The Great 'Throwaway Room' Debate

[WebmasterMike]

Is it wrong to get a "Throwaway" room at Atlantis on a Disney Cruise just so you can enjoy the Atlantis water parks? You are not staying at Atlantis but you are taking advantage of the resort guest benefits. I have often heard this preached as a "best practice" when going to Nassau.

 

[FelisLachesis]

I understand you're staying at POR, I wasn't aiming my comments at you. (Have a great trip, btw, we just stayed there last month and loved it.) I also understand that was the whole point of the article, I just want someone to justify why they find it acceptable to book a throwaway room other than the lousy excuse of "because I can".

I know it wasn't you, just rereading what I had written, I didn't know if I was 100% clear that I didn't cancel my POR reservation, as well.

The justification of a throwaway room is that someone can get 90% of the benefits of staying at the resorts, while paying 40% of the price. Even on the days the throwaway room reservation is in effect, I'd be turned away only on a level 4 park closure, not a level 1.

Also, I'm curious of the off-site hotel you had previously booked. Would you care to share the name of it?

Champion's World Resort, a bit southwest of WDW on FL-530/US-192/Bronson Memorial (no idea what name the locals use). It's a very basic hotel, but if all I was originally planning on using it for was sleeping and showering, I didn't care how basic it was.

 

[SmithSmith]

Champion's World Resort, a bit southwest of WDW on FL-530/US-192/Bronson Memorial (no idea what name the locals use). It's a very basic hotel, but if all I was originally planning on using it for was sleeping and showering, I didn't care how basic it was.

I only did a quick look on their website but I don't see how that resort could be comparable to POR, the amenities are more on par to a value, imo.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Disgusted is an apt description of how I feel about this. There's something about the mentality of someone who games the system just to get something for nothing that I find gross. It's just pure greed.

Keep in mind that Disney reservationists have suggested this practice to guests on the telephone.

You may be disgusted, but when the company itself is offering the suggestion...it's difficult to place blame on guests taking advantage of the situation.

 

[Napria]

What most people seem to be missing is that Disney *is* losing money with throwaway rooms.

If you stay offsite and book a campsite to get the perks, then I cannot stay in that campsite. You are going into the parks and spending money (a LOT of money... On tickets, food, souvenirs, etc.). But I cannot go to Disney because my (empty) campsite has been booked -- but not used -- by you. So Disney does not get my thousands of dollars. And yes, after you add it all up, it * is* thousands of dollars.

Now if you stay offsite because you want that bargain rate, but don't book that throwaway room, I can book my campsite and we both spend A LOT of money at Disney.

Get it? Yes, booking a throwaway room is gaming the system.

 

[FelisLachesis]

I only did a quick look on their website but I don't see how that resort could be comparable to POR, the amenities are more on par to a value, imo.

They're not comparable. Champions was meant as just a place to sleep, shower, and store my stuff. It's not even on par to a value. It's on par to "how cheap can I make it and still be in Kissimmee?"

 

[sayhello]

Is it wrong to get a "Throwaway" room at Atlantis on a Disney Cruise just so you can enjoy the Atlantis water parks? You are not staying at Atlantis but you are taking advantage of the resort guest benefits. I have often heard this preached as a "best practice" when going to Nassau.

That's a really good point, Mike. I've never heard anyone say they were "disgusted" by someone off a DCL cruise who booked a room at Atlantis just for the day.

Sayhello

 

[FelisLachesis]

I only did a quick look on their website but I don't see how that resort could be comparable to POR, the amenities are more on par to a value, imo.

OH! Also, when I booked my hotel room, I booked about 75 days out, not 180, so I had a pick from a very limited selection of rooms on site. The cheapest I found originally was ASM at $395/night (yay having 5 people!). Then, a couple days later, POR opened up in the $280 range, and I jumped on it.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I think it is stealing, or at least theft by deception-- especually those who are reserving a campsite and then getting 10 bands with made up names so they can take them into the park and get extra fast passes.

That is exactly what it is.

I don't know exactly. I was so disgusted by the thread I quit reading it.

I am in the same boat. I started reading the thread and couldn't get past the number of people that did it, and didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

What most people seem to be missing is that Disney *is* losing money with throwaway rooms.

