Expert needed! Best guess for Free Dining Weeks in Nov?

[dskib]

I just booked Nov 9-15 based on last years dates, but I just realized that Thanksgiving is a week later this year!!

2011 - Thanksgiving was on the 24th, and free dining was offered 11/13-11/19

2012 - Thanksgiving was on the 22nd, and dining was offered the 9-15.

Essentially, both were the week BEFORE Thanksgiving. If that follows suit, then 2013 could be anywhere from the 15-23ish.

I know no one can predict, but does anyone have a feel for whether they base it around the holiday or are more consistent with dates?

Thanks so much!!

 

[HM]

I don't think there will be free dining after September. I think they'll offer other discounts. But I'm NOT an expert.

 

[dskib]

Thanks!! But Since its been offered in Nov for the last 3 years, I'm keeping hope and am looking for predictions.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Thanks!! But Since its been offered in Nov for the last 3 years, I'm keeping hope and am looking for predictions.

I used that exact same reasoning when we booked our trip for early Feb. 2013. But guess what, no free dining!

I hope you are more fortunate then we were. The biggest indicator will be what Disney does with late August - early September, in my opinion. If free dining is offered for that period, then you have a chance. But I wouldn't count on it.

 

[GaBelle]

While I'm no expert either, I would bet that it will NOT be offered. Probably not what you want to hear.
The best predictor is what has been offered thus far in 2013. We should know by the end of April what Disney will be offering for late summer and like Wood Nymph said, if it is offered then there is a chance. But I don't even think it will be offered late summer.
With that said, I do believe they will offer some sort of discount! Anything is better than rack rates.

 

[aaarcher86]

I used that exact same reasoning when we booked our trip for early Feb. 2013. But guess what, no free dining!

I hope you are more fortunate then we were. The biggest indicator will be what Disney does with late August - early September, in my opinion. If free dining is offered for that period, then you have a chance.

Totally agree. Did the same thing for our February trip lol!

OP - I think if you plan sometime for the first 2 weeks you'll fall into dates that they'll offer it. Haven't checked on conventions or things going on during that time frame though.

 

[buzzmom12]

I just booked Nov 9-15 based on last years dates, but I just realized that Thanksgiving is a week later this year!!

2011 - Thanksgiving was on the 24th, and free dining was offered 11/13-11/19

2012 - Thanksgiving was on the 22nd, and dining was offered the 9-15.

Essentially, both were the week BEFORE Thanksgiving. If that follows suit, then 2013 could be anywhere from the 15-23ish.

I know no one can predict, but does anyone have a feel for whether they base it around the holiday or are more consistent with dates?

Thanks so much!!

That is veterans day weekend so it may be blacked out for discount just a guess.

 

[dskib]

Thanks all. They didn't block out Veterans Day last year. So I'm just pretending they're going to offer it in Nov.

So my question is:

Do you think Disney keeps the dates fairly consistent by calendar (ie the second week of Nov)?

Or

Does Disney release those dates as they relate to Thanksgiving?

For the past 2 years, Thanksgiving has been the same week. This year it's a week later. So would Disney shift the FD date accordingly?

 

[TheDisney411]

Thanks all. They didn't block out Veterans Day last year. So I'm just pretending they're going to offer it in Nov.

So my question is:

Do you think Disney keeps the dates fairly consistent by calendar (ie the second week of Nov)?

Or

Does Disney release those dates as they relate to Thanksgiving?

For the past 2 years, Thanksgiving has been the same week. This year it's a week later. So would Disney shift the FD date accordingly?

The October - December free dining dates should be released in July, early August at the latest.

 

[TheDisney411]

The October - December free dining dates should be released in July, early August at the latest.

The early November free dining dates are going to end the Thursday before Thanksgiving, as they have the last 4 years. If you check on by that date you can have the FD discount applied to your entire stay up to 14 nights.

Personally, I don't see and end to free dining yet. Free dining has made Disney millions and millions during what were previously empty park and resort seasons. Disney knows if they completely get rid of deep discounts like free dining, those park and resort numbers will plummet once again.

