Questions about making reservations--Best way to get days I need.

[jpm1st]

We have been to the fort many times and love it.
This will be the first time in years that we are trying to stay during Thanksgiving.
We want to arrive the 25th and leave the 30th.
I just talked to a cast member and they said nothing was available.
When I looked on line I could get the 25th but not past that.
Would it help to get the 25th and then try to add days.
If so what is the best time of day to check for cancellations or does it matter.
Thanks for everyone's help. We are trying to take my sons girlfriend for her first trip and would love to start her off at the fort.
Thanks
James

 

[bama_ed]

We have been to the fort many times and love it.
This will be the first time in years that we are trying to stay during Thanksgiving.
We want to arrive the 25th and leave the 30th.
I just talked to a cast member and they said nothing was available.
When I looked on line I could get the 25th but not past that.
Would it help to get the 25th and then try to add days.
If so what is the best time of day to check for cancellations or does it matter.
Thanks for everyone's help. We are trying to take my sons girlfriend for her first trip and would love to start her off at the fort.
Thanks
James

James,

You're just going to have to check frequently and take what you can get. Try to piece together reservations to fill in dates at whatever site level you are wanting.

Time of day used to matter years ago when the old ressie system dumped cancellations back into the system in the early morning. Of course, back then the rate for your entire stay was the rate in effect on your checkin day only. The last year that was available, I checked in pre-Christmas and got the low rate into the holiday period. But since the ressie system update a couple years ago, as I say, time of day no longer matters.

For those trying to stay at the Fort for popular holiday periods like Christmas-New Years, Thanksgiving week, before-after Halloween, I would suggest making your reservation a year in advance. At least get something in then you can try to true it up as the time draws near.

Bama ED

 

[jpm1st]

Thanks Bama Ed.
Love the new camper by the way.
I just found out that I can also get that Saturday
So would you think I should reserve it and work backwards or get Tuesday and then work forwards.
I am leaning toward Saturday but just don't know.
Thanks
James

 

[bama_ed]

Thanks Bama Ed.
Love the new camper by the way.
I just found out that I can also get that Saturday
So would you think I should reserve it and work backwards or get Tuesday and then work forwards.
I am leaning toward Saturday but just don't know.
Thanks
James

.Take.
.What.
.You.
.Can.
.Get.

The wildcard is the level of site you want. You might find a Premium available on Tuesday, a Full on Wednesday, and a Preferred on Thursday. That could be a problem.

Personally if I was focused on DEFINITELY going this November I'd take anything/everthing available in my time window and sort it out or piece them together later. A "room" only reservation (not a package with tickets, etc) has relatively generous cancellation policies. I think it's a full refund up till 5 days before arrival. So if you get a Full, a Preferred, a Premium, etc you have time to sort it out, cull out what you want to keep, and cancel the rest. Every reservation for a "room only" site (even if one night in length) requires a deposit of one night's rate so you would end up essentially pre-paying for the most part if you had multiple reservations. Again, eventually once cancellations take place your money would come back to you and things would work out.

Also watch the time period for package cancellations (which is much longer than the 5 day room only time period - more like 45? maybe someone will tell us) before Tgiving week. But at 45 days (whatever the number is) before Thanksgiving week, people with packages are forced to prepay in full or risk losing part/all of their money. So there is typically a flurry of availability at the package window time before arrival as those folks have to finalize their plans. (That's why I would never do a package).

Good luck to you - hope you get what you want - and come back here and tell us about your trip.

Bama Ed

PS - at worst you would be forced to check in/out on paper at the Fort according to the number of ressies you have but that would be a small price to pay for getting in this late. You won't have to move your trailer as long as you can get multiple reservations at the same site level.

 

[bama_ed]

James,

I have to pass on a message from a Guardian Angel watching your thread.



Make sure when you check dates that you check date ranges up to a month long. Longer date range requests get better responses from the online tool than shorter date range requests.

For example, you can check for a Monday night (a one night request) and have no luck. But If you include the two weeks before that (and include the Monday night) you might have more luck and get it. Take it and cancel the unwanted nights.

This will probably work best nibbling at the edges of your stay (toward the end or toward the beginning) . The maximum window you can request online is 30 days. So think beyond simple one day requests or that particular week. Again, take what you can get and work it out later.

Man I wish I had a Guardian Angel like you have.

Bama ED