Print your reservations!

[AladdinsPrincess]

I really do not like this new reservation system where they email you a link to your reservation. By doing this, Disney can change your reservation and you have no way to then prove that it was ever different. We're staying up there this weekend. I booked the room months ago at the passholder rate. I received an email this evening from Disney "thanking me for my reservation." I looked and it was the same confirmation number as the ressie for this weekend. I opened it up and realized that the rate was different! They upgraded us, which is fantastic, but I'm not paying for that. I called Disney reservations, sat on hold for about 25 minutes, explained the situation to the agent and she just kept telling me that my reservation was for that rate. LUCKILY I had printed out the one they originally emailed me months ago as proof because this reservation agent was not budging! After waiting on hold for another 10 minutes, I finally spoke to a manager who told me I was upgraded and to bring the original reservation with me this weekend to ensure I got the rate I originally booked. What if I hadn't printed the original? No one at the desk this weekend would believe that I had an upgraded room at the lower rate. I love Disney, but this seems really shady to me... I would urge everyone to print your ressies as soon as you book!

 

[rie'smom]

This happened to me at the Poly. I always print a copy of the original. Thanks for making others aware.

 

[Mom2twinboys]

Thanks I just saved mine to my desk top to print when we go. I usually print the reservation but I just save the email and print it the day before we go.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

I always print off my email ressie as soon as it comes via the email link. I don't want to take any chances on anything going wrong. Then I write all my ADR's on it so that everything's in one place. This is something I've always done.

 

[nurse.darcy]

I am doing a split stay and my ressie receipt for POR came in the mail and my BWI ressie came via email. . .thought it all very strange. . .I have printed everything out but still feel it strange. . .

 

[Keira1387]

thanks for the heads up!!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Last August at the Contemporary I saw something similar to what the OP is talking about. The difference is that it had to do with the type of room the guest wanted and he had no confirmation prove anything. Anyway around 11:00 PM my Dad and I were in the lobby Concierge line because he wanted to see a copy of our bill to know how much it was at that time. Well there was only one Cast Member working at the time so we had to wait and there was this huge gospel singing group that was just finishing checking-in. Anyway one of them kept complaining to the Cast Member that he had a reservation for the Magic Kingdom View in the Tower, however the Cast Member said the computer showed he had a Garden Wing reservation. When he asked to see his confirmation the guest said he did not have one because someone else made his reservation. The Cast Member then said he could move to the Tower room the next day because there were no rooms in the Tower that were available at the time, however the guest kept saying no I want the Tower room right now and said it in a very rude tone since he was yelling at this Cast Member. Well after a few times of the Cast Member going to the back room out of the blue he was able to get him a Tower Magic Kingdom View for that night. Now I don't know if this guest was telling the truth or was lying about the type of room he was supposed to get, however I was surprised he got the room considering he did not have a confirmation with him, because their computer said it was for the Garden Wing and how he was told they did not have any Magic Kingdom View rooms at that time. So I thought the Cast Member was going to stand his ground, although maybe their computer was wrong so in that case the guest was right in wanting the Magic Kingdom View room at that time and not the next day. Anyway I am just saying how I saw things happen and personally I felt sorry for this Cast Member that he was getting yelled at when it was not his fault.

 

[nurse.darcy]

I have always made it a habit to have my "correct" confirmations with me at all times. It has worked to my advantage many times. . .And no shouting or angry voices needed. . .

Oh and I wanted to add. . .I always prepay my room ressie, that way I know its paid for and I DON'T have to pay additional if they overbook and cannot accommodate me. . .

 

[zefyr]

I really do not like this new reservation system where they email you a link to your reservation. By doing this, Disney can change your reservation and you have no way to then prove that it was ever different. We're staying up there this weekend. I booked the room months ago at the passholder rate. I received an email this evening from Disney "thanking me for my reservation." I looked and it was the same confirmation number as the ressie for this weekend. I opened it up and realized that the rate was different! They upgraded us, which is fantastic, but I'm not paying for that. I called Disney reservations, sat on hold for about 25 minutes, explained the situation to the agent and she just kept telling me that my reservation was for that rate. LUCKILY I had printed out the one they originally emailed me months ago as proof because this reservation agent was not budging! After waiting on hold for another 10 minutes, I finally spoke to a manager who told me I was upgraded and to bring the original reservation with me this weekend to ensure I got the rate I originally booked. What if I hadn't printed the original? No one at the desk this weekend would believe that I had an upgraded room at the lower rate. I love Disney, but this seems really shady to me... I would urge everyone to print your ressies as soon as you book!

Another thing you can do is bring a copy of your 'receipt' that Disney snail mails you with your final payment. It shows what your package total was, what you've paid and if you keep the final one it shows everything up to the final payment deadline. Since we changed resorts, my original email shows WL when in reality we're now going to be checking into BC....Disney never emailed me the change.

 

[AladdinsPrincess]

Thanks for all the replies. I felt badly after posting last night because I felt like perhaps I was being too paranoid. I hate the idea of being distrustful of Disney since they've been a part of my life forever! But this system just really rubs me the wrong way and I guess you can never be too careful!

Hopefully, now I can just focus on being excited about this weekend and escaping to some much-needed Disney magic

 

[ntsammy5]

Good information. Thanks for the post.

