******Official 2017 Free Dining Plan Watch, Wait, and Dream

[KimBean]

Oh most definitely! You're definitely doing a character meal for the experience and not the food

Yeah finally we can start limiting our character dining. We are only doing Crystal Palace (I like food here.) and Ohana breakfast (love food here.)

We thought about doing 1900 park fare for the step sisters but FOOD wins every time. Lol.

 

[squirrel]

This is true $900 is a lot to spend on souvenirs. We have never spent close to that! Maybe IF I can snag the QSDP at CBR can I always wait to decide if I want to upgrade? My plans change frequently when I discover something new I want to try. $900 in GC with QSDP and the cost of upgrade if a lot of food. Right? Dessert isn't necessary, we only ever got it because it was part of the plan.

If I were you, I would keep the QSDP if that is what is offered at CBR. Then plan to do some TS meals book what you think you would like and then when you get to WDW if you decide to change or drop some do it before you get charged the cancellation fee. You would have enough CS meals to have a few hot breakfasts if you do a few TS meals.

 

[yamkins]

It's so worrying that most of the least liked TS are character buffets that families with young kids will go to!

I used to love Chef Mickey's but in 2014 my sister and I both ate the same foods there and then 2 hours later were at our hotel waiting for each other to get out of the bathroom and holding garbage bags until 4am when we had to get up at 6am to get ready for MK.
I don't think I can take the risk again.

 

[TeacherInNeverland]

Now my boyfriend wants to possibly stay at CBR if we get the QSDP. When we get there we can use our GC to upgrade to DDP for $300. That would leave us $200 spending money plus what we are brining from our Mousestache jar.

Good idea or should we just downgrade to POP and upgrade to DDP for a total of $2,200?

We would be spending $2,500 for CBR plus the $300 from the GC.

Ideas?

 

[FinnsMom7]

Now my boyfriend wants to possibly stay at CBR if we get the QSDP. When we get there we can use our GC to upgrade to DDP for $300. That would leave us $200 spending money plus what we are brining from our Mousestache jar.

Good idea or should we just downgrade to POP and upgrade to DDP for a total of $2,200?

We would be spending $2,500 for CBR plus the $300 from the GC.

Ideas?

You have to upgrade dining plan before arrival I think it's 72 hours if not it's at least 48 hours

 

[GMU MOM]

I am a steak eater so most times I'd rather book somewhere I can get a filet mignon. Based on price alone the character buffets are good uses of dining credits but more often the food leaves a lot to be desired.

I 100% agree. My 2 older kids are now 15 and 9 and after doing all the character meals that interested them at the time, when given a choice they always pick signature restaurants. My oldest almost always orders filet mignon.

 

[FinnsMom7]

Aside from crystal palace what other character dining would be a worthwhile option?? Two adults no kids - just kids at heart

 

[KimBean]

Now my boyfriend wants to possibly stay at CBR if we get the QSDP. When we get there we can use our GC to upgrade to DDP for $300. That would leave us $200 spending money plus what we are brining from our Mousestache jar.

Good idea or should we just downgrade to POP and upgrade to DDP for a total of $2,200?

We would be spending $2,500 for CBR plus the $300 from the GC.

Ideas?

Are you already booked with the gift card because you can't do it now? Was confused by the wording so sorry if misunderstood.

Also, you have to upgrade before you check in so you can't use gift cards to do it. You could use gift cards to pay for some TS OOP if you wish.

 

[KNovacovschi]

Now my boyfriend wants to possibly stay at CBR if we get the QSDP. When we get there we can use our GC to upgrade to DDP for $300. That would leave us $200 spending money plus what we are brining from our Mousestache jar.

Good idea or should we just downgrade to POP and upgrade to DDP for a total of $2,200?

We would be spending $2,500 for CBR plus the $300 from the GC.

Ideas?

Unfortunately you would have to upgrade at least 48 hrs before your check in date.

 

[KimBean]

Aside from crystal palace what other character dining would be a worthwhile option?? Two adults no kids - just kids at heart

We love Ohana breakfast. The best juice ever. Really hot and fresh and they bring it to your table. And STITCH!

