Received email about closings at CBR - help!!

[drock309]

They came out with the gift card offer BEFORE we called to get the resort switch. We did however call to switch resorts BEFORE the gift card offer ended. So we had the choice of getting the gift card OR the resort switch and we chose the resort switch. I'm not sure if thats what youre asking. If its not, can you please clarify?

Good question. The TA on the other site said they stopped offering resort switching once the gift card offer was "released". I took release to mean when they first started offering gift cards.

 

[margot31]

Can those of you that got the resort change at no extra fee, can you tell me if you made the change before or after the gift card offer was received? A travel agent on another chat said they were offering the resort upgrades free before the gift card offer, but not after. Trying to verify if thats the case for all or not. Thanks!

The only extra fee I may have ever had to pay is if the deposit was a larger amount than what I had already put down. There are no extra fee's to switching any reservation. I have done a few. I only pay the difference to the deposit amount.

 

[drock309]

The only extra fee I may have ever had to pay is if the deposit was a larger amount than what I had already put down. There are no extra fee's to switching any reservation. I have done a few. I only pay the difference to the deposit amount.

Fee may have been the wrong word, i mean pay no extra money what so ever. They are upgrading folks to more expensive hotels at no cost, because few resorts can hold 5 adults in a room.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Fee may have been the wrong word, i mean pay no extra money what so ever. They are upgrading folks to more expensive hotels at no cost, because few resorts can hold 5 adults in a room.

You didn't necessarily have to have 5 in a room at CBR to receive a free resort switch. We had 2 in one room and 3+ baby in another and were given a 2 bedroom at SSR. They originally offered 2 Port Orleans rooms which we didn't want since they don't always qualify for free dining. Then, after me asking, they offered 2 studios at SSR, and I finally got them to agree to put us all together in a 2 bedroom. Other resorts being offered were AOA suites and Fort wilderness cabins. I have no idea if they are still allowing people to move.

Is there a reason you are asking about this? If we knew, we might be able to help you more.

 

[drock309]

You didn't necessarily have to have 5 in a room at CBR to receive a free resort switch. We had 2 in one room and 3+ baby in another and were given a 2 bedroom at SSR. They originally offered 2 Port Orleans rooms which we didn't want since they don't always qualify for free dining. Then, after me asking, they offered 2 studios at SSR, and I finally got them to agree to put us all together in a 2 bedroom. Other resorts being offered were AOA suites and Fort wilderness cabins. I have no idea if they are still allowing people to move.

Is there a reason you are asking about this? If we knew, we might be able to help you more.

I'm asking because i'd like to switch resorts. I have a CBR reservation in september that was booked well before the construction announcement, therefore i was offered the gift card. I didn't know switching resorts was an option til i came across info in here and other boards recently. My TA basically said they don't do things like this, another TA told me she called to try to get her client switched, and disney told her they stopped doing this once the gift card offer ended. So I'm going to give my TA a chance to call to try to get me switched, if she cant i'm going to call. any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dansdad]

I'm asking because i'd like to switch resorts. I have a CBR reservation in september that was booked well before the construction announcement, therefore i was offered the gift card. I didn't know switching resorts was an option til i came across info in here and other boards recently. My TA basically said they don't do things like this,

They never used to. But the mess they had on their hands a with major construction at Poly and WL recently has apparently softened their stance on this.

another TA told me she called to try to get her client switched, and disney told her they stopped doing this once the gift card offer ended.

This is true.

So I'm going to give my TA a chance to call to try to get me switched, if she cant i'm going to call. any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

If you booked through a TA WDW will not speak to you about the reservation as you don't own it, your TA does. Everything will have to go through your TA. I suggest having your TA speak to Guest Services and explain, they have the authority to move you.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I'm asking because i'd like to switch resorts. I have a CBR reservation in september that was booked well before the construction announcement, therefore i was offered the gift card. I didn't know switching resorts was an option til i came across info in here and other boards recently. My TA basically said they don't do things like this, another TA told me she called to try to get her client switched, and disney told her they stopped doing this once the gift card offer ended. So I'm going to give my TA a chance to call to try to get me switched, if she cant i'm going to call. any help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Ahhh, I see. Honestly, I have no idea if they are still allowing it or not. I haven't heard of anyone receiving the resort switch recently, but that doesn't mean it's not happening. Unfortunately, I highly doubt Disney will directly give you any info on this matter since you're booked with a TA. I tried calling them before I was moved to get more info on the construction and to see what resorts were being offered for the switch and they flat out refused to tell me anything since I booked with a TA. I didn't tell them I had an agent, but they wouldn't give me any info until I gave them my reservation number and once I did that they could see I had an agent and told me I had to go through them. I explained that I needed to know what resorts to discuss with my agent and they still wouldn't budge. Finally called my TA and told her I had heard people were offered resort switches (she hadn't heard that) and explained to her that I didn't want to stay at CBR. She called Disney and they told her they werent switching people so she had them put me on a conference call. The cast member then told me, "I don't know where you are hearing about resort switches, but it's not true." I said that numerous people on the disboards and several other sites have reported being switched at no charge. She then said we could move to either of the Port Orleans. I replied that I had heard about SSR. We were put on hold, then she came back with the 2 studios, I asked about the 2 bedroom and she agreed to that. I definitely got the impression that had they not conference called me and me bringing up disboards and knowing other people were switched to SSR, I wouldn't have been offered it. My TA said she was getting nowhere with Disney and that's why she requested to get me on the line.

