TDR Hotel Booking Tips! How to win the room you want!

[Rimmit]

You'd eat the exchange rate spread though. With visa, you'd lose like 0.8% before including any foreign transaction fees and exchange rate fluctuations.

Yes, or also gain if the exchange is more favorable. I’ve had it go both ways.

FTF just depends if your CC charges them. Seems most people who travel internationally pick a CC without them. None of mine that I charge a FTF.

Small price to pay if you want to do a test run.

 

[gmi3804]

Yes, or also gain if the exchange is more favorable. I’ve had it go both ways.

FTF just depends if your CC charges them. Seems most people who travel internationally pick a CC without them. None of mine that I charge a FTF.

Small price to pay if you want to do a test run.

Yes. And chances are if your bank doesn't charge fees and you cancel the test booking quickly, nothing will change at all. My test booking didn't cost me a thing.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Yes, or also gain if the exchange is more favorable. I’ve had it go both ways.

FTF just depends if your CC charges them. Seems most people who travel internationally pick a CC without them. None of mine that I charge a FTF.

Small price to pay if you want to do a test run.

The main point was about the exchange rate spread. If you make a 100K JPY purchase right now with a Visa, you will be charged 657.85 USD. If you refund a 100K JPY purchase with a Visa that has already posted, you would be refunded 652.87 USD.

When refunding a posted transaction, if the exchange rate has not changed and your credit card does not charge any foreign transaction fees, you will still lose money due to the different exchange rates for buying/selling unless your bank specifically has a workaround for this.

For this same reason, it's possible to change a TDR vacation package such that the JPY price of the package decreases but you end up paying more in your home currency.

 

[gmi3804]

The main point was about the exchange rate spread. If you make a 100K JPY purchase right now with a Visa, you will be charged 657.85 USD. If you refund a 100K JPY purchase with a Visa that has already posted, you would be refunded 652.87 USD.

When refunding a posted transaction, if the exchange rate has not changed and your credit card does not charge any foreign transaction fees, you will still lose money due to the different exchange rates for buying/selling unless your bank specifically has a workaround for this.

For this same reason, it's possible to change a TDR vacation package such that the JPY price of the package decreases but you end up paying more in your home currency.

Thinking back on it, I believe I cancelled before my pending transaction posted. So maybe there was never actually a posted charge? It's been quite a long time since this happened.

 

[Rimmit]

The main point was about the exchange rate spread. If you make a 100K JPY purchase right now with a Visa, you will be charged 657.85 USD. If you refund a 100K JPY purchase with a Visa that has already posted, you would be refunded 652.87 USD.

When refunding a posted transaction, if the exchange rate has not changed and your credit card does not charge any foreign transaction fees, you will still lose money due to the different exchange rates for buying/selling unless your bank specifically has a workaround for this.

For this same reason, it's possible to change a TDR vacation package such that the JPY price of the package decreases but you end up paying more in your home currency.

Yes. I understand what’s you’re saying that there are differences in the buy and sell but I don’t think it’s that significant based on my experience. My point was just that based on what the exchange rate is doing you can gain as well.

I did lose a small amount on this, but I booked a HKDL hotel room for 1926.57. Cancelled the next day and got refunded 1924.91.

Don’t know what the HKD was doing but I lost .086 percent so not even a tenth of a percent on the transaction. The HKD to USD is crazy stable with almost no significant deviation from a day to day basis. So I suspect there differences between the buy and sell for the banks is minimal at best.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

Thank you for sharing the intricacies of trying to snag a room at the Grand Chateau. When I was booking I wanted the all-inclusive package, which (I think) rules out the GC (can you get a VP at the GC?) Am I correct in thinking that the GC books on a rooms-only basis? Which means that you don't book at the 5 month window, correct? I am planning on going back to TDL next January and I'm only interested in staying overnight if I can snag a room for 2 nights at the GC (if not then I'm fine taking the subway from Tokyo for a day at TDS). I've been doing some practice bookings for 15 days out and have been consistently able to get the a room at the GC for 2 nights, so this might be the easier way to get a room!

 

[gmi3804]

Thank you for sharing the intricacies of trying to snag a room at the Grand Chateau. When I was booking I wanted the all-inclusive package, which (I think) rules out the GC (can you get a VP at the GC?) Am I correct in thinking that the GC books on a rooms-only basis? Which means that you don't book at the 5 month window, correct? I am planning on going back to TDL next January and I'm only interested in staying overnight if I can snag a room for 2 nights at the GC (if not then I'm fine taking the subway from Tokyo for a day at TDS). I've been doing some practice bookings for 15 days out and have been consistently able to get the a room at the GC for 2 nights, so this might be the easier way to get a room!

Yes, Grand Chateau doesn't participate in in the VP program.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

The main point was about the exchange rate spread. If you make a 100K JPY purchase right now with a Visa, you will be charged 657.85 USD. If you refund a 100K JPY purchase with a Visa that has already posted, you would be refunded 652.87 USD.

When refunding a posted transaction, if the exchange rate has not changed and your credit card does not charge any foreign transaction fees, you will still lose money due to the different exchange rates for buying/selling unless your bank specifically has a workaround for this.

