Is it easier to book a room only & add dining/passes later?

[lamb616]

I will be booking as soon as 2011 rates are available. I'm hoping to get some sort of deal before the trip comes, whether it be free dining or free tickets or whatever. I was just wondering if, in the interest of keeping things simple, it's better to book room only for now, pray for a deal to come out and if not then add the dining & passes close to the trip. Or just add everything now and let them figure out how much money we get back if a good promotion does come along after we've already paid.

 

[dizneechic]

You will get differing opinions on this but here's my .02.

If I have a definite date I will go, regardless of rates, I would book now and do room only. You can also book room for 2011 right now (no need to wait for package rates to be released, just need to call vs do online), you pay this years rates and they adjust it once the 2011 rates are released. When you book a room only, you only need to pay 1 nights rate as well. If you book a package now you need to pay $200 (maybe more?) and are locked into having to pay it off 45 days in advance (maybe other payment commitments?), but with a room only ressie you don't need to pay more than your down payment either until you convert to a package OR upon your arrival (not 45 days in advance).

For us as AP holders we have times we know we'll go. We book room only rack rate, hope for a GP or PIN discount and adjust as we can with that, and then once AP rates come out we readjust again if it works out better. But we know we'll go regardless on certain dates so hope it works out for the best. It also allows us to book airfare really early and get the best rates.

 

[raven69david]

You can do room-only now and wait for FD to come along. This would give you a chance to secure your preferred room type before it's sold out, possibly, as your trip date nears.

However, once this happens, you will have your current ressie canceled as it will need to be converted from a room-only to a "package" deal. The only reason to book early would be if you want to start making payments now so that when your trip date arrives, you are already PIF (that's what we do )

You can also book a "package" now and leave off tickets and dining. Packages can be booked like a room-only type of deal however they will be under package rules which means the 45 day rule applies to being paid up/canceled instead of paying in full when you check-in. By booking a package now, you can simply upgrade your ressie to FD w/tickets once the offer does come out.

 

[lamb616]

You

You can also book a "package" now and leave off tickets and dining. Packages can be booked like a room-only type of deal however they will be under package rules which means the 45 day rule applies to being paid up/canceled instead of paying in full when you check-in. By booking a package now, you can simply upgrade your ressie to FD w/tickets once the offer does come out.

how is it a "package" if it's only a room??? And if you book room-only (package or non-package), can you still make ADRs 180 days out?

 

[Luv2Roam]

Correct -- a room only booking is just that.
A MYW package will include passes and a room.
There is also a basic package, which I believe will have the WDTC perks, but no passes. (WDTC perks such as Planet Hollywood, mini golf, arcade, etc.)
Personally I think it is more cumbersome to book a room only and later switch to a WDTC package. Just book the package in the first place, if you know that's what you will be wanting. Then wait for whatever promotion you are looking for.
The booking for ADRs makes no difference between a package or room only booking.

 

[dizneechic]

can you still make ADRs 180 days out?

You can book ADR's 180 days out even without a room reservation. By having a room ressie (package or room only) you can book 180 +10 from your day of arrival so you can include all dates of your stay without having to call back each day. By not having the ressie on the books you have to call each 180th day out, so basically each morning IF you want to have "1st dibs".

 

[snykymom]

You can also book a "package" now and leave off tickets and dining. Packages can be booked like a room-only type of deal however they will be under package rules which means the 45 day rule applies to being paid up/canceled instead of paying in full when you check-in. By booking a package now, you can simply upgrade your ressie to FD w/tickets once the offer does come out.

Not necessarily. First, for a package, you have to have at least a 1 day ticket. Otherwise it's room only. Second, booking a package does not guarantee that you can upgrade the reservation to FD. Your reservation must fit within the confines of the FD offer - the particular room at the particular resort must be available under the offer. Even if you book a package, you may have to change resorts or room categories to get FD.

 

[SnackyStacky]

Not necessarily. First, for a package, you have to have at least a 1 day ticket. Otherwise it's room only.

Luv2Roam is correct. There is a "Basic Package". It includes a room reservation, and they give you mini-golf passes, technically making it a package - but there isn't any theme park admission associated with the booking.

I've tried for the basic package for 2011, and have been told that it's not possible. BUT - call several different times, get several different answers. As with all things Walt Disney Travel Company related, your mileage may vary.

Count me in with the folks that find booking a room only and later converting to a package as not necessary.

Discounts are offered based on current and projected bookings. If everyone books their rooms early, their spreadsheets will show an inflated occupancy, and this can hurt your chances of getting a discount.

Not to mention, if you truly want a package, when the rates are released, you have to cancel the room only booking, get a refund of your money, make a new booking and pay a new deposit.

 

[Rachaelt]

Starting today, you can book the ticketless basic package for 2011. When you add the tickets and dining later, it will only be a modification.

 

[princessmom29]

Starting today, you can book the ticketless basic package for 2011. When you add the tickets and dining later, it will only be a modification.

I just did this for March 5-12 2011. The first CM I got insisted that it was not possible, and the she could not book anything for 2011, not even room only, until rates came out in August. She would not even check the computer when I asked! I called back and got a better informed CM to book a basic package for me. She said I could mdify when tickets and dining come out, likley in early August. My confirmation email says basic package, and lists all the little special things that come with the package like the planet hollywood stuff and the sea racer discount ect.

 

[raven69david]

Not necessarily. First, for a package, you have to have at least a 1 day ticket. Otherwise it's room only.

The Basic package does not require tickets. It's something they started doing I believe in 2008 or early 2009. I booked one of these before AP rates came out ( I like to make payments ). This is how I learned about this type of package.

Second, booking a package does not guarantee that you can upgrade the reservation to FD. Your reservation must fit within the confines of the FD offer.

The FD will be granted if they then choose at least a 1 day ticket and there are rooms available remaining at their resort of choice. So, by booking the basic package now, they can make payments until it's either PIF or nearly PIF by the 45 day period, at which time the ressie needs to be PIF and free dining already needs to be added. If changes are made within 45 days (if FD does not come out prior to the 45 day period), then they are subject to a penalty which is as follows:

Changes to Reservation - For a change made 44 days or less prior to guest arrival that results in a change in the package price, a change fee of $50 per package, plus any change fees assessed by hotels or other suppliers, will be charged. Disney reserves the right to restrict changes to any reservation. Such change fees must be paid in addition to any increase in the package price resulting from the change.

Personally I would book room-only now and start making payments. Once/if FD offer comes out, then you can call CRO and book the FD package. At that time, you tell the CM to cancel your existing room-only and have them transfer the funds to your new reservation. They do not have to credit the funds back to your card if you wish to simply apply those funds to your new ressie.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mamu]

Book room only, make a one night deposit and sit back and wait. I would hold off booking flights until your get some kind of discount. Sometimes you need to change an arrival date.

I booked 2 rooms in March sat back and waited to see what Disney was offering for the fall. Made my ADR. Got my discounts on both room and then booked my flight. One year I booked the 3rd week in October not realizing it was a black out time. Had already booked my flights so could not make changes. Ended up paying rack rate.