What do you think...right or wrong? Possible debate

[freediverdude]

I guess I could see how they might save around 40 bucks a night in this specific situation. It could work fairly easily if one person went over to Pop in a car and got all the room keys while everybody chilled at the Boardwalk pool for a while before going to a park. And then leave a credit card on file at Pop for express check out, so they wouldn't have to go back there.
But, and this is a big but, it would only work enough to make it worthwhile in this specific situation:
1. the party is 4 adults, making the dining plan worth $152 per night (vs. the cost of the value resort in VALUE season at $79 + the cost of 2 extra adults, still being less than $152) (with 2 adults and 2 kids under 9, you would only save $19 per night- $98 dining plan vs. $79 Pop room, kinda iffy whether that's worth it)
2. the room at the resort where they want to stay was gotten through other means other than paying rack rate, like renting points or having a real deep discount.
3. the whole party wants to purchase magic your way tickets for at least part of their stay, so that there is no extra ticket cost involved above what the party was going to spend for tickets anyway.

So yes, this particular party in this particular situation might save enough to make it worthwhile, but it's a pretty specific set of criteria to fit into in order to save.

 

[Missy1961]

I guess I could see how they might save around 40 bucks a night in this specific situation. It could work fairly easily if one person went over to Pop in a car and got all the room keys while everybody chilled at the Boardwalk pool for a while before going to a park. And then leave a credit card on file at Pop for express check out, so they wouldn't have to go back there.
But, and this is a big but, it would only work enough to make it worthwhile in this specific situation:
1. the party is 4 adults, making the dining plan worth $152 per night (vs. the cost of the value resort in VALUE season at $79 + the cost of 2 extra adults, still being less than $152) (with 2 adults and 2 kids under 9, you would only save $19 per night- $98 dining plan vs. $79 Pop room, kinda iffy whether that's worth it)
2. the room at the resort where they want to stay was gotten through other means other than paying rack rate, like renting points or having a real deep discount.
3. the whole party wants to purchase magic your way tickets for at least part of their stay, so that there is no extra ticket cost involved above what the party was going to spend for tickets anyway.

So yes, this particular party in this particular situation might save enough to make it worthwhile, but it's a pretty specific set of criteria to fit into in order to save.

I think the whole party has to be there to check in, since people were inflating numbers, i.e. saying there were 4 adults in the room when there were only 2. And when you do express check out, they slip the receipt under the door the nite before, so they would have to go there to get the paperwork. A lot of work to save $. I'd eat counter service.

 

[paigevz]

No, it's not wrong, she's paying for it. What difference does it make if she sleeps there or not? Rather than sleeping in the room, she is paying the extra for the tickets and dp. She still paid for it..............

 

[mousermerf]

Incase anyone was wondering...

Disney policy is that you may not occupy 2 rooms with the same people on the same or overlapping intenerary.

This applies to all rooms, campground sites, everything.

If you had booked two rooms at WDW, you'd need to have different people in those rooms. If anyone at reservations or resorts catches on, the reservations will be canceled.

 

[declansdad]

I took this from the resorts board. I personally don't agree with it. We tried to book POP during free dining and nothing was available. I wonder how many rooms may be sitting empty there that we could have been in?

On the thread where this was brought up another poster wondered about this as well. TO find out they went to the Disney site and tried to book a room for every night in September (this person in question is travelling in Sept.) The system said that there was room available every night in September at Pop Century.

Where you trying to get a room at another time? Just curious.

 

[SplshMtn99]

In my best comedian Kevin Meaney whiney impersonation ... "THAT'S NOT RIGHT".

 

[mousermerf]

Furthermore, this applies to restaurant reservations as well.

You cannot hold two reservations for the same time period for the same people.

The computer systems, being archaic, will allow it, but the CM's are trained to stop it if they catch it.

 

[freediverdude]

I've never heard of the whole party having to be at the front desk at check-in, but yes they would have to have at least 2 adults and at least 1 child on the dining plan to save any money really, and it would have to be during value season. 1 child = saving 8 dollars per night, 2 children = saving 19 dollars, 4 adults = saving more, maybe around 40 dollars, i forget how much each extra adult in a room costs. But again it would almost have to be the specific situation that this party is in, where it's unlikely CRO will see the rented points reservation, AND they need tickets also, AND it's during free dining, AND it's during value season for the value resorts, etc etc etc.

