What is going on with the FP+ crackdown?

[DisneyMom93]

I must admit, like @DonaldDuck77 I'm also a little confused.

If I spilt my stay between AoA and The Holiday Inn. Who am I 'cheating' out of lost revenue? The Holiday Inn or AoA?

Not splitting your stay. If you're actually staying at AoA those days it's not a cheat.

 

[DisneyMom93]

A throwaway room isn't a split stay. It's when you buy a room, check in, get the benefits of staying onsite, but don't stay in the room because you are really staying offsite for a longer period. You can make your FPs and ADRs at the extended window for your whole set of tickets, and partake in EMH plus free parking for the length of your room reservation plus 1 more day (check out day).

It's only a big deal at resorts that sell out. Especially at Fort Wilderness because with 10 to a site, as opposed to 4 to a room in the Values, you can split the benefits among 2 families of 4 or 5 parties of 2. Free parking for 5 parties of 2 is over $100, so it more than covers the cost of a tent site and even some Full Hook Up sites depending on seasonal rates. So often people that want to stay at The Fort actually can't book, even though there are open sites. Again, this got really bad over Memorial Day weekend when Avatar opened. People wanted the access to booking FPs that staying onsite provided, even if they had no intention of staying onsite.

Yeah, this.

 

[DisneyMom93]

The ones that cancel cheat. The ones that pay don't. Regarding if one or the other can be a loophole, that is an opinion, and for now at least, it seems Disney disagrees.

It's not that Disney disagrees, it's that Disney hasn't worked a way yet to prevent it. How do you prove that someone is not staying on the site? Now you gonna go site to site and make sure someone is actually there? With online check-in it's harder. Especially if they actually go there and pitch a tent.

 

[Hej2222]

There are different ways of using the room that someone pays for without staying in the room for the night. You can pay for an extra night in a beach resort to take a shower in the afternoon after a beach day - then check out in the evening without staying the night you paid for. We have done that. You can pay for the extra night in the rental home before your stay so you could check in early in the morning the next day without actually using the night before. We have done that. You can pay for a rental home for 10 nights, go on a cruise for 4 nights in the middle of your stay and leave your belongings in the house for 4 nights -without using the house to actually sleep there. It saves the hassle of waiting for check in until the afternoon after the cruise or taking all belongings and being forced to leave it in the hot car while on the cruise. We have done both - and definitely prefer renting the house or hotel to cover all days, so we can take only what we need on the cruise. Someone could argue that "the house or hotel could be rented out for those nights", but we are paying for the comfort and benefit of early check in or late check out or "using" the house while not sleeping there in those situations. We have also used one night rentals in other hotels for few hours rest, people rent day rooms or one night stays at Comfort Inn on Paradise Island to access Atlantis Waterpark. Disney allows one night camp reservations and does not restrict benefits for those reservations at this time. For me it means that if I pay for the reservation, I can use it in the way that I need it. If it is clearly not allowed or restricted by Disney in any way - we probably pay for a night at value resort, and may be actually use it for a few hours, depending on our needs.

 

[DisneyMom93]

Right. The problem is when people book campsites to get 60 day FP, free parking, free MB, never check in, and then take away from those who actually do want to camp. Checking in and using 1 night is not a throw away room.

Technically or legally it's not, because you actually stay there, but if the reason you're doing it is to get all the other benefits and then you stay offsite then it is a loophole.

 

[AngiTN]

Technically or legally it's not, because you actually stay there, but if the reason you're doing it is to get all the other benefits and then you stay offsite then it is a loophole.

What? Are you actually saying that if someone books, checks in and uses a room, even if it's to get the on site benefits, it's a loophole?
If so, I'm sorry, you are crossing in to crazy conspiracy land. The reasons why someone books and uses a room are theirs and whatever they are, it's not a loophole. A room bought, paid for and used as it's intended, which is as a place to sleep, is no loophole.

I mean, truth be told, we stay on site for our entire trip mostly due to the benefits that come with an on site stay. Does that make our entire trip a loop hole, in your mind? If there were no benefits associated with staying on site I probably would stay elsewhere. As would most others I'd guess.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

There are a lot of these loopholes. Disney knows about them all.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

What? Are you actually saying that if someone books, checks in and uses a room, even if it's to get the on site benefits, it's a loophole?.

She said if they stay off site it is a loophole. I kind of agree, but if you actually check in then I would argue that it is one that you paid Disney for - kinda like using extra tickets to get extra FP+. Loophole to buy benefits that really are not for sale.

 

[AngiTN]

She said if they stay off site it is a loophole.

After they pay for and stay 1 night on site? Really? If they use the room I simply don't see it as a loophole. Not using the room, yes. Using the room, no.
Slight but significant difference to me. Clearly not to others.

