Free dining dates rumour...so stressed

[GaBelle]

But then how do the resort make any money on free dining? If I am staying at a moderate with my wife and daughter, we are paying $180 a night for the room, but we are getting $165 worth of free dining per day. ($55 x 3 people). The resort is making $15 a night? That seems hard to believe.

Hence the limited numbers of rooms eligible for the discount, perhaps?

 

[CatelynnMarie]

no offense, because i think discounts are great and all...but i'd really love for disney to change their discounts...make them a little more random. I think too many people "expect" all these great discounts and upgrades...and then instead of being happy when they happen, get upset when they don't. We always plan full price for a trip, and then a discount becomes an added bonus.

I'm really not trying to be mean, or for anyone to be offended. I just think that sometimes we forget Disney is a business, and people who constantly "expect" disney to do all these magical things...makes it tougher for disney to do just that.

Our best trips have been special little extras...simple things...like a wave or comment from a parade character, playing hide-n-seek during a meet and greet, etc. The trouble is, it isn't magical or special when someone pushes in front of you, or complains about waiting 10 minutes in a line. OR abuses the current systems, etc.

Sorry. Rant over.

I understand what you're saying, and I don't think people are just expecting deals and what not, but i think it's more of a hoping type of thing. I know for my boyfriend and I, we always hope for free dining. It saves so much money tbh. I mean, we are only 22. We can't afford too much atm so when something as fabulous as free dining is is offered, it's just like

 

[momto3gr8boys]

But then how do the resort make any money on free dining? If I am staying at a moderate with my wife and daughter, we are paying $180 a night for the room, but we are getting $165 worth of free dining per day. ($55 x 3 people). The resort is making $15 a night? That seems hard to believe.

But it's $15 a night more than an empty room would make. FD is only offered to fill rooms. People complain about the resort prices going up so much each year, but this is why. They need to cover their almost year round discounts now, whether they are AP rates, RO discounts or FD. And the more F&B charges for FD, the harder it will be for the resorts to cover. Hence you see FD being offered less and less in the value season. The resorts will do better this year in late August with RO discounts than they will with FD. Sept is still so slow that they need that incentive.

 

[Tifley]

But it's $15 a night more than an empty room would make. FD is only offered to fill rooms. People complain about the resort prices going up so much each year, but this is why. They need to cover their almost year round discounts now, whether they are AP rates, RO discounts or FD. And the more F&B charges for FD, the harder it will be for the resorts to cover. Hence you see FD being offered less and less in the value season. The resorts will do better this year in late August with RO discounts than they will with FD. Sept is still so slow that they need that incentive.

This confuses me. We have 4 disney adults staying in one room at POR at an approximately $170 per night room. Free dining for all 4 of us saves about $220 per night. So we would be getting the room free plus a discount on tickets? Thats why I don't understand people arguing that RO discount are better. Every family situation is different. For us a RO would only save us $34 a night at a 20% moderate resort discount. I forgot to mention that there are 8 of us going for 7 nights. 2 rooms booked. Only one Disney child. We are saving almost $3000 on our trip. And yes, we make sure we have lots of seafood meals and character meals to make sure we get the most out of the DDP. We are only going to pay just over $5000 for 8 of us for 8 days at Disney at a moderate resort. I don't "expect" the discounts, but they allow us to stay longer at a nicer resort, and in our situation, allow us to bring my parents who have never been. I am grateful for these discounts and they keep me spending our vacation dollars at Disney.

 

[WDW in Pearls]

This confuses me. We have 4 disney adults staying in one room at POR at an approximately $170 per night room. Free dining for all 4 of us saves about $220 per night. So we would be getting the room free plus a discount on tickets? Thats why I don't understand people arguing that RO discount are better. Every family situation is different. For us a RO would only save us $34 a night at a 20% moderate resort discount. I forgot to mention that there are 8 of us going for 7 nights. 2 rooms booked. Only one Disney child. We are saving almost $3000 on our trip. And yes, we make sure we have lots of seafood meals and character meals to make sure we get the most out of the DDP. We are only going to pay just over $5000 for 8 of us for 8 days at Disney at a moderate resort. I don't "expect" the discounts, but they allow us to stay longer at a nicer resort, and in our situation, allow us to bring my parents who have never been. I am grateful for these discounts and they keep me spending our vacation dollars at Disney.

Your last sentence answers your initial question. People in Disney spend money. Much like casino hotels, they'd rather lose money on the rooms just to fill them. Once people are in Disney they typically make up the difference with park tickets, souvenirs, etc.

 

[kfelaco]

This was posted this morning saying free dining will be offered Sept 2-25 for Disney Visa cardholders!

disneydining.com/fall-free-dining-offer-released

Figures, I got the Disney Visa for the perks, but now I can't really change my dates, especially since I already bought the airfare.....

 

[TheDisney411]

This was posted this morning saying free dining will be offered Sept 2-25 for Disney Visa cardholders!

disneydining.com/fall-free-dining-offer-released

Figures, I got the Disney Visa for the perks, but now I can't really change my dates, especially since I already bought the airfare.....

They released room only discount too this morning and this dates include August 15- September 28, 2013

 

[jjgamlen]

The blog you mentioned, disneydining.com/fall-free-dining-offer-released does state the free dining is open now, but its not showing on the Visa rewards web page. Looks like a few people have even commented on that below the disney dining blog posting today.

