Just got Free Dining for August 2015.

[smitch425]

Dry your tears, Kate; you can still take advantage of the bounceback!!!

As other posters have suggested, you simply do a split-stay; which is, typically, two separate back-to-back reservations at one or more WDW resorts! It's a piece of cake!

We took advantage of a bounceback offer for Free Dining later this month when we visited the parks last August. We had the same problem you had... we planned to be back down at WDW prior to the start of the FD BB promotion, which this year is on August 20, 2014. We plan to arrive on August 17.

So, we booked the FD BB last August to start with a stay in a FW cabin for a few days, beginning on Aug. 20. When we arrive on Aug.17, I grabbed a suite at AS-Music for a few nights. On the morning of the 20th, we check out of all-stars and check-in to Fort Wilderness! Nothing to it!

Now that I know the Free Dining will be offered as the bounceback to return next August, I see a 2015 WDW trip in our future!

While a split stay is an option, it would require the purchase of more than one set of tickets if she wanted to do parks the first couple of days. You can only pick up package tickets a maximum of 3 days early.

 

[dtats]

While a split stay is an option, it would require the purchase of more than one set of tickets if she wanted to do parks the first couple of days. You can only pick up package tickets a maximum of 3 days early.

Right, smitch, that's what we're doing. We reserved two separate packages, one for each resort stay. Both have MYWPH passes for all members of the family; the biggest difference being the dining plans on each res. And, we have two sets of Magic Bands - - one set for each stay.

Bottom line is, we're still able to enjoy the bounceback we received last August, and found a way to take advantage of it while working around our planned schedule.

I actually considered staying at the new Cabana Bay Resort at USF from Aug. 17-20, but the kids wanted Disney, so it's all-stars for us next Monday!

 

[smitch425]

Right, smitch, that's what we're doing. We reserved two separate packages, one for each resort stay. Both have MYWPH passes for all members of the family; the biggest difference being the dining plans on each res. And, we have two sets of Magic Bands - - one set for each stay.

Bottom line is, we're still able to enjoy the bounceback we received last August, and found a way to take advantage of it while working around our planned schedule.

I actually considered staying at the new Cabana Bay Resort at USF from Aug. 17-20, but the kids wanted Disney, so it's all-stars for us next Monday!

I hope you have thought of this, but you can get the full length of tickets on your first stay and save the other set for a future trip. Using two sets of tickets on the same trip is a huge unnecessary expense.

 

[dtats]

I hope you have thought of this, but you can get the full length of tickets on your first stay and save the other set for a future trip. Using two sets of tickets on the same trip is a huge unnecessary expense.

The BB required a package reservation, so tix were included. I priced out the various tix combo's for the two consecutive trips and found no substantial price difference. Thanks for your concern.

 

[smitch425]

The BB required a package reservation, so tix were included. I priced out the various tix combo's for the two consecutive trips and found no substantial price difference. Thanks for your concern.

Just trying to help you save hundreds of dollars. Have a great trip!

 

[Ava]

Oo, I hope the BB is still being offered when we go next month. I was looking at the 2015 calendar the other day and Labor Day isn't until Sept 7th next year - schools here don't go back until after Labor Day, so we could potentially go like Aug 29-Sept 5, catch MNSSHP again, and DD wouldn't have to miss any school.

We're still over a month out from this year's trip and I'm already scheming how we can go back!

 

[wdwmaw]

The BB required a package reservation, so tix were included. I priced out the various tix combo's for the two consecutive trips and found no substantial price difference. Thanks for your concern.

BB reservations do require a 2 day ticket for each person but you don't actually have to use the ticket to get free dining.

Just want to be clear here for others reading these post and thinking about split stay. It is never economical to purchase length of stay for each resort stay during a split stay. If you want FD for both reservations then remember the 2 day tickets will never expire and can be used during a future room only vacation, toward an annual pass purchase or upgrade in the future, or like I have done sold to a family member. At check in a CM can remove the 2 day from MB with no problem. Yes you are putting some money up front but if you have 5 people in your party then your walking away with $1000, that's pretty significant savings toward your next vacation, esp if booking outside of FD next year.


