MY Take on the new AP program-do you agree?

[dawgsgirl]

If nobody uses the new program, it won't work. If you don't like it, don't stay at Disney. Do you think they really care?

 

[PavelB]

Yes, the Hilton and other hotel chains require non refundable deposits for some online discounts, however:
1. you know the exact discount at the time of booking, and
2. you do not have to book 120 days out!
I honestly don't understand how anyone in these hectic times can book a non refundable room 5 months in advance. I know that I never can, and never will.

(BTW, a universal vacation is much less expensive)

 

[gepetto]

People can still go to Disney World even if they're staying off-site.. Imagine that??

Yeah...go figure. The times we haven't found a discount or gone with other family members, we've stayed offsite in the Hilton GVC. Very nice...full kitchen, washer/dryer, etc for not much more than rack rate at a moderate.

We will continue to buy AP's and stay onsite...if it is a good value to stay onsite. If not, we'll stay offsite at Hilton GVC or Swan/Dolphin and still have a great time at WDW. Not a big deal either way.

 

[aubriee]

I'm one of those people that when the Best Deal Program first came out last Friday went , but decided to withhold judgement until some had given it a chance. After thinking about it over the weekend, I decided it wasn't that bad and since I was planning a Dec trip anyway to go ahead and book at POP and then if the discounts were good enough I would just upgrade to what I wanted. I've never booked deluxe or moderate, depending on getting an AP discount. I do the opposite in fact, and book a value just so I know I'll have somewhere to stay, then will upgrade to where I want when/if the AP discounts come out. Under this new program I can still do that, so nothing's really changed, except having to give the nonrefundable deposit. But if you plan on making the trip anyway what's the big deal? In my case I plan to rent DVC points for Sun-Thurs and then tack on two days at the beginning and two days at the end of my trip paying cash at a cheaper resort. So that means I would have two nonrefundable deposits. Right now the lady I'm renting from has three of the days I need and is waitlisted for the other two. If those two days don't come through, I'll just have to add two days to the first two days I'll be booking through Disney. As long as I change to a more expensive reservation, I won't have to pay a change fee. Correct?

My problem and to me the people who should be upset are those like me, that can't get into the AP site. I've never been able to access that site despite having an activated AP and still can't. People on here are complaining about the new program, when people like me who want to use it can't access the site to do so. If you don't like the terms, then simply don't use it and wait for possible AP codes the old way. I will take four trips this year and don't particularly like planning one for Dec before I've even gone on the Sept one, but if that's what it take to get a good deal on the room I'll deal with it.

 

[aubriee]

Hugpug, maybe WDW hasn't had general public discounts as such, but the MYW tickets have given a very nice discount for persons staying for 6 or 7 days or longer. Park admission for longer stays are just a couple of dollars a day. The free meal offer has been a very good discount. If people can take advantage of these packages then it is a very good discount. I know these offers don't help everyone.

Agree!! I decided to cancel the reservation I had at POP for Sept using the AP code and rebooked a MYW pkg with free dining, because it wound up being a better deal for us than the AP Code. Since I had an AP, but my son and D-I-L do not, I decided to buy us all 7 day MYW tickets with pluses. I know I could have bought us all one day tickets and then upgraded theirs when we get there, but decided this was a better deal, because in the end I would have an extra 7 day MYW ticket left over for me to use next year. I'll use my AP when I get down there in Sept and then again in Dec. Then since I wasn't planning on renewing my AP next year anyway, I'll get to go back in the spring at which time I'll upgrade my 7 day ticket to a 10 day ticket (or I may just upgrade while I'm down there in Sept). For $9.00 I can upgrade from a 7 day to a 10 day ticket with 5 pluses. For Sept I got the free dining and when all is said and done will have as 7 day MYW ticket with plus options left over to use sometime in the future. So yes Disney is still giving some good deals. Don't forget we've also got the DDE card to help with meal expenses.

You can't tell me that when they offered the free dining pkg, that they didn't know some AP holders would be doing exactly what we're doing, which is buying the MYW tickets to get the free dining, then using our APs to get into the parks and for the other discounts, saving the MYW tickets to either use later or to apply toward an AP renewal.

