Throwaway room (read post #2041 or #2710 before posting)

[Laketravis]

Hi,

I agree with the scenarios that the pps have made. I am glad to see other points of view.

I think Disney needs to hire us Disers' as consultants.

Or at least as a focus group, right?

 

[my4girls10]

We have booked a "throwaway" for our trip during the first week of December, this year. I did this "just in case" this FP+ debacle for offsite guests isn't sorted out. This will be our first time offsite. Staying on site with 4 kids isn't how we choose to spend our money. If this were just a difference of $200 (as a PP has stated), it wouldn't be a big deal. For our family, it's a difference of almost $1000. That's a huge deal. We pay the same amount of money for tickets as everyone else. We will eat on site. We will make a few ADRs. If I have to book a reservation of this sort to tour the way we are accustomed, I will. As others have stated, this is a major hit as far as how we're accustomed to touring. I'm definitely not thrilled, and I'm crossing my fingers that this gets sorted out before we arrive in 322 days!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[ampc3]

We have booked a "throwaway" for our trip during the first week of December, this year. I did this "just in case" this FP+ debacle for offsite guests isn't sorted out. This will be our first time offsite. Staying on site with 4 kids isn't how we choose to spend our money. If this were just a difference of $200 (as a PP has stated), it wouldn't be a big deal. For our family, it's a difference of almost $1000. That's a huge deal. We pay the same amount of money for tickets as everyone else. We will eat on site. We will make a few ADRs. If I have to book a reservation of this sort to tour the way we are accustomed, I will. As others have stated, this is a major hit as far as how we're accustomed to touring. I'm definitely not thrilled, and I'm crossing my fingers that this gets sorted out before we arrive in 322 days!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

I agree 100% we are in the same boat... we are planning on going in May and I plan on doing the same thing unless the offsite can book ahead... I also agree that onsite SHOULD get more perks however, if I am paying for said room/spot (b/c I want some of those perks) it is up to me HOW we use it!
I will not lose any sleep over it either, but I am losing sleep over the fact of HOW MUCH $$$ we are spending at WDW and trying to figure out how to tour with ONLY 3 FP a day and MAYBE our favorite rides won't even be available b/c we can't book ahead
This thread has been very interesting to say the least and LakeTRavis I obviously don't know you, but I agree spot on with every thing you have said and think we would be great friends haha... infact we have dear friends that live in Austin and took us out once on Lake Travis was a great time! I love Texas

 

[iheartjuppy]

We, too, are touring in May, staying offsite (DTD), buying tix from UCT, and are considering a throwaway room strictly for the MBs and FP+s. We'll already have access to EMH because of our hotel choice. We won't have a car, so the parking isn't an issue for us meaning the $$ we'd pay for the room would be strictly for personal preference, not any financial savings at all. We'd be giving Disney $$ for something that, in theory, costs them nothing other than the buck or two it costs to make and ship a Magic Band.

We've made the decision that, for our family of four including 2 little ones, it is worth the ~$4/pp per day to not have to wait at a kiosk and to be able to use the app to change our FP+s instead of going BACK to a kiosk if we have any changes to make. It's strictly a time-savings investment for us because we want our time in-park to be spent in as few lines (or in line for as little time) as possible.

My ONLY concern with this plan is that somehow we would have to physically go to check in to the resort in order to keep from forfeiting our reservations. I can do online check-in, I fully expect to pay for our room/site, but do NOT have a means to get to the resort/FW to do an in-person check-in without it being a HUGE inconvenience.

I'm subscribing in hopes someone who does the throwaway room can let us know if they actually have to check in in person. Please feel free to PM me if this works for you and you don't feel like posting here!

 

[ArwenMarie]

We, too, are touring in May, staying offsite (DTD), buying tix from UCT, and are considering a throwaway room strictly for the MBs and FP+s. We'll already have access to EMH because of our hotel choice. We won't have a car, so the parking isn't an issue for us meaning the $$ we'd pay for the room would be strictly for personal preference, not any financial savings at all. We'd be giving Disney $$ for something that, in theory, costs them nothing other than the buck or two it costs to make and ship a Magic Band.

