if you book AP rates online...

[Lollipop Mom]

not the new "plan" but true AP rates, be sure to check the cancellation policy! I am not sure about the passholder section of the disneyworld.com web site but the travel agent web site does have links for booking the existing AP rates for travel from today through 10/4. Every AP rate reservation I have CALLED IN for a client I've been told of the same 5 day cancel. All of their confirmation letters have noted a 5 day cancel. I just went to book one online for a client and looked at the terms and conditions and it now says the following:

In order to receive a full refund of your deposit, notification of cancellation must be received at least 46 days prior to your arrival date.

The same thing is stated at the top of the payment page. I don't know if this is going to be the new policy for cancelation of ANY passholder rate but it definitely appears that is the case online.

Just be sure to check before you make that deposit just to be sure you know what exactly the terms are!

Edited to add that I just called and was told that call in ressies for AP rates still have a 5 day cancellation policy but online ressies have 45 day cancel. This may change in the near future but as of now, the more lenient policy is available if you call in. (this makes no sense when they have been saying they'd like to encourage online booking but for now, that's the policy)

 

[EthansMom]

Thanks, Lollipop Mom!

Looks like things are changing!

 

[SqueakyMouse]

I noticed yesterday that if you book AP rates through the AP site, the price I was given was $30/night higher than what I actually reserved over the phone!!! This was NOT taxes or anything. I'm talking about room price only!! Be careful.

 

[chamonix]

Hasn't disney's website (regular, not AP) always had the longer cancellation timeframe? I mean, I had always thought the reason to call instead of reserving rooms online was because calling gave you the 5 day cancellation timeframe, while the regular online reservation site was much further out.

 

[Lollipop Mom]

Hasn't disney's website (regular, not AP) always had the longer cancellation timeframe?

No, the online bookings have always had the same cancellation as phone in. I just checked and if I make a regular, non AP rate room only ressie online, the terms and conditions state a 5 day cancel just like always. It's the AP rates that are different now. Makes me wonder if the 45 day cancel will be for online bookings only or for phone in as well. I'll ask next time I need to call to make a ressie.

For regular room only the policy says:

In order to receive a full refund of your deposit, notification of cancellation must be received at least 6 days prior to your arrival date.

and for AP ressies booked online, it says:

In order to receive a full refund of your deposit, notification of cancellation must be received at least 46 days prior to your arrival date.

 

[chamonix]

I was referring to the differences in policies between WDTC and CRO, as mentioned here at allearsnet:

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN TERMS BETWEEN A WDTC RESERVATION AND A CRO RESERVATION?
There are several differences in terms between CRO and WDTC:

A CRO room only reservation requires a one night's deposit within 14 days. If arrival is less than 30 days out, deposit is required at booking. The balance is due at resort check in. MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover are accepted. You may also mail a check or money order. Cancellations up to the 6 day mark will have your deposit refunded in full. Cancellations after the 6 day mark will be charged the one night's deposit as a penalty. Any additional amounts that may have been paid on the reservation will be refunded in full. There is no time limit on when you can make modifications to an existing CRO reservation with no additional charge. This can be done right up to arrival.

A WDTC package (including the "room only" Basic Package) requires a $200.00 deposit within 14 days of booking. The balance will be due 45 days prior to check in. Checks, money orders, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover are accepted. Cancellation between 6 and 45 days prior to arrival will result in a $100.00 fee. Cancellation 5 days or less will incur a $200.00 fee. Any change or modification of the reservation inside the 45 day mark will incur a $50.00 fee.

from this page:
http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/resort.htm
Sorry for the confusion, for some reason I thought online ressies were WDTC. I know things have changed a lot recently, so perhaps this is something that used to be correct but has since been changed. I seem to recall hearing that there were changes for WDTC/CRO.

 

[chamonix]

I checked online at Disney too, and the packages (rooms and tickets) do indeed still have the different cancellation policies. Of course, AP holders (like myself) have no need to book room packages. Sorry, I was a bit mixed up, but I was sure, lol, that there were online booking policies that differed from phone-in ressies. So, that's right, but not for room only ressies.
Sorry for the confusion!

 

[Lollipop Mom]

I just called in for something else and asked for clarification on this. AS OF NOW, if you make an AP rate ressie on the phone (again, this is an AP rate ressie not a "passholder best rate program" ressie which is ONLY available online) your cancellation policy is the same 5 days we are used to. If you make your ressie online (AP rate, not best rate program...THEY ARE DIFFERENT) then the cancellation policy is 45 days.

That may change in the near future, but for now that's the deal.

AP ressies on the phone....5 day cancellation
AP ressies online.....45 day cancellation
Passholder Best Rate Program....nonrefundable deposit

 

[cobbler]

Lollipop mom-
You have been so Awesome through all of this. Thanks so much for your hard work

 

[n2mm]

last to know here....when did the booking of AP discounted rooms online start? I missed that memo. I have been in the passholder site dozens of times this week, and never noticed that you can book the spring/summer and summer/fall current discounted room online now (or just search for availability). Just curious if it's always been there or if this is new now. A great addition to help me sort out what's available. I feel like a dope for not being in the loop. (Did this happen while I was booking my September free dining package?)

 

[Lollipop Mom]

last to know here....when did the booking of AP discounted rooms online start?

You aren't out of the loop. It just started yesterday afternoon.

 

[srfrgrl07]

it has always been that an online reservation at rack rate has the 5 day cancellation policy...otherwise known as an "R" reservation. Any room booked online at a discount is the 46 days. There just have not been any discounts available for booking online until now. As far as I know, anyways.

 

[n2mm]

it has always been that an online reservation at rack rate has the 5 day cancellation policy...otherwise known as an "R" reservation. Any room booked online at a discount is the 46 days. There just have not been any discounts available for booking online until now. As far as I know, anyways.

I just went to the online passholder site and attempted to book a reservation for September 16-20 at Pop. I got the $59 a night rate and everything went through just fine. Got to the payment page, no problem, (especially since I knew to be registered on disney.com first) and the cancellation information is pretty simple. You must cancel within 6 days. So is this new now? I agree with lollipopmom that if I have a choice, I would call for the 5 day cancellation instead of 45 days, but it looks now like the online reservation site is saying the same thing as the room only booking you on the phone....I like this new way of booking. I can now search at my leisure. Of course, when the new best rate program starts, there may not be any AP rates left for those folks who did not put their money on the table first...time will tell.

Here's what it says on the payment page:
Please apply a deposit in the amount listed below to confirm this reservation. In order to receive a full refund of your deposit, notification of cancellation must be received at least 6 days prior to your arrival date.



BTW: srfrgrl07, the CM online reservation guidelines are the same as the passholder one...6 days prior to arrival to cancel. I've used that one too.