Free Dining Oct-Dec Is Here!! Dates Confirmed!!! ~ Part 2

[Nechville]

I saw someone asked on the previous thread but didn't see an answer. How is the shuttle service from POR? Coronado? Caribbean Beach? We wanted POFQ but if FD is not available there, we will choose another moderate. We will be getting the standard room if at all possible, but I am not wanting to be so far away that we have to walk 15 minutes to a shuttle stop. Any thoughts?

Thanks for the info - can't wait till Thursday!

I'm in the same boat. Wanted POFQ. Will change to POR or Coronado, and hope to get a preferred room. Otherwise not sure what we'll do. A long walk to the room at the end of the night carrying a sleeping child is awful!

 

[smitch425]

Any value resorts with FD that have rooms for 6 people?

The suites at ASMu hold 6.

 

[DavidHobart]

Free dining will be extended beyond September.

Bookings for these dates will begin August 1.

The dates are below:

September 29 - October 2
October 18 - November 2
November 11 - 23
December 12 - 22


Some Resorts are excluded. These include: Art of Animation, All Star Movies, Port Orleans French Quarter, Campsites at Ft. Wilderness, and 3-bedroom villas. A 3 night minimum stay (14 night maximum) and two day minimum park ticket is required for each person in the party.

Disney Value Resorts ~ Quick Service Dining Plan Included
(can be upgraded to regular plan)
All-Star Music Resort
All-Star Sports Resort
Pop Century Resort

Moderate Resorts ~ Regular Dining Plan Included
Carribean Beach Resort
Coronado Springs Resort
Port Orleans Resort Riverside

Deluxe Resorts ~ Regular Dining Plan Included
Animal Kingdom Lodge
Yacht & Beach Club Resorts
BoardWalk Inn
Contemporary Resort
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Polynesian Resort
Wilderness Lodge

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts ~ Regular Dining Plan Included
Bay Lake Tower
Animal Kingdom Villas
Beach Club Villas
BoardWalk Villas
Old Key West Resort
Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
The Villas at Disneys Wilderness Lodge
Fort Wilderness Cabins

Yay Joe Yay Joe!

Dumb question: the three bedroom exclusion--really? The Treehouses are excluded? Or do they mean just Grand Villas...I've always assumed just GV, but one of you all will know exactly! Thanks...

 

[blo2002]

Port Orleans Riverside and All-Star Movies suites. You might also consider two connecting rooms at a value. Of course, most deluxes hold five.

Thank you!

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

All Star Music...you mean Music right?

Yes. Sorry.

 

[sasra_nu]

Your mileage will vary but here's my take:

Worst buses: CB, by far. A million stops
Best: Coronado Springs 4 stops
POR buses better than CB, but not quite as good as CS, 4 stops for MK, 5, typically, for the other parks, as usually shared with POFQ.

Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks so much! :

 

[Jrabbit910]

What time is everyone calling or going online for Thursday? And do we have to wait for the official announcement from disney or just call and ask?

 

[babydoll65]

Would anyone know why POR would be excluded from the ro discount.

 

[wen8jr]

I saw someone asked on the previous thread but didn't see an answer. How is the shuttle service from POR? Coronado? Caribbean Beach? We wanted POFQ but if FD is not available there, we will choose another moderate. We will be getting the standard room if at all possible, but I am not wanting to be so far away that we have to walk 15 minutes to a shuttle stop. Any thoughts?

Thanks for the info - can't wait till Thursday!

We stayed at Coronado our last trip and had a great time, the pool is nice, the lake is pretty, the food court is the best of the moderates IMO. It is large but very nice. The buses there are great..did I say great - I mean great. If I stay there again, I will go with a preferred room though to get closer to the food court.

POR - the buses were sort of a pain for us and it seemed the bus stops are far apart but not too bad and it is a great resort as well. I will go with a preferred room here as well next time.

We were shooting for POFQ garden view this trip to try something "new"- but looks like we will have to choose on of the others now.

 

[darnheather]

Thanks for all the updates Joe. Now all we can do is ......

LOVE it.

 

[camper06]

I saw someone asked on the previous thread but didn't see an answer. How is the shuttle service from POR? Coronado? Caribbean Beach? We wanted POFQ but if FD is not available there, we will choose another moderate. We will be getting the standard room if at all possible, but I am not wanting to be so far away that we have to walk 15 minutes to a shuttle stop. Any thoughts?

Thanks for the info - can't wait till Thursday!

We stay at POFQ and the same bus stops at POR. There is only one stop at POFQ but there are 4 stops at the POR resort. So sometimes it takes a little longer and sometimes the bus is full when we get to a stop. As far as walking far to a bus stop, I don't think that will be an issue since there are 4 of them at POR.

When we stayed at Caribbean Beach, there were 6 stops for the bus there. They did not stop at any other resort. Our walk was very, very far to the food court, but not for the bus stop. Again, I don't think it would be a very long walk to the nearest shuttle stop, since there are 6 of them in that resort.

Good Luck with your call on Thursday!!

 

[black562]

Yay Joe Yay Joe!

Dumb question: the three bedroom exclusion--really? The Treehouses are excluded? Or do they mean just Grand Villas...I've always assumed just GV, but one of you all will know exactly! Thanks...

Yeah I think it is the grand villas...but those upper tier rooms tend to get confusing to me.

 

[princessfoundherfrog]

So in the two weeks since the original leak, there has been some additional exclusions. Chip (in one of his many edits this morning) posted some of it; however, this is not where I got this information.

New Exclusions for free dining:

Art of Animation
All Star Movies
Port Orleans French Quarter

Disappointing but not totally unexpected given that the PIN codes have been booking free dining this entire time....and those are the most popular places.

Ahhh!! We are a group of 6, so we booked at AoA, and we don't want to stay at ASMu family suite again. Assuming POR will fill quickly, so I guess 2 rooms at another moderate it is! What are everyone's opinions on Caribbean Beach?

 

[momto2inKC]

Can't wait for Thursday morning! I need to change our dates and now hotel. We wanted AS Movies but I guess we'll move to Pop. We've stayed there plenty before and like it. It's a bit more though than the AS's but oh well!

Is anyone else not upgrading their dining? Our 2011 trip was the first time we didn't upgrade our dining and we actually LOVED the QS plan

 

[PK56]

I was told today (when I found out I had a PIN available to book FD) that ALl Star Movies had preferred rooms available, but I switched to All Star Music regular rooms.

 

[darnheather]

Ok, so I think I'm still going to try for POFQ as I've had my heart set on it for ages. After that I'm just going to tell the CM "give me anything you got with FD in a moderate" and let fate take it.

 

[tddtex]

Just want to say - THANK YOU to black562!!!


Great guy and very nice posts and returned messages!!!

 

[jedijuhl]

What time is everyone calling or going online for Thursday? And do we have to wait for the official announcement from disney or just call and ask?

Right at the morning bell for me - 7am EST!!! 4am here on the West Coast - yawn

 

[Flynnismine]

Ok, so I think I'm still going to try for POFQ as I've had my heart set on it for ages. After that I'm just going to tell the CM "give me anything you got with FD in a moderate" and let fate take it.

I'll send lots of extra pixie dust your way in hopes that you can get POFQ

 

[Kay2397]

Trying again Thursday! Switching from a Little Mermaid room to maybe Riverside or CBR. I haven't stayed at either. We have two little girls 3 & 6. Does anyone have a recommendation? I know they would've loved AofA but I have no idea which moderate would appeal to them -maybe a royal room at the RIverside if its part of the offer?