Throwaway room (read post #2041 or #2710 before posting)

[planplan]

Staying on property for 7 nights. How does this throwaway room thing benefit me or is it only for off site guests. Thanks for any help!

 

[DebbieB]

Staying on property for 7 nights. How does this throwaway room thing benefit me or is it only for off site guests. Thanks for any help!

Only for off site. It gives them free magic bands and 60 days for FP+. Free parking for the days they have room.

 

[NYDisneyKid]

I still dont understand the throw away room either. Why would someone book and pay for a room and not use it?

 

[goofy4tink]

I still dont understand the throw away room either. Why would someone book and pay for a room and not use it?

So they can book FP+ 60 days out vs 30 days. They will find the cheapest room they can find, and book it. Then they get to make FP choices as soon as the 60 day window opens for them. Seems silly to me. But from what I see, most are booking a campsite, so not out a ton of money. Nothing I would do...waste of money. Just stay on site.

 

[hakepb]

I still dont understand the throw away room either. Why would someone book and pay for a room and not use it?

The "throwaway room" might only be a campsite. People do it because the added cost of the "throwaway room" is less then the perturbed benefit(s) they get from it.

In earlier days of "free dining" some people used to book a throwaway value room because that room cost less than the dining plan by itself. (While they stayed DVC or elsewhere.

 

[cakebaker]

If they book a campsite, they can also fill up to 10 slots using fake names for the extra slots. They get 10 bands and any they don't need can be used to get extra fp+'s in the parks. It also gives them the advance adr perk. Some people make the reservations, wait for the bands to show shipped, then cancel the room, in effect getting the bands for free rather than having to pay for them.

It is a rolling 60 days, so not nearly as good as on site. But I guess the net savings on the bands alone and being able to get extra fp's is worth it to them.

Nothing I would do either.

 

[lborne]

I see the cost of a campsite going up soon. Used to be a great way to go camping with the kids because we liked the comfort stations, the movies, campfires, nature trail - and visiting the MJ was only a boat ride away.

 

[cakebaker]

In earlier days of "free dining" some people used to book a throwaway value room because that room cost less than the dining plan by itself. (While they stayed DVC or elsewhere.

In those days, they were booking campsites and values as packages, booking the entire time they were there. It was more costly, but the free dining was very generous and made it worth it. Some were DVC as well.

Disney fixed that by reducing the pkg you receive at a value or campsite. Of course legitimate stays paid the price, but that's how it usually works when Disney "fixes" abuse.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I still dont understand the throw away room either. Why would someone book and pay for a room and not use it?

So they can get some onsite benefits without actually staying onsite. the cost of the room is just what they are willing to pay in order to get the benefits.

Goes all the way back to DVC members who would book a value room for free dining and then not stay in it - they'd stay at DVC and use the free dining. They still had to pay for the room and tickets. Used to happen a lot more often when they gave regular dining plans free with a value reservation and required only one-day tickets instead of 2 day tickets. And then if you added a couple of "phantom teenagers" to your reservation and bought tickets for them, you got double the free dining credits.

Campsites were never available on free dining, I guess because you could have up to 10 people stay at a campsite at a time. For the FP+ bookings the campsite still works.

 

[chrism444]

I'm still confused as far as FP+ is concerned. If you only book one night (throw away room), what is the benefit of FP+ other than that one night? Surely, you can't book FP+s for more than that one day, can you?

Thanks, Chris

 

[cakebaker]

I'm still confused as far as FP+ is concerned. If you only book one night (throw away room), what is the benefit of FP+ other than that one night? Surely, you can't book FP+s for more than that one day, can you?

Thanks, Chris

Unfortunately, yes, you can.
Because for whatever reason, once the 60 day window opens, it allows them to book the length of their ticket. A 1 night stay with a 10 day ticket will allow you to book the first night you're on site at 60 days. You can't book the entire 10 day ticket that day. It's rolling- so the next day you can book day #2, next day #3 and so on.

 

[anniemae]

I think they get the benefits for more than one day. This is what confuses me too, I think there are 2 different situations. From what I gather the first trick is to book it for a week so you get a week's worth of benefits. Then cancel the room once you have the bands and have made all your FP's and ADR. For some reason, maybe a glitch, the system lets you keep the fp's and ADR's even after canceling the room? I could be wrong, but I thought I read that.

Then, I hear of people only booking one night, and I think they get the benefits for two days, the day you check in, and the day after. But, you don't have to physically show up to check in.

 

[chrism444]

REALLY?!!? That seems like a very easy IT fix. I can't believe Disney doesn't know this is going on. How would they allow people to link 2 - 10 (or more) day tickets to a one night reservation. This, IMO, is very unfair to those staying on site. Now, I'm going to get flamed. But, I don't care because Disney has really dropped the ball on this one. It's deplorable and so easily fixed.

