Resort guests being offered 1 night extension at discounted rate through the new year

[wdwmagic]

I've had a few reports of in-room flyers starting today for a discount on a 1 night extension for guests staying at WDW resorts.

Anyone there now have any details of the discount?

 

[Ransom]

That's strange. It wouldn't seem to be of interest to many people, given that most of us have to plan our time off well in advance.

 

[monothingie]

Well, I'd better break out the pencil and clipboard and start counting empty spaces in the parking lot again.

 

[DManRightHere]

I've had a few reports of in-room flyers starting today for a discount on a 1 night extension for guests staying at WDW resorts.

Anyone there now have any details of the discount?

I hope they are not similar to pizza flyers. Could it be a scam?

 

[peachykeen]

I hope they are not similar to pizza flyers. Could it be a scam?

Definitely sounds a little strange, it'd be nice to see a picture of one.

I can imagine some 8x11 piece of paper: "50% off one night room extension. Just call with your credit card number!" and some 407 number listed.

 

[PhotoDave219]

That's very .... Odd.

 

[Tom]

That would imply that they have an unusually low occupancy rate this holiday season.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

For me the cost of making any last-minute flight changes would probably not justify the room savings.

 

[djkidkaz]

I think we're starting to see some fallout from DHS closing just about everything, Animal Kingdom being just months out before it becomes an evening park with all new offerings, Epcot being a few months from the Frozen attraction and MK not really having much new to advertise as well. The second half of 2016 is really where Guests are going to start seeing some new options. Expect low occupancy until then.

 

[surfsupdon]

Guess the rooms are not full.

I know we would be at Disney if we could for the New Year, but they are charging rack rates. If it were a discount I'd be all over that.

 

[DHoy]

I just ran a 4 night trip from 12/29-01/02. And available:
Ft wilderness campground
Pop Century
DAK Lodge
Contemporary
Bay Lake Tower
Villas at grand flo

 

[WhatJaneSays]

I just mentioned this topic to a CM friend and she was unsurprised. She said there is a big lack of CMs booking rooms for their holiday stays due to blockout dates. Apparently it’s common for even the most local CMs to book rooms over the holidays, particularly on New Year’s Eve. She told me that she and her CM group normally book a room or two for NYE/NYD to go to the parks those days but with the blockout dates no one she knows did this year.

I’m sure that’s not the only factor but it could make a dent in the hotels regular bookings.

 

[DHoy]

If you want a room at Contemporary on NYE it's gonna cost you.

 

[R W B]

View attachment 123927 If you want a room at Contemporary on NYE it's gonna cost you.

Booked 45 times in the last 24 hours? Really has me wondering how true that is.

 

[DHoy]

Booked 45 times in the last 24 hours? Really has me wondering how true that is.

That could be 45 times for any conceivable date though. So maybe not NYE but anytime between now and next December

 

[culturenthrills]

I just mentioned this topic to a CM friend and she was unsurprised. She said there is a big lack of CMs booking rooms for their holiday stays due to blockout dates. Apparently it’s common for even the most local CMs to book rooms over the holidays, particularly on New Year’s Eve. She told me that she and her CM group normally book a room or two for NYE/NYD to go to the parks those days but with the blockout dates no one she knows did this year.

I’m sure that’s not the only factor but it could make a dent in the hotels regular bookings.

Seems like Disney forgot even a booked room at a CM discount is still making them money. Once again picking up pennies while dollars fly over their heads

 

[flynnibus]

I think we're starting to see some fallout from DHS closing just about everything, Animal Kingdom being just months out before it becomes an evening park with all new offerings, Epcot being a few months from the Frozen attraction and MK not really having much new to advertise as well. The second half of 2016 is really where Guests are going to start seeing some new options. Expect low occupancy until then.

Parks were still quite busy during classically low periods this month. I think reports of the resorts demise are a bit premature

 

[Rodan75]

Where is @ParentsOf4 these days. I seem to remember this was one of his complaints about occupancy. That they weren't doing enough to fill those edge vacancies between guest stays. This would help solve that problem where available.

 

[alissafalco]

I wonder how much of a discount they are giving you for just 1 extra night.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Where is @ParentsOf4 these days. I seem to remember this was one of his complaints about occupancy. That they weren't doing enough to fill those edge vacancies between guest stays. This would help solve that problem where available.

For reference, Disney's domestic hotel occupancy rate since 2010 per calendar quarter:

Keeping in mind that WDW has approximately 89% of Disney's domestic hotel capacity, this chart pretty much represents what's happening at WDW.

In recent years, the 4th calendar quarter (October to December) tends to be the strongest.

During the 1Q2015 earnings call, former Disney CFO Jay Rasulo (R.I.P.) said:

I think hoteliers in general will tell you that to try to fill a hotel beyond 89%, 90%, 91% is extremely difficult because to go beyond that, it takes too many matchups of people who are staying three nights, checking out; replaced by five nights; replaced -- in rapid succession. It becomes quite difficult.​

Once hotel occupancy reaches a certain level, occupied rooms above that are mostly profit. Offering selective one-night discounts for empty rooms would be a way to bridge reservations and improve profitability.