Disney to cancel FPs if room is cancelled

[DaveNan]

Based on a conversation with a Travel agent focused on Disney, Disney communicated to them that the real driver of this is late cancelled rooms going unused.

This may actually help some with FP availability if all the games stop, but Disney was actually having a decent number of rooms sit empty and unpaid for. Because people were using reservations to get FP's, waiting until the last moment (5 days) and cancelling the reservation.

We are all looking at it from a FP perspective. Disney is looking at it from an occupancy perspective. If FP rules were negatively hitting occupancy, they need to change. I believe the split stay impact is more of a side effect based on how they were able to implement the fix, not the intended effect.

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

I don't think split stays are being targeted, so much, just collateral damage.
To stop leading reservations, I don't see any other way around it, unfortunately.
I am debating my split stays in July and Nov now, unless I do CL FPs or DAH is offered. I see those two things becoming more and more popular for split stayers. More money for Disney, shocking...

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Based on a conversation with a Travel agent focused on Disney, Disney communicated to them that the real driver of this late cancelled rooms going unused.

This may actually help some with FP availability if all the games stop, but Disney was actually having a decent number of rooms sit empty and unpaid for. Because people were using reservations to get FP's, waiting until the last moment (5 days) and cancelling the reservation.

We are all looking at it from a FP perspective. Disney is looking at it from an occupancy perspective. If FP rules were negatively hitting occupancy, they need to change. I believe the split stay impact is more of a side effect based on how they were able to implement the fix, not the intended effect.

If this is the case, then someone going from an 8 day room to two, contiguous 4 day stays isn't their target. As long as you have rooms booked on the dates you initially had the rooms booked, you're not screwing up their inventory, just shifting it. I'm curious to see how FPs actually start getting cancelled, not just the chatter. Only time will tell.

 

[DavidNYC]

Simple coding to accomplish the desired results:

1. Tag every FP with the check in date that opened the booking window used to make the FP

2. Daily checks that for each FP, there is a resort reservation in MDE for each night from the tagged check in date through the night before the FP date (to allow for check out day FPs). FPs that fail the check get flagged.

3. Flagged FP get checked again in 48 hours for compliance. If still no compliance, then FP is cancelled.

I still think this is overkill and very unforgiving. The key abuse is having a FP for a day on which you cancelled a reservation. Just tag every FP made more than 30 days out. This way it’s just a single check box. If a reservation is subsequently cancelled, the FP goes too. While this leaves some loopholes - it closes a majority of them and doesn’t penalize split stays or people who have to make slight alterations of their trip. But the key is you lose any FP for a day on which you’re not onsite.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

I still think this is overkill and very unforgiving. The key abuse is having a FP for a day on which you cancelled a reservation. Just tag every FP made more than 30 days out. This way it’s just a single check box. If a reservation is subsequently cancelled, the FP goes too. While this leaves some loopholes - it closes a majority of them and doesn’t penalize split stays or people who have to make slight alterations of their trip. But the key is you lose any FP for a day on which you’re not onsite.

I don't think that's true, though. People would book a 14 day leading reservation to get their window open earlier, then cancel after their true trip was within the 60 day window. Those folks still have an underlying reservation on all of their FP days once their cancellations are said and done. So, under your scenario, they would keep those FPs but Disney is stuck with 14 empty days at a campsite or value.

 

[DisBuckMan]

That's what I thought but just wanted to clarify...I don't know that I really consider that an actual split stay where someone books two contiguous onsite resorts and stays at both of them.

Agree. That's not a legitimate "split" stay.

