Reservation Ever Not Been Honored at Checkin?

[bba1130]

Have you ever heard of there being a mistake in a reservation and Disney not honoring it?

 

[Lehuaann]

Yes, I have read threads on here where the price (mistake) was not honored. I've even seen where people were not given the resort they booked.

From what I've understood on Disney disclaimers, they reserve the right to modify mistakes, rooms, resorts, etc.

 

[park]

Once you have paid in full, I don't understand how that is not honored at check-in.

I think that's urban legend. Paid in full is paid in full. This would be a lawsuit...

 

[Lehuaann]

Terms and Conditions
http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/media/ibc/DisneyWorldIBC/IBC/popups/popup_terms.html

*General Conditions and Responsibility
Disney, its directors, officers, employees, subcontractors, agents and representatives, shall at no time be liable or responsible in any way whatsoever for any loss, injury, or damage caused or arising in connection with any transportation, hotel or other services or products of third parties provided through Disney, or as a result of acts of God, acts of Government or other authorities, wars, civil disturbances, hijacks, thefts, or any circumstance beyond its control. Disney reserves the right to accept, retain, decline or cancel any reservation or any guest as a participant in its packages at any time and for any reason. In addition, Disney reserves the right to cancel or modify a reservation, including the price, at any time prior to guest check-in if the reservation includes or was made as the result of a mistake or error of any kind, including but not limited to, a mistake or error in price or description of the package or package components, or where it appears that a guest has engaged in fraudulent or misleading activity in making the reservation. If a package is cancelled by Disney, Disney shall have no responsibility beyond the refund of monies paid to Disney for the package. The terms and conditions of any transportation services provided by airlines or car rental agencies shall be as represented by those third parties. Terms and conditions are subject to change by Disney without notice. If these Terms and Conditions contain any provisions construed to be unenforceable or unlawful by a court of competent jurisdiction, the same shall be deemed modified to conform to applicable law, or if this would cause an unreasonable result, such provision shall be stricken from these Terms and Conditions without affecting the binding force and effect of any of its other provisions.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Just thinking ---

One situation would be is if someone booked a room or package as a passholder, AAA, FL resident, or whatever requirement. And then could not produce the required documentation/membership card at check in.
Supposedly then the person can be charged rack rate.
I assume the guest checking in would be informed at check in. (And assuming the guest did not say they will bring the required document, but never do.)
I am sure it happens. I just do not know how this works personally. And don't recall off hand reading of anyone's experience on the Dis.

I recall probably 5 or so years ago on Disney's internet site a severely incorrect amount being allowed to book for a deluxe resort. (Think it was BW.) Once the error was found by Disney, they corrected their rate and did not honor what was booked under the ridiculously low rate. (Seems like it was $1 or something like that.)

So there are cases. But I would think few and far between. And they would be covered legally I am certain. And there are probably other situations that happen few and far between.

As far as confirmations go, from my personal experience, those are not worth the paper they are printed on. I look at those as something the traveler should review to make sure they agree with what is listed. (They booked what they thought.)

 

[tyniknate]

From having worked in the hotel industry I can tell you that most hotels do reserve the right to modify reservations. If you don't qualify for a discount that you have claimed - the hotel has no obligation to honor the discount. It happens with AAA, AARP, Military Discount, etc. I can and do believe that it also is something that a Disney hotel has the right to reject. If you have booked AAA and can't provide the documents upon check-in, you do not deserve the discount. If you have booked a bounce-back offer and you are not bouncing back from a previous stay (and they do have access to that information upon check in), then Disney has every right to reject that discount. Will they do it? Maybe, maybe not. But don't be surprised and angered if it does happen. People need to learn to read the small print.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

In 2010 we booked a room only at the WL and the price we were quoted was not the price they had at check in. It was about a $125 difference over the 2 weeks, but it was enough to make me not happy. I didn't bring my print out, only copied the reservation # and amount due. Took me four days of going back and forth with the front desk and the Disney travel people to figure out what was wrong. It should have been the 35% off, not the 40% but the CM on the phone put it in at the 40% for my quote and amount due. I thought I was going insane and that I had been telling my husband the wrong amount due for months. They DIDhonor the quoted price, but it came from the travel department's budget, not the hotel.

I know it seems silly, but that money was to pay for a TS dinner that I had reservations and would have to cancel without the funds.

They made good, so I didn't post any complaints here, because it was my headache and not something that would happen everyday.

 

[tyniknate]

Hey, Ann! How are ya? I was just thinking about you! I really, literally was. Lisa and Erin and I were saying about how much fun it would be to be in Disney at the same time and I was thinking about how much fun you and I have had going back and forth here on the boards. Was thinking you would be a great addition to our little dream! Anyway,........

I think the difference in honoring it was that you weren't trying to get a discount that you weren't entitled to. That's where things can go badly. I assumed they were taking about the whole bruhaha about the bounceback being given to those who weren't in disney at the time of booking. Maybe i shouldn't have assumed!

 

[Donnainnj]

In 2009 Expedia had ASMusic suites for $150 a night (or less depending on the season) It seemed like they mixed up the preferred rate and the suite rate. I booked the first night of our Easter visit, and the rate was honored.
Donna

 

[tyniknate]

Again, you were not booking something with the intent to use what you weren't entitled to. I think that is the big difference. Here, at home, that is called Theft of Services by Deception (Crimes Code 3926A1) and a hotel has the right to prosecute. Do they do it? No. But the option is there.

We had a woman who was prosecuted locally under this code for taking a coupon off of one package and using it on another package, without buying the first package. Do stores usually prosecute? No, but it is their right to do so. Hotels fall under the same category. If you knowingly use a code you are not entitled to use.....at the least you run the option of having to pay full price. At the worst, its prosecutable.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

I have sent you a PM.

