Help - any suggestions.

[morgan loves minnie]

We are wanting to book a campsite from 10/24/10 - 11/06/10 and having no luck. We would take anything from a full hook-up to a premium (just not partial or tent site). I spoke to a disney representative and she even tried going into earlier in October and later in Nov. and has nothing.

We have stayed in the cabins twice, but this was going to be our first campsite trip. We need to bring our dogs with us since it is going to be a two week trip, so we can't stay in the cabins or another resort. I also can't change our dates too much because I am working with school schedules too. My girls have off the first week of Nov, so they would only miss one week of school and get to do a two week vacation. We have done all of the other parties at disney except for the Halloween party, so we really, really want to go this time of year.

Any suggestions???????

 

[clkelley]

We are wanting to book a campsite from 10/24/10 - 11/06/10 and having no luck. We would take anything from a full hook-up to a premium (just not partial or tent site). I spoke to a disney representative and she even tried going into earlier in October and later in Nov. and has nothing.

We have stayed in the cabins twice, but this was going to be our first campsite trip. We need to bring our dogs with us since it is going to be a two week trip, so we can't stay in the cabins or another resort. I also can't change our dates too much because I am working with school schedules too. My girls have off the first week of Nov, so they would only miss one week of school and get to do a two week vacation. We have done all of the other parties at disney except for the Halloween party, so we really, really want to go this time of year.

Any suggestions???????

Honestly, I would just keep trying. Have you just been checking the website, or have you called?

To save yourself some calling or checking, here is what I would do.

Contact rhonda@dreamsunlimitedtravel.com Give her your dates and just relax. Availability will open up. The Disney Reservations system is the most complex, befuddling, marketing machine there is. Especially for the campsites. For some reason, they bring out the discount machine to encourage folks to book the resorts.

It seems like they want to encourage a frenzy of folks trying to get into the campground by making reservations VERY hard to get.

Reservations for all properties are available at 500 days out over the phone. It appears they only release a few sites at each level at that time.

Packages and online reservations start becoming available the August before the next calendar year. It also seems that they only release a few sites at each level at that time.

Closer to 8 - 10 months before the date is when the mostly full bucket of sites are released and then they are released weirdly.

For example the website and phone line may show totally full for weekend only stays or Friday night checkins. However, you book Wed - Wed and you can take your pick. (A hint, if it takes 3 sets of Wed - Wed bookings to get your dates, no problem, just cancel the days you don't need after you book.)

It is just so weird!!

So, just be patient, just keep checking (or let Rhonda check for you.) You will get that two week reservation you are hunting for.

 

[Pirate-Jeff]

To but it bluntly Disney's reservation system "sucks"

Just keep trying and you will get those dates. For some reason Disney holds back sites. Maybe holding them for the Travel agents and for large GG

6 months ago I couldn't get a few days added to our stay for this Oct/Nov But 3 weeks ago when I added 4 days I could have added the whole months of October and November

I just tried making our reservations for about the same dates
If I try from the 13 it lets me go to the 27 of Oct on any type of site but if I Try the starting 16th and on nothing comes up. I'll just keep trying every week until the window opens up.
The strangest part is that Thanksgiving and Christmas/New years 2010 are available

 

[morgan loves minnie]

Thanks guys. I will contact Rhonda and also keep trying.

The funny thing was that she put in the dates wrong for 2009 instead of 2010 and she actually had a premium site available. It was funny that she had a site for this year only a few weeks away, but nothing for over a year from now. I know the Fort books early, but I didn't think everything could already be gone for those dates next year.

You have given me hope that we will be able to see Mickey on Halloween!

Is there trick-or-treating in the campground? I don't mean anything formal or disney run, but do kids go around to the campers in the loops?

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Is there trick-or-treating in the campground? I don't mean anything formal or disney run, but do kids go around to the campers in the loops?

You want to know what happens at the Fort on Halloween?

Are you sure?

Then read this thread:

Halloween 2008 at the Fort

Maybe someone will write one about his experiences at the Fort on Halloween 2009.

Maybe even the same acclaimed author.

You never know.

TCD

p.s. keep trying for your reservations. There is no way the Fort is full for Halloween 2010 this early. I agree with the previous posters- it is just WDW management being stupid (again).

 

[morgan loves minnie]

TCD -

Awesome trip report!!!

I am really looking forward to the 2009 version. Halloween 2010 is so, so far away! I am really excited though now reading this. We are going to start stocking up on decorations now, and planning our dogs costumes.

Fingers crossed that our reservations will work out.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

FYI- I was looking on-line at dates for October, 2010, and I was offered either a partial or premium site if I entered 21 nights beginning October 17. When I changed the dates to a shorter time, I was offered a partial site, but no more premium site.

The geniuses who programmed this website obviously set it up to try to up-sell longer stays. Also, until I go back and tweak the choices, it almost always offers a cabin first, and mention nothing about a campsite.

As others have suggested, play with the dates on-line. Go out two or three weeks earlier than you need. Try mid-week arrivals and departures. I'll bet you will find something that encompasses the dates you want. Go ahead and book it on-line. The deposit is the cost of one night whether you reserve a week or three weeks (or even more). Then, you can call the reservation phone number and drop the dates you don't need. Frustrating, yes. Stupid, yes. But it will get you the dates you are looking for.

TCD