Free dining, changing resorts, what to do?

[wdwnutz]

Forgive me for rambling, but I'm soooo undecided!!!! I am seriously OCD when planning my WDW trips!

With free dining coming out we are so undecided what to do and I need some advice/ideas. Right now we are booked at POFQ 10/25-10/31 with all our adr's done, and of course free dining starts 10/26. We definitely want to stay 7 days with the package and with the first flight down and last flight home. I also already have my flight down booked with SW on the 630am flight for $141. I looked at flights with SW and can't get an early flight down at a decent $.

So we are thinking about keeping our sat flight and getting a room only with no dining or park tix and just relaxing for the day. Then our free dining package would start sun 10/26- sat 11/1. My dilemma is deciding to switch resorts and take advantage of free dining which would save us $900 at a moderate, or $300 at Aoa. We looked at Csr, but now on line there are no standard rooms available! Not thrilled with Csr or Cbr because of size, but may consider to save $$$ (have stayed in past). My idea is now to do room only at Aoa in Little Mermaid room for one night and switch to a suite for rest of trip ($300 less than POFQ w/o free dining) Has anyone else done this and if so how does it work with luggage, etc? Also any other ideas are much appreciated!!!! Btw... Traveling with DH, DS8 and my BFF.

[etibbetts]

Just keep in mind if you switch to AOA you will receive the free CS dining plan as that is a value. Have you thought about Carribbean Beach? I stayed there in September and really enjoyed it. You would get the free regular dining plan there. If you do CBR, I'd request Jamaica building 44 or 45. They are a short walk from OPR, close to the bus stop, my favorite non-preferred location.

I agree with your plan for a room only for one night. My family never goes in the park on our arrival day, we prefer to relax and get started first thing the next morning. To take advantage of free dining, I think it'd be worth it for you.

Good luck with your decision.

[pixiesmimi]

We had thought about the same dates but I wondered how that would affect the free dining. So if you go down one day before the free dining starts, you can't get the free dining starting the next day and stay in the same room?

[Tink1]

We had thought about the same dates but I wondered how that would affect the free dining. So if you go down one day before the free dining starts, you can't get the free dining starting the next day and stay in the same room?

You would need 2 separate reservations. They do try and keep you in the same room, but it is not always possible.

Nanc

[wdwnutz]

So after lots of phone calls and emails with our travel agent, we ended up at Pop Century for 7 days w free dining, upgrading to plus dining plan, and a preferred room which still saved us a $900! We also added a day, arriving the day before free dining starts; it's a room only reservation w aaa discount. So yes, you will have 2 reservations. But we can add one more day of park tix for less than $10 a person. (But no dining plan for this day, just going to pay out of pocket). Thanks for the advice and good luck to everyone! Rooms are filling up quickly....our travel agent was on hold 3 hours today!

[pixiesmimi]

Got my reservations last night but had to change them from Oct to Sept because everything is booked up already. I was lucky to get in the Yacht Club but really wanted the Beach Club. I have never in all the years we have gone to WDW had trouble getting into a resort until this time. I sure hope the crowds don't reflect this.