Room Only vs Package Reservation - please help!

[rosiegmendez]

We have a room only reservation, split stay at AoA/POR 4/13 - 4/21.

If they end up offering a Free Dining plan, I was told by the Disney reservation agent that I would have to cancel my room only, and run the risk of not having rooms available to rebook a package.

If I switch now to a package, I'll lose the AAA room only discount. I run the risk, if they dont end up offering a FD plan, of losing the AAA discount later if not available.

Please help! For reference, we are a family of 5, 3 kids staying 2 connecting rooms at AoA for 4 nights, then 1 POR bayou room for 3 nights.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

Book 2 ressies - one for each way. You'll get your $200 back if cancel in time.

 

[DebbieB]

We have a room only reservation, split stay at AoA/POR 4/13 - 4/21.

If they end up offering a Free Dining plan, I was told by the Disney reservation agent that I would have to cancel my room only, and run the risk of not having rooms available to rebook a package.

If I switch now to a package, I'll lose the AAA room only discount. I run the risk, if they dont end up offering a FD plan, of losing the AAA discount later if not available.

Please help! For reference, we are a family of 5, 3 kids staying 2 connecting rooms at AoA for 4 nights, then 1 POR bayou room for 3 nights.

You really don't "run the risk". You will know if there is a free dining room available before you cancel the room only. You don't have to cancel first.

 

[rosiegmendez]

You really don't "run the risk". You will know if there is a free dining room available before you cancel the room only. You don't have to cancel first.

Yes. Do I run the risk, if they offer FD and only people currently with a package ressie are eligible?

 

[Stitch'sCousin]

If they offer free dining, you will need to redo your reservation anyways. It is not automatically applied to people with packages. By the way, if you do book a package through AAA, you should still get your AAA discount on the room portion of the package but not on the food or tickets.

 

[Stitch'sCousin]

By the way, if they offer free dining, you will find that split stays like yours actually count as two reservations (4 nights and then 3 nights). I believe that the current promo requires you to stay for 6 nights in one location.

 

[SenecaWolf]

I believe that the current promo requires you to stay for 6 nights in one location.

Not exactly, its currently 3 night, rack rate, 2 day base ticket minimum.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SII using DISBoards

 

[DebbieB]

Yes. Do I run the risk, if they offer FD and only people currently with a package ressie are eligible?

I don't think that happens. When free dining opens up and you call, they search the system for an open free dining room. If there isn't one, you can't switch. They don't favor people who already have reservations, the idea is to get new reservations.

 

[sndral]

We have a room only reservation, split stay at AoA/POR 4/13 - 4/21.

If they end up offering a Free Dining plan, I was told by the Disney reservation agent that I would have to cancel my room only, and run the risk of not having rooms available to rebook a package.

If I switch now to a package, I'll lose the AAA room only discount. I run the risk, if they dont end up offering a FD plan, of losing the AAA discount later if not available.

Please help! For reference, we are a family of 5, 3 kids staying 2 connecting rooms at AoA for 4 nights, then 1 POR bayou room for 3 nights.

Disney's discount offers expire, and they set aside a certain number of rooms at each resort to offer as part of any discount. Once the date expires or the available rooms are booked you cannot take advantage of a discount. In this case you have a % off your room, you're hoping for a better offer - free dinning. So do you want to book w/ that offer now, so you for sure have some discount?
If in the future free dinning is offered for your dates and your resort and you call you will be able to get the discount. If free dinning is offered, but not for your dates or not for your resort (AOA is new and popular and therefore might not be included, for example) then you won't be able to get the free dinning. The fact that you already have a package booked there without the free dinning won't make any difference. You have exactly the same chance of getting the free dinning as someone who doesn't have anything booked.
Disney has different systems for room only and for packages. Deadlines for payments are different, deposits are different, even the reservation numbers are different. Applying a new discount to an existing package is easy, changing a room only to a package means they cancel the room only and make a new package reservation - new number, new deposit, etc. it's doable, just more complicated.

