Free Dining during blackout

[BecksatDisney]

We are heading to WDW on 11/29-12/5. We took the free dining plan which works for us. I had a question about the blackout period.

From the Disney website:

"Get a taste of real vacation value with a package that rolls a Disney Resort hotel room, theme park tickets and a FREE dining plan into one wonderful package for stays most nights 10/2-11/22/2009 and 12/11-12/17/2009. Choose from 2 delicious deal options:.....etc."


The Disney website states there is no free dining during the time we are there. I'm curious if others have free dining during the same period. Is the blackout something they may have added after we made our reservations? We made our initial reservations back in March and added the free dining as soon as they announced they were extending the offer through December.

Our paper confirmation clearly says free dining but I'm still curious about the blackout period.

Any thoughts?

[aka-mad4themouse]

I also have a reservation with free dining for that time period. I believe they booked all of the rooms that they intended to make available for that time period. Instead of opening up more, they've just blacked out those dates. Look at it this way, if they were to open more rooms up, they would need to make more restaurant tables available as well. That may not be possible.

I have a feeling that the restaurants will be very crowded that week. It's already difficult to book ADRs.

[Ldynred812]

We booked our Thanksgiving vacation on Jan 31. All of the free dining promos came up, but with black out dates. My TA and I discovered that the black out dates applied to those checking IN on those dates. Since we were checking in before the black out dates, we got the free dining for the week...a NICE surprise that saved us 545.00!!!!!

[TDC Nala]

All free dining package dates apply to the check-in date. If your check-in date does not fall during a blackout period, you get free dining for your full stay, even if blackout dates are part of the stay. If your check-in date falls during the blackout period, and there are no free dining packages available for those dates, then you can't book it.

If your package is confirmed with free dining, then you'll get free dining. I don't think it's retroactive.

[aka-mad4themouse]

My check-in and check-out actually completely fall in the blackout period. They definitely changed the offer to black those dates out.

But as TDC Nala stated, if you're checking in before the blackout date, you will still be able to get free dining for your entire stay, even if your dates spill over into the blacked out days. And if you're confirmed with free dining for those dates because you booked before the change, they will not take it away from you.

[Timmbco]

I made a "free dining" reservation online yesterday. I am checking in on Nov. 25 and I have "free dining" for 5 nights.;)

[WantToGoNow]

We are going 11/28 - 12/6 and have free dining for the entire time. I believe the dates changed to the current dates right after I added the code.