Free DDP Booking SUCCESS!!? - Post 'Em Here!

[Nasus]

After an hour and a half hold this AM (called at 7) got 7 nights at PC for the brood (family of 5) and 4-day passes for $2389. That's a lot of $ but we had to get two adjoining because the DH needs some "private time" and it was cheaper than the DVC hotels... Have to "relax" after a long day at the parks, after all...

All told, we'll save $~780 on free dining and all but two of our ADRs are booked - Even got Cinderella's table for lunch, believe it or not!

 

[gatormark67]

I bet some more rooms will open up. Just keep checking back once and a while! There will be people who don't end up going, etc.

I agree..the CM that helped us make our reservations (9/2-8) really encouraged us to book more days than we thought we would use and then cancel the extra days later. He was great and very passionate about FD, telling me all about his family's experiences.

I would assume that some people booked extra days or just locked up posible vacation days. Surely, some of these will be cancelled.

Good Luck...

 

[icouldlivethere]

I took all day deciding what to do and lost out on getting PC.

My DH and I went to our AAA office at about 4 pm yesterday and plannned on booking with them. She called the Disney number and was able to get a room at PC. Then the agent mentioned there would be a $15 booking fee. I wondered why I was going to pay her $15 to book my vacation when I could do it for free at home. I told her I had to think about it.

I went home and thought it over and by the time I went to book it myself at about 8 pm last night PC was sold out unless I wanted to move my vacation up about 3 days. All of the All Star resorts were available though. I didn't know which one to take so I took ASMo preferred room.

My dates are 9/21 - 9/27

 

[tkd lisa]

I tried 3 separate times yesterday. I started at 7:00 am, and after holding for an HOUR, hung up. Tried back just before 9, and finally ended up getting through about 10:30 after 20 more minutes on hold.

I was booking for labor day weekend (8/31-9/3). Pop Century wasn't available, but AS Movies was. But I ended up spending the extra bucks to book POFQ.

I booked all my ADRs Sunday night, so we're all set!

 

[JoiseyMom]

I took all day deciding what to do and lost out on getting PC.

My DH and I went to our AAA office at about 4 pm yesterday and plannned on booking with them. She called the Disney number and was able to get a room at PC. Then the agent mentioned there would be a $15 booking fee. I wondered why I was going to pay her $15 to book my vacation when I could do it for free at home. I told her I had to think about it.

I went home and thought it over and by the time I went to book it myself at about 8 pm last night PC was sold out unless I wanted to move my vacation up about 3 days. All of the All Star resorts were available though. I didn't know which one to take so I took ASMo preferred room.

My dates are 9/21 - 9/27

Wow, that is strange. I booked with AAA this year and last. I have never been charged a booking fee. That is what I pay my membership for. I wonder what would happen if you called the 1-800 AAA number and had tried to book that way.

 

[jcemom]

I also think more rooms will open up as others change and cancel their reservations. For those who didn't get what they wanted, you might consider calling back periodically to check availability. It's a bit of a pain, but worth it if you end up in your first choice of resort. No?

 

[Briar_Rose]

Called our AAA agent yesterday afternoon and he was able to book 2 rooms at POFQ 9/15-9/24 for us with Free Dining. I think he may have just had the discount applied to our existing resservations. Yay. We also are not paying the balance on the Disney Visa, just the deposit. Actually we just left our original deposit on the AAA Visa and paid another deposit on the Disney Visa.

 

[matysgrandma]

Wow, that is strange. I booked with AAA this year and last. I have never been charged a booking fee. That is what I pay my membership for. I wonder what would happen if you called the 1-800 AAA number and had tried to book that way.

I booked through the 800 number and yes, there is a $15 booking fee. I wasn't too thrilled (cuz I wasn't told about this until all the info was exchanged) but I figured I'd let the TA do all the work for that fee. Going forward I will book all my travel on my own as I've always done in the past.

 

[Briar_Rose]

That's strange. I have never had to pay a booking fee with AAA. Maybe book through a local office that doesn't charge a fee if you can't get a good rate yourself. I was concerned that free dining might not materialize this year, so I booked our package through AAA to get the AAA discount to be safe.

