2013 Free Dining Watch

[TheDisney411]

Originally Posted by sjs314

Actually it is modified if there is availability for the resort/room catagony you currently have booked. If not you may have to change resorts or change to another type of room. Example you are now booked in a Standard Room and only Preferred is available for FD offer. Also if new ticket prices have gone into effect the cost of your tickets will increase. Your reservation # will remain the same.

Even if you have to change resorts, change dates or add ticket says, they still only modify the reservation, they do not rebook your package.

[mickey2000]

Originally Posted by TheDisney411

Even if you have to change resorts, change dates or add ticket says, they still only modify the reservation, they do not rebook your package.

Not always! My BB in December for FD had to be rebookd to a different room. My level had no rooms for FD ......

[mom2my3kids]

will know today if we are going in sept or dec..hubbys new job and vacation kinda held us up..

[sjs314]

Originally Posted by TheDisney411

Even if you have to change resorts, change dates or add ticket says, they still only modify the reservation, they do not rebook your package.

My point is I keep seeing people say you can just "add" the FD to your existing reservation which is incorrect, and misleading. Having an existing reservation does not gaurentee you will be able to "add" the FD when it is released. You can only "modify" your existing reservation if there is availability at your resort of choice and/or room catagory.

Disney allocates rooms for their promotions based on their current booking percentages. If a large percentage of Standard rooms at xxx resort are already booked for a certain time frame then this catagory may not be included under the promo.

[TDC Nala]

It is true that if your previously booked resort or room category is not available on the promotion you will have to change either room categories or resorts to get the promotion.

as an example, if you're in a standard at All Star Music and they don't have the promotion available when you call you may have to upgrade to a preferred room or change to a standard at All Star Sports to get the promotion. Stuff like that.

That is a modification and not a rebooking though. They'll rebook if you had a room only, because then it has to be changed to a package.

[TheDisney411]

Originally Posted by mickey2000

Not always! My BB in December for FD had to be rebookd to a different room. My level had no rooms for FD ......

Then you were given misinformation and had a CM that did not know what they were doing. You should NOT have been cancelled and rebooked. We have been doing free dining trips about twice per year for the last 8 or 9 years, since it started in 2005. I always book 6 months to a year in advance and try to book around previous FD promo dates. Over the years, once the promos and codes have been released, we have had to switch room categories, dates and resorts to get the discount applied to our existing reservation number. We have NEVER had to cancel and rebook. A CM with any experience should be able to help you do this with no issue. If they tell you that you have to rebook, kindly ask for a CM manager and they will get it right for you.

[TheDisney411]

Originally Posted by sjs314

My point is I keep seeing people say you can just "add" the FD to your existing reservation which is incorrect, and misleading. Having an existing reservation does not gaurentee you will be able to "add" the FD when it is released. You can only "modify" your existing reservation if there is availability at your resort of choice and/or room catagory.

Disney allocates rooms for their promotions based on their current booking percentages. If a large percentage of Standard rooms at xxx resort are already booked for a certain time frame then this catagory may not be included under the promo.

Yes, I know there has to be availability and I guess if you are not willing to change your resort or room category or slightly adjust your dates, You could be completely locked out of a FD code. But, really, if you are calling in the first couple of days a code is released and are even the slightest bit flexible on room category or resort, there should absolutely be no issue in modifying your existing reservation.

[TheDisney411]

Originally Posted by TDC Nala

It is true that if your previously booked resort or room category is not available on the promotion you will have to change either room categories or resorts to get the promotion.

as an example, if you're in a standard at All Star Music and they don't have the promotion available when you call you may have to upgrade to a preferred room or change to a standard at All Star Sports to get the promotion. Stuff like that.

That is a modification and not a rebooking though. They'll rebook if you had a room only, because then it has to be changed to a package.

Exactly.

[mickey2000]

Originally Posted by TheDisney411

Yes, I know there has to be availability and I guess if you are not willing to change your resort or room category or slightly adjust your dates, You could be completely locked out of a FD code. But, really, if you are calling in the first couple of days a code is released and are even the slightest bit flexible on room category or resort, there should absolutely be no issue in modifying your existing reservation.

Guest Services changed my res as Art of Animation regular rooms were not part of FD only suites ! Moved to POP in a standard room with FD.

[TheDisney411]

Originally Posted by mickey2000

Guest Services changed my res as Art of Animation regular rooms were not part of FD only suites ! Moved to POP in a standard room with FD.

That proved my point. How absolutely ridiculous they would cancel you and rebook you - clearly the CM didnt have a basic concept or Disney booking policies or discounts and promos.

[babydoll65]

I hope someone here can answer this for me. I plan on going to wdw nov 10-16 with the hopes of free dining. If they do offer it, they most likely should not be available on the sun and mon (which is Veterans Day) but most likely for the rest of the vacation which is 4 days left. Can I pay for the 2 days out of pocket that are not covered.

[Thorb73]

Originally Posted by babydoll65

I hope someone here can answer this for me. I plan on going to wdw nov 10-16 with the hopes of free dining. If they do offer it, they most likely should not be available on the sun and mon (which is Veterans Day) but most likely for the rest of the vacation which is 4 days left. Can I pay for the 2 days out of pocket that are not covered.

Most likely this will not work. Your check-in date has to be within the free dining period. If you check in earlier than you don't qualify for free dining at all! You could probably split up your reservation - say make one reservation for 2 days and another starting with the first free dining day.

[TDC Nala]

Originally Posted by babydoll65

I hope someone here can answer this for me. I plan on going to wdw nov 10-16 with the hopes of free dining. If they do offer it, they most likely should not be available on the sun and mon (which is Veterans Day) but most likely for the rest of the vacation which is 4 days left. Can I pay for the 2 days out of pocket that are not covered.

If you check in on a day that free dining is offered, you get it for your full stay up to 14 nights, even if some of the later dates fall outside of the promotion.

However, if you check in on a day that free dining is NOT offered, you are not eligible for free dining for any part of your stay (unless you book two separate resort reservations).

So if you check in on the 10th and free dining is not offered on the 10th, you aren't eligible for any free dining even if the later dates are within the promotion. You could book two reservations, check out and then check back in on a free dining date. If you do that, you'd need to figure out what to do about ticket purchases as you would be required to purchase tickets as part of the reservation with free dining.

[babydoll65]

Thanks so much. Don't think I want to split reservations to try to get the free dining. Seems like too much work.

[G719]

In 2012, free dining was offered November 9-15 which included Vetern's day.