Is it better to book first or wait for a deal?

[graysmommy]

I am planning our very first stay on property for this September/October with my family (Me, DH, DS-5 and DS-baby) and my in-laws to celebrate their 40th anniversary

Considering we are coming from Ontario, we will also have to factor in the cost of flights for 5 people, so we'd like to save as much money as possible. We are looking at the POP - I think that we will all love the theming and be in the parks a lot so not worried too much about luxurious accomodations

I am hoping (like everyone else) for Free Dining, but would take a room only code as well. I think we will book the dining plan either way.

What I need help with is deciding whether to go ahead and make a reservation - possibly room only - and hope for deals to be offered in the next little while; or should I hold tight til at least the end of March, when I believe I could make our ADR's (planning on going the last week of Sept/first couple weeks of Oct, depending on discounts)???

Or should I go ahead and book everything, hoping that free dining would be offered at a later date and apply it then?

I have read about people doing it both ways, I'm just super nervous because this is our first time and I don't want to miss out on anything!

 

[sahmoffour]

If price is going to be a big factor, I would probably book just so you have your rooms guaranteed. Otherwise you could wait a month or two, go to book once a deal is out, and find there's no availability left at POP. Generally Sept is slow, but it would be terrible to have to cancel or spend a bunch more just because you waited. Chances are free dining will come out eventually as it has for the past 6 (I think?) years. So when free dining comes out, you just have to call and ask if you can add it to your reservation. Especially since it only costs $200 for a deposit to book, and you can always get that refunded up to 45 days out if need be, it really isn't much hassle to book now just to know you have rooms at your resort of choice.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Last year when free dining was offered, you got the QSDP offered free at the value resorts and could upgrade to TS dining for a small fee.
I just wanted to mention that since I didn't know if you knew that.

Another thing to know is if Pop is really booked, they might not offer free dining at that resort since they tend to offer it to fill up the rooms.

I think in your situation since you know what resort you want, I'd book the package now. Then as soon as you hear about free dining and get the code, call and change to that.
This way you'll already be in the resort you want so even if something happens and you don't get free dining, you'll be all set.

 

[mommyrosa2]

I definitely agree with the PP's. If you're planning to go regardless of a discount or not, then I would book now to guarantee you get a room, then just switch over if a better promo comes out. If you look at historical data, you have a good shot of a FD promo during your timeframe. Best of Luck!

 

[graysmommy]

Thanks for all your input!

 

[glocon]

Call for your reservations and you may have a PIN you did not know about. Can't hurt to try!

 

[cwt580]

so if i want a special resort for 2013 MAY i should go ahead and book resort now??? add discounts later if any ever come up? We are gonna do the full pkg(park hops and deluxe dining). Pkgs dont come out till AUgest 2012 for 2013. But we are set on POR/POFQ

Does any one know if they give a pin out for that far in advance? dont want to call and have them check for pins if im gonna look stupid.

 

[DisGirl1971]

Thanks for all your input!

Making a room only reservation would be a waste of time and money. If you are waiting on a discount like free dining and/or you know you are gettting the dining plan anyway, you have to be booked under a Magic Your Way Package reservation. If you book a room-only reservation now, you would just have to cancel that reservation and rebook to get the package for dining or free dining. Also, it will take 2 billing cycles to get the refund on the room-only reservation and they will not transfer that amount to a new package reservation.

In the 8 years that they have had Free Dining discounts, Pop Century has always been included in the promo. In fact, the only time that a resort has been totally excluded was in 2007 and the resort was Wildneress Lodge. That is the one and only time an entire resort has been blocked out for a FD discount. Some resorts will "sell out" of free dining promos faster than others. Pop and All-Star Movies, generally, do sell out first. But if you call in the first couple of days a FD promo is released you should not have any issue applying the FD discount to your existing reservation at Pop Century.

The August/September free dining promo should be released in the next 6 ot 8 weeks. The October - December free dining promos will, most likely, be released mid-summer, probably July.

 

[DisGirl1971]

so if i want a special resort for 2013 MAY i should go ahead and book resort now??? add discounts later if any ever come up? We are gonna do the full pkg(park hops and deluxe dining). Pkgs dont come out till AUgest 2012 for 2013. But we are set on POR/POFQ

Does any one know if they give a pin out for that far in advance? dont want to call and have them check for pins if im gonna look stupid.

No, if you know you are going to want the Disney Dining Plan, you will have to book a Magic Your Way Package when they are released in August. If you book a room only reservation now, you will just have to cancel the room-only and rebook under a package reservation. It takes 2 billing cycles to get a refund on the room only reservation and they will not apply that discount to a new package reservation.

 

[cwt580]

the deposit isnt an issue for us. what is...is room location and resort.

