Free Dining 2014 Discussion ~ Part 3

[aaarcher86]

I have a Bounceback offer. 35% off for my upcoming trip. Now FD is out. I'm thinking which would be better? We're staying at the BWI in a Deluxe CL room. My head is spinning! Lol My dates are 10/27-11/3.

Depends on your family makeup but most of the time the room discount is better for deluxe rooms.

 

[KanataDad]

We got our free dining at CBR through TA, and I want to call Disney to see if they have a pin for FD, or cancel an older reservation at POFQ (I didn't use a TA for that older reservation). I've called past 4 days and after an hour wait on the phone I just gave up.
I couldn't find a way online to cancel a reservation. Is there any other way to do this, or do I just need to wait till all the FD calls dies down?

 

[mom2jacob]

For the ones that are getting Pins...did you already have a trip booked for that time frame you booked? I called but the only pin I have right now for me was the free park hoppers until August 28.

 

[tinkerone]

FD is offered for booking till August 31 (f i'm not mistaken). they are advertising this. i'm sure there will be things popping up all the time. their not going to have someone calling in only to say 'sorry, nothing left'. the rooms that are being let go by clients will likely, in the long run, go back into the pot.
my thought is if there is something you want that you can't get at the moment just keep trying. september 1st, give up.

good luck to all.

 

[TheRatPack]

Thankfully we already have our room but I was pricing out a short vacation for my son as well.....I'll try different dates although it would have been nice if he could have went when we were there.

 

[WDW-A-RAMA]

For the ones that are getting Pins...did you already have a trip booked for that time frame you booked? I called but the only pin I have right now for me was the free park hoppers until August 28.

Mine was already booked!

 

[Aubrav]

Wow, just checked 10/3-10/6 for the Values and show nothing available.....is it truly sold out?

All Star Sports was showing available as of at least Saturday for 10/2 -10/11, but I'm not seeing it now

 

[newbies04901]

Thanks. And it's not that I don't want to keep everyone's questions answered. It's just that making a prediction of a date, or sharing dates I've found on other sites is starting to have a negative effect. Aside from making the mouse upset, which can then turn into changed dates or misinformation, people start to make plans based on things being accurate when they aren't always. I think saying "it's about that time once again" is just as good at getting folks prepared as it would be if a date is out there. Everyone knew it happened lat the beginning of last May so it wasn't a big surprise. I think it's having a negative effect and shouldn't happen the way it does.

I know that any information at all is helpful to my family. If it were communicated differently next year -- maybe less specific -- we would still be thrilled! I think the most important things I've learned here are 1) don't book ahead of the discount offers, 2) have a plan b, c, d, and 3) there are some wonderful options for my family of three and I am going to enjoy my stay even if it's not at POFQ .

 

[newbies04901]

As people cancel some of their FD reservations because they're getting pins, etc. I don't believe the rooms are going back into FD rooms for others. There are a few resorts which have been sold out since the day of the release. That has not changed at all and I have checked several times every day since then. That's very frustrating! I spoke to a CM agreed with me that canceled reservations are not going back into free dining for others.

I just changed my checkin at CSR from 10/26 to 10/28 (FD). In light of the copied post, I guess it doesn't matter, but I wanted to let folks know just in case it helps someone...

 

[SGMCO]

I wanted to thank "Black562" for all the work that you did, giving us the Heads up on FD. I obeyed you and did not book ahead, got CBR, no problems, My DH is happy, so am I. We will be Celebrating our 29th Anniversary and my DS Graduation from HS. We appreciate everything you did Black562!!

 

[tinklvsu]

Got the PIN that includes POR, POFQ and ASM. We orginally wanted POR, but went to POP. Not sure what to do now.

Now that I've been thinking our package is $500 less, it's hard to go back!

 

[tinklvsu]

For the ones that are getting Pins...did you already have a trip booked for that time frame you booked? I called but the only pin I have right now for me was the free park hoppers until August 28.

Mine was already booked, received the PIN on May 9th through email.

 

[biggoof16]

Random question for those of you with more experience. We are going to be in Disney from 11/25 to 12/1. In the past has Disney released any PIN codes (FD, % off) for those dates or at least a Room Only discount. We would love to stay on site (stayed offsite first time last year) but hoping for at least a modest discount somewhere.

 

[samnbilly]

Depends on your family makeup but most of the time the room discount is better for deluxe rooms.

Yeah-I'm just going to leave it. Thx!

 

[Nezumi Fan]

As people cancel some of their FD reservations because they're getting pins, etc. I don't believe the rooms are going back into FD rooms for others. There are a few resorts which have been sold out since the day of the release. That has not changed at all and I have checked several times every day since then. That's very frustrating! I spoke to a CM agreed with me that canceled reservations are not going back into free dining for others.

I had an oddness the other day. In the frenzy of free dining, I booked the Pop but later, after reading some of the glowing reviews of the Coronado Springs Resort here at DIS, decided to change the reservation.

I phoned and, after a long-ish wait (this was a few days after the FD promo dropped, so, it wasn't so bad as before), was told CSR was "unavailable." That's odd, I said, as I had seen it just a few minutes earlier online. So, with her on the line, I booked CSR through the website and asked the CM to confirm. Sure enough, it was there. Just an anecdote, which I hope may help!

 

[WDW-A-RAMA]

Random question for those of you with more experience. We are going to be in Disney from 11/25 to 12/1. In the past has Disney released any PIN codes (FD, % off) for those dates or at least a Room Only discount. We would love to stay on site (stayed offsite first time last year) but hoping for at least a modest discount somewhere.

Usually that week is blocked out. The final date on the free dining GP offer is 11/20 and the final date on the Pin is 11/22. As long as you check in on a day free dining is offered, you can extend it throughout your trip up to 14 days. As for RO, I have personally never heard of that for that week.

 

[pjhootch]

For the ones that are getting Pins...did you already have a trip booked for that time frame you booked? I called but the only pin I have right now for me was the free park hoppers until August 28.

Technically yes. However, we are talking about 2 days apart. I booked on May 7 with the general public FD offer. 2 days later I received a PIN in my email. I did not have a reservation made prior to the FD offer that came out on May 7th.

I have been really lucky about getting PIN offers the last several years. Until May 7th, I have only used the PIN offers and haven't booked without receiving one for a very long time.

 

[Lauradon7]

Is disney destinations that you are all getting your pin email from something different than the normal disney site?

 

[WDW-A-RAMA]

Is disney destinations that you are all getting your pin email from something different than the normal disney site?

It is from Disney Destinations.

 

[sam1998]

I didn't have anything booked except an ADR. We were actually booked at Bonnet Creek. When FD was released to the general public I decided to switch, and called but CBR was booked. On a whim I asked if I had a pin and they said I did, for free dining. I ended up booking POR for 10/3 to 10/11 (two rooms). I never got an email pin or mail pin, just happened to be on the phone and ask.