WDTC UK or US, wwyd ?

[chmurf]

2015 free dining on the UK website will probably appear in feb. so I'm wondering what to do.

we'll only be going for 14 days, 4 of which will be spent onsite a Universal, so that's only 10 days in WDW.

So I'm looking at 2 options

option A - book early with WDTC-UK, get the free gift card, a preferred room at POR and make the best of the upcoming deal (if it ever shows up, lol) and upgrade free QSDP to DDP

option B - book a room only with the US website, hoping for a RO discount. And then when the free dining deal shows up, add MYW 10 days tickets + free dining (DDP).
We're going october half term, so "usually" FD on the US website comes around mid-august, early september.
Am I right to assume that I can still add the tickets and FD to an existing room only reservation, and turn it into a package ?
If I'm right, will I retain any RO discount, or will the package price be recalculated with the current room price ? (basically benefiting from both deals at the same time)

would you take that kind of chance, knowing that, booking through UK will cost around £500 more (due to the upgrade from QSDP to DDP)
BUT booking with the US website does not guarantee that a FD deal will show up in august 2015, and that would end up costing way more, or cancelling most of my ADRs, sending the planning down the drain at a very short notice.

I know it's still far away, but it's driving me slightly mad right now.

TIA.

 

[tinkerpea]

Pretty sure you can not have both deals, its either room discount or free dining!
We stayed at Poly In october for 15 nights booking with dreams, and had room discount, but when free ddp came out the deal was better for dining and so they switched it out for us, and was told no stacking of discounts.

 

[Elise79]

I would book the UK offer if it appears so you lock in a price. We are 18 months away from US discounts and they are being cut back. The room discounts are reducing in value if not in dates yet.

When the US prices and subsequently offers appear I would price and compare including the cost of losing your UK deposit.

With the US you can only have one discount so it will be a discount or free DDP. You can add ticket & dining to a room only booking to make a package and you can also book a package with a room discount (you only get the discount off the room portion )

 

[chmurf]

Thank you both.
That's what I thought about stacking the deals, but I was secretely hoping ...

I might book with the UK, and take the risk of losing my £150 deposit (party of 3) but I try to convice myself that I'm not taking that decision just because having a trip booked makes it more real, and, I think we all know the feeling ... we NEEEEED to book, and book fast

But you're rignt, Disney is cutting back on deals, locking the price sounds nice

My wife thinks I'm crazy making such a fuss over booking our next stay... she's probably right

 

[Sam1]

I can't help, but can I ask where you've got the dates for 2015 October half term from, or are you just estimating what they'll be? I've booked for this October, but I'm still panicking we'll have to move it because the dates don't seem to have been released yet for the school year 2014-2015. I'm checking every day, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

I was thinking of looking at the prices if free dining came out for 2015 as well, but booking so far in advance is hard when the school dates get released this late.

 

[Minniesgal]

Thank you both. That's what I thought about stacking the deals, but I was secretely hoping ... I might book with the UK, and take the risk of losing my £150 deposit (party of 3) but I try to convice myself that I'm not taking that decision just because having a trip booked makes it more real, and, I think we all know the feeling ... we NEEEEED to book, and book fast But you're rignt, Disney is cutting back on deals, locking the price sounds nice My wife thinks I'm crazy making such a fuss over booking our next stay... she's probably right

LOL. It is always the other way around in our household.

 

[chmurf]

I can't help, but can I ask where you've got the dates for 2015 October half term from, or are you just estimating what they'll be? I've booked for this October, but I'm still panicking we'll have to move it because the dates don't seem to have been released yet for the school year 2014-2015. I'm checking every day, but maybe I'm looking in the wrong place.

dates are not released, and probably won't be for a long time.
According to Education Nationale, nothing much will change as far as holiday go, until at least 2017 (when the government will switch sids again, without a doubt, but I won't do no politics here )

I guesstimate it to be from the 16th (friday after school) to the 2nd of November (maybe they'll stretch it until the following thursday, but it will probably be on monday 2nd)

(this year 2014 it's from the 18th october to the 3rd november) (not official but these dates have been proposed, they still need to be voted/published in the Journal Officiel)
in this article you'll find the expected dates for the coming years (these are the dates the "ministere" is working with so far)
http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/vacances-scolaires-pas-de-changement-jusqu-en-2017_1282601.html

now, I will be totally honest with you. November 2nd is my birthday. And my birthday means Dinner at Ohana's, so there is no way I'll be back in France when school resumes.

DS will be 8 and in CE2 (if your kids are in a French school) and he'll miss a few days, like he does each year, no big deal.
So, since we're ok with taking DS out of school, and since the school doesn't mind, well ... I've got quite a bit of leeway to schedule our vacations.

 

[Sam1]

Oh no, you definitely can't leave before your birthday.

Thanks. Those are the dates that I've seen proposed for this year and have booked based on. We don't mind taking my son out of school for a while, but I was worried we'd totally miss the holidays and he'd need two weeks. He's in 4eme, so a bit older than your son, so two weeks wouldn't be good for him to miss.

 

[Minniesgal]

dates are not released, and probably won't be for a long time. According to Education Nationale, nothing much will change as far as holiday go, until at least 2017 (when the government will switch sids again, without a doubt, but I won't do no politics here ) I guesstimate it to be from the 16th (friday after school) to the 2nd of November (maybe they'll stretch it until the following thursday, but it will probably be on monday 2nd) (this year 2014 it's from the 18th october to the 3rd november) (not official but these dates have been proposed, they still need to be voted/published in the Journal Officiel) in this article you'll find the expected dates for the coming years (these are the dates the "ministere" is working with so far) http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/vacances-scolaires-pas-de-changement-jusqu-en-2017_1282601.html now, I will be totally honest with you. November 2nd is my birthday. And my birthday means Dinner at Ohana's, so there is no way I'll be back in France when school resumes. DS will be 8 and in CE2 (if your kids are in a French school) and he'll miss a few days, like he does each year, no big deal. So, since we're ok with taking DS out of school, and since the school doesn't mind, well ... I've got quite a bit of leeway to schedule our vacations.

I would have guessed pretty much the same thing. We are a bit more complicated although we are in France my kids of to the British school but the holidays follow closer to the French than the English. Your assumptions are very close to mine for the next 2 years