Would this decrease the chances of future discounts?

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

When people call to make a rack rate reservation with the hopes that a future discount will be offered for or around their dates, with everyone room that gets sold without a discount will it mean less chances of discounts opening up? Someone from WDW might look at that and say if these people are making reservations at the rack rate why should we offer any discounts?

 

[momtobrynncess]

That's an interesting question. Not having any type of a marketing background myself, my guess is that they have all kinds of studies which tell them how much they need to offer discounts from year to year. Whether or not existing rack rate reservations impacts their studies is something I would think they would factor in? I don't know. For us, we usually try to book bounce back offers when they are available or wait for the pin code emails/free dining offers.

Here's another interesting question for you. How many people do you think book rack rate reservations and have no idea that such deep discounts are available? I have helped numerous people at work book their vacations and believe me, some of them have no idea about the discounts, and are willing to pay the full price. I of course do everything I can to steer them toward the discounts, but I do think there are a fair number of people who simply have no idea they are out there.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Here's another interesting question for you. How many people do you think book rack rate reservations and have no idea that such deep discounts are available? I have helped numerous people at work book their vacations and believe me, some of them have no idea about the discounts, and are willing to pay the full price. I of course do everything I can to steer them toward the discounts, but I do think there are a fair number of people who simply have no idea they are out there.

My family use to do that, however that was before I signed up for Disboards and learned about all the various discounts available. Of course back then the rack rates for the Deluxe Resorts which we always stayed at were a lot better then what they are today.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

I think it would impact discounts. It's supply and demand. If they can fill the rooms at rack rate there's no need to discount.

I'm also seeing this happen with AP rates. We booked a trip in January with an AP rate, but rates weren't available until after the GP discount was over and there were limited types of rooms available. I'm debating booking a GP room or even staying off-site at the Swalphin for our upcoming May trip because there is such limited availability for rooms right now left with the GP discount. I'm concerned there will be even more limitations even if there is an AP discount for the dates I'm looking at.

 

[Tyme4wdw]

Discounts are released solely to fill empty rooms.

 

[jettyspagetti]

That's an interesting question. Not having any type of a marketing background myself, my guess is that they have all kinds of studies which tell them how much they need to offer discounts from year to year. Whether or not existing rack rate reservations impacts their studies is something I would think they would factor in? I don't know. For us, we usually try to book bounce back offers when they are available or wait for the pin code emails/free dining offers.

Here's another interesting question for you. How many people do you think book rack rate reservations and have no idea that such deep discounts are available? I have helped numerous people at work book their vacations and believe me, some of them have no idea about the discounts, and are willing to pay the full price. I of course do everything I can to steer them toward the discounts, but I do think there are a fair number of people who simply have no idea they are out there.

Before I discovered this site we paid soooo much more for our Disney vacation. With the tips I've learned here we've saved thousands of dollars!

We saved for 5 years for our first trip and could've saved so much and gone so much sooner

I will say from a marketing perspective and from a sales perspective, if rooms are being booked and filled- discounts are not going to happen as often. Also Disney is purposely priced high. They consider themselves and "aspirational brand" and if everyone can afford to go there it loses some cachet.

 

[NYEmomma]

Here's another interesting question for you. How many people do you think book rack rate reservations and have no idea that such deep discounts are available? I have helped numerous people at work book their vacations and believe me, some of them have no idea about the discounts, and are willing to pay the full price. I of course do everything I can to steer them toward the discounts, but I do think there are a fair number of people who simply have no idea they are out there.

Help me?? Lol

I just booked a rack room rate because I don't see anyway around it. We're going October 9-14 and though we have the PIN, our dates aren't covered. Just hoping FD comes out for our dates sometime and that we're fortunate enough to get a PIN.

 

[Tyme4wdw]

Help me?? Lol

I just booked a rack room rate because I don't see anyway around it. We're going October 9-14 and though we have the PIN, our dates aren't covered. Just hoping FD comes out for our dates sometime and that we're fortunate enough to get a PIN.

Is there anyway to change your travel dates???

 

[NYEmomma]

Is there anyway to change your travel dates???

Unfortunately, no. My dad got plane tickets for my brother & his g/f with his frequent flier miles... this was all before the PIN came out & he just picked a random date in October (since we knew we definitely wanted October). That all said & done, we're set in stone now. What a bummer to have picked the wrong week. If we were able to wait just a couple more months we could've utilized the 40% off PIN, but the miles were expiring the very next day so he had to book ASAP.

 

[Tyme4wdw]

Well, don't give up NYEmomma! Hopefully some type of discount will be released!

 

[Bete]

Most of these marketing strategies by Disney are based on resort room capacities. If they reach there mark like 80% full there will be less offers.

 

[Minniekins]

Help me?? Lol

I just booked a rack room rate because I don't see anyway around it. We're going October 9-14 and though we have the PIN, our dates aren't covered. Just hoping FD comes out for our dates sometime and that we're fortunate enough to get a PIN.

