So mad about FD!!!

[tessa]

So I called in at 8:15 and held for 45 minutes in order to change my ressie to FD. We are staying at WL for 4 nights in a woods view room, I had a 30% room only code, 3 day hoppers for me and DH, and dining for the two of us. (also taking our 2 year old)

$1,650

So I did the math and figured that if I could book FD with a standard room, including the tickets, the price would be about $100 less.

So the rude CM put me on hold (again) and then came back and said "ok, I'm all done! Your package price is $1,660.

I just don't get it. I did the math and broke everything down, and so long as a standard view room at WL was available, it should have been less....

Should I call back?

Also, I don't understand why they put you on hold? Anyone know?

 

[rainy~daze]

did they add insurance?

 

[thomascaldwell1]

I am in the same boat! What a crock. I don't know what they did, but after holding for 2 hours on the phone this morning, I finally got through. When I spoke with the CM, and asked her to please price the package with the free dining and paying full price for the room (we were using the bounce-back 30% discount too!), she said it would be $100 more. The way I figured the room at full price and the discount of the dining plan, I should have saved like $300. I Love Disney and the fun and excitement it brings, but I like a deal better... I thought I was gonna make out... Arrgghh!!

 

[tessa]

well I just added up the same package online and it was the same price
whatever

I'm bummed

 

[denman007]

You probably had something added wrong with the first package.

Why not, for $25 more, get a 5 day ticket?

 

[Crisgw]

Supposedly there are no standard rooms at WL with free dining (the CM I talked to told me). We have courtyard with FD

 

[CanadianGuy]

There are SO many details that can be overlooked in comparing quotes:

Tickets
- Park Hopper Option
- Waterpark Option
- No Expiration Option

Trip Insurance -- Do both quotes match for inclusion or exclusion of trip insurance? If you don't explicity say "don't include it' frequently CM's will auto-include it.

Then of course there are the different 'views' and classes of rooms at some resort levels... some resort charge extra for a king bed etc. You really have to watch it like a hawk.

Most importantly of all -- In order to 'make out' with a deal, the best booking situation is one where you can be flexible on your resort, your travel dates or ideally BOTH.

Because so many people approach this promotion with pre-arranged dates, ADR's all made in advance for the dates they've picked out and their heart all set on one resort -- and a very specific category of room at that one resort -- some folks are bound to be disappointed.

I wish I had better news for you .. .

 

[robinb]

Oh man ... I wish you had seem my spreadsheet (http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW Dining/2008FDDPConpare.htm) before you spent so much time on the phone . Your discount was $84 and free dining for 2 adults is worth $75.98. Any park passes, etc just confuses things.

 

[Aliceacc]

Had our dates been available, the entire savings would have been.......$34!!!!

So I'm very glad they're not available; I'm hoping for emptier parks when we go.

Free Dining is a GREAT deal for some people, but not across the board.

 

[ytown818]

I booked at Pop w/Dining pkg, 2 4day hoppers, insurance and the price was $1526.82. I called back to get the FD added and my new price is $1146.92. Thats a $379.90 savings......thats strange it would be so different between resorts.

 

[n2mm]

I booked at Pop w/Dining pkg, 2 4day hoppers, insurance and the price was $1526.82. I called back to get the FD added and my new price is $1146.92. Thats a $379.90 savings......thats strange it would be so different between resorts.

That's because the OP HAD a discount on her room, but lost it when she booked the FD. The value resorts have the best savings IMHO when it comes to FD.

 

[dclfun]

I agree- the value resorts have the best savings with the FD promo. My adult kids would have loved to have booked a moderate or even a deluxe but the cost difference was so significant that they decided to do an upgraded resort stay with room only discount at another time of year and keep the savings for the FD promo by staying at Pop. Remember that % off the cost of a deluxe room is much greater too than that of a value- it all depends on what you really want the most and of course, your budget.---Kathy

 

[Rylee]

The Free Dining savings is equal to the number of people traveling in your party, the more people, especially adults... the more you save.

The room discount savings is a "fixed price," detemined by your % off and rack rate prices for your chosen resort. The larger the % off, and the more expensive the room is... the greater the savings. Also, all parties with the same discount percentage, reserving the same accommodations, would save exactly the same amount.

Free ticket upgrades savings, are also detemined by the number of people in your party, and are really only a savings if planned to purchase that option, or, an extra bonus, for the same amount of money you were already spending.

So, some discounts will vary per family.

 

[ssumass]

I was able to get a Woods view bunk bed room, so it is probably just the standard woods view room that is N/A.

 

[KrisTX]

Oh man ... I wish you had seem my spreadsheet (http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW Dining/2008FDDPConpare.htm) before you spent so much time on the phone . Your discount was $84 and free dining for 2 adults is worth $75.98. Any park passes, etc just confuses things.

I love love love the spreadsheet! That is what I have done in the past to make my decision. As a CPA, I am always impressed with such detail

 

[dclfun]

I was quite grateful to the people who posted the spreadsheets and cost comparisons here. Many of us are just too busy to plan out pricing in such detail. Most people hear the word "free" and because something "free" is rare, they automatically assume it's the best deal out there. Often, esp. for the deluxe resorts with a smaller party size, a discount code is the better deal. It also depends on if you'd normally dine at TS restaurants and what your dining budget would be to start with. Something free attached to a "deal" isn't worth it if you wouldn't normally be using it ( lesson often quoted to me by my Mom as I headed out shopping ). I think it's important for each person/family to decide what's most important to them. Let's face it- a vacation is important to start with!---Kathy