Checking out something I heard today

[Disneychick75]

My daughter's friend, her husband, and extended family are planning a trip scheduled for mid December 2016. She said that her travel agent told her that since they're booking so early they will get 30% off their room price and also be eligible for free dining.
Do agents gets notice this far in advance of free dining for 2016 and will they be able to get both free dining and a room discount? I thought that it was one or the other. My disclaimer is that we're DVC members so I have not booked a package in several years. Just wondering if this is something new.

 

[DisBuckMan]

Your daughter's friend needs a new travel agent.

 

[goofy4tink]

There might be a 30% discount offered, on some resorts. Less expensive resorts have, usually, a lower percentage. Free dining? Absolutely no way to know what will be offered that far in advance. And never, ever will you get free dining with a room discount....ever. Free dining is offered on rack rate rooms.
Not to mention...I'm not sure you can book that far I advance, can you?
I would recommend end a new travel agent....or better yet....give them a link to the DIS, let them do so e research and then make their own reservations!

 

[Disneychick75]

Thanks everyone. Your posts are along my line of thinking.
DD's friend also told me that the agent told her that the DDP will cost them $2000- 4 adults for 8 days. That would cost $1921 in 2015. I doubt prices will remain stagnant. I will try to tell her everything that was posted but I doubt that she will listen. I hate the idea that her mom, who is paying for the part of the trip, might put down a trip deposit only to find out, it will cost more $$$$ that she was quoted and then she can't get a refund.
Great idea, goofy4tink!

 

[DisCatGirl]

Perhaps your friend misunderstood? Maybe the TA told her she can book now and IF a discount or IF free dining comes out, she would still be eligible for those discounts.

 

[Disneychick75]

Perhaps your friend misunderstood? Maybe the TA told her she can book now and IF a discount or IF free dining comes out, she would still be eligible for those discounts.

Maybe but she definitely said that the TA said she could get both because she was booking so early. The TA told her too that she could book dining in January 2016 for a December 2016 trip. It all sounds unbelievable- kind of like the "What is the craziest thing you've heard someone say about Disney" threads.

 

[minnie mum]

This TA is either completely uneducated about WDW vacations, or they are running a scam. Strongly encourage your friend to find a qualified Disney Specialist TA before they spend one red cent. Drop this TA!

 

[JJZMgailey]

That sounds really odd. I know that a room only reservation can be made up to 499 days in advance, but package reservations can only be made through the end of the current year as 2016 pricing isn't available yet. Very peculiar indeed....

 

[Sue M]

I wouldn't give this TA a cent. Does smell like something is fishy in Denmark.

 

[lanejudy]

I hate the idea that her mom, who is paying for the part of the trip, might put down a trip deposit only to find out, it will cost more $$$$ that she was quoted and then she can't get a refund.

Assuming this TA isn't taking the payments directly to the TA's agency (and we all know any good TA is just a go-between with payments directly to Disney)... your friend should be able to get a refund up until at least 45 days prior to the trip. Packages require a $200 deposit, with payment in full at 45 days out; room-only reservations require deposit equivalent to the first night's but is fully refundable until about a week prior to arrival, with final payment due at check-in.

But I agree with others, it doesn't seem this TA knows what she's talking about. Either that or the friend has completely misunderstood much of what she's been told.

Good luck!

 

[pamkat1820]

I'm wondering if it one of those "magical deals" that maybe it's a certain time of year they know it happens just like in August but honestly if it's not that deal then they r way off! Run with your $200 deposit to the nearest disney agent u can find lol

 

[meggybear17]

Are they located in the US or somewhere like the UK? because disney does book packages that far out for overseas travelers and it almost always includes a discount and/or free dining. Looking at the Disney UK website quickly shows they are offering free dining through the end of next year as well as a ticket discount and bonus gift card.

 

[meggybear17]

And there is also a 30 percent room discount out for all of next year on the UK website.

 

[meggybear17]

http://www.disneyholidays.co.uk/walt-disney-world/deals/

 

[minnie mum]

If the OP is from the UK, I hope she'll let us know. The offers on the UK site are completely different from the US ones.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And there is also a 30 percent room discount out for all of next year on the UK website.

But it's a different discount than Free Dining, and Free Dining isn't available in December! The customer needs to run, not walk, away from that TA before any money changes hands.

 

[jon18uk]

But it's a different discount than Free Dining, and Free Dining isn't available in December! The customer needs to run, not walk, away from that TA before any money changes hands.

Nope, the UK 30% off Saratoga or Old Key West can be combined with the UK free dining. http://www.disneyholidays.co.uk/walt-disney-world/deals/save-30-percent/028/

Back in 2010 we did free dining and there was a 55% discount on SSR and OKW. It was cheaper to take SSR than to go to Port Orleans and pay the upgrade from Quick dining plan to regular DDP.

 

[happymommy]

And never, ever will you get free dining with a room discount....ever. Free dining is offered on rack rate rooms.

While this is usually the case, we went once right before Christmas and got free dining AND a room discount at the BWI. It was an amazing deal.

To the OP, I agree that this far out, if they're in the US there's no way the travel agent could know about any dining deals or room discounts that I'm aware of. They probably just want the booking. I don't see a point in using a travel agent for this at all, unless they're ones that specialize in Disney discounts by booking blocks of rooms with discounts that are only available to them.

 

[goofy4tink]

While this is usually the case, we went once right before Christmas and got free dining AND a room discount at the BWI. It was an amazing deal.

To the OP, I agree that this far out, if they're in the US there's no way the travel agent could know about any dining deals or room discounts that I'm aware of. They probably just want the booking. I don't see a point in using a travel agent for this at all, unless they're ones that specialize in Disney discounts by booking blocks of rooms with discounts that are only available to them.

Highly unusual! And nothing I would count on happening.

The first time I traveled to WDW, back in late '99, I used a TA. Just a regular TA, not a Disney 'expert'. My dd turned 6 on that trip and all we wanted to have happen was to eat breakfast in Cinderella's Castle. That was back when it was almost impossible to get an ADR. You had to book at the, if I remember correctly, 60 day mark, exactly. I told the TA this..she said oh yes, she could make that for us. Well, she called me about 5 weeks prior to our trip, telling me she hadn't been able to get CRT!!! She had waited too long! She obviously had no idea what she was doing...managed to botch up a few other things as well. That was it for me...no more TAs!!! Well, I have used DU in the past but that was when I was working and unable to watch, constantly, for those terrific discounts of years gone by!
I wouldn't even think of using a TA now......I know what I want. I know how things work. The info is out there, for anyone and everyone to see! People need to be informed...this is a ton of money. Know what you are paying for!!! Geez.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Your daughter's friend needs a new travel agent.

Agree here. Definitely misinformed TA or OP heard wrong.