Disney to cancel FPs if room is cancelled

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm not sure that this part is confirmed true. I think it's still unknown what happens if someone has a split stay booked along with a simultaneous, continuous reservation and then cancels both the overarching, continuous reservation and the first (leading) reservation on their split stay. The testing that I've noted in this thread is where the days of the split stay match the days on the canceled, continuous reservation.

ah ok, thanks - so more that would be the workaround for people with legit split stays, not for people trying to do the leading stay and keep just the 2nd part of their stay. Thanks!

 

[Tink_83]

Can someone help me out here, why if you plan on doing a leading reservation would you make it a split stay? For ease of canceling? I’m asking because I don’t see why you wouldn’t just book longer at the resort and then cancel a few of the first days of the trip... I didn’t read through all 60+ pages so I apologize if this has already been discussed

 

[dreamit]

Can someone help me out here, why if you plan on doing a leading reservation would you make it a split stay? For ease of canceling? I’m asking because I don’t see why you wouldn’t just book longer at the resort and then cancel a few of the first days of the trip... I didn’t read through all 60+ pages so I apologize if this has already been discussed

In my experience, Disney, unfortunately, doesn't always allow modifications to reservations, especially if they were booked under a special offer. For example, you may have a seven-day reservation that you want to modify to five days, but Disney may see it that they don't have a five-day reservation available for booking.
Edited to add: When I say "unfortunately", I mean that all-around--not related to leading reservations. This is why so many reservations get tied up while people firm-up their plans. I'm guilty of this. When free dining has been released, I've been known to book multiple reservations while the room availability exists. After I confirm my family's schedules, airfare, etc., I cancel the reservations I won't be using.

 

[Duck143]

so if I understand this correctly, and this is how it winds up functioning in the end (meaning, no further updates from Disney) that means the end result is:

- The book a room, schedule your FP at 60 days, and cancel that room loophole no longer will work
- People with legit split stays are now negatively impacted
- People that are cool with leveraging the leading days loopholes still can, just the mechanics are different

Is that about right?

I think this is the intention, but I'm not sure any FP have been confirmed as being canceled by Disney IT yet.

 

[vinotinto]

Can someone help me out here, why if you plan on doing a leading reservation would you make it a split stay? For ease of canceling? I’m asking because I don’t see why you wouldn’t just book longer at the resort and then cancel a few of the first days of the trip... I didn’t read through all 60+ pages so I apologize if this has already been discussed

Because Disney has changed how you modify reservations. You can't just drop off dates anymore. The new dates have to be available. If you booked with a discount, you may find that the new dates are simply not available with that discount anymore. Or that the room category is unavailable. - I strongly believe that this change was the first change that was made to prevent guests from booking a longer stay to get better FP and then drop the first days.

I'm sure Disney is getting hit hard with cancellations within 30 days. Cancellations that they can't fill since few can book last minute trips. It's not hard to see why they are doing this. I wish they would simply change the timing of the FPs and the cancellation penalties. Penalties should kick in before FP day. I love that the room-only cancellation penalty doesn't kick in until 5 days before. But, maybe they should make it 31 days and allow you to make onsite FPs at 30 days, and offsite at 7 days.

 

[Tink_83]

Because Disney has changed how you modify reservations. You can't just drop off dates anymore. The new dates have to be available. If you booked with a discount, you may find that the new dates are simply not available with that discount anymore. Or that the room category is unavailable. - I strongly believe that this change was the first change that was made to prevent guests from booking a longer stay to get better FP and then drop the first days.

I'm sure Disney is getting hit hard with cancellations within 30 days. Cancellations that they can't fill since few can book last minute trips. It's not hard to see why they are doing this. I wish they would simply change the timing of the FPs and the cancellation penalties. Penalties should kick in before FP day. I love that the room-only cancellation penalty doesn't kick in until 5 days before. But, maybe they should make it 31 days and allow you to make onsite FPs at 30 days, and offsite at 7 days.

