Just A Handful of Questions About Making Reservations.

[RaspberryDragon]

I've been thinking about planning my next Disney World vacation and have some questions about reserving a room. My boyfriend and I are thinking of staying in a deluxe resort (CR or AKL) for the first time this trip so:

1. How early can you reserve a room? A year in advance?
2. Can you buy your whole vacation package at the same time (park tickets, dining plan, waterparks etc.)?
3. How much of the whole cost do you pay at the time you reserve the room? I recall having a few weeks to pay off everything the last time I went and stayed at POP...
4. If I get a unique offer code or they release discounts after I reserve a room, can I apply them or do I have to redo the reservation?
5. Is there a time period when you can cancel and get a full refund?
6. Can I add another person on after reserving the room?

I'm sure all these questions have been answered in other threads, so yes, I'm taking the lazy way out and just asking them all here! Thanks in advance!

 

[mjmgsssp]

1. I believe you can book 499 days in advance.
2. Yes, you can buy a package that includes your resort, tickets, & dining plan. If your tickets include the water park and more option, those will be included too.
3. If you buy the package described in #2, you will have to pay a $200 deposit, with the balance due 30 days prior to arrival
4. You will have to call Disney to update the reservation.
5. Not sure of specifics on this one.
6. Yes.

 

[RaspberryDragon]

Thank you! That gives me a good starting point.

 

[kaytieeldr]

5. Used to be more than 45 days, now might be down to 30 days.

 

[Dashzap]

If you book a package with room & tickets (& dine plan if you want one), you can modify and cancel as you like until 30 days before your arrival. If you modify within 30 days of your check in date, you might get a modification fee ($50 + maybe $15 for express mailing docs) if your change brings your package total price down. If you cancel within 30 days of arrival, you pay a cancellation fee...maybe $200, maybe more depending on whether you booked nonrefundable things like air tickets, in-room celebrations, etc. and how close it is to your check in date. I think cancelling 1 day to arrival you don't get anything refunded at all...(ouch, makes trip insurance sound good, doesn't it)

The rules are different if you are booking room only. In that case you can modify at any time and cancel up until 5 days before arrival. If you book room only, you buy your park tickets as a separate purchase and they are nonrefundable. So you have to balance wanting to make fastpasses 60 days before arrival vs not being able to cancel the park tickets.

If you get a unique offer code or hear about a promotion after you've made your reservation, call and see if it is available for your reservation (do the dates match, is your resort included, are there still rooms available at that rate since only a certain # of rooms will be). If it is available, they can apply the discount to your existing reservation. If it isn't available, maybe you can tweak your dates or change resorts to get the discount.

 

[purple figment]

1. 499 days in advance for a room only reservation. Room will be at rack rate and adjusted when the rates for the year you are booking are released.
2. Packages can be booked once the package rates for the year you are booking are released.
3. For a room only your deposit is one night's room rate, remaining balance is due at check in. Package deposit is $200 and the remaining balance is due 30 days before arrival date.
4. Any specials/discounts can be applied if your room category & resort are included and there is availability for your dates. You will have to call because already having a reservation is no guarantee that the special/discount can be applied. Room availability for specials/discounts is limited so you might have to be flexible about room categories, resorts and/or dates to qualify.
5. For room only, you can get a full refund up to five days before arrival date if you cancel. For a package the rules are much more restrictive. Full refund up to 30 days before arrival. If you cancel within 30 days of arrival you forfeit the $200 deposit. Also if you make any changes to your package within 30 days of arrival, if the change results in a lower total cost there is a $50 change fee that is imposed, but if the change increases your total cost the $50 fee is usually waive. Any changes to the package within 2 weeks of arrival will result in an additional $15 paperwork fee.
6. As long as you do not exceed the room occupancy limit you can add someone to your reservation. If you have a package the added person will have to have the same package entitlements (e.g. dining plan, length and type of tickets). There is an additional per night fee for more than two adults in the room unless you are booking a DVC villa.

 

[RaspberryDragon]

Thanks for all the clear answers.