Free Dining Oct-Dec Is Here!!

[peteanddebbie]

This is a question and a little bit of a vent I e-mailed my TA a few days ago with our flight change info and also included in the letter that I was excited to hear that FD would possibly be ready to book on the 29th. She responds by basically saying don't get your hopes up that it will be the 29th because there are a lot of dates being rumored for this promotion release? She was talking about the actual booking date not dates related to the promo. This is not the first time she has just been negative i.e. she told me I probably wont get a BOG reservation because they are always booked with in the first minutes of opening! Which I know has some truth but why not encourage me that she will at least try! I ended up doing all my ADR's and got a BOG! I could give a few more examples but you get the idea. Side note she is a TA from a very popular Disney specific travel agency. Anyway has anyone else heard another release date? I have only seen the 29th for DV and August 1st for GP...

P.S. Thanks for letting me rant a bit!

I hear you. We are booked 11/3 to 11/9, and when my wife mentioned adding 11/2 (so we get FD) to the TA he told her, and I quote:

"if the offer is extended, I should be notified and I will compare packages and I could cancel and rebook. Sometimes the room rates are raised to offset the free meals so the savings is not what you might think".

First of all I didn't think they raise room rates with FD, there is just no RO discount. Second, do we have to cancel and rebook. Can't we just modify our current reservation. Kinda wish I book directly with Disney.

 

[Kat016]

I hear you. We are booked 11/3 to 11/9, and when my wife mentioned adding 11/2 (so we get FD) to the TA he told her, and I quote:

"if the offer is extended, I should be notified and I will compare packages and I could cancel and rebook. Sometimes the room rates are raised to offset the free meals so the savings is not what you might think".

First of all I didn't think they raise room rates with FD, there is just no RO discount. Second, do we have to cancel and rebook. Can't we just modify our current reservation. Kinda wish I book directly with Disney.

You do not have to cancel. They can just modify your current reservation. But your TA has to make the modifications. Good luck... with all these TA stories on here, I'm soooo glad I booked my own trip. I wouldn't be able to deal with someone else in control of my reservations.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

We have a much slimmer budget this year, too. We are losing about $1400 per month due to the sequestration. We have been eating a lot of pb&j sandwiches this summer to still take our vacation.

Sorry to hear that We've been saving 3 years for our trip and have had constant setbacks this year. With me having to have unexpected surgery a few months back to car repairs etc., it's been somewhat of a conspiracy against our Disney trip. But we had decided that by golly we were going! We have also cut back a lot and meals/groceries is one way to do it. Lately we've been making a lot of items that are two day meals. And yesterday we had biscuit pizzas Love them, fun for everyone to make and pretty cheap. And it's summertime...can you say grilled hot dogs?

 

[dbennett3899]

I hear you. We are booked 11/3 to 11/9, and when my wife mentioned adding 11/2 (so we get FD) to the TA he told her, and I quote:

"if the offer is extended, I should be notified and I will compare packages and I could cancel and rebook. Sometimes the room rates are raised to offset the free meals so the savings is not what you might think".

First of all I didn't think they raise room rates with FD, there is just no RO discount. Second, do we have to cancel and rebook. Can't we just modify our current reservation. Kinda wish I book directly with Disney.

This is why I never recommend using a TA... do it yourself. It's too easy not to and you have complete control.

 

[camgenemmysmom]

I hear you. We are booked 11/3 to 11/9, and when my wife mentioned adding 11/2 (so we get FD) to the TA he told her, and I quote:

"if the offer is extended, I should be notified and I will compare packages and I could cancel and rebook. Sometimes the room rates are raised to offset the free meals so the savings is not what you might think".

First of all I didn't think they raise room rates with FD, there is just no RO discount. Second, do we have to cancel and rebook. Can't we just modify our current reservation. Kinda wish I book directly with Disney.

Sorry to hear you are having issues with your TA! Maybe we should start a bad TA support group This is the first major vacation that I have planned for my family so I thought using a TA would help me and let me relax a little bit but I find myself worrying more! She came highly recommended from a good friend but I think she may be burnt out.

Keeping my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed this offer comes out on Monday

 

[micandminforever]

I hear you. We are booked 11/3 to 11/9, and when my wife mentioned adding 11/2 (so we get FD) to the TA he told her, and I quote:

"if the offer is extended, I should be notified and I will compare packages and I could cancel and rebook. Sometimes the room rates are raised to offset the free meals so the savings is not what you might think".

First of all I didn't think they raise room rates with FD, there is just no RO discount. Second, do we have to cancel and rebook. Can't we just modify our current reservation. Kinda wish I book directly with Disney.

The room rate does not go up, but if you book before the price of tickets went up Disney will add the difference in ticket price.

 

[LGTD]

This is why I never recommend using a TA... do it yourself. It's too easy not to and you have complete control.

I booked in january with my TA because I have never planned a Disney trip but after 7 months of education here and on YFV I feel more than capable of managing my trip especially with all you good people giving quick feedback and advice. Next time I will be in charge! She has been ok I just would like to have instant ability to make changes. At least I could do all my ADR myself and got everything I wanted including BOG for 7 people at the time I wanted.

