New Passholder Best Rate Program

[Jekyll Baker]

Just saw this topic on another site/forum and didn't know if anyone here knew about it yet.

This is from the Passholder page:

Planning a vacation in a few months? Then it's time to try our Passholder Best Rate Program! Now Passholders booking a Disney Resort room online under the Passholder Best Rate Program at disneyworld.com/passholders can rest easy knowing they have received our best room rate offered to the general public* at that time for the room and nights booked. And, if we subsequently reduce our room rate to the general public for the same room and nights you booked online under this Program, we will automatically reduce your room rate to match that lower rate.

Rooms must be booked at least 120 days in advance and, unlike our normal cancellation policy, a non-refundable deposit of 1-night's room charge and tax must be paid at the time of booking. Currently this program is only available for arrivals through 12/19/05. The number of rooms and nights available for this Program is limited and rooms are not available every night. This Program is subject to change or discontinuance at any time and without notice.

* Does not include group rates, auction rates or rates conditioned on group/club memberships or other specified eligibility requirements.



It's access through the passholder section of disneyworld.com, and let's you book through what looks like the regular booking engine. I looked at it briefly, but since AP rates for 120 days away haven't really been announced, it gives rack rates. So you'd be leaving it up to Disney what price you end up paying.

I dunno 'bout 'dis. What ya'll think?

 

[dxwwf3]

As long as we can still book rooms the way we always have with AP's (including our trip in a few days) over the phone, we're golden. I was worried that the changes would be the only option, but as long as we can still do things just like always, I don't care.

Another reason I wouldn't use the new Best Rate Program is that some of our late December trips to WDW come about because of Tennessee's College Football Bowl situation. If they play in the Capital One Bowl, the Outback Bowl, or the Orange Bowl, then we are going to go to WDW on that same trip. But, teams do not know what bowl they are going to until early December. I know that there are plenty of other college football fans that do the same thing.

 

[islandbeachnut]

I'm a guinea pig!!

I just re-booked our October trip online to the Boardwalk Inn using this new passholder Best-Rate Program, I still need to call and cancel our original ressies but, we leave 120 days from tomorrow so I didn't have much time to think it over. I hope I'm not sorry I did it.

Thanks to JPVonDrake for clarification of some points regarding this new program!! You were a big help!!

 

[drp4video]

Thank you for the answer to the question, and I understand that if there are two adult AP's you could book two rooms. But what if you are a single mother of 5 children with one adult AP who would normally get two contecting rooms at POP. THen what? I assume you would not be able to use the best rate and have to go with the reular way to purchase AP. Anyone?

 

[JPVonDrake]

Thank you for the answer to the question, and I understand that if there are two adult AP's you could book two rooms. But what if you are a single mother of 5 children with one adult AP who would normally get two contecting rooms at POP. THen what? I assume you would not be able to use the best rate and have to go with the reular way to purchase AP. Anyone?

Currently yes, in your case you will not be able to book this offer online. This is a known issue and a resolution is forthcomming. I will happily post any and all updates once they are offically released.

:sohappy:

 

[Moustronaut]

I dunno. I think I may actually use it for my "Oh My God I'm Finally, FINALLY a Lawyer" next year. I will likely know those dates at least 120 days in advance, and it seems as though, no matter what, I'll at least get the AP rate for my stay (because, IIRC, JP said that it counts as a "general public" discount).

I think that's one of everyone's big complaints is that you may NOT get an AP rate for your stay. Because the number of discounted rooms is limited, there is no way of knowing for sure you will actually get a discount at the time of booking. And if you don't get the rate, it will cost you $50 to try and change to a different room class or resort that might have a discount available.

 

[Moustronaut]

I just re-booked our October trip online to the Boardwalk Inn using this new passholder Best-Rate Program, I still need to call and cancel our original ressies but, we leave 120 days from tomorrow so I didn't have much time to think it over. I hope I'm not sorry I did it.

