Room only or package?

[LuzzBightyear]

We are planning on a WDW trip next fall. Connecting rooms is very important to us and we want to do everything possible to get a set. I read on some message board (not sure if it was this one) that the sooner you book and request the connecting rooms, the better your chances. Not sure how true this is, but we are thinking of booking now because of it.

I chatted with a Disney Cast Member on their website who was urging me to book a package ASAP, but I started wondering if there is there any advantage at all at this point in booking a package as opposed to room only?

As far as I can see, booking “room only” gives us much more flexibility in terms of changing or canceling, and I am thinking we could always change it to Disney’s package deal if we wanted. Additionally, we don’t want to be rushed into deciding how many days of tickets we need.

Given that I am enjoying planning the trip, and I do not mind the work of booking things separately, can anybody provide me with one reason why we should be in a rush to book a package deal now as opposed to room only? Could we miss out on anything at all?

 

[nurse.darcy]

We are planning on a WDW trip next fall. Connecting rooms is very important to us and we want to do everything possible to get a set. I read on some message board (not sure if it was this one) that the sooner you book and request the connecting rooms, the better your chances. Not sure how true this is, but we are thinking of booking now because of it.

I chatted with a Disney Cast Member on their website who was urging me to book a package ASAP, but I started wondering if there is there any advantage at all at this point in booking a package as opposed to room only?

As far as I can see, booking “room only” gives us much more flexibility in terms of changing or canceling, and I am thinking we could always change it to Disney’s package deal if we wanted. Additionally, we don’t want to be rushed into deciding how many days of tickets we need.

Given that I am enjoying planning the trip, and I do not mind the work of booking things separately, can anybody provide me with one reason why we should be in a rush to book a package deal now as opposed to room only? Could we miss out on anything at all?

At this point in time, booking a package only makes sense because of the "free dining" aspect that is available. If you are not considering taking advantage of that (I don't), then room only is the way to go. . .

 

[LuzzBightyear]

At this point in time, booking a package only makes sense because of the "free dining" aspect that is available. If you are not considering taking advantage of that (I don't), then room only is the way to go. . .

Thanks, but just so I am clear...I can change it to package at anytime if free dining is offered when I want to go, right?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Yes you could switch from a room only reservation to a package deal, however you would need to cancel your room only reservation and make a brand new reservation for whatever package deal you are taking. So basically if you wanted Free Dining the specifc resort you wanted might be sold out for it, because only a certin number of rooms at each resort are available for each paclage deal. So basically whatever resort you had booked under a room only reservation you had can't be transferred over to your package deal.

 

[LuzzBightyear]

Yes you could switch from a room only reservation to a package deal, however you would need to cancel your room only reservation and make a brand new reservation for whatever package deal you are taking. So basically if you wanted Free Dining the specifc resort you wanted might be sold out for it, because only a certin number of rooms at each resort are available for each paclage deal. So basically whatever resort you had booked under a room only reservation you had can't be transferred over to your package deal.

Thanks. Follow-up: if I book now and afterward they come out with room discounts - like the 40% they are offering now for deluxes, do I have to cancel and rebook, or can they automatically apply it?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

You're welcome and in the past we have switched resorts when we were on room only reservations so the Cast Member just transferred our confirmation number to the next resort we were staying at, however that was without any discounts and etc. I do know the room only promotions like 40% also have a certin amount of rooms at each resort like the package deals because they require a booking code you need to tell the Cast Member when making that reservation over the phone, so I think you would need to cancel and rebook again under the new promotion. However I could be wrong about that, so hopefully someone knows for sure.

 

[vicki_c]

Room only to room only, just to apply a discount, should not require re-booking, but as CR Fan said, it is still subject to availability. So if they don't offer the same resort/room you have with the new discount, you couldn't get it. Or if they had already sold out all the discounted rooms by the time you called.

Room only to package (or vice-versa) are cancellations and rebookings.

 

[TDC Nala]

I don't think any method of booking will increase the chances you have of getting a connecting room. Rooms are not assigned until a few days before you arrive.

 

[TinkerbellinLouisian]

whenever we have booked rooms...we have requested connecting rooms and have been told they are not guaranteed....

so they are NOT guaranteed...

HOWEVER ... everytime we HAVE gotten connecting rooms. (WE do book in advance)

Last visit ... I reminded at check in that I needed connecting rooms...

The CM checking us in reminded me that they are not Guaranteed... to which I replied...

"We have 3 teens... I am requesting connecting rooms for YOUR benefit... NOT mine.... if you wish to place them FAR from my room that 's fine with me but I would recommend that you place them as close to my husband and I as possible...

YES - we got connecting rooms LOL

Have a magical visit !

Mary

 

[suprgrlx]

As far as I can see, booking “room only” gives us much more flexibility in terms of changing or canceling, and I am thinking we could always change it to Disney’s package deal if we wanted. Additionally, we don’t want to be rushed into deciding how many days of tickets we need.

Given that I am enjoying planning the trip, and I do not mind the work of booking things separately, can anybody provide me with one reason why we should be in a rush to book a package deal now as opposed to room only? Could we miss out on anything at all?

I almost always book room-only, just because I can cancel/change that with no penalty up to (I believe) 5 days before check-in. For our trip in November, I just converted to a package around 3 weeks before we left.

Just for clarification, if you wanted to book a package, you don't really have to decide how many days you want now. You could just book the minimum and then upgrade the tickets later (shouldn't be a charge since your price is going up).

Like someone said, free dining would probably be your biggest reason to book a package now, since that's available now but might sell out (if you were going during FD and just wanted to change to a paid dining package, you should be able to do that at almost any time since that won't sell out). Any deal that came out later - say a deal comes out January 1. If you call later to apply that discount to your existing package reservation or to convert your room-only to that package discount, it shouldn't matter. If it's not sold out I would think you'd be fine.

The only reason I can think to book the package is the (potentially) smaller deposit. If you're doing a Deluxe resort and you have to pay for the first night, that can be more than the package deposit (of $200, I think). So if you don't want to part with the extra money, that might be a reason. Also, since you're also in Canada, when I converted my room-only to a package it was a cancel/re-book so they refunded my first night deposit for the Poly and then charged a new deposit for the package (actually, since I switched so late they charged me full price, but that wouldn't happen if you switched more than 45 days out). The exchange rate loss was pretty annoying since the US dollars I got back were "worth" far less to Visa than the ones I spent to make the deposit. So if you're booking a $400 room, that could be a consideration.

Good luck and I hope you have fun!

 

[CleveRocks]

Dining plan options aside, the only differences between a package and a room-only is the deposit and cencellation details.

Room-only: one night's room rate + tax due within 7 days of making the reservation by phone (due immediately if making reservation by Internet); cancel up to 5 days before trip with no penalty; balance due at time of check-in.

Package: $200 due within 7 days of making the reservation by phone (due immediately if making reservation by Internet); cancel up to 46 days before trip with no penalty; balance due no later than 45 days before trip.

It is totally true that if you have a package now (room + tickets) and add the Disney Dining Plan later than you won't have to cancel and re-book, and this makes things easier. HOWEVER, it is NOT true that having a package already booked makes it more likely for you to snag a FREE Disney Dining Plan promotion. In other words, you don't get first dibs ... you still have to snag the free DDP before it sells out for your dates and your resort, and having a package already booked does NOTHING to put you in line ahead of people with a room-only or people with no pre-existing reservation at all.