I appreciate how freely everyone has shared information here and want to help others with our experience as well. The short version is that we were switched to Saratoga Springs at no additional charge for our December trip, and if free dining comes out, we should be able to apply it as well. The long version is this:
Context: last November, we booked at CBR for this December, hoping for free dining.
Thursday: Read about the construction and called first thing in the AM. Talked with a CM to confirm what exactly would be closed. I wasn't happy, and thought the situation wouldn't work for my family, as we spend a fair amount of time at the resort. CM told me we could move resorts, but at our own expense. I told her I'd have to think about our options and call back.
Friday AM: I read about the $75/night credits being given out and decided that for that discount, we could get groceries and pick up snacks on our way out of the parks to make it worth it. Called, spoke to a CM who is new and she knew very little about anything. She knew nothing of the credit, and very little about Disney or the resorts and discounts in general. However, she walked me though all of the moderates to which we could switch (at our own expense). We spent a long time on the phone only to determine that none of those would work for my family. One of the big reasons was because POR and POFQ, which may have otherwise worked, are sometimes excluded from free dining, which we're really hoping for. When I finally said I just needed guest services, she told me the wait was 90 minutes and she'd recommend calling back in the evening.
Friday PM: Settled in for the 90 minute wait for guest services. When I finally got someone, she explained that the $75/credit was over, and it was just a $25 gift card. I expressed that I was disappointed in the whole situation - the construction, the inability to move resorts, and the fact that if I had just waited earlier I could have had a better credit. She offered to look into other resorts. I told her I'd already spent a long time doing that, but she said she might have other options. After a short wait she offered me a studio at Saratoga Springs for no additional charge. I was totally unprepared for this and had never considered that resort, and hated to just switch us without talking with my family first. I also inquired whether free dining would apply (assuming it is coming) without changing the price, and after a short hold to check, she told me yes. She said she understood wanting to think about it and said she'd put a note on my file and we could call back on Saturday and still get it.
Saturday: Spent 90 minutes on hold for guest services, again. Finally got someone who saw the note on my file, but it took another 30 minutes on hold for her to get it all applied.
I would venture a guess that I got the upgrade because of the specific circumstance-- exhausting all options of a move, over the course of several phone calls, and narrowly missing the $75 credit (the guest services CM acknowledged that, if I had persisted on Thursday, I would have gotten it). But, I expect there are others in a similar situation, and I hope that armed with this information you all get some pixie dust too! I was really worrying over the food choices at the construction, and while I wouldn't consider Saratoga Springs at normal rates, we're looking forward to trying it at this price point. Good luck everyone!
! We just told the kids about our holiday and they are so excited to try this resort 
. Now we just have to wait for November.......
