2013 Free Dining Watch

[cwnhokie]

Need an opinion of the experts. We are going Ausgust 30th, staying two nights off site, coming in late Friday and leaving early Sunday for a cruise. We are spending all day Saturday at the parks on old tickets. We will be on a Disney cruise until Thursday when we check into the cabins at Ft. Wilderness. My plan was room only discount because we plan to just go to Night of Joy and a water park (we have these left over on old ticktes too) have already bought those tickets, don't plan any other parks, so we don't need tickets for the package. My plan is to try to hang around Ft. Wilderness and relax and explore.

But then I ran into a friend and she was talking about how hard it would be to pass up free dining and reminded me that if we didn't use the tickets at all they would not expire and we could save them for another trip. So now I'm reworking the numbers and trying to decide if it is worth it. I don't want to spend the whole time running around eating, we'll be eating lots of the cruise I expect. But just a couple meals may make it worth it. We can cook at the cabin too, but Ohana, Kona, Whispering Canyon, Chef Mickeys, etc are all so close and beckoning. What would you all do? Our boys are 6, 10, and 12 so two of them will be adult prices.

 

[smitch425]

Need an opinion of the experts. We are going Ausgust 30th, staying two nights off site, coming in late Friday and leaving early Sunday for a cruise. We are spending all day Saturday at the parks on old tickets. We will be on a Disney cruise until Thursday when we check into the cabins at Ft. Wilderness. My plan was room only discount because we plan to just go to Night of Joy and a water park (we have these left over on old ticktes too) have already bought those tickets, don't plan any other parks, so we don't need tickets for the package. My plan is to try to hang around Ft. Wilderness and relax and explore.

But then I ran into a friend and she was talking about how hard it would be to pass up free dining and reminded me that if we didn't use the tickets at all they would not expire and we could save them for another trip. So now I'm reworking the numbers and trying to decide if it is worth it. I don't want to spend the whole time running around eating, we'll be eating lots of the cruise I expect. But just a couple meals may make it worth it. We can cook at the cabin too, but Ohana, Kona, Whispering Canyon, Chef Mickeys, etc are all so close and beckoning. What would you all do? Our boys are 6, 10, and 12 so two of them will be adult prices.

How many nights will you be staying on property after the cruise?

 

[cwnhokie]

Thanks, I just realized I left out that important info. Three nights, so Thursday we will get there moring to mid-day, thinking water park day. Friday and Saturday we'll go to MK at 4PM for Night of Joy, and Sunday we leave around 11 to head to the airport.

 

[smitch425]

Thanks, I just realized I left out that important info. Three nights, so Thursday we will get there moring to mid-day, thinking water park day. Friday and Saturday we'll go to MK at 4PM for Night of Joy, and Sunday we leave around 11 to head to the airport.

FD requires a 3 night minimum stay, so you are covered there. I suggest you run the numbers for a room discount and a sample of what you would eat if paying OOP for your meals. Once you have that estimate, compare it against the cost of what a free dining package (including a minimum two day base ticket for each person) would cost. You will want to do it as soon as possible because you are well past the 180 mark for dining reservations. You may want to see if you can even make any reservations for your timeframe before you decide. Good luck!

 

[NEANGIRL]

Does anyone think (specifically TheDisney411 or Smitch2345) that free dining could be extended to include 10/05/13 even though the current pins don't extend past 10/02/13?

 

[TheDisney411]

Does anyone think (specifically TheDisney411 or Smitch2345) that free dining could be extended to include 10/05/13 even though the current pins don't extend past 10/02/13?

I guess anything is possible, but probably not. A pin code offer is going to have a better chance of offering more days for a FD or RO discount than a general public discount, unfortunately not the other way around. I originally thought they would take that FD offer through Oct 4 or 5, but they must have some pretty high resort occupancy rates for that time frame already if the pin code FD date ends on Oct 2.

 

[scottykristen]

I have the pin codes 8/25-10/2, 10/18-10/31,11/11-11/23, 11/30-12/4 and 12/15-12/22 book by 8/14 all in 2013 for free dining!

