Split Stay - Help with ADR Booking Window

[brandyleeann]

Hi everyone,

I am hoping you can help with determining my ADR booking window(s) as I am doing a split stay and want to confirm the dates I can book meals for.

December 30 to January 1: Animal Kingdom Lodge
Booking Window 1 - I believe I can book meals for December 30, 31 and January 1 starting on July 3.

January 1 to January 6: Beach Club
Booking Window 2 - I believe I can book meals for January 1 (which will have been booked in window 1?) to January 6 starting on July 5.

Is this right? I assume you don't get 180+10 if you don't actually have 10 days, which is why two booking windows are required?

Thanks for your help from a WDW rookie

 

[FelisLachesis]

Booking window 1 is correct at July 3

Booking window is also correct on July 5.

It used to be a full 180+10, but too many people were abusing the system. That's why changes were made like the $10/person ADR no show / day of cancellation fee. This change was also made because people were literally booking one space at the campsites at Fort Wilderness for one night, and getting all the perks like 180+10 ADRs and 60 day FP+s, and never actually using said space. It was like $45 to get all those perks. A literal throwaway space just to get the on-site benefits.

Now it is 180+length of stay, maximum of 10 days. So if you're staying for 2 weeks, the first 10 days of your trip can be planned at the appropriate window. Day 11 can be set up the following day (your 10 day window moves one day), day 12 the day after that, etc.

Disney doesn't actually recognize split stays. I read on here earlier that Disney considers you left and came back, as two separate reservations. That's why your 180 days resets from July 3 to July 5.

My thought there is that if they allowed people to book everything for all reservations, here comes the Campsites issue again. For example: 10 day park ticket, Book 3 nights where you want on property, spend a week off property, but also book that week at the campsites. Then after everything is set, cancel the Campsite reservation, but you get to keep all your ADRs and FP+s. I think that's exactly what Disney didn't want to happen, so it's at 180+length of stay (max 10)

 

[kristenabelle]

Right. It's annoying, especially for harder to get reservations, but my family likes to split our stays every trip, and we've still managed to get everything we want eventually