What Smitch is saying in your specific case is your spending well over $1000 for your first few nights for tickets at a value resort. If you booked a RO, picked up tickets early (3 days) from FD package, you would have over $1000 to buy food with and you possible wouldn't have to eat burgers the first few days. With QS option you have now you would have plenty of food with that amount

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[dtats]

...Just want to be clear here for others reading these post and thinking about split stay. It is never economical to purchase length of stay for each resort stay during a split stay...

Perhaps, but not all of us purchase length of stay tickets. If you only visit WDW once a year, like we do, typically on a promo like FD, and your split stay packages do not include length of stay tix, then there is less incentive to do what you're suggesting.

I can see how what you propose can be beneficial if you plan to return during a subsequent non-package trip, or sell the tix to others. We have never purchased length of stay tix, as we also enjoy other activities outside the parks, so we have no need for that many tix. And I choose not to invest in tickets that we will likely not use.

This does, however, underscore how different approaches to a split stay can be appealing and economical to families with varying needs.

 

[wdwmaw]

Perhaps, but not all of us purchase length of stay tickets. If you only visit WDW once a year, like we do, typically on a promo like FD, and your split stay packages do not include length of stay tix, then there is less incentive to do what you're suggesting. I can see how what you propose can be beneficial if you plan to return during a subsequent non-package trip, or sell the tix to others. We have never purchased length of stay tix, as we also enjoy other activities outside the parks, so we have no need for that many tix. And I choose not to invest in tickets that we will likely not use. This does, however, underscore how different approaches to a split stay can be appealing and economical to families with varying needs.

Length of stay is just the amount of tickets during the length of your stay and you now have 2 sets of them with your 2 packages. A 7 day ticket can be used within a timeframe of up to 14 days (this trip will you be in the Orlando area longer than 14 days??). You only need one set of tickets for your entire length of your trip and you have 2. A huge amount of money for no reason


With the scenario I gave, you wouldn't have tickets your walking away with and would have more flexibility with your time and food choices. Just trying to help Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[dtats]

Length of stay is just the amount of tickets during the length of your stay and you now have 2 sets of them with your 2 packages. A 7 day ticket can be used within a timeframe of up to 14 days (this trip will you be in the Orlando area longer than 14 days??). You only need one set of tickets for your entire length of your trip and you have 2. A huge amount of money for no reason


With the scenario I gave, you wouldn't have tickets your walking away with and would have more flexibility with your time and food choices. Just trying to help Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

Thanks, I do understand length of stay. For our stay, we are not remaining in the Orlando area for longer than 14 days, and we plan to be in the parks for no more than 5 days, so the 7 day tickets would be overkill and unnecessary. Wasted money.

Although I appreciate your alternate view on maximizing tickets choices, please don't assume that it applies to all possible scenarios.

 

[Bernie23]

Okay, so buy five day tickets with your first package. Use those the entire time you are there, at both resorts. Including the one with the FD.

Then, when you get free dining, you buy the two day tickets with that. Don't use them. Continue to use the first set of five day tickets.

Next time you go to disney, you can use the two day tickets on a room only package. Like the above scenario when you had to buy tickets for the first room only because free dining didn't exist. Now you won't have to do that! You'll have tickets that you already purchased AND you can extend them while you are there if you want.

It absolutely applies to all possible scenarios. It's not assuming anything. This is the best way to maximize the ticket savings if you start your vacation before FD begins and have to have two reservations.

 

[wdwmaw]

Thanks, I do understand length of stay. For our stay, we are not remaining in the Orlando area for longer than 14 days, and we plan to be in the parks for no more than 5 days, so the 7 day tickets would be overkill and unnecessary. Wasted money. Although I appreciate your alternate view on maximizing tickets choices, please don't assume that it applies to all possible scenarios.

Oh, WOW!! Have a magical trip

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[Disneylover99]

It absolutely applies to all possible scenarios. It's not assuming anything. This is the best way to maximize the ticket savings if you start your vacation before FD begins and have to have two reservations.

We have annual passes and free dining works great for us because we will use our two day tickets towards our AP renewal at the end of this month.

 

[dtats]

Okay, so buy five day tickets with your first package. Use those the entire time you are there, at both resorts. Including the one with the FD.

Then, when you get free dining, you buy the two day tickets with that. Don't use them. Continue to use the first set of five day tickets.

Next time you go to disney, you can use the two day tickets on a room only package. Like the above scenario when you had to buy tickets for the first room only because free dining didn't exist. Now you won't have to do that! You'll have tickets that you already purchased AND you can extend them while you are there if you want.

