DIY booking

[Fommt2]

Hi all,

We are planning our trip for 2016 and looking at booking DIY. Everytime we have gone before we have booked a package through Virgin but after a bit of research this year it looks like we could save a bomb booking it through different sites. But I have a few questions I was hoping you all could help me with.

We are going in August, so flights won't be bookable unitil Sept/Oct time. We would like to book our hotel before then, so we can get the free dining. Will we be ok to change the dates if we need to if the flights don't match up! Also do we run the risk of losing the free dining if we have to change?

Also - are UK residents allowed to book on the US site? We normally book the Port Orleans Riverside as we have 5 in a room. If we book with the UK site, we get the QSDP but the US offer the full dining plan on moderate hotels. And does the US free dining work the same as ours?

I know it's a long way off but I am very excited to be planning and researching again

 

[chmurf]

Will we be ok to change the dates if we need to if the flights don't match up!

you will be able to change dates with the following restrictions
- the check in date must fall inside the deal eligible dates (in case there is a blackout period)
- there must be rooms available under the deal for your new dates (the later you change, the more risk for a sold out room type at your resort, you might be forced to change for another hotel)
- if the resulting quote is lower than the original quote, you'll be charged £50 amendment fee. If the price is the same or higher, no fee

Also do we run the risk of losing the free dining if we have to change?

no.

Also - are UK residents allowed to book on the US site?

yes, unless it's a US/CA residents only deal.

We normally book the Port Orleans Riverside as we have 5 in a room. If we book with the UK site, we get the QSDP but the US offer the full dining plan on moderate hotels. And does the US free dining work the same as ours?

not sure what you mean by working the same as us

a QSDP is a QSDP no matter who you book it from.

 

[Fommt2]

Thanks for the info
I meant does the US site offer the free dining the same time as the UK. The last few years the offer seems to be on from April-August for next years bookings.

 

[chmurf]

Thanks for the info
I meant does the US site offer the free dining the same time as the UK. The last few years the offer seems to be on from April-August for next years bookings.

for the last 2 years, on the US site, Free Dining was not offered for August stays, it was just room discounts

mousesavers has an historical listing of US deals, with release dates and eligible periods

http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/

 

[dixonsontour]

Yes you are fine to book the US Disney free dining offer - we have twice.

We booked direct with Disney US (can do online or by calling) or use a US travel agent like dreamsunlimited.

US free dining is much more limited than UK offers.

It is usually released May for free dining that September (so 4 months in advance) Sometimes also includes very end Aug and Oct/Nov but with blackout dates. Not all resorts are included.

If you check mousesavers it has a list of historical offers so you can see what has been offered when. Unless your dates are very end August you will need to look at booking the UK offer.

UK free dining offer for 2016 should be released April 2015 (no guarantees but on past performance)

Uk deal you can upgrade free QSDP to DDP but check as you may be cheaper booking a deluxe.

 

[novice101]

I have been debating this exact same thing! My issues are although with the uk one with mod I would have to pay diff in which case would prob do deluxe (last time it worked out cheaper. ) The uk offers are much earlier so I can have more time to plan the rest of my hol and also get cheaper flight prices. Also the longest theme park tickets are 10 nights we usually do 14 nights. Last time the us only offered very few mod hotels as most of the rooms are full without the discounts.

 

[skedinger]

Also the longest theme park tickets are 10 nights we usually do 14 nights.

If you are booking DIY, you can still buy the UK 14 day tickets. Just don't include tickets as part of whatever you book on the US site. If you want free dining and it requires a ticket purchase, buy the shortest/cheapest tickets that meet the requirement and just save them for another trip. Unused tickets don't expire.

 

[chmurf]

If you are booking DIY, you can still buy the UK 14 day tickets. Just don't include tickets as part of whatever you book on the US site. If you want free dining and it requires a ticket purchase, buy the shortest/cheapest tickets that meet the requirement and just save them for another trip. Unused tickets don't expire.

true,

but even the shortest length of tickets will be a 2 days base ticket will be $200pp
the UK offer will have a $200 gift card if booked early (if the deal comes back next april)

for a party of 2 booking a 14 days ticket and separate free dining on the us site with qualifying tickets will mean the loss of a $200 gift card and $400 of throwaway tickets
total is $600

upgrade from QSDP to DDP is $18.05pp
for the same party of 2 adults staying for 14 nights, upgrading from QSDP to DDP will cost $505

this means that, if OP buys a 14 day UK ticket, and a US free dining with 2 days of tickets (to qualify for FD) they'll pay $95 more compared to the UK offer (not factoring in crossborder fees for payment in USD)


if it's a family of 4 (2A + 2C)
4 tickets US (2 days) = $773.20

an upgrade from QSDP to DDP = $18.05 for an adult and $3.02 for a child, per night.

this family of 2 stays for 14 nights, and pays :
- $389 on the UK site ($589 for the upgrade minus $200 worth of gift card
- $773.20 on the US site

for this family of 4, staying for 14 nights, booking a FD on the US site + 14 days tickets costs over $400 more than upgrading from QSDP to DDP on the UK site.

 

[dixonsontour]

We've done a 14 day trip with the 10 day MYW tickets no problem.

If you add water parks and more you have 10 days in the 4 main parks plus 10 visits to the waterparks, minigolf, disney quest.

We never do a park on arrival day or last day anyway.

 

[Fommt2]

Thanks for the advice everyone. As there are 5 of us in a room we are restricted to the POR and it doesn't look like the US site offer that as an option on free dining that often. So we will have to go with the UK version and pay the upgrade.

I am still a bit concerned about booking the flghts and hotel separately as we need to get back before the summer holiday finishes but leave late enough to get the cheaper flights. Based on this years prices, leaving 18th August, we have seen flights for all 5 as low as £2005 (£400 each) which is amazing.

I'm guessing flights will be fairly busy at the end of August start of September time.

 

[novice101]

You can always re price your trip once the us offers come out and if it works out worth while you could cancel the uk booking and loose the deposit, depends how much of a saving there is.

 

[Elise79]

You can book the hotel with Disney and change dates if you need and keep free dining however the only issue you might come across is lack of availability. They only release so many rooms under the free dining promotion and when you come to change they might be gone. However, I have only heard of this happening with OKW and POFQ.

 

[pickers1982]

You can book the hotel with Disney and change dates if you need and keep free dining however the only issue you might come across is lack of availability. They only release so many rooms under the free dining promotion and when you come to change they might be gone. However, I have only heard of this happening with OKW and POFQ.

I juat changed dates (shortened by a day) and confirm no issues other than £50 fee. Kept dining

 

[dixonsontour]

The real perk of booking with disney is it is easy to change dates.

We booked 11 nights at OKW in July 2014with free ddp/$200.

In December we changed to AKL - as it was dearer fee was waived. Kept ddp and $200 voucher.

In January we called again and added 1 more night when we booked our flights - again no charge as it was dearer.

Each time done in one phone call to the 0800 number and we were emailed the new invoice quickly.

I'd book the accomodation and then sort flights. The later you can come back the cheaper it should be (check if they have any teacher training days )