Changing a bounce back offer - any hope?

[rotlex]

I think I'm just venting, so please bear with me.

We are currently booked on a free dining bounce back from last August, for this year. 10 nights, from August 19th through the 29th. Well, we just learned last night that our school district has decided to start school a week earlier than usual this year, and start on the 26th. Yeah, right in the middle of our trip. This will be our daughters first year in middle school, so we really don't want her to miss the first week!

Now to Disney. I phoned them this morning to see if we could bump the trip back a week to start on August 12th, rather than the 19th. I was informed that the bounce back offer we had could only be moved back one day, to the 18th. (for the free dining). I spoke to 3 different people, and was told this cannot be changed. Is it just me, or is that just ridiculous? They would rather lose a weeks worth of hotel nights and park tickets from a customer that has visited dozens of times, than allow an offer to go back 7 days from where it "officially" starts?

Sorry, just frustrated about this. Anyone ever experience this, or no if writing to management or something might help? I'm seriously doubting it at this point, and am just a bit stressed right now.

Thanks for listening....

 

[dansdad]

In my experience, their black out and cut off dates are set in stone.

Is it possible to do a separate package from the 15th to the 18th then your bounce back FD from 18th to 25th?

 

[rotlex]

In my experience, their black out and cut off dates are set in stone.

Is it possible to do a separate package from the 15th to the 18th then your bounce back FD from 18th to 25th?

Yeah, they will let me do that, however, I'll lose out on the dining prior to the 18th, and, as far as I can tell, the tickets will cost more overall as it would be booked as a separate package. I guess it's just hard to comprehend that Disney, a company known for customer service, can't make such a simple change, or won't for that matter.

Thinking at this point, we'll just shorten the trip. I think I'm more annoyed at the school district for dropping this change on us with less than a years notice. Not to mention the fact that I think going to back school before the summer is even over is ridiculous.

 

[ktlm]

Those bounceback dates are always set in stone. You can move your trip around, but only during bounceback dates on the calendar. In past years, if you checked in on a bounceback date, then you could get the rate for the entire trip, but when we booked our bounceback for this year, that was no longer the case. We booked a week that we have gone in the past and always gotten a bounceback rate for the entire week. This year, the bounceback rate was only good for the first half of the week, and we were told we can only get it for the first half of the week even though we are checking in during the bounceback period. If we elect to go that week, we have to pay full price for the second half of the week, unless we are lucky enough to pick up a public discount or pin and rebook before then.

 

[rotlex]

Those bounceback dates are always set in stone. You can move your trip around, but only during bounceback dates on the calendar. In past years, if you checked in on a bounceback date, then you could get the rate for the entire trip, but when we booked our bounceback for this year, that was no longer the case. We booked a week that we have gone in the past and always gotten a bounceback rate for the entire week. This year, the bounceback rate was only good for the first half of the week, and we were told we can only get it for the first half of the week even though we are checking in during the bounceback period. If we elect to go that week, we have to pay full price for the second half of the week, unless we are lucky enough to pick up a public discount or pin and rebook before then.

Thanks - this makes sense regarding previous booking possibilities. I know we had run into it before, and it was never an issue. Ack, really frustrating, LOL.

Only hope at this point is the parents, and teachers, in our district appear to already be REALLY annoyed over this, and the less than one year out notice. I guess I can always hope they decide to move it back for a year. (I can dream right)?

 

[Gr8t Fan]

I think I'm just venting, so please bear with me.

We are currently booked on a free dining bounce back from last August, for this year. 10 nights, from August 19th through the 29th. Well, we just learned last night that our school district has decided to start school a week earlier than usual this year, and start on the 26th. Yeah, right in the middle of our trip. This will be our daughters first year in middle school, so we really don't want her to miss the first week!

Now to Disney. I phoned them this morning to see if we could bump the trip back a week to start on August 12th, rather than the 19th. I was informed that the bounce back offer we had could only be moved back one day, to the 18th. (for the free dining). I spoke to 3 different people, and was told this cannot be changed. Is it just me, or is that just ridiculous? They would rather lose a weeks worth of hotel nights and park tickets from a customer that has visited dozens of times, than allow an offer to go back 7 days from where it "officially" starts?

Sorry, just frustrated about this. Anyone ever experience this, or no if writing to management or something might help? I'm seriously doubting it at this point, and am just a bit stressed right now.

Thanks for listening....

No advice, but I can certainly commiserate with you. The Chicago Public Schools have decided to do the same thing -- we used to start the day after Labor Day and now we start 8/26 too. Our trip is already booked and paid for, so all 4 of my kids will miss 5 days at the beginning of the year. I have one that will be starting 1st, one starting 7th, one starting HS and one starting Senior Year. I feel a bit bad about it, but not bad enough to cancel our trip. It is going to be our last trip together before our oldest goes off to college and the schedule was changed long after our vacation plans were made and paid for.

 

[aaarcher86]

That definitely stinks, but I don't necessarily disagree with Disney's policy. Black out dates have always been that way. If they change it for you, then they'd have to change it for someone else, then someone else, etc. Ya know? It's just easier to have a policy and stick to it.

Hopefully you can find something that works for you, whether it is a split stay or shortening the trip, or missing a few days of school.

 

[KELLY]

The Bb offer start dates was the 18th and that is the official start date.. Not the week before. I'm not sure why you would think disney can change that for you? . We are booked for 14 nights starting the 18th.