We've made the decision that, for our family of four including 2 little ones, it is worth the ~$4/pp per day to not have to wait at a kiosk and to be able to use the app to change our FP+s instead of going BACK to a kiosk if we have any changes to make. It's strictly a time-savings investment for us because we want our time in-park to be spent in as few lines (or in line for as little time) as possible.

My ONLY concern with this plan is that somehow we would have to physically go to check in to the resort in order to keep from forfeiting our reservations. I can do online check-in, I fully expect to pay for our room/site, but do NOT have a means to get to the resort/FW to do an in-person check-in without it being a HUGE inconvenience.

I'm subscribing in hopes someone who does the throwaway room can let us know if they actually have to check in in person. Please feel free to PM me if this works for you and you don't feel like posting here!

I have not done a throwaway room. However, I have had a one-night resort stay at the front of our trip due to late flights, that I have ended up missing. All I did was call and let them know we wouldn't be making it. As long as you aren't asking for a refund, they couldn't care less, in my experience. If I was doing this, I would just call and say you won't be able to make it.

 

[OhioDisneyDad]

Just knowing that this so-called loophole annoys certain posters on here just confirms that I want to do this very thing. In fact, I think I'll book a throw away room and have our traveling companions book a throw away, mid-week campsite. Disposable income is a wonderful thing.

 

[iheartjuppy]

I have not done a throwaway room. However, I have had a one-night resort stay at the front of our trip due to late flights, that I have ended up missing. All I did was call and let them know we wouldn't be making it. As long as you aren't asking for a refund, they couldn't care less, in my experience. If I was doing this, I would just call and say you won't be able to make it.

I'm just worried if I did that then I would forfeit the FP+s if they think I'm, essentially, canceling (with pay)

 

[Luvchefmic]

I'm just worried if I did that then I would forfeit the FP+s if they think I'm, essentially, canceling (with pay)

I think that is exactly what would happen

 

[bcrook]

Please see my above post. Cast the first stone and all of that...



I'd be interested in seeing any evidence of Disney removing personal property from any Disney resort room via a declaration of abandonment during any period of time in which the room was paid for and no outstanding charges were pending.

That's a violation of Florida Hotel & Resort Occupancy statutes.

I book a room for a week or more, and then head to the coast for a day or two often.

Also i travel with large groups often and we are split up over DVC, hotel rooms and Bonnett creek. There are times I stay in different rooms.

I find it difficult to believe Disney would take away a room I paid for because I wasn't using my key enough.

 

[CalvaryMike]

Please forgive my ignorance - the MB & FP+ business is all new to me & I haven't done much homework yet.

Reading through some of this I'm wondering what keeps people from making a room reservation, getting their Magic Bands in the mail & then cancelling their reservation? (It is my understanding that the Magic Bands ship before the 5-day cancellation window.)

I assume cancelling the room res. would delete any FP+ they have chosen?

Yes. Because you need to have a room linked to your MB's. As soon as you cancel your room, you lose the link and your FP+.

 

[Clare]

Yes. Because you need to have a room linked to your MB's. As soon as you cancel your room, you lose the link and your FP+.

Got it - that makes sense. Thanks.

 

[iheartjuppy]

That's also my fear with what would essentially be a no-show as well. So getting to a resort/FW just to check in for the throwaway room may be the mitigating factor in whether this is just too much of a pain in the butt I'm certainly hoping someone gives it a shot before our trip to let us know. I have every intention of calling CRO to ask, but we all know their answers have been, um, inconsistent in the past so I'm not holding my breath on anything they say.