Ok at least now I understand better what is going on. It would have been nice, when they came out with this change, to allow people with split stays to somehow merge their stays to open the booking window (for instance after you merge the stay then you can’t modify any portion of the stay)... that would stop people from booking a leading split stay they plan to cancel and the updated policy of canceling FP if you cancel the reservation would address the group that books the reservation just to cancel inside of 30 days all for FP and magic bands. They should also add that if they send you the magic bands and you cancel then you pay for the magic bands... I’d be ok with that, personally.

 

[Maniacmous]

Have to say, I'm really disappointed in this. I booked a split stay (7 and 7) for our June trip under the premise that it wouldn't affect our ability to book FP+ for the whole trip. Last summer when we went, we had difficulties with a 10 day trip getting SDD and FOP fastpasses (even booking right at window open and for the back couple days of the trip). Now I fear we won't be able to get either, despite staying on site for 14 days total. Should that come to pass, I suspect we won't be renewing our APs and will likely spend our vacation dollars elsewhere in the future. There really should be an option to merge legit stay reservations to avoid this problem, perhaps with a third confirmation number (have one for each hotel individually, and one for the merge - tie the FP+ to the merge number - cancelling either hotel reservation automatically cancels the merge number, and with it, the FP+ tied to it). Seems like it should be a simple addition to boot.

 

[Kaylasmomma]

I’ve tried to read most of this but can’t see anywhere where it’s actually confirmed that FP are/were cancelled

We had some things come up financially and have to not only shorten our visit but need to cancel our room too. (Staying with family instead) we are only 15 days out will we loose our FP now??
I should add we are AP holders

 

[Tink_83]

I’ve tried to read most of this but can’t see anywhere where it’s actually confirmed that FP are/were cancelled

We had some things come up financially and have to not only shorten our visit but need to cancel our room too. (Staying with family instead) we are only 15 days out will we loose our FP now??
I should add we are AP holders

I’d call Disney and talk to them. I think the answer is yes you lose your FP but maybe a CM can help.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I’ve tried to read most of this but can’t see anywhere where it’s actually confirmed that FP are/were cancelled

We had some things come up financially and have to not only shorten our visit but need to cancel our room too. (Staying with family instead) we are only 15 days out will we loose our FP now??
I should add we are AP holders

I don't think we've had any confirmed reports of FPs that were actually cancelled; however the situation you mention is definitely one that "should" be subject to cancellation under the new rules (assuming you made the FPs more than 30 days in advance).

 

[Babsy]

I’ve tried to read most of this but can’t see anywhere where it’s actually confirmed that FP are/were cancelled

We had some things come up financially and have to not only shorten our visit but need to cancel our room too. (Staying with family instead) we are only 15 days out will we loose our FP now??
I should add we are AP holders

Being an AP holder doesn't help you in this situation. This is one of the 2 types of scenario being targeted by the recent change. However, it MAY be that reservations previously made will not have FP+ cancelled with the reservations. So far the only reports that I have seen show that the changes to split stays mean that you have two booking windows instead of one for making FP+ at 60+ days. A serious disadvantage when looking for SWGE, SDD and FOP.

It might be, that when you cancel your reservation for your on site stay, you will lose all your FP+ associated with it. That will be in accordance with the new rules. If you know for sure that you are cancelling, you might want to do it as soon as possible. That way, if your FP+ get cancelled, you have the longest possible lead time to get new ones booked.

Of course, you can always call and plead your case. A CM might be able/willing to help.

Alternatively, if they haven't started cancelling the 60 day FP+ upon cancellation yet, you might get lucky and get to keep them. I don't think that anyone really knows for sure at this point?

ETA: if you booked the FP+ 30 days or less prior to you arrival date, I would call and have a CM do the cancellation of the room and check the date that the FP_+ were booked. Perhaps that way the FP+ won't (and shouldn't) be cancelled.

