Room-only Res first, Vac Package later??

[yaya74]

Has anyone done this before ---- Book room-only first, then 10 days prior to the first day of room reservation upgrade it to a package with tickets, dining plans, etc???

The cancellation policy of a package is nerve-wrecking to me. We plan to go in late August and the weather is unpredictable.... My family loves food and we will save a lot with the dining plan. But I don't like the idea of that 45 days window. I spoke to a CM today who told me I can convert the room-only res into a package no later than 5 days out... Wonder if anyone has done it and if there was any issue with it...

Thank you all in advance....

 

[AngiTN]

Technically the CM is right. Subject to availability of the promo you want to book with

But for the FD promo this won't work. Promos expire.
I'd say the odds are extremely high the FD package you want to book with will be expired by the time you want to make the change.

 

[tinka-belle]

Even if you wait, you might freak out when you see the weather forecasts. Nearly always says "30% to 50% chance of scattered thunderstorms" for every single day.

We have been at WDW the last week of August and early Sept. for 8 or 10 years now, some days no rain at all, most days just a late afternoon or early evening downpour for an hour or less, very few days totally rained out in all those years. It can literally be raining in one park and not another, storms general whip through quickly. The forecast means there a chance it will rain somewhere in the area, not necessarily where you are!

For 2016, final payments on packages are due 30 days prior to the trip now. Promotions for that time of year are usually opened in the spring and closed for booking by June, so even if you did switch to a package the promotions for those dates would be unavailable.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

A room only reservation will not operate as a "place saver" for a package. When you called to change it, your entire room only reservation would be refunded and you'd have to pay in full for the package. Whatever you paid toward the room-only would not roll over to the package. And I believe there would also have to be availability at the resort you want, in the same room category, on the dates you want, or you might have to change some things.

 

[minnie mum]

I may have missed something, but I didn't see the OP refer to FD. But even if it is a regular package with paid DDP, it still would require that your existing reservation be cancelled, and then a package reservation made, and paid in full at the time of booking. Any money already paid on the RO reservation would be refunded. It can't be rolled over onto the new reservation. The refund could take some time to show up on your credit card. It would also depend on availability at the resort.

If you have a package reservation and cancel before 30 days before check in, all of the money paid is refundable. If you cancel after 30 days, but more than 2 days before check in, you only lose your $200 deposit. Personally, I'd be willing to risk the $200 deposit rather than run the risk of no availability at the resort I want.

 

[yaya74]

thank you all for the great and fast replies!!!

one note though... when I spoke to CM this morning, I specifically asked him if my room rate would be different if I upgrade my reservation to a package... He said my room rate would stay the same, just add on tickets and other options that I want... Maybe I need to verify it with another CM or a couple more CMs.

 

[AngiTN]

You are right, they mentioned their family benefited from the dining plan so I assumed they wanted free dining. Wrong on my part.

I still believe the chance of a promo being in effect for a trip a few days away is slim. They are typically for bookings further out.

As you've all pointed out there is really no good way to do this.

 

[loveyb72]

When I booked our trip for Aug back in Jan I was originally going to book a "room only". I wanted to get my reservation set so that I could make my ADR at the 180 mark and wait to see if any promo will be available during our stay before I decided on what package I wanted. The CM I talked to stated that "RO" are booked into a different system then a package would be booked. I would of course be able to book the room only but would need to put down the deposit of 1 night stay instead of $200 for the package. If I did change to a package they would need to then cancel my "RO" and re-book as a package. It could take up to 45 days for me to receive my initial deposit back. They would not be able to apply to the new reservation. The CM also explained that that package reservations could be changed as to adding items but not removing them. With all of that in min, I ended up only booking minimal items at this point and waiting for some pixie dust for a promo during our stay.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

The room RATE will not change. But when you switch from one type of reservation to another, you are not just adding on tickets.

As the previous poster noted, room-only reservations and package reservations are not on the same system. You are cancelling one to book the other. So your previous payment will be treated like a cancellation and refunded and you will be charged a new deposit OR you will have to pay in full for the package if you are already within 30 days. also, if you try to do this conversion within 5 days of arrival, you lose the deposit on the room-only reservation because the as far as the system is concerned, you cancelled it. This is why they tell you no later than 5 days out.

 

[ArwenMarie]

We always do room-only because of my husband's job. We have canceled trips two weeks out if he has a conflict so packages never work for us.

I usually buy tickets separately but we never add the dining plan.

 

[purple figment]

The Room Rate will not change IF you are able to book a package with the same room category in the same resort. However, since packages and room only reservations come from two different inventories it is possible that the room category & resort you have for the room only reservation might not be available so then the room rate could change.

If weather is your main concern, there's no way to know for sure what the weather will be like even 5 days in advance - which would be your deadline for cancelling the room only and booking a package without forfeiting the one night's room payment you made on the room only reservation. Also, that close to your arrival date (or even 10 days out) there's no way of knowing what rooms and resorts will still be available so there's a very good chance you will have to book a different resort or room category.

