New AP system - willing to use it?

[Tagrel]

OK - lots of guesswork flying around about Disney's new AP program, but the system IS now working on the passholder site. Who is willing to actually USE it?

Will you book and incur a non-refundable, one nights room cost (plus tax) and HOPE for a discount? Will you use it and 'downgrade' to a moderate or value from your first choice of a Deluxe because you don't know if a discount will come or not?

Or will you wait and actually SEE what discount you can get before booking?

 

[cobbler]

Actually I would chose option 3 and 4. No right now. Option 4 being maybe in the future after I see how it is going to work.

 

[bicker]

Have we established yet whether the rack rate thing is a computer glitch or not? There was some question over the weekend as to whether the web site was completely up-and-running correctly yet.

 

[Tagrel]

Have we established yet whether the rack rate thing is a computer glitch or not? There was some question over the weekend as to whether the web site was completely up-and-running correctly yet.

When I've tried it, it is giving full rack rate. Since Disney felt confident enough to take the system live, I'm assuming they were professional enough to actually TEST the new system before making it available to all passholders.

 

[mamalle]

no thank you disney. Im sure for some disney guests its great to plan so far in advance but for us we like to do short trips. maybe Im just more tight with my vacation money but I like to know upfront what I will be paying before I make a deposit and than wait to see "if" I'll get a cheeper rate..

 

[C.Ann]

OK - lots of guesswork flying around about Disney's new AP program, but the system IS now working on the passholder site. Who is willing to actually USE it?

Will you book and incur a non-refundable, one nights room cost (plus tax) and HOPE for a discount? Will you use it and 'downgrade' to a moderate or value from your first choice of a Deluxe because you don't know if a discount will come or not?

Or will you wait and actually SEE what discount you can get before booking?

-----------------------

Don't forget that if you use it - and you downgrade - you will incur a $50 Modification Penalty..

And no - I won't use it..

 

[clkelley]

I went with the "book value or moderate". The only way we would use it, is to book value for our family trips that are planned well in advance. I'm willing to pay rack rate for a value in the value season, but nothing more. I would never risk booking it for my December camping trip, because the campground hasn't had AP rates for campsites lately, so I'll stick with the AAA rate for that one.

However, I would be supremely ill if we got no discount at all, and I gave up a AAA rate.

Carol

 

[Lewisc]

I can't think of any reason to subject myself to cancellation penalties and a change fee in exchange for reserving at a rate that's higher than the best rate (AAA) that's available to me without those terms.

I wish Disney would just go further, require full pre-payment at the time of booking, in exchange for a posted discount that should be close to 50%. Many of the Wyndham web specials and Expedia specials have terms similar to that.

If Disney wants to be creative the could offer some rooms at a deep discount in excahnge for not being told what resort you're getting until a week or two before your trip. If you're booking a deluxe resort you'd have to assume you'd wind up with WL, AKL or maybe a wing room at Contemporary.

 

[freakylick]

No thanks...If I want to gamble, I will go to Vegas.

Whether or not I can afford to stay on-site is a direct correlation to discounts/deals offered. With this "book now so that we can determine how much discount to give" program, I anticipate that the discounts will be smaller and the number of rooms available when codes are released will be minimal...and if I can't buy an AP and make my ressie with my AP on the same phone call, my chances become even smaller because I have to wait for my voucher to come in the mail. Too many risks for my income level. And if I have to stay off-site, I will likely be spending less time at Disney and more at the other local parks.

 

[tinkerbeth]

I wish Disney would just go further, require full pre-payment at the time of booking, in exchange for a posted discount that should be close to 50%. Many of the Wyndham web specials and Expedia specials have terms similar to that.

If Disney wants to be creative the could offer some rooms at a deep discount in excahnge for not being told what resort you're getting until a week or two before your trip. If you're booking a deluxe resort you'd have to assume you'd wind up with WL, AKL or maybe a wing room at Contemporary.

I'd go with either of those options too. Our APs expire in August, we've gotten 3 trips out of them, but with this new deal I doubt we'll buy them again. We got them mostly for the discount. We'd be cheaper to join CAA or just take our chances with general codes. I don't think I can book 120 days out, plus I'd be terrified of not getting a good discount. Can't afford to/ Refuse to pay rack rates at AKL...

Disney can (and will) do whatever they want of course but I wonder how this will affect things. Maybe they have another part of the plan up their sleves to get us to book a different way...Who knows what they're up to.

 

[RedRuby]

If Disney wants to be creative the could offer some rooms at a deep discount in excahnge for not being told what resort you're getting until a week or two before your trip. If you're booking a deluxe resort you'd have to assume you'd wind up with WL, AKL or maybe a wing room at Contemporary.

Yes, Club Med does this wrt its resort packages and it's very popular (and works well for management and resort goers alike). And it's not inconceivable since Disney is now doing ticket+room+meal packages and trying to more directly compete with the cruise and full-service resort market

I'd do it, if it were a discount. I wouldn't do it at full price or higher than AAA rates, though.

 

[jarestel]

Sure, I'd do it. I can't believe Disney would put this program in place and then not offer any discounts. They normally don't shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to marketing, so I would expect this new advance booking AP discount program will probably work out pretty well. Of course, I don't book multiple rooms in hopes of landing the best rate and switch reservations 3 or 4 times over the course of time, so the program will probably work better for people like me anyway. Time will tell.

