New Bounceback: Free Dining 2019

[Disney Ron]

Thanks, we booked a cabin and are so happy to have our FD trip taken care of for next year.

It doesn’t seem like many people know about this, so I think you’ll be fine. I lagged by calling today. There was no literature in our cabin, and the CM said, “Oh. You’ve heard.” Good luck!

Thanks we're pretty confident we should get what we are looking for since it's so early in the promo. Glad you have you FD booked for 2019. We absolutely LOVE the cabins.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I actually remember you posting back when you had to cancel your trip because of Irma. I'm really happy everything turned out good for you. What a great surprise for that beautiful daughter of yours coming up in 3 weeks. Have a safe and magical time.

Thanks!! As hard as it was last Sep, 2018 is turning out to be a banner Disney year.

Jan - rebooked Sep 2018 Irma trip
Aug - surprise water park trip to book 2019 FD
Dec - Annual Sep trip pushed a few months to enjoy a Disney Christmas!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Thanks we're pretty confident we should get what we are looking for since it's so early in the promo. Glad you have you FD booked for 2019. We absolutely LOVE the cabins.

How soon is your trip @Disney Ron? I’m already eating, sleeping and dreaming our trip in my mind!

 

[CosmicGirl]

Ahh very easy when you Dial Ext. 8844 from your onsite in-room phone. You can also call 407-939-1923 while you are still a guest at the any onsite hotel (until 10 PM of your departure day).

Note: They will verify that you in the Disney reservation system, they have all the names of your party right on the screen in front of the rep.

Dave

I realize that you have to call... But that could be done by someone with a 1-night reservation who has checked in online, declined a MB (or received it by mail), and calls from home. One night at a value or even the camp ground seems like a small investment to secure FD without the drama.

They also won’t allow a BB to be booked unless you have activated your reservation.

I called the BB number last year and begged them (yup!!) to allow me to book a BB reservation for this September when our entire trip had to be cancelled less than 12 hours prior to departure due to Irma. The CMs could see my reservation and as much as they wished they could do this, the system would not allow a BB offer to be booked. It went up the Disney chain but since the reservation was never activated the system would not allow a BB offer to be booked.

What do you mean exactly with "activated"? While it sucks that Irma complicated things for you, as I understand it you called before your trip was supposed to start, not on the day of the trip so they must have been following protocol.

Again, I have no intention of booking this offer, I'm just curious if you can book a BB if you have a paid reservation and checked in online without actually sleeping in the room. I'm a curious person, can't help it!

 

[SarahC97]

Thanks we're pretty confident we should get what we are looking for since it's so early in the promo. Glad you have you FD booked for 2019. We absolutely LOVE the cabins.

In 2016 I booked a FD bounceback for September 2017 on October 31st - the last day of the promo. I didn't have any issues booking when or where I wanted.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I realize that you have to call... But that could be done by someone with a 1-night reservation who has checked in online, declined a MB (or received it by mail), and calls from home. One night at a value or even the camp ground seems like a small investment to secure FD without the drama.



What do you mean exactly with "activated"? While it sucks that Irma complicated things for you, as I understand it you called before your trip was supposed to start, not on the day of the trip so they must have been following protocol.

Again, I have no intention of booking this offer, I'm just curious if you can book a BB if you have a paid reservation and checked in online without actually sleeping in the room. I'm a curious person, can't help it!

This is where you are wrong as you are making an assumption based on something I never said. I called the BB number the day I was supposed to be there for our first reservation, a one night room only reservation. I then called twice later in the week during nights that would have been part of our reservation.

There was no way I was going to call when my reservation was first supposed to start as that was the night before Irma artived. I was well aware that Disney CMs were in survival mode trying to help guests seeking a safe place during the hurricane it was not about me!!!

Disney knows by checking their system if a room had been entered or not. Just because someone checks in online it does not mean they have artived. I have already checked in online for my trip that isn’t for another 4 months!!

Trust me, Disney knows if you have actually arrived to activate your reservation or not.

