Throwaway Room - Offsite to Onsite Stays

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

What about booking bounce back offers? Could you book a "throwaway room", then during that "stay" book a bounce back for a future onsite trip (pending the current bounce back offer)? Do you have to be physically at the resort/campsite to make this call? If you pay for your room (no cancelling your reservation) and do online check in, do you even have to travel to Orlando? (I won't be using that last one myself, but it seems to be a logical extension of the "loophole" unless specifically disallowed)

This is such a good idea, and I may actually take the $46 risk and try it so I can book a Free Dining bounce back (which is a huge savings for my family of 5).

 

[DonaldDuck77]

This is such a good idea, and I may actually take the $46 risk and try it so I can book a Free Dining bounce back (which is a huge savings for my family of 5).

Never got a definitive answer, so if you are trying this and NOT traveling to Orlando, please report back to let us know if it works.

 

[kaybee1476]

I already have a 1-night reservation for a campsite for 11/6, which puts my 60-day FP window opening next Wednesday, 9/7. If I book another campsite for 11/4 (also for 1 night), my FP booking window will open 9/5, which is a whole lot more convenient for me since I'm off work Monday. Would I be able to make FPs through 11/7 (if I keep the other reservation), or since it would be two separate reservations, would I only be able to book through 11/5 and then still have to wait til Wednesday to book 11/6 and 11/7?

 

[ckelly14]

I already have a 1-night reservation for a campsite for 11/6, which puts my 60-day FP window opening next Wednesday, 9/7. If I book another campsite for 11/4 (also for 1 night), my FP booking window will open 9/5, which is a whole lot more convenient for me since I'm off work Monday. Would I be able to make FPs through 11/7 (if I keep the other reservation), or since it would be two separate reservations, would I only be able to book through 11/5 and then still have to wait til Wednesday to book 11/6 and 11/7?

Since the reservations are not "back-to-back", you would only be able to book 11/5 and have to wait for 11/6 and 7.

 

[hodad]

I booked one night at Fort Wilderness in August and checked in online but did not receive a text message with site info, and my Disney travel agent was still able to book a bounceback free dining package for 2017 using the reservation confirmation number.

I did not call from the room (obviously) and did not call from my phone. I didn't do anything except give my agent the confirmation number. Pretty sweet, if you ask me.

 

[rinnythepooh]

This is such a good idea, and I may actually take the $46 risk and try it so I can book a Free Dining bounce back (which is a huge savings for my family of 5).

I may be wrong, but I remember that the last time I booked a bounceback offer I had to make it from the in room phone after my check in for me to be able to make it. I thought I was told that I could not make it on my cell phone while in the parks, I had to be in the room. But, this was a few years back.

 

[ckelly14]

Wish I could help but never experienced a bounce back offer....

 

[Wood Nymph]

I may be wrong, but I remember that the last time I booked a bounceback offer I had to make it from the in room phone after my check in for me to be able to make it. I thought I was told that I could not make it on my cell phone while in the parks, I had to be in the room. But, this was a few years back.

Both my sister and my daughter have been able to book bounceback reservations using their cell phones last year.

 

[ajenks22]

I may be wrong, but I remember that the last time I booked a bounceback offer I had to make it from the in room phone after my check in for me to be able to make it. I thought I was told that I could not make it on my cell phone while in the parks, I had to be in the room. But, this was a few years back.

I am guessing that bounce backs from Fort Wilderness campground stays would have to be made via cell, since there isn't actually a room with a phone.

 

[ajenks22]

Thanks for this thread. I do not have a throwaway room, but am staying onsite for one night at the Swan, due to a free night stay on Hotels.com. It's our arrival night and we needed a place anyway.

It should be noted the Swan/Dolphin guests can get free parks parking and EMH their entire time because they simply have to show their room key. It does not come with MBs, which actually works to an advantage. So you do have to physically check in, but this is a little extra perk that might be unknown.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Just had to chime in here (after my original post). My husband's coworker just got back from WDW. His family stayed in a 2-bedroom suite at Shades of Green but then booked for the length of their stay at the Campsites to get fastpass and other perks of on-site. His coworker was appearantly quite proud of "gaming the system". I told my husband in the middle of his story...yup that's called a "throwaway room" which I learned about from here on the DIS.

I even went on to tell him that his coworker didn't necessarily need to book the campsites for his entire length of stay. Funny story is Disney called his coworker a few days before his resesrvation was up because I guess someone else wanted to move to his assigned campsite (which his coworker hadn't stepped foot on). His coworker said sure that person can move there and Disney offered to refund him for the days he wouldn't be staying there and keep his FP+ for those extra days

See the DIS can be used in everyday discussion

 

[ckelly14]

Just had to chime in here (after my original post). My husband's coworker just got back from WDW. His family stayed in a 2-bedroom suite at Shades of Green but then booked for the length of their stay at the Campsites to get fastpass and other perks of on-site. His coworker was appearantly quite proud of "gaming the system". I told my husband in the middle of his story...yup that's called a "throwaway room" which I learned about from here on the DIS.

