what is replaced when disney free dining ends?

[sha9]

Originally Posted by dancingbear

This is an interesting plan, does Disney charge you to change your booking if you need to add people on though?

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No they only charge if the new booking is less expensive than the old. This is generally a fool proof way of securing a booking at minimum potential loss. Where people have been caught out is where they've booked one accommodation hoping for a different one to become available, it hasn't and they've tried to amend a booking to two rooms at another after the offer has ended. So, if there are 8 of you and you need two rooms booking one person won't work as when you go to add the additional room Disney are cancelling the original booking and creating a new one. Fine if the offer is still on but not if you try and do this once the offer has ended.

[dancingbear]

our room choices are limited as a group of 5 - has there ever been more availability open up after a particular offer ends? Like rooms they keep back til after the free dining finishes?

[dancingbear]

So if I booked a sleeps 5 room but just for one person under the dining offer, waited to see if anything else opened up and if not added the other 4 people to the booking?

Is there any possibility backfire?!

[sha9]

Originally Posted by dancingbear

So if I booked a sleeps 5 room but just for one person under the dining offer, waited to see if anything else opened up and if not added the other 4 people to the booking?

Is there any possibility backfire?!

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That should be fine. It's only when adding enough people that means you now need an additional room after the offer has ended that people have had problems.

[EcosseDibb]

Originally Posted by nicbev

does disney do any other offers when the free dining ends? possibly looking at may/june next year but won't be able to book until later in the year/early next year, so was wondering if there would be another offer or just hold off for another year or so. Many thanks

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You can also use Quidco (or possibly other cashback sites) and you'll get a % of the total cost of the holiday back, if you wanted to book for all 5 of you, to make sure.

That way you get the free dining, you get your cashback after a month or so (not after your holiday like lots of other companies do) and that helps to bring down the cost of your deposit outlay. If you don't end up going, then you might lose out some money, but if you do go then you'll likely save a fortune with the free dining, so might be worth a gamble if you think you are more than likely going to go.

We done this a few years ago, we weren't sure if we could afford to go the year after again but booked via quidco on the last day of the free dining offer. Paid £250 deposit, got £180 back after a month (or so). And of course we did end up going... because once it's booked there's no turning back Just booked flights much closer to the trip when we had enough to pay for them

[chipndalefan]

I wasn't aware you could book for 1 then add others later.

If I booked for 1 with the current free dining, would a 2nd person still get free dining if I add them on after that promotion ends?

Also, if I booked for 1 under free dining, then a better offer becomes available is there a fee for changing to the new offer and adding another person?

[nicbev]

Interesting reading. We are 2 adults and a 10 year old. We have just come back from POR, not a resort I would rush back to, it was too big for us and too many bus stops! Spoilt with WL previously but not cheap
anymore.

[Shani]

Originally Posted by chipndalefan

I wasn't aware you could book for 1 then add others later.

If I booked for 1 with the current free dining, would a 2nd person still get free dining if I add them on after that promotion ends?

Also, if I booked for 1 under free dining, then a better offer becomes available is there a fee for changing to the new offer and adding another person?

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Yes, anyone you added to the same room booking would have the same offer as when you originally booked.

Disney's booking conditions would remain - if you changed your booking and the overall cost remain the same, or higher, you wouldn't be charged anything. If the cost reduced, it'd be £50.

[sprocket]

Carefully work out if free dining is worth it compared to other offers on the UK and US site. We have never booked free dinning as it always works out more expensive for us. Remember, free dining isn't free. The room rate is just inflated to cover it, just like supermarkets do before a promotion.

Originally Posted by chipndalefan

I wasn't aware you could book for 1 then add others later.

If I booked for 1 with the current free dining, would a 2nd person still get free dining if I add them on after that promotion ends?

Also, if I booked for 1 under free dining, then a better offer becomes available is there a fee for changing to the new offer and adding another person?

See more...

[Shani]

Originally Posted by sprocket

Carefully work out if free dining is worth it compared to other offers on the UK and US site. We have never booked free dinning as it always works out more expensive for us. Remember, free dining isn't free. The room rate is just inflated to cover it, just like supermarkets do before a promotion.

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That's not necessarily true.

SSR and OKW for example are much cheaper when free dining is on. It's widely accepted that prices are not inflated for free dining, and they can only sometimes be beaten with later, limited (for dates and accommodations) new offers.

The free nights offer can work out cheaper in some instances (for example only 2 people in a room or if you planned to eat offsite a lot anyway), but especially for us as a family of 5, no deal at any other time of year beats the one we get when free dining is on.

It is definitely not a clear cut, black and white, one is cheaper than the other.