***Official November 2013***

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

What?!? Free dining?! And for Nov. 2013?! please tell me more!

 

[figmentswife]

What?!? Free dining?! And for Nov. 2013?! please tell me more!

See above post

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

No free dining announcement last night. Also Danny25 let it out that free dining was changing this year..... QSDP for mods and deluxes and nothing for values. He didn't give dates yet but made it sound like next offer would be for last summer.

Sorry to crush everyone's free dining dreams. And Danny25 is VERY reliable. He has informed us here on the Dis about upcoming promotions for a while and has always been right.

Wow...that's awful of Disney to offer NOTHING for Values....especially if you are paying over $300 a night for a suite at AoA!!!! Time to start searching off site.

 

[lmc318]

Nope, unfortunately nothing on the site about free dining. I guess that link I saw yesterday (wasn't the only one, btw. I've seen a few comments on it) was really a fluke. I was hoping something would come up for Spring, since there hasn't been an announcement yet for anything past March 7, but no such luck. I also read Danny25's post about no free dining for value and only QSDP for mods and deluxe, but I'll believe it when I see it. Reliable or not. Looks like I'm banking on a room discount this year instead. *sigh*

 

[figmentswife]

Disney announced last year that they were going to wean the public off of discounts and I think that is what they are doing. The stay,play,dine was the beginning of it. We are now looking at off site for Our June and November trips this year because it can be sooooo much cheaper and just as much fun. DH has been on YouTube all morning looking at resorts while I have the computer up looking at rates. November isn't my issue its the June trip I am most concerned about right now as we will need more beds/room because our son is going. I get REALLY good rates for sheratons/Weston's because my parents work for them but those rates don't come out until close in..... I sure would LOVE an employee rate for the Swan/Dolphin.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I am happy with any discount. The next deal has already been announced. It isn't a good one and only for dates up to June. Right now it is only available to Disney Visa, but January 3Rd will be released to everyone. It is a percentage off room discount plus a small savings on tickets, if you buy them through a package. I would be happy to get free QSDP. I would pay to upgrade to regular though. I think what is going to happen with their new idea is that they won't be able to fill value resorts. Many people will upgrade to moderate to get the free dining, even if it is just QSDP.

 

[Saralew]

Going or 5 days - kids will b 5 and 2. Which parks do u think is best? Also should we do park hopper?

 

[disneyfantotheend]

For a first trip and only 5 days, I would not get park hopper. As for which park is best. That is very hard for me. I love them all. I think I would absolutely not miss Magic Kingdom, but the other three would be hard to choose between.

 

[figmentswife]

Going or 5 days - kids will b 5 and 2. Which parks do u think is best? Also should we do park hopper?

Everyone is different. We go to MK at least 3 days each trip and I could care less about Epcot. So you may not know till you go.

 

[yankeesmom21]

Everyone is different but if we had to, we would miss Animal Kingdom. But with that said we would still be sad to miss it! Just evaluate what your priorities at each park are and make an attack list!!!

 

[lmc318]

Going or 5 days - kids will b 5 and 2. Which parks do u think is best? Also should we do park hopper?

We definitely stick mostly to MK and Epcot. I'd completely ditch DHS if I had to choose. My DD was 3 when we went last and she enjoyed the safari and Donald's breakfast at Tusker House in AK. We didn't really do anything in DHS except eat at a less than good breakfast meal with Little Einsteins, Oso and Handy Manny. I wasn't about to run for fast passes for Toy Story Mania. I find DHS is best for older kids and people who like thrill rides. DD wouldn't do Disney Playhouse, so that's something else to consider. She thought it was too dark. Also wouldn't do Little Mermaid and Belle was closed when we were there. Even so, both DHS and AK are slightly more than 1/2 a day for us. We ALWAYS get park hoppers, just in case something is a big hit we wouldn't have expected, as so we have the freedom of eating at a different park than we've been in most of the day.

