FastPass restrictions for split stays

[JETSDAD]

Were are they reporting this at? Also I guess it trickled in slower to them that they would be effected.

On FB on a Member Point Exchange group. Call/Chat/Email have all given a couple of owners the same answer that DVC will not be treated differently. Of course who really knows what the end result will be.

 

[Marionnette]

On FB on a Member Point Exchange group. Call/Chat/Email have all given a couple of owners the same answer that DVC will not be treated differently. Of course who really knows what the end result will be.

I think the true answer will only be obtained from actual experience. Unfortunately, I also think that Disney’s stellar IT gurus broke the FP system when they tried to roll out the changes. People are able to book earlier than 60 days, I was able to book across split stays, I cancellev DVC reservations with no impact on FPs and some have dropped leading reservations without losing FPs.

All we truly know is that we don’t know.

 

[JETSDAD]

I think the true answer will only be obtained from actual experience. Unfortunately, I also think that Disney’s stellar IT gurus broke the FP system when they tried to roll out the changes. People are able to book earlier than 60 days, I was able to book across split stays, I cancellev DVC reservations with no impact on FPs and some have dropped leading reservations without losing FPs.

All we truly know is that we don’t know.

People have started calling because there was a post from someone who was renting a split stay (both DVC, same owner) and they were trying to book today. The window did not open for the 2nd part of the stay. Then other owners in the group contacted MS to find out and have been told it won't be treated as continuous. It could be one of those things where it depends on who you speak with so it will be interesting to see how this plays out as more people run into it. It was also posted on KtP and most people had no idea this change had been made (mostly non-DVC) and there are some very unhappy people who have split stays booked and are learning about the change now.

 

[DaveNan]

Can you explain the difference between the 3? Throw away, lead in and bait and switch?

I am dancing at the edge of describing breaking the rules, but since the changes were address to eliminate these, I'll describe...
At some level, these are my terms, or my understanding of some of the terms
Throw away - Getting a reservation at a low cost resort (like a campsite) and keeping it. Traditionally this opened up the 60 day umbrella (everyday between now and check in once the window opened. With the new rules, only the days of the stay would be available, not the umbrella. I believe this has been confirmaed by mostly everyone.
Leading (lead in) - Booking a reservation leading into your stay (1-5 days). This would be continuous with your intended stay, but you have no intention of keeping the reservation. The old rules opened up a FP window for the entire length of your stay. If you had a leading reservation, your booking window would effectively have been 60 days + length of leading reservation. By making FP windows separate for separate stays, that hurt this work around. Unfortunately that also negatively impacted genuine split stays. At some level this too has been confirmed to be in place.
Bait and switch (or maybe ghost) - I have not heard a name for this, nor had I even thought of this until early Feb when the rumors started. But a person could live locally, be staying with grandma and grandpa locally, or staying offsite at Disney, so they would only have a 30 day window. They book a reservation they have no intention of keeping. Book FP at 60 days based on that reservation, wait until inside of 30 days (all the way down to 5 days with no penalty) and then cancel the WDW reservation. They keep the FP's and leave a room likely to sit empty and uncharged. The rule as described would stop this but I have not heard of any actual cases of this happening yet (maybe Disney is going to wait till the last second to hit these folks?). I have not seen a person actually admit to this online, but I have seen messages on this board stating things like (and I can hear the CM discussions) "We were going to stay on property, but our AC unit at home broke down, now we are going to stay with friends to save money and they are going to take our FP's away".

 

[jerseyduke]

Having never used a leading reservation, I did not give this policy much thought; now I am concerned. A lot of people do make split stays because they can and want to, but sometimes you have no choice.
Spit stays is not a business problem Disney wants to/needs to solve. - it does not cost them anything.

The big problem was the leading reservations. You could book an entire week before your actual trip, get a 67 day fast pass window, and then not HAVE TO cancel that first reservation until what is it, 4 days out? That could be a very large number of rooms coming out of inventory then being put back into inventory on short notice, giving Disney little chance to rent them. Potential a big hit in $$$. This had to be solved, and they did.

Now, being an IT guy, my GUESS is that there was nothing in the system to support this new needed functionality (exempt DVC rooms from these restrictions), and the business did not see or think of the need - maybe they will add it, or maybe they won't. Really, if you have enough points, what is to stop you from making a leading reservation with DVC, then cancelling it outside of 31 days so points to not go into holding? If you have the points you could jump thru the exact same loophole!

