December 2011 Code Watch!

[cybrkitn]

I spent 2 1/2 hours on hold this morning & got disconnected. I called back after I took my son to his first day of kindergarten and was on hold for another hour and fifteen minutes. I used my cell to call a different number listed on the DIS and got through in 10 minutes! I was able to get free dining for everone in our grand gathering.

POFQ Dec 3-13
With three rooms this promo lowered our cost by about $3000.

Thanks to everyone who kept this thread updated. I always appreciate the help.

And I thought I was on hold long. I called at 2:12 pm and was on hold until about 2:45. Then I was on with the Disney Rep until about 3:15. She answered all of my questions and even priced out everything for us so now we know how much this is going to cost us. Minus the airfare of course.

The free dining discount would include our entire stay . My brother, DH and myself were also part of a bowling vacation league. I called Fun Bowl Vacations up to find out if we could get the discount (suggested by the Disney Rep I spoke with) and was told yes we can! So we can get the FD package and use our bowling league credits (a total of $750 for DH and I ) along with our Disney Reward Dollars (total of $100) towards the package to bring down the cost even more! This is saving us over $1k for my family of 3 If we didn't have the FD offer, our package would be between $3k - $4k!

I, too, am glad I subscribed to this thread! Everyone has been such a big help answering my questions.

 

[lillieandlilahsmommy]

This morning I was so frazzled , I was on hold for over an hour and a half waiting!! When I woke up Disney Chase and Disney World website mentioned nothing about the offer, so I thought it was not correct. I had to move my trip dates, change my dining reservations, think about the dining reservations I made and then change some around AGAIN!!!

But now, I have everything situated, my reservations, ADRs, MVMCP tickets purchased, and I think I could jump out of my skin I am so excited!!!!

Now all that's left is to wait for December and let the fun begin!!!

 

[Monkeyfish]

Well, you win some, you lose some. In this case, we didn't get a discount on the dates we need in December, so I have cancelled our Christmas trip after some unexpected expenses made this summer more costly than originally planned. But today's new offers did allow me to confidently book a trip for early March, so we'll be heading back to Coronado Springs and taking my Dad with us, as well as meeting some other family there. Free dining is awesome when it works out!

 

[Charleyann]

This is fast becoming a Disney Dream alright We got 3 nights/ 4 days, 2 day hopper tickets and dining plus for $1029. All star Movies. Holy cow , that is an amazing $250 each !!!!! Dec. 12-15/11

Still think there has to be a mistake ..... : I am hoping somebody doesn't pinch me and I realize it is a dream

Inaddition, I scored all I wanted for Disney Dining including Le Celliers for the time and day I wanted . We also got 1900 Park Fare ( Dinner ) Chef Mickey the moning we leave on the Carnival Dream.......

We jump from the Dream on December 18th to the Carnival Glory for B2B Sailing on Eastern and western intinery.

Merry Christmas !!!!!

Charleyann

 

[DisneyCrazyMomma]

Free Dining saved us almost $800! Thanks Disney!! Whoo hooo!!!! Even more excited than I already was about our trip!

 

[disneyaddicted]

I was on hold for an hour and 5 minutes this morning, it was so worth the wait. I got free QS dining. But what has me wondering (not complaining at all) I booked last spring using a pin code I had received for 35% off the room. I knew I coudn't double up on discounts but I was told that I could switch discounts should some better offer come out, which it did. I was expecting my room cost to go up a little since I "supposedly" got it at a discount, but once the room discount was taken off and the FD was added my over all cost came down by $2.00 yes you read that correctly 2 bucks. Why didn't my room cost go up if I no longer had the 35% discount? Again I am not complaining at all, this worked out great, I'm just curious is all.

 

[BLReed]

Yay! We saved $300 on our Carribean Beach reservations for DH, DD (6) and DS (free) (I'm going too.) We already had a 30% pin for the room so I knew our savings wouldn't be huge because we would have to go to rack rates. But I'm thrilled with the $300 savings.

We haven't ever stayed at a moderate resort but decided this year if we were going to go we needed to go on the cheap. Are we going to be disappointed bc of transportation? That was always what we loved so much about Deluxe resorts was being close and not having all of the in between stops en route.

 

[Cdnmommy]

We are already booked to stay at a DVC resort from Dec. 11-17, am thinking that maybe we will extend our vacation for a couple of days to take advantage of the free dining.

I have a few questions if anyone is willing to help out. If I book 2 nights Dec. 17-19, I believe I'm still eligible for FD as I'm checking in on the last day (17th), right?

If I do book this and order my park tickets with the package, will it be possible to pick the tickets up prior to my check in? Meaning can I order say a 7 day ticket for everyone in our party and pick them up on Dec. 11 (when we check into the DVC resort) to use that week even though I'm not checking in with the FD promotion until the 17th?

Just trying to work it out to see if it's worth trying to stay the extra couple of days without adding a great deal to our vacation budget. Thanks in advance to anyone that can help!

Update: I just rec'd the information from a Disney representative so know that this won't work out for us. FD requires a min 3 night stay and I would have to purchase separate tickets as they are not valid until the day we check in. Even if it made sense for us to do it, we have to head for home on Dec. 19.....wishing everyone else some pixie dust for their free dining!!

 

[beatlesblonde]

I emailed our travel agent yesterday morning but she was already on top of it and got us the regular dining plan deal since we're staying at a mod. We saved over $800! Now all we have to worry about is airfare and tickets for our day trip to Universal.