Yes. Do I run the risk, if they offer FD and only people currently with a package ressie are eligible?

Disney has never offered free dinning to only people who already have a package - it makes no sense for them to do that. They offer discounts like free dinning to get people to book a vacation.
You say you have a % off your room rate w/ AAA - since that is the only discount for your dates available now, I'd go ahead and book the first part of the trip - the 4 nights in AOA as a package w/ park tickets and apply the AAA discount to the room price. That way if free dinning comes out and your dates are available you can just switch from a room discount to free dinning on your package. I'd probably leave the 3 nights at POR as a room only w/ the AAA % off for now. Then I'd watch the discount section of dis here http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=93 to see if Disney offers better discounts between now and April for your family.

 

[mickeynut1]

The fact that you already have a package booked there without the free dinning won't make any difference. You have exactly the same chance of getting the free dinning as someone who doesn't have anything booked.
Disney has different systems for room only and for packages. Deadlines for payments are different, deposits are different, even the reservation numbers are different. Applying a new discount to an existing package is easy, changing a room only to a package means they cancel the room only and make a new package reservation - new number, new deposit, etc. it's doable, just more complicated.

Disney has never offered free dinning to only people who already have a package - it makes no sense for them to do that. They offer discounts like free dinning to get people to book a vacation.

This is correct. Having a reservation already in place does not guarantee a discount can be applied (free dining or otherwise) as there has to be availability for your dates and resort/room type in order to have a discount applied to a current reservation. Disney releases discounts to fill rooms, so if a resort is at or near capacity, there will be no need to offer a discount at that particular resort, so booking in hopes of a discount is not really a good idea as that would be one less room Disney needs to fill. As has been mentioned, changing from one type of reservation to the other requires the first to be cancelled/refunded and the other booked, requiring a new deposit as money cannot be transferred between the two.

 

[shburks]

We have a room only reservation, split stay at AoA/POR 4/13 - 4/21.

If they end up offering a Free Dining plan, I was told by the Disney reservation agent that I would have to cancel my room only, and run the risk of not having rooms available to rebook a package.

If I switch now to a package, I'll lose the AAA room only discount. I run the risk, if they dont end up offering a FD plan, of losing the AAA discount later if not available.

Please help! For reference, we are a family of 5, 3 kids staying 2 connecting rooms at AoA for 4 nights, then 1 POR bayou room for 3 nights.

Isn't this pretty prime spring break time? I'd be surprised if that would be a free dining time...or am I mistaken and this is historically a time frame it is done?

 

[MMS1125]

Isn't this pretty prime spring break time? I'd be surprised if that would be a free dining time...or am I mistaken and this is historically a time frame it is done?

I think we'll see a discount in April/May personally. Speculation on my part but there was a room discount this year and with Easter being so early next year I bet they run something between Easter and Memorial Day

 

[aubriee]

I think we'll see a discount in April/May personally. Speculation on my part but there was a room discount this year and with Easter being so early next year I bet they run something between Easter and Memorial Day

I think you are right. I go to WDW the first or second week of May every year and every year, I have had some kind of discount (pay for four nights, get three nights free, AP, or something). I love the Flower Festival, but have never gone without some kind of discount.

 

[mickeynut1]

I think we'll see a discount in April/May personally. Speculation on my part but there was a room discount this year and with Easter being so early next year I bet they run something between Easter and Memorial Day

I agree. Since Easter is 3/31, I think there's a good chance of a discount being offered for mid April/May .

 

[Kathy Z]

I think you are right. I go to WDW the first or second week of May every year and every year, I have had some kind of discount (pay for four nights, get three nights free, AP, or something). I love the Flower Festival, but have never gone without some kind of discount.

Ah yes, that wonderful pay for 4, get 3 free promotion in 2009! That great deal has not been repeated since. We've done boncebacks or gotten other discounts on all subsequent trips (but still hoping for a room discount for Feb. 2013.) I agree that with Easter on March 31, 2013, late April - early May will probably see some discounts.