 

[Marionnette]

I’ve tried to read most of this but can’t see anywhere where it’s actually confirmed that FP are/were cancelled

We had some things come up financially and have to not only shorten our visit but need to cancel our room too. (Staying with family instead) we are only 15 days out will we loose our FP now??
I should add we are AP holders

If you cancelled a reservation online after making FP, you would get a warning that all FPs associated with that reservation would be cancelled. You would be given 48 hours to make another reservation in order to preserve those FPs. If you didn’t, you would get an email letting you know that the FPs would be cancelled but they never followed through.

Now, they intend to follow through. As others have pointed out, the booking of reservations to get FPs at 60+ days out, and then cancelling was becoming a big problem. The rule about cancelling those FPs has existed for a long time. The enforcement is what is different.

 

[Babsy]

I don't think we've had any confirmed reports of FPs that were actually cancelled; however the situation you mention is definitely one that "should" be subject to cancellation under the new rules (assuming you made the FPs more than 30 days in advance).

Right. Good point! I wasn't thinking off that. If Kaylasmomma only booked FP+ at 30 days or less, then she should be fine, I think. It is the 60+ booked FP+ that would be can celled with the room cancellation?

 

[DisBuckMan]

Right. Good point! I wasn't thinking off that. If Kaylasmomma only booked FP+ at 30 days or less, then she should be fine, I think. It is the 60+ booked FP+ that would be can celled with the room cancellation.

Yes, as it should be.

No advantage gained by the 60 day window, ie all fp's booked in the 30 day window....no cancellation.

Advantage gained by the 60 day window...cancellation.

 

[Babsy]

Yes, as it should be.

No advantage gained by the 60 day window, ie all fp's booked in the 30 day window....no cancellation.

Advantage gained by the 60 day window...cancellation.

Do we know that this is true, however? It SHOULD be the case, IMO, but perhaps all FP+ will be cancelled when the resort reservation is cancelled regardless of when created. I just don't know.

It feels like there is a lot not known to me at this point. It IS frustrating for people.

 

[anomamatt]

The enforcement is what is different.

Except it's not. So far, at least.

 

[Gentry2004]

Do we know that this is true, however? It SHOULD be the case, IMO, but perhaps all FP+ will be cancelled when the resort reservation is cancelled regardless of when created. I just don't know.

It feels like there is a lot not known to me at this point. It IS frustrating for people.

I feel like at this point some people know if it’s true or not. The fact that no one is talking about it makes me think it’s not true.

To the posters worried about FP’s on split stays, if the new rumor IS true, FP’s should become easier to get for everyone. That said I’ve never had trouble getting everything I want on a standard 7 night reservation.

 

[Marionnette]

Except it's not. So far, at least.

I haven’t seen any anecdotal evidence to say that they have. But then, I haven’t seen any posts to the contrary, either. I think it’s just too soon to tell. Certainly, anyone who made and cancelled a reservation just for the FPs is not going to post about it.

I just cancelled two DVC reservations that I had made to test the DVC split stay theory. The FPs are still in MDE but it has only been about 30 minutes. I’ll keep the FPs for a couple more days to see if they drop off.

 

[runwad]

I’ve tried to read most of this but can’t see anywhere where it’s actually confirmed that FP are/were cancelled

We had some things come up financially and have to not only shorten our visit but need to cancel our room too. (Staying with family instead) we are only 15 days out will we loose our FP now??
I should add we are AP holders

Honestly the whole "change" everyone is talking about is supposed to cancel your Fps when you cancel your stay. BUT there has been no reports that is truly happening.

Not helpful to you but if you gotta cancel what can you do? Good luck and let us know what happens...here's some pixie dust

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

Has anyone canceled within 30 since this went into affect?
I canceled a resort stay about a week ago, and my FPs stayed, I was within 30 days, but before all of this went officially down.
(My stay was for the last 2 nights, and only affected pre DAH FP, so I wasn't worried either way.)