Rescheduling Question

[WDW_Emily]

Hello all. Before starting this thread, please do not attack saying I or anyone else is making wrong decisions about our trip. We are all trying to navigate this new normal and your negativity isn't welcome here.


So here is our current situation. The bf and I were planning a trip for April 18-25th. This trip has been planned and paid for since October. We were waiting until April 1st to cancel but seeing as how COVID-19 is playing out and most places are expecting a peak around this time, we decided to cancel and move our trip to the end of June (yes Disney may or may not be open then but again not what this thread is about).

We were able to rebook our flights through Southwest no problem. I called Disney today and they said they are completely sold out for the end of June at all of their resorts! However, when I go online myself, things are available but we aren't getting the same deal we had before (meaning we would be paying about $400 more for our hotel room). I haven't actually canceled our old reservation and booked a new one online yet but anyone has an idea why on the CM computer nothing shows up but almost all hotels show up on mine? What has been other people rescheduling experience?

 

[NelleBelle]

Maybe it's because they don't have any rooms available for the type of package (e.g. price/discount) you booked. They may have released only so many of those rooms at that rate and those rooms may be fully booked?

 

[ThatMouse]

I would guess any number of things: availability is fluctuating a lot, the computers are slow so they can't check everything, or they were under a promo code that didn't have any availability under that rate. There's probably lots of rack rate available and Disney is happy for you to pay that. You can grab a new reservation online and then cancel the other one as long as it's within the cancellation window. If you can't cancel and Disney is saying you need to call to do it then call and tell them about the rate you found.

 

[WDW_Emily]

Thank you both! Follow up question: I was planning on upgrading to an AP when down there in April. I have the money to upgrade now is there a way to upgrade my 5-day hopper to an AP and get AP room discounts for this June trip? Can this be done online or would I needto call and speak with someone?

 

[nickys]

Thank you both! Follow up question: I was planning on upgrading to an AP when down there in April. I have the money to upgrade now is there a way to upgrade my 5-day hopper to an AP and get AP room discounts for this June trip? Can this be done online or would I needto call and speak with someone?

Firstly, you don’t need to actually have an AP in order to book an AP discounted room. You will be asked to show your AP to the front desk, either at check-in or at some point during your stay. Otherwise they will simply charge you the full non-discounted rate.

As for upgrading by phone, you can do this for sure if you bought the tickets from Disney. If you bought elsewhere you may still be able to do so. I think it used to be only in person at one point, before date-based tickets came in.

Paging @Rob562.

 

[WDW_Emily]

Firstly, you don’t need to actually have an AP in order to book an AP discounted room. You will be asked to show your AP to the front desk, either at check-in or at some point during your stay. Otherwise they will simply charge you the full non-discounted rate.

As for upgrading by phone, you can do this for sure if you bought the tickets from Disney. If you bought elsewhere you may still be able to do so. I think it used to be only in person at one point, before date-based tickets came in.

Paging @Rob562.

Oh wow really?!? How would I apply the code? Just by calling?

 

[nickys]

Oh wow really?!? How would I apply the code? Just by calling?

Yes, I think you have to call because you can only see the AP rates if you have one.

And I don’t know how the phone lines are just now. It could be a frustrating wait.

 

[Rob562]

Firstly, you don’t need to actually have an AP in order to book an AP discounted room. You will be asked to show your AP to the front desk, either at check-in or at some point during your stay. Otherwise they will simply charge you the full non-discounted rate.

As for upgrading by phone, you can do this for sure if you bought the tickets from Disney. If you bought elsewhere you may still be able to do so. I think it used to be only in person at one point, before date-based tickets came in.

Paging @Rob562.

Unfortunately I have no experience upgrading a ticket over the phone. I actually wasn't aware this was now a possibility.

Though I'm trying to piece together the OP's situation from the two posts... It sounds like they are booking a package with a ticket, want to upgrade the ticket to an AP and get an AP rate on that same package?

There are no packages you can book that will include an AP as part of the package. And (to the best of my knowledge) there are no AP discount packages that include non-AP tickets. It's either book a package with tickets and then upgrade the tickets to an AP, or a Room Only (with or without AP discount) and buy AP's separately. However, as @nickys said, you don't actually need the AP in-hand to book an AP rate. You just have to be prepared to show it at the front desk either at checkin or within 24 hours from arrival if they ask for it. Just be aware that I don't think you can book an AP rate online without an AP or AP voucher. It'd have the be a phone call.

So here are your options, from what I can tell. Figuring out which is best for you would require calculating each out and see what the bottom line of each are.

1) Book a package with tickets. Once you arrive, upgrade the tickets to APs. You'll pay the price difference between the tickets and the AP.

2) Book a room-only reservation (with a general public or AP discount, if available), and then purchase your AP's separately, either beforehand or on your trip.

Note that if you're looking to get the Dining Plan, that would have to either be as part of a package in Option 1, or you have to specifically book an AP package with dining, which doesn't include the ticket requirement of a package.


Finally, there's a version of Option 2 that may be your cheapest option, but it requires more complex calculations to figure out which is cheapest. In this option you purchase a discounted park ticket from an authorized ticket reseller (like Undercover Tourist or Maple Leaf Tickets), and then upgrade that ticket at park Guest Relations to an AP. In doing so, you only pay the difference between the *gate price* of the ticket you got at a discount, and the current price for an AP. (And since you'll have an AP to show the front desk within 24 hours, you can book an AP discount room, though you'd have to call to do so)

A few important notes: (all $$ amounts are made up purely for example)
-You need to figure out which ticket option gives you the most savings *over its own gate price* and buy that ticket. A 10-day ticket might be just $100 to upgrade to an AP, but if the 10-day ticket is only giving a $50 discount off the gate-price of a 10-day ticket and a 6-day ticket gives an $80 discount off the 6-day ticket price, you want to get the 6-day ticket.

-AP prices have soared since the last time I did this, so this point might be moot, but also ensure that the *gate price* of the ticket you buy is *less* than the price of the AP. You won't get any kind of a refund if the ticket you're exchanging is worth more.

-Make sure to *use* the ticket to enter a park *before* you upgrade it to an AP. (You can even enter the park and then make a beeline to Guest Relations to do so) Doing this locks in the value of the ticket at the current gate-price of the ticket. If you don't, there's a chance you'll only be credited the price the *reseller* paid for the ticket and you end up paying more.

-Lastly, you can buy a ticket with the Water Parks option if it gives the biggest discount, but do not use it to enter a water park. Otherwise you'll be forced to upgrade to the AP that includes water parks.

Hope that all made sense.

-Rob

 

[WDW_Emily]

Update! Disney was extremely helpful. I originally bought 5-day hoppers on Undercover tourist. When I called they were able to give me an ap discount but I need to update my pass at guest relations before checking in. If I don't then I get charged the rack rate.

 

[nickys]

Update! Disney was extremely helpful. I originally bought 5-day hoppers on Undercover tourist. When I called they were able to give me an ap discount but I need to update my pass at guest relations before checking in. If I don't then I get charged the rack rate.

I think @Rob562 and I agreed you don’t actually have to do it before checking in. As long as you do it that day or the next morning you’ll be fine.

 

[Rob562]

Update! Disney was extremely helpful. I originally bought 5-day hoppers on Undercover tourist. When I called they were able to give me an ap discount but I need to update my pass at guest relations before checking in. If I don't then I get charged the rack rate.

Just make sure to follow my next-to-last point about using the ticket to enter a park before you upgrade to an AP to lock in maximum savings.

-Rob