 

[alice21]

First happy new year to all, we are planing to go in November and have seen some comments about there being no free dining in 2013, just wanted to let you know I received 2 offers yesterday in the mail:

First is 35% off on stays from 1/2-3/24/13, 4/22-5/22/13 and 8/11-9/28/13 book before 2/16/13

Second: free dining for arrivals 1/2-3/7/13

To bad I'm not planing on those dates

 

[Saralew]

We definitely stick mostly to MK and Epcot. I'd completely ditch DHS if I had to choose. My DD was 3 when we went last and she enjoyed the safari and Donald's breakfast at Tusker House in AK. We didn't really do anything in DHS except eat at a less than good breakfast meal with Little Einsteins, Oso and Handy Manny. I wasn't about to run for fast passes for Toy Story Mania. I find DHS is best for older kids and people who like thrill rides. DD wouldn't do Disney Playhouse, so that's something else to consider. She thought it was too dark. Also wouldn't do Little Mermaid and Belle was closed when we were there. Even so, both DHS and AK are slightly more than 1/2 a day for us. We ALWAYS get park hoppers, just in case something is a big hit we wouldn't have expected, as so we have the freedom of eating at a different park than we've been in most of the day.

Thanks- I am thinking MK , animal kingdom and Epcot. Hoping to get reservations for the Tusker house for breakfast the day we r visiting AK.

 

[lmc318]

First happy new year to all, we are planing to go in November and have seen some comments about there being no free dining in 2013, just wanted to let you know I received 2 offers yesterday in the mail:

First is 35% off on stays from 1/2-3/24/13, 4/22-5/22/13 and 8/11-9/28/13 book before 2/16/13

Second: free dining for arrivals 1/2-3/7/13

To bad I'm not planing on those dates

Really??? That's awesome news! Gives me hope! I haven't gotten anything in the mail for a year, though. Have to figure out why.

Does anyone know if there is a new DVD out now with the new Fantasy Land on it yet? Last one I have mentions it but doesn't show anything.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

First happy new year to all, we are planing to go in November and have seen some comments about there being no free dining in 2013, just wanted to let you know I received 2 offers yesterday in the mail:

First is 35% off on stays from 1/2-3/24/13, 4/22-5/22/13 and 8/11-9/28/13 book before 2/16/13

Second: free dining for arrivals 1/2-3/7/13

To bad I'm not planing on those dates

I think when people say no free dining, they mean to the general public. I have seen many get the pin codes including my parents, but as you said they don't go up to November anyway. Here's to hoping something good comes out.

 

[figmentswife]

Yes I should have said general public offer.... Also I don't really know, they don't give me an inside or anything. I am just guessing that they are trying to do away with it. I also believe that after some time without discounts, they will start them again because they will have to fill rooms.

 

[tigerali]

Going or 5 days - kids will b 5 and 2. Which parks do u think is best? Also should we do park hopper?

I love the flexibility of a park hopper, but if it's your first trip and you have two young kids, i don't think you'll be concerned with hopping too much. With 5 days, you could go to each of the 4 parks for a full day and then choose your favorite to return to at the end.

When we took dd, she was 2.5 and we ended up skipping DHS. We just felt that the attractions there were mainly shows and her attention span wasn't much for that at that time. This next trip she'll love the shows, though. It depends on the personality of your kids, really!

 

[lindap1]

We went on our first WDW trip in 2011 with a 4 year old and we got parkhoppers Didn't need it, because once she got back to the pool there was no going to any other park. This year she'll be almost 7 when we go, so we'll defintely get the hoppers this time.

 

[lmc318]

We used the park hoppers when dd was 3, mostly because we didn't know going in what she would like. Turned out Epcot was her favorite and we needed park hoppers to be mostly in MK and Epcot and still make our ADRs.

 

[mommytocalliesue]

We will be heading back November 29-Dec. 4 staying at The Wilderness Lodge. It's not as long of a trip as I would like...but I'm a teacher and can only use 3 personal days...and I can't talk DH out of missing Thanksgiving at home! So I figure we'll just plan, plan, plan...and hopefully the crowds calm after Thanksgiving!!