That's simply gaming the system.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

[QUOTE="TISHLOVESDISNEY, post: 60296672, member: 148991"]I don't think split stays are being targeted, so much, just collateral damage.
To stop leading reservations, I don't see any other way around it, unfortunately.
I am debating my split stays in July and Nov now, unless I do CL FPs or DAH is offered. I see those two things becoming more and more popular for split stayers. More money for Disney, shocking...[/QUOTE]

I agree, but it might be the thing that drives me off-site with my splits stays...and I know, Disney will fill the rooms without me, but I'm still finding it a bit ironic. I generally do split stays with two Deluxes, no rental car. I am a bird they want in their guided bubble cage. I know that I can do things more cheaply, but I save up and this is what we like. I like to mess around with the rooms discounts and try to maximize my spending, so if better rates come up, I change reservations all the time, but it has always been among the Disney resorts. But if these changes impact fp availability (and again, I know they can do whatever they want), it may make better sense for me to do part of my trip off-site and save the extra $ for the SWGE up-charge events that we know are coming!

 

[DavidNYC]

I’m not totally sure but it seems I will find out unless there is a grace period (60 days?) from when this policy goes into effect! I have a reservation for April 8-11 at ASSports and another from April 11-13 at AoA. I made all of my FP when the window opened for April 8th. I have an AP so these are Room only. (We are also DVC but no cheap DVC studio rooms were available for just 2 of us so we are booked cash)

My cousins will be at Disney from the 8-11th and we are still trying to find a way to shift our current flight plans to meet them.

If we cannot get to Disney before our April 11flight - we will cancel that room 4/8-4/11 reservation (cancelation is 5 days prior). I am okay if that cancels the FP for that stay as obviously we won’t be there - but I will be really unhappy if that cancels my FP for 4/11-4/12 that were made on the ‘booking window made

I don't think that's true, though. People would book a 14 day leading reservation to get their window open earlier, then cancel after their true trip was within the 60 day window. Those folks still have an underlying reservation on all of their FP days once their cancellations are said and done. So, under your scenario, they would keep those FPs but Disney is stuck with 14 empty days at a campsite or value.

Not sure your scenario since you talk about cancelling and keeping the reservation. If you mean a split stay they’ve already corrected not being able to make for your 2nd true reservation until that opens. And Disney seems to be concerned with the late cancellations. You seem to be suggesting a cancellation 60 days out will sit unused. I’d be surprised if facts bear out that 60 days results in the room not being rebooked.

 

[Mish415]

This new process already has easy loopholes if you are willing to spend a little money. Hosing people with split stays isn't required to close the main loopholes, though, they already had the software in place to link them into a continuous stay, they had to activity change that coding to break it.

Please share your idea.

 

[Summer2018]

Now I know what a "throwaway room" is.

 

[BNM6959]

Very disappointing news for my July split stay. Good thing my second stay is still 5 nights and I’m planning HS and AK for the last two days. Hoping I can still snag SDD and FOP FPs.

 

[cel_disney]

Not sure your scenario since you talk about cancelling and keeping the reservation. If you mean a split stay they’ve already corrected not being able to make for your 2nd true reservation until that opens. And Disney seems to be concerned with the late cancellations. You seem to be suggesting a cancellation 60 days out will sit unused. I’d be surprised if facts bear out that 60 days results in the room not being rebooked.

I think my situation is the situation they are concerned with - except I am not doing it for a ‘leading reservation’ but that I am trying to take advantage of having an AP and trying to get extra days for my trip.

BUT - If I cancel - I probably won’t be cancelling until well inside the 30 day window because I am still trying to make the trip work! Again - I don’t mind if they cancel the FP from that ‘leading or first split stay ressie’ as long as they don’t cancel the second split stay FP!

 

[Gentry2004]

I’m not totally sure but it seems I will find out unless there is a grace period (60 days?) from when this policy goes into effect! I have a reservation for April 8-11 at ASSports and another from April 11-13 at AoA. I made all of my FP when the window opened for April 8th. I have an AP so these are Room only. (We are also DVC but no cheap DVC studio rooms were available for just 2 of us so we are booked cash)

My cousins will be at Disney from the 8-11th and we are still trying to find a way to shift our current flight plans to meet them.

If we cannot get to Disney before our April 11flight - we will cancel that room 4/8-4/11 reservation (cancelation is 5 days prior). I am okay if that cancels the FP for that stay as obviously we won’t be there - but I will be really unhappy if that cancels my FP for 4/11-4/12 that were made on the ‘booking window made eligible by the split stay’.

