October filling up so fast!

[jenniferyawn]

Wow! I'm so glad we made reservations already! We are staying October 5 - 9 at ASMu in the family suite. I was thinking of switching to Yacht Club or Boardwalk but NOTHING is available there! There are not even any more family suites at ASMu! This might be normal, but I was surprised to see so many unavailable hotels this far out! I guess we're in for a busy stay!

 

[deannaf87]

Seems like October gets busier every year. Epcot area resorts definitely fill up fast for F&W.

 

[deannaf87]

Seems like October gets busier every year. Epcot area resorts definitely fill up fast for F&W.

 

[DANAW]

We booked free dining the minute it came out. Wanted BWI and ended up with Beach Club. We have stayed at BWI the last 2 years during F&W. I thought for sure something would open up with free dining at BWI, but nothing...and with only a few days left to book FD, I doubt we will get into BWI.....bummer..Not that BC is not great. We have stayed there before, but BWI was our first choice.

 

[tinkerbella16]

We booked free dining the minute it came out. Wanted BWI and ended up with Beach Club. We have stayed at BWI the last 2 years during F&W. I thought for sure something would open up with free dining at BWI, but nothing...and with only a few days left to book FD, I doubt we will get into BWI.....bummer..Not that BC is not great. We have stayed there before, but BWI was our first choice.

Enjoy Beach Club! I would LOVE to stay there someday on a good discount. The location is great and the rooms are being refurbished and so far, they look great! I love the short walk to Epcot and Stormalong Bay just looks amazing. Enjoy!

 

[DebbieB]

October 4 to 8 is the Gartner Symposium, an IT convention being held at the Epcot resorts.

http://www.gartner.com/events/na/orlando-symposium

 

[jenniferyawn]

Ah! I didn't know about the symposium! im still going to keep an eye out for some openings!

 

[mommyrosa2]

As many others have said October has become a very popular month but looking at your dates, you're also heading into Columbus Day weekend which is also vacation week for many school districts.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

The Gartner Symposium is the biggest conference for IT professionals in the country, which is why they take up so many hotel rooms in the Epcot areas.

 

[DANAW]

We aren't going until the end of October, and the choices for free dining have been the lowest I have ever seen...and we go to Disney every year for the past 25 years or so at this time of year! I guess with the F&W they dont have to offer a lot of discounts.

 

[bookgirl]

Wow! I'm so glad we made reservations already! We are staying October 5 - 9 at ASMu in the family suite. I was thinking of switching to Yacht Club or Boardwalk but NOTHING is available there! There are not even any more family suites at ASMu! This might be normal, but I was surprised to see so many unavailable hotels this far out! I guess we're in for a busy stay!

They cut the days that they offered Free Dining in Oct this year (vetern's day is always out but they also cut the week after), I know that I'm there the last week and I feel compelled to go price look and the week I'm booked, there is only POP (preferred pool only) and Deluxes (again premium rooms) available for the FD promo.

I would think that would be why some weeks in October are crowded.

 

[Iheartdreaming]

I tried to book a moderate resort for October 1-5 and they are sold out of everything.

 

[honeybunches]

We tried to add Oct. 8 to our trip, and are having such a hard time. I don't want to switch resorts but it may be a split stay or just forget the extra day. Helpful to know about the IT conference, that makes sense!

 

[kimb96]

Keep your eye out for something opening up as it gets close to the paid in full date. Sometimes people drop at that time. You should be able to change your resort and still get free dining as far as I understand as it would be modifying an existing reservation, not a new reservation.

 

[rcraw45425]

Swan and Dolphin, while not offering Freed Dining, offer significant discounts off of the other EPCOT resorts. Even adding in their resort fee and parking I'm still at a little over $200 a night for the last weekend of September, as opposed to around $350 when I was able to find availability. Now it appears they're also trying to incorporate minimum stay requirements for their discounts as well. Oh well, that may be the end of our staying at WDW resorts.

 

[BillyBuff]

D'oh! Just called them and their systems are going through some "enhancements" until this afternoon!

 

[jenniferyawn]

Great tip, rcraw! Haven't thought about that paid in full date!

Enhancements! They were doing that the other day too!

 

[bookgirl]

Keep your eye out for something opening up as it gets close to the paid in full date. Sometimes people drop at that time. You should be able to change your resort and still get free dining as far as I understand as it would be modifying an existing reservation, not a new reservation.

There have been mixed results recently with modifying reservations. Supposedly the new policy is that you can not modify reservations unless you could book the same reservations new.

If you have a week reserved Sat-Sat on 30% off or Free Dining and want to change it to Sun-Sat, they will go in and see what is available, if your discount/package is no longer available Sun-Sat they will not let you modify. You have to keep the old reservation or make a new one at whatever current offers are available.

A few people have had Supervisor's override it but going forward it may become standard to deny modification while keeping discounts.