Has anyone ever gone without reservations?

[LBKB]

We are going 3/31-4/2 then going on to family and stopping back (hopefully) 4/7 for 1 night. Then back home. Has anyone ever gone like this without reservations. If so how has it worked out?

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

Yep, and paid rack rate at the Pop Century for one night before checking in at our other resort the next morning. It's risky, but usually they'll have something unless you are there during peak or holiday time. Just realize it will be rack rate.

 

[jlcbshaw]

Great question, although I can't answer you directly, I do know that if you are driving down, Disney advertises on billboards about their Welcome Center in Ocala. They say you can get stay on Disney property with big discounts. The idea is to get those travelers who are uncommitted to stay at WDW.

I have often been tempted to try this, but I just can't force myself to drive that far and NOT know where I will be staying and I wouldn't want to drive around looking for a place to stay.

We have on our trips heard people asking about availability when were have checking into our hotels, and they are always quoted a higher price than we have paid with planning ahead. Too many discounts to be found on the web.

Good luck, if it works out for you give us a report. Maybe one day I'll go commando style and just head down there and see what happens.

 

[LBKB]

We are only staying 1 maybe 2 nights. We have a free place to stay in Naples but just trying to break-up the ride for the kids and Mom who loves Disney.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

There are so many nice offsite resorts I'm sure you can find something around there on short notice. But if you know the dates ahead of time it would probably be better to have a reservation.

 

[LBKB]

We can always call expedia.com's 800 phone number and get something we were thinking.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

While in college, about 10 years ago, a buddy of mine and our 2 girlfriends decided to roadtrip it to WDW and headed out, arriving at the Contemporary that night without reservation. We stayed 3 nights, without a reservation and indeed paid rack rates for the room and had one of the best times ever. My wife and I just did it a couple years ago, when we arrived a day early for our reservations at AKL and stayed at the Contemporary one night before we moved to AKL. The funny thing is the expressions on the CMs behind the desk when you tell them that you don't have reservations. The kind of freak out, I guess because no one heads to WDW without reservations. As a matter of fact, the CM, on our last "pop in" said "OMG, I've never done this before?!? Um, let me get some one to help!" and brought out the GM to help us!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We decided to leave early once and would be arriving at WDW one day early. So as soon as we could, we started calling at the resort to see if we could add a day at the front. We already had a discounted night for the next night.

All we were able to get was rack rate for the extra night. But we got one extra night at WDW. This was in the middle of June. Not the week of a holiday.

 

[eeyore45]

I would also want a back up plan, I know that there is a website for roomsaver.com I found out about this when I went to Texas, there are coupon books, so the day of reservations it is 50% off! I got my coupon book at the tourist center, there were 2 books... but I'm sure not for WDW property... like I said back up plans...

 

[tubachick]

We have, driving down from Chicago, we stopped in the welcome center in Ocala, and got ressies at All Star Sports for New years eve + 3 days --- it was rack, but it was Disney.... with no notice.

 

[forgetyourtroubles!]

We did! I was 8 months pregnant and there was NO room in the INN! It was the night before President's Day in 1996 and we waited for quite some time before they finally came up with an opening for us at Dixie Landings. Thankfully it was not in the stable. We had tried about 20 hotels in the area on the way to Disney and there was NO VACANCY, mostly due to the Daytona 500. Because you are close to Easter, I would strongly advise you to get something booked before you get there.

 

[Merandab4]

Hi, I've been trying to get reservations all week, for ANYTHING on Disney property and DTD for ANYTIME between March 21 and April 4 and have had no luck. Everything is Booked... well almost everything, the Cm could get me March 31 and April 1 at Animal Kingdom Lodge Savanna room for $370 per night, or a Garden View at the Poly for $419 per night. Obviously this did not help me out because I wanted to stay more than just two nights during that time frame, and also I am not willing to pay that much per night. So my suggestion to you is to make sure you have a ressies somewhere before you go. At this point you may have to stay farther from Disney then you had liked. We are opting not to go now because we can't find a place to stay. I guess that is why they call March/April Peak season! Don't forget it is Spring Break as well. Good Luck!