December 2013 Pin Code Watch

[penni520]

Because I got FD email pin last week ---- I once again changed my dates
Checking in at Pop Century, on Wednesday, Dec 4th Checking out on Friday, Dec 13th.
I will be one traveling solo in a "Apple Scooter" please when you see me say hello. Love meeting new people from Dis.

 

[mkymouse40]

I am so jealous...I didn't get a PIN code and we go every year. I haven't received one in years.

What is the final date you can book on the offer? Maybe they will still send it to me.

 

[tinkbyday]

Hello Everyone - OP here! I'm afraid I have a bit of bad news for those who enjoy looking at the growing list of December guests/dates.

Due to the insane room costs during the time we were planning on going and the unwillingness to hang on and wait for a code to come along, we have made the decision to not go to WDW at all this year. Instead, we have decided to go to California and will spend a night or two at Disneyland for a small Disney fix.

Honestly, the room rates are beyond greed at this point - a standard room at the YC 12/19 - 12/23 is coming in at about $600 per night - I really don't know who on the Disney management team thinks this is a reasonable value for the benefit provided, but we are just no longer willing to accept this. Yes, we realize there are other places to stay and other options, however, we are just so disgusted that we decided to not go at all. We also realize that this is a busy time of year, yada, yada....

So, all of this being said, I will not be keeping up with this thread any longer as I have alot of work to do planning a different trip

If someone wants to take over, I think you will have to create a new thread and can probably copy the contents of the first post over to keep the list going.

I hope you all receive wonderful discounts and enjoy your vacations!!!

 

[MartDM]

I agree about the prices. I don't know if these are so much 'what the market will bear' as they are an inflation to cover the cost of the "free" dining promotions. Either way, I almost fell out of my chair when pricing a 1BV for the same time as we went last year ($2,000 more)!

If everyone would stop biting (no pun intended) on the "free" dining, we'd probably see lower rack rates and more room discounts again. That said, I've learned my lesson about holding out for a room discount, never getting one, and being shut out of ADRS when I finally do book (again due to "free" dining), so unlike you, I have become a lemming and booked using the PIN.

It's been a really tough year for my family & it's going to continue through fall. We'll really need a vacation come December so we went for it, but booked a FW cabin instead hoping we'll discover a whole new kind of fun.

Sorry to year you needed to bail - I hope your California trip is wonderful!

 

[Rygraymom]

So we are currently booked from 8th-13th at AOA CARS family suite..and I got the FD pin code and of course those dates are blacked out. I'm stupid not to change right?

I have my TA checking on 2 other weeks for me right now. I'm thinking the first week of Dec will be best...

Anyone know approx how much I will save with Free dining?

thanks!
Oh and it's for 4 adults and a 2yr old and 5 yr old

 

[TheDisney411]

So we are currently booked from 8th-13th at AOA CARS family suite..and I got the FD pin code and of course those dates are blacked out. I'm stupid not to change right?

I have my TA checking on 2 other weeks for me right now. I'm thinking the first week of Dec will be best...

Anyone know approx how much I will save with Free dining?

thanks!

With 2 adults and 2 kids on a 6 night stay, you would probably save close to $1000. We rotate all of our WDW trips around free dining promos - it saves our family close to $2000 off rack rates. We have stayed at AoA and the rooms are cute, but there is not any resort at WDW I would pay full price to stay in - ever.

 

[TheDisney411]

I agree about the prices. I don't know if these are so much 'what the market will bear' as they are an inflation to cover the cost of the "free" dining promotions. Either way, I almost fell out of my chair when pricing a 1BV for the same time as we went last year ($2,000 more)!

If everyone would stop biting (no pun intended) on the "free" dining, we'd probably see lower rack rates and more room discounts again. That said, I've learned my lesson about holding out for a room discount, never getting one, and being shut out of ADRS when I finally do book (again due to "free" dining), so unlike you, I have become a lemming and booked using the PIN.

It's been a really tough year for my family & it's going to continue through fall. We'll really need a vacation come December so we went for it, but booked a FW cabin instead hoping we'll discover a whole new kind of fun.

Sorry to year you needed to bail - I hope your California trip is wonderful!

We are a family of 6 and we usually get 2 connecting rooms at a value resort. A room only discount saves us about $340 off full price rack rates. A free dining discount saves us about $2000 off full price rack rates. So unless Disney comes up with a way to give me a 90% or more room only discount, I think we will stick with the free dining discount ;-)

 

[lizloph]

We are a family of 6 and we usually get 2 connecting rooms at a value resort. A room only discount saves us about $340 off full price rack rates. A free dining discount saves us about $2000 off full price rack rates. So unless Disney comes up with a way to give me a 90% or more room only discount, I think we will stick with the free dining discount ;-)

I knew I couldn't have been completely crazy. I'm used to the room only discounts but just couldn't figure out how the trip was ending up being 1000 more than last year. My boyfriend says there will be a day where Disney isn't affordable a lot of the changes this year haven't helped my cause. Good luck to you.