 

[dbennett3899]

I booked in january with my TA because I have never planned a Disney trip but after 7 months of education here and on YFV I feel more than capable of managing my trip especially with all you good people giving quick feedback and advice. Next time I will be in charge! She has been ok I just would like to have instant ability to make changes. At least I could do all my ADR myself and got everything I wanted including BOG for 7 people at the time I wanted.

Exactly!

 

[Mommiesblessings2]

I too have had a bad TA story. I love the idea of place to vent about TAs. One example is very similiar about FD, don't get hopes up, I hate these rumors, etc.

Here's a link where I vented!

http://community.babycenter.com/post/a43129579/updatehow_can_i_break-up_with_my_ta?cpg=2&pd=-1

My next trip I will either use one of the girls in the link above or just do it my own.

It's supposed to be magical planning a vacation to the most happiest place on earth!

 

[Sylkie31]

The room rate does not go up, but if you book before the price of tickets went up Disney will add the difference in ticket price.

Chances are good that they will adjust the ticket prices to the new rates if you modify your reservation, but that is not always the case. Some have posted that their ticket cost did not increase. Even if it does, the additional cost of the ticket is nowhere near as much as the dining plans cost so you'd still come out ahead.

 

[jcarwash]

I hear you. We are booked 11/3 to 11/9, and when my wife mentioned adding 11/2 (so we get FD) to the TA he told her, and I quote:

"if the offer is extended, I should be notified and I will compare packages and I could cancel and rebook. Sometimes the room rates are raised to offset the free meals so the savings is not what you might think".

First of all I didn't think they raise room rates with FD, there is just no RO discount.

You are correct -- you get no room discount with a free dining package; you have to pay rack (full) price for the room. Your TA is trying to explain that concept but by describing it as they raise rates is not accurate.

 

[ColonelHathi]

The room rate does not go up, but if you book before the price of tickets went up Disney will add the difference in ticket price.

Our room rate will go up, but I have the AAA discount of 15% applied + a small ticket discount before, which was all booked before the ticket price increase. She just needs to remove the discount on the room and apply FD though (we have a package with a AAA TA). My TA experience hasn't been bad, and we've saved a little $$ with the booking through AAA. She's been pretty cool about checking to see if we have a PIN, pricing out a couple of alternative options for us, and knows that we are anxiously awaiting fall promotions and calling her once those are released. I wouldn't bother her right now with it though. TA's are not all bad if there are perks associated, but I do see the benefit of having more control too.

 

[Kat016]

I booked in january with my TA because I have never planned a Disney trip but after 7 months of education here and on YFV I feel more than capable of managing my trip especially with all you good people giving quick feedback and advice. Next time I will be in charge! She has been ok I just would like to have instant ability to make changes. At least I could do all my ADR myself and got everything I wanted including BOG for 7 people at the time I wanted.

This is the first time I planned a WDW trip too and the site makes it very easy. Than I tweaked it with information I found on these boards. It may seem iver whelming but its not

 

[JLKennedy]

Our room rate will go up, but I have the AAA discount of 15% applied + a small ticket discount before, which was all booked before the ticket price increase. She just needs to remove the discount on the room and apply FD though (we have a package with a AAA TA).

You can no longer use a AAA discount and a FD discount....our 1st year we had both applied...but no discounts can be combined with a FD booking.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[LGTD]

I wonder how much a disney TA makes in commission. Is it a flat rate or percentage? If its a percent then it would be better for them if they didn't get discounts for u.

 

[aaarcher86]

I wonder how much a disney TA makes in commission. Is it a flat rate or percentage? If its a percent then it would be better for them if they didn't get discounts for u.

Not in the long run since you wouldn't get any business.

 

[disneymania0711]

Maybe someone has asked this but if you booked with a Disney Chase DEBIT card can you call on the 29th to make the change for FD. I'm asking for my sister. I myself will be waiting until GP.

 

[NoodlesMom]

I wonder how much a disney TA makes in commission. Is it a flat rate or percentage? If its a percent then it would be better for them if they didn't get discounts for u.

It's a percentage. A good TA loves being able to find a better price for their customer. Most people traveling to WDW have no clue that free dinning exist and that's where a knowledgable TA helps.

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

So has anything been officially released yet? In the past when has it? Are DV customers just hoping to call Monday morning asking for FD or will there be a PIN code by then?

 

[smitch425]

Maybe someone has asked this but if you booked with a Disney Chase DEBIT card can you call on the 29th to make the change for FD. I'm asking for my sister. I myself will be waiting until GP.

Yes, the Disney debit qualifies for the early release.

So has anything been officially released yet? In the past when has it? Are DV customers just hoping to call Monday morning asking for FD or will there be a PIN code by then?

It will not be announced until the day it goes live. You will have confirmation that the deal is live on this site shortly after 7am Monday morning. No codes necessary, the CM will have access to the appropriate code.