Getting FREE DDP "after" booking?

[41694love]

Others have tried to explain - I must just be going senial In the simplest terms - can someone answer this question for me:: If I book an onsite Disney hotel (i.e. All Star Music) for Sept 09 and choose ONLY the room and then in April or whenever, they announce FREE DDP, can I then get it or is it too late? And PS - what happens to my deposit at ASM if I cancel?? Thanks

 

[kaytieeldr]

You can = IF, when you call to change your room-only reservation to a package, there are promotional rooms still available at your resort on your dates.

What happens to your deposit depends - usually you can roll it over AND pay the difference between that and the $200 package deposit requirement. If you can't, you need to pay the package deposit in full, and your room-only deposit will be credited/returned to you.

 

[goofy4tink]

I had a room at POP booked well in advance of the free dining announcement. In fact, I hadn't even thought about the free dining. I was going for the Night of Joy weekend. Then, when free dining came out, I had my TA get it for me. But, if I remember correctly, she had to refund my original deposit and make a new one for the free dining package. The whole first reservation had to be cancelled, and rebooked as a package.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

That's correct -- if the original reservation was for "room-only", the one night deposit already paid will be credited, and a $200 deposit will be collected towards the new "package".

 

[Seahunt]

And I'll add this just to confuse DISers who might be reading this just a little more confused

Last year when the free dining was going on the Bounceback that was offered then to all the resort guests was to be able to book the free dining package again for the next year (thus no waiting until the next April to book). For your $200 deposit you could be assured to get free dining for the next year, usually at the resort of your first choice and the dates you wanted.

Some people who weren't doing the free dining period wanted that free dining Bounceback for the next year realllly bad. And toward the end of June last year (after the regular free dining booking period ended), WDW came out with some AP room only deals and then general public deals, and voila! many DISers reported going down to WDW and staying even just one night using those room only deals just to be able to get that Bounceback with free dining for the next year!

Something to think about! You might want to make a one night trip!