2016 Free Dining Watch ~ Part 2

[shystalips]

I know this went live @ 4:03 am online. Was this eastern time?

 

[damskipi13]

Still only on page 184....this is taking a long time!

So got the fd for 9/12-9/20 for POP!

I got my 3 standard rooms at POP 9/13-20 no problem.

See you guys there! I'm at Pop 9/11-9/19.

.i hear you. I always laugh at everyone packing a month out, saying I have tons of time. Then this past year waited too long and was running around crazy trying to get it done. (I still think a month is overkill though)

No joke, I now have Disney-specific outfits and items that are kept ready to go in a tote. I just have to pull out the luggage, add toiletries, and make sure everything still fits. This is the unexpected benefit of always buying Disney shirts while I'm down there!

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

Forgive me if this was already asked and answered, but I'm over 50 pages behind and can't catch up. I was online at 4:30 this morning and got the best deal that I could at that time. My preferred resort and room category were in my cart initially, but after being frozen for longer than I could take, I ended up booking another resort on a different device. The original offer in my cart was gone. I'll make due with what I got, but after receiving an email from Disney that alludes to a DV offer, I'm wondering if there's really a cardholder offer that's better than what's offered to the general public. It doesn't look like it, but maybe more rooms are set aside for us. Does anyone know if there's benefit in looking into the DV offer?

DV gave you access to an additional week in August. Also when I looked at DV link this morning there were more available room types i.e. Standard/Preferred/Waterview etc. vs the GP availability

 

[steviethegreat]

Has anyone had any luck with the phones at all? It looks like there's nothing for the week I'm going to be down there. The phones have either been fast-paced busy tone or 'I'm sorry, I cannot complete your call' since 7:00am. I got through twice, but when it asked me who I wanted to speak to, it transferred me and dropped the call. :|

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

I know this went live @ 4:03 am online. Was this eastern time?

Yep.

 

[sahm2two]

Yes. I did and wound up getting free dining in a preferred room at cbr! I'm excited and exhausted...totally worth signing up for.

Any chance they have rooms for families of 5??

 

[PeterPanFan123]

I know this went live @ 4:03 am online. Was this eastern time?

yes

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

I booked at 4am. But this thread is like a wreck! No matter how hard I try, I can't look away!

 

[sahm2two]

Any chance they have rooms for families of 5??

Also, I went to the link and did a search and am not finding anything I'm interested in booking... not really interested in a credit card and don't want to take a notch out of my credit score if it's not gonna get me FD lol

 

[brian2000boston]

So happy and excited for everyone that got what they wanted! I opted late last night not to do FD after major number crunching and meal calculations. I am taking that amazing offer from Magical vacations, which gets us at poly for 6 nights and 5 day tickets for 2317! We haven't used PH in 10 years. We are foodies, but like to share meals do there is more room for more! So it made loads more sense.

What dates are you going? is this part of a deal?

 

[PaulyB18]

Any chance they have rooms for families of 5??

I booked for family of five but passed on the dining at CBR, all they had was dbl beds (for 4) not sure those pirate suites had enough room for 4 + a pack and play for my 2 year old... Went for room discount at POR and still saved from original reservation.

 

[shap39]

I am going those dates and there was nada....until I went through Disney visa and then a whole world of free dining opened up

I have a Disney visa and no mods opened for me

 

[sarahsar]

So the CM I just talked to checked for availability to add either RO or FD to our existing reservation at the Contemporary Garden Wing. After multiple hours on hold calling for the third time today, I still couldn't get anything.

How can I not get either discount added to my stay? I booked early enough to ensure that I would get the resort I wanted. Now I'm being shut out from a promo because I didn't book it today?

My frustration with this whole process is at its limit. Here's a deal they are advertising but not everyone is eligible for it.

I don't think you were shut out because you didn't book it today; it's more that the availability is extremely limited. Having an existing reservation doesn't help or hurt.

