2013 Free Dining Watch

[momto2inKC]

No need to be sorry. Just hang in there a little while longer. You know what they say... good things come to those who wait.

Good luck to everyone waiting! Hoping for October free dining myself. It's gonna be a lllooonnnggg summer for me.

I'm right there with ya! We are booked Halloween week at the moment. Can't wait to see what kind of deal they'll put out for that time frame.

 

[Fenwar]

No need to be sorry. Just hang in there a little while longer. You know what they say... good things come to those who wait.

Good luck to everyone waiting! Hoping for October free dining myself. It's gonna be a lllooonnnggg summer for me.

Will you guys stop fighting already (lol).

 

[Mckymousefn]

Don't lose hope! Discounts have no correlation to the 180 day window. For instance, for my Oct. trip last year had an ADR date of April 29. The deals for October don't come out until July. The summer offer just came out. Late summer will be next. There is absolutely no reason for them not to offer some type of discount for their slowest season of the year. Last year's late summer offer was released unusually early. There is no reason to panic, and certainly no reason for using foul language. They do not owe anyone a discount. The best thing one can do is book what they can afford or feel comfotable with, and if a discount comes out, just consider it a bonus.

I agree with you.... people should book what they can afford and if a discount comes out during the time your going, adjust your trip accordingly (upgrade hotel, add dining, ect)! Any discount they offer while I'm there will be great, but some people expect them to offer them like it's owed to them. I'm sitting here waiting like everyone else. Discounts are great, but if one really wants to go you should plan your trip as though you won't be getting one.

 

[maxiesmom]

I blocked it myself. Wasn't sure if it would offend anyone.

I wouldn't be offended, but just so you know, to the Moderators the *** are the same thing as saying the words. And can get you points if they want. Best just to clean things up a bit!

 

[smitch425]

Will you guys stop fighting already (lol).

 

[KandyM]

Oh, I don't know, it's sort of fun to watch people fight, especially since they made up in the end! )

There sure as heck isn't any free dining news for us to watch and talk about, LOL.

 

[Srbright]

As far as timing, I would think it would be BETTER for Disney to announce free dining well after the 180 day marks have passed - remember, for the powers that be making those decisions, it is a financial one. The 'loss' realized by offering free dining will be LESS significant when the 'prime' restaurants are already booked and 'free' diners are then left to use their credits on less expensive options. Just my two cents

This is only good if people fail to do their research; which they likely will fail to do. I booked my vacation in January for the 3rd week of September and have Deluxe Dining. I pay the same $200 deposit as every one else and all my reservations are made. We got the Luau, BoG for dinner and CRT on the exact days and times we wanted. And I don't have to pre-pay the luau or CRT.

So when/if free dining is offered I already have all the reservations I want. I don't have to fight against the other thousands that booked the FD offer instead of booking the vacation first and having the discount added after.

Stacy

 

[mouserrificmom]

Yes, this is true .... Luckily too I have booked all of the reservations we wanted as well at exactly 180 days from our arrival. Free dining would be great, but we're going regardless! Squeeeee!

 

[micknpluto]

I'm with you guys too ! AlreAdy booked ADRs at 180 days. Of no FD offer I will have to pick and choose which reservations to keep and which to cancel.

And PS I wasn't fighting! LOL

 

[tiffyannedg]

Yes I am a lurker. I just wanted to explain this. Some of us have a set amount of money we can spend on a vacation. If there is no free dining, or discount of equivalent value we simply can not go. Its very simple. Free dining would save my family about $800. Yes we could scrimp and spend about $600. We would rather not have to completely do that on vacation. Still that $600 is over our budget. If we get a discount within our budget, we'll go. But we have to include food in our budget. So if they release a room discount of close to that amount and I can then budget $600-$800 for food and it is still in our price range then we can go. Or maybe a gift card bonus like on our last trip. I hope this clarifies some things. It's just a vacation. If we can't go this year, we'll save longer and try for next year.

 

[DisneyMom5]

We need a discount to go too. There is no "book what we can afford." We really need it to be inside a certain amount. Thankfully, we've been able to do that at WDW a few times.

Also...I have all my ADRs made and no hotel ressie yet. I just made each one at the 180 mark.

And ADRs were always 180, except for the time they shortened them to 90 days for a while.

I know there will be some sort of discount released for end of Aug./Sept., probably by the end of this month, and that it is still "on time" if they do.

Here's hoping!

