Keeping FP+ After Cancelling Resort Booking

[skiir97]

I saw a post in another thread on this board saying that you can book an onsite resort, select your FP's 60 days out, but then cancel your onsite resort booking and keep your FP's as long as you cancel within 30 days of your arrival.

Is this true? Seems like a weird loophole that you would think Disney would block.....though if this loophole does exist I'm definitly taking advantage of it...

 

[nickys]

I saw a post in another thread on this board saying that you can book an onsite resort, select your FP's 60 days out, but then cancel your onsite resort booking and keep your FP's as long as you cancel within 30 days of your arrival.

Is this true? Seems like a weird loophole that you would think Disney would block.....though if this loophole does exist I'm definitly taking advantage of it...

The resort cancellation triggers the deletion of any FPs for days for which you no longer have an onsite stay booked. Even within the 30 days many people lost FPs.

You will always find exceptions, but a high number of those were in the early days. When they first announced the change, it took at least a month for them to actually start cancelling FPs. That in itself took a lot of people by surprise, as they thought it was just a bluff. Most of them found out the hard way.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Try it. See what happens lol.
There's a 48hr grace period and then they are gone.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

I saw a post in another thread on this board saying that you can book an onsite resort, select your FP's 60 days out, but then cancel your onsite resort booking and keep your FP's as long as you cancel within 30 days of your arrival.

Is this true? Seems like a weird loophole that you would think Disney would block.....though if this loophole does exist I'm definitly taking advantage of it...

Make sure you still go over to the resort you cancelled.....wait at the pool gate, for someone about to buzz in, and you're in to the amenities as well....might as well take advantage of everything you can......

The resort cancellation triggers the deletion of any FPs for days for which you no longer have an onsite stay booked. Even within the 30 days many people lost FPs.

You will always find exceptions, but a high number of those were in the early days. When they first announced the change, it took at least a month for them to actually start cancelling FPs. That in itself took a lot of people by surprise, as they thought it was just a bluff. Most of them found out the hard way.

Found out the hard way they couldn't rip the system.....no sympathy here

Try it. See what happens lol.
There's a 48hr grace period and then they are gone.

Yes....and they made sure the grace period was within the 5-day "free" cancellation

 

[Weather_Lady]

That was true once upon a time. The loophole has since been closed.

There are still people who will book the cheapest onsite accommodation they can, even if they don't plan to use it, just to get a 60-day Fastpass booking window. However, that's not really a "loophole" -- they still have to keep and pay for that reservation in full, so they're paying dearly for the privilege. I'd also note that in my experience over our last few trips, we've found that the 60-day booking advantage is increasingly less valuable. Unless you have several days to work with, it's increasingly likely that you'll get shut out of the most popular Fastpasses for the first few days of your visit even booking 60 days out. (e.g., for our recent February break trip, we couldn't get Fastpasses for 7DMT until day 63, Flight of Passage until the evening of day 64, Slinky Dog Dash until the afternoon of day 65, and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run was only available on day 67...)

 

[Capsin4]

How are FP reservations affected if you reduce the number of days in a trip? Thanks!

 

[nickys]

How are FP reservations affected if you reduce the number of days in a trip? Thanks!

You lost the FPs for the days you cancelled.

But I wouldn’t be worrying about FPs right now, no one knows what will happen with them going forward, I’m sure the whole system will be different anyway.

 

[Capsin4]

You lost the FPs for the days you cancelled.

But I wouldn’t be worrying about FPs right now, no one knows what will happen with them going forward, I’m sure the whole system will be different anyway.

Thanks. I’d heard of people reserving 10 days even if their trip was less to get a jump and then canceling the front end. Wasn’t sure if that worked.

 

[nickys]

Thanks. I’d heard of people reserving 10 days even if their trip was less to get a jump and then canceling the front end. Wasn’t sure if that worked.

Some were lucky, others weren’t.
Completely cancelling (almost) always resulted in losing all FPs. Cancelling part of a split stay sometimes did, but the offsite days were again (almost) always lost.

Round about the same time as that change, Disney also started clamping down on shortening stays. Often people found they had to cancel and rebook in order to take days off. So the process required to cheat the system also became more cumbersome.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

That was true once upon a time. The loophole has since been closed.

There are still people who will book the cheapest onsite accommodation they can, even if they don't plan to use it, just to get a 60-day Fastpass booking window. However, that's not really a "loophole" -- they still have to keep and pay for that reservation in full, so they're paying dearly for the privilege. I'd also note that in my experience over our last few trips, we've found that the 60-day booking advantage is increasingly less valuable. Unless you have several days to work with, it's increasingly likely that you'll get shut out of the most popular Fastpasses for the first few days of your visit even booking 60 days out. (e.g., for our recent February break trip, we couldn't get Fastpasses for 7DMT until day 63, Flight of Passage until the evening of day 64, Slinky Dog Dash until the afternoon of day 65, and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run was only available on day 67...)

Glad that loophole has changed. It's really sad the lengths people will go to get a "one up" on others. Further shows that this country has a bad "ME ME ME" mentality problem.

 

[JohnD]

Glad that loophole has changed. It's really sad the lengths people will go to get a "one up" on others. Further shows that this country has a bad "ME ME ME" mentality problem.

It remains to be seen whether FP+ ever comes back in its prior form. I'm thinking not.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

It remains to be seen whether FP+ ever comes back in its prior form. I'm thinking not.

