******Official 2017 Free Dining Plan Watch, Wait, and Dream

[DisKaren]

agreed. we have 6 or 7 going, so I'm basically stuck to a Deluxe if we want 1 room.

I didn't think they guarantee connecting rooms either, but someone on page 122 of this thread replied to my post that they were told last night when they reserved rooms at POP that because they were parents and children together it was guaranteed and it showed on the reservation that way. I hope for that family's sake they were told the correct thing. I know CMs are not always accurate.

 

[Neeky78]

Is there a special number to call GR or do we just go through the main modify reservation number?

Usual number. I asked the same question! Guest Relations is the fancy title they give the supervisors. It's not a separate call centre. So the CMs on the phone electronically message GR with a question and wait for a reply.
I imagine they could transfer you to GR if you request to speak to a supervisor in the case of being really unsatisfied with something, but we can't access them directly.

 

[menotyou21]

I didn't think they guarantee connecting rooms either, but someone on page 122 of this thread replied to my post that they were told last night when they reserved rooms at POP that because they were parents and children together it was guaranteed and it showed on the reservation that way. I hope for that family's sake they were told the correct thing. I know CMs are not always accurate.

I hope they are held to it! An example I have: 2014 @ Beach Club - I booked 2 standard rooms with 1 adult and 3 kids in each room. I requested connecting rooms. It was my family with 2 cousins, so 2 adults and 6 kids. Our 2nd room was across the hall, not next to or connecting. I get it, but it was annoying. We had only booked 5 months in advance.....so maybe they had no connecting rooms left by that time. We ended up sleeping 6 in one room and 2 in the other. Not ideal, but overall - We had an AWESOME time!

 

[nmrgrl55]

Pretty sure there were no PINS(UOC) for FD last year. Our dates did not qualify for FD so we booked a deal with a TA at the end of April for our November trip. I watched the DIS just about every day looking for posts about FD UOCs and never saw any

Thanks. Well, I will still hope for my dates or off-site it is!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I considered booking 2 value rooms, but it's me, DH and 5 kids, we would need a guaranteed connecting room. I don't want to be totally seperated from part of my family on vacation. I couldn't do it without a door between the two rooms, and they don't want to guarantee that.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

We need to hear something about FD soon...I feel like this FD obsession is getting worse every day...I don't know what I'm gonna think about when it's over!

 

[DisneyNic]

I was told the same thing a few hours ago. The CBR GC offer is being overseen by Guest Relations, so all modifications to a booking with the GC, have to be approved by GR to keep the GC on the booking. The CM I spoke to said the offer was unprecedented in her 15 years of working in Disney bookings, so it's all so uncertain. If you go via the website, any modifications may affect the GC offer. And trying to get them to reinstate it later may be difficult or impossible.

I called to add 2 more nights to my CBR reservation and she had to check with GR if I could keep the GC still!! I was shocked as it never occurred to me that increasing my stay could jeopardise it!

Luckily, GR advised her I wouldn't lose the GC. Phew!

But she advised calling to make ANY modifications so I could be certain the GC was still in place. Even if I wanted to add a (paid) dining package or park tickets to my reservation.

But then again, the CM did tell me that if I wanted to increase my 4 day park ticket while I was there I'd have to do it on my first day of using the ticket as after that I would have to pay for a one day ticket from scratch. Which I'm 99.9% certain is not correct. As long as I upgrade the pass before the end of the 4th day, it will only cost the difference between a 4 day and a 5 day pass.

In terms of my resort booking and fd, I've decided to go online when it drops and secure fd with any mod resort that is roughly the same price as CBR. It may end up being another CBR room even!

And then I'll get on the phone at 7am and see if I can get FD added to my original CBR booking without it jeopardising the GC. If it all goes through, I'll cancel the new booking. If it doesn't, I'll cancel the original CBR booking as we would spend more than $75 (GC amount) on food for the 3 of us per night (we want to do a number of dining experiences). I've crunched the numbers and think I've worked it all out!

BTW, can I just say that it drives me mad that most booking sites in/for the USA don't include taxes in the price. I have been caught out so many times with it! We don't separate taxes and the price in Australia, it's all integrated and by law you have to advertise/display the total price of any item. So what you see is what you pay. I spent ages crunching numbers only to realise that one set had the tax included and the other was missing the 12.5% tax, which put my calculations out by a significant amount. So it was back to the drawing board for me!
I'm learning though. By the time we go in September, I'll have it all down pat.

Thank you!! I think I will follow your same plan!!

If your first Disney trip includes free dining, then you're the big winner!

Getting free dining really hooks you in though.

Seriously. That's how they get ya!!!!

 

[TomServo27]

I've never had any problems with my TA, and while I COULD do my own (and I'm about as anal as they get when it comes to doing my own planning), I like using the TA as she has more options with the Dis Resv folks. She can hang on hold for hours rather than me, and she can do several changes at a time. So far, I've always gotten exactly what I wanted using her, unless those things were not available to begin with...such as availability for certain discounts. She has always gotten back to me right away with any changes I want for my trip, and is more than happy to fully answer any questions I ask.

A ta can only talk to Disney for 1 and half hours then they are automatically booted. Dreams agents were complaining about this last year.

 

[Disneylover99]

Here's another question : My planned dates are Dec 8 - 14 right now - the 8th could be the outtlier day based on some rumors (not according to the BB dates though)- if FD falls the day after my planned visit I know I could always book a room only for the first night "shortening" my FD stay from 6 to 5 nights - BUT how does that affect my fast pass booking? The tickets would be on my Dec 9 check in

You won't be able to book any fp's for Dec. 8th at 60 days out because your tickets are attached to your package, not your room only booking.

