Booking System Quirks

[ClemsonTigger]

Just found out I will be able to make the WDWMagic meet and was making my arrangements today. As it is just me and for two days, decided to do a value resort as I won't be there more than 5-6 hours sleeping anyway.

Well, searching online for 2 days only gave me Coronado or Key West Suite. Tried calling with the same response. Could Disney be fully booked the first week in December?

On a whim, I added a day to my itinerary, and lo and behold, almost every resort is available, so what gives?

I imagine that there is some formula that you want to keep blocks of a minimum of 3-5 days as most vacations are at least that...but you think they would have some other arrangements.

So I booked by three nights with two days between air travel and will modify later. Then again, the three days at value is less than the two days they were offering.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Just found out I will be able to make the WDWMagic meet and was making my arrangements today. As it is just me and for two days, decided to do a value resort as I won't be there more than 5-6 hours sleeping anyway.

Well, searching online for 2 days only gave me Coronado or Key West Suite. Tried calling with the same response. Could Disney be fully booked the first week in December?

On a whim, I added a day to my itinerary, and lo and behold, almost every resort is available, so what gives?

I imagine that there is some formula that you want to keep blocks of a minimum of 3-5 days as most vacations are at least that...but you think they would have some other arrangements.

So I booked by three nights with two days between air travel and will modify later. Then again, the three days at value is less than the two days they were offering.

Glad to see you will be able to make it!!!! I look foward to meeting you!!! Belle

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I think it will be fun as well. I will be there all of Friday and Sat. but leave early Sun for California. I'll PM you to find out what time (I know, all the time) you will be oh, in Canada for example.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I think it will be fun as well. I will be there all of Friday and Sat. but leave early Sun for California. I'll PM you to find out what time (I know, all the time) you will be oh, in Canada for example.

Actually we are doing a dinner at the 50's Prime Time Cafe as well as getting together as a group to ride some rides & Do some attractions in MGM on Saturday. Sunday, I will be getting together with the people from the Off Kilter Shrine and we will be doing lunch in the UK most likely ( assuming the 26 of us can get a PS!) and the converging on the Off Kilter Stage area to listen to as many sets as possible!!!! I was being kind though, I did warn Randy and Tony of Off Kilter that we would be coming so they wouldnt be too scared when they take the stage on that day!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: Belle

 

[Woody13]

The plain simple answer is, the more resort nights you book, the better your chances are of getting the reservation. WDW resorts sells blocks of rooms to AAA, travel agencies, etc. It helps if you know where to look.

As an example, November 13 & 14, 2004 is the ABC Super Soap Weekend at Disney-MGM Studios. Trying to book a Disney resort from the 12th through the 15th is difficult now. It's been "sold out" for many weeks. However, if you were to book from the 12th until the 29th, a whole new world opens up. Of course, once you've gotten the reservation confirmed, you may change it as you please.

 

[maelstrom]

When I called to apply AP rate to my existing 8-night reservation at the WL, several times they said they had nothing available. Then I called and got an awesome CM who told me they had the first 2 nights and the last 5, so I was prepared to split the reservation into 3, but she came back and said that with a little Disney magic, she was able to get us all 8 nights. Weird.

 

[Ringo8n24]

You know I have been going to Disney's website and putting in that I want WL for the second weekend of December. It only gives me Boardwalk or Yacht & Beach. So, I picked up the phone and called WDW directly. Sure enough, she said there were rooms available at WL and some others I had tried to pull up on the website. I found that odd, but maybe they were trying to push some of the others that had lighter reservations than the ones I wanted. I am really glald I called, though. I still have not reserved it. We have not decided officially yet to go. I figured if I did not get a room, it was not meant to be and we will go in February or something.

 

[RandeB]

Online Game

I've posted this before too. Was able to get last minute reservation during a completely booked "Jersey Week" a coupla years back by adding nights at either or both ends of the actual nights we wanted until we got available rooms. Then cancelled on the phone. 3 rooms at hotel of our choice. A lot of clicking and waiting, so high speed internet or patience required.

 

[AEfx]

Be advised if you make an online ressie, the deposit is NOT transferable at all, meaning they have to refund your money and then take a new deposit for the new ressie. This includes applying a discount code to an existing reservation - they have to "cancel" the old one and make the new one.

This is opposed to if you make a phone ressie and make a deposit either over the phone or by mail - in that case they simply transfer the funds from one ressie to another. I had a big problem with this my last trip - and to top it off they "lost" my refund, and it took several phone calls and several weeks to get it straightened out. Since then, I'm a big fan of phone ressies - online ones are just a pain in the behind. The reservationists are there 7am to 11pm - it's worth it to make the call.

AEfx

 

[ClemsonTigger]

I agree with phone res.
In addition to the flexability, you get to talk to a really nice person (usually) and always get a name in case you need to follow up.