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

[itchin2go]

When I saw new posts my initial thought was " Throwaway rooms is still something people are doing ? "

I don't think there's much of this being done anymore. I think there are still some leftovers from when FP was much more murky area. Example: The reservation was made back then, and there's the decision of whether to keep it. Just my humble opinion on that.

I keep harping on this, but you have to remember how wacko things were when this concept came up. Those not staying onsite were at a major disadvantage with not being able to pre-book fastpasses. I had started planning my trip then, and I was freaked out. It wasn't just the lack of 60 days advance booking - it was NO advance booking. So at the point when I would normally be racing towards Soarin at rope drop, I would have been racing to a kiosk only to stand in a long line hoping to get (what I assumed would be) some dregs of FPs.

With the advent of 30 day prebooking for offsiters, Disney has pretty much eliminated the main reason for booking these "throwaway rooms". Again, IMHO.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

I keep harping on this, but you have to remember how wacko things were when this concept came up. Those not staying onsite were at a major disadvantage with not being able to pre-book fastpasses. I had started planning my trip then, and I was freaked out.

Today's lesson. Don't freak out. Things will probably work out. Just be patient.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Thank you 4077 and yes as we both said it will have to be something that Mickey will have to change...or not.

itchin2go..like I said it was the whole " Can't book a one night anymore" that had me come back here

EpcotAtNight: Very true words

doconeill: How much does a one night person ( typically locals ) spend ? MNSSHP times $70. est per person TS Chef Mickeys $70. est PP not counting tips Must have Pluto collectibles...ha ha come to our house
I am not a rare duck local here there are plenty that spend a LOT of course this isn't every time but I think I made my point

 

[doconeill]

doconeill: How much does a one night person ( typically locals ) spend ? MNSSHP times $70. est per person TS Chef Mickeys $70. est PP not counting tips Must have Pluto collectibles...ha ha come to our house
I am not a rare duck local here there are plenty that spend a LOT of course this isn't every time but I think I made my point

First, I was talking in the general sense, but there are of course exceptions. Second, would you ONLY spend that money if you booked a throwaway room? You don't need to be on site to go to MNSSHP. You do not need to be on-site to eat at Chef Mickeys. You do not need to be on-site to buy collectibles.

If you aren't staying in the throwaway room, Disney does not lose that income. What I said they _might_ lose is on incidental purchases at the resort that they _might_ get from a person staying one night one site - but then, how much does a one night person actually spend _at the resort_? More than likely, those type of people are using it as only a place to sleep.

 

[itchin2go]

Today's lesson. Don't freak out. Things will probably work out. Just be patient.

OMG. TRUTH. A lesson I keep trying to learn!

 

[mom2rtk]

Does Disney really have a high enough occupancy rate to turn down 1 night reservations? I'm just not going to believe they will do that until I see it.

 

[Luvchefmic]

First, I was talking in the general sense, but there are of course exceptions. Second, would you ONLY spend that money if you booked a throwaway room? You don't need to be on site to go to MNSSHP. You do not need to be on-site to eat at Chef Mickeys. You do not need to be on-site to buy collectibles.

If you aren't staying in the throwaway room, Disney does not lose that income. What I said they _might_ lose is on incidental purchases at the resort that they _might_ get from a person staying one night one site - but then, how much does a one night person actually spend _at the resort_? More than likely, those type of people are using it as only a place to sleep.

Oh I do NEED all of the things I listed and I DO need a one night booking to use so we aren't DUI or sleep deprived driving home. Everyone has valid points.

I know you were talking in general, I can only speak for me and the many locals I know that spend a lot at WDW. I am just saying how not being able to have that one night when we go would affect us.

I feel like Mickey's one night stand

 

[ArwenMarie]

The FP+ is not so straight forward. You get 60+length of stay from check-in date, buy you also get 60 days from any date after that, up until you actually check in, when it collapses back down to 30 days over time.

And this is different from how it was during testing…when one night onsite would let you prebook FPs for your entire length-of-ticket. So they have done something to change this.

Hi all -I've being following this topic for a few days. I have a question - If someone books a stay for say 7 nights, makes fast pass+ selections for those days and then cancels all but one night, do they keep the fast passes for the other 6 days?
Thanks, Chris

I can only say what just happened to me. We were booked at OKW for August. Booked the FPs at 60 days. Then we decided to go offsite (I didn't care about the FPs, if they disappeared or whatever). So I canceled OKW, but left the ticket linked on MDE. The FPs didn't go away but I couldn't change the times on them. Then we decided to come back onsite, made another reservation, and the FPs were able to be changed again. So anyway, something turned off when the reservation went out of the system between 60-30 days, but it wasn't a deletion.