Me too! Hope it all works out. Please let us know what kind of discount you get and how it stacks up against the over the phone discounts.

 

[MerHearted]

My head hurts. Just when I thought I understood AP discounts, this comes out. :brick:

Ok. I want to take a trip next year, tentatively May. Now before I read this thread, this was how I thought I would go about it. I would like to stay at Contemporary and have a view of the castle from my room. At first, I was just gonna do the MYW, but I was told I could save with an AP. I have never used an AP before. But after hearing what people told me, it seemed like a good idea. The plan was I would buy an AP voucher sometime before May (anytime, from now until then). Then about 3 months before May, I would book the room and pay the first night. Then whenever the AP rate cames out I would ask for them and get the discount. Then May comes, I go to WDW, acivate the AP, and go have fun. Now this thing comes out and I'm even more confused. There's no way I could do this program, seeing how I don't have an active AP nor can I book 120 days before. But if I do it the old way, I'm reading that rooms could be really limited? Does that mean I could risk not getting the castle view room? That's the only reason I want to stay at Contemporary. Should I now just save myself a headache and just do MYW and forget an AP? Or is this all "the sky is falling" nonsense with the AP?

 

[Moustronaut]

For that far out it's sky is falling nonsense. the program is only schedule though December of 05. It may not exist anymore by the time you're ready to book a trip for May 06

 

[MerHearted]

For that far out it's sky is falling nonsense. the program is only schedule though December of 05. It may not exist anymore by the time you're ready to book a trip for May 06

Good, I think I'll wait until after December to start planning.

 

[KevinPage]

Okay, I'm still not getting the point of the new program:

What is the UPSIDE for the customer? It seems like you have to book further in advance with NO guarantee that you will get a better rate by booking the OLD WAY.

So why in god's name would you use the new method?

 

[New2WDW]

Good Thought!

For that far out it's sky is falling nonsense.

Hey! I think Moustronaut figured it out! It is a Chicken Little Promo deal!:lol:

 

[bgraham34]

If I call I just better be able to get a discount for December when and if the rates drop.

 

[durangojim]

I think this stinks for a number of reasons. My wife and I are from Michigan and have been to WDW 4 times in the last 12 months for at total of 33 nights at WDW. Each time we booked our trip 2 months or less in advance and took advantage of the AP rates. On our most recent trip we stayed at the AKL, WL, and on a spur of the moment the GF for one night to celebrate our anniversary. When I made the ressie for the Grand Floridian I made it 2 days in advance of our stay while we were at the Wilderness Lodge. We received a Lagoon view room with a view of the Castle at the AP rate. With the new system we would not have been able to do so nor would we have been able to afford it with out the discounted rate.

This past Christmas my wife and I took my parents to WDW for Xmas through New Years. Originally we were going to stay at the GF because the WL was booked for the 8 nights were would be there. Neither of us were too happy to be paying $400 a night for our rooms, so each day I called CRO and asked about pass holder discounts. FOUR days before Xmas (when we were supposed to arrive) we were able to get 2 woods view rooms at the WL for $150 a night. Needless to say, we were exstatic and again the AP rate really helped us. My wife and I figure we have spent around $8-10,000 at WDW in the last 12 months. The only reason we went so often is because of our APs and the rates we were able to get. It's been great to go on a short weekend spur of the moment trip as well as to get really good rates on longer stays. I know as passholders we aren't entitled to anything but Disney should consider that as passholders we spend a great deal of money at their parks (probably more than the average my way ticketholder) and without these incentives I think many of us who don't live in Florida, will decrease the amount of trips down there. I convinced my folks to sign up for APs at Xmas and I think they will be going before Xmas this year, but I don't know if I'll advise them to renew if the incentives aren't there. I just wish Disney would leave things the way they were.

