Hoping to bounceback for Free Dining next year.

[raven69david]

That equals a discount for the room and free food! Oh my! I'm paying full rate for CBR at like $143/night with free dining next month. I feel like I don't have a deal anymore.

Since I have an AP, my thoughts on FD is that "Free dining isn't really free!", at least not for us. Somewhere on here I have an example as to the price difference between our upcoming stay in November/December at AKL with and without FD. I'd rather have a 40% discount on a Deluxe room than I would FD. BTW, we're paying $139.00 a night at AKL so for my 7 day trip i'm saving over $700.00. We just got back from a 5 day trip last week and we only spent $197.00 on food and that was eating 1 table service and 1 quick service meal each day. Of course, that is with a TIW card but that really only saves you the price of the tip - it doesn't really save alot of money on the meal itself (20% off the meal, but they add an 18% gratuity to every ticket - which we always do anyway).

This is why free dining isn't free for ME:

my trip at AKL for 7 days:

With AP rate: $938.00 including tax
With FD: $1863.00 including tax - also includes 1 day base ticket for each of us (3) - It would be $2634.00 with 6 day base tickets

room #2 ASMo (for in-laws) LOL

With AP rate: $338.00 including tax
With FD: $786.27 including tax w/1 day base tickets - It would be $1241.02 w/tax with 6 day base tickets

Room #1 savings: $1696 w/6 day tickets or $925.00 w/1 day tickets (we haven't spent that much on food in 3 trips)
Room #2 savings: $903.02 w/6 day tickets or $448.27 w/1 day tickets (these are only QS meals; can't eat $450.00 in QS meals - unless I eat for 2 weeks at Flame Tree BBQ YUMMY)

Please note that all of these figures are for MY family and YMMV. That's why I can say FD isn't free, for me.

 

[PoohHappens]

Since I have an AP, my thoughts on FD is that "Free dining isn't really free!", at least not for us. Somewhere on here I have an example as to the price difference between our upcoming stay in November/December at AKL with and without FD. I'd rather have a 40% discount on a Deluxe room than I would FD. BTW, we're paying $139.00 a night at AKL so for my 7 day trip i'm saving over $700.00. We just got back from a 5 day trip last week and we only spent $197.00 on food and that was eating 1 table service and 1 quick service meal each day. Of course, that is with a TIW card but that really only saves you the price of the tip - it doesn't really save alot of money on the meal itself (20% off the meal, but they add an 18% gratuity to every ticket - which we always do anyway).

This is why free dining isn't free for ME:

my trip at AKL for 7 days:

With AP rate: $938.00 including tax
With FD: $1863.00 including tax - also includes 1 day base ticket for each of us (3) - It would be $2634.00 with 6 day base tickets

room #2 ASMo (for in-laws) LOL

With AP rate: $338.00 including tax
With FD: $786.27 including tax w/1 day base tickets - It would be $1241.02 w/tax with 6 day base tickets

Room #1 savings: $1696 w/6 day tickets or $925.00 w/1 day tickets (we haven't spent that much on food in 3 trips)
Room #2 savings: $903.02 w/6 day tickets or $448.27 w/1 day tickets (these are only QS meals; can't eat $450.00 in QS meals - unless I eat for 2 weeks at Flame Tree BBQ YUMMY)

Please note that all of these figures are for MY family and YMMV. That's why I can say FD isn't free, for me.

I do see your point, and I agree in many circumstances this is the better value. However your figures are not really equal as the difference you are listing involves some ticket cost not just food. You still had to purchase the APs and in your AP figures you did not include that cost. I realize you may use them multiple times, but you still have to divide up and consider that cost. The TIW has a cost too.

That said I would love to know how 3 of you ate at 5 TS meals let alone 5CS meals for $197. I know you listed the discount card, but I would still love some figures cause that is great. I am not even coming close to that.
Even if I figure low CS at $5pp x3people x5days is $75
and TS at $10pp X 3 Xpeople x 5days is $150
That is $225 and those are impossible figures. I don't know of any TS you can go to for $10 a person. Please share your secrets.

