August 2009 code watch

[MEG&MINNIE]

I just used a one day base ticket as an example. Your savings for the reduced price tickets with the 4/3 deal are not nearly as great as the free dining staying at a value resort. The savings flip the other direction in favor of the 4/3 deal if you are staying at a deluxe resort.

Thanks for the reply...now I understand . I'll have to run some numbers myself...but it looks like Free Dining is better if you stay at POP !
Thanks...

 

[Suzyq9241]

Free dining starting on Aug 16?
How do you know its starting on the 16th of Aug?

That would be great because dh and I are celebrating 20yrs marriage.. on the 18th of August ... and I was waiting to find out the dates of free dining before I booked anything...

 

[debf]

We are planning an Aug 09 trip also. We aren't sure if we are staying on Disney.It depends on what promo they come out with. We had free dining for our Aug 2007 trip and that worked out great. Last year we rented a condo at Windsor Hills.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Free dining starting on Aug 16?
How do you know its starting on the 16th of Aug?

That would be great because dh and I are celebrating 20yrs marriage.. on the 18th of August ... and I was waiting to find out the dates of free dining before I booked anything...

Right now the 16th is for those who got the pin code. There is no telling what the public dates will be if they come one. They are usually in the 20's. They usually come out the first week in April.

 

[n2mm]

Right now the 16th is for those who got the pin code. There is no telling what the public dates will be if they come one. They are usually in the 20's. They usually come out the first week in April.

I agree, just because it begins on the 16th for those with a pin, it does not mean it will begin for the GP on the 16th. I got burned like this a few years ago. They offered a bounce back and it started early August. I thought of flying down to book the bounce back and decided I would just wait for it to be announced to the GP. So I booked my airfare around the dates offered for the bounceback and was ready for the announcement. To my dismay, it was announced, but not for the same dates. Actually it started near the end of August and I had my trip starting on Aug. 15th. So I had to scramble and put together a trip using my DVC points at the last minute and was there and gone before the free ddp started. So anyone reading this, be warned. Don't go by the pin dates, because it may or may not happen. I do believe it will be announced for the public, just not sure of the dates.

 

[KarBear]

Could someone explain to me ( I am sure you'll think I am a block head) about free dining. I booked a room at CBR for Aug 20-28th 2009. I was told by a CM that free dining may or may not be released in April (sometime) and if it was to call back and they can change my reservation.
My question is, can everyone get free dining at any resort or are there a limited amount of "free dining rooms" at each hotel (kind of like the $99 fare on a plane -there are only about 5 seats out of 200 that have the lowest fare). Will it be impossible to get free dining. And no I don't have a "pin" nor do I know how to get one.

Thanks for your help!

 

[ZeroToHero]

Could someone explain to me ( I am sure you'll think I am a block head) about free dining. I booked a room at CBR for Aug 20-28th 2009. I was told by a CM that free dining may or may not be released in April (sometime) and if it was to call back and they can change my reservation.
My question is, can everyone get free dining at any resort or are there a limited amount of "free dining rooms" at each hotel (kind of like the $99 fare on a plane -there are only about 5 seats out of 200 that have the lowest fare). Will it be impossible to get free dining. And no I don't have a "pin" nor do I know how to get one.

Thanks for your help!

Free dining is indeed like the 5 seats on a plane thing. There's a certain amount of rooms for each resort that are available for free dining. It will be announced early in April (or sooner, hopefully) and you will then have a few days to change your sleep habits to be up at 7 am and calling in to change your reservation.

Some people will get PINs for free dining, but others need to wait until the general public code is released (sort of like a coupon) and you need to be the first to the "store" to get the "product" before it's sold out..

Metaphors are great.

 

[dtr_angel]

we're hoping to squeeze a week in August to Disney since my hubby is turning 25 on the 20th... not sure exact dates, but maybe the 17-23ish. Hoping for a discount though since we have a week in Disney this month!

 

[toodycat]

Assuming free dining is in place for the last week in August, is it usually available for all WDW resorts or just certain resorts? I have booked air to arrive at MCO on 8/26, but haven't booked a resort yet.

 

[toodycat]

How does one get codes? I have a Disney Visa and have signed up for email from Disney on their web page. If I can't get free dining, I would love to get a 40% off code. Is that something for Fl residents or annual pass holders or is it something anyone might receive? Thanks.

 

[Smile4Me]

We just got a pin through snailmail for $594 per person for values plus a $500 gift card...however the piece of mail says its only good through a date on April however when we called to inquire its good through the beginning of June,,,,I asked if they could honor it at a different time because we aren't planning on going til the end of August but they can't....so gotta keep my chin up and hope for free dining!

 

[Rosanne]

I tried to post a day or two ago but couldn't remember my password. Anyway, I was going to say that I was able to book the 4/7 with no trouble with dates August 11-18. The CM said that as long as my trip starts before the deal ends I am good. I have also been able to price it several times on the Disney website and get the deal. There was one night that I could not get it online. I think there was something messed up with the site or maybe they released more rooms after that night.

