Modifying my resort reservation for free dining in MDE?

[nkereina]

It's been a few years since I was on "free dining watch", but I am this year. I haven't booked yet and am debating going through a TA so she can deal with the insanity that is free dining. However, last time I went through this, I was able to modify my reservation in MDE and change it to the free dining promotion. I know it's impossible to know for this year, but has this been others' experience in recent years? Will I need to actually cancel and then re-book, or can I simply modify it to whichever room type is available and be good to go? Appreciate the help!

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

Loved our TA, she did all that and more for us, and of course she is a "Disney TA" so no fee from me! PM me if you want her creds!
She not only got us the free dining, she got all my requested ADRs in the time frame I requested, and FPs as well!
We also had an issue with WDW that would have taken a trip to guest services to straighten out and all it took from me was a short text from Epcot. Problem solved, no need to take time out to problem solve!
Worth her weight in Disney Gold!
And yes, you have to cancel and rebook! Again she did all of that!

 

[nkereina]

Thanks... I have a good travel agent who I know will do all of that, but we're traveling with others and I'm a control freak Just trying to find out whether to switch to free dining can still be done from MDE, and whether it would require a cancel/re-book where I'd have to get my deposit refunded and front another $200 deposit in the mean time?

 

[Cbtexan04]

We're looking to fly in at the very end of September, so it might be a crapshoot on whether we'd get free dining. I figure it'll be easier to book it myself online the morning it's announced. Plus, I'll don't have to worry about reaching anyone through email/phone when hundreds of others are as well!

 

[nkereina]

We're looking to fly in at the very end of September, so it might be a crapshoot on whether we'd get free dining. I figure it'll be easier to book it myself online the morning it's announced. Plus, I'll don't have to worry about reaching anyone through email/phone when hundreds of others are as well!

Good points, but keep in mind you won't get the +10 day advantage when booking ADRs by doing it that way. We have to make ADRs at the end of February, so I'm trying to book soon for that reason. Just trying to figure out whether I should do it myself or not!

 

[DismomfromMS]

Unfortunately, if you have a standing reservation and free dining is released for your dates, you will have to re-book to get it. It can't simply be added to your existing reservation in MDE or by a cast member over the phone. So, yes you would have to put up a second deposit & then get a refund of the first. Many recommend that if you are hoping for free dining that you don't book a reservation beforehand because this fills up that category and may cause it to be excluded from the promotion. Perhaps you could get your TA to take care of booking & then let you make all your ADR & fp+ for your whole group.

 

[ConnecticutNonna]

^^^ This ^^^
Great advice!

 

[horselover]

Unfortunately, if you have a standing reservation and free dining is released for your dates, you will have to re-book to get it. It can't simply be added to your existing reservation in MDE or by a cast member over the phone. So, yes you would have to put up a second deposit & then get a refund of the first. Many recommend that if you are hoping for free dining that you don't book a reservation beforehand because this fills up that category and may cause it to be excluded from the promotion. Perhaps you could get your TA to take care of booking & then let you make all your ADR & fp+ for your whole group.

That is incorrect. If you have an existing reservation it can be modified by your TA. You don't need to make a new reservation & put down a new deposit. The key is the room must be available at the time the promo is released. For example lets say you have a standard view at Pop already booked & free dining is released. Your TA can modify it for you no problem if that same room is available at time of promo being released. If however standard view is not available then you would have to choose another room category based on what's available at the time of modification or forgo free dining. I'm sure your TA will present you with all your available options. My advice to you is just let your TA know you want free dining & he or she will take care of the rest. If as you said you already have a good one this will not be something new for them & although it can be time consuming it can easily be done. But again I emphasis it's going to be based on what's available in inventory at the time the promo is released.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Deleted

 

[nkereina]

That is incorrect. If you have an existing reservation it can be modified by your TA. You don't need to make a new reservation & put down a new deposit. The key is the room must be available at the time the promo is released. For example lets say you have a standard view at Pop already booked & free dining is released. Your TA can modify it for you no problem if that same room is available at time of promo being released. If however standard view is not available then you would have to choose another room category based on what's available at the time of modification or forgo free dining. I'm sure your TA will present you with all your available options. My advice to you is just let your TA know you want free dining & he or she will take care of the rest. If as you said you already have a good one this will not be something new for them & although it can be time consuming it can easily be done. But again I emphasis it's going to be based on what's available in inventory at the time the promo is released.

So this is what I seem to remember when I booked on my own, with no TA, a few years ago. I was able to log into MDE and "modify" my reservation to change it to the room type that was available when free dining was released. Can anyone confirm that this option still exists in MDE? I assume if a TA can do it, we should still be able to as well?