January 2012

[GMarcan920]

OOOPs! January 2013 for the Subject

When can we make reservations for a January 2013 trip, staying at Port Orleans-French Quarter. If I call Disney directly, will they accept a reservation now for 1/2013. I don't want to find all the rooms have been booked for when we want to go. Thanks to all who answer

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

You can do it right now..However since prices for 2013 haven't been announced (which is usually around August) it will be at a Rack Rate (full non discounted room).

 

[GMarcan920]

Is it better to wait until August and take a chance that the dates/rooms we want won't be available or is the rack rate pretty close to any discounts that might be available. If I make a reservation now, I assume that if I wanted to change it in August to a potentially lower rate, one reservation would be canceled, and a new one made thereby putting us in the same position of having waited until August?

We're looking at January 22, 23, 24, and 25 (Tuesday-Friday), 2013 for Port Orleans-French Quarter.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

You can make the reservation and change it when a offer comes up..I always call the travel company when making reservations and do a 1st nights payment so I at least have the room plus since I have AAA I can get a discount from 20% since it's the value season. That way I can pay for it in increments through the year rather than lump sum like the website does.

Also a little heads up it does look like your going during the week of MLK monday...It might be a little bit buiser as families do take kids out for the week. Plus the Brazillian tour groups are there..But, that's common tho:lol:

 

[dreamfinder]

Is it better to wait until August and take a chance that the dates/rooms we want won't be available or is the rack rate pretty close to any discounts that might be available. If I make a reservation now, I assume that if I wanted to change it in August to a potentially lower rate, one reservation would be canceled, and a new one made thereby putting us in the same position of having waited until August?

We're looking at January 22, 23, 24, and 25 (Tuesday-Friday), 2013 for Port Orleans-French Quarter.

It completely depends on your comfort level. WDW will accept room booking up to 499 days out. Anything past current released room rates will be at rack rate with the 1 night deposit. Once the room rates get released, they will update your total to reflect the posted prices. And odds are, the rack rates will either stay the same, or go up.

Booking something that far out, I think you would be ok to wait. I wouldn't wait til the month before, but waiting til the rates get released should be ok.
However, it comes down to what you are trying to accomplish by booking this far out. If you are 100% set on staying at POFQ at whatever the posted rates are, then go ahead and book it. If discounts do get released, then you can try to see if they apply. But if that room category/resort doesn't have availability under the discount, then you won't be able to apply it.

Booking now, for Jan 2013, then yes, you should be able to cancel in August. If you book over the phone you can change up to 5 days out on a room only booking, while online is either 30 or 45 days, and packages are 45 days out. Either way, you are most certainly still able to cancel your reservation.

 

[GMarcan920]

Ha Ha, so now it's MLK Week; I was hoping that that week would be rather quiet, thinking it's just MLK week end. I wanted to stay away from the Marathon and the holiday week end. Getting more and more difficult to schedule a quiet time at WDW.

It's important to us to stay at POFQ; I seem to recall the last time we went to WDW, we couldn't get a room there during the dates we wanted. I think I'd rather pay a little more but get the room we want.

Is it better to call WDW directly or use AAA? Great information from all who answered, thank you so much. We've not been to WDW for about 3 or 4 years so I'm really excited to be going back. One of my and my husband's favorite places, and we're old!!! Again, thank you all!!!

 

[dreamfinder]

Ha Ha, so now it's MLK Week; I was hoping that that week would be rather quiet, thinking it's just MLK week end. I wanted to stay away from the Marathon and the holiday week end. Getting more and more difficult to schedule a quiet time at WDW.

It's important to us to stay at POFQ; I seem to recall the last time we went to WDW, we couldn't get a room there during the dates we wanted. I think I'd rather pay a little more but get the room we want.

Is it better to call WDW directly or use AAA? Great information from all who answered, thank you so much. We've not been to WDW for about 3 or 4 years so I'm really excited to be going back. One of my and my husband's favorite places, and we're old!!! Again, thank you all!!!

Do you have a good working relationship with your AAA travel agent? And feel comfortable in their knowledge of WDW? Most don't seem to understand how important things like 180 day reservations for CRT are. And since they would own the reservation, you cannot make the ADR. So personally I would either do it through WDW yourself (just ask for the AAA discount) or go through one of the WDW specialist travel agencies. You don't need to book through AAA for the AAA discount. You just won't get their small freebies like the AAA parking pass, reservered fireworks viewing spot, etc. Those have to be booked through AAA directly.

 

[GMarcan920]

Thank you so very much; I'm going to go through WDW and make the reservations this week. Again, thank you for taking the time to explain what is probably a very basic WDW question.:sohappy:

 

[MattyFresh]

A follow up question to all that, I am in the process of trying to book for the first week of January (I know, marathon weekend) but the WDW travel agent I went through is unable to get prices for me. Are you only able to book directly through Disney until they release those dates? And does anyone know when those dates might be released?