Free Dining 2013

[TheDisney411]

I know everyone says we will know when they release free dining for visa because it will be all over the boards, but how do the people talking about it on the boards find out so they know that morning? The visa reward site, or do they just call every morning until a CM says yes it has been released? Because according to a lot of people's experience, many CMs do not know. I know it's usually three days prior, but do people check somehow to make sure it's not already released earlier? This is my first post so forgive me if I have done anything incorrectly

The DV FD info is usually leaked the night before, usually by TAs.

 

[TheDisney411]

Actually, if you're upgrading 4 people from QS to DDP for a Value, it's probably about the same price as a moderate. When we priced it out for our family of four it made no sense to stay at an AS and upgrade. Upgrade is about $18 per person x 4 = $72 per day. Came out to only about $100 difference for the whole 6 nights to go moderate instead.

Just depends on the family make up and what type of rooms and how many rooms. We have a large family and need 2 connecting rooms, so it's almost a $1000 cheaper for us to stay value and upgrade the FD.

 

[TheDisney411]

We are going October 6-11... Anyone know what the likelihood of these dates to be included??

If free dining is offered for that timeframe this year, it would probably be for October 1-5 or 6 and October 19 or 20-31, give or take a day.

 

[jska482]

The October - December FD dates are not released annually until around July, sometimes August.

Columbus Day/Week is almost always blacked out for discounts, has been the last 4 years. The second and third weeks of October are generally going to be blacked out due to many school fall breaks and a lot of conventions are held at WDW during that time and they don't need to fill resort rooms. If FD is offered for October it will probably be October 1-5 or 6 and October 19 or 20 - 31.

Oh I hope you are right for my dates!!

 

[TheDisney411]

Oh I hope you are right for my dates!!

Me too

 

[jska482]

Just depends on the family make up and what type of rooms and how many rooms. We have a large family and need 2 connecting rooms, so it's almost a $1000 cheaper for us to stay value and upgrade the FD.

It is $42/day to upgrade for family of 4 two adults two kids ($18x2 and $3x2). For our 5 day trip, it costs us $140 more than to upgrade to Mod and have DDP included. We will pay $42/day and stay in a LM value room if we can get it under FD to save $140!

 

[Malibustyle23]

Actually, if you're upgrading 4 people from QS to DDP for a Value, it's probably about the same price as a moderate. When we priced it out for our family of four it made no sense to stay at an AS and upgrade. Upgrade is about $18 per person x 4 = $72 per day. Came out to only about $100 difference for the whole 6 nights to go moderate instead.

I guess it just depends on how many nights you are staying whether it makes it a better deal or night. We are planning on upgrading to the ddp and staying 8 nights at a nonpreferred ASMo it'll cost us $333.xx to upgrade to DDP and that is still $353.04 less than staying CBR. Not a big percentage of the whole vacation price but I'd rather use that savings to attend MNSSHP or some other extra.

 

[bigrad]

Hi all... Thanks again for the help. I have 2 rooms booked at POR for 9/21-9/25. I will be upgrading to free dining next Thursday at 7:00am. What is the likelyhood POR FD rooms are already sold out? Any?

Thank you again!

 

[black562]

Aside from TAs leaking it, there are literally folks who call every day. Last year it slipped right by a bunch of folks for about a half hour or so. It was no big deal because I'm sure their call centers were quiet and they wondered what was up, only to get slammed a short time later.

 

[Malibustyle23]

Hi all... Thanks again for the help. I have 2 rooms booked at POR for 9/21-9/25. I will be upgrading to free dining next Thursday at 7:00am. What is the likelyhood POR FD rooms are already sold out? Any?

Thank you again!

FD is not open for anyone yet so it can't be already sold out. FD for Disney Visa holders will open before the general public but even if that unlikely sells out they should/would open up more room during the GP FD promo. So calling on Thursday at 7 am should guarantee you what you are requesting but just in case have a backup room choice ready. Good luck!

 

[bigrad]

FD is not open for anyone yet so it can't be already sold out. FD for Disney Visa holders will open before the general public but even if that unlikely sells out they should/would open up more room during the GP FD promo. So calling on Thursday at 7 am should guarantee you what you are requesting but just in case have a backup room choice ready. Good luck!

Thank you. Going with my wife, 3 kids, and my wife's parents. Stayed last time at POR and it was great! Connecting rooms with a trundle bed should work out great. Also, I thought the QS option right there at the resort was awesome! (can't remember what it was called).

Any suggestions for another moderate as a backup (or even as a first choice) for a group like mine?

 

[luvmylatte]

As the FD date approaches, I get the feeling that people think there will only be about 500 FD offers available and then everyone else will be paying for dining. Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't Disney alott FD for many people...not just a few? I have gotten FD every year for 10 years and never felt under the gun. I understand that it is best to call early, but will calling at 7:16 instead of 7:14 really shut you out? Also, many people book with TAs that do not open till 9 or 10, so will all those people get shut out as well.....I'm thinking not.

I am hoping to get FD and hoping there is plenty to go around, but it sounds like people are going into panick mode. Good luck to all and everyone enjoy your trip.....FD or not.

 

[Nigel Channing]

As the FD date approaches, I get the feeling that people think there will only be about 500 FD offers available and then everyone else will be paying for dining. Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't Disney alott FD for many people...not just a few? I have gotten FD every year for 10 years and never felt under the gun. I understand that it is best to call early, but will calling at 7:16 instead of 7:14 really shut you out? Also, many people book with TAs that do not open till 9 or 10, so will all those people get shut out as well.....I'm thinking not.