 

[sharkyandbones]

We need a discount to go too. There is no "book what we can afford." We really need it to be inside a certain amount. Thankfully, we've been able to do that at WDW a few times.

Also...I have all my ADRs made and no hotel ressie yet. I just made each one at the 180 mark.

I agree with you in that the price needs to be within our budget to go. I certainly don't feel that WDW owes me anything in regards to a discount, however if there is not a significant discount during the value season I will just cancel my reservation and hope for better days ahead. Like you, I have my resort and dining reservations made already (they were made on 180+10 days out) and they will all open up sometime in July if there is no free dining. There's nothing stopping me from doing that and in fact, WDW has encouraged it by setting certain expectations over the past several years. Being a family of 6, we don't fit into the mold of the typical family of 4 that many vacation packages seem to cater to...so the room discount for us is not good enough to entice us to go.

We have already priced out an alternative vacation in FL basically hitting everything other than WDW and it would come out to about the same price as WDW with free dining...so here's hoping we don't have to change our plans

 

[micknpluto]

I agree with you in that the price needs to be within our budget to go. I certainly don't feel that WDW owes me anything in regards to a discount, however if there is not a significant discount during the value season I will just cancel my reservation and hope for better days ahead. Like you, I have my resort and dining reservations made already (they were made on 180+10 days out) and they will all open up sometime in July if there is no free dining. There's nothing stopping me from doing that and in fact, WDW has encouraged it by setting certain expectations over the past several years. Being a family of 6, we don't fit into the mold of the typical family of 4 that many vacation packages seem to cater to...so the room discount for us is not good enough to entice us to go.

We have already priced out an alternative vacation in FL basically hitting everything other than WDW and it would come out to about the same price as WDW with free dining...so here's hoping we don't have to change our plans

Agreed!! That's good plan

 

[brizzer79]

I am new to this disboard thing... I came across it while searching "free dining 2013". What a great way to talk to other Disney buffs!! I have to admit majority of my friends hate Disneyworld so when I speak Disney their eyes go blank! Great to be with my fellow peps I have a reservation for September 7th and I am crossing my fingers for free dining. This will be our third trip to Disney and we had the FD for the first and only time two years ago. It was a wonderful promotion and as selfish as it is I booked my trip in the hopes they were going to add it. Do you think there is still a chance they will or are the odds fading fast!?

 

[smitch425]

I am new to this disboard thing... I came across it while searching "free dining 2013". What a great way to talk to other Disney buffs!! I have to admit majority of my friends hate Disneyworld so when I speak Disney their eyes go blank! Great to be with my fellow peps I have a reservation for September 7th and I am crossing my fingers for free dining. This will be our third trip to Disney and we had the FD for the first and only time two years ago. It was a wonderful promotion and as selfish as it is I booked my trip in the hopes they were going to add it. Do you think there is still a chance they will or are the odds fading fast!?

The odds are definitely not fading. The summer promo just came out last week, so late summer promos will be next. Just sit tight for another 3-5 weeks or so.

 

[brizzer79]

Thank you!! I feel like I have developed Disney OCD... I log in every morning hoping it will magically appear on the offers list! I was really worried that my date might be to early for the Fall FD but I will keep the hope alive

 

[jska482]

Where is the best place to look for current offers? We are going 10/2-10/7. I doubt we'll get free dining, but I'm hopeful!

 

[smitch425]

Where is the best place to look for current offers? We are going 10/2-10/7. I doubt we'll get free dining, but I'm hopeful!

For current deals, the Disney site.The best place to watch for deals is here. The deals are leaked here on the boards well before they go live. Free dining has been offered for your dates in the past. October deals typically come out in July. Good luck and !

 

[Fivemuggles]

For current deals, the Disney site.The best place to watch for deals is here. The deals are leaked here on the boards well before they go live. Free dining has been offered for your dates in the past. October deals typically come out in July. Good luck and !

So if my trip is Sept 28- Oct 6th am I looking at waiting until July until they announce? Since the bigger part of my stay is in Oct? Or do you think the Sept offers will extend to the end of the month?

I am hoping that my first day will fall into the end of the Sept deals so I don't have to wait haha!

 

[letthewookiewin]

The odds are definitely not fading. The summer promo just came out last week, so late summer promos will be next. Just sit tight for another 3-5 weeks or so.

I hope your right. If they don't offer FD for our dates, I will most likely downgrade our resort. The DH thinks we could still make it work, where we are currently booked, even without FD. I would just rather have the extra wiggle room that FD would give us.