Hopefully they will change this.

On a more positive note, I am doing 1 day at the All stars then moving to beach club the next day for my stay. My FP window opened yesterday for the first day. I was not able to make fast passes for the rest of my stay, although I "should have been able to", but I was able to make them for my day at the all stars. I was able to get one for FOP. I have never been able to get a FP for FOP on the first day of my trip, I always had to go out a few days. This morning when my second window opened, I was able to get another FOP one (canceled my first, changed park plans), and had the option for a slink dog one.
My point is fast passes do seem to be getting easier to get for FOP, Slink Dog, et all.

Just don't do a split stay when Galaxy's Edge opens!!!!!!

 

[ljmiii]

Just don't do a split stay when Galaxy's Edge opens!!!!!!

Which would have been great advice if they had implemented this change more than 11 months prior to the opening of Galaxy's Edge. It's way too late for anyone with a DVC reservation around Christmas/New Years - many (most?) resorts are booked solid.

Now we get to hope...that the rules change back for DVC split stays before October or that a continuous stay opens up at 7 months in OKW or SSR.

 

[chaoskids]

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. In the future I guess I’ll be transferring points from on contract to the other so this won’t happen.

 

[JETSDAD]

 

[DduzDis]

View attachment 385045

Well there you have it. Thanks for checking and posting!

 

[DduzDis]

With that in mind.... If I do a BWV Sat-Weds and then a BLT Weds to Sat split, how likely would it be that I would be able to book high demand FP+ for the 2nd part of my stay if the majority of people are not doing split stays? Do we know if there is a trend towards most people's booking windows starting on any particular day of the week predominantly? Or would my Weds-Sat be as random as any other pattern and not really be impacted much?

 

[JETSDAD]

Day of the week that your stay starts won't make a difference....length of your booking window is what really matters. Split stays screw up that aspect of it.

 

[DduzDis]

Day of the week that your stay starts won't make a difference....length of your booking window is what really matters. Split stays screw up that aspect of it.

Gotcha. So those that book longer, continuous stays will have better prospects for high demand FP+ over any type split stays regarding the 2nd half it seems.

 

[rlk]

I called MS and used the Chat feature. Both times I was told my cash/DVC split stay will be considered a continuous stay.

 

[CarolMN]

View attachment 385061
I called MS and used the Chat feature. Both times I was told my cas/DVC split stay will be considered a continuous stay.

That's how it was working. I don't think MS realizes that this last FP+ update changed things. It's not working that way now for several people. I hope they get it fixed soon. If they don't, there are going to be many unhappy Members!

 

[DduzDis]

View attachment 385061
I called MS and used the Chat feature. Both times I was told my cas/DVC split stay will be considered a continuous stay.

And the saga continues....

 

[JETSDAD]

I went on chat again and this time it is continuous. Who knows. lol

 

[DduzDis]

I went on chat again and this time it is continuous. Who knows. lol

Perhaps unintended consequences they are trying to get ironed out. Hopefully they are trying and do get it fixed.

 

[crvetter]

That's how it was working. I don't think MS realizes that this last FP+ update changed things. It's not working that way now for several people. I hope they get it fixed soon. If they don't, there are going to be many unhappy Members!

When I chat with them they told me they are aware of the changes but DVC stays as long as continuous (both linked to the account), i.e. no gaps, and have the same guests then it will register for the full stay. We have had 2 people verify the continuous worked. One it wasn't registering in MDE and MS said they would book the FP and the other was able to do it on their own.

Not sure what I'll do about my Split Stay I was going to setup in a couple weeks.

 

[Ariel620]

I have a DVC split stay booked in June, I will share my experience when I book my FP.

 

[CarolMN]

When I chat with them they told me they are aware of the changes but DVC stays as long as continuous (both linked to the account), i.e. no gaps, and have the same guests then it will register for the full stay. We have had 2 people verify the continuous worked. One it wasn't registering in MDE and MS said they would book the FP and the other was able to do it on their own.

Not sure what I'll do about my Split Stay I was going to setup in a couple weeks.

Good. Hope that whatever issue those who reported problems had gets resolved quickly, and that it works for everyone as MS says it should. I don't want to find out I have a problem at 7 am on the day my 60 day window opens!