 

[disorganizedchaos]

Yeah finally we can start limiting our character dining. We are only doing Crystal Palace (I like food here.) and Ohana breakfast (love food here.)

We thought about doing 1900 park fare for the step sisters but FOOD wins every time. Lol.

I live for the Crystal Palace breakfast. Not only are the characters and cast members wonderful, that breakfast is freaking fantastic!

 

[GMU MOM]

Ohana was one of our least favorite along with Cape May and Hollywood & Vine.
Also, we had a bad experience at Yachtsman Steakhouse and probably won't go back for a while.

 

[kels420]

Yeah finally we can start limiting our character dining. We are only doing Crystal Palace (I like food here.) and Ohana breakfast (love food here.)

We thought about doing 1900 park fare for the step sisters but FOOD wins every time. Lol.

I love Ohana breakfast too.

Another character meal I really enjoy is 1900 park fare with Alice and Mad Hatter. He has always been outstanding the few times we went.

 

[TeacherInNeverland]

You have to upgrade dining plan before arrival I think it's 72 hours if not it's at least 48 hours

We'll be in Florida before our check in so we'd upgrade the three days before check in. The GC would just technically cover it since we'd have that $300 to mess with after check in. I think I worded that wrong XD left out some words.

 

[disorganizedchaos]

It's so worrying that most of the least liked TS are character buffets that families with young kids will go to!

I'm one who wouldn't do Chef Mickey breakfast again if they paid me, but LOVE LOVE LOVE Crystal Palace breakfast. Thought 1900 Park Fare dinner was great. The food at the HS Disney Jr. lunch (the name escapes me) was decent, though the atmosphere is LOUD and the character visits are just OK.

We've not tried a TS that didn't have characters so those type of meals are my only frame of reference. I admit sometimes you're just paying for the experience, but that is not always the case.

ETA It came to me. Disney Jr. lunch is at Hollywood and Vine.

 

[tchull]

I think I have my resort preference order down now, both with QS at mods vs. DDP at mods. I figured we would go value, then mod and upgrade the dining plan either way. DH surprised me last night though when he said he would rather pay the $300+ for queen beds and a little more space. I even threw a deluxe in my order just in case too. Now I will probably rehash it all weekend and change my mind 100 times.

 

[Sharongal74]

Loved Ohana breakfast! Probably my favorite. 1900 park fare for the stepsisters, not really the food. H & V wasn't very good but that was years ago. Least fav is probably biergarten. But I don't like German food, and then tusker house. Didn't like the food, felt squished and characters took forever the day we were there. (I also got sick after eating there)

 

[disorganizedchaos]

Aside from crystal palace what other character dining would be a worthwhile option?? Two adults no kids - just kids at heart

I honestly enjoyed 1900 Park Fare dinner and would do it again even without my kids. The food is pretty good and you cannot beat the interactions of the step-sisters and step-mother.

 

[sharonabe]

I'm going to say this again, because I would hate for someone to be blindsided at the last minute.

If you want to upgrade your dining, you must do it 72 HOURS before arrival. The 48 hrs that keeps being put out there is for DVC only, and none of you will be DVC if you have free dining.

Once again: upgrade dining plan must be done at 72 HOURS before arrival.

 

[Neeky78]

Hi everyone

I keep seeing things about FD not necessarily saving $. I don't quite understand how that is possible. Do room rates go up?

I'm looking at 5 nights at WL in December...2 adults and 2 kids with dining plan and park hoppers....It comes out to about $5300. How could FD not save $? If I take the dining plan off the price drops $1,000. Is this not how it all actually works out if FD is offered?

Also, free dining comes with the condition of buying park hopper tickets. For people with annual passes or who don't plan on hopping, this is an added expense to offset the free dining. And some people (Canadians) are entitled to ticket discounts they couldn't use if getting free dining. Also, a reservation with 5 people in a room will get 5 dining plans, but the same room with only 2 people will only get 2 dining plans. Room discount is for the whole room, so its value is higher when there are only 2 in the room compared to a discount shared between 5 people in the room.