A family could genuinely be planning to camp for one night just as a special treat for the kids during an off-site visit but if it's pouring that day, it takes the fun out of it and I wouldn't stand outside pitching my tent in the pouring rain just for one "fun" night and would probably change my mind and stay in the hotel. If that was the first night and thereby forfeits MB/FP+ privileges already booked for the duration of tickets I'd be pretty upset so want to make 100% sure of what's going on.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

That's also my fear with what would essentially be a no-show as well. So getting to a resort/FW just to check in for the throwaway room may be the mitigating factor in whether this is just too much of a pain in the butt I'm certainly hoping someone gives it a shot before our trip to let us know. I have every intention of calling CRO to ask, but we all know their answers have been, um, inconsistent in the past so I'm not holding my breath on anything they say.

A family could genuinely be planning to camp for one night just as a special treat for the kids during an off-site visit but if it's pouring that day, it takes the fun out of it and I wouldn't stand outside pitching my tent in the pouring rain just for one "fun" night and would probably change my mind and stay in the hotel. If that was the first night and thereby forfeits MB/FP+ privileges already booked for the duration of tickets I'd be pretty upset so want to make 100% sure of what's going on.

I wonder about check out also. What is required when you check out?

 

[Tramp68]

I wonder about check out also. What is required when you check out?

Nothing is required at checkout. We had a 1 night studio stay at AKV before our 2BR OKW reservation just to use the room to shower and clean up after a 20 hour drive. We were planning on getting in at 6AM and shower and nap quick. We were delayed in traffic and never got to the room.

Disney thinks we used the room and have sent multiple survey requests to see how my stay was. The reservation was never removed from MDE.

 

[mrzrich]

There are only 90 tent/pop up sites total in all of FW.

There are

1,920 at All-Star Movies Resort
1,728 standard rooms at All-Star Music Resort
1,920 at All-Star Sports Resort
2,880 at Pop Century Classic Years Resort
and
864 Little Mermaid rooms at AOA

I just think in the spirit of fairness to people who might actually need those 90 sites for actual tent or pop up camping, if you are going to "throwaway" a reservation, do it at a value.

 

[Luvchefmic]

There are only 90 tent/pop up sites total in all of FW.

There are

1,920 at All-Star Movies Resort
1,728 standard rooms at All-Star Music Resort
1,920 at All-Star Sports Resort
2,880 at Pop Century Classic Years Resort
and
864 Little Mermaid rooms at AOA

I just think in the spirit of fairness to people who might actually need those 90 sites for actual tent or pop up camping, if you are going to "throwaway" a reservation, do it at a value.

at certain times of the year the "values" book super fast so that way of thinking wouldn't be fair to the people who don't camp in a tent and only want a value Seems like a tremendous amount of rooms I get that VS tent site but they sell out too

Now what I really think, you want to spend your money and not actually use the room/tent site I could not care less; you are spending your $ for the reservation just like everyone else Doesn't matter in the least to me where you actually put your head down at night

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

.

I totally agree with Robo.

 

[Imhere]

.

Easy for you to say.

 

[iheartjuppy]

I spoke with the Internet Help Desk today (1/13/14 obviously subject to change with the wind) about what would happen to FP+ reservations if one did not check in day-of but of course paid for the room, and was told that FP+ are tied to the Magic Bands and as long as the reservation wasn't canceled, they would not be deleted/removed due to a no-show (paid). Take that as you will, as I was also told I was the first person to ask that question and she did not put me on hold or double check with anyone else. SEEMS like as long as you pay you'd be all set, but if you canceled after receiving your MBs/booking FP+s you'd likely have your plans canceled along with your reservations.

 

[mickeyinthehouse]

Has anyone else had experience with rooms/cancellations or multiple days of FP+ reservations? We are staying offsite in March - normally we stay onsite but we have free hotel points to use. However, we did rent DVC points for the last night of our trip in order to plan a parents night out and our kids could utilize the kids club. It just seemed easier to stay onsite for that night.

So we have magic bands coming, but it's my understanding they will not be active until we check in to our hotel on the last night of our stay. So we will have bands all week but unable to use them. If we book a room for the first night of our stay, it seems to me the mb will be active which will grant us access to the park, but I'm unsure what dates I would have access to fp+. I would think I could book the day we check in and the day of checkout. Also, I should be able to book the last day of the trip since we will be onsite for that day as well. Any guesses on the days in between?