Major Problem - Room Booking w/FD

[Jazzerfan]

Although Fall FREE DINING came out only about 3 weeks ago, I am having major trouble booking a MOD resort. The only selection left under the FD offer is Pirate Room (Water View) at CBR and FTW Cabins.

I called Disney travel yesterday and they told me the same. I would love to upgrade to AKL which is still available, but just can't see spending the extra $700 plus for Deluxe. They do have all the VALUE available, but then I have to upgrade the dining plan from QS to regular DP. I asked the cast member is they open up rooms at a later date, but she said they only a lot so many rooms for FD offer and once sold they are gone.

Is this true? Should I check back or book CBR or just to do the upgrade at a value. It's just a 4n/5d trip and it's just me and my daughter. My concern with CBR is the pirate rooms are far from main OPR food and main lobby.

Just don't know what to do. Any help or suggestions are welcome.

 

[wdwmom2011]

Depending on your party (don't know how old your daughter is), it may be cheaper to stay value and pay to upgrade the dining plan than even staying moderate. You would have to do the math, but my guess is that it would be cheaper to go value.

I would book a value and upgrade the meal plan. If you really want to stay moderate, you could keep calling back to check if something is available and then switch over.

 

[MichiganMomto4]

Depending on your party (don't know how old your daughter is), it may be cheaper to stay value and pay to upgrade the dining plan than even staying moderate. You would have to do the math, but my guess is that it would be cheaper to go value.

I would book a value and upgrade the meal plan. If you really want to stay moderate, you could keep calling back to check if something is available and then switch over.

I agree. We had originally booked POP with an upgraded DDP. Switched to CSR and it was still $300.00 more total.

And keep trying for a mod if you really want it. Rooms may be on hold that won't come up and people cancel/switch all the time. Good Luck!

 

[POOHsie]

It's true that there are limited rooms for FD offers. It depends on how slow rooms in certain resorts & categories are selling. You say it's only 3 weeks since the FD offer, but in reality, savvy people had already taken most of the FD rooms by that time.

Next time, you should look for info on upcoming FD offers so you jump on it immediately. I made my reservations the end of May, and I had been following chatter about FD coming up for my dates. Finally someone posted an unofficial "official info" post about FD, and I was on the phone the first morning to get in on it. The DisBoards has a forum called Disney Discount Codes and Rates (under the Disney Resorts category), where there are threads that talk about upcoming discounts. It's very helpful for formulating your best value Disney stay. http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=93

If you get a Value room with QSDP and want to upgrade it to DDP, it's $16.55/person/night ($16.55 x 2 = 33.10 x 4 nts = $132.40 total). That's a lot cheaper than Deluxe, or a preferred moderate room. If you get a room at Pop, you can walk across the bridge and visit AoA and their new food court.

 

[Jazzerfan]

It's true that there are limited rooms for FD offers. It depends on how slow rooms in certain resorts & categories are selling. You say it's only 3 weeks since the FD offer, but in reality, savvy people had already taken most of the FD rooms by that time.

Next time, you should look for info on upcoming FD offers so you jump on it immediately. I made my reservations the end of May, and I had been following chatter about FD coming up for my dates. Finally someone posted an unofficial "official info" post about FD, and I was on the phone the first morning to get in on it. The DisBoards has a forum called Disney Discount Codes and Rates (under the Disney Resorts category), where there are threads that talk about upcoming discounts. It's very helpful for formulating your best value Disney stay. http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=93

If you get a Value room with QSDP and want to upgrade it to DDP, it's $16.55/person/night ($16.55 x 2 = 33.10 x 4 nts = $132.40 total). That's a lot cheaper than Deluxe, or a preferred moderate room. If you get a room at Pop, you can walk across the bridge and visit AoA and their new food court.

Didn't realize AoA was that close. Never stayed POP, but where are their preferred rooms and are they more crowded that ASMu?

 

[POOHsie]

Didn't realize AoA was that close. Never stayed POP, but where are their preferred rooms and are they more crowded that ASMu?

Here is a map of preferred rooms at Pop. In the center top of the map you can see the bridge to AoA. http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/...read/PopCenturyMap2012RoomCategoriesFINAL.jpg

I have a pic that shows AoA and Pop Century across the lake with bridge access. This shows you how close the resorts are:

Value resort # of rooms:
Disney's All-Star Movies Resort -- 1,920 rooms
Disney's All-Star Music Resort -- 1,604 rooms
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort -- 1,920 rooms
Disney's Pop Century Resort -- 2,880 rooms
Disney's Art of Animation Resort -- 864 rooms (more under construction)

Pop Century has more rooms than AsMu, but it handles its number of guests just as well. Pop is probably the most popular of the Value resorts. Here is a thread about Pop. It covers most everything you would possibly want to know. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2914418

 

[WSLover]

I am not sure what dates you are looking at but I would keep checking.

