[Tege]

In October we stayed 1 night at HRH with AP rateand checked in at 8 am. We got 2 days of express pass unlimited for about $250. So it was totally worth it. Went back in December and stayed 2 nights at Portofino and got 3 days of ep. Both trips I found the staff to be amazingly helpful and I absolutely loved the Portofino! They put balloons in Hufflepuff colors and a cupcake with a welcome to Hogwarts letter because I’d told the concierge that I was surprising my daughter for her 10th birthday.

 

[wilbret]

When we do Universal, we get a room just for the EPs. It's just good math. Check your luggage, get your EPs, and hit the parks. Plus, their resorts are nearly AT the parks, which is awesome. Walk, ride a boat, whatever.... it's so convenient. Our kids love the pools and the whole deal. At Royal Pacific, you can look out your window at Hulk and hear it all night. It's soothing to theme park nerds like us. LOL. Portofino...like being in Italy! Beautiful at Christmas, too!