 

[smitch425]

I have the pin codes 8/25-10/21, 10/18-10/31,11/11-11/23, 11/30-12/4 and 12/15-12/22 book by 8/14 all in 2013 for free dining!

Congrats! if you don't mind me asking, when was your email sent to you?

 

[scottykristen]

Congrats! if you don't mind me asking, when was your email sent to you?

Beginning of last week!!!! Thank you! Super excited!

 

[TheDisney411]

I have the pin codes 8/25-10/21, 10/18-10/31,11/11-11/23, 11/30-12/4 and 12/15-12/22 book by 8/14 all in 2013 for free dining!

I think there is a typo here in your post, the first set of dates should be 8/25 - 10/2 and then pick up with 10/18 - 10/31. 10/3 - 10/17 is blacked out with the current FD pin code.

 

[scottykristen]

I think there is a type here in your post, the first set of dates should be 8/25 - 10/2 and then pick up with 10/18 - 10/31. 10/3 - 10/17 is blacked out with the current FD pin code.

Yes sorry! I corrected it!

 

[smitch425]

Beginning of last week!!!! Thank you! Super excited!

Okay. Thanks! Just trying to keep track of their release dates.

 

[Lolobean1976]

Hi Everyone!! I finally got the Free dining for our dates (10/18-10/27). DH has been calling every other day for a week and last night was told no pins.

But then this morning right at 7am he tried and we were upgraded to the FREE dining! I am so excited I could burst!

 

[lauradis]

Hi Everyone!! I finally got the Free dining for our dates (10/18-10/27). DH has been calling every other day for a week and last night was told no pins.

But then this morning right at 7am he tried and we were upgraded to the FREE dining! I am so excited I could burst!

Congrats.... you should tell him see hunny nagging works

 

[btirendi]

Congrats.... you should tell him see hunny nagging works

Just curious, did you get an email with a Pin Code or did you only find out when calling. I keep calling but nothing so far. Set to go 10/24-31, so hoping to get a code or have the Visa offer come out later this summer. Just hate to wait that long. Congrats to all that get it, it can be a great savings.

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Has anyone that's going the latter couple of dates in the latest pin offer had any success with just calling and finding they had a pin? We check in 11/30 and I've called a couple of times with no success. I've seen some October-goers commenting here that they called and called then got one but no later date ones. Just wondering if I'm wasting my time and the poor reservation CMs! I'll keep trying and waiting for the Disney Visa announcement.....

 

[theduhaimes]

We are going 12/1-12/8. I called today (again!) but I still do not have a pin. The CM did tell me that they are still releasing the pins in waves. She also said that the offer should go public and hinted that it could be as early as June. I am not sure if she really knows what she is talking about but my hopes are up!

 

[Lolobean1976]

Just curious, did you get an email with a Pin Code or did you only find out when calling. I keep calling but nothing so far. Set to go 10/24-31, so hoping to get a code or have the Visa offer come out later this summer. Just hate to wait that long. Congrats to all that get it, it can be a great savings.

I didn't receive a pin code, we have just been calling. We are traveling with another person (she is traveling solo) and she called last night and the CM siad he'd check under her "special offers" and saw that he could upgrade her to the Free Dining. Our reservations are linked with a "travel with" number, so I am not sure if she had the pin code or if we did. BUT the CM did tell her that rooms are going fast and that we should call ASAP.

DH called at 7am today and didn't even mention anything to the CM that our friend received Free Dining and she looked and said we were eligible. (I imagine they could see the reservations were linked but the CM just didn't say that). We had to upgrade to a Royal Guest room, but we still are saving @$1300!!! I just got the e-mail confirmation!! woo hoo !!

 

[talmarsh]

Anyone can guess if the Aug 25 through Sep. pin offer will go GP?

 

[smitch425]

Anyone can guess if the Aug 25 through Sep. pin offer will go GP?

Extremely unlikely. The current public offers already cover that timeframe.