 

[mom2rtk]

There were some folks on another thread who were able to get a bounceback code applied by phone when they were not on site. I'm guessing that might prompt a question like this.

 

[park]

From having worked in the hotel industry I can tell you that most hotels do reserve the right to modify reservations. If you don't qualify for a discount that you have claimed - the hotel has no obligation to honor the discount.

Even after it is invoiced, paid in full and the guests travel 1,000 miles and arrive at the check-in desk?

 

[tyniknate]

Even after all of this. If you cannot prove, at check-in, that you are qualified to receive the discount......it can be modified. You, when you book, are agreeing that you will provide documentation upon check-in if requested. If you can't provide it......you lose.

Even after it is invoiced, paid in full and the guests travel 1,000 miles and arrive at the check-in desk?

 

[park]

Even after all of this. If you cannot prove, at check-in, that you are qualified to receive the discount......it can be modified. You, when you book, are agreeing that you will provide documentation upon check-in if requested. If you can't provide it......you lose.

I guess I understand if somebody did something illegitimate. Such as saying you're a member of AARP then not being able to produce the card at check-in.

 

[fla4fun]

Most of the scenarios mentioned so far would result in a guest paying rack rate, not necessarily being denied a room. I kind of got the feeling the OP was wondering if anyone would actually be told there's no room at the inn when they show up, even if they have a reservation.

I haven't heard of it happening at Disney, but Disney is sort of a different animal than your average hotel. All hotels overbook, just like the airlines do. Even if you have a paid reservation, you may be "walked" to another hotel when you show up at the front desk. Sometimes the accommodations are equal or better, and sometimes they aren't. All the hotel is obligated to do is to refund your money if you refuse the alternate accommodations. Most hotels will pick up the tab for at least the first night if this occurs.

Since Disney has so many resorts, they tend to either fix their big overbooking issues in advance (like when people are magically told they have been upgraded from a value to a moderate before they arrive) or they move you to another resort upon arrival (sometimes a move up, sometimes a lateral move - like a year or so ago when they were moving a lot of people from Pop to All Star, or when they were doing the DVC upgrade at AKL and were moving people all over the WDW property). So the odds of them saying you have no room at all are usually very slim - I'd say less than 1%. But there is always that slim chance that something could go terribly wrong at a resort (think major maintenance issue that needs a couple weeks to repair during Christmas or Easter week) and they could simply not have a room to put you in. At that point, all they would be obligated to do is refund any prepaid money to you and wave you on your way. I can't think of any time this has actually happened, but I'm sure that's why their fine print reads the way it does. I would hope they would go the extra mile to help guests if a situation like that arose, but I don't believe they are in any way legally obligated to do so. The big thing is that so many people think their vacation will be totally ruined if they have to stay at one resort instead of another. Some people were really upset when they were sent to Poly during the AK situation - when Poly costs twice as much! I've had great vacations at all levels of Disney resort - I can guarantee that your vacation won't be ruined if something occurs and you are sent to a different resort. It will be different than what you expected, but it won't be ruined.

It's not pretty when a hotel has to tell guests "sorry, we don't have any rooms left - you have to go down the street to Joe's Motel for the night". The best remedy is to arrive as early in the day as is practical (the earlier you arrive, the larger that pool of available rooms will be). And don't take your frustration out on the poor front desk clerk - they didn't do the overbooking and they can't make a room appear from thin air. They want to put you in a room as much as you want to be in one - it's extremely frustrating for them as well.

 

[jsmla]

Last year there were "mistake" rates for some the the Disney resorts on both Travelocity and Southwest for August and I booked a week at the Yacht Club for around $125/night. I was so nervous that it wouldn't be honored when I arrived but it was. We were even given a complimentary upgrade to a lake view room

 

[Luv2Roam]

Actually one time I did have an issue at check in. And lucky I had brought my confirmation. My reservation had been cancelled. My thought was the person taking the initial reservation did it incorrectly.
If I did not have my confirmation, I doubt the front desk would have believed me.
However they had the reservation rebooked, copying from the confirmation, and even upgraded me due to my wait.

 

[Lehuaann]

Last year there were "mistake" rates for some the the Disney resorts on both Travelocity and Southwest for August and I booked a week at the Yacht Club for around $125/night. I was so nervous that it wouldn't be honored when I arrived but it was. We were even given a complimentary upgrade to a lake view room

We got in on those same rates last year for our AKL ressie and received a comp upgrade as well.

Btw, those rates last year were not "mistake" rates. As low as they were, the same rates/prices were reflected across the board on several websites for approx 48 hrs. Orbitz, Southwest, Travelocity, etc buy up blocks of rooms from Disney and can fire-sale at whatever price they wish.

I WISH we could get those low prices again this year!

 

[dclfun]

I booked a ressie online ( can't remember the year) for a 5 night package including parkhopper tix and the DDP staying at Coronado Springs (in fact, I still have my paperwork from it). After paying in full and closer to the date of travel I got my package in the mail with my entitlements and luggage tags and I noticed it did NOT include the dining. I called about it, had my original confirmation showing that my package included the dining and I was told that what I had on the confirmation would NOT be honored, and this is after I insisted that the agent ask a supervisor. I was furious...and cancelled the reservation which they did allow me to do w/o penalty due to the error. I still went on my trip but I booked a different resort with my DVC points instead. I was told that I should have known that the price I was paying was too low to include the dining ( what????) and that there must've been a glitch with the online system, and they didn't have to honor my reservation that said I had the dining plan. So, while I never showed up at CSR, if I HAD shown up and they told me that I didn't have the DDP I thought I'd paid for, I would have probably embarrassed myself by making a scene. I don't like being called a liar.---Kathy