New Bounceback: Free Dining 2019

[JessicaW1234]

pricing out to see if it is worth it - Has anyone booked a FD bounceback for POP yet? If so, what room category did you have to book? Were up offered just plain standard rooms or did you have to book up from that?

We were able to book at standard room at Pop for a bounceback

 

[twodogs]

Tried to book a BB from BC 2 weeks ago. I forgot to do it from the room, but grabbed the flyer and intended to call from the airport. Flight was delayed hours due to weather in Dallas. Finally arrived home, promptly started doing laundry and getting kids to bed, and forgot to call until late that night. Now at 10:02pm CST on the night we checked out, I call BB number and they are closed (close at 10pm CST). Regular reservations phone line is also closed (10pm CST). I emailed CS at 10:02pm to let them know about our flight delay and that I called 2 minutes after the reservations line closed for the night, and could I possibly book tomorrow when phones opened again. Email response was a big ‘NO”. So do not delay booking until check out day because that is a busy day and you might forget. And Disney has no mercy on it. Not that they need to have mercy, as it was on me to book it timely, but just reporting that they have none!

 

[scrappinginontario]

I’m sorry this happened to you.

 

[focusondisney]

Tried to book a BB from BC 2 weeks ago. I forgot to do it from the room, but grabbed the flyer and intended to call from the airport. Flight was delayed hours due to weather in Dallas. Finally arrived home, promptly started doing laundry and getting kids to bed, and forgot to call until late that night. Now at 10:02pm CST on the night we checked out, I call BB number and they are closed (close at 10pm CST). Regular reservations phone line is also closed (10pm CST). I emailed CS at 10:02pm to let them know about our flight delay and that I called 2 minutes after the reservations line closed for the night, and could I possibly book tomorrow when phones opened again. Email response was a big ‘NO”. So do not delay booking until check out day because that is a busy day and you might forget. And Disney has no mercy on it. Not that they need to have mercy, as it was on me to book it timely, but just reporting that they have none!

Yes, they are pretty hard with that rule, as they should be. I left booking til the last day once & ended up on hold for quite awhile, delaying our getting going to our last park day. Now I do it in one of our afternoons when we’re relaxing at the resort.

And also, I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure the phone line closes at 10pm EST, not CST. So you were actually an hour late, not 2 minutes.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I inadvertently tested a question which was raised a few pages ago. I booked a throwaway room (campsite) for the purpose of booking the FD bounceback for Dec 2019. I didn't realize this was not allowed. When I book a reservation, I do so for a combination of benefits that come with the cost, and sometimes the benefits I want don't include actually sleeping in the room. As long as you pay in full and don't try to scam anyone by cancelling or trying to get out of paying, I didn't think it mattered. Apparently Disney is on the lookout for people who book a room for the purpose of booking a future stay bounceback and has decided that particular benefit requires you to actually step foot in the room. The initial guy I spoke with was friendly and chatted about my one-night stay asking if I booked it solely to book the bounceback offer, saying he had heard that from lots of others. I laughed and replied with a 'might have' or something similarly non-committal (while I didn't think I was doing anything wrong, I also didn't want to put him in an awkward position if he had been told otherwise). He asked which resort we were looking at and how many day tickets. I told him this stay would be the first of our next round of annual passes after a year break. He suggested banking tickets for future use by AP holders. He checked availability then put me on hold a while. When he came back, he said it was available but I would have to call back after our current stay was activated. I said 'so after the 3pm check-in', he said yes or even tomorrow.

About an hour later I got our room assignment via text, had already done online check-in, so no problems there. I called back a couple hours later and got the same guy. He put me on hold a couple times, then transferred me to guest services who said that I was not eligible to book the bounce-back because I had not actually gone to the resort. They checked with the front gate and no one on the reservation had scanned entrance. He said the initial guy I spoke with had been required to follow-up because of what I said to him, and that he could have gotten in trouble for booking a reservation for someone who wasn't eligible. I asked what made me ineligible when I had reserved and paid for my stay just like anyone else. The terminology on the brochure says it is for 'Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels', but he said that the bounceback offers were only for those guests physically onsite, booking and paying for a stay wasn't enough.

I'm really disappointed because it's not feasible to swing by Orlando from Texas just for a night or two in Aug. Last year we did visit during the dates that the FD bounceback was offered, but it was towards the end of the offer, and the dates/resorts we wanted were gone. Hopefully there will be availability when the public offer comes out in April, but by then I'm sure room and ticket prices will have gone up again. Or maybe I'll get a PIN code (yeah right, 15 years and still hasn't happened ).