 

[jackemail]

I am doing a split stay and my ressie receipt for POR came in the mail and my BWI ressie came via email. . .thought it all very strange. . .I have printed everything out but still feel it strange. . .

Funny--same here, except that my BWI reservation came via snail mail, and my Poly came via email.

 

[pigletto]

Thanks for all the replies. I felt badly after posting last night because I felt like perhaps I was being too paranoid. I hate the idea of being distrustful of Disney since they've been a part of my life forever! But this system just really rubs me the wrong way and I guess you can never be too careful!

Hopefully, now I can just focus on being excited about this weekend and escaping to some much-needed Disney magic

Not paranoid at all. It's sound advice for any transaction. Just this past weekend I checked my receipts from two stores I had been too and I been overcharged for items totaling about 40 dollars. Not a a huge amount.. but because I had the receipt I could get it back. It just makes sense to have copies of receipts and confirmations because mistakes can and do happen and it is really hard after the fact to do anything about it without proof.

 

[WillCAD]

Any time I make a ressie anywhere, I save the confirming email, and I save a copy as a PDF in a special folder I have under My Documents for Travel.

When I get within a week or so of travel, I print out all of the PDFs so I have my air, hotel, and car ressies all in a neat package. Makes it easy to check into a hotel and to pick up my rental car, since my confirmation numbers are all there along with my other info; I just hand the ressie paper over with my ID and a smile.

 

[wezee]

Another thing you can do is bring a copy of your 'receipt' that Disney snail mails you with your final payment. It shows what your package total was, what you've paid and if you keep the final one it shows everything up to the final payment deadline. Since we changed resorts, my original email shows WL when in reality we're now going to be checking into BC....Disney never emailed me the change.

Can you tell me how long it took WDW to send your paid confirmation....after the package was paid off??

 

[poohbear2]

WOW ... Thanks,, I just printed out my reservations and tucked them away with my travel "stuff".

 

[wdwmaw]

My advice... and why
1. Print all emails received from Disney
2. Try to pay in full and have email that states balance $0 before you leave the house.
We usually hold money and pay in full at check in ( if we are not on pkg). But this problem happened to us this past Dec. at POP. I had checked in and had a copy of all my reservations ( with changes). Some of our days were value, some AP and some holiday rate. I was pd in full at check in but Disney tried to charge me full amounts and said I still had a balance.
The family next to us could not prove that they did not owe and Disney would not let them go without the balance pd. This family had a balance and wanted to pay in full at check in.
We also had friends that checked in 3 days after us and the same happened to them. I had called and told them to print out and bring all emails from Disney, glad they did. We had to get a manager to settle this, even with email copies. They had not pd. in full and did carry a balance at check in, I think that was there problem. Our reservation had email evidence that showed balance $ 0 the other 2 families did not. The manager had to come over all three times and over-ride rates in the system ( her words not mine).

 

[Gee Wally]

I really do not like this new reservation system where they email you a link to your reservation. By doing this, Disney can change your reservation and you have no way to then prove that it was ever different. We're staying up there this weekend. I booked the room months ago at the passholder rate. I received an email this evening from Disney "thanking me for my reservation." I looked and it was the same confirmation number as the ressie for this weekend. I opened it up and realized that the rate was different! They upgraded us, which is fantastic, but I'm not paying for that. I called Disney reservations, sat on hold for about 25 minutes, explained the situation to the agent and she just kept telling me that my reservation was for that rate. LUCKILY I had printed out the one they originally emailed me months ago as proof because this reservation agent was not budging! After waiting on hold for another 10 minutes, I finally spoke to a manager who told me I was upgraded and to bring the original reservation with me this weekend to ensure I got the rate I originally booked. What if I hadn't printed the original? No one at the desk this weekend would believe that I had an upgraded room at the lower rate. I love Disney, but this seems really shady to me... I would urge everyone to print your ressies as soon as you book!

We encountered a problem for the very first time in decades.
DW called to add DDP on Sunday. We are staying at BW Villas in August and have been booked since March. Or so we thought.

After talking to the CM, DW pulled out her printed reservation confirmation and LUCKILY went through the details. Well, lo and behold, they had somehow changed our family of 5 from a 2 bedroom villa ( that we reserved in March) to 2 seperate studios on different floors. AND had us coming in on ME a day earlier. None of this matched what we had booked and had confirmed on paper in our hands from Disney.

Then an ongoing discussion of 40 minutes went on before we got it "kicked up" a level. The original CM was adamant that nothing could be done and said we also owed MORE money.
The next level up CM was somehow able to "come up" with our 2 bedroom villa again. I don't know how but sure am grateful since we would have canceled. Not to mention I would probably have written them the nastiest note they have received. We also straightened out the date and got a credit for the upcharge of 2 studios on our credit card.

All know is that when I saw this thread I thought "you're not kidding!". Print those confirmations and confirm again and again.

I know we are.

 

[iScrap]

Thanks for this reminder. I had already printed my reservation (made in January and changed in February) and put it in the Disney file, but out of paranoia I went to check my reservation and the link brought up a blank reservation page with no info filled in! I checked it through the Disney site and it's correct, but I'll definitely keep checking and be sure that I have the reservation with me when I check in.

 

[LilGMom]

I always make a pdf of the email as soon as I get it and then print it right before we leave. Always good to have!