 

[Lesley Wake]

You won't be able to book any fp's for Dec. 8th at 60 days out because your tickets are attached to your package, not your room only booking.

What if you change your reservation? Using this example, you book Dec 8-14, and still have those dates when you make FP+ reservations. Then 45-days out you change to Dec 9-14. Will you lose the FP+ for Dec 8 only or would you lose the entire thing?

And another related question: if you have a split stay (both resorts, both room only, with tickets bought separately but already linked to your MDE account), Day 1-5 at resort A and Day 6-10 at resort B. You make your FP+ reservations and I know based on the disboard, you can make FP+ reservations for your entire stay 60 days before Day 1. Then, for some reason, 2 weeks later, you have to cancel the Resort A booking entirely. You are already in the FP+ window for Resort B. Will you keep the FP+ reservations for Days 6-10, even though they were technically made before your booking window opened?

 

[Amunet]

Wow maybe I should advertise that I stay up at extremely odd hours, easier to nab early discounts or price releases lol

 

[Disneylover99]

What if you change your reservation? Using this example, you book Dec 8-14, and still have those dates when you make FP+ reservations. Then 45-days out you change to Dec 9-14. Will you lose the FP+ for Dec 8 only or would you lose the entire thing?

I've been in a similar situation. You will eventually lose your fp's for Dec. 8th, but you won't lose your Dec. 9th and beyond fp's. And you won't automatically lose your Dec. 8th fp's. You'll get an email stating you have fp's but no tickets attached to them. They will give you 48 hours or so to attach tickets to your date before your fp's disappear.

 

[Neeky78]

The FD promotion normally does not allow double dipping. If you change to FD, your ticket price will increase to the current pricing. As for the GCs at CBR, no one knows what they're going to do with that. The fact that the offer of GCs no longer exists seems to say that when you change to FD, you're making a new reservation, and those will go away. OR they may not include CBR in the free dining offer at all. This is one that will have to wait until it happens.

I've been thinking about the CBR GCs (surprise!) and looking at my email I received about it.
It's not a promotion and there's no T&Cs letting you know that when you accept the compensation you can't modify your existing booking or change your dates. It also doesn't say "it can't be used with any other promotion". The only T&Cs they have are about how to use the GCs which are the same for if you bought them on their own and not as part of a promotion or compensation.
Which makes me think the GCs will remain for anyone who booked at CBR during the period they were giving the GCs, so long as they stay at CBR. So modifications and other promotions will be allowed.

From a legal standpoint, surely they'd have to let you know that changes may affect the retention of the GC. Otherwise people may wait until close to their visit and modify something and suddenly they've lost their $75 GC per day and there's no availability at any other resort for that price.

 

[Disneylover99]

And another related question: if you have a split stay (both resorts, both room only, with tickets bought separately but already linked to your MDE account), Day 1-5 at resort A and Day 6-10 at resort B. You make your FP+ reservations and I know based on the disboard, you can make FP+ reservations for your entire stay 60 days before Day 1. Then, for some reason, 2 weeks later, you have to cancel the Resort A booking entirely. You are already in the FP+ window for Resort B. Will you keep the FP+ reservations for Days 6-10, even though they were technically made before your booking window opened?

I don't think you'll lose your fp's in this situation. As long as you've made them and you have tickets attached you should be fine, even though you've cancelled your resort.

 

[allysetraskos]

I've been thinking about the CBR GCs (surprise!) and looking at my email I received about it.
It's not a promotion and there's no T&Cs letting you know that when you accept the compensation you can't modify your existing booking or change your dates. It also doesn't say "it can't be used with any other promotion". The only T&Cs they have are about how to use the GCs which are the same for if you bought them on their own and not as part of a promotion or compensation.
Which makes me think the GCs will remain for anyone who booked at CBR during the period they were giving the GCs, so long as they stay at CBR. So modifications and other promotions will be allowed.

From a legal standpoint, surely they'd have to let you know that changes may affect the retention of the GC. Otherwise people may wait until close to their visit and modify something and suddenly they've lost their $75 GC per day and there's no availability at any other resort for that price.

I called the Disney TA line today to inquire about this (as I booked myself a trip which include the GC's) I was looking to add a few days on and was told as long as I booked before the cut off date any modifications were fine since the only requirement was booking before the cut off.

Now if they exclude or add other stipulations to the free dining promotion that's another story.

 

[disneylovinmom3]

Does anyone know if changing resorts without paying an upgrade is still an option for those of us who booked CBR?

 

[allysetraskos]

Does anyone know if changing resorts without paying an upgrade is still an option for those of us who booked CBR?

From what I understand those who had booked at CBR prior to the gift card offer being released are being offered to switch over to a different resort I believe it is still Saratoga Springs.

 

[Neeky78]

Does anyone know if changing resorts without paying an upgrade is still an option for those of us who booked CBR?

I doubt it. They ended the GC offer abruptly last weekend, so I imagine the free upgrade option to another resort went the same way as the GCs - gone.

I hope I'm wrong for anyone who wants this option!

 

[Neeky78]

Still free . . . I just had to update my password from last year. No subscription required. Just general website membership.

I just went on Touring Plans and it's not free any more!

 

[Sharongal74]

I think it all depends on if Disney wants to consider FD a modification or a whole new reservation as far as the CBR GC go. Disney needs to have a policy on FD and modification in general. Some people book ahead and are able to get FD and others are not. A clear policy on this would helpful.