Well, just keep watching, maybe something will be released before you go, there's still plenty of time before then. But, what about AAA? Do you have a card? You could apply for one of those and then maybe since its a ways off, they'll still have some rooms available for the AAA discount to be used with. That would at least be something, so I'd do that first. And then I think there's still plenty of time that something could be released that's even better for your dates, even if it's released much closer to your trip time, there's usually things released in late summer for the fall.

 

[fla4fun]

Well, it definitely has an impact on which resorts discounts are offered for. Remember about three years ago when everyone booked WL in December because WL was so hard to get into, and then they were all waiting for the discount codes to come out? And then when they did, they weren't valid at WL - so people were either cancelling, paying rack rate, or moving to a different resort to get the discount. I just wonder how the occupancy level at WL was impacted in the week or two after the discounts were released, as people realized they couldn't afford to stay at WL and would have to move elsewhere?

I never book a room I can't afford to pay for, and I think rack rate is too high. Sometimes that means starting out with a AAA discount and hoping for something better. Sometimes that means waiting until the last minute to see if a discount comes out. But I've never booked at rack rate and hoped for a discount.

 

[Slip]

When people call to make a rack rate reservation with the hopes that a future discount will be offered for or around their dates, with everyone room that gets sold without a discount will it mean less chances of discounts opening up? Someone from WDW might look at that and say if these people are making reservations at the rack rate why should we offer any discounts?

After much research and conversations with cast members I can offer my two cents.

Disney has two main goals:

1 - Turning the $200 booking deposit into paid reservations. i.e. occupancy
2 - Keeping you on property. i.e. associated revenue

Having said that, what they offer depends on their "goals" at that point. If the occupancy rate is high at some resorts but they want to fill certain resort categories, they may offer room only discounts and limit the available slots to the area they want to fill.

If they feel they can get rack rates by offering free dining they will do that and lock up your business.

Of course the possibilities endless.

Another thing to remember: When a general public discount comes out, there may be 100 offers at the deluxe level, 10,000 offers at the moderate level and 10,000 offers at the value level. You'll never know the numbers and they will just tell you that your category is sold out. The promo is structured to their business needs at that point.

 

[Disney Spaz]

I called on Saturday about discounts for Oct. The CM was really pushing me to book then transfer over if a discount came out. I flat out refused becuase for us no discount means no 2nd trip and I am not going to commit myself to rack rate.

As for marketing I do think booking then hoping for a discount is only creating a situation that tells Disney they need to offer less discounts. At the end of the day how many people book rack rate, get excited about the trip, don't get a code but go anyway?

 

[StrwLady]

Off topic here sorry...

But CRfan you are staying at the Boardwalk?!!! I don't think I have ever seen a signature where you are staying somewhere other than then CR Regardless, you have made a great choice Have a fantastic trip

 

[princesscharming]

I've wondered if booking first would skew the odds of getting a discount. But people cancel, postpone, etc all the time. I think now that Disney is caught up in this system of offering disocounts, that people count on, they realize some folks are doing this, and will cancel if they don't get a discount. I mean some kind of discount is almost always offered. You might not get the one you specifially wanted, or might have been shut out of availability, and have to settle for saving $ in another way. But if they simply didn't offer any discount, people would probably cancel. (And I could guess what would happen the next day...)

 

[Disney Spaz]

It makes me wonder if the amount of the discount is based on how many Disney estimates booked needing a discount. I mean if Disney knows as long as they offer some sort of dicount people will keep there bookings does that mean Disney offers a smaller discount. And the revers if nobody booked until the discount were released would the discounts be bigger?

 

[CanadianGuy]

Discounts are released solely to fill empty rooms.

Bang on.

Most of these marketing strategies by Disney are based on resort room capacities. If they reach there mark like 80% full there will be less offers.

Right on again. Remember folks .. PREBOOKING ALWAYS reduces the available room inventory for discounting. Period. You can argue all day long but that is how it works.

I called on Saturday about discounts for Oct. The CM was really pushing me to book then transfer over if a discount came out. I flat out refused becuase for us no discount means no 2nd trip and I am not going to commit myself to rack rate.

As for marketing I do think booking then hoping for a discount is only creating a situation that tells Disney they need to offer less discounts. At the end of the day how many people book rack rate, get excited about the trip, don't get a code but go anyway?

It's unfortunate.. but as nice as those CM's on the phone are.. they will say *ANYTHING* to get you to book today.

The fact is -- that is all they care about.. I'm not kidding. Can they get you to say "yes" to booking today.

Not all of them, but a good sized chunk will spin whatever story they think you'll buy to get you do exactly that. Why?

Because it gets them closer to their assigned quotas for the shift/day/week/month.

That's the reality. "If I tell you that you can apply a discount later, will you book today?" --

The last place I heard some statement like that I was at Metro Ford in Hollywood trying to buy a Mustang.

If you think about that CM on the phone more like a used car salesman and less like someone who has your interests top of mind, you'll be far better off in the long run.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Off topic here sorry...

But CRfan you are staying at the Boardwalk?!!! I don't think I have ever seen a signature where you are staying somewhere other than then CR Regardless, you have made a great choice Have a fantastic trip

Yes we are staying at the Boardwalk Inn. Last August we tried it for a few days after the Contemporary and liked it a lot so we stayed there again this past December and once again are staying there this coming August.