Actually, I wish I would get a code for 40% off since I would really rather just stay five nights and use the five days left of no expiration tickets that I have left from January. I asked the CM if I might have a code under my name somewhere but she said the 4/7 was the best deal out there. I don't think she wanted to look it up. To me, as much as I would like staying two more days, that is also two more days of food to buy. For me and my girls (3 and 8) staying at movies for the week it will be $1161 which is a good deal but if we had 40% for 4-5 days and only had to buy tickets for the little one (she got in free last time since she is still two right now) I figure it would cost around 400-500 less plus two days less food. Granted, with the 4/7 we'd have our no expiration tickets for myself and the 8 year-old to use another time. Rambling...

 

[bzzelady]

When I tried to do this for August 13-20th, they would not let me book the deal unless my trip ended on the 15th. I have never been able to get this to come up on line no matter what resort I plug in and I went through 3 phone calls and every one provided the same answer. I'm glad that you got lucky

 

[Donald Applecore]

When I tried to do this for August 13-20th, they would not let me book the deal unless my trip ended on the 15th. I have never been able to get this to come up on line no matter what resort I plug in and I went through 3 phone calls and every one provided the same answer. I'm glad that you got lucky

I suspect that if you complete your four nights by the 15th, they will honor the deal. When I called to see if I could get the 4/3 deal on our dates (Aug. 15 - 22) I got a CM that was willing to put the code in & see what happened. Her system accepted the code for those dates,BUT it didn't actually give the discount. Seven nights AKL standard view w/ park hopper was still about 2500.

 

[Rosanne]

BZZELADY...

I checked out your dates for Old Key West on the Disney Site for August 13-20 and it accepted the dates for the 4/7 special. I was wondering... did you actually click on the offer itself on the site? You have to follow it through all the way from the offer itself. If you just type in the dates from the main, usual trip planning area you do not get the deal for any dates.

You have to go on the 4/7 ad, then to the get details tab and then the get started tab. You may know that already but I don't know any other reason I would be able to book and you wouldn't for those dates. I also checked the Movies Value resort and it also came up with the deal for the 13th through the 20th.

Anyway.... just hoping to help.

 

[bzzelady]

The dates come up...but they aren't discounted. OKW for a studio comes out to $2045.69 with one day base tickets for an adult and child. If the 4/3 deal is applied, it should come out somewhere in the neighborhood of $1465.00, based on the prevailing rates for the season.
The system seems to be programmed to give you a price for the added part of the promotion, whether or not the discount is available. This differs from the earlier part of the deal, when the system would not (and still does not) give you a price when it was not available. I suspect that people who aren't "in the know" about the pricing for the season think that they are getting a deal, when in fact they are not.

 

[Donald Applecore]

I suspect that people who aren't "in the know" about the pricing for the season think that they are getting a deal, when in fact they are not.

I wondered about this too - even the CM that applied the 4/3 code for me tried to tell me that I was getting the deal b/c the system had accepted the code. It wasn't until I made her compare the quote to a break down of room only prices w/ tickets that she realized that the discount hadn't actually applied.

 

[CanadianWDWfan]

Waiting to book our trip with free dining.... that everyone gets what they hope for.

 

[michelle1]

I tried to post a day or two ago but couldn't remember my password. Anyway, I was going to say that I was able to book the 4/7 with no trouble with dates August 11-18. The CM said that as long as my trip starts before the deal ends I am good. I have also been able to price it several times on the Disney website and get the deal. There was one night that I could not get it online. I think there was something messed up with the site or maybe they released more rooms after that night.

Actually, I wish I would get a code for 40% off since I would really rather just stay five nights and use the five days left of no expiration tickets that I have left from January. I asked the CM if I might have a code under my name somewhere but she said the 4/7 was the best deal out there. I don't think she wanted to look it up. To me, as much as I would like staying two more days, that is also two more days of food to buy. For me and my girls (3 and 8) staying at movies for the week it will be $1161 which is a good deal but if we had 40% for 4-5 days and only had to buy tickets for the little one (she got in free last time since she is still two right now) I figure it would cost around 400-500 less plus two days less food. Granted, with the 4/7 we'd have our no expiration tickets for myself and the 8 year-old to use another time. Rambling...

The CM is correct to say the 4/3 is a good deal but if you already have tickets than the 40% off is the better deal. We are using the 40% pin code for a room only at the GF because we don't need to purchase tickets. Maybe you should call back and ask them to check what codes are attached to your name..I had one code attached to mine that had expired and I didn't even know I had it. The 40% code I received was back in October but bookings must be made by the end of March.

 

[dtr_angel]

really torn what to do... we wanted to go during my hubby's bday week which would probably be the 17-23... but the 4/3 deal saves us more than free dining would... and we'd get to stay at a deluxe instead of a value- but we'd have to go the 7-14 and not be there on his bday. Decisions, decisions...