Free Dining?

[tikimimi]

Can someone please explain to me the difference between free dining and the DDp? We will be at WDW in Spetember, and I have been told there is free dining available, but I don't know all the details.

Thanks!

[RMulieri]

Free dining is the Basic dining plan free when you purcahse a Magic your way package at full price( no other discounts can apply).It is offered to guests during low touring times (hurricaine season) Usually Aug-Sept (dates vary by year)This year in order to qualify you had to book by June 22,2008 and there had to be available promotion pkgs left( you just couldn't add it on, there are a set number of pkgs avail. per resort per time period)

[catne]

"Free Dining" was a special promotion for free Disney Dining Plan (free DDP)that Disney offered for specific dates in August & September. It did not apply to all rooms in all resorts, they only allowed so many rooms per resort. Once all the "Free Dining" rooms were reserved at a resort, you had to pick a different resort (for example, all of the "free dining" rooms at the value resorts were booked about 1/2 way through the offer, so then people had to choose a moderate or deluxe resort.) You had to book your room & ticket package at regular rates (had to have at least one day park tickets) with the special code to get the Free Dining designation on your reservation. If you chose Free Dining, that was the only discount you could get (no room rate discount or park ticket discount allowed.

The bad new is if you did not get the Free Dining applied when you reserved your room package, it is too late now.:sad1: The offer ended in June.

[PrincessTiffany]

Can someone please explain to me the difference between free dining and the DDp? We will be at WDW in Spetember, and I have been told there is free dining available, but I don't know all the details.

Thanks!
Since 2005 Disney has been offering the Free Dining Package for 3 day minium/14 day maxium Magic Your Way trip packages booked around the end of August through September. In the past, the promo has come out the first week of April and is open to Disney Visa Card holders for the first 3 days and then opens to the general public for bookings. The Free Dining booking window for this year closed on June 22. Sorry, but you missed it by about a week. Be looking next April for next year's Free Dining Packages to come out.

[DISNEYNY]

The dates for this year's dining were Aug 24 - Sept 20. This year I believe booking began on April 7. We begin the free dining watch in March.

[justplaingoofy]

as other posters have said the booking window for free dining has closed :guilty:

[mbanks21]

Youre about 2 months too late. This started April 10th and ended June 22

[jellybeans0607]

this happened to us 2 years ago. we booked our trip a week after it ended as a last minute get away knowing nothing of free dining. then everywhere i went it seemed someone was talking about getting their food free, while we paid for the DDP. i was bummed, but oh well. i knew for last and this year.

[Seahunt]

FYI to tikimimi- One thing to look for when you are at WDW in September this year :) Last year there was a Bounceback offer in the rooms where resort guests could book a Free Dining package a whole year ahead for the next year's Free Dining dates (with only a $200.00 deposit, with final 45 days prior to stay). By booking that far ahead you knew you were locked in to Free Dining for the next September and didn't have to worry about it anymore, had first choice at resorts, etc.

They might or might not offer it again this year, but you might be prepared just in case they do so you can know which dates and resort you would be interested in!

Here's what last year's BB offer looked looked like at POP thanks to mickey2000(of course, this is expired now). You could book any resort that had availability:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v372/diz/TuesdaySeptember1120072.jpg

:yay:

[newyorkhogs]

All,
First timer here. Good to see a lot of info out there. Very intimidating, but I'm sure we'll get the hang of it.
Keep it coming

[DISNEYNY]

Also, last year we were there during FDP and never received the bounce back offer in our room. So if you don't get a flyer about it you could just check with a CM at the front desk. We were eligible, but knew nothing about it until we got home and read about it on the boards.

[TDC Nala]

I believe anyone who was currently staying at a WDW resort was eligible to book the bounceback...but you had to know about the offer and what number to call to book it.

They also had to confirm that you were currently registered at a WDW resort. This included DVC but they had to check separately to make sure you were registered, because the DVC system is entirely different from the CRO system.

[tiggerlvr27]

Okay...stupid question...what is the "bounce back"? :confused3

[VAN]

If you book a bounceback offer, can you adjust your dates once you are back home?

[disneyfan55]

Okay...stupid question...what is the "bounce back"? :confused3

Bounce back offers are sometimes made to those currently staying at a WDW resort. WDW currently has discounted rooms offered for future dates in 2008 and this was available most of the year. Last year during free dining WDW offered the free dining for stays in 2008 up to the frist day of stay beginning Sept 27 (a little longer than the General Public offer that just ended).

You do have to call from the room while still registered and will receive the offer available. The offer is usually a flyer in your room and is also on the Disney Resort channel on the TV. Always ask just in case you miss the flyer or the ad on TV!!