 

[pixie_mtl]

Hmmm... that would be great if you could pay the room, check-in online and not need to fly or drive there to book FD bounce back! Wishful thinking sadly

 

[pixie_mtl]

Thanks!! As hard as it was last Sep, 2018 is turning out to be a banner Disney year.

Jan - rebooked Sep 2018 Irma trip
Aug - surprise water park trip to book 2019 FD
Dec - Annual Sep trip pushed a few months to enjoy a Disney Christmas!

Your post just gave me a great idea! Well more like I might steal your idea My daughter has been asking for years to go back to the water parks (I never really found an interest for it). I might plan a surprise trip on her bday and head to Disney to do just that... and of course book FD for next year.

 

[4DisneyFam]

10 days till we check in to the Yacht Club..first thing we will do is book next years trip.This will be 5 straight years of free dining bounce backs.Cant wait to get there

 

[KELLY]

Well I think we will try to book for two weeks next year. We always do the FD just works best for us. Three weeks from today we will be back.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Your post just gave me a great idea! Well more like I might steal your idea My daughter has been asking for years to go back to the water parks (I never really found an interest for it). I might plan a surprise trip on her bday and head to Disney to do just that... and of course book FD for next year.

I looked at a couple of nights at Great Wolf Lodge and it wasn’t a ton more to do Disney. More for sure but enough that I could justify the cost even coming from Canada as I believe you would be. We’re flying with Southwest out of Buffalo.

Go for it!!

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

We will be at Disney in about 11 days, and I was hoping for a BB for Flower and Garden. I'm pretty sure that the May BB dates will be just after Flower and Garden, right? I can survive without the food part of F & G, but do they leave the flowers and topiaries up for a while? Thanks

 

[CosmicGirl]

This is where you are wrong as you are making an assumption based on something I never said. I called the BB number the day I was supposed to be there for our first reservation, a one night room only reservation. I then called twice later in the week during nights that would have been part of our reservation.

There was no way I was going to call when my reservation was first supposed to start as that was the night before Irma artived. I was well aware that Disney CMs were in survival mode trying to help guests seeking a safe place during the hurricane it was not about me!!!

Disney knows by checking their system if a room had been entered or not. Just because someone checks in online it does not mean they have artived. I have already checked in online for my trip that isn’t for another 4 months!!

Trust me, Disney knows if you have actually arrived to activate your reservation or not.

I clearly wrote "as I understand it", meaning based on the information you provided. You wrote you had to cancel less than 12 hours before departure, which inherently means that it was cancelled before you were supposed to stay. My question was about a reservation that was paid and not cancelled.
Also, I didn't even mention call volumes, so I certainly didn't imply that it was all about you.

And finally, whether you check in online the day before or months before is irrelevant. The key point of my question was that the room would be paid for. On a previous stay we were supposed to pick up MBs at Pop but due to MVMCP we went straight to the room with old bands and didn't go to the front desk until the next morning. Pop had already sent them back because they thought we were a no show. They did not know we had been inside the room.

Hmmm... that would be great if you could pay the room, check-in online and not need to fly or drive there to book FD bounce back! Wishful thinking sadly

Have you tried it? From WDW's pov it's a status quo because they get their money either way. As a bonus the room doesn't have to be cleaned. It's no different than getting hotel loyalty credit for a paid room for which you don't show up. It's also no different from off-site guests booking a one-night throwaway room or camp site to get free parking and 60-day FPs.

You're both assuming that it doesn't work but I'm wondering if anyone has ever actually tried.

 

[Disney Ron]

In 2016 I booked a FD bounceback for September 2017 on October 31st - the last day of the promo. I didn't have any issues booking when or where I wanted.

Thanks Sarah. We have booked the FD BB in the past, but we usually aren't at WDW until late August where this year we will be there only 6 days after the promo has started so we are feeling good about our chances. We'd love to stay at the Beach Club for 10 days and the Free Dining would save us $3000.00!!! We really just want a standard view since it's rack rate. We'd be willing to book a Garden View for $9 more per night, but if they only offer Water View we're out. Our next 2 choices would be WL & AKL.

