Fort Wilderness Vs. Carribbean Beach Resort

[Magnetgirl25]

Hi Everyone!!! I want to book our trip this evening. I do have a question for those of you that are more seasoned at booking your own trips. We are a family of four. We want to stay at Fort Wilderness and cost wise if no additional offers come out this would be our most cost effective way to go. However if they offer free dining which we are planning on going 11/11-11/19 2016 and historcally they always have this time of the year it would be more cost effective to stay at a moderate resort. My question is I was thinking of booking at both Fort Wilderness and the CB resort (so we would be guaranteed a room) until I see if they offer the free dining and then cancel one of my reservations and move the deposit unto the reservation that I keep. I really wanted to stay at Riverside but I saw that this year they excluded Riverside from the free dining. Is this a smart stragety and if you think that it would be how much will I loose as long as I cancel over 30 days out? I thought I would loose next to nothing, am I thinking correctly? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[chartle]

Are you camping at FW or getting a cabin? Or do you mean Wilderness Lodge?

 

[Magnetgirl25]

We would be camping in our camper If we stay at FW.

 

[msmama]

From what it seems, they are releasing fewer rooms for free dining each year, probably partly because people are doing what you're thinking of doing. Disney sees their rooms as full, therefore doesn't have to offer as much of an incentive.

Also, they seem to be cracking down on reservation changes - meaning changing a reservation essentially becomes booking a new one so there has to be the exact availablity that you want. It's not as simply as just adding a discount code or something like that.

So, booking a room at CBR will in no way help you when it comes to free dining. I'd say book FW and then when discounts come around, try and get CBR (or whatever mod) as a new reservation. You'll be able to cancel your FW reservation with no penalties 30/45 (used to be 45, rumor is that it's changing to 30 in the new year) in advance.

If it were me, I'd do FW as a room only for now and then if you get free dining you'll have to have a package (with tickets) and if you don't, then buy your tickets at a later date.

 

[5stljayhawks]

I would book two ressies overlapping dates on either side, extra weekend on front of one and late weekend on other. I think if you precook with the camping trip you cost would be still be less. Have you done the cost breakout? Do you mind sharing with us?

 

[momof2gr8kids]

Booking a room at CBR won't guarantee you will get a free dining room if they happen to put out the offer. In fact, it could hinder your chances. The more rooms that are booked up, the less discounted rooms Disney needs to offer. I think a lot of people think if they book the room they've gotten ahead of anyone once the discounts come out, but that is not true at all. I would book the campground, then get ready to pounce online once any discounts become live for your time frame, then call and cancel your other reservation.

 

[North of Mouse]

We would be camping in our camper If we stay at FW.

You'll be able to cancel your FW reservation with no penalties 30/45 (used to be 45, rumor is that it's changing to 30 in the new year) in advance.

Cancelling a reservation at FW campsite is '5' days full refund!!

 

[amylevan]

Campsites sell out quite frequently and having a room book at CB will not affect whether you can get free dining or not. So I would just go ahead and make a campsite reservation, and then if free dining is released and you are successful in getting a CB Free dining room, cancel the campsite.