Of course, I didn't think to look any of this up on the disboards until AFTER I had already tried it . So, for anyone else interested, here is my data point!

I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. I drove ten hours Sunday and checked in to Pop for one night (hadn't stayed there before, and I was surprised how nice the room was!) I called for the BB and they did somehow confirm that I was physically onsite. The CM even commented that I wasn't with my family so she suspected I had driven there just to book the BB I said I was - we are traveling with six Disney adults next summer, so it was worth 10 hours in the car there and 10 hours back the next day. I know it is farther for you and several others on this thread

I was happy to be there for a night and to eat a Mickey bar, and my husband is happy that I was able to meet the budget for next summer's trip!

 

[scrappinginontario]

I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. I drove ten hours Sunday and checked in to Pop for one night (hadn't stayed there before, and I was surprised how nice the room was!) I called for the BB and they did somehow confirm that I was physically onsite. The CM even commented that I wasn't with my family so she suspected I had driven there just to book the BB I said I was - we are traveling with six Disney adults next summer, so it was worth 10 hours in the car there and 10 hours back the next day. I know it is farther for you and several others on this thread

I was happy to be there for a night and to eat a Mickey bar, and my husband is happy that I was able to meet the budget for next summer's trip!

So glad you did this!! I'm glad to hear others go to lengths to book a BB too.

My daughter and I are arriving Sunday for a quick trip that all started with my dream of a FD BB offer. We were only going to do the water parks but then MNSSHP came up during our stay so I added that too.

We live it Canada so for us it's a 3 hour drive to the airport and almost a 3 hour flight - but it's a great adventure with FD to book as the cherry on top of our unusual trip.

And the very best part....my 9yo doesn't have a clue!! She'll find out Sunday morning when she breaks open a pinata with only MagicBands in it!

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

So glad you did this!! I'm glad to hear others go to lengths to book a BB too.

My daughter and I are arriving Sunday for a quick trip that all started with my dream of a FD BB offer. We were only going to do the water parks but then MNSSHP came up during our stay so I added that too.

We live it Canada so for us it's a 3 hour drive to the airport and almost a 3 hour flight - but it's a great adventure with FD to book as the cherry on top of our unusual trip.

And the very best part....my 9yo doesn't have a clue!! She'll find out Sunday morning when she breaks open a pinata with only MagicBands in it!

My children thought it was hilarious and "extra", but they don't pay the bills

That's so exciting! And I love that the piñata will only have the magic bands in it!

 

[larissawbb]

Does anyone know which resorts are excluded? I had someone ask this morning about Bay Lake Tower.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

Does anyone know which resorts are excluded? I had someone ask this morning about Bay Lake Tower.

BLT is excluded. There is a copy of the flyer earlier in the thread, but I know BLT is excluded because I would have liked to try it!

 

[larissawbb]

BLT is excluded. There is a copy of the flyer earlier in the thread, but I know BLT is excluded because I would have liked to try it!

Thanks! I missed it glancing through.

 

[rotlex]

Booked this just last week during our stay at Coronado. (We have been booking free dining bounce backs for like 10 years now, lol).

Anyway, I found two things odd. One, we could not book a 13 night stay at any resort other than a value. They just didn't seem to have to concurrent days available. Also, I tried to switch resorts, originally booked again at Coronado, and decided to try for the Wilderness Lodge. Much to my dismay, they had no standard rooms available. Only nature and courtyard views which drive the cost WAY up. I know they are available for that time frame as if I try to book off the Disney site they are. I also didn't see any exclusions on standard rooms in any of the info I've read, or from the CM's on the phone. Is it possible standard view rooms are excluded from this offer at certain resorts?

Anyway, just glad to have trip already booked for next year. I guess I can try every few weeks to see if I can bump it up to a 13 night stay rather than 10. As of this morning, 13 straight nights is STILL not available when I phone in. (Frustrating).

 

[scrappinginontario]

Booked this just last week during our stay at Coronado. (We have been booking free dining bounce backs for like 10 years now, lol).

Anyway, I found two things odd. One, we could not book a 13 night stay at any resort other than a value. They just didn't seem to have to concurrent days available. Also, I tried to switch resorts, originally booked again at Coronado, and decided to try for the Wilderness Lodge. Much to my dismay, they had no standard rooms available. Only nature and courtyard views which drive the cost WAY up. I know they are available for that time frame as if I try to book off the Disney site they are. I also didn't see any exclusions on standard rooms in any of the info I've read, or from the CM's on the phone. Is it possible standard view rooms are excluded from this offer at certain resorts?

