Bounceback is out for Free Dining!

[blackthidot]

We got a slip in our room to book free dining for 2012.

We are booked!!!

Sorry about the quality. It was taken with my phone in the hotel room!

 

[flynnibus]

Unclear- Is free dining for the length of your stay and given to everyone staying in the room?

What are the restrictions?

its room+ticket deals.. so you gotta book a # of rooms that can fit the # of people you have.. and pay for the tickets as part of the deal.

That's the 'free dining' promos.. room only discounts of course are w/o tickets bundled

 

[flynnibus]

Sandy and I have APs. We go to WDW twice per year.

Stratagy is simple - book well ahead at our favorite delux. Book rack, then lurk.

As soon as WDW announces a GP or AP discount? CALL. Get that discount. To date? I've only had to change a Res number once - NEVER had to change our favorite Delux. Why? Well, the one time I had to change a Res number, I booked the "new" res, confirmed it, then cancelled the old res. It cost me nothing - it cost WDW a LOAD in people time. Never happened again .

This year, we booked rack for November. The AP deal arrived - and we snagged it on day one. We saved over $2000 for a party of three. On one trip. I can buy a lot of food for $2000 .

Now - if one frequents POP? Our method probably isn't for you. And we HAVE snagged bouncebacks in the past... ROOM bouncebacks. I love these, when they materialize.

Oh - on the "snag a GP or AP discount"? Just grab them. WDW MAY offer an AP discount... get the GP first (bird in the hand). Later, if a better AP discount shows up? CALL. Own a Magic Jack... be a Columbo (just one more question?).... Work the system. If you do this, and you ARE an AP? You will provide positive business feedback to WDW to offer AP discounts FIRST - simply because if they do not? The APs will steal all the GP discounts that they can .

But isn't this also because you are booking in what are historically discounted periods? Aren't you indirectly steering to the discounts?

Did you buy APs because of the discounts or because of the length of your stays?

It seems to me.. much like the distaste for 'not free dining' is the detail is for it to work for you, the dimensions must be compatible. Buying an AP is a great way for the steep discounts. But if you don't travel often and don't stay in deluxes.. it may not be as lucrative.

Or if you plan your trips by your calendar, instead of Disney's... the 'I've never paid more then $150 for WL' type arguements are pretty much 'in my special case' points.

 

[Monty]

Same situation with me, free dining or even dining plan is not best.

I have a question- a bounce back offer is even better than an annual pass discount?

You said you called but if you have an annual pass you can just check on-line to see what current offers are. If bounce backs are less expensive, I'm asking about it on my next trip.

The bounceback offer was 35% on POR, the best AP discount for the same timeframe at a Moderate was 30% I think.

This is a great idea. I can only foresee one potential draw back. What if the resort that you have booked does not have discounts when they are announced?
For example I have want to stay at the Contemporary but it never seems to be available during discounts. What if I booked a room there then called for a discount? Do they have discounts available on the phone that aren't on the site or would I just be out of luck?

There have been times when offers weren't available for the resort I wanted on the dates I needed, but other resorts were available and I've switched. Sometimes a bit of flexibility helps!

 

[WI DISNEY FAN]

I just wonder with the changes in restaurants participating in 2012 for the dining plan (especially epcot) If it will become more difficult to obtain ADRs?

 

[blackthidot]

Aren't restaurants in Epcot always late to the party?

 

[Alison1975]

Hey Alison,
What do you mean "lost" room discount? Disney allows combining room discount and free dining? I thought it was one or the other.

You ate $3,900 worth of food?!! How many people were in your group?

They don't hence why I "lost" a room discout of about $600 and upgrading the plan was $400 so the plan cost me "$1000" if you want to look at it like that. we had 2 rooms.. and yes we did.. there was 8 of us !

 

[Monty]

Aren't restaurants in Epcot always late to the party?

Always.

 

[drp4video]

Just got back today, had the bounce back offer but didn't take it. Not sure what our schedule will be next year. Probably stupid, but just the way it is.

 

[boufa]

Thanks for the detailed analysis Boufa. I'm understanding now that the true value of "free" dining comes if you are in a value resort with three or more people. I never looked at it that way.

For me, I'll take the room discount. Usually I'm paying for the room myself and I like to eat wherever I want and whatever I want. Also I don't eat a dessert with every table service meal.

Currently the way to go for me is- annual pass and resort room discounts. I'm thinking of adding TIW this year also. Though that would only pay off for me if I go to WDW often enough. I'm up to three trips this year. Ideally I'd like to make four a year. Time for a second job. :animwink:

A couple points that I might have failed to explain clearly. First Value is a QS dining plan. If you want to eat more than 1 or 2 TS meals then you are on the wrong plan. If the Dining plan does not fit you, then it is a waste even free. Also value level resorts are a deal with free dining even with 1 person in the room... again assuming the dining plan fits your touring and eating desires.