 

[skater]

I think the school systems are grasping at straws and not only cutting into family time/vacations, but also summer jobs, volunteer positions, and other opportunities. Kids will learn much more with those things than more time in a classroom. I know they are trying to improve the system and the results, but I really don't think a few more days will fix it. My son is attending a pretty good high school, and the last week of the term included a lot of wasted time. Taking a few more days from their summer isn't going to make it any better. I feel bad for you, OP.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

Do you know if there's a "new student" orientation day scheduled before school starts? Our school district groups K-4th; 5th-8th; and 9th-12th. The week before school officially begins, all 5th & 9th grade students and all new-to-the-district students go for a practice day. It's usually a half day or so but gives the new kids a chance to get a taste of their new routine. They catch the bus at their stop in the morning, report to their homeroom, get to practice opening their locker, rotate through a day's classes, and then head home. This past year, the first day of school was 8/27/12 with the 5th, 9th & new student orientation day falling on 8/22/12. You may want to check into that before you go through the trouble of moving your vacation only to find out that you have to move it AGAIN.

We usually vacation towards the end of August too so I feel for you. Thank goodness they gave you notice now instead of in June, though.

 

[ErinsMommy]

I understand your frustration but 8 months notice that they're starting school a week earlier is ALOT of notice IMO. Most school boards (at least in NJ) just elected new board members and those decisions are just being made now. In fact, we won't even know when our school session ends as we're already a week past the original school closing date and if we have to take any snow days, we go even more into the summer.

 

[robinb]

According to the Ticket FAQ: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1452684 (at the end of the page) you can pick up your package tickets up to 3 days in advance to checking in. So, you can have your official check-in to be 8/18 and have your first day in the parks be 8/15. It's not perfect, but you're missing fewer days of vacation. Think of it as an opportunity to do a split stay somewhere you always wanted to stay!

FTR, we picked up our tickets early once and it was completely painless. I don't know if the new RFID system and FP+ will change things.

 

[rotlex]

Thanks all for the replies. Glad I'm at least not the only one facing the date changes with school, and the overall frustration with it.

Wife and I will probably try to make a decision as to what we are going to do this weekend. It's just very frustrating when you are spending thousands every year, happily, and one week can make this much of a difference. Not really frustarted with Disney, as I do understand why they can't change things. Guess I was just hoping that as this was a bounce back, not an open public offer, that they could loosen up just a bit! I mean, from the customers perspective, they aren't losing anything. More frustrating is that you are treated as just another number. Not someone who has been going for over 20+ years regularly. But again, I understand that.

Now, the school system? That's another story! Nothing we can do about it, but I'm almost leaning toward just having her miss the first week this year, thinking it will most likely be the last chance that we have for a 14+ day trip. Our son starts kindergarten next year, 2014, and it will even be tougher. Here's hoping bounce back dates, or other deals, expand a bit more in the coming years, or our Disney days are going to be numbered!

 

[danicaca]

I wish we didn't start until the 26th! We start August 14th this next school year, and the 13th in 2014! That means the teachers go back REALLY early!

 

[AliceIn]

I think I'm just venting, so please bear with me.

We are currently booked on a free dining bounce back from last August, for this year. 10 nights, from August 19th through the 29th. Well, we just learned last night that our school district has decided to start school a week earlier than usual this year, and start on the 26th. Yeah, right in the middle of our trip. This will be our daughters first year in middle school, so we really don't want her to miss the first week!

Now to Disney. I phoned them this morning to see if we could bump the trip back a week to start on August 12th, rather than the 19th. I was informed that the bounce back offer we had could only be moved back one day, to the 18th. (for the free dining). I spoke to 3 different people, and was told this cannot be changed. Is it just me, or is that just ridiculous? They would rather lose a weeks worth of hotel nights and park tickets from a customer that has visited dozens of times, than allow an offer to go back 7 days from where it "officially" starts?

Sorry, just frustrated about this. Anyone ever experience this, or no if writing to management or something might help? I'm seriously doubting it at this point, and am just a bit stressed right now.

Thanks for listening....

You can't change the dates on the bounceback offer, unfortunately. What you might be able to do is to is have two separate reservations. You'd have the bounceback from 8/18 through the time you need to go back to school, and then have another reservation for 8/12 through 8/17. There may be other discounts that you could apply for the first 5 days. You could see if Magical Vacations has an offer for those first dates. It might be worthwhile.

 

[ErinsMommy]

I wish we didn't start until the 26th! We start August 14th this next school year, and the 13th in 2014! That means the teachers go back REALLY early!

But you end sooner, right?? Our school year starts after Labor Day and was supposed to end June 19th. Now we're ending June 24th due to Sandy, subject to change if snow days get used.

 

[rotlex]

I wish we didn't start until the 26th! We start August 14th this next school year, and the 13th in 2014! That means the teachers go back REALLY early!

Wow, that is early. Our teachers are going back the 19th this year, and MAN they are not happy about it. My wife volunteers at the school and the chatter today around the regular staff is bad. No one is happy about the change, and, just as it makes me feel better, it appears they are already not expecting all the students to make it there the first week this year. We have friends ourselves that have a European trip planned for late August that they setup over 2 years ago. No way they are changing it.

Frustrating to say the least.

 

[danicaca]

But you end sooner, right?? Our school year starts after Labor Day and was supposed to end June 19th. Now we're ending June 24th due to Sandy, subject to change if snow days get used.

yup. we get out on May 23rd. We get to leave for our vacation before most schools are out! I still feel August 13th is waaay too early, but I do like getting out before Memorial Day!

 

[maxaroni]

But you end sooner, right?? Our school year starts after Labor Day and was supposed to end June 19th. Now we're ending June 24th due to Sandy, subject to change if snow days get used.

Our district made the 2 days up from sandy by going to school over the 2 NJEA convention days since the convention was cancelled