MouseSavers has announced major changes to the Annual Passholder discount program, both in the discounts and in the way that it is done. It seems to be now available only online, and with a valid AP or voucher. (Seems you are out of luck if you do not have the internet, or if you plan to purchase or renew your AP when you arrive, as I have done -- or if you want to see the AP discounts available in order to decide whether you should buy it or not!)
I would like to know if anyone has any experience with this yet (say, calling to get an AP rate for early October)....
Here is the link and info so far:
http://www.mousesavers.com/newapdiscounts.html
Here is the text from MouseSavers:
I would like to know if anyone has any experience with this yet (say, calling to get an AP rate for early October)....
Here is the link and info so far:
http://www.mousesavers.com/newapdiscounts.html
Here is the text from MouseSavers:
Big Changes to WDW Annual Passholder Resort Discounts
LAST UPDATE: 6/21/05 - MOST RECENT ADDITIONS ARE IN RED
A new "Passholder Best Rate Program" was rolled out as of June 17, 2005 that will affect Annual Passholder resort reservations for check-ins starting October 8, 2005. Some aspects of this new program are unclear and there are currently only a few discounts released for 120 days from now and later.
The new rules for Passholder Best Rate Program reservations include:
The Passholder Best Rate program is only bookable online (individuals can book themselves through disneyworld.com/passholders and travel agents can book their clients thorough the Disney travel agents web site).
You must book AT LEAST 120 days in advance.
A NONREFUNDABLE deposit of one night's room rate and tax is required at the time of booking.
The Passholder can now book only ONE room (formerly it was up to 3) and the Passholder must be an adult.
The Passholder Best Rate Program guarantees that Passholders will receive the "best room rate offered to the general public" (not including group rates, auction rates or rates conditioned on group/club memberships or other specified eligibility requirements) at that time for the room and nights booked. If Disney subsequently reduces the room rate "to the general public" for the same room and nights you booked online under this program, they will "automatically reduce your room rate to match that lower rate."
The new program raises many issues:
The "Best Rate Program" is supposedly up and running. However, currently there are only discounts for a FEW dates and a FEW hotels, for check-ins starting 120 days from now, through December 19. They seem to be approximately $18 off Value resorts, $40-$55 off Moderate resorts and $70-$80 off Deluxe resorts. If no Passholder "Best Rate Program" rates are available for your selection, the system will say it's giving you "standard" rates. The system is slow, buggy and inconsistent. If you really want to book a room, you'll have to be persistent. I don't know if more discounts are coming, though it seems as if some additional dates and hotels have been loaded since the system launched.
If discounts are being offered for the dates and/or hotel you want, you'll have to make a judgment call about whether you are willing to risk putting down a nonrefundable deposit 120 days or more in advance in order to get that discount. If your plans change, you might be allowed to transfer the deposit to a new booking with a $50 change fee, but that's not definite.
As I indicated above, the new system supposedly applies to check-ins October 8 and later, but the first half of October was already less than 120 days away when the system was launched! Passholders asking how they were supposed to use this new system if they planned to check in between October 8-15 have basically been told "tough luck."
The big question is, if no discounts are currently offered for your dates and/or hotel selection, do you plunk down a nonrefundable deposit on your room reservation and hope that a discount becomes available later? I like Disney at least as much as the next person, but I would never book 4 months in advance with a nonrefundable deposit unless there was already a significant discount being offered at the time I booked. You're being asked to buy a pig in a poke. I'm amazed that anyone is willing to do it.
The situation is especially confusing for someone who already has the AAA room-only discount, since if they book the "Best Rate Program" right now they'll lose the AAA discount, but maybe they'll get a deeper Annual Pass discount later. Or maybe not. Personally I would stick with the AAA discount, which is flexible and guaranteed.
It's unknown what "offered to the general public" means, exactly. AAA discounts fall into the category of "conditioned on group/club membership" and the special PIN-coded offers that have been sent out by e-mail and postcard are considered "private offers" and are not "offered to the general public." In fact, there have been NO "general public" discounts on hotel rooms so far in 2005.
You can only book this program online and you must have a current, activated Annual Pass or an Annual Pass voucher in order to access the online booking. In other words, you can't book the Annual Pass "Best Rate Program" online without first buying an Annual Pass. Several readers have informed me that you can access disneyworld.com/passholders with an Annual Pass voucher (this supposedly does not activate the pass). Reader David S provided these instructions on how to do it: "The layout [on the voucher] is this:
AAABB MM/DD/YYYY CCCDD Tr: EEE FFF
I used CCC, DDD, MM/DD/YY, and FFF as my ID and it worked and got me to the site." Thanks, David!
Warning: If you order an Annual Pass voucher, have it mailed to you! Don't select the "will call" option. MouseSavers.com reader Carol K. reports that the Annual Pass "will call voucher" that is sent by e-mail does not have the correct letters and numbers that will allow you to access the Disney Passholder web site and book a room.
It's unknown whether Annual Passholders will still be able to book discounted room rates within the 120 day period, and if so, whether they will receive the same discount as those who put down a deposit under the "Best Rate" plan or whether they will receive a smaller discount. Right now they're not offering any discounts for those who are within 120 days (i.e. those who would like to get an Annual Passholder discount for October 8-15).