I even went on to tell him that his coworker didn't necessarily need to book the campsites for his entire length of stay. Funny story is Disney called his coworker a few days before his resesrvation was up because I guess someone else wanted to move to his assigned campsite (which his coworker hadn't stepped foot on). His coworker said sure that person can move there and Disney offered to refund him for the days he wouldn't be staying there and keep his FP+ for those extra days

See the DIS can be used in everyday discussion

Great story. Thanks for the update!

 

[kaybee1476]

Since the reservations are not "back-to-back", you would only be able to book 11/5 and have to wait for 11/6 and 7.

My fastpass day for my first 3 park days was supposed to be today, but I panicked yesterday after hearing that the Frozen Ever After FPs were going fast, and I booked another campsite for the day before the one I already had on Nov 6th. I was able to get FPs for TSMM for our first park day, 7DMT for our 2nd day, and (YAY!) Frozen Ever After for our third day. Now I'll start the "rolling 60" and should be able to book one day at a time for the rest of our trip (starting either tomorrow or Friday... not sure which). I'm planning to keep the campsite reservation for Nov 6 (paying for it but not actually staying there), but I want to know how long I need to keep the new reservation so that I don't lose my fastpasses. Is it safe to cancel the Nov 5th reservation after all of my FPs are booked for the whole trip, or do I need to keep it longer? Someone said she was told that she would need to keep the throwaway reservation until at least 30 days prior to the check-in date in order to not lose FP reservations, but maybe that's if you're not planning to keep any throwaway rooms/campsites. (That makes sense to me.) I don't want to hold on to an extra reservation that someone else might need. Thanks!

 

[mgpan]

My fastpass day for my first 3 park days was supposed to be today, but I panicked yesterday after hearing that the Frozen Ever After FPs were going fast, and I booked another campsite for the day before the one I already had on Nov 6th. I was able to get FPs for TSMM for our first park day, 7DMT for our 2nd day, and (YAY!) Frozen Ever After for our third day. Now I'll start the "rolling 60" and should be able to book one day at a time for the rest of our trip (starting either tomorrow or Friday... not sure which). I'm planning to keep the campsite reservation for Nov 6 (paying for it but not actually staying there), but I want to know how long I need to keep the new reservation so that I don't lose my fastpasses. Is it safe to cancel the Nov 5th reservation after all of my FPs are booked for the whole trip, or do I need to keep it longer? Someone said she was told that she would need to keep the throwaway reservation until at least 30 days prior to the check-in date in order to not lose FP reservations, but maybe that's if you're not planning to keep any throwaway rooms/campsites. (That makes sense to me.) I don't want to hold on to an extra reservation that someone else might need. Thanks!

Aren't you going to have to keep and pay for it, otherwise how is WDW even separating off-site 30-day from on-site 60-day advance FP+ reservations? Could i have reserved my upcoming stay starting on a Friday to get a jump on fastpasses for my first park day, then changed the reservation to starting on a Saturday? Or better yet could I have cancelled it altogether 46 days out and then stayed off-site for much less $$$ but still getting 60 day advance fastpasses? Would that be possible?

 

[kaybee1476]

I already had a reservation for Nov 6 that I am keeping (and paying for). I just booked the additional night (which is the night before I already had) to book my Epcot FPs (particularly FEA) a day earlier. I'm not going to keep the new reservation but I don't want to mess up my FPs by canceling it too soon.

 

[hodad]

Cancel fewer than 30 days before your last FP to keep your FP+ reservations (or after you get your extra magic bands in the mail that you can give to friends for SDFPs)

 

[hiroMYhero]

I already had a reservation for Nov 6 that I am keeping (and paying for). I just booked the additional night (which is the night before I already had) to book my Epcot FPs (particularly FEA) a day earlier. I'm not going to keep the new reservation but I don't want to mess up my FPs by canceling it too soon.

As long as you are in the 60-day window for Reservation #2, you can Cancel Reservation #1. The completely open 60-day window includes what you have already booked.

 

[kaybee1476]

As long as you are in the 60-day window for Reservation #2, you can Cancel Reservation #1. The completely open 60-day window includes what you have already booked.

Thank you!

 

[Babs1975]

Thank you!

Maybe someone can answer this question. If you are buying a one night throwaway room, room only, without park tickets, why would the hotel send you magicbands? Just because this is one of the perks? Even though you are not buying tickets from them? We always stay off site in a family condo so some of this is lost on me. Seriously considering this throw away room concept for just one night. If it actually gave me magicbands and free parking for 2 days in the parks, and emh for 2 days and 60 days out for fastpass selection. Seems like a good idea to me.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Maybe someone can answer this question. If you are buying a one night throwaway room, room only, without park tickets, why would the hotel send you magicbands? Just because this is one of the perks? Even though you are not buying tickets from them? We always stay off site in a family condo so some of this is lost on me. Seriously considering this throw away room concept for just one night. If it actually gave me magicbands and free parking for 2 days in the parks, and emh for 2 days and 60 days out for fastpass selection. Seems like a good idea to me.

Every onsite resort room door is activated and opens via a linked MagicBand. That's why everyone receives a MB; it has nothing to do with tickets as you don't need to have tickets to stay in an onsite hotel.

In the 1st post of this thread, everything is explained by ckelly14.