So are the rest of us totally out of luck?!

[producergirl]

So frustrating! I just saw the FD extension and called happily before reading the blackout dates. While on hold, I noticed them and, of course the rep came back and told me my dates (Oct 10-17) are completely excluded! I know a lot of you are in the same boat, but it is so frustrating when you really need a discount to make the trip happen. Does anyone think there is a chance they'll open up these dates later? Or offer a room discount? Or is a PIN my only hope?

Joanna

 

[bribri330]

So frustrating! I just saw the FD extension and called happily before reading the blackout dates. While on hold, I noticed them and, of course the rep came back and told me my dates (Oct 10-17) are completely excluded! I know a lot of you are in the same boat, but it is so frustrating when you really need a discount to make the trip happen. Does anyone think there is a chance they'll open up these dates later? Or offer a room discount? Or is a PIN my only hope?

Joanna

I dont know but i am in the same boat as u because i arrive the 7th of dec they will not give me the discount even tho i am staying for a week. hoping some other discount comes out because i am beyond frustrated!! I feel your pain!

 

[aroundtheriverbend]

I was pretty ticked off, the CM told me not to worry too much, that there would probably be a room discount too in the future... I just CANNOT figure out why 10/18-10/23 would be a high attendance time! And blacked out TWICE (also on Monster pin)!!

I don't count on discounts, but when it happens like this over and over it feels rubbed in my face. It's not like we're going during a major holiday time!

Trying to get over it, but frankly it ruined my day.

 

[@mouseofzen]

even if this period is a good time for disney, they shouldn't leave people out b/c of it. this will be my 6th trip since 2006 & for the 1st time, i feel like disney does not care . are they really going to be hurt if they extend the FD with no blackout dates? NO

 

[bas71873]

I was pretty ticked off, the CM told me not to worry too much, that there would probably be a room discount too in the future... I just CANNOT figure out why 10/18-10/23 would be a high attendance time! And blacked out TWICE (also on Monster pin)!!

I don't count on discounts, but when it happens like this over and over it feels rubbed in my face. It's not like we're going during a major holiday time!

Trying to get over it, but frankly it ruined my day.

We are going Oct 14 - 18 so FD does not work for us either, but I was fortunate enough to receive a PIN a few months ago that got me 40% off our room at AKL. I'm a bit nervous as to why our dates are blacked out though. I was hoping for low crowds and I haven't found anything online as to any "events" going on down there at this time (other than F&W, but we aren't doing Epcot anyway). We initially were going to go the first weekend of October, but changed our minds because of the marathon and then we avoided Columbus day weekend and purposefully picked that 3rd weekend. Now I'm scratching my head. Selfishly, I'm happy that FD isn't being offered (hopefully means less people), but I know that does not help those that were hoping & waiting.

 

[bicker]

even if this period is a good time for disney, they shouldn't leave people out b/c of it.

Discounts are always a reflection of load-levels. It makes no sense to discount something that will sell for full price. Don't think of discounts as something you get left out of, but rather as bonuses offered to folks willing to patronize the service when too few people would be willing to, otherwise.

 

[aubriee]

So the dates for both of my trips are blacked out (Oct 9th-17th and Dec 4th-12th). I currently have both of those trips with a 35% off bounceback deal that I booked when I was there last Dec, but really wanted free dining. Oh, well maybe an AP discount will beat what I've got now.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

We're in the same boat as everyone else here. Our dates are Oct 16-23rd and our TA said that we didn't qualify. No pins here either...hopefully something else will come out but we're not holding our breath anymore...

Definitely not good news to start today with

 

[*pixie*dust*]

I am bummed. We are going Dec. 4-11 No free dining for us. I guess because of Pop Warner?

 

[Golf4food]

I am bummed. We are going Dec. 4-11 No free dining for us. I guess because of Pop Warner?

Yep.

They don't need to offer discounts to fill rooms when the rooms are already filled with a major conference that will take up a lot of rooms on its own.

 

[Mom loves Disney]

I was in the same boat Oct. 10 -17, but changed to Dec. 16-26 to get free dining.

 

[mom2rtk]

I do think a lot of folks went ahead and booked their rooms to make their ADR's early. Now if their dates aren't included, maybe enough people will cancel those dates and you'll see something added later????

 

[ollyg]

I do think a lot of folks went ahead and booked their rooms to make their ADR's early. Now if their dates aren't included, maybe enough people will cancel those dates and you'll see something added later????

This is my case. I got all my ADR's and BBB already booked and got a 6:15 am depart flight and 7:20pm return flight. I am also leaving before the traditional Thanksgiving travel and paying $150 r/t so to reschedule will definitely cost me way more in airfare--I just checked and it has already doubled.

I will hope for a Visa offer, but as they say, You win some, You lose some.

 

[lucyem]

We're in the same boat as everyone else here. Our dates are Oct 16-23rd and our TA said that we didn't qualify. No pins here either...hopefully something else will come out but we're not holding our breath anymore...

Definitely not good news to start today with

We have reservations from Oct 15th to Oct 21th. We tried to change our room type last month and the BC was booked solid. So out of curiosity I was playing with dates online looking at one or two nights at a time. Still all booked. Crowd levels on touringplans have also increased for that period. I know BC is popular with F&W but I expect there is overflow if rooms are all gone in June for mid October.

 

[asc]

Discounts are always a reflection of load-levels. It makes no sense to discount something that will sell for full price. Don't think of discounts as something you get left out of, but rather as bonuses offered to folks willing to patronize the service when too few people would be willing to, otherwise.

but why then allow someone to book during an entire black out period merely because the first night falls on a non black out day? this just sounds strange to me.

 

[Jennasis]

I'm going October 13-18...blacked out. but the CM on the phone this morning said I have a Pin attached to my name for FD that will work for those dates but the pin is not active until 7/13, so I will call back then and upgrade the ressie.

 

[bicker]

but why then allow someone to book during an entire black out period merely because the first night falls on a non black out day?

The blackout period is designated factoring in the fact that the reservations systems only allows for 10 day reservations.

 

[asc]

The blackout period is designated factoring in the fact that the reservations systems only allows for 10 day reservations.

...i get that...but if it were "purely" load based why allow extensions into the blackout period at all?

 

[bicker]

Because people generally make vacation reservations that extent more than one night.

You can read-into this that the black-out period actually starts over the course of the first ten days of the black-out period (think of it as a phasing in of the black-out, reflecting the reality of people checking in and checking out). It is implemented via a check-in cut-off date.

 

[kamik86]

If Disney doesn't want anyone on free dining from Oct. 17th - 25th (totally made up dates since I didn't bother to go look at the real ones) they would make the black out from Oct. 7th to the 25th. That way even if you checked in on Oct. 6th you couldn't still be on free dining.

If they just needed less but not a whole lot less people for the 17th to 20th but really didn't want anyone after the 21st. Then they might set the blacouts from Oct 14th - Oct 25th. which would still cut down on the number of free diners on the 17th-20th but there would still be a few left over.