It absolutely applies to all possible scenarios. It's not assuming anything. This is the best way to maximize the ticket savings if you start your vacation before FD begins and have to have two reservations.

Hi Bernie, welcome to the discussion. In my case, I have two back-to-back packages, both of which required minimum ticket purchases to take advantage of all the discounts offered. Since our combined stay is brief, there was no need to do what is being suggested in my situation.

Had we not taken advantage of another offer prior to the start of our FD BB, then the 5-day tix up-front might have made more sense for us. But we're not returning on a room only stay next year. As this thread states, there'll be another FD BB for next August, which we plan to enjoy.

My original point to another poster was to point out how a split stay can help her and her family still enjoy the FD BB when vacation plans stray from the offered time frame, not to turn this thread into a debate on ticket strategies.

 

[Bernie23]

Hi Bernie, welcome to the discussion. In my case, I have two back-to-back packages, both of which required minimum ticket purchases to take advantage of all the discounts offered. Since our combined stay is brief, there was no need to do what is being suggested in my situation.

Had we not taken advantage of another offer prior to the start of our FD BB, then the 5-day tix up-front might have made more sense for us. But we're not returning on a room only stay next year. As this thread states, there'll be another FD BB for next August, which we plan to enjoy.

My original point to another poster was to point out how a split stay can help her and her family still enjoy the FD BB when vacation plans stray from the offered time frame, not to turn this thread into a debate on ticket strategies.

No, there's no need to do it, except from a savings perspective. Disney prices their tickets on a heavy front-end, so if you're only buying one or two days, you'll pay the most amount of money.

All I'm saying is that if you bought both of the tickets for your packages, but don't use the second set, you can save those (if they aren't activated, they don't expire) for any future trip, ever. Doesn't have to be next year, just in the future, you'd have a set of tickets ready to go.Using a set of two day tickets and then a set of three day tickets doesn't make financial sense. Better to buy the five day set up front and then save the other tickets that you had to buy as part of a package and use them for some future trip.

I'm not trying to turn it into a debate, you just said to a previous poster to not assume that the same math works out for everyone. Math is math.

In any case, I hope you have a great trip!

 

[smitch425]

Thanks, I do understand length of stay. For our stay, we are not remaining in the Orlando area for longer than 14 days, and we plan to be in the parks for no more than 5 days, so the 7 day tickets would be overkill and unnecessary. Wasted money.

Although I appreciate your alternate view on maximizing tickets choices, please don't assume that it applies to all possible scenarios.

Wasted money?!?! You are wasting HUNDREDS (if not thousand) of dollars already. You either have money to blow or don't understand what we are talking about. Either way, I hope you have a magical trip.

 

[Madame]

Another question

I teach & won't get the school calendar for next year until later in the school year. Labour day is late next year & I have no idea if we'll be back Sept 8th or if they'll start us the week before. I'd really like to attend MNSSHP on Sept 1st, but we could be back to school by then.

So, can I book 2 different BBs (one under my name & one under my husband's) for two different weeks & then cancel one when the school schedule becomes available?

Thanks!

 

[wdwmaw]

Another question I teach & won't get the school calendar for next year until later in the school year. Labour day is late next year & I have no idea if we'll be back Sept 8th or if they'll start us the week before. I'd really like to attend MNSSHP on Sept 1st, but we could be back to school by then. So, can I book 2 different BBs (one under my name & one under my husband's) for two different weeks & then cancel one when the school schedule becomes available? Thanks!

Yes!!

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[foreverdis]

I booked the Bounce Back offer yesterday, before we left ASSp. The dates are 'end of August, through 10/2/15'. I booked 10/2-10/7, and was told that I was eligible for FD for the length of stay, as long as I arrived before 10/2.

Does this sound right? Thanks!

 

[smitch425]

I booked the Bounce Back offer yesterday, before we left ASSp. The dates are 'end of August, through 10/2/15'. I booked 10/2-10/7, and was told that I was eligible for FD for the length of stay, as long as I arrived before 10/2.

Does this sound right? Thanks!

Yes, as long as your check in date is a covered date, you can get FD for up to 14 nights.

The covered check in dates are Aug. 20- Oct. 2, 2015.