So excited about my HUGE savings - post yours

[nicki.momof3]

We travel to WDW 2x a year and generally are able to get some discount. We have had free dining before but this one worked out better for us. I am so HAPPY.

Travel dates - Dec. 16-25 (10 days)
Myself, DH, DS9, DS8, DD6
We are getting 8 day hoppers and staying at POR

Little back story - my kids are good eaters. They enjoy "adult" food and really don't like many of the boring kid options available at WDW for kids at table service locations. I was planning on upgrading them to 10 year olds for this trip so they could have better choices - 10 days is a long time with those kids menus.

Original rake rate with 2 adults and 3 children (upgraded to 10 years old) $5556.53

Free dining with 2 adults and 3 children (their regualar kids age 6,8,9) $3413.51

Free dining with 2 adults and 3 children (upgraded to 10 years old) $3486.98

So basically it only cost me $73.47 to upgrade my kids to adults on the free dining plan and I saves over $2000

 

[Pinnochio]

Home run!!!

 

[RussTKD]

We were looking at Wilderness Lodge for 5 nights starting 11/5, for around $3800.

I saw that was Jersey Week, and decided to go a week earlier. Then saw the free dining plan which saves us $520.

THEN... We were looking at flying on Southwest, which would have been $880 or something for 3 round trip tickets. Caught a deal on Delta for $98 each round trip, saving us another $500 and change.

With the savings, we were close to $1100, and upgraded our room one notch for $160.

 

[LovinPooh]

Saved $1100!!

 

[nicki.momof3]

Caught a deal on Delta for $98 each round trip, .

WOW!!

That is an amazing price for airfare. If I can find that for March i will be booking a second trip with our savings from our first trip.

 

[saskdw]

Yeah, we're going for 14 days in Dec. and for the 3 of us it saves $1900.

 

[Charleyann]

Saved $919.00 !!!!!


Charleyann

 

[scoobygrl79]

Can anyone tell me the process when you already had a package booked before the promotion? I already had my trip for Dec 11 booked w/deluxe dining and I'm wondering how difficult it would be to apply the free dining promotion. Will I lose my existing ADRs? Will they have to refund all I've paid and recharge me (as in starting from scratch)? Or is it as simple as just giving me the discount? I'm keeping my fingers crossed, thanks in advance!!

 

[buckeev]

Can anyone tell me the process when you already had a package booked before the promotion? I already had my trip for Dec 11 booked w/deluxe dining and I'm wondering how difficult it would be to apply the free dining promotion. Will I lose my existing ADRs? Will they have to refund all I've paid and recharge me (as in starting from scratch)? Or is it as simple as just giving me the discount? I'm keeping my fingers crossed, thanks in advance!!

I think you're probably gonna be in great shape! If you have the MYW package, you shouldn't haft ta cancel anything, as long as they still have allocations at your chosen resort.
ADRs can stay the same...(just make sure they qualify under Dining Plan normal acceptance)
Call them first thing in the morning to modify and add or upgrade...Even if you pay to upgrade, It will save you some.

I hope I have this right.

Over on the wild thread....Princess Tiff posted this very comprehensive guideline page. Posting number 666.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2768442&page=45

 

[mastermind307]

Can anyone tell me the process when you already had a package booked before the promotion? I already had my trip for Dec 11 booked w/deluxe dining and I'm wondering how difficult it would be to apply the free dining promotion. Will I lose my existing ADRs? Will they have to refund all I've paid and recharge me (as in starting from scratch)? Or is it as simple as just giving me the discount? I'm keeping my fingers crossed, thanks in advance!!

You will be fine as long as there are rooms available at your resort. If not, you might have to swtich resorts.
I already had my package booked for Nov. 13-19 with DDP. I just called and they added the FD discount. I had already paid off our package so I'll be getting a refund. Super easy to do.
You'll not lose any of your ADRs. The only difference would be if you have an ADR for CRT or other place that you have to prepay, if you want to use dining credits for that meal, you might have to rebook it and book it using the DDP or wait until you go and then use your credits and get a refund. I'm not 100% sure about that, I've never had to do it.

 

[SoccerDad]

For us it was the difference between staying on- versus off-site.

Our original plan was to go down for 7 nights starting Feb 25th, 2012, and stay off-site this year. Last year we stayed at POR with FD, but we've stayed off-site before and enjoy that, too. We thought even if there was FD again that we'd still rather stay off-site and could save some money doing it.

I spent last week gathering quotes from various rental home owners, but was planning to wait until mid-August to pull the trigger just in case a great promo was announced...and once it was officially announced, we priced it out and found that if we moved our arrival date up to Feb 4th we could save about $1,500 for 8d/7n at POFQ with DDP, making it cheaper to stay on-site versus off-site!

Booked it yesterday...