Book Now or Wait?

[Ed724]

My girlfriend and I are planning our trip to WDW for next May and I was wondering if I should make the reservations now(planning on Port Orleans French Quarter) or wait until they offer the dining plan for free. If I make them now, can I change when that offer comes up? Is there any way to know when they will offer that? I don't want the resort to get booked up if I wait but I'd also like the dining plan offer. Thanks!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

You'll never get free dining in May.... We were lucky they offered it in September.

 

[mickeynut1]

My girlfriend and I are planning our trip to WDW for next May and I was wondering if I should make the reservations now(planning on Port Orleans French Quarter) or wait until they offer the dining plan for free. If I make them now, can I change when that offer comes up? Is there any way to know when they will offer that? I don't want the resort to get booked up if I wait but I'd also like the dining plan offer. Thanks!

If you will go regardless of whether or not FD (or any discount) is offered, I would book now to make sure you get what you want. If you will only go with a discount, I'd wait to see what (if any) discounts are released for your dates as booking now will only guarantee you a room at rack rate. If you book now and FD (or another discount) comes out for your dates, you can have the discount applied to your existing reservation as long as what you have booked is available under that discount. Sometimes you have to be flexible with your resort and/or room type as having a reservation already in place does not guarantee a discount can be applied. With that said, POFQ has been known to be excluded from discounts as it is a popular resort and tends to book up quickly, even without a discount. There's no way to know ahead of time if a discount will be offered for a certain time frame, but if one should come out for your dates, it's best to call as soon as you can.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

You can always call and have a discount applied to your reservation. However, free dining is not a typical May offer. You may anticipate a room-only discount or a discounted package offer.

 

[DisBuckMan]

However, free dining is not a typical May offer.

True, and also as mickeynut said, it is hardly ever offered for POFQ anyway. So, if free dining is important to the OP, they'd best be flexible in both resort AND time frame.

 

[Kimberle]

FQ fills up pretty quickly, thus, is often exclude from discounts. If it's the resort you want, I'd book it now. If a discount does come up, you can apply it later and count it as a "bonus".

 

[Ed724]

Thanks for the info everyone! I guess I'll just book it now and take my chances. At least we'll have the resort we want.

 

[wdwfanva]

Made ressie for April 2016 last month. As someone else said, discounts can always be added when/if they become available.

 

[Sue M]

I usually wait for discounts to come out to book, because having a reservation doesn't guarantee you'll get a discount. The discounts are limited, and when the rooms allotted to discount are filled that's it. And Pofq gets excluded a lot from discounts. So when discounts are released, I look to see what is offered. Then book what's available. Have to be a bit flex able

 

[tami82]

Yes is would suggest booking now to avoid disappointment later on.

 

[Fizban]

My girlfriend and I are planning our trip to WDW for next May and I was wondering if I should make the reservations now(planning on Port Orleans French Quarter) or wait until they offer the dining plan for free. If I make them now, can I change when that offer comes up? Is there any way to know when they will offer that? I don't want the resort to get booked up if I wait but I'd also like the dining plan offer. Thanks!

Book now. It only takes a single night's cost to hold the whole vacation. This way you get penned in and you can always change it when time gets closer. Also if you book now and the prices drop you can apply those new prices to your existing reservation. All the cool kids do it !