My point is, for me anyway, it wasn't exactly easy to get the resort switch and it doesn't seem like all TAs knew about it. They may have decided to back off from the resort switch when they ended the gift card offer, but if you really don't want to stay at CBR, be insistent with your TA. Tell her that you weren't notified at the time that a resort switch was an option or you would have moved then. Since you didn't know then, they ought to honor it now. Tell her if Disney doesn't want to honor it, to put you on a conference call with her and Disney, then you tell them your situation and that you know others were moved. There are no guarantees, but it's definitely worth a shot. And with SSR, if you have 5 people, they have to give you a 2 bedroom because you won't fit in a studio or 1 bedroom. We had 2 rooms booked at CBR originally, but I've seen at least 2 people on these boards that only had 1 room booked but received a 2 br at SSR because they had 5 people... And it had nothing to do with whether or not POR and the cabins (which also accommodate 5 and were offered for the switch) were fully booked. If you have any more questions, let me know and I will try to help.

 

[drock309]

Ahhh, I see. Honestly, I have no idea if they are still allowing it or not. I haven't heard of anyone receiving the resort switch recently, but that doesn't mean it's not happening. Unfortunately, I highly doubt Disney will directly give you any info on this matter since you're booked with a TA. I tried calling them before I was moved to get more info on the construction and to see what resorts were being offered for the switch and they flat out refused to tell me anything since I booked with a TA. I didn't tell them I had an agent, but they wouldn't give me any info until I gave them my reservation number and once I did that they could see I had an agent and told me I had to go through them. I explained that I needed to know what resorts to discuss with my agent and they still wouldn't budge. Finally called my TA and told her I had heard people were offered resort switches (she hadn't heard that) and explained to her that I didn't want to stay at CBR. She called Disney and they told her they werent switching people so she had them put me on a conference call. The cast member then told me, "I don't know where you are hearing about resort switches, but it's not true." I said that numerous people on the disboards and several other sites have reported being switched at no charge. She then said we could move to either of the Port Orleans. I replied that I had heard about SSR. We were put on hold, then she came back with the 2 studios, I asked about the 2 bedroom and she agreed to that. I definitely got the impression that had they not conference called me and me bringing up disboards and knowing other people were switched to SSR, I wouldn't have been offered it. My TA said she was getting nowhere with Disney and that's why she requested to get me on the line.

My point is, for me anyway, it wasn't exactly easy to get the resort switch and it doesn't seem like all TAs knew about it. They may have decided to back off from the resort switch when they ended the gift card offer, but if you really don't want to stay at CBR, be insistent with your TA. Tell her that you weren't notified at the time that a resort switch was an option or you would have moved then. Since you didn't know then, they ought to honor it now. Tell her if Disney doesn't want to honor it, to put you on a conference call with her and Disney, then you tell them your situation and that you know others were moved. There are no guarantees, but it's definitely worth a shot. And with SSR, if you have 5 people, they have to give you a 2 bedroom because you won't fit in a studio or 1 bedroom. We had 2 rooms booked at CBR originally, but I've seen at least 2 people on these boards that only had 1 room booked but received a 2 br at SSR because they had 5 people... And it had nothing to do with whether or not POR and the cabins (which also accommodate 5 and were offered for the switch) were fully booked. If you have any more questions, let me know and I will try to help.

Thank you, i really appreciate the info. I'll pass this on to my TA, hopefully she'll be willing to execute the conference call move. I only currently have 3 plus a baby booked, but plan to have grandparents come stay for part of the trip, so need the 5 person room.

 

[Abbey Albright]

Thank you, i really appreciate the info. I'll pass this on to my TA, hopefully she'll be willing to execute the conference call move. I only currently have 3 plus a baby booked, but plan to have grandparents come stay for part of the trip, so need the 5 person room.

Did you have any luck with changing resorts?

 

[drock309]

Did you have any luck with changing resorts?

Yup, about an hour ago the TA got us switch to AoA suite for no additional cost. Woo Hoo!

 

[12disneybee]

during the gift card offer, niether are available now it ended after March 19th
We snagged a 2 bedroom villa SSR no price increase! Major score for us sice we were doing 2 rooms CBR, we are only paying for a standard CBR with bounceback free dining for 5 guests for 14 nights. Upgrading to DXDP of course.

 

[TammieLandry]

OK, OP here. Here's what happened. I called the number that was in the email, and first was waiting on a queue, then they said the phones were down and I was disconnected. So I called the regular reservation number and told my sad tale to the person on the phone and the only thing we could work out was upgrading to WL for $400 more. So I took that and made sure the reservation was changed online. Then I continued to call the original number they gave until it came back up, and eventually got a human on the phone. Turns out this number is guest services, not a typical reservation number. She heard my story, and I was very nice but made it clear that I wasn't happy about the additional $400 cost. She put me on hold for a while, and came back and offered to send me a $400 gift card to make up the difference. I was fine with that. So that's where we left it. Assuming that card arrives, I'm satisfied with how it was handled. I know that Roaring Forks is under refurbishment while we are there, but I can live with that.
I have to say that this really annoys me though. I make every effort before I book a location, to make sure that everything is in order, nothing is being refurbished, etc. And then 60 days before they do this? That stinks. But I've never stayed at WL, so I'm happy enough to still have a really nice resort to stay at that isn't ginormous (which is why I had payed for a preferred room at CBR).

Excellent customer service!