Proposed reservation changes -- impact on camping?

[Disneefun]

I saw this on the resorts board today; it came from AllEars:

Major Changes Coming to Walt Disney World Reservations System

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Major Changes Coming to Walt Disney World Reservations System

Please note the following information is UNofficial and
has not been released by Walt Disney World.
All Ears "hears" it's coming!

Major changes are coming to the hotel reservation system beginning June 23, 2007. At that time, a new program will be instituted for all reservations beginning January 1, 2008. Pricing and rates for 2008 Walt Disney World hotels will become date specific.

Here's how it effects your budget: You will pay a nightly rate based on the season of that date. If you reserve night 1 under the value season and nights 2-5 under peak season, you will no longer be able to maintain the value season rate for the entire reservation.

Premium rates will now be applied for premium dates. A weekend may be considered premium so that friday and saturday night pricing may be higher than sunday - thursday, even if in the same "season".

In theory, you could be paying a different price for each night of your stay.The upside, if there is one, is that you no longer have to split reservations and recheck into your hotel.

No word on how this may effect Annual Passholder rates.

When making room only reservations for 2008 you must specifically ask for the rate for each night otherwise you will just be given a total price for your stay. Package pricing will not be broken down by day.

More details as they become available.
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What do you think the impact will be on camping at WDW? Especially long term and weekend stays? I don't figure it will bother me too much, b/c I actually like the idea of being able to check in in peak season if I need to but get the value rate when it switches over. And most of the CG's we go to elsewhere have been like this for years, charging higher weekend rates.

But I'm just curious how locals who go for the weekends and snowbirds who go for the winter feel about this. Thoughts?

 

[becky1960]

With fuel costs going up and everything with it it is going to effect a lot of people. On our last trip from Texas we sometimes saw very few rv's heading east for hunderds of miles at a time. From Houston to most of La. we did'nt see any. We used to see many, many rv's. This was Memorial day weekend.

 

[hatchmo]

It will put a severe crimp in our winter stay plans. Sites that have been available for around $45 will jump to $80 or so, by not being able to extend that value season rate into mid to late February. No way!

 

[CottontailCurl]

Someone posted recently about having trouble getting a full month this December at the cheapest rate, I wonder if they're already trying to sneak it in under the radar?

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Looks like Disney is finally closing a loophole. I actually don't know why they didn't do this sooner.

 

[tellnotails]

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

[Colson39]

I can imagine it would affect the long term campers much more than the average campers.

It kind of works both ways, because you also can get cheaper rates based on when you go, so it's not totally a bad thing. It all will depend on when you go, so for everyone it's going to be different.

Like FtWildernessGuy said, it was a loophole that they eventually were going to have to fix.

 

[auntie]

It will put a severe crimp in our winter stay plans. Sites that have been available for around $45 will jump to $80 or so, by not being able to extend that value season rate into mid to late February. No way!

So...you mean you book at the value rate of 45.00 and then would have that rate for the entire time..when it's usually higher?. Guess this was the same with the resort rates then.

 

[Colson39]

Yep, which is why there is both good and bad to this. Some people it will help, others it will hurt. Most long term campers that were used to getting value rates their entire stay will be affected by this, it will be interesting to see if the number of long term stays decreases.

I can't even say myself how I feel about it, because like I said, depending on when I'm going, it could be good or it could be bad.

 

[auntie]

With fuel costs going up and everything with it it is going to effect a lot of people. On our last trip from Texas we sometimes saw very few rv's heading east for hunderds of miles at a time. From Houston to most of La. we did'nt see any. We used to see many, many rv's. This was Memorial day weekend.

I guess this would make a difference to people staying long term..as indicated..on the value rate, add to that the above mentioned gas prices, and I suppose it will impact some.
My husband has said to me more than once that the gas alone from NY to Fla..we could get a couple of nights in the Poly. Of course then I tell him it's for the experience of staying in FW..not to save money. Which then he tells me we'd probably be better off renting an RV..have them put it on site..and he wouldn't have to tow ours down. I've even considered it.

 

[John VN]

Just sounds like our DVC rate structure.

 

[rapriebe]

Well doesn't it figure. I just booked the first phase of our 5 month stay starting in October 2008. We definately are going to change our plans if this goes into affect. I can't afford the prices during peak holiday season. We will just pull out and stay at Tropical Palms for that period of time.
Just my luck, I plan this trip for years waiting for my retirement (37 years of Federal Service) and then the rules change.