 

[wdwmaw]

The early November free dining dates are going to end the Thursday before Thanksgiving, as they have the last 4 years. If you check on by that date you can have the FD discount applied to your entire stay up to 14 nights.

Personally, I don't see and end to free dining yet. Free dining has made Disney millions and millions during what were previously empty park and resort seasons. Disney knows if they completely get rid of deep discounts like free dining, those park and resort numbers will plummet once again.

Would you take a guess at free dining dates in October, esp the first week.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I though Veterans day weekend was blaccked out last year, but if you said it wasn't then I must be wrong. There is also a big marathon that weekend, which fills up hotels fast, so I would be surprised to see free dining that weekend.

If there is free dining at all this year, I think it will be the Aug-Sept dates only. Hoping, like you, that they do offer it for November, because we will be there from the 14TH-24TH. Disney 411, do you have inside information being you say, "The early November free dining dates are going to end the Thursday before Thanksgiving, as they have the last 4 years."

 

[TheDisney411]

Would you take a guess at free dining dates in October, esp the first week.

Typically the second and third week of October are blocked out for discounts. My educated guess is would be that October 7 - 20 will be blacked out for discounts this October.

 

[TheDisney411]

I though Veterans day weekend was blaccked out last year, but if you said it wasn't then I must be wrong. There is also a big marathon that weekend, which fills up hotels fast, so I would be surprised to see free dining that weekend.

If there is free dining at all this year, I think it will be the Aug-Sept dates only. Hoping, like you, that they do offer it for November, because we will be there from the 14TH-24TH. Disney 411, do you have inside information being you say, "The early November free dining dates are going to end the Thursday before Thanksgiving, as they have the last 4 years."

Last years November free dining dates were:

November 1
November 9 - 15
November 23 - 29

The free dining blackout dates for early November are going to revolve around Jersey week, which this year is November, I believe, is November 3 - 10.

I would think the tentative FD dates would be:

November 1 - 2
November 10 - 21
November 30

I write a family travel/discount blog for a large travel website and I've been tracking Disney free dining discounts for about 9 years. I haven't seen any info yet that would lead me to believe Disney corporate is ending the free dining promos. These are just my educated guesses, so take from it what you will

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I write a family travel/discount blog for a large travel website and I've been tracking Disney free dining discounts for about 9 years. I haven't seen any info yet that would lead me to believe Disney corporate is ending the free dining promos. These are just my educated guesses, so take from it what you will

Well I like your educated guesses, so I will go with them until I hear differently. Hope you are right!!!!

 

[dskib]

411- so you think the week before that I'm looking at this year will be a 12 day stretch (10-21) instead of the 7 day windows of 2011 and 2012?

 

[TheDisney411]

411- so you think the week before that I'm looking at this year will be a 12 day stretch (10-21) instead of the 7 day windows of 2011 and 2012?

Free dining booking dates are not generally sectioned off in to 7 day time frames, or any other specific time frames. They simply offer free dining dates when they know they will need to fill resort rooms. They don't need to fill rooms during Jersey week or Thanksgiving week, but they will want to fill resort rooms in between those two busy weeks, and if you look at the calendar and the past 5 years of November free dining offers, you can easily see those dates should fall on closely with November 10 - 21.

November free dining could include November 9, and you certainly shouldn't move anything around until the official release, but if the offer does start on Nov 10, you could do a room only on Nov 9.

Also, a lot of people don't even realize that as long as your check in date falls within the FD promo dates, even if its the last day of the offer, you can have the FD discount applied to your entire stay, up to 14 nights. When you take that into account, virtually the while month can - technically- be covered by a FD promo.

 

[dskib]

Thank you. That's just the kind of advice I'm looking for. I've been thinking of moving my week all day since I saw where TGiving fell. I may just do it.

Heck. They may not even offer it. I think they will though

 

[amccu18007]

Disney411, do you think that free dining will be offered the first week of October?

 

[TheDisney411]

Disney411, do you think that free dining will be offered the first week of October?

Going by all of the historical data, I would say October 6 or 7 through October 19 or 20 will be blacked out, so if they offer free dining in October, all other October dates would be included.