***Post your questions and experiences with Coronavirus-related canceling/rescheduling of resort reservations here***

[Lynne M]

In an effort to corral the ever-growing number of Coronavirus threads, I'm starting a new thread to try to collect all of this information in one place.

Disney has announced that all theme parks at Walt Disney World are closed starting March 16, and will remain closed until the end of March. Disney Springs will remain open. There is a FAQ on Disney's site with further information:
Update on Disney World Resort Operations

A brief summary:

If you have a resort reservation between 3/16 and 3/31, you will be able to modify or cancel your reservation up to your reservation's check-in date. If you do not cancel by your check-in date and do not check-in (no-show), Disney will automatically cancel your reservation and refund any payments you have made.

(ETA: I clarified this after a poster got further information from Disney. The resorts will remain open through the park closure period. You can keep your existing reservations, and you can make reservations during the period 3/16 - 3/31.)

If you wish to cancel a reservation that begins after March 31 and is before June 30, you may do so without penalty.

See Disney's link for information on park tickets, annual passes, dining and fastpasses.



A few ground rules for this thread:

1) Please keep it on topic. This thread is for discussion of your questions and experiences with canceling your reservation at Disney-owned hotels and the Swan/Dolphin hotels at Walt Disney World. Let's not veer off into discussion of what's happening in your neighborhood, your concerns with the government's response, or complaints that Disney shouldn't have closed the parks. If you do want to discuss other Coronavirus-related subjects, see the list below for the appropriate boards for those subjects.

2) Let's be kind to each other. Emotions are running high. NOBODY is happy about canceling a vacation, and we're all stressed out worrying about ourselves and our loved ones. If you're tempted to criticize or attack another poster, step away from the keyboard.

Here's a list of boards to post questions or comments that aren't related to the Disney Resorts at Walt Disney World...

Reservations made with Disney Vacation Club points: DVC Member Services
Other hotels, timeshares, home rentals and attractions in Central Florida: Orlando Hotels and Attractions
Disney Cruise Line: Disney Cruise Line Forum
Universal Orlando: Universal Orlando Resorts and Hotels
Disneyland: Disneyland (California)
General discussion of the Coronavirus and the response: Community Board

As always, thank you for your contributions. Your fellow Disney visitors will appreciate hearing about your experiences when canceling and rescheduling.

 

[bjck99]

So I fall under the ”part of my vacation is not an automatic refund”. We’re suppose to arrive tomorrow evening, and we’re just not wanting to travel all the way down there for one day at the parks. Finally got through and on hold, but haven’t spoken to anyone yet. On my Disney Experience, everything has been canceled from Monday on, but Saturday and Sunday are still active. Hoping I get the chance to talk to someone. Really wish Disney would allow me to modify online, but I’m afraid it’s because part of my trip is not in the closing period.

 

[cakebaker]

I cancelled our resort reservations online this morning. Letting our hard ticket events take care of themselves. Simple, but not painless. We were scheduled to be there Monday- Sunday next week.

 

[bpx2]

We're supposed to be going in mid-April with my in-laws but they want to cancel. Our fastpasses are all linked together but our resort reservations are separate. I'm assuming when the in-laws cancel their resort reservation that my family's FP will still stay intact??

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We're supposed to be going in mid-April with my in-laws but they want to cancel. Our fastpasses are all linked together but our resort reservations are separate. I'm assuming when the in-laws cancel their resort reservation that my family's FP will still stay intact??

You should be fine. As long as you have park tickets and your resort reservation is in tact, you won’t have any problem with your FPs.

FPs themselves aren’t really “linked” in the case of two resort reservations such as yours - y’all just happen to be connected as friends/family in My Disney Experience.

 

[Ohanaof3]

I had to cancel for hurricane Dorian, and for spring break. I got full refunds from disney for tours and resort on both trips. I could either ask for a refund on park tix I could leave them unused. Unused, I could use them towards the purchase of future dates, and pay the difference if my new dates were higher priced. I got a refund on last trip, this time I left them on my account. I had to ask for Cinderella’s royal table refund as it was past the cancellation window, but got a full refund for that too in September. I had to cancel all other dining reservations and fastpasses myself. So, as long as your in-laws don’t cancel everyone’s fastpasses, (you can pick to modify or cancel specific members) you should be okay.

 

[bpx2]

You should be fine. As long as you have park tickets and your resort reservation is in tact, you won’t have any problem with your FPs.

FPs themselves aren’t really “linked” in the case of two resort reservations such as yours - y’all just happen to be connected as friends/family in My Disney Experience.

Thanks! That's how I assumed it would work but wanted to ask all the wise DISers first.

 

[JillyMouse]

We are supposed to check into the Contemporary tomorrow for a 1 week stay. I finally see where there is a cancellation button that wasn't appearing earlier. Problem is, though, that we are still considering on going - doing 2 days at the parks, and then a resort only stay. Now I don't know what to do . . . Do you think that after we arrive would Disney would let us modify our trip and eliminate the DDP, or even check out early?

 

[HollyMD]

We have already traveled to Nashville and are supposed to fly out in the morning at 6 am. Much like @JillyMouse, we were planning to do the parks 2 days and the resorts 3, since the site said resorts and Disney springs will remain open. Should we be worried that Disney won’t let us check in? Or the DME won’t be at the airport to pick us up?

 

[JillyMouse]

We have already traveled to Nashville and are supposed to fly out in the morning at 6 am. Much like @JillyMouse, we were planning to do the parks 2 days and the resorts 3, since the site said resorts and Disney springs will remain open. Should we be worried that Disney won’t let us check in? Or the DME won’t be at the airport to pick us up?

We have a rental car which removes some of the transportation stress. Good luck on your travels tomorrow @HollyMD !

