What Do YOU Think? Hypothetical About Free Dining if Resorts Remain Closed

[DisSurfer878]

Many people are speculating this closure could go up to June or even into July. No one knows for sure of course and it is all talk.
What do YOU think would happen if this closure extended to include some of the free dining dates in June/July?
Would Disney honor those and allow them to rebook with their free dining (similar to being able to move a Bounceback offer?)
Do you think Disney would just say "sorry too bad"?
I'm very curious about this, as I know many people book year after year SPECIFICALLY on Free Dining Dates. Whether or not they're a good value or you agree with their choice, how do you think Disney would handle a situation like this?

 

[sharonabe]

Many people are speculating this closure could go up to June or even into July. No one knows for sure of course and it is all talk.
What do YOU think would happen if this closure extended to include some of the free dining dates in June/July?
Would Disney honor those and allow them to rebook with their free dining (similar to being able to move a Bounceback offer?)
Do you think Disney would just say "sorry too bad"?
I'm very curious about this, as I know many people book year after year SPECIFICALLY on Free Dining Dates. Whether or not they're a good value or you agree with their choice, how do you think Disney would handle a situation like this?

We've already seen people who've rebooked for the fall were not able to keep any discounts they had, so I would expect this would be the same. You will be eligible for any discounts that might be available for the time you rebook, but highly doubt you will keep the discount you have.

 

[DisSurfer878]

We've already seen people who've rebooked for the fall were not able to keep any discounts they had, so I would expect this would be the same. You will be eligible for any discounts that might be available for the time you rebook, but highly doubt you will keep the discount you have.

And under normal circumstances I get it. But if they were completely and utterly closed on the days of free dining, that would be different than people who are caution rebooking for this fall and losing their sun and fun discount.

 

[sharonabe]

And under normal circumstances I get it. But if they were completely and utterly closed on the days of free dining, that would be different than people who are caution rebooking for this fall and losing their sun and fun discount.

The people rebooking and losing their discounts are rebooking from totally and utterly closed dates. What makes your scenario any different?

 

[FreeTime]

I don’t think discounts should be carried to a new date. The charge should be whatever the rate / discount / special is at that time. Concerning free dining, I think we will see one of the following based on how quick the economy rebounds.
1) quick rebound - no free dining for many months because those that were unable to travel during this period and have will fill the parks. No discounts needed.
2) slow rebound - lots of free dining (maybe with a change in dining plan to devalue it even more), in an effort to fill the rooms.
I’m hoping for #1

 

[DisLiss]

Disney discounts exist to spread out guests over the course of the year. Disney sees they have less people booked for a week, they offer free dining. Summer is less crowded than it used to be, they offer room discounts. And so on.

Unless people are slow to return it makes little sense for Disney to say, "Sure, because we enticed you to come during a slow week with free dining, we should now give you free dining over Christmas week instead."

 

[Disneylover99]

Unless people are slow to return it makes little sense for Disney to say, "Sure, because we enticed you to come during a slow week with free dining, we should now give you free dining over Christmas week instead."

Disney has offered free dining over Christmas for years with the bounceback and the general public FD offer if you check in a day two before Christmas. I can see the possibility of Disney shifting dates for people and still offering FD, especially if they fall within the parameters of the original offer.

 

[Bjkandma]

Disney will not extend any special offers when you reschedule. Any new special offers could be applied. If the special offer you had is no longer valid, then it will not transfer.

 

[smallworldnh]

I recently changed my reservations from May to September and paid more because there were no promotions yet. However, the CM did tell me to keep an eye out for any promotions so I could add it. I did lose my pin code offer though.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Knowing that Disney won't be able to open 100% when it opens (unless it really does decide to wait months and months), there's no way Disney will want to offer free dining. Right now, there are so many restrictions on dining sanitation and spacing that it will reduce their "number of guests served" at both TS and CS a ton...so they won't want to encourage even more folks to dine, especially at sit downs...

I mean 6ft of spacing at Le Cellier? That's gonna remove 1/2 the chairs and tables, minimum...

 

[smallworldnh]

I recently changed my reservations from May to September and paid more because there were no promotions yet. However, the CM did tell me to keep an eye out for any promotions so I could add it. I did lose my pin code offer though.

 

[vinotinto]

Many people are speculating this closure could go up to June or even into July. No one knows for sure of course and it is all talk.
What do YOU think would happen if this closure extended to include some of the free dining dates in June/July?
Would Disney honor those and allow them to rebook with their free dining (similar to being able to move a Bounceback offer?)
Do you think Disney would just say "sorry too bad"?
I'm very curious about this, as I know many people book year after year SPECIFICALLY on Free Dining Dates. Whether or not they're a good value or you agree with their choice, how do you think Disney would handle a situation like this?

I think I have answered this same type of question a bunch of times in the past weeks, under different Forums and threads. This is how Disney has handled changed reservations due to hurricanes and due to the March 2020 COVID cancellation:

• You can modify *any* offer - general public, AP, Bounceback, etc. However, the new dates must be included in the original promotion/offer dates *and* there has to be availability for the discount/promo/offer in the new dates.
• Those that have been able to move their dates and keep the promo, moved them to dates that were included in the original promotion/offer and moved them to resorts/rooms that had availability for the promo/offer.
• If you try to move a promo/offer to dates that were not originally included or that do not have availability under the promo, you will not be able to carry over your discount/promo/offer.