 

[bicker]

QUESTION: How many hotels/chains of hotels have a 120 DAY NONREFUNDABLE
DEPOSIT??

The market will ensure that each resort's policies match that which its customers are willing to pay. Some resorts we've looked into have a 30 day non-refundable deposit policy, some have a 60 day non-refundable deposit policy. I don't remember seeing a 120 day policy, but WDW is far more popular than any of the other resorts, so it makes sense that their policies are the top of the range.

 

[PamNC]

My DH and I have been ALL OVER and we've never encountered such strict rules for booking and cancelling. This is utterly ridiculous. It does not, however, make me want to stay off-site. Nothing would ever force me to take such drastic measures. Rather, I will probably end up staying moderate vs. deluxe, which is a shame because since 1999 we've enjoyed staying deluxe with the great AP discounts. I can't see paying rack rate or taking a chance by plunking down a deposit hoping that I MIGHT get a discount. Of course, I'll try to get an AP discount at a deluxe the good old-fashioned way but I'm sure none will be available. Why? Because those who can book that far in advance will get first dibs on the discount and the rest of us will get SCRAPS.

I'll have to book what I'm comfortable paying. Okay..no flames here. I know what some of you are thinking. "You should have been doing that all along." Well, that's exactly what I've been doing all along. I book what I'm comfortable paying, and I've booked a deluxe room with an AP discount ONCE THE DISCOUNTS ARE RELEASED. I didn't call daily, or even weekly, or even monthly..I simply watched these boards and Mousesavers and then called to book. I need to KNOW exactly what I'm getting into. This new system is a crap shoot and quite frankly this will be my last AP.

PamNC

 

[lillygator]

Well, that's exactly what I've been doing all along. I book what I'm comfortable paying, and I've booked a deluxe room with an AP discount ONCE THE DISCOUNTS ARE RELEASED. I didn't call daily, or even weekly, or even monthly..I simply watched these boards and Mousesavers and then called to book.

if everyone else had been doing this as well WDW might not have implemented their new program because CRO would only get flooded with calls once the rates were out....

I am the same way - I book once the rates are released...

 

[deerh]

BY Bicker:The market will ensure that each resort's policies match that which its customers are willing to pay. Some resorts we've looked into have a 30 day non-refundable deposit policy, some have a 60 day non-refundable deposit policy. I don't remember seeing a 120 day policy, but WDW is far more popular than any of the other resorts, so it makes sense that their policies are the top of the range.

I would like to see evidence of that. Name some chains/hotels that have a 60 DAY CANCELLATION. I have a "smart sense" of travel, and have NEVER seen 60 day cancellations, MUCH LESS 120 days out.

The only Cancellation policy THIS strick is Cruises!! But then you can buy
cruise insurance for that.

I am also a AAA memeber, and used to book WDW trips (before I bought DVC), and never seen this before.

30 days OK, but 60,120 days out?????

DeerH

 

[dj2]

i thought another major difference was that you actually have to own an activated AP in order to access the web site, not just book the AP rate and buy/activate it when you get there. this stinks for me, since it effectively takes 4 months off my ticket. let me know (in a nice way, please) if i'm reading this wrong.
-dj

 

[PNO4TE]

i thought another major difference was that you actually have to own an activated AP in order to access the web site, not just book the AP rate and buy/activate it when you get there. this stinks for me, since it effectively takes 4 months off my ticket. let me know (in a nice way, please) if i'm reading this wrong.
-dj

DJ --

You apparently can also book with an AP voucher that has been issued in your name, therefore nontransferable.

 

[bicker]

The only Cancellation policy THIS strick is Cruises!! But then you can buy cruise insurance for that.

You can buy travel insurance for land vacations.

30 days OK, but 60,120 days out?????

Everyone has a different threshold for this sort of thing. Your's is 30 days; the question is what is the market willing to bear. Will it be 120 days? Maybe. Maybe not.

One thing we can be sure about is that things will change. Nothing stays the same forever, so there is no reason to believe that there won't be changes to this policy. Maybe they'll lower the number of days to 90, or even 60. Maybe they'll make other changes.

Incidently, in the winter season, Island Lake Lodge has a 120 day non-refundable deposit policy.