You know what the worst part about any Walt Disney World vacation?
When it is over and you have to go home!
Just when you are settling into your ‘home-away-from-home’ the final day of your vacation arrives and you need to return to that other home. The one that is not at Disney World. It always sneaks up on us so quickly, it almost feels as though it happens without warning!
Okay, I guess there really is no reason not to know when the last day of your vacation is going to occur. Especially when you booked your own trip. Even if you go through a travel agent or some friends or family, odds are you’re going to know when you have to head home. Right? (If you do find a way to forget and then just end up staying at Disney forever, let me know!)
It’s okay though! The last day of any Walt Disney World vacation just signals that you need to start planning your next trip. I call this the silver lining. The best time to plan the next trip? Before you leave from your current one!
Disney makes it super convincing for you to want to plan another trip by offering a Disney ‘Bounce Back’ offer. What exactly is a ‘Bounce Back’ offer you say? Well, its kind of like the name replies, it’s an offer for you to bounce back to Walt Disney World for another trip in the near future. Let’s get into the details a little more so you can know what to expect and look for regarding an upcoming trip.
How do you find a ‘Bounce Back’ offer?
A ‘Bounce Back’ offer can usually be found in your hotel room if you are staying on Walt Disney World property during your current vacation. Typically, I have found the ‘Bounce Back’ offers on the small table located in the room. It’s a piece of paper with the thickness of card stock (or the material that most of the in room Disney information is printed on) that has details for a future trip outlined in its content. Alternatively, I have found the bounce back offers located inside my room’s ‘Welcome Folder’, tucked in with the other papers.
There have been a few times when I was unable to find a bounce back offer anywhere in the room. When this happens, I usually give the front desk a call to find out how to obtain one. The pamphlets are put in the rooms by Mousekeeping (Disney’s housekeeping staff) and it can be forgotten from time to time. Don’t fret if this happens, you are still eligible! You’re not in a random room that doesn’t qualify.
What is a ‘Bounce Back’ offer?
Here’s where we get to the good part. A ‘Bounce Back’ offer is a perk for a future trip! There is usually some type of deal such as free dinning or a discount for select rooms. The offer will usually highlight the dates included in the deal. If you were already planning to go back to Disney, but didn’t have dates, the ‘Bounce Back’ offer might help you narrow down the perfect date range.
What’s the Catch?
The only catch? You must book a future stay using your ‘Bounce Back’ offer before your current vacation ends. This means you need to call while still currently in your room or else you miss the deal! Be sure to use the phone number on the ‘Bounce Back’ offer card. It will save you the headache of going through the Disney phone tree. It’s a tad long and there’s a chance you could unintentionally get misguided. If you call the number listed you know you’ll end up in the correct spot.
There is a little bit of leeway as you have until 10pm the night you check out to secure your ‘Bounce Back’ reservation. This flexibility is nice as you don’t necessarily have to spend time on your current Disney vacation thinking about your next. Although that doesn’t sound like a horrible thing!
Disney also offers a cancellation window. The details for when you need to cancel are often listed on the ‘Bounce Back’ offer card, but when booking the reservation make sure you know the exact cancellation details. Also be sure that you know the details for modifying your reservation incase you don’t want to cancel but need to make changes. Usually you need to stay within the offered ‘Bounce Back’ date range if you are going to make modifications to your trip.
There ya go! Next time you stay on property at Walt Disney World resort, be sure to look for your special ‘Bounce Back’ offer. The only cure for the post-Disney trip blues is knowing your next trip is on the horizon!