I am hoping to get FD and hoping there is plenty to go around, but it sounds like people are going into panick mode. Good luck to all and everyone enjoy your trip.....FD or not.

It is probably because of the late release date and shorter promotional dates. People are assuming fewer spots are available.

 

[Malibustyle23]

As the FD date approaches, I get the feeling that people think there will only be about 500 FD offers available and then everyone else will be paying for dining. Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't Disney alott FD for many people...not just a few? I have gotten FD every year for 10 years and never felt under the gun. I understand that it is best to call early, but will calling at 7:16 instead of 7:14 really shut you out? Also, many people book with TAs that do not open till 9 or 10, so will all those people get shut out as well.....I'm thinking not.

I am hoping to get FD and hoping there is plenty to go around, but it sounds like people are going into panick mode. Good luck to all and everyone enjoy your trip.....FD or not.

I'm not in panic mode but rather excited mode. I've already said here or on another thread, can't remember where now, that I know booking a nonpreferred at ASMo I am pretty good to go. That being said we haven't been on a real vacation for more than a night or two away in 3 years and it will be my dd's first trip and it will happen to coincide with her 5th bday. All of those variables added together I am beyond eager!!!! I will be up at 7 am to book my vacation just to have concrete set plans with a deal to boot.

 

[smitch425]

As the FD date approaches, I get the feeling that people think there will only be about 500 FD offers available and then everyone else will be paying for dining. Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't Disney alott FD for many people...not just a few? I have gotten FD every year for 10 years and never felt under the gun. I understand that it is best to call early, but will calling at 7:16 instead of 7:14 really shut you out? Also, many people book with TAs that do not open till 9 or 10, so will all those people get shut out as well.....I'm thinking not.

I am hoping to get FD and hoping there is plenty to go around, but it sounds like people are going into panick mode. Good luck to all and everyone enjoy your trip.....FD or not.

For many resorts, they will have FD rooms available for a long time, but resorts like POFQ, POR, and AoA, they will sell out their FD allotment of certain room types much faster.

 

[shystalips]

Anyone else find it odd that this free dining offer would end on Sept 25, which is a wednesday. I looked up the past historical discounts on the mousesavers site and it seems the past 3 years ended on a saturday.
8/15- 10/2 2010
8/19- 9/24 2011
8/25- 9/29 2012
that would theoretically make this offer end on Sept 21 or 28
any thoughts? I know I'm probably wrong in this thinking.

 

[laurenb25]

This is my first time booking a Disney vacation. I have been reading the boards for a few weeks trying to figure everything out. But we are planning on going to WDW Sept. 22-26 so we would be able to do the FD, I believe? Also, I haven't booked our vacation yet. Should I just wait until next week and call to book our Magic Your Way package and tell them I want FD at that time? I think we are going to do Value room but upgrade the Dining plan because we want to do some character meals. Do you think this is a good idea? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[black562]

Keep in mind when we say sell out faster, we don't mean in five minutes. Like I said, the first batch of calls will probably all be after the art of animation rooms. Think also that each call can take fifteen minutes sometimes, so the amount of calls per hour isn't massive. What seems like a long wait is because of the long call turnover for booking. Last year I got a choice of any value resort at 9pm that night. Sure thee window is shorter, but its actually only one week shorter, and the August folks are mostly still going in August on a room discount.

I can promise you also that their call center isn't as large as some may think, they never are. Remember much of their booking is done online or by travel agent and they base staffing on average days, which is why these days back up so bad. For an example, I work for a state tourism office that has a call center to order the state travel guide, and has a staff of six, with only about four working at any given time. Seems that it should be more, but on average days it isn't necessary. I'm not saying they only have six, not by a long shot, but they don't have a thousand either.

 

[Malibustyle23]

This is my first time booking a Disney vacation. I have been reading the boards for a few weeks trying to figure everything out. But we are planning on going to WDW Sept. 22-26 so we would be able to do the FD, I believe? Also, I haven't booked our vacation yet. Should I just wait until next week and call to book our Magic Your Way package and tell them I want FD at that time? I think we are going to do Value room but upgrade the Dining plan because we want to do some character meals. Do you think this is a good idea? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Personally I would and am waiting to book it all next week when the free dining is released.

I would suggest that you not overplan every minute but atleast sit down and plan now which park you will visit each day. On a first visit and even now with enough days we never pay extra for park hoppers. From there I would plan which table service meal you would like to have each day. Some are with characters and some are without. If you go to allears.net you can see which restaurants qualify for the fddp and the menu of each restaurant. Then I would cal 407-wdw-dine and reserve each TS meal that you would like now. The reservation window has been open for awhile now and the longer you wait the less likely you are to get the day and time you want. TS is not something you can just walk up and into.

You can make reservations without a package/room/or ddp. You will only need to use a credit card as a guarantee for no shows at character meals unless visiting CRT where you will need to prepay and will be credited back after you call back and switch to the DDP.

 

[TheDisney411]

Anyone else find it odd that this free dining offer would end on Sept 25, which is a wednesday. I looked up the past historical discounts on the mousesavers site and it seems the past 3 years ended on a saturday.
8/15- 10/2 2010
8/19- 9/24 2011
8/25- 9/29 2012
that would theoretically make this offer end on Sept 21 or 28
any thoughts? I know I'm probably wrong in this thinking.

I would have to assume that the resorts have high occupancy rates that last weekend because of the Food & Wine festival and they didn't feel like they needed to offer an incentive like FD to fill those rooms, as they usually do. Just a guess