Really? You don't think they'll ever go back to FP+?

 

[JohnD]

Really? You don't think they'll ever go back to FP+?

Really. COVID finally gave WDW an out. I can't predict what will replace it but the days of pre-planning which attractions you'll go on 60 days out are gone.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

Really. COVID finally gave WDW an out. I can't predict what will replace it but the days of pre-planning which attractions you'll go on 60 days out are gone.

Oh, I LOVE that!! FP+ was the WORST!! While I don't mind planning dining (that much), rides I'm gonna wanna ride at 60 days out? Come on. Bring back paper fastpasses!!!!! Wishful thinking, I know!

 

[JohnD]

Oh, I LOVE that!! FP+ was the WORST!! While I don't mind planning dining (that much), rides I'm gonna wanna ride at 60 days out? Come on. Bring back paper fastpasses!!!!! Wishful thinking, I know!

I'm not counting on paper either. But I can see WDW leveraging the tech with your phone. Remember, they're not offering free MBs with resort stays anymore. But your phone or an MB you already have could scan a code at a reader at each ride to get a FP reservation which you would see on your MDE app. It's the equivalent for paper FP but today's tech.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

I'm not counting on paper either. But I can see WDW leveraging the tech with your phone. Remember, they're not offering free MBs with resort stays anymore. But your phone or an MB you already have could scan a code at a reader at each ride to get a FP reservation which you would see on your MDE app. It's the equivalent for paper FP but today's tech.

I really like that idea. The one thing I didn't like about paper FPs was you had to walk over to the attraction to even see what the return time was. If the time didn't work for you, you had to go find another return time that would. Having the return times on your phone before you reserve would be really helpful!

 

[Rob562]

I'm not counting on paper either. But I can see WDW leveraging the tech with your phone. Remember, they're not offering free MBs with resort stays anymore. But your phone or an MB you already have could scan a code at a reader at each ride to get a FP reservation which you would see on your MDE app. It's the equivalent for paper FP but today's tech.

I think a version of Disneyland's MaxPass, but included with everyone's park admission rather than an extra fee, would be the best of both worlds. Make same-day FastPass electronically in the app (or at in-park kiosks for those without a phone), then use your phone, MagicBand or park ticket to tap into the existing FP+ readers.

Perhaps give resort guests a perk of something like one "wildcard" FastPass per day that can be used for any attraction, or allow them to book their first FP of the day before they tap into the park.

-Rob

 

[NelleBelle]

We LOVE DL's MaxPass! I don't even mind paying for it! If WDW goes that route, it would be great if they gave a discount to those staying on property from those who aren't (still charge for the MaxPass, just not as much); or have a free option as well but like DL's, you have limits on how soon you can rebook your next ride.

I am so glad that the loophole for those who were trying to cheat the FP+ system is now closed. And those who try it deserve to lose all their FP reservations (and bad MDE karma on their trip for trying to cheat)! And the audacity some show even asking about differing ways they might be able to do it boggles my mind

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

And the audacity some show even asking about differing ways they might be able to do it boggles my mind

I wouldn't assume everyone posting in this thread is doing that exactly. There are any number of reasons someone might need to modify their trip plans closer than 60 days out.

For a number of years, we booked WDW's Bounceback offers. They had to be booked a full year out (or nearly a full year out), and booked while you are still at WDW. A lot can happen in a year. Just......2020!!

Every time we booked the Bounceback, WDW's policies changed dramatically. like adding parking fees, dramatically changing park ticket policies/prices, and hotel remodels. Even now Ratatouille opening date is still "Summer 2021, maybe." (The exact opening of Star Wars and New Fantasyland were also announced far less than a year out.)

If I was originally booked for July 9-16, and WDW announced a major new ride was going to open July 17, I'd sure try to stay the extra day!

 

[NelleBelle]

I wouldn't assume everyone posting in this thread is doing that exactly. There are any number of reasons someone might need to modify their trip plans closer than 60 days out.

For a number of years, we booked WDW's Bounceback offers. They had to be booked a full year out (or nearly a full year out), and booked while you are still at WDW. A lot can happen in a year. Just......2020!!

Every time we booked the Bounceback, WDW's policies changed dramatically. like adding parking fees, dramatically changing park ticket policies/prices, and hotel remodels. Even now Ratatouille opening date is still "Summer 2021, maybe." (The exact opening of Star Wars and New Fantasyland were also announced far less than a year out.)

If I was originally booked for July 9-16, and WDW announced a major new ride was going to open July 17, I'd sure try to stay the extra day!

I can totally see things coming up and plans changing, especially when you have to book so far in advance (we typically book 12+ months in advance). But when those things come up and you have to cancel, you're typically cancelling the whole trip, not cancelling and moving to another cheaper, off-property hotel and attempting to keep your FP that you booked 60-days prior, right? Or maybe I'm reading your post wrong? I, too, would try to stay an extra day if I knew a new attraction was opening the next day after we were supposed to depart--in fact, Toy Story Land did exactly that when it opened. We left a few days prior to the official opening, but it would have cost a ton to rearrange our airfare and pay the rack-rate for the room we were in (we were in a DVC room on rented points and would've had to either find 3 rooms for our party or pay through the nose to stay).

And you may very well have a point that not everyone who asks that question may be trying to use that loophole, but my ire is directed at the many who have asked it with the intent of trying to take game the system. I just can't stand the dishonest means that people use when it comes to Disney!