 

[doconeill]

Oh I do NEED all of the things I listed and I DO need a one night booking to use so we aren't DUI or sleep deprived driving home. Everyone has valid points.

I know you were talking in general, I can only speak for me and the many locals I know that spend a lot at WDW. I am just saying how not being able to have that one night when we go would affect us.

I feel like Mickey's one night stand

Wait, so you're actually _using_ the room? That's different. I'm talking about the actual throwaway rooms that people book but DON'T use, and _their_ effect on the resort's bottom line.

 

[Luvchefmic]

Does Disney really have a high enough occupancy rate to turn down 1 night reservations? I'm just not going to believe they will do that until I see it.

Nope and I should have known better before I even reacted

 

[cakebaker]

Does Disney really have a high enough occupancy rate to turn down 1 night reservations? I'm just not going to believe they will do that until I see it.

I'm not so sure it's based on how high the occupancy rate is. Booking a single night ties up the room for guests who want to stay longer. And they certainly wanted to turn us down! It took an hour and going up the ladder a couple of times and them calling the resort directly to get permission to to get them to add that night on.

Try it...go to the website and find a night that isn't available for 1 night...don't use high occupancy dates like Christmas. Then try and book it for a longer stay that includes that night. I can't say it will happen every time, but that's exactly how it worked for us. Clearly the room was not booked, but the site nor guest services would allow us to book it.

The supervisor went thru a long spiel on Disney's reasoning for this, but basically they'd rather turn down 1 night stays in hopes of booking a longer stay where they not only get the revenue from the room, but all the spending the longer stay guest will do.

 

[doconeill]

Does Disney really have a high enough occupancy rate to turn down 1 night reservations? I'm just not going to believe they will do that until I see it.

Nope and I should have known better before I even reacted

Actually, yes, at times they do. But due to people traveling on different schedules, there are always "holes" they can fill in with one-nighters.

And this is different from how it was during testing…when one night onsite would let you prebook FPs for your entire length-of-ticket. So they have done something to change this.

Yes, initially, it was strictly length of ticket, but not even contiguously, so there were a few issues with that so they needed to place some sort of upper bound, which was the check-out date. But if your ticket is longer than the resort stay, you can still book additional nights, you just had to wait until 60 days from that particular date. It is sort of a "thank you" bonus for spending at least part of your vacation at a WDW resort.

If they wanted to close the loophole in general, they could just eliminate the post-resort 60 day window altogether.

 

[cakebaker]

For example, I just checked a particular date at Pop Century;

8/6-8/7- Nothing available in any category

8/3- 8/7- Standard or Preferred is open.

Obviously there is a room open on the 6th, yet I can't book it unless I stay longer.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm not so sure it's based on how high the occupancy rate is. Booking a single night ties up the room for guests who want to stay longer. And they certainly wanted to turn us down! It took an hour and going up the ladder a couple of times and them calling the resort directly to get permission to to get them to add that night on.

Try it...go to the website and find a night that isn't available for 1 night...don't use high occupancy dates like Christmas. Then try and book it for a longer stay that includes that night. I can't say it will happen every time, but that's exactly how it worked for us. Clearly the room was not booked, but the site nor guest services would allow us to book it.

The supervisor went thru a long spiel on Disney's reasoning for this, but basically they'd rather turn down 1 night stays in hopes of booking a longer stay where they not only get the revenue from the room, but all the spending the longer stay guest will do.

I'm sure that's an issue. But the question is whether it's a big enough problem to turn down all one night reservations.

Actually, yes, at times they do. But due to people traveling on different schedules, there are always "holes" they can fill in with one-nighters.

No doubt it's high enough at certain times of year. But their resort overhead is huge and costs them every night of the year.

I'd be more prone to believe they might institute a "no single night reservation" policy during certain peak weeks.

 

[tinker&belle]

For example, I just checked a particular date at Pop Century; 8/6-8/7- Nothing available in any category 8/3- 8/7- Standard or Preferred is open. Obviously there is a room open on the 6th, yet I can't book it unless I stay longer.

This happens with other lengths of stay too. I tried to book 9 nights for free dining. It wasn't available. It would let me book 12, including the nights I wanted.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Yes, initially, it was strictly length of ticket, but not even contiguously, so there were a few issues with that so they needed to place some sort of upper bound, which was the check-out date. But if your ticket is longer than the resort stay, you can still book additional nights, you just had to wait until 60 days from that particular date. It is sort of a "thank you" bonus for spending at least part of your vacation at a WDW resort.

If they wanted to close the loophole in general, they could just eliminate the post-resort 60 day window altogether.