If you stay offsite and book a campsite to get the perks, then I cannot stay in that campsite. You are going into the parks and spending money (a LOT of money... On tickets, food, souvenirs, etc.). But I cannot go to Disney because my (empty) campsite has been booked -- but not used -- by you. So Disney does not get my thousands of dollars. And yes, after you add it all up, it * is* thousands of dollars.

Now if you stay offsite because you want that bargain rate, but don't book that throwaway room, I can book my campsite and we both spend A LOT of money at Disney.

Get it? Yes, booking a throwaway room is gaming the system.

It seems that most people can't see past their own wallet. If it saves them money, or gives them a benefit, then it is a-okay with them. They don't give any thought to the person or persons it is hurting.

 

[disneyholic family]

Is it wrong to get a "Throwaway" room at Atlantis on a Disney Cruise just so you can enjoy the Atlantis water parks? You are not staying at Atlantis but you are taking advantage of the resort guest benefits. I have often heard this preached as a "best practice" when going to Nassau.

Mike those rooms cost several hundred dollars - and if the children are 16 or older, you have to pay quite a lot of money extra for each one.

It's not a cheap throwaway room.

We did this on the disney cruise 14 years ago when we paid $360 for a room so that we could use the atlantis pool (there was no other way to use the atlantis pools at the time - there was no excursion at all - this was the only way).

$360 for a room for one day so that the 4 of us could use the pools for 2 hours...
i don't think i was 'ripping anyone off"

i was paying through the nose for the privilege of using those pools for a few hours.
(some people actually used the rooms to shower - we never did.)

it's not the same as paying for one day in fort wilderness and getting 10 days worth of perks

..

 

[PainInIL]

I just don't see how it is stealing. If someone wants to pay for 10 park hopper tickets and use them for their family of 5 so that they have double the Fast Pass+ reservations, Disney would have no problem with it. In fact, they basically sell that experience via VIP tours and some of their other tour packages. Until Disney stops tying park benefits to resort stays this practice is perfectly viable.

How would people feel if park benefits were only an add-on that you had to purchase? Would people still stay in Disney Resorts or would off-site booking rise? I really don't know how I would feel. How would people react if Annual Passholders were treated exactly the same as day guests like at Universal?

 

[SmithSmith]

Keep in mind that Disney reservationists have suggested this practice to guests on the telephone.

You may be disgusted, but when the company itself is offering the suggestion...it's difficult to place blame on guests taking advantage of the situation.

How does that work? Why would someone booking a hotel offsite be on the phone with Disney? Can you please explain how this scenario takes place?

 

[SmithSmith]

How does that work? Why would someone booking a hotel offsite be on the phone with Disney? Can you please explain how this scenario takes place?

They're not comparable. Champions was meant as just a place to sleep, shower, and store my stuff. It's not even on par to a value. It's on par to "how cheap can I make it and still be in Kissimmee?"

Sorry, in your initial response I though you said you were comparing "apples to apples".

 

[olwyngdh]

I just don't see how it is stealing. If someone wants to pay for 10 park hopper tickets and use them for their family of 5 so that they have double the Fast Pass+ reservations, Disney would have no problem with it. In fact, they basically sell that experience via VIP tours and some of their other tour packages. Until Disney stops tying park benefits to resort stays this practice is perfectly viable.

How would people feel if park benefits were only an add-on that you had to purchase? Would people still stay in Disney Resorts or would off-site booking rise? I really don't know how I would feel. How would people react if Annual Passholders were treated exactly the same as day guests like at Universal?

The problem is, they aren't paying--they are reserving a campsite (at lower cost than any room on site) for one night, adding a bunch of false names and getting the "free" magic bands along with free parking, and then taking the magic bands into the park and somehow using them to make additional same-day fastpasses. So a family of 4 has 5 additional magic bands that they didn't pay for that they are using to get an additional 15 fast passes without having to use the three each that they booked at 60 days instead of 30. So Disney is out the cost of those 5 magic bands that have no tickets attached, at least 2 days of parking fees, and can't rent the site to someone who really wants it, and you are out the ability to book same day fastpasses once your three are used because these people took 15 of them at park opening.