For this same reason, it's possible to change a TDR vacation package such that the JPY price of the package decreases but you end up paying more in your home currency.

Perhaps we can call that $5 a “peace of mind” fee that your credit card will go through? There are plenty of other places to save $5 on an expensive vacation.

 

[wanderlust7]

Thinking back on it, I believe I cancelled before my pending transaction posted. So maybe there was never actually a posted charge? It's been quite a long time since this happened.

I canceled right after making the test reservation, definitely before the charge posted. I saw the refund transaction for the same amount, but both transactions eventually dropped off.

When it came time to book my VP, the saved card failed. Moment of panic, but luckily reentering the same card worked.

 

[gmi3804]

I canceled right after making the test reservation, definitely before the charge posted. I saw the refund transaction for the same amount, but both transactions eventually dropped off.

When it came time to book my VP, the saved card failed. Moment of panic, but luckily reentering the same card worked.

I noticed the saved card failing sometimes too, but if I just entered one number from the saved number manually, it went through.

 

[Rimmit]

Thank you for sharing the intricacies of trying to snag a room at the Grand Chateau. When I was booking I wanted the all-inclusive package, which (I think) rules out the GC (can you get a VP at the GC?) Am I correct in thinking that the GC books on a rooms-only basis? Which means that you don't book at the 5 month window, correct? I am planning on going back to TDL next January and I'm only interested in staying overnight if I can snag a room for 2 nights at the GC (if not then I'm fine taking the subway from Tokyo for a day at TDS). I've been doing some practice bookings for 15 days out and have been consistently able to get the a room at the GC for 2 nights, so this might be the easier way to get a room!

Yes, like I said, the buyer's remorse for the GC rooms is high, so 15 days out, I have found it definitely easier to find a GC room rather than 4 months out. No guarantee what it'll look like in Jan. next year, but as long as you aren't going the first week of Jan, that was from my experience the EASIEST time to book a room for an entire year. I saw miracosta rooms and Toy story room sit for forever during some days in January. It is by far the slowest time of the year it seems.

 

[Lewisc]

Thank you. I did some tests. I didn't realize how fast Miracosta sells out. Although the hotel is booked solid many nights are available for VP booking.

The issue isn't if your credit card is valid. The issue is if your bank's fraud algorithm flags the transaction. An issue if you rarely use your card in Japan, or anywhere outside the US. I don't know if booking a hotel, then immediately canceling it will make it more or less likely to have issues. Be prepared with an alternate card. Be prepared to answer an email or text from your bank.

I bought prescription glasses from Walmart, over $500. The charge was declined. Clerk said it happens a lot with Chase cards. I called. Chase wanted to make I was making the purchase.

Issues buying tickets from UK. I called just before my purchase. They can't tag an upcoming purchase as OK. She assured me my card is valid worldwide and has no foreign transaction fees. As expected charge was declined. Fixed it the next day

 

[Rimmit]

Thank you. I did some tests. I didn't realize how fast Miracosta sells out. Although the hotel is booked solid many nights are available for VP booking.

The issue isn't if your credit card is valid. The issue is if your bank's fraud algorithm flags the transaction. An issue if you rarely use your card in Japan, or anywhere outside the US. I don't know if booking a hotel, then immediately canceling it will make it more or less likely to have issues. Be prepared with an alternate card. Be prepared to answer an email or text from your bank.

I bought prescription glasses from Walmart, over $500. The charge was declined. Clerk said it happens a lot with Chase cards. I called. Chase wanted to make I was making the purchase.

Issues buying tickets from UK. I called just before my purchase. They can't tag an upcoming purchase as OK. She assured me my card is valid worldwide and has no foreign transaction fees. As expected charge was declined. Fixed it the next day

Yes, VP are still available as it’s about $1000-$2000 more to buy the VP than just the hotel, tickets and DPAs separately. So the average person is gonna want the hotel only option to save on cost.

The issue is two fold. It’s fraud and if your care is accepted. From my time in Asia I could find no discernible pattern as to when certain cards were accepted or not even if they took the bank the CV was issued. I get instantaneous fraud notification all the time via text and email, that I have to click on to approve purchases and this includes international purchases while traveling. Sometimes cards are declined regardless of if there is a fraud alert. Knowing they at least accept your card is at least one less thing to potentially cost you a room.

 

[Clt_jojo]

So which is better for Tokyo Disney ? Mastercard, American Express, Visa or Apple Pay.

 

[Rimmit]

So which is better for Tokyo Disney ? Mastercard, American Express, Visa or Apple Pay.

I didn’t have any issues with my visa. That’s all I tried though so don’t know other peoples success rates.

 

[gmi3804]

So which is better for Tokyo Disney ? Mastercard, American Express, Visa or Apple Pay.

I don’t think it’s brand-specific. It probably has more to do with the issuing bank. I’ve never had a problem with my (Chase) Sapphire Reserve.

I’d recommend calling your issuing bank/card company to alert them that online charges from Japan might be coming through during your range of dates so they might unblock merchants from there.