As for TiW card... the break even point is $350 in TS food, over your entire party. After $350 you start realizing the savings. Also with an AP you must buy at least a 1 day ticket for each person in your room to qualify for free dining. The free dining is for each night of your stay, and cannot be less than the length of your stay (tickets can be!). You might think that the 1 day ticket thing is a waste for an AP holder, but you can hang on to the ticket and use its value against the renewal of your AP, so you do get the value back eventually.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Now it's a two day base MYW ticket minimum. That's how it was in January when we had free dining.

 

[boufa]

Now it's a two day base MYW ticket minimum. That's how it was in January when we had free dining.

Doesn't change the ultimate value of the ticket to use as a credit toward your AP renewal. 2 day ticket is $179, AP renewal is $479, so think of it as pre-paying $179 towards your AP renewal. The ticket and its credit lasts forever so long as you don't use it.

 

[blackthidot]

Doesn't change the ultimate value of the ticket to use as a credit toward your AP renewal. 2 day ticket is $179, AP renewal is $479, so think of it as pre-paying $179 towards your AP renewal. The ticket and its credit lasts forever so long as you don't use it.

True story!

 

[boufa]

True story!

People often complain that there is no payment plan for AP's if you live outside of Florida. You could do any combination of things with ticket purchases then cash in those tickets for your AP renewal.

People complain about the "free" dining not being free, then in the same breath say that their AP gets them into the parks "free". No, the AP lets you pre-pay for your admission to the parks. (with perks). So getting the extra park tickets an using them to renew your AP is like pre-paying for your pre-paid park ticket.

I have heard of people who get 3 day tickets with free dining twice a year (fall/spring) They then never really pay for their AP since they cash in their park tickets to renew their passes. A little like having a payment plan.

 

[Monty]

People often complain that there is no payment plan for AP's if you live outside of Florida. You could do any combination of things with ticket purchases then cash in those tickets for your AP renewal.

People complain about the "free" dining not being free, then in the same breath say that their AP gets them into the parks "free". No, the AP lets you pre-pay for your admission to the parks. (with perks). So getting the extra park tickets an using them to renew your AP is like pre-paying for your pre-paid park ticket.

I have heard of people who get 3 day tickets with free dining twice a year (fall/spring) They then never really pay for their AP since they cash in their park tickets to renew their passes. A little like having a payment plan.

That wouldn't work. You can only use one MYW ticket towards one AP renewal or upgrade. buying multiple tickets towards upgrade isn't allowed.

 

[blackthidot]

That wouldn't work. You can only use one MYW ticket towards one AP renewal or upgrade. buying multiple tickets towards upgrade isn't allowed.

True story...and we tried HARD...believe that.

 

[popsicletrees]

Ok, I plan on purchasing an AP (my first!) on my next trip in October. Also, I plan on doing a bounceback, if possible, for an upcoming trip in May 2012. If it was a matter of purchasing a one day ticket to get the bounceback offer, say for free dining, can I go ahead and book the Bounceback as soon as I check in? That way I can use the purchase of the one day ticket towards the purchase (not renewal) of the AP. I'm asking because even though I am going to go to WDW a few times over the next 12 months, I don't really think that I will be renewing the AP (although I would like to!).

I hope that made sense.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Ok, I plan on purchasing an AP (my first!) on my next trip in October. Also, I plan on doing a bounceback, if possible, for an upcoming trip in May 2012. If it was a matter of purchasing a one day ticket to get the bounceback offer, say for free dining, can I go ahead and book the Bounceback as soon as I check in? That way I can use the purchase of the one day ticket towards the purchase (not renewal) of the AP. I'm asking because even though I am going to go to WDW a few times over the next 12 months, I don't really think that I will be renewing the AP (although I would like to!).

You wouldn't get the ticket until May 2012 with the package....

 

[Uncle Lupe]

Aren't the dining plans changing a little bit in 2012? If you book now do you get the 2011 plan or the 2012 plan?
The bounce back offer is to get you when you are most vulnerable. They entice you with the prospect of for a few dollars more to upgrade your experience.

 

[Monty]

Aren't the dining plans changing a little bit in 2012? If you book now do you get the 2011 plan or the 2012 plan?
The bounce back offer is to get you when you are most vulnerable. They entice you with the prospect of for a few dollars more to upgrade your experience.

If you travel in 2011 you get the 2011 plan, in 2012 you get the 2012 plan. Has nothing to do with when you book.

The Bounceback is a marketing scheme, same as any. If you want it, book it. Generally, the free dining Bounceback is the same as the General Public offering that comes in April-ish, but you've got a better chance of getting the resort and room class you want the earlier you book. Trying to phone when they first release the GP offer is insane... It can take hours to get through.

The room-only Bounceback I got last year was better savings than anything that was offered to the General Public afterward.

EDIT: The 2012 regular DDP has added the free refillable mug per person. I'm not sure anything else [besides price] has changed.

 

[popsicletrees]

You wouldn't get the ticket until May 2012 with the package....

Gotcha. That makes sense, of course.