 

[slappy magoo]

After years of slow tourism, Disney is having a great year, and instead of being happy that they've had record breaking weeks and months at the World, it sounds to me like they're pining over how much more they COULD'VE made, were it not for the AP discount. After all, in their eyes, the MYW ticketing offers a "good enough" discount for prolonged visits WITHOUT benefit of a cheaper room. The thought of all those rooms being rented to Passholders for less than the rack rate is probably enough for more than one financial exec to think about hari-kari. So now they're treating passholders like an albatross around the company's neck instead of guaranteed cash revenue.

With this new plan, your vacation budget is now in their hands instead of yours. Because if so many people book online in advance that there are few-to-no rooms available to OTHER Passholders, they can decide to low-ball the discount, make it 40 off a deluxe room per night instead of 70 to 100. Why not? You've already booked the room. You paid one non-refundable night up front.

If you were expecting more of a discount, and now you have to modify your trip and make it shorter, they still get a modification fee...AND extra nights to book that room, maybe even at the rack rate if passholders don't bite! If you get angry enough that you want to cancel your trip, they still get your deposit...AND extra nights to book that room! BUT...as a Passholder, if you DON'T book your room 120 days in advance, there might not be ANY discounted rooms available for your trip, because they were all taken by people who went online...and will then be disappointed by their lack-of-discount...

Of course, if enough people don't plan that far in advance, and they don't fill up as many rooms online as they hoped, they can still offer a decent passholder rate like they have these past few years. Nothing ventured, nothing gained on their end, but we risk being treated like second-class citizens, jerked around and made to be kept waiting and hoping we get the deal we used to get, but not knowing and being unable to do anything about it.

The more I read about it, the happier I am that I joined DVC. Even then I was still thinking that, when I go to WDW, I might spend 2 or 3 nights a trip in a different, non-DVC resort using a passholder discount, but this nonsense makes it less likely.

 

[TeeCeeFitz]

You can book this offer using an Annual Pass Exchange Voucher ID number, and your voucher will then be validated by the website at the time of the booking.

Does anyone know if this means that the Voucher will be activated at time of booking? This is the only thing that will be a problem for me. It will reduce my return time by 120 days. :veryconfu

I want to go in December & again when EE opens and get AP rates on both visits. I was considering a third trip also.

Thank You in advance for any help! :sohappy: :veryconfu (Happy & Confused at the same time)

 

[mousermerf]

Validated means it will make sure it's a good AP-voucher number, not that the AP will be activated. The AP wont be active until you walk through the turnstile at a theme park.

 

[TeeCeeFitz]

Thank You! :sohappy:

 

[Moustronaut]

With the new system we would not have been able to do so nor would we have been able to afford it with out the discounted rate.

The new system is in addition to the current by phone system. So you can still do both senarios that you described. The only changes are you won't get the DEEPEST discount that is offered but would still probably get a significant savings.

I don't think this plan is going to swell the numbers of AP holders so I don't think there's going to be a lot more competition for AP rates all of a sudden. You will still have just as much competition for the limited number of discounted rooms that you do now.

My only objection to this plan is you don't know what discount you will be getting when you make your reservation and don't have the ability to opt out for free if you don't like the rate you end up with.

 

[tigger1968]

I just got off the phone with Reservations, and this is what I was told. She said this is the ONLY way to book for October thru December. When I asked about how I am supposed to book my dates (Oct 8th thru the 15th) when they have not released any codes for those dates, I was told that I can book online from the 19th on, and see rates for those dates, but that no Passholder rates are available for the 4th thru the 19th, and there is the potential that they will not release any at all for those dates.

So how is this a win for me? We make 2 - 3 trips a year to WDW. We always stay on property, and spend an average of $2000 to $3000 per trip. I now feel like I am being punished for being a loyal repeat customer. I asked her how exactly this new system was fair to me, and she did admit that they were getting a lot of "feedback" around this. I can only hope that enough of us rise up and complain that maybe they will make this a more workable system.

 

[mousermerf]

Query:

There haven't always been passholder rates. There are often times with none released. Why is it suddenly unfair to not have them for certain periods?