If they don't offer discounts from rack rate it will be the end of the program, since nobody will ever book this way again. Again, it's hard to believe they would put this program in place just to make people mad and ensure its failure. So another reason to think discounts will be available and will make people happy.

 

[gullyf]

I can't think of any reason to subject myself to cancellation penalties and a change fee in exchange for reserving at a rate that's higher than the best rate (AAA) that's available to me without those terms.

I wish Disney would just go further, require full pre-payment at the time of booking, in exchange for a posted discount that should be close to 50%. Many of the Wyndham web specials and Expedia specials have terms similar to that.

If Disney wants to be creative the could offer some rooms at a deep discount in exchange for not being told what resort you're getting until a week or two before your trip. If you're booking a deluxe resort you'd have to assume you'd wind up with WL, AKL or maybe a wing room at Contemporary.

I agree.. make it worth my while to take a risk, and I might be inclined to do so. This just makes no sense they way it is currently written, as it guarantees Disney some hard earned $ while promising nothing in return. Why would I want that?

What's more, it seems to be progressive against the very customers that you would want to keep: those that are staying for longer periods. Consider that you made the reservation expecting a $75 discount (current for Deluxe I believe). Now let's say that they decide no discount will be issued. If I am staying for 1 night, it's going to cost me $75 more than I expected... no biggie. 10 days? $750 please. 2 weeks? $1500.. thanks for making sure our CEO doesn't have to eat in the soup kitchen. Ummmm... no.

 

[EthansMom]

If they drop the booking rate to match the AAA rate, then yes, I would use it. If they want me to book at full rack rate and hopethat I am granted a discount, then no, I won't use the Best Rate Program.

 

[PamNC]

I'm outraged that they would even try to pawn this horrible system off on us...their most loyal guests. I think we should all boycott the system. I fear that although it's just an "option" now, whose to say they won't make it the only way for Passholders to book. I cannot book that far in advance given mine and my husband's work situations. We typically book 2-3 months out and I need the flexibility of the 5 day cancellation. I've only cancelled 2 times in 11 years, so I'm not abusing the system by any means, meaning I don't hold reservations at rack rate and see if an AP rate comes out. We book once we know there is a discount. If the discounts go away, we will NOT be able to stay deluxe anymore which will break my heart.

To Disney Marketing: If you're reading this, and we know you are, we are totally insulted and enraged!!!

PamNC

 

[m&m's mom]

I a word (or 2) NO WAY!
My AP expires in Nov and we were planning another trip for Oct or Nov. I got the AP rate for early Oct. but wanted to make it for after Oct. 5th. That puts me in the new system.
It is kind of a catch 22. If I wait to see others experiences I am going to be too late. If I book now I risk paying rack rate. Never! I was hoping to be able to change to a lower category of room if the rate was bad but now looks like that is a no go.
I am confused on if you book now when you will hear about what rate you will end up paying.

 

[BCV23]

I would use it if I could for our October trip. Unfortunately, we're in that part of October that appears to me in no man's land....or at least no AP discount land... so I may be stuck with just our current AAA rate. As soon as it opens for January, I will book it then. We sometimes tweak our dates but don't switch resorts so I'm not worried about the deposit.

We usually plan the DVC part of our stay months ahead and then tweak the Ploynesian (or occasionally GF) part of our stay according to airlines, our schedule, etc.. But 120 days out is doable for us. I can understand for FL residents who can do a quick last minute trip this wouln't be as convenient but they can still get FL resident rates.

 

[bicker]

When I've tried it, it is giving full rack rate. Since Disney felt confident enough to take the system live, I'm assuming they were professional enough to actually TEST the new system before making it available to all passholders.

Testing is never 100%. Given that there is probably a software piece of this, a connectivity piece of this, and a data piece of this, there are many opportunities for it to pass system test with flying colors but still not initially deploy well.

 

[bicker]

I'm outraged that they would even try to pawn this horrible system off on us...their most loyal guests.

There is a vast difference between "regular guests" and "loyal guests". In business, a loyal customer is one willing to pay a premium for your product or service. My wife buys Diet Coke no matter if it is on sale or not. My mother stocks up on Diet Coke when it is on sale, and will actually hold out a week or two if she runs out before it goes back on sale. I love both women very much, but it's my wife that's the "loyal customer" in Coke's eyes.

I think we should all boycott the system. I fear that although it's just an "option" now, whose to say they won't make it the only way for Passholders to book.

I think the folks who don't like the system should boycott it, and those who do like the system shouldn't boycott it. If there are too few people using the system, then it probably won't survive. If there are a great number of people using the system, then indeed it may become the only way passholders can book their discount, as a reflection of a very fair vote by the passholders -- folks voting with their wallets, the most significant form of voting in a business scenario.

...will break my heart.

Please understand that at least some (if not all) of us who are speaking in support of the new system are very understanding of the disappointment folks who won't be served well by the system are feeling. Please understand that our support for the system doesn't mean we (to the extent I can speak for the others), in any way, discount or devalue that disappointment, but rather we respect those feelings fully.

 

[MosMom]

I'm starting to wonder if perhaps Disney will give an excellent discount to those who do this. We are going in late October and were planning on staying at a moderate anyway so I'm considering taking a leap of faith and seeing what happens. I'm going with my daughter and a girlfriend and her daughter so for this "girl's trip" we're going to split a room. I doubt we will get stuck with rack rate...we'll just see what the discount ends up being.

Would I do this if I wasn't already splitting the room with a friend? Nope, probably not.