 

[matysgrandma]

That's strange. I have never had to pay a booking fee with AAA. Maybe book through a local office that doesn't charge a fee if you can't get a good rate yourself. I was concerned that free dining might not materialize this year, so I booked our package through AAA to get the AAA discount to be safe.

And you didn't have to pay a booking fee? Where are you located?

 

[annieb727]

And you didn't have to pay a booking fee? Where are you located?

I didn't pay a AAA Booking fee either...we did get a new membership though . I am in Seattle Washington area. I think I called the 1800 number even?

 

[kdzgon]

I bet some more rooms will open up. Just keep checking back once and a while! There will be people who don't end up going, etc.

Yes, I'm really thinking (hoping?) it is similar to the "180 +10". While you can indeed make ADRs 190 days out (if staying on property), there are very few tables released at that time, with the majority released at 180 days exactly. It just doesn't make sense to me that the availability would be SO limited that the inventory will be sold out within hours. Our reservations were all at ASMo, but I was told that while there was still room availability, there were no rooms slated for free dining, yet another person on this thread was offered ASMo at 10:30 AM. I'm also guessing as people upgrade the lower tiers will have some availability.

Biggest problem though is we need 6 rooms at the same location. Bottom line, ASSp is better than being home any day!!

 

[jcemom]

Biggest problem though is we need 6 rooms at the same location. Bottom line, ASSp is better than being home any day!!

Oh yes! That is SO true, LOL!

 

[Princess Jenny]

Im waiting until Thursday. I hope everything works out since I had to convice my hubby to let us go again..LOL! As you can see, im very new to these boards, but my question is, why is everyone calling and sitting on hold, when you can book your trip online?

 

[LakeAriel]

Im waiting until Thursday. I hope everything works out since I had to convice my hubby to let us go again..LOL! As you can see, im very new to these boards, but my question is, why is everyone calling and sitting on hold, when you can book your trip online?

Because there is no where to enter the free dining code..

 

[Princess Jenny]

OIC...I didn't realize that. Then I guess I have to sit and hold on Thursday

 

[Mel6197]

Aug 23-Sept 4

Aug 23-26 Room Only

Aug 26-Sept 4 Free Dining Pop Prefferred Room
2 Rooms

Yea!

Time to Make the Paper Chain

 

[vicki845]

Just booked Wl woodview for 8/26-9/4. Had to change my dates amd room. I originally had courtyard view. When I looked online yesterday they only had CL and no moderates. My ta wasn't in yesterday, didn't know she wans't going to be in and I was out all day into late evening so needless to say I was going crazy but she called me this morning and had the WL. Now all I need to do is change my airfare. It will cost $120 but we will save almost $900 with the free dining. Next trip I'm not booking anything until free dining comes out.Ii have to say I'm not happy at all with my ta. Live and learn. Good Luck!

 

[REL1203]

Just booked Wl woodview for 8/26-9/4. Had to change my dates amd room. I originally had courtyard view. When I looked online yesterday they only had CL and no moderates. My ta wasn't in yesterday, didn't know she wans't going to be in and I was out all day into late evening so needless to say I was going crazy but she called me this morning and had the WL. Now all I need to do is change my airfare. It will cost $120 but we will save almost $900 with the free dining. Next trip I'm not booking anything until free dining comes out.Ii have to say I'm not happy at all with my ta. Live and learn. Good Luck!

This is part of the reason I dont see why people use a TA for disney. It just seems so easy to do it yourself and you are gurenteed to get what you want

 

[Anniegirl]

I called my travel agent at AAA on Saturday and got her all set up with what I wanted to book and the code and everything. She took care of it for me first thing Monday morning. No booking fee. Not only did I get exactly what I wanted but I didn't have to wait on hold for hours and I got all those nice little AA perks like the parking pass and a round of miniature golf and Storytelling etc... The boys and I will be at ASMu over Labor Day weekend gorging on free dining