Could you get a room on the spot at WDW?

[julluvsdisney]

We are driving down on our next trip and may end up getting there before the day rolls over (if we made good time it could be between 1am-4am). Could we go to our resort and book an extra room on the spot for that "night" until our package arrival date(provided there is availability)? I don't want to add a day to the package just in case we make awful time and we don't get there until later. Just wondering if this is possible and how to do it? I have done it at other hotels but I wasn't sure what disney's policy on this was. TIA

 

[melanie18]

We've done that in the past, but usually we'll stay at a value resort for 1 night and then move over to wherever we're staying.

 

[julluvsdisney]

We've done that in the past, but usually we'll stay at a value resort for 1 night and then move over to wherever we're staying.

I was considering that as well just because it's just a bed for the night!
Did you just show up at the resorts front desk and ask? I know this sounds naive but I feel like disney has a phone number for everything so I wasn't sure if showing up at the front desk would be ok?

Thank you for the quick response!!

 

[julluvsdisney]

double post

 

[dimndgal1]

I was considering that as well just because it's just a bed for the night!
Did you just show up at the resorts front desk and ask? I know this sounds niave but I feel like disney has a phone number for everything so I wasn't sure if showing up at the front desk would be ok?

Thank you for the quick response!!

I have family that occasionally will stop in at the Values for an impromptu stay. However, with it being summer and potentially during the height of the rush, I think you would have better luck crashing at an off-property or DtD hotel... otherwise you might find yourself bouncing between resorts trying to find a place to crash. Also, you'd be paying rack rate which is a lot higher for summer v. other places. You could probably book a local hotel on your phone a few hours before you drive -- I once booked a room for my folks who were stranded from a tropical storm an hour before they showed up... got a great rate and HHonors points!

 

[julluvsdisney]

I have family that occasionally will stop in at the Values for an impromptu stay. However, with it being summer and potentially during the height of the rush, I think you would have better luck crashing at an off-property or DtD hotel... otherwise you might find yourself bouncing between resorts trying to find a place to crash. Also, you'd be paying rack rate which is a lot higher for summer v. other places. You could probably book a local hotel on your phone a few hours before you drive -- I once booked a room for my folks who were stranded from a tropical storm an hour before they showed up... got a great rate and HHonors points!

This is true too. We have done this once before because we got in soooooo early one time. I ended up getting a room at the holiday inn in DTD for a really good price. I'm just glad to hear it can be done so at least we know some options!

 

[illinidp]

Since you will have a vehicle, you could check expedia a few hours before and compare the rates of off property hotels to the rates on property. You could always check hotwire/priceline also. I'm not sure when they cut off reservations for the same "night" but I think its around 11pm Eastern.

If you do get into a different Disney resort they will transfer your luggage for you if you want.

 

[Babsy]

you can pull up to a resort and check in if they have availability. It is likely that somewhere on WDW property there will be a room available. However, the price that you might need to pay could be exorbitant.

I agree that a DTD hotel might be the better value, but you can always check at the last minute in WDW. If the resort you try first doesn't have a room, you could try asking them to check to see if another resort has availability. They might be able/willing to look for you. If they aren't, you can drive around or check online for offsite as others have suggested.

 

[julluvsdisney]

you can pull up to a resort and check in if they have availability. It is likely that somewhere on WDW property there will be a room available. However, the price that you might need to pay could be exorbitant.

I agree that a DTD hotel might be the better value, but you can always check at the last minute in WDW. If the resort you try first doesn't have a room, you could try asking them to check to see if another resort has availability. They might be able/willing to look for you. If they aren't, you can drive around or check online for offsite as others have suggested.

I think this maybe the way to go! Check at a value see what they have if nothing have them call another resort ! I'm thinking AS then at least we have 3 choices right there. If we are not making great time then maybe do an expedia or priceline deal on my phone!

We really have no idea until we get close I guess. It's the holiday weekend so traffic could be nasty or it could be nothing! So I guess I gotta play it by ear

 

[neville04]

so glad you asked this - i was wondering the same thing- we are going to drive as well from chicago- we are allowing 2 days but are going to try to do it in 1 day!

 

[AnAmericanInDisney]

We got there at 4 am once. POFQ said we could check in at 6 when their reservation system opened, so we just slept in the car for 2 hours.

 

[Mom loves Disney]

We have stayed one night at a value resort doing this. Just pulled up and told the guard we wanted to see if they had any rooms available and they let us in.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

If you're making good time, can't you just pull over at a rest stop an hour or so before arriving at WDW and call CRO? I'd rather do that than go from resort to resort in the middle of the night. Or the napping in the car idea.

 

[clapton]

We usually either stay in DTD or at the Dolphin for convenience for one night , but we usually make reservations because we go close to Spring break.

 

[ElizabethB]

For a room booked at the hotel's front desk, you will pay rack rate. I would not pay Disney rack rate just for a bed to sleep in. There are a zillion hotels and motels near WDW. I'd pull into one of those.

 

[julluvsdisney]

When is the cutoff for calling disney reservations and booking a hotel the day of? Would it be when the phones are turned off? Or is there a specific time they cutoff day off reservation bookings? Anyone called the day off and gotten a room instead of just showing up at the hotel? Tia !

 

[nkereina]

Sounds like whether you are making good time or not, you may want an extra room for that night. If you don't get in until after 6am when it rolls over to the next day, there is a good chance your package room won't be ready yet, and they aren't obligated to have one ready until 3pm check-in time. So you could be homeless and exhausted for several hours that day. If it were me, I'd book a cheap room ahead of time off-site in the vicinity of Disney and crash there for a few hours, and head over to check into my package after a little bit of rest. Then I wouldn't have to worry about finding availability and it wouldn't matter what time you get in.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Why not book a room 1-2 hours from Disney stop and sleep for the night and get up fresh and ready to go the next day?

 

[julluvsdisney]

I may do one these but I would like to know my options before we leave. We have driven several times before but I will be without my husband this time just with the kids so I would like to have a few options in mind before leaving. Usually we will do a priceline type deal as we get closer to our stopping time but being without him I just want to do my research before hand so I stay somewhere that I know. I have several plans laid out based on how good we are making on time.

 

[trishadono]

When is the cutoff for calling disney reservations and booking a hotel the day of? Would it be when the phones are turned off? Or is there a specific time they cutoff day off reservation bookings? Anyone called the day off and gotten a room instead of just showing up at the hotel? Tia !

Last May we called an hour and 1/2 before we arrived and had no problems. I asked for cr poly or gf and all 3 were available so I picked poly. (He wanted to stay on the ocean but couldn't find availability at a "nice"hotel )

We have also walked up to check in and asked before too. (Left Tampa and drove to Disney and stayed at Dixie Landings instead of airport hotel we had planned on.)

Also were at Marco Island and I was so bored we left and I called and got a great rate for AKL so we moved!

He tries to get me to go somewhere other than disney when we are in florida but usually I can talk him out of it