We are also DVC and do a lot or split stays - almost always do a one night value room when we arrive. We rent a car and move our own luggage and rarely stop at a front desk with the advent of online check in so we are not burdening the resort side by doing this. The upside for Disney is that they get us there and spending money earlier - but when I have to choose between the one night offsite and the one night onesite for our late night arrival, there is no reason to pick onsite if the FP window doesn’t open for the entire trip with it. We would be better off at BV Suites for lower cost and free breakfast and parking than staying on property for that night!

I will probably wait a week or so to call and figure out the implications but it seems a little premature - I expect some tweaks to be made before things are final.

Please report back when you know!

 

[guerns17]

I will let you know what happens with a cancellation of one of those hotels. I just cancelled one between 60 and 30 days.

All of the Fastpasses are still there! The real test will be after the 48hr mark.

 

[Gentry2004]

If this is the case, then someone going from an 8 day room to two, contiguous 4 day stays isn't their target. As long as you have rooms booked on the dates you initially had the rooms booked, you're not screwing up their inventory, just shifting it. I'm curious to see how FPs actually start getting cancelled, not just the chatter. Only time will tell.

This. Have ANY fast passes been deleted yet? Has anyone tested the book/cancel to see if they really cancelled the FP’s? Surely someone knows by now.

 

[pepperandchips]

I booked a room, booked fastpasses, and cancelled the room on February 13. That was prior to yesterday’s news, so I don’t know if my data point is even relevant. However, the test fastpasses I made are still there 10 days after my resort cancellation. For those who want the details here is my original post:

I decided to test this. I booked a room at a value resort, just shy of 60 days from now. We are still considering whether to travel during this time but before the morality police descend I have no intention of keeping these fastpasses. Here's a screen grab showing the resort reservation, me and Mr. Husband listed there, and the fastpasses I booked as part of the test:

View attachment 382154

Then I cancelled the reservation. Less than an hour after I made it. I expanded the details on the FP Cancellation warning.

View attachment 382153

Note the warning in the red box:

View attachment 382152

As of right this moment, a few minutes after cancelling, my FPs remain. I will wait a couple days and check back in with you guys if the FP disappear. I am traveling this weekend so don't tag me for an update

View attachment 382151

 

[chaoskids]

As another wrinkle, I have a DVC stay 10 nights in July at OKW in a 2 bedroom. We have two contracts with different use years so different member numbers. We booked the reservation using both contacts so it’s technically a “split stay” even though we aren’t changing rooms or hotels.

 

[Gentry2004]

All of the Fastpasses are still there! The real test will be after the 48hr mark.

So you tested a split stay where you cancelled stay 1?

 

[Gentry2004]

I booked a room, booked fastpasses, and cancelled the room on February 13. That was prior to yesterday’s news, so I don’t know if my data point is even relevant. However, the test fastpasses I made are still there 10 days after my resort cancellation. For those who want the details here is my original post:

Care to test again?

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

Not sure your scenario since you talk about cancelling and keeping the reservation. If you mean a split stay they’ve already corrected not being able to make for your 2nd true reservation until that opens. And Disney seems to be concerned with the late cancellations. You seem to be suggesting a cancellation 60 days out will sit unused. I’d be surprised if facts bear out that 60 days results in the room not being rebooked.

Not sure if this was completely directed at me, since there are two quoted posts.

If it were just a matter of maintaining a days associated with FPs, even with the new limitation on split stays, one could book a reservation for the leading 14 days plus length of trip and separately book the length of trip reservation they actually intend to use. After they cancel the +14 reservation, they would still have an on-site during their FP days. So, if disney were just doing a basic system check to see if there's a reservation on the date, this strategy would avoid cancelled FPs. They could wait as late as 5 days before check in to cancel the dummy reservation and saddle disney with 14+ days to sell at a significant discount or leave empty.