Disney to cancel FPs if room is cancelled

[ljmiii]

Wow, I am amazed that this thread is still open. It has basically turned into a how to manual for doing things that I thought the DIS was against.

DVC CMs are still saying that MDE's failure to allow FPs to be booked over split stays is a bug that will be fixed once Disney actually starts cancelling FPs. WDW's FP+ page still says they can be reserved over your entire stay - not just one reservation. Until Disney fixes MDE I welcome any reports on the details of how it is broken...at least that day.

 

[lanejudy]

WDW's FP+ page still says they can be reserved over your entire stay

I've quoted this post but others keep pointing out the same thing. I think the crux of this question is: how does WDW define "a stay?" I've always understood that WDW considers one reservation to be a stay; a split-stay is a term used here on DIS but not officially recognized by WDW as anything other than a second stay. The ADR system doesn't recognize split-stay as one, dining plan credits must be closed out from the first stay before using credits from the second stay, resort portfolios don't carry-over but are charged at the end of each separately; years ago they offered a length-of-stay ticket but it didn't cross multiple resort reservations. I think there's more evidence pointing towards WDW continuing to define "a stay" as 1 reservation, rather than indicative they might change the FP+ rule back to accommodate split-stays. ...maybe they'll prove me wrong...

 

[anomamatt]

DVC CMs are still saying that MDE's failure to allow FPs to be booked over split stays is a bug that will be fixed once Disney actually starts cancelling FPs.

I think we will be waiting a long time until Disney cancels FPs. (It's very unlikely to ever happen).

 

[ljmiii]

I've quoted this post but others keep pointing out the same thing. I think the crux of this question is: how does WDW define "a stay?" I've always understood that WDW considers one reservation to be a stay; a split-stay is a term used here on DIS but not officially recognized by WDW as anything other than a second stay. The ADR system doesn't recognize split-stay as one, dining plan credits must be closed out from the first stay before using credits from the second stay, resort portfolios don't carry-over but are charged at the end of each separately; years ago they offered a length-of-stay ticket but it didn't cross multiple resort reservations. I think there's more evidence pointing towards WDW continuing to define "a stay" as 1 reservation, rather than indicative they might change the FP+ rule back to accommodate split-stays. ...maybe they'll prove me wrong...

I almost never contact WDW directly except through MDE...which until a few weeks ago considered consecutive reservations to be one stay for FP+.

But I can say that DVC CMs have always considered separate, consecutive reservations to be one stay. 'Split stay' is the phrase I've heard DVC salesfolk use to reassure potential customers that they can buy at the latest greatest resort and don't need to 'add-on' at the resort they already own. 'Split stay' is the phrase DVC reservations CMs have used when I've had to modify or cancel my reservations (until recently you could only make a DVC reservation via the website). 'Split stay' is the phrase DVC CMs have used when I've booked ADRs for the 2nd half of my stay (often commiserating about how WDW got FPs right but the ADR code was still broken).

 

[lanejudy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought it was noted a few pages back that DVC will continue to get the full 60-day FP window with contiguous booked stays?

For regular resort stays, I still believe there is more evidence that WDW considers each reservation a separate stay due to history and status of other resort-related components - regardless of whether a CM uses Internet lingo. I commiserate with those who book split stays and are impacted on the FP window, especially those who made reservations a while ago with an upcoming trip. I just don't think WDW defines "a stay" as inclusive of multiple reservations.

 

[ljmiii]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought it was noted a few pages back that DVC will continue to get the full 60-day FP window with contiguous booked stays?

MDE is in such a state of flux that it is difficult to say, but the most recent reports I've read have MDE treating DVC split stays as two separate stays. Back when the FP+ window was opening for some people at 70-ish days some DVC'ers reported they could book across their split stay.

Since the recent unpleasantness began the majority (though not all) of phone and chat communications from both WDW and DVC CMs has been that FP+ booking across DVC split stays will at some future date be restored. But to my knowledge it hasn't been as of yesterday.

 

[AngiTN]

I'll go so far as to suggest that what happens with DVC reservations would not have any correlation between what happens with regular reservations anyway. Meaning just because you can do it with DVC wouldn't mean you can do with with a regular resort stay or vice versa.
Especially if you are booking using points.

