Book room early, add free dining promo later?

[DisneyDreaming2013]

Planning our first trip to Disney for October 2013. We're flexible with the days of the week to get the free dining plan - assuming it's also offered next year. This is also the only way we'd do this trip, at a moderate when we could have free dining. When I checked this years dates it only showed rooms available that were several category upgrades. This would wipe out any savings so isn't feasible.

What I wondered about was booking the room only very early, then adding the free dining as soon as it became available. Has anyone had any success doing this? I stalk the promos so I'd know immediately when it's available - if it's available. We're looking for a standard room at POFQ. Is free dining offered with a "standard" room, even if only a very limited quantity? I'll be pregnant then so we'll need a smaller, easy transportation resort. The other affordable resorts will just have too much walking/waiting/transport time to risk while being pregnant and dealing with a toddler.

Thank you for your help!

 

[Sue M]

There is no benefit to booking without a discount vs waiting for discount to come out. As you've noticed, not all room categories or resorts have the promo.
But when discount comes out it is best to get on the phone ASAP to book, they fill up fast, and only a certain # of rooms ate allotted to the promo.

There is no way of knowing if standard view would be available with promo ahead of time.

I'd wait, or if a room discount makes it affordable to you book that. I wouldn't book a package I couldn't afford then face the heartbreak of having to cancel.

 

[mickeynut1]

If your trip is dependent on free dining, I would wait to see if that is offered for your time frame. Disney releases discounts to fill rooms and if a resort/room type is at or near capacity, Disney will see no need to offer a discount/promo on that particular resort/room type. So if you book now with hopes of getting free dining later, that is one more room booked at rack rate and one less room Disney has to fill. With that said, if you decide to go regardless of discounts/promos, then I would book now to make sure you get what you want.

 

[minnie mum]

I don't see any point in booking a room now that you know you won't be able to afford unless you get a specific discount. While we have been able to get free dining with a standard room in the past, there is absolutely no guarantee that it will happen in the future. We have seen this with the free dining just announced- calling on the first day to find no availability at the standard level. Why set yourself up for disappointment if you can't get what you need and then have to cancel a trip you may have been planning for a year?

I'd recommend that you just wait and see what comes out. Have you looked at a room only discount and paying for dining OOP as an alternative to getting FD? It may make staying at POFQ affordable as well, and give you one more option.

 

[mousefan1972]

Ok, I have to ask. It is July 2012. How do you know for certain you'll be pregnant in October 2013? I could see saying "I hope to be pregnant", but you said "I'll be pregnant then". Do tell!

 

[DebbieB]

Planning our first trip to Disney for October 2013. We're flexible with the days of the week to get the free dining plan - assuming it's also offered next year. This is also the only way we'd do this trip, at a moderate when we could have free dining. When I checked this years dates it only showed rooms available that were several category upgrades. This would wipe out any savings so isn't feasible.

What I wondered about was booking the room only very early, then adding the free dining as soon as it became available. Has anyone had any success doing this? I stalk the promos so I'd know immediately when it's available - if it's available. We're looking for a standard room at POFQ. Is free dining offered with a "standard" room, even if only a very limited quantity? I'll be pregnant then so we'll need a smaller, easy transportation resort. The other affordable resorts will just have too much walking/waiting/transport time to risk while being pregnant and dealing with a toddler.

Thank you for your help!

Having an existing reservation doesn't mean you will be able to automatically add free dining if it comes out for your dates. They look for availability at your resort just like you were booking it new. Several groups have first crack at it, which is why on the recently announced promo there was not much standard availability left. I believe people from the UK are already able to book free dining for next year, then there's bouncebacks, then pin codes, Disney Visa. By time it gets down to the general public there isn't much left.

 

[Halloweenluv03]

Luckily we were able to get free dining on our standard room at CBR for our honeymoon. Was praying that my travel agent wouldnt call back with prices of having to upgrade. The only thing I will be upgrading is too the deluxe.

 

[danceintherain]

Booking a room in advance can actually decrease the possibility of it being released at a discount. Since POFQ has such few rooms as it is, the chances of it being released at a discount are already low. If Disney thinks more rooms are already filled, they won't release them at a discount.

You have to look at the discounts as a sale. You only get what's leftover after everyone willing to pay full price has gotten first pick.

Disney doesn't want you to switch to a discount, they want you to keep your original room paying full price for everything. If occupancy is low enough, then it might work out the way you want it to, but it might not.

 

[runnerchick]

I was staying at the WL last week. In August, I booked a reservation for Sept of 2013 - for the Contemp - standard view room (lowest price room on the monorail). That room type was sold out right after I made my reservation. During our vaca last week, I called the number on the BounceBack flyer. I was able to add Free Dining to my existing reservation - no problem at all - YAHOO!

On a side note, loved the WL - transportation when it is raining can be a pain. We got DRENCHED (could not have been more wet if we jumped in the pool) on a boat from the WL to Contemp (a super short ride). We were actually heading to the BBQ at Fort Wilderness. Most of the boat passengers got off at Contemp, not wanting to attend the BBQ in SOAKED clothes. We were stranded at the Contemp for about 1 1/2...luckily, front desk helped cancel our BBQ res and we got in at Artist Point - AWESOME!!!

My long winded point - yes, I was able to add free dining to an existing reservation (which was for a sold out room type).