Unfortunately, having a room only reservation doesn't guarantee that you can re-book it as a package. Cancelling a package within 30 days of arrival will incur the loss of the $200 deposit. For a room only reservation you have until 2 days before arrival to cancel without losing one night's deposit.

Have you checked restaurant menus to see how much you would save if using the dining plan? Menus can be found on allears, the Disney website and wdwinfo and if you are planning buffets and fixed price meals there is a sticky at the top of the Dining Reservations board that lists prices.

 

[Lothlórien]

Ooops, I see you already got the same answer.

 

[twinsmama]

You must call and specific you that you intend to add dining and tickets at a later date. I just did this, worked like a charm. I wanted to take a trip end of this month but didn't want to pay for the entire thing at once, needed to spread it out over a couple of weeks but knew if I booked it all together it would be due in full since our arrival date was 28 days away.

I called and told them I wanted to book a room and that later on I would add dining. I ended up doing undercover tourist tickets.

The CM I had knew just what to do, but not all might. She booked it as a room package...just the room, but it would be able to have dining added on later. She recommended I add it on no later than 3 days before check in to make sure it's all in the system

Paid for the room that week, bought my tickets the next, added dining and memory maker the next!

Great for if you want a last minute trip but need to space out the payments slightly.

 

[DisneyFirstTimer10]

I'd be concerned with not being able to book my FP till tickets were linked to the reservation

 

[sharonabe]

I called and told them I wanted to book a room and that later on I would add free dining. I ended up doing undercover tourist tickets.

I assume this was a mis-type. You can't do FREE dining without tickets, and considering you were starting all of this within the 28 days of full payment, there would be no FREE dining available that close to a trip.

Question for others about the NO ROOM RATE change that the CM told OP. If you book a room only with a discount promotion, then change to a package at just 5 days out when the promotion would no longer be in affect, wouldn't that mean you lose the room discount?

 

[AngiTN]

I assume this was a mis-type. You can't do FREE dining without tickets, and considering you were starting all of this within the 28 days of full payment, there would be no FREE dining available that close to a trip.

Question for others about the NO ROOM RATE change that the CM told OP. If you book a room only with a discount promotion, then change to a package at just 5 days out when the promotion would no longer be in affect, wouldn't that mean you lose the room discount?

Yes but it may not change what you pay. Depends on the particular of the package promo effective at the time. The room rate in the package could be the same, or similar, to the room only rate.

 

[twinsmama]

I assume this was a mis-type. You can't do FREE dining without tickets, and considering you were starting all of this within the 28 days of full payment, there would be no FREE dining available that close to a trip.

Question for others about the NO ROOM RATE change that the CM told OP. If you book a room only with a discount promotion, then change to a package at just 5 days out when the promotion would no longer be in affect, wouldn't that mean you lose the room discount?

Thanks yes that was a mistype!

I was told that if it was a room only discount, dining and tix would be able to be added later on without affecting the room discount. It's all in the way the CM books the room. From what the CM told me, they have an option to book 'room only' or they have an option to book a 'room only package' which is what they can then add dining & tickets on to. But it can only be done over the phone and you need to be clear with the CM what your intent is and have them go over it with you to make sure it is being booked in the right way. As we are staying AOA-LM, we didn't get a room discount.

Of course if you want to change to a different type of discount (room/tix discount, free dining) then the reservation would need to be cancelled and completely rebooked.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

The easier thing to do is call and ask for a basic pkg rather than a room only. A basic pkg is just the room, booked through the travel company. You would put $200 down as a deposit. Then you can add dining, tickets, etc as late as a day before arrival. Remember if you add something 30day or less before arrival you must pay immediately. All pkgs must be paid in full at 30 days.

And some clarification about the room only to a package... When you reserve a room only you are booking with the resorts group, not the travel company. You pay the first night as a deposit and pay the resort directly at check in. You can not add dining to a room only. You can add tickets, called key to the world tickets. You pay for the tickets when you add them to the room only.

If you want to add dining or dining and tickets you must rebook with the travel company. This can be as late as a day before arrival. There seems to be some confusion with the 5 day cancellation policy. Disney views this as a modification, not a true cancellation so you would receive your deposit back.

If you add before 30 days you book the package and put a $200 deposit, paying the balance at 30 days. If you book the package 29 days or less you pay in full.

Resorts group and the travel company are different companies within Disney, so your room only deposit can not be transferred to your new package.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Forgot...the offer you book with on your room only is guaranteed when you rebook your pkg. if it is an expired code or the room is not available the cm has to go to guest services to secure the room or rate.

 

[DebbieB]

Ticket prices are rumored to be going up any day now. If you wait, you will get hit with the higher price.