 

[britfish]

we didn't have the flier in our room at CBR so I called the front desk and asked for one to be left. The CM said she would put me through to reservations and I told her I just wanted to see the flier (trying to leave a subtle hint for DH). Anyway, she said she did not believe there was a bounceback this year but she put me on hold for an eternity to check. I eventually disconnected and left a note for mousekeeping to please leave on in the room at some point during the week. I put our room # on the note in case they have to have someone else read it at a later time. Needless to say that afternoon we had a flier but if not for these boards I would not have persisted to get one.

 

[britfish]

So I went to disney site entered the dates in aug 2010 at akl with standard view and 6 day base ticket. (I didn't add dining onto package). It was like 2400! That is not even close to 96 per person per night! Bt the way I did 6 night 7 days. My calculations. 96 times 3. 2 adults 1 child. 288 * 6=. 1728. Don't think we will do that deal if its really the 2400

we just booked BB for next year. we did CBR for 9 days (8 nights) w/ 8 days base tix (no hoppers, etc), w/ the free dining. Our package was for 2 adults and a 6 yo and it was $2089.13. With the flier stating $75 per night for a mod and $96 for a deluxe I can't imagine w/ your trip being 7 days it would be $2400.

 

[mackait0307]

We booked the bounceback for next year too. 11 days/10 nights at the Polynesian..the flyer was in our room the day we checked it. Same deal as last year, book before you check-out.

 

[raven69david]

You still had to purchase the APs and in your AP figures you did not include that cost. I realize you may use them multiple times, but you still have to divide up and consider that cost. The TIW has a cost too.

That said I would love to know how 3 of you ate at 5 TS meals let alone 5CS meals for $197. I know you listed the discount card, but I would still love some figures cause that is great. I am not even coming close to that. Please share your secrets.

My wife and I shared our meals as we cannot eat 1 entire portion without leaving alot of food left over on each plate. We hate wasting food so we share each plate, which leaves us feeling full for quite some time. DD4 eats from the childs menu so we pay less than $7.00 per meal for her each day plus a snack here & there. We did a split stay and only charged food on our room card. First bill from POFQ was $86.00 and the bill from WL was $111.00 (please note that we were WL Club Level so we had snacks and light meals to keep us filled up most of the time). I can tell you we ate at 9 dragons, cosmic rays, casey's, Le Cellier and a few other snacks in between.

We've been there enough times that we know how to budget for our food and we know exactly how to spend our money wisely while having a great time eating at all the popular places. Don't overthink things with figures as it will confuse you. I'm going by my resort bill which was only used to purchase food from the restaurants listed above plus a few other snacks at the resort. If you're careful and you can share your meals, you will see that you can save quite a bit of money on meals alone. If you and/or your family are bigger eaters where you require 1 plate to be satisfied, then that's cool too, but the savings cost is diminished in the dining portion of your trip. You'd have to find somewhere else to save $.

Like I said in my previous post, these are MY numbers and other may not get the same results. Savings money does not mean you have to cut out some of your choices as for us we'd NEVER consider that. We work very hard and when it comes time for our vacations, we ALWAYS choose Disney and we play HARD! It's the most relaxing 7 to 10 days each trip. We pay our resort off months in advance and never worry about that when we arrive. It's great to check in and be PIF. Plus the fact that we set aside X amount of $ per pay period means we have alot of extra $ in case we need it.

As far as the AP, you can't take that into consideration since I purchased that last year. It's a 1 time purchase and that's it. You don't spread the cost out over X amount of trips cuz i'm not financing it - paid cash for all our AP's. Pay a little now, save alot later was my thinking and boy did it pay off. Since I paid $460.00 for my AP (DD4 paid $395.00 I believe), i've used it 4 times so each trip, if you want to break it down, cost me $16.43 to use per each day I was in the parks. So for all of us it comes out to $46.96 per day. If I had paid for a ticket during each of our trips (7 day park hoppers is what i'm using for this figure), I'd be paying $878.63 for 2 adults - 1 child. If I paid $878.63 for each of my 4 trips that would come out to $3514.52 in just tickets so by buying AP's I have saved about $2200.00. Again, these are MY savings and another family (any larger family than mine) may not incur the same savings.

