Halloween, What are the chances?

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

We've always been religious about booking our site at 499 days out and of course having to piece together our entire stay throughout the following year...but what are the chances of getting a one or two night stay starting on October 31st at the Fort for THIS year!
I know there are the 30 day cancellations and then of course the 24 hour ones that will happen but what are the odds? Were you ever able to get a last minute HALLOWEEN reservation?


We are in Wisconsin at the moment, enjoying the changing of seasons and have met another fulltime family that is on their way to Florida at the end of the season here like us and they are headed to Punta Gorda, they are interested in seeing Halloween with us, after all the chatter and photos. I have been checking religiously daily and they have been calling daily but to no avail as of yet. I 100 percent know that it is the impossible ask, but that is why I am posting if anyone else has had luck (this is why we book every year so far in advance!)


Yes, I know that they can stay in a tent on our site and they can pull their rig into overflow if worse comes to worse but we were just hoping for them to get the full experience.
Thanks in advance!

 

[bama_ed]

I know there are the 30 day cancellations and then of course the 24 hour ones that will happen but what are the odds? Were you ever able to get a last minute HALLOWEEN reservation?

To clarify, campsites booked as PACKAGES require 30 days minimum cancellation to receive deposit back or pay balance in full (never booked a pkg b4 but that's my understanding). However, campsites booked as ROOM ONLY require 5 days cancellation minimum to receive deposit back. Those timeframes count backwards from your arrival date.

As to odds, I think they will be better than in most years because, as we've discussed on this forum, Disney changed the rules. The reservations were probably made 499 out with people assuming they could book early and later modify their arrival date to drop unwanted days. But those were the old rules and since then Disney is not allowing a MODIFICATION (note the use of these words) of the arrival date. If you don't want ALL the dates on your reservation with that arrival date, you have to completely DELETE the old reservation and try to ADD a new reservation with only the desired dates (the new rules). Apparently, however, they are letting people modify their departure date to add dates on the end (push their departure date out) if the sites are available.

So I think there will a portion of people who want to modify but won't be allowed to and will cancel. Just be persistent and if you can pick up one night here, one night there, you won't have to move sites as long as they are the same site level (both Full, for example) and you inform the CM checking you in on the 1st reservation that you have a 2nd (or more HA).

Just keep trying. Persistence pays off and like I explain above, there are factors that will create more cancellations probably.

Bama Ed

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

To clarify, campsites booked as PACKAGES require 30 days minimum cancellation to receive deposit back or pay balance in full (never booked a pkg b4 but that's my understanding). However, campsites booked as ROOM ONLY require 5 days cancellation minimum to receive deposit back. Those timeframes count backwards from your arrival date.

As to odds, I think they will be better than in most years because, as we've discussed on this forum, Disney changed the rules. The reservations were probably made 499 out with people assuming they could book early and later modify their arrival date to drop unwanted days. But those were the old rules and since then Disney is not allowing a MODIFICATION (note the use of these words) of the arrival date. If you don't want ALL the dates on your reservation with that arrival date, you have to completely DELETE the old reservation and try to ADD a new reservation with only the desired dates (the new rules). Apparently, however, they are letting people modify their departure date to add dates on the end (push their departure date out) if the sites are available.

So I think there will a portion of people who want to modify but won't be allowed to and will cancel. Just be persistent and if you can pick up one night here, one night there, you won't have to move sites as long as they are the same site level (both Full, for example) and you inform the CM checking you in on the 1st reservation that you have a 2nd (or more HA).

Just keep trying. Persistence pays off and like I explain above, there are factors that will create more cancellations probably.

Bama Ed

Thanks, here's to hoping!

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

Couple of thoughts based on last year. If they can't get a reservation and having them tent camp with you is a possibility, then you need to add them onto your reservation ASAP, but even if you try there is a possibility they won't even let you alter your own reservation to add them (if you are even comfortable adding them). Halloween reservations are likely locked and they aren't going to be able to get into Fort Wilderness on Halloween without their own reservation or being on yours. I wouldn't count on any overflow lots being available either, all the lots up the main drive will be packed with trailers.

You can check Lake Louisa campground and see if there is a site that works for them and if you can get them added to your Fort reservation, they could use Lake Louisa to effectively park their rig for the night and tent with you. I can't imagine it will be a peaceful night

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Couple of thoughts based on last year. If they can't get a reservation and having them tent camp with you is a possibility, then you need to add them onto your reservation ASAP, but even if you try there is a possibility they won't even let you alter your own reservation to add them (if you are even comfortable adding them). Halloween reservations are likely locked and they aren't going to be able to get into Fort Wilderness on Halloween without their own reservation or being on yours. I wouldn't count on any overflow lots being available either, all the lots up the main drive will be packed with trailers.

You can check Lake Louisa campground and see if there is a site that works for them and if you can get them added to your Fort reservation, they could use Lake Louisa to effectively park their rig for the night and tent with you. I can't imagine it will be a peaceful night

We always fill in all 10 spaces allowed when we are in our RV, this allows friends and or family to pop in when necessary. We are usually there anywhere from 1-3 months when we go so we have people popping in a lot and it's easier for them to just come in without the hassle! This way, I already have extra guests on there, this time I added their names last month just in case this was going to happen and swapped out the previous names I had on there with no problem.


Last year when overflow was full, they just had us pull into the MK lot and allowed us to park there. We were in a cabin for a a few days before our FHU reservation began, because we added on days at the last minute and we already had 2 cars at the cabin.
Thanks for the information on Lake Louisa, we called ahead to a few resorts with openings to see if they could park the rig there with a room booked and that was fine with the parking fee paid. So they may just do that if necessary! Thanks again!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

We got Halloween and even a few nights after! Just got it around 5:30 and we were both talking on the phone while being online and she got FHU, while I got preferred and FHU. She went with the FHU and is very excited! Thanks so much for your help!!

 

[PaHunter]

We've always been religious about booking our site at 499 days out and of course having to piece together our entire stay throughout the following year...but what are the chances of getting a one or two night stay starting on October 31st at the Fort for THIS year!
I know there are the 30 day cancellations and then of course the 24 hour ones that will happen but what are the odds? Were you ever able to get a last minute HALLOWEEN reservation?


We are in Wisconsin at the moment, enjoying the changing of seasons and have met another fulltime family that is on their way to Florida at the end of the season here like us and they are headed to Punta Gorda, they are interested in seeing Halloween with us, after all the chatter and photos. I have been checking religiously daily and they have been calling daily but to no avail as of yet. I 100 percent know that it is the impossible ask, but that is why I am posting if anyone else has had luck (this is why we book every year so far in advance!)


Yes, I know that they can stay in a tent on our site and they can pull their rig into overflow if worse comes to worse but we were just hoping for them to get the full experience.
Thanks in advance!

Guessing your friends will not be headed to Punta Gorda after Ian came thru.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Guessing your friends will not be headed to Punta Gorda after Ian came thru.

Their boat is missing and they have a bunch of stuff to deal with, so they are figuring all of that out now.

 

[PaHunter]

Their boat is missing and they have a bunch of stuff to deal with, so they are figuring all of that out now.

Best wishes for them.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Best wishes for them.

Thank you