ReserveAmerica - time you make reservations FL State Park ?

I used to have, at any given time, $3000 of paid up waterfront reservations at Bahia Honda. That's five two week stays in the next 11 months. The early bird gets the worm. And it was no problem for me to drive 4000 miles round trip for each reservation. You Florida residents can book 11 months out, like everyone else.

I'm now a Florida resident and live about 8 miles from Bahia Honda. I go over there about every day.

NCWriter wrote:

tanman32225 wrote:
i cant understand why you ( NCWriter) were told there was a charge. We have had last minute interruptions with our reservations at a SP in the past and never was charged a fee for cancellation. I must admit we never tried to change one but in our conversation with RA we were told no charge if cancellation more than 24 hours out.

Nobody told me this, it's in writing on every RA confirmation email, and it's also in writing on the Flrida State Parks web site.

Maybe this policy is more recent than your past experiences with canceling at no charge? and maybe more recent than your conversation when someone from RA told you?

Anyway, this policy should make you happy, since anyone who books every weekend for a year to tie up space will have to pay the fee for each one he or she doesn't end up using. Maybe cancellation penalty money is no issue to some folks but it would be to me!

I think it's mostly the case that some of your parks are very popular and that people who plan ahead get sites. Maybe this is why John Pennekamp SP is now holding a block for walk-ins, no reservations accepted for those.

It's very nice that your state gives its residents age 65+ a 50% discount.

I am happy that this is the new policy. We were furious when we once tried to book a slot and could not find one single park not completely booked for over 6 months out. Thats when we were told about people multibooking for months out..
Thanks for the update..

tanman32225 wrote:
i cant understand why you ( NCWriter) were told there was a charge. We have had last minute interruptions with our reservations at a SP in the past and never was charged a fee for cancellation. I must admit we never tried to change one but in our conversation with RA we were told no charge if cancellation more than 24 hours out.

Nobody told me this, it's in writing on every RA confirmation email, and it's also in writing on the Flrida State Parks web site.

Maybe this policy is more recent than your past experiences with canceling at no charge? and maybe more recent than your conversation when someone from RA told you?

Anyway, this policy should make you happy, since anyone who books every weekend for a year to tie up space will have to pay the fee for each one he or she doesn't end up using. Maybe cancellation penalty money is no issue to some folks but it would be to me!

I think it's mostly the case that some of your parks are very popular and that people who plan ahead get sites. Maybe this is why John Pennekamp SP is now holding a block for walk-ins, no reservations accepted for those.

It's very nice that your state gives its residents age 65+ a 50% discount.

Our trip in April was originally for 3 days at Blackwater SP and then 3 days at Rocky Bayou SP. Plans changed where we needed to be at Blackwater for all 6 days. This is the first time I have had to change our reservations so I called RA (this was two weeks before our trip). They charged us $10 for the change (3 additional days added to Blackwater) plus $17.50 for the cancellation to Rocky Bayou SP. They sure didn't offer anything "free of charge" to me.

i cant understand why you ( NCWriter) were told there was a charge. We have had last minute interruptions with our reservations at a SP in the past and never was charged a fee for cancellation. I must admit we never tried to change one but in our conversation with RA we were told no charge if cancellation more than 24 hours out.

JoeH wrote:

Bears Den wrote:
Tan man, I agree with your post but I'd also like to see reservations 11 months out for Florida residents and 6 months out for out of state residents.

I agree... I proposed that to Donald V. Forgione, director of Fl state parks. We had a couple conversations, I pointed out that Pinellas County ( e.g Ft. DeSoto) and Sarasota County 9 e.g. Turtle Beach) had policies that favored the residents by allowing a different reservation wondow, but Mr. Forgione rejected the idea feeling it would have be PR with the tourists. If you'd like, I can send you my letter which contains more info and facts and you can forward it on under your signiture to teh director.

I would love the letter.. I think its a terrible policy to allow all the reservations be tied up by a few inconsiderate people.

Actually...There is a fee to change or cancel a reservation: Quoting from a confirmation and also the FL SP website:

"There is a $10 change fee to change reserved dates or sites." And,
"Cancellations up to the day before arrival may be made for a fee of $17.75."

It's very hard to get a site in the Keys SPs even the very second reservations open 11 months out. Hard to imagine some people are able to magically reserve every weekend in all their favorite parks unless they are less popular ones.

But perhaps some people book "everywhere" for every weekend for almost a year in some of the parks and later cancel ...and pay the $17.75 each time? That sure would add up fast!

Bears Den wrote:
Tan man, I agree with your post but I'd also like to see reservations 11 months out for Florida residents and 6 months out for out of state residents.

I agree... I proposed that to Donald V. Forgione, director of Fl state parks. We had a couple conversations, I pointed out that Pinellas County ( e.g Ft. DeSoto) and Sarasota County 9 e.g. Turtle Beach) had policies that favored the residents by allowing a different reservation wondow, but Mr. Forgione rejected the idea feeling it would have be PR with the tourists. If you'd like, I can send you my letter which contains more info and facts and you can forward it on under your signiture to teh director.

Tan man, I agree with your post but I'd also like to see reservations 11 months out for Florida residents and 6 months out for out of state residents.

A couple months ago we tried to book in a Fla state park. Everything was booked within 150 miles..everything. we tried over and over without any luck.. My wife called Reserve Amer. directly..Everything was booked solid for months until the end of the summer.. Seems some book everywhere over and over just to hold a possible place to camp. As long as they cancel within 24 hours they are not charged but it stops others from being able to book a few weeks out. RA stated its common for some to book every weekend for almost a year tying up the slots and never using them only to cancel a day or two out.

Its really rude for people to do this as it prevents others from being able to enjoy the state parks. I would like to see proposed only 2 separate bookings be allowed at any one time and not every weekend booked by a few.