I have had the same thing happen making other hotel reservations - not just Disney. I have called to book a room and told nothing available and then hung up and called back and was able to make a res. I also have tried to book rooms online and saw no availability but then called the hotel and was able to book on the phone.

 

[jenniferma]

I don't have any great advice but wanted to say I am sorry! We are waiting for any jan discounts and this is what I am afraid of.. I hope something opens up for you!

 

[Nixie]

I would book a vaule and keep checking back in you are really set on a mod. There are usually a few cancellations at the 45 day mark due to people not being able to pay their balance. (Personally I would just save the money and book a value anyways.)

 

[NancyIL]

For a short trip where you plan to spend much of your time in the parks - I would book the least expensive resort. I have never had the dining plan, but the Quick Service plan would be plenty of food for me. As an annual passholder - I have the Tables in Wonderland discount card that saves 20% at most table service restaurants and a few counter service eateries (food courts and AK counter service).

 

[Sue M]

When free dining comes out you have to book the moment it's released. Yes, it's true. WDW only puts a certain # of rooms for each promo, and when those are booked, that's it.
So book what ever you think you'll like that's left. CBR or pirate. You can keep checking to see if something else is released, and switch if there is. But book something now that you can live with.

 

[KELLY]

I would book ASAP. I would say at the point book a value. If you really want a moderate book CBR. But I would rather save the money, We prefer the QSDP so we don't really have this delima.

 

[tennessee]

book value and quick dining. I hate making plans around food time. There are so many differnt places to eat on the quick dining.Had ribs one night, chicken, meatloaf and of course hamburger.We aways do the quick dining and if there is some where special we want to eat we just pay for it. It will give u plenty of food, i feel like a pig by the end of the day.

 

[TDC Nala]

I agree with those who say book the value and upgrade your free plan if you want regular dining. Then if the moderate you want comes available, switch it.

 

[spritna]

your not alone.....we decided to go 3 days after it was released. our dates are not flexable, and the mods were gone except the pirates room. so we opted for pop century (we have stayed value many times) upgraded to DDP
for couple of bucks and it is still like 300 cheaper than pirate room. you asked for comparison with ASMU. well the biggest thing i have to say is pop has its own busses, ASMU shares with sports and movies. i read that AOA isnt even sharing busses with pop yet. for a 5 day 4 night with your daughter i would say a value (pop century) would be a good decision. upgrade to DDP is like
100 or so.

 

[TDC Nala]

I was just at AS Music and they don't share buses on every route, but on some routes they do.

 

[mickey24]

We were in a similar situation. We were booked at a mod but couldn't get a FD room. Contrary to what others have said, it doesn't even matter if you call on the first day or not. I did (at 7am like everyone else) and still did not get free dining at my mod. I have since called back several times and was able to upgrade to AKL with FD. No cost savings, but am paying the same price as the mod would have cost me.
They told me on the phone that if people cancel or change their reservations then FD rooms could open up, but that it was not likely at the mods due to their popularity.
Good luck!

 

[Marnm02]

For us, it was $400 less to stay in a value with the DP upgrade than it would have been to stay in the cheapest possible mod. For that amount, there was no question about going with the value (although we did pay $40 more for Pop instead of ASSP). $400 almost covered our airfare!

 

[bumbershoot]

The main lobby is only an issue that one time, after checking in, right?

Are you planning on eating at CBR every day? If not, it's not that big a deal.

I'll admit we stayed there in early December so the weather wasn't that big an issue (it later became an issue, hitting the 20s, but while at CBR it was more normal December Florida weather), but the walk wasn't that awful from the pirate rooms.

The dining plan allows you to eat all over the place, so unless you really WANT to eat at CBR all the time (I do admit it makes the mug refills annoying to be a walk away), I wouldn't let distance be a stopping point here.

 

[makingplans4WDW]

I had the same situation come up (wanted a MOD), since I had never really considered a Value before. Did some research on the boards and did the math on upgrading the QSDP and decided to book a value resort for the first time. We'll be staying in POP mid-November. We'll save money on the room from a MOD and still get to enjoy all the character meals the kids love so much for (practically) free!