I know everyone asks this but if you switch to pkg from room only system, do you still keep the specific room you reserved? no Pins or discounts. total rack rate.....

talked to CM last night(knowledgable and polite) and she told me yes i keep my room and room only discounts can be applied later. NO on adding free dining later? unless there are rooms available for that promo at that resort in your specific room category.


Now is everyone as confused as i have been. heard so many different answers to this..

ALSO I DIDNT MEAN TO HIJACK the posters thread.

 

[mommyrosa2]

the deposit isnt an issue for us. what is...is room location and resort.

I know everyone asks this but if you switch to pkg from room only system, do you still keep the specific room you reserved? no Pins or discounts. total rack rate.....

talked to CM last night(knowledgable and polite) and she told me yes i keep my room and room only discounts can be applied later. NO on adding free dining later? unless there are rooms available for that promo at that resort in your specific room category.


Now is everyone as confused as i have been. heard so many different answers to this..

ALSO I DIDNT MEAN TO HIJACK the posters thread.

You'll be able to keep your room view IF it is available under the promo. For example, last year, I had a standard view room booked with a pin code discount at the BC. When the FD promo came out, I called to switch my package to the FD but was told there were no standard view rooms available at the BC under the FD promo but I could upgrade to the garden view room in order to get the FD promo and that's what we did.

 

[cwt580]

so you got to keep your pin discount? even after upgrading room w/ FD?

or did you loose your pin discount?

CM did tell me that if we booked at rack rate room only that odds would be that Disney wouldnt send us a pin. And free dining first week of May usually isnt a normal from the past yrs? So our only hope is some kind of room discount at POR/POFQ(we are set on that resort unless we could do a deluxe for same rate w/ discounts= 4 ADULTS) ? We want riverview building 1. its what we want.

dont wanna feel like a wimp and not get any discount but beginning to think it is what it is....

 

[mommyrosa2]

so you got to keep your pin discount? even after upgrading room w/ FD?

or did you loose your pin discount?

CM did tell me that if we booked at rack rate room only that odds would be that Disney wouldnt send us a pin. And free dining first week of May usually isnt a normal from the past yrs? So our only hope is some kind of room discount at POR/POFQ(we are set on that resort unless we could do a deluxe for same rate w/ discounts= 4 ADULTS) ? We want riverview building 1. its what we want.

dont wanna feel like a wimp and not get any discount but beginning to think it is what it is....

You cannot stack discounts. We had to forfeit our pin code but we knew even paying rack rate, the FD offer saved us more $$. As for room requests, you need to remember that while you can make a request, requests are never guaranteed.

 

[trainingupmy4princes]

so you got to keep your pin discount? even after upgrading room w/ FD?

or did you loose your pin discount?

CM did tell me that if we booked at rack rate room only that odds would be that Disney wouldnt send us a pin. And free dining first week of May usually isnt a normal from the past yrs? So our only hope is some kind of room discount at POR/POFQ(we are set on that resort unless we could do a deluxe for same rate w/ discounts= 4 ADULTS) ? We want riverview building 1. its what we want.

dont wanna feel like a wimp and not get any discount but beginning to think it is what it is....

They assign the rooms when you check in so whether you book now or wait won't give you a specific building. You can only book a category/view. I would not be worried about them running out of riverview rooms this far in advance. JMO

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

Making a room only reservation would be a waste of time and money. If you are waiting on a discount like free dining and/or you know you are gettting the dining plan anyway, you have to be booked under a Magic Your Way Package reservation. If you book a room-only reservation now, you would just have to cancel that reservation and rebook to get the package for dining or free dining. Also, it will take 2 billing cycles to get the refund on the room-only reservation and they will not transfer that amount to a new package reservation.
In the 8 years that they have had Free Dining discounts, Pop Century has always been included in the promo. In fact, the only time that a resort has been totally excluded was in 2007 and the resort was Wildneress Lodge. That is the one and only time an entire resort has been blocked out for a FD discount. Some resorts will "sell out" of free dining promos faster than others. Pop and All-Star Movies, generally, do sell out first. But if you call in the first couple of days a FD promo is released you should not have any issue applying the FD discount to your existing reservation at Pop Century.

The August/September free dining promo should be released in the next 6 ot 8 weeks. The October - December free dining promos will, most likely, be released mid-summer, probably July.

This is a good and very helpful point.

 

[cwt580]

ok after running some more numbers and pkg options, we are taking your advice and waiting till 2013 pkgs are released....

and to top it off we just decided to change our resorts...to WL. we are excited. by losing 1 night and changing to std 7day tix no hoppers and deluxe dining. its comes out to about $400 more rack rate. so we decided to to do WL again.

now if a room discount comes out after we book pkg(woods view) hopefully we could apply it allowing an extra night stay....

 

[graysmommy]

So thanks to all of your helpful advice, I called Disney this morning and booked POP for 7 nights in late Sept/early Oct! I haven't stopped smilin about it all day!

Now for a Free dining offer!