 

[DCJ]

Does anyone have any information about what rooms are available for the Bounceback? The last year or two at Wilderness Lodge they didn't have standard or lower level room categories, I think you had to book Courtyard or club level? I was curious about the Lodge, Beach Club.

 

[PinkMagnolia]

Have you tried it? From WDW's pov it's a status quo because they get their money either way. As a bonus the room doesn't have to be cleaned. It's no different than getting hotel loyalty credit for a paid room for which you don't show up. It's also no different from off-site guests booking a one-night throwaway room or camp site to get free parking and 60-day FPs.

You're both assuming that it doesn't work but I'm wondering if anyone has ever actually tried.

Last September, I posted this on last year's Bounceback thread:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/2018-bounce-back-released-today.3625641/page-10#post-58149451

"I want to give some experience for those who are thinking of booking a "throwaway" room to book a BB offer.

I stayed at WDW for one night pre-cruise with the intention of booking next year's BB offer and enjoy the resort for an evening. We got there late afternoon, so I called x8844 right away (within an hour of checking in). At first, the CM couldn't see that I'd checked in. I had to wait for a while, she had to refresh pages, clickity-click on her keyboard, and confirm that I'd checked in and was actually there. Once she did this, I was able to go ahead and make the reservation.

I wanted to share my experience as I know most people don't book their BB so soon after checkin. I have to say that she definitely made sure I'd actually checked in before booking it. I hope this info helps someone who was considering booking a throwaway room for this purpose. I don't think it will work."

 

[Disney Ron]

Does anyone have any information about what rooms are available for the Bounceback? The last year or two at Wilderness Lodge they didn't have standard or lower level room categories, I think you had to book Courtyard or club level? I was curious about the Lodge, Beach Club.

That's my concern. I'll be there in 2 days and we want Beach Club but we are not paying more than a Standard or Garden View room. We are interested in WL and AKL, but at AKL we would only pay for a Standard or Pool View room. At WL we would be willing to do Standard, Nature and even Courtyard View.

 

[DCJ]

Last year we could have booked AKL standard room FD bounceback, but at the Lodge it was either courtyard or courtyard / bunk rooms and club level. Now with the higher priced room levels they have added, maybe they will be available also.

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

I am thinking as @Disney Ron - what categories are available? Does anyone have any info on the rooms that you must book for FD BB at Beach Club? Or at PORS? We fly out Tuesday (drive to Buffalo tomorrow and fly out Tuesday morning) and plan to book when we arrive, but just curious as to the requirements for those resorts. We are willing to pay Standard or Garden View at BC but if they're not available, we will likely book PORS and pay to upgrade DDP (or maybe just try the QS plan- we did this once and paid OOP for a couple of cheaper TS meals and it worked well). I think that if we booked BC though, we'd enjoy all of the TS in Epcot

 

[Disney Ron]

I am thinking as @Disney Ron - what categories are available? Does anyone have any info on the rooms that you must book for FD BB at Beach Club? Or at PORS? We fly out Tuesday (drive to Buffalo tomorrow and fly out Tuesday morning) and plan to book when we arrive, but just curious as to the requirements for those resorts. We are willing to pay Standard or Garden View at BC but if they're not available, we will likely book PORS and pay to upgrade DDP (or maybe just try the QS plan- we did this once and paid OOP for a couple of cheaper TS meals and it worked well). I think that if we booked BC though, we'd enjoy all of the TS in Epcot

OLP, where are you staying? We fly down Tuesday from Rhode Island and will be checking in at POFQ for 3 nights then on the 10th we are moving to WL for 7 nights. The minute we get in our room we are booking FD BB for next year so we don't forget. We love Epcot and always wanted to try Beach Club, but I was pricing the rooms and for rack rate we'd only book if Standard or Garden View were available. We'd be booking for 10 days and FD would save our family of four $3,000!!!

Enjoy your trip and good luck booking FD BB!!!