Free Dining, Planning Ahead

[Cbtexan04]

Hey guys,

So my family is planning a Disney trip for the last week of September. I'd like to go ahead and book now to be able to get ADRs at the 189 day mark, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to book this.

We'd like to stay at Carribean Beach or either of the Port Orleans, so we would be eligible for the Standard DPP.

How do I book ahead so that I can take advantage of the free dining, but also not have to go through a huge hassle changing everything later on? My biggest worry is that if I book PO and it's not eligible for free dining, I'll have to rebook everything, and possibly lose my ADRs.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

You can book now and make your ADR's when your reservation window opens which will be 180 days prior to your check-in date. You cannot book ADR's at the 189 day mark. 180+10 refers to making ADR's 180 days prior to your check-in date for the length of your WDW resort stay, up to 10 nights maximum. If you end up changing resorts due to a free dining or other promotion, your ADR's will not be affected at all.

 

[Cbtexan04]

Thanks for the reply! How do I link the DDP to the ADR? Do I not have to worry about that until I pay, or do I have to do that ahead of time?

How about tickets-- if I book the right resort, but fail to get the right tickets, can I upgrade easily enough to meet the free dining requirements? (In the event that *something* needs to change to be eligible for the free DDP, how easy is it to change the booking to meet the requirement?)

Also, if I book now, will I have to cancel the resort I originally signed up with (since it's a different promo), or is it easy enough to transfer everything over? Sorry for all the questions, I'm just not sure of what to expect.

It sounds like go ahead and book everything with the understanding I'll have to cancel the package (but get to keep the ADRs), and I'll be able to rebook with the DDP promo.

 

[cshell624]

Hey guys,

So my family is planning a Disney trip for the last week of September. I'd like to go ahead and book now to be able to get ADRs at the 189 day mark, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to book this.

We'd like to stay at Carribean Beach or either of the Port Orleans, so we would be eligible for the Standard DPP.

How do I book ahead so that I can take advantage of the free dining, but also not have to go through a huge hassle changing everything later on? My biggest worry is that if I book PO and it's not eligible for free dining, I'll have to rebook everything, and possibly lose my ADRs.

You can make your ADR's without a reservation, you'll just have to do them one day at a time. If you do book now, you can book at 180 day mark and go out 10 days. In the past, it's been said that if you book ahead it could limit the possibility of free dining being offered at some resorts. PORFQ is usually excluded and POR has limited rooms offered.

 

[sharonabe]

Are you going even without free dining? If so, I'd go ahead and book exactly what you want. IF free dining comes out for your time period, you may or may not have to change resorts, rooms, etc, but if you do, your ADRs will be okay.

 

[supersnoop]

ADR's aren't linked to your resort reservation. The dining plan isn't linked to your ADR's.

Disney offers free dining to fill rooms that aren't otherwise being booked. Booking a room in the hopes of getting free dining is counterproductive. If you book the room, they don't need to offer the special deal.

 

[Cbtexan04]

Are you going even without free dining? If so, I'd go ahead and book exactly what you want. IF free dining comes out for your time period, you may or may not have to change resorts, rooms, etc, but if you do, your ADRs will be okay.

We would still go, but likely change our timeframe by a couple of days (later). Our preferred arrival date is early October, but we were OK with arriving a couple days earlier for free dining

 

[notrub98]

We would still go, but likely change our timeframe by a couple of days (later). Our preferred arrival date is early October, but we were OK with arriving a couple days earlier for free dining

Don't worry about it. When you dine, they will ask if you are DDP and scan your band. Whatever you have as a hotel booking will show if it is free dining. So you can change the hotel booking when and if the promotion comes out.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If you want free dining, do not book early October. Odds of the first week of October getting Free Dining are poor. They have a large convention booking up the deluxes, and that week traditionally has events at the Values as well. All of October was left out of the last two bounce backs.

 

[scard192]

also keep in mind that if you book a package and there is a ticket price increase afterwards, any change to that package (FD or change in dates) you will be charged the higher cost for the tickets.

 

[Cbtexan04]

Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to forgo any sort of prebooking, and wait to do ADRs until the 180 day mark, and just hope I can reserve what I need. I don't really want to take up a reservation spot that could/would have been for free dining, just to get a couple days' advantage.

Can anyone comment on how difficult it is to get ADRs for CRT? Of the ADRs we'd like to book, that's the one I'm most worried about. Also, I read somewhere they charge $10 ADR deposits now; if/when I get on the DDP when that releases, how do I get my deposit back?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Actually, you will pay the entire cost of CRT up front. They will refund it at time of service if you pay with DDP.

There is no deposit for any ADR. The credit card is a guarantee for the no-show fee.

 

[Cbtexan04]

Actually, you will pay the entire cost of CRT up front. They will refund it at time of service if you pay with DDP.

There is no deposit for any ADR. The credit card is a guarantee for the no-show fee.

You guys are so informative

 

[cshell624]

Thanks everyone! I think I'm going to forgo any sort of prebooking, and wait to do ADRs until the 180 day mark, and just hope I can reserve what I need. I don't really want to take up a reservation spot that could/would have been for free dining, just to get a couple days' advantage.

Can anyone comment on how difficult it is to get ADRs for CRT? Of the ADRs we'd like to book, that's the one I'm most worried about. Also, I read somewhere they charge $10 ADR deposits now; if/when I get on the DDP when that releases, how do I get my deposit back?

They will only charge your cc $10 per person if you are a no show for your reservation. As far as booking CRT, I would be online at 7am EST at your 180 day mark. I didn't have a problem when I booked, but I made sure it was the first reservation that I booked that morning. Keep in mind if you are using the DDP that CRT counts as 2 table service credits.