Reservation Craziness

[DisCatGirl]

Booked a package (room and tickets) at BWI a few months ago. Recently took the leap and bought annual passes. Called to switch to a room only reservation. Nothing fancy. Just a small little switch. I want the same room.

Was told they need to cancel this reservation and make a new one. Fine. Except she said there are no rooms available. They can't make the new reservation because there aren't any rooms available. And if they cancel the only reservation, I will lose that room and wan't get back into BWI. I tries to explain - I HAVE a room. I don't want a new room. I am happy with the room I have. Nope. No rooms available for me.

This is insane. Any thoughts?

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Are trying to get a room only discount?

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Package reservations are different from room only reservations. They cannot just change a package reservation into a room-only reservation. They would have to book a new reservation. That can be done only if the same resort, room category and dates are available IN ADDITION TO your current reservation. Your current reservation won't just change over.

Ask if they can convert your package reservation into a ticketless package, if all you want to do is drop the tickets...but that may apply only if you are adding a dining plan.

OR you can cut down to the minimum ticket purchase (unless it's a free dining package that's just one day, I'm pretty sure) and keep the one-day ticket, use it for a future stay or to apply to the cost of renewing your AP. (Or just keep the package tickets as they are to apply to a future stay or AP renewal).

 

[DisCatGirl]

Package reservations are different from room only reservations. They cannot just change a package reservation into a room-only reservation. They would have to book a new reservation. That can be done only if the same resort, room category and dates are available IN ADDITION TO your current reservation. Your current reservation won't just change over.

Ask if they can convert your package reservation into a ticketless package, if all you want to do is drop the tickets...but that may apply only if you are adding a dining plan.

OR you can cut down to the minimum ticket purchase (unless it's a free dining package that's just one day, I'm pretty sure) and keep the one-day ticket, use it for a future stay or to apply to the cost of renewing your AP. (Or just keep the package tickets as they are to apply to a future stay or AP renewal).

Thanks - what you say makes sense. But - the process doesn't. They tell me there are no rooms available. But there is - my room! Ugh. At this point I guess I am just venting.

I can use the tickets toward my renewal next year? If so, how do I be sure I am using my annual pass and not these tickets during my upcoming trip? Is that a stupid question?

 

[Wood Nymph]

Thanks - what you say makes sense. But - the process doesn't. They tell me there are no rooms available. But there is - my room! Ugh. At this point I guess I am just venting.

I can use the tickets toward my renewal next year? If so, how do I be sure I am using my annual pass and not these tickets during my upcoming trip? Is that a stupid question?

Yes, you can use the tickets for your renewal next year. Go to a guest relations booth and they will prioritize the tickets so that they aren't used instead of your annual pass when you enter the park. You can do this at the same time that you pick up your new annual passes. By the way, The International Gateway is the best place to do this. They have the shortest lines and it is less than a ten minute walk from BWI.

 

[Hopefully]

Thanks - what you say makes sense. But - the process doesn't. They tell me there are no rooms available. But there is - my room! Ugh. At this point I guess I am just venting.

I can use the tickets toward my renewal next year? If so, how do I be sure I am using my annual pass and not these tickets during my upcoming trip? Is that a stupid question?

But it isn't in Disney's system. In the recent past they have even changed the rules so if you try to drop one day of you reserved stay, you fall into the same dilemma. If I wanted to go from 7 nights to 6 nights in the same room classification the whole, new 6 nights must be available. They will not use "my 6 nights" for the new reservation.
Sorry it is how it works now

 

[MakiraMarlena]

They tell me there are no rooms available. But there is - my room!

The system won't include your room because it isn't available. It's already booked. the system doesn't distinguished booked by you as being any different than booked by someone else.

There would have to be a way to cancel that reservation, then immediately rebook the exact same resort inventory as a different type of reservation. You haven't booked an actual physical room...you've booked inventory. Rooms aren't actually assigned until a few days before arrival. if they don't have that inventory in the system as the exact type of new reservation you want BEFORE you cancel your existing reservation, you probably won't get it. Nor do we know what inventory your currently booked reservation will go back to, and whether the room only booking will have access to it.

You can assign a ticket you don't wish to use to a "dummy" account and then reassign it back to you when you are ready to use it, or you can have Guest Relations at WDW "prioritize" your tickets in the system so your AP is used before your other ticket.

 

[Dizjunkieee]

One of the many reasons I prefer NOT to book a package if at all possible. I have been in a similar situation where I wanted to just change from 8 nights at the FQ to 5 nights there, followed by 3 at WL. My agent advised she would have to put it into Disney's hands (basically) to review and decide whether or not they would allow me the original discounted rate I had at FQ just because I was reducing the number of days at THAT resort. It is all just STUPID. Don't get me wrong, I love Disney as much as the rest of us here on the Dis boards, but they often are annoying in their practices with these kinds of things. In my situation it worked out, but I spent a few agonizing days waiting for the decision to come back to me. Hope all works out for you.