 

[nataliej_vk]

Free dining for the public is opening may 9th!!! From sept 3 to sept 25th only!

 

[heidihoho50]

Do you know how far they extended last year?? I am going Nov 18 and was hoping to still get free dining!!

OK - nothing I say is a sure thing, so understand I am only basing it on what has gone before.

The free dining dates flucuate frequently. Usually they go back into late August, but they don't always go back that far. (A quick search says last year the start date was August 25th, the year before was August 28th, and 2010 was August 15th.) Based on those dates the last two years, and your dates, I think it unlikely that they will stretch it back to August 18th.

However, even on years when the free dining doesn't extend all the way back, there is generally an additional General Public room discount. This usually extends back to the last date of whatever the previous discount was.

So, for this year the current discount ends August 14th. I would expect that a resort discount will come out eventually that will start on August 15th or 16th. This will likely be announced a few weeks after free dining is announced. You are probably looking at a 20% discount on Port Orleans Riverside. You probably will miss out on free dining, as I would expect it to start August 24th this year.

 

[TheDisney411]

Do you know how far they extended last year?? I am going Nov 18 and was hoping to still get free dining!!

The October - December free dining dates are not released annually until July, sometimes August.

 

[PACVII]

I seen the message go out on the FD dates but can not find anything official on Disney Visa site and have not received any emails from chase as I have in the past. Anyone know this to be correct and if so have a promo code to use for booking?

 

[tootles2you]

No promo code was needed. I talked with a rep this morning and she advised the $200 deposit could be made with it and it would validate the free dining. Or, in our case, the deposit was paid with a different credit card prior to the offer and all they needed was the last 6 digits of the disney credit card to apply the discount.

 

[buckeev]

This was posted this morning saying free dining will be offered Sept 2-25 for Disney Visa cardholders!

disneydining.com/fall-free-dining-offer-released

Figures, I got the Disney Visa for the perks, but now I can't really change my dates, especially since I already bought the airfare.....

You might wanna look into it....you should be able to change your flights-even if there are change fees, or slightly higher fares....Free Dining with a family is a huge amount of savings!...$$j

 

[skier_pete]

Do you know how far they extended last year?? I am going Nov 18 and was hoping to still get free dining!!

The last few years, there were dates available in Oct, Nov, and Dec for FD. Based on the last two years, if you are arriving Nov 18th, that would fall within the dates covered. However, there is no sure thing when it comes to Disney discounts. They have even adjusted/changed the dates within a promotion.

As another posted stated, they usually release the Oct-Dec free dining during July, but it has occurred as late as the middle of August in the past. You really won't know what it is until it happens.

 

[leigh1545]

No posting on disney site yet or the visa site but I called this am and applies the free dining to my reservations !! So happy

 

[skier_pete]

I haven't seen the OP come back in a while, but it does appear a room only discount will be coming for her dates:

Discount is valid for stays most nights 8/15/13 - 9/28/13.

Disney Visa cardholders can save up to 30% when they book a Room Only reservation at select Walt Disney World resorts for most nights 8/15/13 - 9/28/13.

•Value Resorts
◦All Star Sports, All Star Music, Pop Century - Save 20%
◦Art of Animation Family Suites - Save 15%
•Moderate Resorts
◦Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside, Fort Wilderness Cabins - Save 25%

This is available for Disney Visa Card holders already, but that usually means it will be up for the general public in 3 days, which would be Thursday. It's not the same as free dining, but still a $300+ savings.

 

[BunsonHoneyDew]

I got my free dining woohoooo

I used my Disney Debit card to book.. Whew

 

[Z28KatCar]

people really act like free dining is owed to them. Everybody needs to remember now that they are filling the resorts and the parks it will probably go away.

This annoys me more than anything. We are not entitled to get discounts and free dining. Disney does this to make more money. They are a business, albeit one we love, a business. I realize when I want to go I need to plan based on the rack rate for everything and if a discount comes around, bonus, if not I'm still going because I budgeted accordingly. Also, it really irks me when people get on here a complain about those of us who book early and say things like "They are stupid" and "They are making it so Disney won't give us any discount" I book early make payments and everything is paid for months before we go. I like it this way, NO STRESS!!!!! Rant over! I hope everyone who wanted free dining gets to book their vacation!!

 

[Bobby Pic]

I have been obsessed with searching the internet for free dining dates. I'm so stressed. I found the rumoured dates to be Sept. 2 - Sept. 25...Is there any little chance this could include mid August or is this set in stone..Our travel dates are Aug. 18th to Aug. 24th...We are a family of 5 so saving money is so important. The last trip for us was Aug. 2006 with only 2 kids so this will be our 5yr olds 1st trip there. This trip is so important to my husband and I because our kids have no idea about it. We aren't telling them until the day we leave. If we can't score free dining does anyone know if a resort room discount will be offered for our dates. We are staying at the Port Orleans Riverside. Any info for us saving money would be so appreciated. I have been so stressed saving for this vacation to make sure everything is perfect...I can't wait til we leave!!!

Booking for free dining for Disney Visa Card holders started today. I just called and upgraded, my 3 reservations to free dining. I had to ask the cast member that was helping me to look for the promotion. When I ask, they told me they had seen nothing on free dining. I had booked 8 nights at POFQ starting Sept 14th several months back and had made my dining reservation at the 180 day out window. BTW, the dates are Sept 2-25th.