Need Your Help Before I Spend an Hour on Hold.

[Kevenswife2]

Several months ago I booked a reservation at Pop with free dining. Recently I added an extra night (at the reservations end) in a Royal Room at POR to surprise DD18.

Here's why I need to stop "thinking" so much. We've never stayed at POR, and I'm excited about it, but only one night doesn't seem like enough time to "experience it". The day we check in we're going to be at the parks and the next day we check out.

My question: Is it possible to take the last night off my Pop reservation and not lose the Free Dining? Or is it considered that I'm changing the entire reservation by deleting one night?

I then plan on adding another room only night at POR.

 

[Allison]

I believe dropping a night means a cancellation and rebooking of the reservation with no guarantee what you originally booked will be available.

 

[Kevenswife2]

That's exactly what I was afraid of

 

[dis_guy]

Be sure to get your new reservations in place before you cancel the old ones. I've seen that happen before.

 

[570traveler]

I've changed my free dining dates twice. Once while the offer was still active and the other just last week. I was on hold for 40 minutes till I got a live person. Then I asked for Guest Services. They can check the availability for you. It took another 40 minutes with them but it was well worth it. She was able to add another day to my reservation and keep the free dining! Good Luck!

 

[dmband]

I believe dropping a night means a cancellation and rebooking of the reservation with no guarantee what you originally booked will be available.

How can it not be available when you have it in your "possession"?
It isn't like you are trying to add a night and everything is sold out.

I currently have 14 days booked not knowing what 10 days I'll end up doing for sure because flights are not available yet nor is time off requests.
You are saying that when I call back to drop 4 of the days they could tell me nothing is available and I either pay for all 14 or get nothing at all?
This is a 3 rooms booking, I don't see them telling me there is no availability and losing 9k on room alone

 

[JohnDaleswife]

How can it not be available when you have it in your "possession"?
It isn't like you are trying to add a night and everything is sold out.

I currently have 14 days booked not knowing what 10 days I'll end up doing for sure because flights are not available yet nor is time off requests.
You are saying that when I call back to drop 4 of the days they could tell me nothing is available and I either pay for all 14 or get nothing at all?
This is a 3 rooms booking, I don't see them telling me there is no availability and losing 9k on room alone

It is a newer way in which Disney is able to cut losses from days cancelled. Its all about the $$$$$.

 

[sndral]

How can it not be available when you have it in your "possession"?
It isn't like you are trying to add a night and everything is sold out.

I currently have 14 days booked not knowing what 10 days I'll end up doing for sure because flights are not available yet nor is time off requests.
You are saying that when I call back to drop 4 of the days they could tell me nothing is available and I either pay for all 14 or get nothing at all?
This is a 3 rooms booking, I don't see them telling me there is no availability and losing 9k on room alone

Yes, when you cancel the 4 days you don't want for each of those 3 rooms you may leave Disney with night's they can't easily rebook. They probably have more demand for room blocks of 5 or 7 nights than the stray 2 or 3 night stay. They don't care who reserves the room, they just know that they're more likely to fill 2 blocks of 7 night stays for the 14 nights you cancel than say the 2 days you cancel before your trip and the 2 days after your trip. So from their perspective having 2 people paying for 7 nights each (14 nights) is better than one person paying for 10 nights and the room sitting empty 4 nights. This is especially true if you want to cancel mid week nights since weekends are more in demand and short blocks mid week are harder to rent out.
Apparently enough people where booking extra nights and then 'pruning' to the actual size they wanted that it was hitting Disney's bottom line hence the new policy. If the rooms are available in the system you can cancel and rebook so unless it's a really busy time it shouldn't be an issue although you may lose any discount you had if it is no longer available.

 

[Boopuff]

Think of it this way (I used to work in a reservation center) you have a reservation for 14 days with a package deal. You decide to change some aspects of the reservation. So the agent "technically" deletes the current res. It is then "up for grabs" in the digital universe. Then the next thing is trying to rebook a "new" reservation with the same package deal. Now that may not be available. But your original res may not be either, because while it was floating in "cyber space" some other agent may have scooped it up and poof now it's gone. So best bet: hang onto your original until you have something new set up! good luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

How can it not be available when you have it in your "possession"?
It isn't like you are trying to add a night and everything is sold out.

I believe disneys answer regarding this change would be "Because".

They didn't used to do this and now they do.

 

[LaurieL58]

I just recently dropped over a week off of a free dining reservation (I had 13 night booked) and they were able to do it no problem. And I talked to a regular agent, didn't even need to talk to a guest services agent

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I just recently dropped over a week off of a free dining reservation (I had 13 night booked) and they were able to do it no problem. And I talked to a regular agent, didn't even need to talk to a guest services agent

But that's dropping a week. Most people want to drop a day or two off one end, not a 5-7 day stretch. Dropping only a day or two is more likely to leave orphan unbooked nights.

 

[Kaytie]

I believe disneys answer regarding this change would be "Because".

They didn't used to do this and now they do.

I believe that's not an answer any hotelier or reasonable business (or person) would provide. At minimum, the response would be, "It's a business decision."