Also, depending on the dates and resort, I suspect there are no free dining rooms at all at some places. We were in a similar situation to yours. We had an existing reservation at the Poly. Last year we didn't get free dining there and had to switch resorts to get it. I thought it was because we didn't get it on the day free dining was announced. So this year I checked just the regular rate yesterday, and there was nothing for our week at all, even at full price. I was not surprised that there was no free dining for our dates, even though I checked this morning at 4:45 am shortly after it was announced. We switched resorts and got free dining, but to GF which is more expensive. We also have the higher ticket prices (we had booked before the prices went up). We are definitely saving money, but not as much when you add in those factors.

The Contemporary standard room is another resort we would have switched to, but I didn't see it available for our days, even early this morning. I think in some cases there may never really have been any availability at all.

 

[chuey1997]

I have a Disney visa and no mods opened for me

I don't know what you were looking at but I found standard rooms on carribean beach for multiple dates that I tried. I just booked a second room for friends in case they decide to go. Not sure what you are entering.

 

[Naomi Westberry]

What dates are you going? is this part of a deal?

We are 9/5-911. It is the labor day deal. I had BC booked since January with hopes of free dining. But then the labor day deal came out and blew that away ( for our purposes).

 

[shap39]

Now when I go to the site I only see 13 offers no more Disney Visa offer

 

[Wood Nymph]

I need your opinion I was able to reserve yacht club garden view for 5
Nights with fd for $3371.46 and I also reserved Disney Wilderness Lodge standard room for 7 nights with FD for 3083.42. That's a huge difference. 2 extra days for less. We always stay at yc or bc because we love the pool, but the price for dwl is tempting. I know that the resort is going through refurbishment. Is that why the price is so low? What do you all think?

We have stayed at both resorts and like them both. But you will get different vacations out of them. WL had smaller rooms that only sleep four. The standard view rooms are over the loading dock, which isn't ideal. And the resort shares a bus with FW for Epcot and with CR for DHS. But the boat to MK is great. And the bus to MK takes five minutes. Roaring Forks is a much better counter service than the Marketplace.

Is there a way to check for a bounce back offer when you're there? Or can you only get it if they gave you the info when you check in? Sometimes we have had a flyer about bounce back with our check-in documents, but more often there is nothing.

Watch for the offers on this website. There are only two a year so it shouldn't be too hard to know what they are ahead of time. Then when you are at the resort, call ext 8844 from your room phone to book the bounceback deal.

 

[Nezumi Fan]

A little later in the day, I saw a preferred room at CSR and immediately let my TA know, he was able to switch us and we saved about $1000!!!! I am a little nervous about staying at CSR since my family loved CBR so much on our first trip, but I figure, it really can't be $1000 worse than CBR.

We've enjoyed the Free Dining promotion for the past three years during Christmas Time and always at Coronado Springs.

You may want to check out Pete's "7-in-7" from a few years back; it's what sold me on the resort. It's huge, yes, but it's also the only moderate with a spa, and with its own bus line (it doesn't stop at other resorts on the way to the various parks). The pool is great and we actually spent Christmas Day there last year.

We alternate at WDW between a Deluxe in May and a Moderate in December, and we've always been happy with CSR. I think you will, too.

 

[Naomi Westberry]

I need your opinion I was able to reserve yacht club garden view for 5
Nights with fd for $3371.46 and I also reserved Disney Wilderness Lodge standard room for 7 nights with FD for 3083.42. That's a huge difference. 2 extra days for less. We always stay at yc or bc because we love the pool, but the price for dwl is tempting. I know that the resort is going through refurbishment. Is that why the price is so low? What do you all think?

I was looking at WL earlier in the year, but yes, the refurbishments are obviously the reason so low rates. They seem to be quite extensive and my 9 you DS would be devastated without the main pool

 

[DisneyArie]

There are mods available for CSR for Sep 3-10th. I just switched mine with no issue. I was connected to someone immediately