Late to FD--how flexible with changes after I book?

[dizzyinwdw]

Hi all
We are rescheduling our August trip to Dec! Excited since we have never been during the holidays. Currently I have room only reservations but I am thinking of booking a free dining package. I am not 100% sure of our new dates but want to book something before Aug 8. How flexible are changes to a FD package? Should I book all the possible dates we might be at WDW and then if we come earlier or later can I change those dates (i.e. currently thinking Dec 19-24 but might do Dec 19-23 or Dec 18-24)? TIA for any advice!

 

[mjohnson96]

I would honestly book both weeks and cancel one before the 45 day mark. For our September trip I had thought about switching it around and everything is booked solid for FD now so I can't do anything with our reservation now if I wanted to.

 

[DebbieB]

Hi all
We are rescheduling our August trip to Dec! Excited since we have never been during the holidays. Currently I have room only reservations but I am thinking of booking a free dining package. I am not 100% sure of our new dates but want to book something before Aug 8. How flexible are changes to a FD package? Should I book all the possible dates we might be at WDW and then if we come earlier or later can I change those dates (i.e. currently thinking Dec 19-24 but might do Dec 19-23 or Dec 18-24)? TIA for any advice!

I would do December 18 to 24, you can drop dates later.

 

[figment_jii]

I agree with DebbieB and would recommend booking for the 18th through 24th as soon as possible. As long as you have a reservation for the dates, it's easier to remove a day than it is to add a day (except after the 45-day mark). Once the 45-day mark passes, then you may have to pay a change fee if you modify your reservation.

 

[wildernessfreak]

Ditto

 

[wildernessfreak]

Ditto

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

I would do December 18 to 24, you can drop dates later.

I vote for this strategy as well

 

[mickeynut1]

Hi all
We are rescheduling our August trip to Dec! Excited since we have never been during the holidays. Currently I have room only reservations but I am thinking of booking a free dining package. I am not 100% sure of our new dates but want to book something before Aug 8. How flexible are changes to a FD package? Should I book all the possible dates we might be at WDW and then if we come earlier or later can I change those dates (i.e. currently thinking Dec 19-24 but might do Dec 19-23 or Dec 18-24)? TIA for any advice!

As others have posted, I'd book the maximum number of nights you would go and then cancel any you don't need as it's easier to take nights off than it is to add them on later. Keep in mind that any changes made to a package 44 days or less from arrival that result in a decrease in total cost, you will be charged a $50 change fee. With that said, I'd subtract any nights at least 45 days before arrival.

 

[dizzyinwdw]

Thanks for all the advice! I just booked a FD package for Dec 18-24. Only thing I was told is that I could only upgrade the dining plan if it was still available as a room category? Are there only certain room categories with upgraded dining plans?
thanks!

 

[aaarcher86]

Thanks for all the advice! I just booked a FD package for Dec 18-24. Only thing I was told is that I could only upgrade the dining plan if it was still available as a room category? Are there only certain room categories with upgraded dining plans? thanks!

No. If you've got the room with the discount applied you'll be able to upgrade regardless. They aren't different based on the dining plan level.

 

[figment_jii]

Thanks for all the advice! I just booked a FD package for Dec 18-24. Only thing I was told is that I could only upgrade the dining plan if it was still available as a room category? Are there only certain room categories with upgraded dining plans?
thanks!

Any chance that the CM was confused and thinking you were talking about upgrading your room? The level of Dining Plan you get is tied into the resort (e.g., Values get the QS Plan, Moderates and Deluxes get the regular DDP). So if you are at a Value (and getting the QS plan), but wanted to upgrade to a Moderate or Deluxe resort, you could only still get FD promotion if there were still rooms available at the Moderate/Deluxe that qualified for the FD offer. I don't think upgrading the plan (so paying the difference between the QS and DDP or DDP and DxDP), while staying in the same room, is tied into rooms still being available for FD.

 

[dizzyinwdw]

Any chance that the CM was confused and thinking you were talking about upgrading your room? The level of Dining Plan you get is tied into the resort (e.g., Values get the QS Plan, Moderates and Deluxes get the regular DDP). So if you are at a Value (and getting the QS plan), but wanted to upgrade to a Moderate or Deluxe resort, you could only still get FD promotion if there were still rooms available at the Moderate/Deluxe that qualified for the FD offer. I don't think upgrading the plan (so paying the difference between the QS and DDP or DDP and DxDP), while staying in the same room, is tied into rooms still being available for FD.

This was my impression as well, but the CM told me that this was for the same room category at a resort (i.e. Pop with QSDP to Pop with DDP). I booked Pop since most other options that were left for my dates were $$$$--this is why I inquired about upgrading from QSDP to DDP. I am not certain what ADRs are still available for that time frame to use TS credits, but did the upgrade anyways just in case the CM was right (but it seemed very odd to me....). Usually I book room only so packages are all new to me. Thanks!

 

[Altoqueenkelly]

This was my impression as well, but the CM told me that this was for the same room category at a resort (i.e. Pop with QSDP to Pop with DDP). I booked Pop since most other options that were left for my dates were $$$$--this is why I inquired about upgrading from QSDP to DDP. I am not certain what ADRs are still available for that time frame to use TS credits, but did the upgrade anyways just in case the CM was right (but it seemed very odd to me....). Usually I book room only so packages are all new to me. Thanks!

The room type at POP has nothing to do with the dining plan. Only the level of resort you are staying at. Since pop is a value you get a free QS with free dining. You can pay the difference to upgrade regardless of what room type or hotel type you are staying at.