 

[macraven]

all i can say is WOW

i never knew people did this.

i never thought of it


i'm so blonde at times.

 

[Dizneyfan4life]

I think mousekeeping, or any housekeeping anywhere in the world, or used to see weirder things than that. Really...



What if they went somewhere partying all night long? What if they went to friends living in the neighbourhood, drank too much and ended up sleeping over there? What if it are 4 singles, friends, all matching up with other singles and spending the night in someone else's bed?

It's a hotel, not a kindergarten.

Exactly

 

[Cool-Beans]

There is nothing wrong with renting a room and not being in it.

Do the Morals Police have an exact number of hours per day that you must occupy a room in order to have its rental be righteous?

ETA: Housekeeping would NOT go and compain about an already-clean room. No way, Jose. They'd mark down that they cleaned it and sit down for 5 minutes.

And you don't have to go there to pick up your check-out paperwork. If you leave it there on the floor, the housekeeping folks will throw it out for you.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Where's the OP. I'm curious about the ticket angle. LOL (posted at 11:05 am)

Curious that the original poster has not been back to answer any questions. Probably someone just trying to (posted at 11:22 am)

Um, probably asleep? It was between 1:00 am and 1:30 am in Australia when these questions were posted

No, really. It stinks that because of that you can't get a room. Them really sleeping in that room or not doesn't change a thing for you. The room has been booked and will be paid.

Well, no, it's not that the OP in this thread couldn't get a room; they apparently couldn't get a room at Pop Century with the free dining plan, so they now can't vacation at Disney World. THIS, I don't get. There are three other Value resorts that may very well have had rooms available with the free dining promotion. There ARE rooms available at Pop Century EVERY night in September, just not with the free dining. I'm positive - using disneyworld.com just this morning, I would have been able to book THIRTY consecutive nights (check in 9/1, check out 10/1) in either a standard or preferred location. While realize the OP is annoyed, for starters where's the proof that her trip and the other source's stay would have overlapped by even one night?
The FDP promotion was available for booking for two and a half months; surely in that time some resorts would run out of designated promotion nights. Even if the OP in this thread couldn't book the package at ANY Value resort, that can't be the responsibility of the other thread-starter. Let's just estimate 10% of each resort's rooms were inventoried for the Free Dining Package. That's 576 rooms PER NIGHT at Pop Century and 565 rooms PER NIGHT at the three All Stars combined (ASMusic's family Suites not eligible for package).
The other thread-starter reserved and is paying for ONE room out of the 1,141. The unavailability of the other 1,140 rooms (the reservations for many of which could well be cancelled before/at the 45 day mark) is NOT due to that person.

but I do see it is just a little wrong from the angle that by doing this they are hurting another family that might want to book but the rooms are all taken.

Okay, yes, they MAY have deprived another party of a room at Pop Century with the free dining; however, since it's way too late to book that, they're not depriving anyone who wants to book a room at Pop. As I stated above, there are rooms available at Pop every single night in September.

The only thing that's not mentioned are tickets. If they have tickets already then they are paying about $250 for tickets they don't need. To get the deal you have to buy at least a 1 day base ticket.

I have a feeling they purchased exactly the tickets they need/want, with the Free Dining Package. They had to get tickets anyway to make it a package; as residents of Australia, they probably don't have APs; I think this deal is great for them!

And I suppose you could go that whole security thing that if there was ever a fire in the middle of the night and these 4 people were unaccounted for could it put people at risk who are going in looking for them?
That is the argument alot of people have about adding an extra person in the room. Fire personel wouldn't know there were more people than thought and could be missing some in their count.

Fire personnel and building management don't know who's home any given night in my apartment complex, either. It's none of their business. Unless the fire's in MY apartment, all they need to do is knock. If I don't answer, I'm not home. Same with ANY room at ANY hotel. Plus, which CM is running around with a list of occupied rooms to 'help' the firemen? For the most part, Disney rotates room use - they only shut down entire floors/wings/buildings during a renovation.

But they do have to check in in order to get the free dining. Everything will be tied to that POP room key. So the records will show there are 4 people staying in room XXX when in reality there isn't.