Anyway, just glad to have trip already booked for next year. I guess I can try every few weeks to see if I can bump it up to a 13 night stay rather than 10. As of this morning, 13 straight nights is STILL not available when I phone in. (Frustrating).

Yes, it is quite possible that standard view rooms are excluded from the BB offer for certain resorts. If a resort typically sells out of a category of room with people willing to pay full rack rate, they may exclude this category of room from the BB offer.

Right now it is very early in the offer as well as early for booking reservations that are a year away. If you're not able to get what you truly want, another option might be to keep what you have now and then (IF) next spring a Free Dining offer comes out to the General Public, the restrictions/options might be different. By then it will be closer to the dates so they'll have a better idea of what is/is not selling and will base their offer on availability at the time.

 

[twodogs]

I’m sorry this happened to you.

Thank you for the virtual hug! I know I dropped the ball, and it will be ok. We are possibly returning the first weekend in October, so I can try to book it then. But that will be a less than 3 day trip, so I may get wrapped up in everything Disney and not get it booked until the last minute. Hopefully just not the last minute too late! I assume availability will be less as the offer is out there longer, so we will just see if we can make something work then.

We have never done FD because we stay deluxe, aren’t big TS eaters at all, and so a room discount generally works the best. But if we could try FD, I wanted to try it! Maybe it’s just not meant to be... I will take it if we can make it work with what’s left when we go back in October. Thanks all for the support. Non Disney people would be scratching their heads at what I was so sad about!!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Booked the FD BB two days ago. Dates are August 14-22, 2019. Availability was limited- tried for YC GV, BC GV and CR Garden view garden wing. Couldn't get any of those so I booked BC WV. YC only had GV CL available

 

[vinotinto]

Booked this just last week during our stay at Coronado. (We have been booking free dining bounce backs for like 10 years now, lol).

Anyway, I found two things odd. One, we could not book a 13 night stay at any resort other than a value. They just didn't seem to have to concurrent days available. Also, I tried to switch resorts, originally booked again at Coronado, and decided to try for the Wilderness Lodge. Much to my dismay, they had no standard rooms available. Only nature and courtyard views which drive the cost WAY up. I know they are available for that time frame as if I try to book off the Disney site they are. I also didn't see any exclusions on standard rooms in any of the info I've read, or from the CM's on the phone. Is it possible standard view rooms are excluded from this offer at certain resorts?

Anyway, just glad to have trip already booked for next year. I guess I can try every few weeks to see if I can bump it up to a 13 night stay rather than 10. As of this morning, 13 straight nights is STILL not available when I phone in. (Frustrating).

Was AKL Standard available? That has been offered to me in the past when I've been looking for a standard deluxe room.

 

[rotlex]

Was AKL Standard available? That has been offered to me in the past when I've been looking for a standard deluxe room.

Didn’t check AKL unfortunately. While I love it, my wife hates how far it is from everything.

 

[rchampagne]

Booked the FD BB two days ago. Dates are August 14-22, 2019. Availability was limited- tried for YC GV, BC GV and CR Garden view garden wing. Couldn't get any of those so I booked BC WV. YC only had GV CL available

I booked the FD BB 3 days ago. From the resorts we were interested in, they gave us the following options for dates Aug 14-21.
BC Deluxe room
BC club level
WL fireworks view
WL club level
YC garden or woods view
Art of Animation
BW garden view

We went with YC, even though BC was our first choice.

 

[dismom57]

Booked a December BB. Was surprised at limited availability. No Cabins (wc) so end up A oA

 

[RogPol]

I have a trip booked this December. I'm reading that to get the bounce back offer for December 2019, that I must book by October 31st. Is that final, or does Disney usually update the offer for when I go? I it's final, what are the potential BB offers I might be able to take advantage of? I usually stay at All-Stars or Pop.

Thanks

 

[focusondisney]

I have a trip booked this December. I'm reading that to get the bounce back offer for December 2019, that I must book by October 31st. Is that final, or does Disney usually update the offer for when I go? I it's final, what are the potential BB offers I might be able to take advantage of? I usually stay at All-Stars or Pop.

Thanks

The free dining offer will end in October. The offer in December should be a room discount for select dates in 2019.