Thanks Cakebaker for answering so quickly.

 

[Unearned Happiness]

I'm imagining how ridiculous a conversation complaining to Disney would sound.

"Hello, Disney? Are you aware that someone else bought the campsite that I wanted? But you don't understand! I want it more!"

It's like getting upset at someone who gets a BOG FP+ and only orders a dessert.

"Hello, Disney? Are you aware that you let someone reserve a spot who never intended to order a full meal?! It's not fair!"

 

[Dallas_Lady]

REALLY?!!? That seems like a very easy IT fix. I can't believe Disney doesn't know this is going on. How would they allow people to link 2 - 10 (or more) day tickets to a one night reservation. This, IMO, is very unfair to those staying on site. Now, I'm going to get flamed. But, I don't care because Disney has really dropped the ball on this one. It's deplorable and so easily fixed.

Thanks Cakebaker for answering so quickly.

I have been around here a looong time and I have seen throwaway rooms booked for:
-E ticket nights
-EMH access
-Free Dining
-FP+ access (before off-siters could book ahead and now)

Now the throwaway room has less necessity than it did when FP+ first came out and offsiters couldn't book in advance at all. Now it's really only doneif someone just has to have an A&E or 7DMT FP. Believe me, if we know about it, Disney knows about it. They will fix it if they feel the people booking throwaway rooms/campsites and taking up too much of the inventory. If not, heck they're paying for it so let 'em have it.

 

[cakebaker]

I have been around here a looong time and I have seen throwaway rooms booked for:
-E ticket nights
-EMH access
-Free Dining
-FP+ access (before off-siters could book ahead and now)

Believe me, if we know about it, Disney knows about it. They will fix it if they feel the people booking throwaway rooms/campsites and taking up too much of the inventory. If not, heck they're paying for it so let 'em have it.

I'm quite sure Disney knows about it. I just think they have bigger fish to fry at the moment and will get around to fixing it eventually. Just as they did with free dining- took them forever to stop that one.

They're not paying for the additional benefits- if all they got was 1 days perks, I wouldn't care, but they get the benefits as though they were staying the entire time- and they aren't. It takes away from people who do pay the price to be on site and it's simply not fair. It's certainly not fair for those who book and cancel or those who list fake names on the reservations.

It also makes booking difficult for longer stays. One night's stay in the middle of the week blocks out that room to anyone who wanted to stay more than 3 or 4 days.

But, it will go on until Disney fixes it. My complaint with it, other than the depletion of already hard to get fp+'s is what Disney will do when they "fix" it. In the past, any fix always costs those who shouldn't have to pay.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

So they can book FP+ 60 days out vs 30 days. They will find the cheapest room they can find, and book it. Then they get to make FP choices as soon as the 60 day window opens for them. Seems silly to me. But from what I see, most are booking a campsite, so not out a ton of money. Nothing I would do...waste of money. Just stay on site.

I'm confused about how throw away rooms are worth the effort and money. I haven't read through all of the thread on throw away rooms (since it currently has 1,960 posts), but based on the few (most recent) comments I did read, it sounds like the benefits associated with a throw away room only apply for the actual days of the room reservation. So if it's one night, then check-in and check-out days.

I understand that there are several benefits to the throw away room (magic bands included, EMH, 60 day advance FP+ reservations, 180+10 ADRs, and free parking). But I searched rates at the campsites at Ft Wilderness (often cited as the location for many throw away reservations), and the prices range from a low of $55 to a high of $154 (2014 prices). If the benefits do, in fact, only apply during the dates of the actual reservation, then how is booking a throw away room financially worth it? I've found rooms at the moderate resorts (CBR, POFQ, POR,...) for $120/night on a variety of dates. Are people really saving money by staying off site (ostensibly also requiring rental car) AND paying for a 'cheap' on-site room?

 

[anniemae]

Ahhhhhh, I see. It allows you to book the length of the ticket, not the length of stay. So it you had a 6 day ticket, you book one night but still get to do the fp's and adr's.

 

[over50visits]

If they book a campsite, they can also fill up to 10 slots using fake names for the extra slots. They get 10 bands and any they don't need can be used to get extra fp+'s in the parks. It also gives them the advance adr perk. Some people make the reservations, wait for the bands to show shipped, then cancel the room, in effect getting the bands for free rather than having to pay for them.

It is a rolling 60 days, so not nearly as good as on site. But I guess the net savings on the bands alone and being able to get extra fp's is worth it to them.

Nothing I would do either.

We expect Disney to treat us honestly and with respect. Too bad we all don't treat Disney the same; instead some rationalize things like this. Too bad.

 

[anniemae]

Disney must not care or they would have fixed it by now. Seems simple to fix, just have the benefits only for the nights you stay and no more. If you book one night, you get the benefits for check in and check out day only, not the length of the park ticket. I can't imagine they don't know people are doing this.