 

[DisCatGirl]

One of the many reasons I prefer NOT to book a package if at all possible. I have been in a similar situation where I wanted to just change from 8 nights at the FQ to 5 nights there, followed by 3 at WL. My agent advised she would have to put it into Disney's hands (basically) to review and decide whether or not they would allow me the original discounted rate I had at FQ just because I was reducing the number of days at THAT resort. It is all just STUPID. Don't get me wrong, I love Disney as much as the rest of us here on the Dis boards, but they often are annoying in their practices with these kinds of things. In my situation it worked out, but I spent a few agonizing days waiting for the decision to come back to me. Hope all works out for you.

I agree - the practices are just silly. I understand the way it works, but it makes no sense.

On a happy note - I kept checking all day yesterday and found a better room at the Beach Club and it was cheaper than my original room! Booked the BC, cancelled the original package and saved some bucks. Take that, Disney.

 

[mgpan]

But yet they send you ads to book (not offers, lol) for the exact weeks your kids are on spring/fall break and you haven't even given them this information. They searched your zip code and local school calendar! They can do anything they want with their billion dollar systems, they just choose not to, because it might lower revenue. Not saying that's right or wrong, but yes, that's the way it is and i agree, crazy!

 

[mickeynut1]

I agree - the practices are just silly. I understand the way it works, but it makes no sense.

On a happy note - I kept checking all day yesterday and found a better room at the Beach Club and it was cheaper than my original room! Booked the BC, cancelled the original package and saved some bucks. Take that, Disney.

Just for future reference, if this happens again, ask to speak to guest services. As has been posted, going from a package to RO (or vice versa) requires the package to be cancelled/refunded and RO booked, requiring a new deposit. Guest services can make that change without you losing your existing room type (should there no longer be availability), but CRO doesn't have that ability. You would still need to make a new deposit and wait for a refund on the cancellation, but the change can be done with you keeping the same room type.

 

[Shanti]

I have been in a similar situation where I wanted to just change from 8 nights at the FQ to 5 nights there, followed by 3 at WL. My agent advised she would have to put it into Disney's hands (basically) to review and decide whether or not they would allow me the original discounted rate I had at FQ just because I was reducing the number of days at THAT resort. It is all just STUPID. Don't get me wrong, I love Disney as much as the rest of us here on the Dis boards, but they often are annoying in their practices with these kinds of things.

I agree it's difficult, but the reason Disney does it like that is because many people were abusing the system by booking long stays they weren't planning to fully use to get an advantage for 180+10 ADR's at an earlier date than they could have gotten otherwise, then they would cancel the front portion of their stay. When that level of playing the system, messing up inventory and tying up the time of phone agents occurs, Disney will react. That's why the rules are so strict now- the more lenient ones were abused in the past.

 

[DisCatGirl]

I agree it's difficult, but the reason Disney does it like that is because many people were abusing the system by booking long stays they weren't planning to fully use to get an advantage for 180+10 ADR's at an earlier date than they could have gotten otherwise, then they would cancel the front portion of their stay. When that level of playing the system, messing up inventory and tying up the time of phone agents occurs, Disney will react. That's why the rules are so strict now- the more lenient ones were abused in the past.

Who thinks like that?

 

[Luisfba]

Just for future reference, if this happens again, ask to speak to guest services. As has been posted, going from a package to RO (or vice versa) requires the package to be cancelled/refunded and RO booked, requiring a new deposit. Guest services can make that change without you losing your existing room type (should there no longer be availability), but CRO doesn't have that ability. You would still need to make a new deposit and wait for a refund on the cancellation, but the change can be done with you keeping the same room type.

Would the same hold true if I want to drop a day of an existing RO reservation? (contact guest services for the change instead of CRO?). I've been struggling with the fact we aren't sure yet if we will do 5 days or 4 (may need to drop the 1st day), so I've been holding off on making the reservation trying to figure out the best approach (knowing if I make the wrong choice and then need to add or delete 1 day.. I'll likely lose my discount rate / reservation).

 

[Shanti]

Who thinks like that?

Do you mean, who does that? Plenty of people. There are whole posts devoted to pulling tricks like that.

 

[TiggerManiac]

Who thinks like that?

Narcissists and sociopaths. Sort of kidding, but not really.

 

[DisCatGirl]

I recently saw a post about someone making a reservation. Getting the free magic bands, then canceling the reservation and keeping the bands. Isn't that stealing?!

 

[Shanti]

I recently saw a post about someone making a reservation. Getting the free magic bands, then canceling the reservation and keeping the bands. Isn't that stealing?!

Yes.

 

[aaarcher86]

Would the same hold true if I want to drop a day of an existing RO reservation? (contact guest services for the change instead of CRO?). I've been struggling with the fact we aren't sure yet if we will do 5 days or 4 (may need to drop the 1st day), so I've been holding off on making the reservation trying to figure out the best approach (knowing if I make the wrong choice and then need to add or delete 1 day.. I'll likely lose my discount rate / reservation).

You could try. No guarantee.

Probably less likely since that's an actual policy change and the OP here is more of a system thing.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Who thinks like that?

I would love to know the number of campsites that get booked, then cancelled a couple of weeks later for 180+10 ADR purposes. I bet it's substantial.