 

[ljmiii]

I commiserate with those who book split stays and are impacted on the FP window, especially those who made reservations a while ago with an upcoming trip....

I think this speaks to the difference between WDW and DVC split stays.

When someone cancels their WDW split stay they get cash back...which can then be used however the renter wishes. And with a few exceptions (e.g. Club level MK/EPCOT Christmas reservations?) a new continuous stay can be booked at a more or less comparable resort. For DVC it's very, very different.

I am indeed one of those people with a DVC Christmas/New Years split stay already booked...going into the buzz saw of that week at WDW without FPs more than 60+3 days out will certainly make our visit less pleasant. And finding a reservation 7 months out for a continuous stay over that period is exceedingly unlikely. Even if I could find something at OKW or SSR the lower point costs would mean a refund of points I can't use.

But as difficult as things might be for those of us with DVC reservations this year the much larger impact is the reduced 'useability' of DVC points for the next 23-50 years.
Anyone who owns at more than one resort will be affected. Really any DVC owner since many split stays are not made by choice - if you can't book at exactly 11 months you have to take what you can get. A WDW in which cash renters can easily get 'difficult' FPs but DVC owners can't is unlikely to have a positive impact on the 10s of thousands of dollars owners have invested in DVC.

Adding insult to injury is the title of this thread. The one thing WDW has NOT done is cancel FPs when someone cancels a room. Which was never much of a problem on the DVC side because if you cancel 60-30 days out points are difficult to reuse and from 30 days on they are put in a 'holding jail' where they almost always go to die.

Lastly, please don't take this as a personal attack in any way...I understand and agree with many of your comments. But if MDE's treatment of DVC split stays isn't restored the impact will be felt far beyond this year's reservations. Unsurprisingly, I and many other DVC owners are livid.

 

[lanejudy]

Lastly, please don't take this as a personal attack in any way...I understand and agree with many of your comments. But if MDE's treatment of DVC split stays isn't restored the impact will be felt far beyond this year's reservations. Unsurprisingly, I and many other DVC owners are livid.

Sorry, I certainly didn’t mean to come across as against DVC - as I said, I was under the impression DVC still gets the full window with split stays. I haven’t specifically been following DVC reports. I feel for anyone whose vacation plans are impacted by the change.

 

[HeiHei2018]

FP booking is down this morning. Regular crash or rollout of these changes?

 

[Kris10karma]

FP booking is down this morning. Regular crash or rollout of these changes?

Its Tuesday. On Tuesdays, we break MDE‍. I wouldnt expect any noticeable change

 

[AngiTN]

FP booking is down this morning. Regular crash or rollout of these changes?

Regular crash

 

[Alynw]

Wow, I am amazed that this thread is still open. It has basically turned into a how to manual for doing things that I thought the DIS was against.

Yea and im amazed at how many people actually do this. Personally, i dont buy into all this, im not sure when i can actually go so i book mutiple stays and then cancel after they get their fp selections. Your literally spending $1000's on this vacation and lots of planning, so yea u know the exact dates your goin. Even if u didnt know a year out, u def know with a few months and could cancel but to say i dont know my exact dates 70 days before ur vacation is bs. People are literally getn mad and defensive when someone mentions that dis is stopping this from happening. I hope they close it down completely and make it so u can only do fp 60 in advance periord, so that u have to get on mde every day at the 60 day mark and do fp. Make it fair across the board for everyone.

 

[AngiTN]

Wow, I am amazed that this thread is still open. It has basically turned into a how to manual for doing things that I thought the DIS was against.

Where? What is it showing how to do that is against any rules or the TOS?
It's discussed mostly split stays and how they are or are not being impacted

 

[anomamatt]

Even if u didnt know a year out, u def know with a few months and could cancel but to say i dont know my exact dates 70 days before ur vacation is bs.

