Wait list advice & early arrival?

[Raya]

Does anyone have experiences with the wait list that they could share? This is for Egypt, in 2024.

Our ideal dates (departing 12/24) are on a wait list, but there's availability for the trips before and after (12/17 & 12/31). However, those are heavy travel times, so I'd want to book air sooner rather than later. If I wait list 12/24, can I also reserve a spot in 12/17 or 12/31? If I do, and I book air through Disney will they be able to change it for me?

Also, we'd like to arrive two or three days early - can ABD handle picking us up at the airport/helping us with visas that early? We did ABD Rhine River Cruise, and arrived 2 days early. Although we booked our early days with Disney, no one met us at the airport and the hotel scene was chaotic the day of (lots of people waiting around, no ABD signage, no clear lines, no warning that the bathroom on the bus was broken). I'm wondering if arriving early always throws off the process or if we'd be okay in Egypt.

 

[abdgeek]

Does anyone have experiences with the wait list that they could share? This is for Egypt, in 2024.

Our ideal dates (departing 12/24) are on a wait list, but there's availability for the trips before and after (12/17 & 12/31). However, those are heavy travel times, so I'd want to book air sooner rather than later. If I wait list 12/24, can I also reserve a spot in 12/17 or 12/31? If I do, and I book air through Disney will they be able to change it for me?

Also, we'd like to arrive two or three days early - can ABD handle picking us up at the airport/helping us with visas that early? We did ABD Rhine River Cruise, and arrived 2 days early. Although we booked our early days with Disney, no one met us at the airport and the hotel scene was chaotic the day of (lots of people waiting around, no ABD signage, no clear lines, no warning that the bathroom on the bus was broken). I'm wondering if arriving early always throws off the process or if we'd be okay in Egypt.

If there’s availability on the 12/17 or 12/31 trips, I would suggest booking one of those. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee your wait list will come through. I did the Dec. 19th trip last year and came in on Dec. 15th. An ABD representative met me at the gate, took me to the lounge where I waited while he got my visa and luggage. I was then escorted to the local representative who rode with me to the hotel and checked me in. The service was top notch and definitely a benefit of traveling with ABD to this destination!

I booked my own pre-nights at the Ritz Carlton for much less than ABD was charging. If you do, book a rate that includes breakfast. It makes it a lot easier. If you don’t, you will need to either put a deposit on the room (the hotel suggests 10,000 Egyptian pounds, but you can do 5,000 Egyptian pounds) or pay with cash or card each time you eat at a restaurant or order room service. Unlike the U.S., Egyptian hotels can only charge your card for the amount of the room and the amount is charged in full when you check in. If you decide not to stay at the Ritz for your pre-nights, ABD would normally transport you there and then you would need to get to your actual hotel on your own. If you‘re considering doing that, I would contact them to see how your transfer would work.

I booked several tours on Viator for my pre-days and went to Fayoum, Sakkara, Dashur & Memphis and Alexandria. I also did a food tour. You won’t need to exchange much money(think $10 USD) when you arrive. The Ritz has a bank and machines where you exchange your money—the local representative will talk about that. All the tour guides I had for my pre-nights were fine taking USD and actually preferred it. Vendors too, although they will quote you Egyptian pounds if you ask.

Since 30% of Egyptians are Christian, you will find Christmas decorations in the hotels and town squares. However, they don’t celebrate NYE like we do—so no fireworks.

The River Cruises are very different, so don’t judge the rest of the ABDs by them. I came in early for the Danube River Cruise and transfers weren’t included—but I knew that from my calls to ABD. I think only the final transfer is included with any of the River Cruises if you go directly from the boat to the airport.

Let me know if you have any other questions I can answer.

 

[Raya]

If there’s availability on the 12/17 or 12/31 trips, I would suggest booking one of those. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee your wait list will come through. I did the Dec. 19th trip last year and came in on Dec. 15th. An ABD representative met me at the gate, took me to the lounge where I waited while he got my visa and luggage. I was then escorted to the local representative who rode with me to the hotel and checked me in. The service was top notch and definitely a benefit of traveling with ABD to this destination!