 

[jade1]

After they pay for and stay 1 night on site? Really? If they use the room I simply don't see it as a loophole. Not using the room, yes. Using the room, no.
Slight but significant difference to me. Clearly not to others.

A lot of folks have reserved a room at US to get FOTL and early entry and never set foot in the room. Just sayin anyway.

 

[AngiTN]

A lot of folks have reserved a room at US to get FOTL and early entry and never set foot in the room. Just sayin anyway.

Ok. Doesn't make it any more right, in my mind. But, it's also not up to me to stop.
I think the only question is why do folks get their panties in a wad over using a 2nd ticket to get FP but get them in a wad over throw away rooms. Some would even do one but not dream of doing the other
I happen to see them as the same, either both ok or neither ok.

 

[grnflash]

I guess what I think is that it's the rolling FP access one would get from booking a single night that could be considered a loophole. Booking a site you pay for but don't actually use presents no loophole to me. But paying for 1 night to get 60 day out FP ressies for length of your ticket, not your length of stay, that's where I see it as a loophole.

 

[BDFmom]

When you pay for a room/campsite it's yours for that night. How you use it is up to you.... Disney has gotten their money for that night.

 

[AngiTN]

I guess what I think is that it's the rolling FP access one would get from booking a single night that could be considered a loophole. Booking a site you pay for but don't actually use presents no loophole to me. But paying for 1 night to get 60 day out FP ressies for length of your ticket, not your length of stay, that's where I see it as a loophole.

Why would you book a site and not use it other than to get the 60 day FP?

 

[AngiTN]

When you pay for a room/campsite it's yours for that night. How you use it is up to you.... Disney has gotten their money for that night.

And when you buy a ticket and use it then you get to use the FP for it, Disney has gotten their money.
That is the argument some are presenting.
That is all.
Where does the difference lie?

 

[grnflash]

Why would you book a site and not use it other than to get the 60 day FP?

You probably wouldn't, but it's still not a loophole to me in regards to the FP ressies for the 2 days of the actual reservation (for a one night booking.) If you paid for it, I don't think it matters how you use it - even if it means you don't use it. Paying for it = full entitlements without conditions.

And while I do think the rolling FP ressie access is a loophole, I also think it's a "legal" loophole and wouldn't judge anyone for using it.

 

[DisneyMom93]

What? Are you actually saying that if someone books, checks in and uses a room, even if it's to get the on site benefits, it's a loophole?
If so, I'm sorry, you are crossing in to crazy conspiracy land. The reasons why someone books and uses a room are theirs and whatever they are, it's not a loophole. A room bought, paid for and used as it's intended, which is as a place to sleep, is no loophole.

I mean, truth be told, we stay on site for our entire trip mostly due to the benefits that come with an on site stay. Does that make our entire trip a loop hole, in your mind? If there were no benefits associated with staying on site I probably would stay elsewhere. As would most others I'd guess.

LOL. No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying if you stay on site for only the one night, and then stay the rest of your stay offsite still reaping the benefits of the one night stay, it's a loophole, cheat, etc.

And the campsites are inexpensive so up to 10 people on one reservation for one night reap the benefits for their entire length of stay OFFSITE.

 

[AngiTN]

LOL. No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying if you stay on site for only the one night, and then stay the rest of your stay offsite still reaping the benefits of the one night stay, it's a loophole, cheat, etc.

And the campsites are inexpensive so up to 10 people on one reservation for one night reap the benefits for their entire length of stay OFFSITE.

Ah, ok. That makes much more sense. What I get for multi-tasking this morning!

 

[Roxyfire]

And when you buy a ticket and use it then you get to use the FP for it, Disney has gotten their money.
That is the argument some are presenting.
That is all.
Where does the difference lie?

I don't think there is a difference, personally. They're both frivolous solutions; overpaying to solve a first-world problem. The problem is that the campsites are cheap enough for some to see it as a cost/savings ratio in their favor. Disney probably sees it as they got their money so who cares if it's used. It stinks for people who actually want to camp.

 

[DisneyMom93]

You probably wouldn't, but it's still not a loophole to me in regards to the FP ressies for the 2 days of the actual reservation (for a one night booking.) If you paid for it, I don't think it matters how you use it - even if it means you don't use it. Paying for it = full entitlements without conditions.

And while I do think the rolling FP ressie access is a loophole, I also think it's a "legal" loophole and wouldn't judge anyone for using it.

How is it a legal loophole? Do you really think Disney wants people paying $60 for one night at their resort and staying elsewhere for $200 a night yet keeping all the benefits as if they stayed the week at DW resort?

Disney is losing that entire week's resort room reservation payment. Plus people eating offsite for dinner after the park, and breakfast elsewhere before going to the parks from their offsite hotel.

There's no way DW set it up for that. And once they figure out a way to close that loophole they will.