Hard to know how to respond to this... And I'm not sure the relevance to this thread. But you really don't think people plan last-minute Disney trips? It's common. I usually do at least one last minute trip a year -- and I live in Michigan. I'm currently debating a family trip during the first of April. Gasp! ;-)

 

[The Pho]

Even if u didnt know a year out, u def know with a few months and could cancel but to say i dont know my exact dates 70 days before ur vacation is bs.

This is an odd statement. Of my last 20 visits, only 2 were known at 70 days out. Sometimes the decision is made mere hours before getting on the plane. I know I’m not alone in last minute trips.

 

[ninafeliz]

Yea and im amazed at how many people actually do this. Personally, i dont buy into all this, im not sure when i can actually go so i book mutiple stays and then cancel after they get their fp selections. Your literally spending $1000's on this vacation and lots of planning, so yea u know the exact dates your goin. Even if u didnt know a year out, u def know with a few months and could cancel but to say i dont know my exact dates 70 days before ur vacation is bs. People are literally getn mad and defensive when someone mentions that dis is stopping this from happening. I hope they close it down completely and make it so u can only do fp 60 in advance periord, so that u have to get on mde every day at the 60 day mark and do fp. Make it fair across the board for everyone.

There are 3 types of Disney vacations (well, actually immeasurable types, but for this discussion 3)
1. A vacation that is planned months if not years ahead. Vacation time approved, flights booked thebdaybthe airline opens them, room booked ASAP, ADRs at 6 am 180 days, FPs at 7 am at 60 days, touring plan made, spreadsheet made, every detail planned.
2. Plan your trip between 180 days and 60 days. Get most of the ADRs you want, but have to use search sites for the hard to get ones. Plan what FPs you want to try for, have a pretty good schedule planned out but have lots of possibilities/open time/up in the air times. Book flights if you need them after you miss out on the lowest prices, but before you get screwed.
3. Plan whenever you want, including less than 30days out. Maybe Disney released an event you want to see, you realized your kids have a 4 day weekend, life is getting you down, or you just need your fix. You book any resort room that you can live with that has a price you can live with, and check often to see if a new one opened up or an AP discount shows for the room you want. Maybe you had to do a split stay because of availability, but at 10 days all of the nights suddenly become available for your preferred resort. Take whatever FPs you can get or plan on just doing them day of and refreshing. Plan no ADRs or just one or 2.

With types 2 and 3 you could easily change your dates based on airline prices or availability, adding a day because “what’s one more day or work/school missed”, room availability suddenly changing (the resort you REALLY wanted popping up but a day off from what you booked), an AP rate popping up. Heck, even type 1 can have some of that happen. I actually often wonder how people have everything planned so darned far ahead! I usually have no idea of any details at 6 months, we typically book about 4 months out. We added a day at the end not too long ago while we were at Disney, it didn’t cost anything to move the flight.

This whole thing might only loosely relate to the the topic at hand, but I think your comment about everyone knowing their plans 70 days out is the absurd one. If push comes to shove I suspect more people don’t have every detail ironed out at that point than do.

 

[AngiTN]

Hard to know how to respond to this... And I'm not sure the relevance to this thread. But you really don't think people plan last-minute Disney trips? It's common. I usually do at least one last minute trip a year -- and I live in Michigan. I'm currently debating a family trip during the first of April. Gasp! ;-)

This is an odd statement. Of my last 20 visits, only 2 were known at 70 days out. Sometimes the decision is made mere hours before getting on the plane. I know I’m not alone in last minute trips.

Yeah, it's kinda rare for us to plan 60 days out ourselves. 1 out of 4 trips I'd guess
I'm actually amazed y'all could decipher the post enough to even get this much out of it.
The only part I got was the last sentence about booking 1 day at a time.
Honestly, I'd be down with that myself. As long as it was even for all, so be it. I mean, I would not like getting up to do it one day at a time but I'd manage. 5 out of 7 days I'm up at that hour anyway. If everyone was doing 1 day at a time then I think it would be more fair and everyone would stand a better chance to get the hard to get FP. But I'm not sure about all the ins and outs. Would that put more of a strain on their systems? Goodness knows we don't want that

 

[jade1]

Is the title (OP) actually accurate?

 

[rteetz]

Is the title (OP) actually accurate?

Not at this time.