Here's a good article for you to check out in regards to eating inexpensively at WDW: LINKY

 

[nonsmom]

We just returned from Pop on 8/27. I asked the front desk, they said they knew nothing about it, housekeeping would know. I asked housekeeping, they had no clue. Then, then next day, I asked the manager at the front desk, and they gave me a large card that looked like a pocket watch. The bounceback offer was for 20% off room only for values, etc. No free dining. The day before we left, I called the extension on the card, as I had not received anything in my room, and when the CM answered, she said the bounceback was for Free Dining! I wonder how they determine which rooms get the bounceback. Anyway, we are booked for next Aug. with the regular dining plan.

 

[Nohal]

Does anyone know exactly what the BB price for the values are? I only see prices for mods and deluxe. We booked BB for this year and would like to do the same for next year. We stayed at ASMo last year and had to hunt down a BB offer as no one seemed to have the papers. Thanks to the Dis I had the info and what # to call and the code.

 

[pixie_mtl]

Does anyone know exactly what the BB price for the values are? I only see prices for mods and deluxe. We booked BB for this year and would like to do the same for next year. We stayed at ASMo last year and had to hunt down a BB offer as no one seemed to have the papers. Thanks to the Dis I had the info and what # to call and the code.

Nohal, all you have to do is go to disneyworld's website, enter your dates for a package for fall-2010, and not add dining. That's how u'll know how much it'll cost you...

 

[DisceyMomofC&A]

We booked bounce back when we were there the 18th-24th (CSR). We are going to the WL 8/15-8/22. We booked a standard view room 7 day park hopper with the free dining. It is costing us for the whole package about 2800. I thought that was great for a deluxe. It is only about 300 more than what I paid for CSR this past trip.

 

[2littleprincesses]

Ugh, saw nothing about this and did not ask so we did not get a bounceback offer!!!I didn't think to ask since I did not see any signs.

Do you think calling now would do anything since there were no fliers? We stayed at ASMu and got back yesterday.

 

[vero]

Hi, this happened to me last year and send them a mail and they let me make my reservation. Hope this helps,Vero.

 

[pixie_mtl]

Ugh, saw nothing about this and did not ask so we did not get a bounceback offer!!!I didn't think to ask since I did not see any signs.

Do you think calling now would do anything since there were no fliers? We stayed at ASMu and got back yesterday.

Most likely Disnew won't let you. But instead of calling I would write a letter; it's more personal and you might be lucky

 

[2littleprincesses]

Most likely Disnew won't let you. But instead of calling I would write a letter; it's more personal and you might be lucky

Well, I sent them an email and got a reply back that I would get a response in less than 10 days. Ugh, well, they will probably do free dining again hopefully.

Just having Disney withdrawal

 

[Lilmattie13]

I actually would call right away seeing you just got home. They may be able to look up your reservation number and see you were just there. I would do it immediately though. I would even try to get the resort number and call them to tell them you were just there and never got the flyer about the offer. That is horrible. Good luck, let us know how you make out.

 

[marciemi]

My flyer from my room at Pop - booked the bounceback on Friday:

Per the cost discussion - for me it's a no brainer in the other direction. Trying to do the trip as cheaply as possible, with a family of 4 (oldest will be at college hopefully by next trip) - all considered "adults" in Disney's eyes. At $82 a night (plus the extra $10 for the weekend nights), even if I got a room code for 100% off , it still wouldn't save me more than the free dining at $40ish a person times 4 people (about twice the room cost itself!).

 

[disneychick0412]

Thanks, Marciemi. Can't wait to book my bounceback in a few weeks!!

 

[wolf2961]

We went to Pop Aug '08 and never received the Bounceback offer in our room. Called upon our return home and were denied. This year, again no flyer in our room @ Pop, but did ask at front desk and receive one. Went ahead and booked with free dining for next Aug.

 

[2littleprincesses]

Well, I sent them an email and got a reply back that I would get a response in less than 10 days. Ugh, well, they will probably do free dining again hopefully.

Just having Disney withdrawal

They wouldn't give it to me. I called and they said no. I had to have booked it before check out.

 

[a1tinkfans]

back this past weekend from POR. Our flyer was for 40% off deluxes and 30% off moderates for THIS year, till december 09. I wish I saw the free dine for next year.
I did not book it.

Meanwhile, my understanding is that if you stay VALUE, the free dine is the snack type, NOT the CS and TS, can anyone confirm???