I don't quite see how this change will be beneficial to us campers.

 

[stacktester]

I haven't gotten a decent rate since our 1st stay Thanksgiving 04. I think I paid around $45. My average rate is $65 a night. I ask for the AAA and AP rates but it seems I can't get lucky enough for those. I go 3-4 times a year and most are peak I guess. I realize costs for everything are going up and FW has to go up too but one thing and I know we've discussed it before is if something we all love goes away, they will never bring it back ie: River Country, Swamp Trail and Trains.

 

[ZPT1022]

Well doesn't it figure. I just booked the first phase of our 5 month stay starting in October 2008. We definately are going to change our plans if this goes into affect. I can't afford the prices during peak holiday season. We will just pull out and stay at Tropical Palms for that period of time.
Just my luck, I plan this trip for years waiting for my retirement (37 years of Federal Service) and then the rules change.

I don't quite see how this change will be beneficial to us campers.

Unfortunately, it's not meant to be beneficial to guests, campers or otherwise. It's meant to benefit WDW's bottom line and since most people will just take it when they're told the final price for a stay and not ask for the per night breakdown, it will work too. I'm not loving it either but obvioulsy we're not meant to

 

[John VN]

I find it interesting that so many posts in the past remarked on how inexpensive staying at FW was and how people love being in their own home and now there is a cry of foul play.

I have always been amazed that the lower rates were carried over to a higher rate season and that it took so long to eliminate the special rates for winter residents.

Just a financial move that was long over due.

 

[hatchmo]

I don't think anyone's crying foul play, we're just crying disappointment. As a Disney stockholder, I guess I have to approve of the change, if it occurs. But as a camper, I hate it. As long-term winter campers, we won't be able to afford to stay as long as before. We have already pretty much made our change to October-November, so its not so bad for us. But we would rather be Disney snowbirds
and stay right on through the winter. I predict lots of openings coming up during Christmas season and early Spring Break time.

 

[GbG]

I didn't realize it wasn't this way already. I have routinely had hotels raise my rates for the weekend on two-week business trips.

 

[bianca]

I, for one, would not mind the change at all. As DVC owners we are used to this kind of system already. But as campers, we have seen the negative side of Disney letting people stay for extended periods of time under the lower rate. We spend 5 weeks a year at FW split between 2 stays. It has been getting increasingly difficult to get a spot at FW over the Christmas holiday and perhaps this will make it a more level playing field. During our stay last year, we were driving our golf cart around different loops checking them out for possible future requests. When we entered the 1700 loop and were stopped just looking at some empty sites, we were approached by a woman (guest ... not cast member) who not only asked what we were doing, but went on to inform us that the spot we happened to be looking at "BELONGED" to so-and-so. Then we were told that at least a dozen of the other sites in that loop "BELONGED" to their friends and that we should just re-think our silly request. I politely informed her that to my knowledge nobody "OWNED" a particular site at FW and that if they requested to be in that loop, that FW would try and make an attempt to honor it. We were then informed of their alliance/friendship with the "OTHERS" in "THEIR" loop and how they have intimidated prior guests to choose other loops in the future.

My whole point in telling this story, is that the majority of people in this "GROUP" take advantage of the current pricing system and lord their long stays over the guests who can only come for a week or two. Perhaps they won't be able to stay as long when the new pricing structure takes place. I, for one, will not be upset by that.

 

[tellnotails]

I don't think anyone's crying foul play, we're just crying disappointment. As a Disney stockholder, I guess I have to approve of the change, if it occurs. But as a camper, I hate it. As long-term winter campers, we won't be able to afford to stay as long as before. We have already pretty much made our change to October-November, so its not so bad for us. But we would rather be Disney snowbirds
and stay right on through the winter. I predict lots of openings coming up during Christmas season and early Spring Break time.

+1



For all those financial experts out there.........

When will disney close the private cart loophole?????????

 

[ftwildernessguy]

The old system just did not make fiscal sense. To allow someone to lock in a low price because their first day was in a value season, so they paid that low rate throughout say a 4 week stay, is absurd. I truly doubt that the space will go unused and Disney will lose any money. In fact, they stand to gain more if they can book several campers in that same spot and charge the higher fee. Our stays generally cross over a weekend, and if Disney wants to charge me more for those two days, then so be it. I certainly am not going to stay at Tropical Palms because of that. If this policy results in campers going elsewhere, I see a no lose situation - more spots open up for everyone else and Disney gets more revenue.