Adding free dining promotion to an existing reservation

[Disneyaddictprincess]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone can help me. I've been to DW many times but never during a free dining promotion (missed it by one day last time!). I'm thinking about booking for next Christmas 2020. I've seen there are currently bounce back offers for free dining thru 12-24-2020 so I'm hoping they offer it for non-bounce back bookings as well. Wish I was in Disney World to just book the bounce back offer but sadly I'm no where near...

But lets say I book a regular reservation today at a resort normally included in free dining (All Star Sports preferred room) for a week, with park hoppers for the week, arriving 12-23-2020 so a date that is included in the current bounce back offer. Now lets say I get lucky and free dining is offered next spring for this resort, room type, and my dates, AND they have rooms available for this offer and I'm able to snag one and get free dining. I know I can modify my existing reservation, but do I simply add the offer to my existing reservation without changing any of my pricing? Am I charged the difference in prices for room and tickets from the date I originally booked (hypothetically today) to the day the promotion actually comes out (sometime next spring)? Also will I have better luck getting the promotion if I'm in a preferred room? I saw some for this year for standard rooms but I wouldn't be surprised if most require a preferred room. I'm trying to keep costs down so if a standard room has just as much of a chance of availability as a preferred room I'd be fine with that.

A friend recently added free dining to her reservation (also at Christmas and also as All Star Sports) but said she could only do it by upgrading from a standard room to a preferred room. I'm guessing they didn't have any standard rooms available for free dining and that's why she had to pay to upgrade? Is this true? Or even if I start with a preferred room will I still be charged as if I'm making a whole new reservation at whatever prices are at that moment?

I realize free dining might not be offered next year at all or might not include my preferred hotel or my dates, but I'm hoping I get lucky! Any help is appreciated as free dining (or the possibility of it) may get my hubby on board

 

[dkr7166]

When you log in to MDE, find your hotel reservation. You can apply the hypothetical new offer by clicking "Change Reservation." It will allow you to change the offer you have to whatever becomes available later. I ended up upgrading from standard to pool view room at Pop in 2017 because it got me a better rate.

I'm not sure if a preferred room would get you a better chance of the discount or not. I usually start with standard and then see what discounts are available and which is best for me.

 

[CastAStone]

I don’t usually say this but given what you want to do, you might benefit from a Travel Agent. I’m sure some people here might know some.

Now lets say I get lucky and free dining is offered next spring for this resort, room type, and my dates

Just an FYI if they do free dining next December it probably won’t be announced until August or September

Am I charged the difference in prices for room and tickets from the date I originally booked (hypothetically today) to the day the promotion actually comes out (sometime next spring)?

Yes. Room is unlikely to change rates (though it happens), but if you do wind up having to completely rebook, tickets are likely to go up. It’s a meaningful risk.

Also will I have better luck getting the promotion if I'm in a preferred room?

Not necessarily. You can always change your room type then if you need to.

A friend recently added free dining to her reservation (also at Christmas and also as All Star Sports) but said she could only do it by upgrading from a standard room to a preferred room. I'm guessing they didn't have any standard rooms available for free dining and that's why she had to pay to upgrade?

Most likely yes. Disney releases free dining offers to help Disney sell the rooms they’re having trouble selling, so whatever they can’t sell is what gets the free dining offer. The disclosures about what’s included in free dining are minimal (basically they only tell you what dates and resorts have 0 availability of any kind), which is the biggest reason I suggest you may benefit from a Travel Agent, they can rebook for you and will be very adept at finding an All-Star room that is in the program.

Good luck!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping someone can help me. I've been to DW many times but never during a free dining promotion (missed it by one day last time!). I'm thinking about booking for next Christmas 2020. I've seen there are currently bounce back offers for free dining thru 12-24-2020 so I'm hoping they offer it for non-bounce back bookings as well. Wish I was in Disney World to just book the bounce back offer but sadly I'm no where near...

But lets say I book a regular reservation today at a resort normally included in free dining (All Star Sports preferred room) for a week, with park hoppers for the week, arriving 12-23-2020 so a date that is included in the current bounce back offer. Now lets say I get lucky and free dining is offered next spring for this resort, room type, and my dates, AND they have rooms available for this offer and I'm able to snag one and get free dining. I know I can modify my existing reservation, but do I simply add the offer to my existing reservation without changing any of my pricing? Am I charged the difference in prices for room and tickets from the date I originally booked (hypothetically today) to the day the promotion actually comes out (sometime next spring)? Also will I have better luck getting the promotion if I'm in a preferred room? I saw some for this year for standard rooms but I wouldn't be surprised if most require a preferred room. I'm trying to keep costs down so if a standard room has just as much of a chance of availability as a preferred room I'd be fine with that.

A friend recently added free dining to her reservation (also at Christmas and also as All Star Sports) but said she could only do it by upgrading from a standard room to a preferred room. I'm guessing they didn't have any standard rooms available for free dining and that's why she had to pay to upgrade? Is this true? Or even if I start with a preferred room will I still be charged as if I'm making a whole new reservation at whatever prices are at that moment?

I realize free dining might not be offered next year at all or might not include my preferred hotel or my dates, but I'm hoping I get lucky! Any help is appreciated as free dining (or the possibility of it) may get my hubby on board

1) "Do I simply add the offer to my existing reservation without changing any of my pricing? Am I charged the difference in prices for room and tickets from the date I originally booked to the day the promotion actually comes out?" Yes. If your room rate or ticket pricing increases between the time you originally book and the time the promo comes out, you will have to pay whatever the pricing is at the time the promo is released. Anytime you modify a reservation, you run the risk of price fluctuations. WDW is notorious for raising prices prior to releasing promos.

2) "Will I have better luck getting the promotion if I'm in a preferred room?" Having a reservation for any room now in no way increases your chances of getting a free dining promotion. You can't simply add a promotion to an existing reservation. You may get lucky and your resort and room category may be available in the promo inventory for your dates or you may need to modify your reservation (as your friend did) and change resorts or room categories to get the promo. Yes, you will be charged prevailing rates if you modify to a promo. The only time you can lock in a room or package price is if you put down a deposit and never modify the reservation. Any modification is subject to prevailing rates.

Rule of thumb. If you know you are going regardless of discounts, book what you can afford now and hope you get lucky when promos are released. If you can't go without a discount, simply wait for the promos to be released and try to book ASAP.

 

[Lynne M]

Moving this to the Discount Codes and Rates board.

 

[Disneyaddictprincess]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Here's hoping it all works out