 

[hethj7]

I am sympathetic to the position Disney is in, but also disappointed. We have a stay that is/was scheduled to start tomorrow (the 14th) through next weekend. I don't see the option to cancel or reschedule online or through the app. The policy online still states they will refund for stays starting the 16th, so I'm unsure if they will automatically refund our nights for the 14th and 15th. I'd like to think Disney will, but am unsure.

After multiple attempts where all circuits were busy, we spent 45 minutes on hold yesterday and once Disney answered, the call disconnected. I blamed my phone service at the time, but now think it was on the Disney system (read on to find out why).

After multiple more attempts, we got through after waiting on hold about 2 hours. We actually had a very friendly CM trying to help us reschedule for the fall. Then she stated before the virus issues, their system was already going through some "magical enhancements" and her system was locking up. She was unable to complete our changes and said she'd need another department to help, but unfortunately, that would result in starting over in another hold line. I asked if she could place a note in our file, which she said she couldn't because her system was down, but that the call was recorded so their would be record of us trying to change before arrival. She went ahead and transferred us and after many more minutes on hold, their system disconnected us.

Today we have tried multiple times again and once finally getting past the "all circuits busy" issues, we have been dropped 3 more times, once after they answered again. I can't even count the hours of hold time thus far. We have tried different phones and been in different locations, so the calls dropping I'm convinced on not our side.

I don't see any emails, etc. to reach out to them. The online chat did answer, but said they are unable to make reservation changes through that system. I have messaged them on Twitter with no response as well.

 

[DisNerdSocal]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask this question but here goes...

We were scheduled for 3/21-3/31 using the military room-only rate discount with dining, which is in and of itself a "package" per Disney. I was able to cancel my hotel, cancel flights (Southwest as a travel voucher), cancel dessert parties/prepaid ressies etc. But now I'm stuck with $1500 in unused tickets...

We purchased 10 day 1 park per day Stars & Stripes tickets from Shades of Green. They say non-refundable, non-transferable. They are Disney issued tickets and not third party resold. My children will not be able to utilize these tickets now due to school conflicts nor can I reschedule all 3 of us for that large amount of time to use them in the future. Has anyone heard anything regarding the military tickets and whom to reach out to? I don't necessarily need a refund, but really would like to transfer at least one of those unused tickets to my husband so he & I can go sometime later on in the year.

 

[HollyMD]

Thanks, @JillyMouse! Same to you all

 

[hethj7]

I wanted to provide a quick update.

We got through on chat this morning - they could not modify reservations but said they could cancel one by sending us a form. In parallel we got through to a CM on the phone, but a cancellation via the online chat would be great as well.


Once on the phone, I politely explained how we'd been disconnecting so many times. This CM took my phone number and said he'd call back if we got disconnected. He confirmed that had we not gotten through via phone and didn't show up, we could have called back later when volume was lower and they would process a refund for the nights of the 14th and 15th (presumably as the system would only automatically process refunds for stays starting on the 16th when the parks actually closed). He was able to rebook our entire trip for a later date. There isn't a package for that date yet, so it is at a higher price. But, just like usual, he said to keep an eye our and when packages get released, to call back and they would honor the new package price.

 

[lanejudy]

I don't necessarily need a refund, but really would like to transfer at least one of those unused tickets to my husband so he & I can go sometime later on in the year.

An unused ticket can be reassigned in MDE. A partially used ticket cannot be transferred. “Used” is defined as entering a park.

 

[HollyMD]

Good news, @JillyMouse ! DME up and running

 

[brewhome]

They definitely made changes to the website because I was able to cancel my 3/19-3/22 room only reservation online, whereas yesterday I was not able to do so. My FP selections were already wiped out, and I was also able to cancel my Oga’s reservation online instead of calling. I booked a new room only reservation for October. Tickets still have March dates but the info said they will be good through December so I should be all set.

I can’t imagine what the agents are dealing with right now... hopefully they are bring sprinkled with kindness amidst the chaos.

 

[e_yerger]

Has anyone had luck adjusting April packages that are within the final payment window? We have a trip planned over Easter and want to adjust to MDW. We already submitted final payment for the April trip.

 

[SaveEpcot]

I am probably in the luckiest of the unlucky category. We were booked for the Contemporary 3/21-3/28, my son's first trip (and 11th birthday celebration) and my first trip in 20 years (former CP cast member who can't wait to get back). We cried it out on Thursday night but knew in the last week that it was a distinct possibility so we were somewhat mentally prepared. Anyway, I am loving this second chance at planning my family's first Disney World trip!

Because my travel agent had five other clients in that window, I got on the phone with Disney Friday afternoon to book a December 2020 trip. After about 45 minutes (of actual talk time, was probably on hold for only 10), I had a new (longer!) split-stay reservation for Dec 2020. I was initially looking at Feb or March 2021, but there was literally ZERO Contemporary Main Tower availability those entire two months. The Contemporary, Main Tower is my monorail-enamored son's only request so I was trying to honor that. We ended up with most days at the Beach Club and then finishing with a bang with 3 nights in a Main Tower theme park view room and that seems to be making everyone happy.

My travel agent will cancel the original one or it will get refunded automatically, since we are squarely in the closed window, I don't need to worry about that. And I can transfer the new reservations to her (even though the Disney agent told me I couldn't, I knew otherwise). I threw out the whole working-around-the-school-schedule thing. As this whole pandemic has reminded us, you only live once people!

All the best to everyone else in this predicament, you are not alone! Stay healthy and have fun re-planning, it is part of the fun!

 

[abnihon]

Wondering if anyone is in the same boat and can find out the answer for me..
We rented DVC points and are booked at the Beach Club from April 3-12.
If parks are still closed will they still let us come and check in for a resort vacation?
Will resorts be fully operational with character dining, activities etc?