Records will show four people registered in that room, yes. Disney doesn't do a bed check every night, and adults are free to sleep wherever it's legally permitted. They don't HAVE to sleep in the hotel room they paid for.

Wrong, well, no not really. I think it's dumb though, it's way more work than what I want to do on vacation.

Figure it takes them two extra hours total to check into Pop Century and get their room keys (with the dining credits and park tickets coded in) and go back over there to check out. They've already calculated they're saving $300. Yeah, the 'way more work' is definitely worth $150 an hour.

all i can say is WOW
i never knew people did this.
i never thought of it
i'm so blonde at times.

No, you're not Actually, I think last year some DVC members did exactly this. They used points that they already owned to stay at a DVC resort, then reserved Value resort rooms with the free dining. No additional out of pocket expenses for where they actually stayed; and for between $80 and $100 a night (less for AAA members booking the package through that agency, because last year you COULD get the AAA package discount and the free dining) they had the dining plan. Saved about $50 a night - based on four adults - and of course you can get WAY more than $35 or $38 in VALUE from the dining plan each night.

 

[phorsenuf]

Well, no, it's not that the OP in this thread couldn't get a room; they apparently couldn't get a room at Pop Century with the free dining plan, so they now can't vacation at Disney World. THIS, I don't get. There are three other Value resorts that may very well have had rooms available with the free dining promotion.

I am the OP and I never said we were not going because we couldn't get a room at POP. We booked at All Star Sports.

While realize the OP is annoyed, for starters where's the proof that her trip and the other source's stay would have overlapped by even one night?

I never said anything like that. All I did was post this to see what other people's opinions are. I found it to be interesting.

Even if the OP in this thread couldn't book the package at ANY Value resort, that can't be the responsibility of the other thread-starter.

Never said I did. Where are you getting this stuff from? I feel like we are playing that kids game operator or something.

Fire personnel and building management don't know who's home any given night in my apartment complex, either. It's none of their business. Unless the fire's in MY apartment, all they need to do is knock. If I don't answer, I'm not home. Same with ANY room at ANY hotel. Plus, which CM is running around with a list of occupied rooms to 'help' the firemen? For the most part, Disney rotates room use - they only shut down entire floors/wings/buildings during a renovation.

Brought this up because this is one argument people like to use when arguing about room occupancy.

Stop making up things I said...ok.

 

[TnKrBeLlA012]

If I understand correctly,they are saving 300.00? For someone who can afford two places why would 300.00 make or break them? Leave the small places to us poor folk. Maybe they store their luggage there?

 

[phorsenuf]

This is what I said in my original post...

I took this from the resorts board. I personally don't agree with it. We tried to book POP during free dining and nothing was available. I wonder how many rooms may be sitting empty there that we could have been in?

This is what you said about me.....

Well, no, it's not that the OP in this thread couldn't get a room; they apparently couldn't get a room at Pop Century with the free dining plan, so they now can't vacation at Disney World. THIS, I don't get. There are three other Value resorts that may very well have had rooms available with the free dining promotion. There ARE rooms available at Pop Century EVERY night in September, just not with the free dining. I'm positive - using disneyworld.com just this morning, I would have been able to book THIRTY consecutive nights (check in 9/1, check out 10/1) in either a standard or preferred location. While realize the OP is annoyed, for starters where's the proof that her trip and the other source's stay would have overlapped by even one night?

How the heck did you come up with your theory of me not going based on this?
I think this is the first time in many years of being on these boards that I'm actually annoyed by a response. LOL

 

[freediverdude]

Just an added opinion here......if that's what they wanna do, and feel like they got a special "deal", then fine, whatever.....I know other people that always want to feel like they found a way around the system and got a special deal. But to me, to have to check into a second resort and have 2 sets of room keys to keep track of, to save 300 bucks spread over 4 people, just to have the dining plan instead of paying for meals out of pocket, doesn't seem worth it. I know at least for me and my friends, we never eat a table service meal every single night, so it would either come out kind of break-even on the dining plan or else waste part of it. Plus eating a table service meal wastes a lot of valuable park time, so we do that sparingly. Every minute you're in Disney is money.......you pay SO MUCH to be there, literally each minute or hour is worth a dollar amount. I know that sounds like a park commando person, but I am not one of those people, I'm a passholder. But still, every minute is just so valuable there. I would have to really really want to eat somewhere real bad to worry about the ADR, and getting there at a certain time, and then waiting 15-30 min to get seated, and then leisurely ordering, and then eating, and then waiting another 15 min to get the check, and then waiting to finish payment, and then finally getting out of there. It makes you plan most of your day just around that. I guess maybe some people use the table service as a break in the day, but if I want a break and cool off, I go back to the resort, not sit in a fancy restaurant, lol. But to each their own.....sigh.