 

[heartse]

Well, I think we are probably going to take advantage of this... and change our reservations by a day. Still have to confirm with everyone though...

 

[mommyof3princess27]

I just booked a trip for me and DH with free dining got flights and all 4 days 3 nights staying at ASM with 4 day tix YAY! I am excited for xmas lights

 

[chirurgeon]

My travel agent emailed me yesterday with the new AP rate, I had to switch from POFQ to POR and saved nearly $800. That pays for the AP and 1/2 my meals.

Kim

 

[Ontdisfan]

booked 2 rooms dec 11 - 19 saved about 700 each !!

 

[2girlsR2good]

Yippee! Got 40% off with the AP rate Dec 17-21. WL bunk bed room. Booked it online, but then changed from woods view to a courtyard view for just $16 more a night. There were no club level rooms available online or via phone. According to the CM who helped me make the change, she hadn't seen any CL rooms at WL for the AP rate.

Our APs expire the 21st, so this is our last hurrah with them. Have a few ADRs and my TIW card to say so long--it will probably be a little while before we go back after three trips in one year. Time to do something else for a while says DH

 

[SarahD]

Talked husband into December rather than February...got the free dining offer...and booked us through Tampa instead of Orlando to stretch Southwest points into four tickets instead of three (have two free days of rental from National to get to WDW and back)...now I just need December to get here!!! We've been in NE Ohio for three years and it's the first time I'm looking forward to winter!

 

[kerplop]

Talked husband into December rather than February...got the free dining offer...and booked us through Tampa instead of Orlando to stretch Southwest points into four tickets instead of three (have two free days of rental from National to get to WDW and back)...now I just need December to get here!!! We've been in NE Ohio for three years and it's the first time I'm looking forward to winter!

I've been in Texas for 10 now and winter is the only season I like!

 

[LGH1946]

I haven't been on the Dis for a few weeks. What discount are you talking about? I have booked the Contemporary for Dec. 4-10. So far that week has been excluded from free dining. And I have NO discount what-so-ever. I booked this back in November 2010 because I wanted the Tower MK view and it gets booked so quickly. I have been hoping for a pin or a discount. Do you think I will be able to get one? Help!!! Give me some hope, please!!

 

[Bete]

I haven't been on the Dis for a few weeks. What discount are you talking about? I have booked the Contemporary for Dec. 4-10. So far that week has been excluded from free dining. And I have NO discount what-so-ever. I booked this back in November 2010 because I wanted the Tower MK view and it gets booked so quickly. I have been hoping for a pin or a discount. Do you think I will be able to get one? Help!!! Give me some hope, please!!

If you can change to 12-3 you have a good chance of getting free dining. It's hard to say if you can get the same view and room, but try it. If your room is covered by the deal they will add free dining to the modified date reservation. You can try other options of different rooms and resorts if you really want free dining if your exact room is not in the deal. You have to have a package and at least 4 nights for the deal. Some resorts and some categories of rooms have extremely limited availability and some have no availability. If you're lucky, your lucky. You need to call and see. You are a little late here for this promo; so, I'm not sure how fussy you can be to get the deal, but try. The promo got underway August 3. Good luck.

 

[SRUAlmn]

I was on hold for an hour and 5 minutes this morning, it was so worth the wait. I got free QS dining. But what has me wondering (not complaining at all) I booked last spring using a pin code I had received for 35% off the room. I knew I coudn't double up on discounts but I was told that I could switch discounts should some better offer come out, which it did. I was expecting my room cost to go up a little since I "supposedly" got it at a discount, but once the room discount was taken off and the FD was added my over all cost came down by $2.00 yes you read that correctly 2 bucks. Why didn't my room cost go up if I no longer had the 35% discount? Again I am not complaining at all, this worked out great, I'm just curious is all.

I was wondering about a similar scenario because we're booked with a 35% off code too, but we just have a room only reservation. I was very hesitant to switch to FD because I figured we don't really 'need' the dining and then we'd be paying full price for our room. That's so strange that your total went down by $2 I'd love to know if someone knows why this would be I'm weighing out the AP package with dining too and I'd love to know the comparison between our room only 35% off moderate rate, the AP with dining, and the free dining.

 

[SPOERLX3]

I was wondering about a similar scenario because we're booked with a 35% off code too, but we just have a room only reservation. I was very hesitant to switch to FD because I figured we don't really 'need' the dining and then we'd be paying full price for our room. That's so strange that your total went down by $2 I'd love to know if someone knows why this would be I'm weighing out the AP package with dining too and I'd love to know the comparison between our room only 35% off moderate rate, the AP with dining, and the free dining.

best way to figure what the difference would be is to price it out on line with the current FD promo and compare it to your current ressie. On the disneyworld.com website, go to special offers at the bottom of the page, price out your exact dates with the exact resort (don't forget to add ph, water park options and match your room type). the price you see will be the price you pay for the free dining promo minus your insurance (if you added that). I know that I was booked at POP w/QS dining for 8 days/7 nights with 2 rooms with a 40% off PIN that I got back in February and when I changed to the FD pin it saved me a total of $528. So I was totally happy.
I think it really depends on how long your trip is, what your add ons are and if you were going to one of the dining plans originally. For some it is a great savings, for others the room discount works out better.

Let us know what works best for your trip