 

[DisneyKevin]

How does that work? Why would someone booking a hotel offsite be on the phone with Disney? Can you please explain how this scenario takes place?

If you were to call and find that the pricing was above your comfort limit, but were still asking about perks...this could be suggested.

This was also suggested back when certain dining reservations were extremely difficult to secure.

Clearer?

 

[disneyholic family]

If you were to call and find that the pricing was above your comfort limit, but were still asking about perks...this could be suggested.

This was also suggested back when certain dining reservations were extremely difficult to secure.

Clearer?

certain ADRs are STILL very difficult to secure.
DD booked her resort at 90 days out...by that time all the 'good' ADRs were already taken..

i spent the better part of a month on the computer checking over and over and over again, to get her ADRs.

and then, over the past two weeks (she's there now) all of sudden, on the cancellation thread over on the restaurant board - people came on saying they were cancelling ADRs and they gave lists of ADRs that made it clear they'd booked every combination and permutation of ADRs possible (each separated by 65 minutes so that the system wouldn't block them).

i was livid when i saw it.
Someone would say, oh i have BOG on monday at 5, 6:05, 7:10, 8:15 and again on tuesday wed....blah blah blah..

so people are still grabbing everything at 180 days and then letting them go a week or two before they get to WDW..
it makes life for the rest of us very difficult..

.

 

[tjevans]

What most people seem to be missing is that Disney *is* losing money with throwaway rooms. If you stay offsite and book a campsite to get the perks, then I cannot stay in that campsite. You are going into the parks and spending money (a LOT of money... On tickets, food, souvenirs, etc.). But I cannot go to Disney because my (empty) campsite has been booked -- but not used -- by you. So Disney does not get my thousands of dollars. And yes, after you add it all up, it * is* thousands of dollars. Now if you stay offsite because you want that bargain rate, but don't book that throwaway room, I can book my campsite and we both spend A LOT of money at Disney. Get it? Yes, booking a throwaway room is gaming the system.

Are there no off-site campgrounds? Only then can we assume that the limiting factor in guests who would stay at a campsite is the number of campsites at WDW.

 

[tjevans]

If it saves them money, or gives them a benefit, then it is a-okay with them. They don't give any thought to the person or persons it is hurting.

In any non-commodity market with more demand than supply, a consumer making a purchase "hurts" another because it keeps another consumer from purchasing the desired good or service. If you've ever bought, for example, a house or land, you've made a purchase without thinking about who it is hurting.

 

[metz72]

There is a whole thread also devoted on how to use your magic bands from a previous trip and other various ways including the throwaway room. One person said that she saw someone wearing 4 different bands on their arm so that person has access to at least 16 FP. A couple who books a campsite and gets 10 MBs have access to at least 20 each! And then there are those of us that will do the right thing and use the 4+ we are entitled to. I couldn't live with myself otherwise.

For some people it seems that this is become an obsession, how can I milk every ounce out of my trip and they don't seem to care that it's really not fair to others. The multiple bookings of ADRS is a new one to me. How unfair is that? I see so many posts from people begging to get one dinner for their kids at BOG and to find out that someone has them for every hour of service and will be canceling, upsets me more then anything else I have seen. I very well could be the one stalking the website trying to get that reservation because that's the one thing my DD wants to do. It burns me that I could have to waste all my time because someone else who could book before me is holding multiple just in case.

 

[tjevans]

Mike those rooms cost several hundred dollars - and if the children are 16 or older, you have to pay quite a lot of money extra for each one. It's not a cheap throwaway room. We did this on the disney cruise 14 years ago when we paid $360 for a room so that we could use the atlantis pool (there was no other way to use the atlantis pools at the time - there was no excursion at all - this was the only way). $360 for a room for one day so that the 4 of us could use the pools for 2 hours... i don't think i was 'ripping anyone off" i was paying through the nose for the privilege of using those pools for a few hours. (some people actually used the rooms to shower - we never did.) it's not the same as paying for one day in fort wilderness and getting 10 days worth of perks ..

It's not? So is the only difference the price? Is it ok to book a throwaway room on the concierge level of GF?