Discounts inside 45 days?

HouCuseChickie

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
What's the best course of action if you're already paid in full and inside that 45 day window, and then they offer free dining or some other deal for your dates? I've had it happen outside the 45 day window when doing a pkg and it's no biggie, but I'm looking at historical discounts and our travel dates and think it might become an issue this time. I'm also concerned b/c we sometimes switch resorts when getting a discount and I'm guessing this would be an even bigger deal inside 45 days. We're not in this position yet, but trying to plan accordingly. Obviously, switching to a room only reservation would solve all of that, but would like other people's thoughts.
 
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DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
As long as you start with a package and end with a package, or start with a room only and end with a room only, you just need to call and have them apply the promotion to your reservation.

It's not usually a problem.
 
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sweetpee_1993

sweetpee_1993

Well-Known Member
We had room-only reservations booked at the AKL for our 2010 trip that were paid in full at rack rate. When room-only discounts came out we applied the discount, upgraded from savannah view to Club Level for 9 of the 10 days, and had an $1800 credit to use for spending when we got there. Was awesome!

If you apply the discount to a package without changing to room-only or vice versa it should generate a credit for you. Not sure if inside the 45 days you'd be charged a change fee. I think generally change fees inside 45 days are waived only if you end up spending more $$. They'll want to refund the applicable credit to the form of payment you used to pay them with. In our case with the room-only thing I had paid for both those rooms using my Disney VISA. I didn't want the $1800 x 2 sent back to my VISA because then I'd have the extra step of having a check cut to me for the credit (I would make my payments by sending the $$ to the card then making the payment to Disney never carrying a balance PLUS I was doing this for my MIL which meant I would've had to turn around and cut her a check for the amount of her credit). We both intended to spend that $1800 on incidentals & food over the course of our trip so I had Disney hold the $ and put it on our rooms as a credit for us to charge to. Worked out beautifully without me having to go thru the motions of shifting $$ around on my end.
 
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Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
DisneyJoe said:
As long as you start with a package and end with a package, or start with a room only and end with a room only, you just need to call and have them apply the promotion to your reservation.

It's not usually a problem.
Click to expand...
Quick question Joe.... Can you remember a time in the last few years where they have released package discounts inside of 45 days?
 
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HouCuseChickie

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My bad- I probably should have worded this better...

I guess I'm thinking more if you're booked in a pkg and they offer a room only discount that is a better deal for you once inside 45 days. i.e. you've paid in full for your pkg- maybe you got free dining- but the room discount they just put out now that you're 30 days out saves you more $. I usually start by booking a pkg b/c the $200 deposit is less out of pocket up front than a room only in our case. Plus if something comes up causing us to cxl I'd rather be waiting 10 business days for a $200 refund than the non-discounted cost of 1 nt at some of the deluxes.

I think SweetPee pretty much answered it- we'd likely be charged the change fee.
 
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Master Yoda

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
HouCuseChickie said:
My bad- I probably should have worded this better...

I guess I'm thinking more if you're booked in a pkg and they offer a room only discount that is a better deal for you once inside 45 days. i.e. you've paid in full for your pkg- maybe you got free dining- but the room discount they just put out now that you're 30 days out saves you more $. I usually start by booking a pkg b/c the $200 deposit is less out of pocket up front than a room only in our case. Plus if something comes up causing us to cxl I'd rather be waiting 10 business days for a $200 refund than the non-discounted cost of 1 nt at some of the deluxes.

I think SweetPee pretty much answered it- we'd likely be charged the change fee.
Click to expand...
Like Joe and I were disusing, it is somewhat of a moot point as they typically do not release discounts inside of 45 days.
 
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HouCuseChickie

HouCuseChickie

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Master Yoda said:
Like Joe and I were disusing, it is somewhat of a moot point as they typically do not release discounts inside of 45 days.
Click to expand...

My worry stems from last year's historical discount info. Based on Mousesavers- discounted room only rates weren't released to the general public for stays in late Oct, Nov & Dec until Oct 5th. AP and FL res room only discounts came out for that period in Aug & Sept, but nothing for the GP until early Oct. I know every year is different and they're supposedly cutting back on discounts, but if this year is anything like last year...the general public discount would come out 3 days after my 45 day mark if I stick w/a pkg yet would include my travel dates. Unless I'm reading it incorrectly? :shrug:
 
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DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
HouCuseChickie said:
My worry stems from last year's historical discount info. Based on Mousesavers- discounted room only rates weren't released to the general public for stays in late Oct, Nov & Dec until Oct 5th. AP and FL res room only discounts came out for that period in Aug & Sept, but nothing for the GP until early Oct. I know every year is different and they're supposedly cutting back on discounts, but if this year is anything like last year...the general public discount would come out 3 days after my 45 day mark if I stick w/a pkg yet would include my travel dates. Unless I'm reading it incorrectly?
Click to expand...

Note the 5 discounts that were released BEFORE that one - all had basically the same travel dates - Free Dining, AP rates, Florida Resident rates, and then the one you are looking at for 10/30/11-12/23/11 15%-30% off general public room-only rates....my bet is that by the time they reached the one released on 10/5, there wasn't much left.

Sometimes the room only discounts can be made into a package, but not always.

You may or may not be charged a fee.

Don't purchase insurance as that is non-refundable once purchased and cannot be applied to a room only reservation.
 
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