 

[Cool-Beans]

If I understand correctly,they are saving 300.00? For someone who can afford two places why would 300.00 make or break them? Leave the small places to us poor folk. Maybe they store their luggage there?

There is no way for us to know a stranger's financial situation. It is possible that they can use that $300.

If they rent the room and pay for it, it is their room to use (or not) as they see fit.

 

[kaytieeldr]

While realize the OP is annoyed, for starters where's the proof that her trip and the other source's stay would have overlapped by even one night?

I am the OP and I never said we were not going because we couldn't get a room at POP. We booked at All Star Sports.

My apologies. I misread your post on the other (now-closed) thread.

Even if the OP in this thread couldn't book the package at ANY Value resort, that can't be the responsibility of the other thread-starter.

Never said I did. Where are you getting this stuff from? I feel like we are playing that kids game operator or something.

Once again, I misread a post you made. My apologies.

Fire personnel and building management don't know who's home any given night in my apartment complex, either. It's none of their business. Unless the fire's in MY apartment, all they need to do is knock. If I don't answer, I'm not home. Same with ANY room at ANY hotel. Plus, which CM is running around with a list of occupied rooms to 'help' the firemen? For the most part, Disney rotates room use - they only shut down entire floors/wings/buildings during a renovation.

Brought this up because this is one argument people like to use when arguing about room occupancy.
Stop making up things I said...ok.

Not ok. Not applicable in this case. You made a statement, I refuted it.

If I understand correctly,they are saving 300.00? For someone who can afford two places why would 300.00 make or break them? Leave the small places to us poor folk. Maybe they store their luggage there?

They're saving $300 BY paying for the DVC point rental and the Pop room.

How the heck did you come up with your theory of me not going based on this?
I think this is the first time in many years of being on these boards that I'm actually annoyed by a response. LOL

Third time: I misread your original post. Again, I apologize.

 

[ksloane]

Just wanted to second something I read on the closed thread and alluded to here. They (or anyone else who considers this) need to e sure to tell them at check in what's going on, request no mousekeeping, or come to room daily and mess it up, and leave a few things so that it looks "lived" in.

There was a comment about housekeeping just marking it done and taking a break - maybe, maybe not..do you wanna chance it?

I faced a sorta-similiar situation this past week. My parents had booked a room (not a disney, but an upper level hotel) for two nights (because they had a coupon/discount for book one, get one free). They stayed the first night, packed up and left and met us for lunch and to exchange keys so that we could stay the second "free" night. When we got back to the hotel, our key did not work. Upon going to the front desk, we had been checked out and our room was already given to someone else!!! This was a big headache and we didn't even have the worry of losing a meal plan.

The only explanation the girl at the front desk could give us was that housekeeping had turned it in as there was nothing left in the room (it was used with dirty towels, and unmade bed, but no personal belongings were in it).

Choosing to avoid the whole is this right part of the topic, but thought that others might want to know about getting checked out (even at hotels other than disney) if it doesn't look like you are still there.

 

[bicker]

I am really quite mystified that anyone considers this cheating. I'm usually a pretty straight-laced and conservative guy. I am a very strong believer in following the rules -- do unto others as you'd have them do unto you -- don't look for ways to exploit others. Here you have someone offered something, paying for it, and using it without taking more from the supplier than the supplier offered. Unless Disney has some rule stating that all guests must sleep in their room every night, I don't see any issue here, and that's why I'm mystified about why anyone would consider this cheating.

I would even be cautious about calling this "selfish". In contrast to some of the truly selfish, and perhaps transgressive, things folks discuss doing -- deliberately exploiting gaps in enforcement of rules -- how can *this* be called selfish?

I'm not going to do a search to try to map user name to user name to see if anyone here is calling this selfish while supporting those other practices, because if I found a match I think I'd be far too depressed about humanity in general. :-\