Package rates in August

[sbkline]

I've asked this question in a couple other threads, but then the question never gets answered and the thread disappears.

For those of us who book a room only for the following year, in this case 2010, in the months before the rates come out for that year, we are given a high estimated total with the understanding that the rates will be out around August and the rates will be adjusted accordingly. My question is, for those of us who choose not to re-book as a package in August, will we be notified automatically of the new, locked in rates? Or is it up to us to call and find out?

And I have another question. It is more hypothetical than anything else because even if it is possible, I doubt it would really happen. But since they have to cancel your room only and then re-book it as a package (for those who want a package), is there the slightest possibility that if it is for a busy time of year and the resort is booked close to capacity already, and if the phone lines are busy enough, that, in the few minutes that it takes to re-book it as a package after cancelling the room only, that other callers on other lines with other CMs, could actually book the resort to capacity in those few minutes? And that when the CM tries to assign you a room, he finds that it is booked to capacity? Is there any remote possibility of that happening, or are the computers set up such that, once the room-only is cancelled, it can still be flagged as "reserved" for the time it takes to re-book it as a package?

 

[DisneyJoe]

For those of us who book a room only for the following year, in this case 2010, in the months before the rates come out for that year, we are given a high estimated total with the understanding that the rates will be out around August and the rates will be adjusted accordingly. My question is, for those of us who choose not to re-book as a package in August, will we be notified automatically of the new, locked in rates? Or is it up to us to call and find out?

You may or may not get a piece of paper documenting the update. I would plan on calling. Travel agents I believe get a fax when the update occurs.

And I have another question. It is more hypothetical than anything else because even if it is possible, I doubt it would really happen. But since they have to cancel your room only and then re-book it as a package (for those who want a package), is there the slightest possibility that if it is for a busy time of year and the resort is booked close to capacity already, and if the phone lines are busy enough, that, in the few minutes that it takes to re-book it as a package after cancelling the room only, that other callers on other lines with other CMs, could actually book the resort to capacity in those few minutes? And that when the CM tries to assign you a room, he finds that it is booked to capacity? Is there any remote possibility of that happening, or are the computers set up such that, once the room-only is cancelled, it can still be flagged as "reserved" for the time it takes to re-book it as a package?

A good CM will book the package first before canceling the room-only to prevent this from happening.

 

[sbkline]

You may or may not get a piece of paper documenting the update. I would plan on calling. Travel agents I believe get a fax when the update occurs.

I wondered if they would send me an email, but I'll plan on calling just in case.

A good CM will book the package first before canceling the room-only to prevent this from happening.

Ya, I guess I didn't think of doing it that way. It's been a couple years ago, so my memory may be kind of fuzzy, but I was kind of thinking when I converted my 2007 trip into a package back in August of 2006, that they cancelled it first and then told me they are going back in to make it a package. Of course, I could be remembering wrong after 3 years. But even if they book it as a package first, I suppose that still begs the question of what if the resort is fully booked already and there are no available rooms to book a new package, even though they are going to cancel your room afterwards?

 

[DisneyJoe]

But even if they book it as a package first, I suppose that still begs the question of what if the resort is fully booked already and there are no available rooms to book a new package, even though they are going to cancel your room afterwards?

Then they should tell you when they go to book the package that there is no availability and they don't cancel the room only.

You then either decide to move to a different resort, or you keep trying back to see if someone cancels and availability opens up.

When do you want to travel? What resort? I can probably give you a feel for your odds....

 

[sbkline]

Then they should tell you when they go to book the package that there is no availability and they don't cancel the room only.

You then either decide to move to a different resort, or you keep trying back to see if someone cancels and availability opens up.

When do you want to travel? What resort? I can probably give you a feel for your odds....

My question was out of curiousity, not genuine concern. We're staying at Coronado Springs next April and I don't even plan on changing it to a package anyway. But it was just something that popped into my mind last week and I just thought I would ask here to satisfy my curiosity. I thought maybe there was a way to cancel the room only, but put that room on some kind of "hold" on the system to keep it open until it can then be reassigned to a package. I was just curious as to how it all worked. I figured the way Disney tries to cover all bases and make sure the customer is always satisfied, they would have some kind of a safeguard in place to prevent any possibility of A) the room being booked out from under you if the CM cancels first and then books as a package second or B)being unable to book it as a package first due to all other rooms being booked already.