Booking ? in hopes of FD Nov. 2016

[lorainfam]

I have been scrolling through the threads and haven't really found an answer to my question. It has been a few years since we have been and taken part in FD. We are taking some friends in Nov. 2016.
If we book a package and add the dining option to the initial reservation and if FD is offered during our dates, will they just credit the difference back or should we just do a room and ticket reservation? We know we want the dining plan no matter what. I just want to make things as easy for my friends as possible.

 

[luvdisney87]

I would just book a room only reservation to start. The problem with booking before free dining is announced is that Disney doesn't have to release it if enough rooms are filled already.

 

[lorainfam]

I would just book a room only reservation to start. The problem with booking before free dining is announced is that Disney doesn't have to release it if enough rooms are filled already.

So, if we book room only and free dining doesn't work out....we can add tickets and dining plan before our trip?

 

[luvdisney87]

So, if we book room only and free dining doesn't work out....we can add tickets and dining plan before our trip?[/QUOTE

Yes.

 

[mickeynut1]

So, if we book room only and free dining doesn't work out....we can add tickets and dining plan before our trip?

If you know you want tickets and the DDP even without FD, I'd book a package from the beginning as it's not as simple as just adding tickets and/or DDP to a RO reservation. If you book RO now and change to a package later, the RO will have to cancelled/refunded and a package booked, requiring a new deposit of $200. Since RO and packages are different reservation systems, money paid toward one cannot be applied to the other.

If a discount comes out, you can have it 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 all of that said, if you are going regardless of whether or not FD or another discount comes out, I'd book now to make sure you get the resort/room type you want. If your trip is dependent on a discount, I'd wait to see what (if any) discounts come out for your dates. Booking now in hopes of a discount (and cancelling if a discount doesn't come out), makes that resort one room closer to capacity. Disney offers discounts to fill rooms, so if a resort is booking up at rack rate (whether it's RO or a package), Disney will see no need to offer a discount on that particular resort/room type.