 

[juljas]

Excuse my ignorance - but to take advantage of free dining do you need to have park tickets as well? We are currently booked 1st Dec to 11th Dec (Beach Club), room only (hoping that we might get a room discount, but since Pop Warner is the second week this doesn't seem too likely for our whole stay), so it looks like the FD, once it goes public - again fingers crossed - will be for us. We were going to buy tickets from Undercover Tourist, but won't if the free dining requires park tickets.

Thanks for any help!

 

[smitch425]

Excuse my ignorance - but to take advantage of free dining do you need to have park tickets as well? We are currently booked 1st Dec to 11th Dec (Beach Club), room only (hoping that we might get a room discount, but since Pop Warner is the second week this doesn't seem too likely for our whole stay), so it looks like the FD, once it goes public - again fingers crossed - will be for us. We were going to buy tickets from Undercover Tourist, but won't if the free dining requires park tickets.

Thanks for any help!

Free dining requires a package stay of a minimum 3 night rack rate room and a minimum 2 day base ticket for everyone in the room ages 3 and up. If FD comes out, you will have to cancel your room only and rebook as a package with a new deposit. The old deposit will be refunded in the form of your original payment.

 

[juljas]

Free dining requires a package stay of a minimum 3 night rack rate room and a minimum 2 day base ticket for everyone in the room ages 3 and up. If FD comes out, you will have to cancel your room only and rebook as a package with a new deposit. The old deposit will be refunded in the form of your original payment.

Thanks.

 

[mkymouse40]

Actually, you don't even have to pay a new deposit and get a refund on the first one. Disney always just takes my original $200 deposit and applies it to the new reservation and I get a bill for the balance.

No PIN for me, just waiting for public offer. I just hope there will be a room I want when it is finally released.

As for those who wish others wouldn't be offered FD, please keep in mind that not all people can afford to stay at the Deluxe Resorts, or even Moderates, and we need the FD to even be able to visit Disney World and stay in the Value Resorts.

Believe me, Disney would not offer FD just because they are generous, it is a financial and strategic decision. I agree that the room rates are ridiculous, but it's because so many people are willing to pay the price. Remember..."if you build it, they will come". That is exactly what is happening here.

 

[MartDM]

We are a family of 6 and we usually get 2 connecting rooms at a value resort. A room only discount saves us about $340 off full price rack rates. A free dining discount saves us about $2000 off full price rack rates. So unless Disney comes up with a way to give me a 90% or more room only discount, I think we will stick with the free dining discount ;-)

You must have really big appetites!

 

[smitch425]

Actually, you don't even have to pay a new deposit and get a refund on the first one. Disney always just takes my original $200 deposit and applies it to the new reservation and I get a bill for the balance.

The previous poster currently has a room only reservation, not a package. If you are booked with a room only and switch to a package (or vice versa), the original deposit gets refunded and a new deposit must be made. If you are booked with a package and stay booked with a package, there is no movement of money at all because any changes you make are just modifications to the existing package.

 

[splashmtnfan]

I am so jealous...I didn't get a PIN code and we go every year. I haven't received one in years.

What is the final date you can book on the offer? Maybe they will still send it to me.

Dec. 22!

 

[smitch425]

Dec. 22!

I think they mean the "book by" date, which is 8/14/13.

 

[TheDisney411]

You must have really big appetites!

Not really, we eat at least 2 meals and a snack a day, whether we are in Disney or not and the FD let's is eat at all of our favorite expensive WDW restaurants. There is simply no way I could feed our family for $340 or less for our usual 8 or 9 nights at Disney. Free dining is what makes it affordable enough to have a nice Disney vacation at least once per year.

 

[TheDisney411]

Not really, we eat at least 2 meals and a snack a day, whether we are in Disney or not and the FD let's is eat at all of our favorite expensive WDW restaurants. There is simply no way I could feed our family for $340 or less for our usual 8 or 9 nights at Disney. Free dining is what makes it affordable enough to have a nice Disney vacation at least once per year.

You just have to play the numbers game. A room discount at the cabins will save you about $82 per night and free dining discount would save your family about $127 per night. So, on a 7 night stay you would save about $575 with the RO discount and about $890 with a FD discount.

 

[Rygraymom]

Ok we have the bounceback FD offer and are changing dates to accommodate to the first week of December. Currently we are at AOA in CARS suite but there is nothing available at AOA for the FD so our TA quoted us 2 rooms at POP ( we have 6 people) and it's about a $1000 savings. GO FOR IT RIGHT?!? I am kind of liking the idea of 2 room so we are separated from my parents some. What am I losing going from AOA to POP? HELPPPPPPPP

 

[TheDisney411]

Ok we have the bounceback FD offer and are changing dates to accommodate to the first week of December. Currently we are at AOA in CARS suite but there is nothing available at AOA for the FD so our TA quoted us 2 rooms at POP ( we have 6 people) and it's about a $1000 savings. GO FOR IT RIGHT?!? I am kind of liking the idea of 2 room so we are separated from my parents some. What am I losing going from AOA to POP? HELPPPPPPPP

Are you talking about the current FD pin code offer? Bounceback offer are promos you book while staying at a Disney resort.

You aren't "losing" anything really. We have a large family and we always get 2 connecting rooms and usually stay at All Star Movies or Pop.