I booked my own pre-nights at the Ritz Carlton for much less than ABD was charging. If you do, book a rate that includes breakfast. It makes it a lot easier. If you don’t, you will need to either put a deposit on the room (the hotel suggests 10,000 Egyptian pounds, but you can do 5,000 Egyptian pounds) or pay with cash or card each time you eat at a restaurant or order room service. Unlike the U.S., Egyptian hotels can only charge your card for the amount of the room and the amount is charged in full when you check in. If you decide not to stay at the Ritz for your pre-nights, ABD would normally transport you there and then you would need to get to your actual hotel on your own. If you‘re considering doing that, I would contact them to see how your transfer would work.

I booked several tours on Viator for my pre-days and went to Fayoum, Sakkara, Dashur & Memphis and Alexandria. I also did a food tour. You won’t need to exchange much money(think $10 USD) when you arrive. The Ritz has a bank and machines where you exchange your money—the local representative will talk about that. All the tour guides I had for my pre-nights were fine taking USD and actually preferred it. Vendors too, although they will quote you Egyptian pounds if you ask.

Since 30% of Egyptians are Christian, you will find Christmas decorations in the hotels and town squares. However, they don’t celebrate NYE like we do—so no fireworks.

The River Cruises are very different, so don’t judge the rest of the ABDs by them. I came in early for the Danube River Cruise and transfers weren’t included—but I knew that from my calls to ABD. I think only the final transfer is included with any of the River Cruises if you go directly from the boat to the airport.

Let me know if you have any other questions I can answer.

Wow! Thank you so much for all that. It's really helpful.

 

[sayhello]

You'd want to ask ABD to be sure, but I think the chance of them helping you change the airfare if you bought it for one departure, then wanted to switch it to a waitlist date that came through would be slim to none. They book the airfare through the airlines just like a Travel Agent would (they don't buy bulk airfare like cruise lines do). So they'd have to pay for the change to the airfare if you didn't. But again, I don't know that, it's only a guess, so you'd have to ask ABD. But I agree with abdgeek. You just never know if space would open up on a waitlisted departure or not, so you'd be better off picking another date, unless you're willing to risk not going.

Oh, and also, always confirm with ABD how any out of the ordinary pickup/dropoff situations will work. It's really different depending on the trip itself, and sometimes on a case by case basis. I've gotten so many different answers from them from year to year!

Sayhello

 

[Mathmagicland]

If I wait list 12/24, can I also reserve a spot in 12/17 or 12/31?

You’d want to check with Disney on your specific situation. When you waitlist, you are given a waitlist reservation number. When the waitlist comes through, that waitlist reservation number becomes your active reservation number. If you put a deposit on another departure, you would get a different reservation number and have to return the travel agreement to secure that alternative booking; once the travel agreement is returned, you are no longer eligible for a refund of your deposit.

In the past, Disney has allowed people to move a reservation once, from one trip to another. Or, I think you could cancel and let them hold your deposit up to a year or two to br applied towards another booking under that original booking number. What I don’t know is if they would be able to move your alternative date reservation number to your wait list spot, or if they would be willing to move a deposit from your original booking to your waitlist booking, System-capability wise it may not be easily possible or they may have to make exceptions to their normal processes functionality, if they would be willing to do so.

I think if you decide to go that route, I’d recommend speaking with a manager before you did anything and get confirmations in writing of how they would handle changing the two reservations into one or what they would be willing and able to for you, so there is no misunderstanding or frustrations at a future point.

 

[Eastridge]

Also, we'd like to arrive two or three days early - can ABD handle picking us up at the airport/helping us with visas that early? We did ABD Rhine River Cruise, and arrived 2 days early. Although we booked our early days with Disney, no one met us at the airport and the hotel scene was chaotic the day of (lots of people waiting around, no ABD signage, no clear lines, no warning that the bathroom on the bus was broken). I'm wondering if arriving early always throws off the process or if we'd be okay in Egypt.

As others have said, you'd have to ask ABD about pre-days and transfers for your specific trip.

When we did the ABD Rhine River, we added a day at the beginning and the end, both through ABD. ABD provided all transfers, from the airport to the Basel hotel, from the Basel hotel to the ship, from the ship to the Amsterdam hotel and from the Amsterdam hotel to the airport.