What happens if a discount comes out after I book my trip to Disney

Free Dining. Summer promotions. Annual Passholder rates.

Discounts are sometimes like the Golden Ticket of Disney trips. We hope they are out there and that we’ll be lucky enough to snag one.

But what do you do if a discount comes out AFTER you’ve already booked?

Well … it kind of depends.

How a Disney World discount works

First of all, discounts are never, ever guaranteed. You should never set your heart on it because just when you do, Disney will whisk it away (along with all of your hopes and dreams).

Second, not all room categories OR even resorts will be eligible for a Disney World discount.

Remember: Disney doesn’t offer discounts to be “nice.” They offer discounts to sell rooms.

So if rooms are selling well or always sell well (I’m looking at you, Little Mermaid Rooms at Art of Animation), they aren’t going to offer discounts there.

But – Club Level at the Yacht Club? Yep. You’ll probably see discounts offered there.

What do you do if a discount comes out after you book?

You have a few options:

Modify your reservation online (Best option)

If a discount drops after you’ve already booked, time is of the essence.

You’ll want to log into your My Disney Experience Account, and then locate your reservation. From there, look for a “Change” or ‘Modify” button. Click that.

After you do that, you’ll be able to see if your current reservation is eligible for the discount or if you’ll need to change to another resort or room category to snag it.

Want to see this process step-by-step?

Get the steps to modify an existing reservation.

Have your travel agent modify it (Best v. 2.0)

If you have a good travel agent, you shouldn’t have to do anything.

When discounts are released, they’ll likely be up way before you checking to see if the newly released discount can be applied and if it can, they’ll re-book it before you’re even showered and dressed for the day.

Cancel and rebook. (Best if things go wrong)

I know this will be surprising, BUT sometimes Disney tech can have some…glitches. And, sometimes, reservations (for a variety of reasons) can’t be modified online.

In those instances, your best bet is to just re-book a new trip, and after you’ve secured the new reservation, cancel your old one. But only do this if your trip is further than 30 days away (if it is a package) or 5 days if it is a Room Only reservation.

Yes, this option is a hassle because you’ll have to wait for your original deposit to go back into your account, BUT if you are trying to get a super competitive discount (like Free Dining), time is of the essence; even just an hour delay can mean losing out – so the faster you can book something the better.

If all else fails, call.

If you don’t have a travel agent and you can’t modify online or if you need help, you’ll need to call.

Keep in mind, though, that the phone lines often open HOURS after discounts can be booked online, SO if you have to wait to call, you’ll be behind the game.

Phone number —>1 (407) 939-1936

Something to keep in mind about applying a Disney World discount:

Whenever you modify a reservation, you might find yourself subject to new pricing and fees.

For example, if you originally booked a trip BEFORE a ticket price increase, but you want to modify it and add a discount code AFTER a ticket price increase, your package will be subject to the new ticket prices. In some instances, this can eat up a lot of the “savings,” so be sure you DOUBLE-CHECK the numbers before you do anything.

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Heather Thomas

With 15+ years planning Disney World trips, Heather joined WDW Prep in 2014 to help others plan for their own families. As the WDW Prep Editor, she travels monthly to stay current and has helped propel the site to millions of views per year. Email Heather

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