Exactly, so it's not a loophole. It's something Disney is doing intentionally.

 

[nugov2]

They very much cared that I was trying to book a single night. In fact, they tried their best to get me to give them the name of the online agent I chatted with on their website who encouraged me to book a longer stay than I intended, then cancel the days I did not need. The higher up I spoke with actually told me that had I given them the name, they would've been fired.


To say Disney doesn't care or that they endorse this method of getting benefits you aren't entitled to simply because you can get away with it, is as you say, plain silly. It's more of a matter that they've put up with as it hasn't been a huge issue that was costing them money up till the start of fastpass +.
I'm pretty sure when all you were gaining was the ability to spend more money with them, they even kinda liked it.

But now, there are apparently enough doing it that it's causing problems with bookings and that costs them money. They also realize it's taxing their precious fastpass + system they spent millions on. They want their guests to love the system. They want those staying offsite to love it enough that they'll move to onsite and when mom and dad who's staying in a suite at the Grand Floridian can't get little Suzie her meeting with Anna and Elsa cause mom and dad staying at Motel Six booked a night at the campgrounds- it's a problem. When a guest can't get their 10 day package vacation booked because the middle of the week is broken up with single night throwaway rooms- it's a problem.

Everything they've done in the last few years has been to encourage more people to stay within the bounds of Disney World. Do you really think they want people not staying onsite to get the same benefits as those that do? Xtra magic hours, early ADR, 60 days FP+- all to encourage people to stay onsite.

From the conversations I've had, they care a great deal now and are working to put a stop to it and close the loophole. My gripe is that in stopping the abuse of the system, they are penalizing guests who shouldn't be.

How is a room booked by a family of four who doesn't sleep there more taxing on the FP system vs a family of four who books it and sleeps there? Either way a family of four has the option to book....just because you aren't sleeping there it doesn't change the impact.

I honestly think you are exaggerating your "conversations" with WDW. They don't give a hoot and if they do they will change it. They are completely capable of doing that at any time. Until they do claiming that they have a problem with it is just hearsay and cannot be proven. Right now the people booking have proof that this is acceptable b/c WDW is allowing and like you already claimed they are well aware of it happening. I am pretty sure it wouldn't take more than a few days a week at most to fix this supposed "loophole". I am also very skeptical a employee of WDW would be discussing what the company does or doesn't like via the recorded phone conversation and what they are working on fixing. Pretty sure if an official email went out to employees they would be no longer allowing one night stays or modifying the perks that would have been posted on this site or a blog as soon as it was sent out with all of the new policies and procedures at WDW being leaked online before they are implemented.

 

[aristocatz]

To each their own, but I would never book a throwaway room. To me, it's a total waste of money and a whole lot of hoopla for something not needed. I would also feel very bad about taking a room away from someone who actually wanted to use it for their vacation, especially if I'm booking during a holiday or another very busy time of year.

We always stay onsite (moderates mostly), because it makes sense to us. The rooms are decent, theming is fun, and its convenient. The rooms may not be as good of a deal (financially) as some off-site rooms, but convenience is way more important o us than saving a few bucks. Based on our last few trips though, we didn't NEED FP to enjoy our trip. We got there early, before RP, planned strategically, and we basically spent the morning doing everything we wanted to do (walking on or short waits). We took a break at our resort, and then returned to spent the rest of the day enjoying & exploring the parks with no expectations and it was great. Our last trip was during Feb break, a pretty busy time.

We are planning a trip to Universal in the near future and it just seems to make the most sense to save up $$ and stay on-site.

I don't know, I guess I'm in the camp of just saving up a little extra to do things right and easy, and not try and jump through a bunch of hoops to get there.

As mentioned, to each their own, but booking a throwaway room is not for me.

 

[Missyrose]

They very much cared that I was trying to book a single night. In fact, they tried their best to get me to give them the name of the online agent I chatted with on their website who encouraged me to book a longer stay than I intended, then cancel the days I did not need. The higher up I spoke with actually told me that had I given them the name, they would've been fired.

Disney easily tracks every phone CM and Website CM you talk to. They wouldn't need you to give them the name of the person you chatted with. They already have it. You'll have to find some other way to be the anti-throwaway room crusader.

 

[cakebaker]

Disney easily tracks every phone CM and Website CM you talk to. They wouldn't need you to give them the name of the person you chatted with. They already have it. You'll have to find some other way to be the anti-throwaway room crusader.

Lol- That's exactly what I told the supervisor who asked- I'm not giving you the name of the only cm who was trying to be helpful. You have ways of finding it out if you really want to.

I'm not looking to be the crusader, so you might want to keep the insults to yourself.