2016 Free Dining Watch ~ Part 2

[RedWolf95]

So what are everyones thoughts about the disney website handling traffic on the launch? Stitch is always eating my page on a regular day... Anyone had any luck of booking online? If so what time did you do it?

It is going to have major issues.

 

[RedWolf95]

So looks like we are out for Free Dining , our range of dates were 5 Nts between 10/22 to 11/12 and so that is not going to happen. That's ok we've gotten it for 5 years now and have booked a pretty good deal with the exclusive through the same unmentioned agency others have (thank you to those who shared that info!). So while I not be sharing in the madness Monday I will share a few things to expect for anybody that might have missed it if it has been in a previous posts.

- Don't wait until the phones open at 7am. With them doing the release the same as last year it is going to be insane and even if you luck out in getting an open line on that first try at 7am (many will be getting busy signals from the start and that will continue all day) you will still probably sit on hold for hours before you get an agent. It was absolutely crazy last year and nothing leads me to believe that It will be any different. The last time I had to call in to book mine on the day of release (2013) I recall waiting for well over an hour on hold and that was when they were only releasing the last half of the fall (they had already released September previously). SO, the phones will be crazy.

- If you do have to call make sure you have figured out in advance the most expedient way to get through the prompts, there was a suggestion that was posted way earlier in this thread. I've not tried it so don't know if it is better. What I've tried using is as soon as It answers and starts playing the recorded greeting hit # so it goes to asking what it can do for you, then say "New Resort Reservation", and then without waiting to listen to the prompts hit ## (which bypasses all the other questions), and then 2# (No for Florida resident). That may not be the best, but it seemed to be pretty quick.

- The offer could drop anytime after Midnight up until 5 or 6 in the morning, so KEEP checking periodically. In 2014, it became available around 12:30am and in 2015 it became available around 4:30am. Don't rely on the DIS during the 3-5am range to let you know because it goes down at some point during that period. You want to check the special offers page at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/

- If last year is any indication, plan that by about 6am the website will start crashing and you will no longer be able to make reservations through the website and will be forced to call in. Maybe they've upgraded in the last year and maybe they haven't. Maybe you will get lucky and it will work for a few minutes, but the vast majority of the time after 6am folks were not having any luck with the website. I got real lucky last year, after staying up until 1am and it still not having dropped I went to sleep and figured I'd get up an hour before phones open and check again. Well I got on around 5:45 and right after I got something close to what I wanted booked and then started just checking to see any other options the website started going wacky.

- If you can't get exactly what you want then book something close and then just keep checking over the next several days/weeks. Last year, even at 5:45am there were NO Standard rooms left at CBR for our dates (10/30-11/4) which for October dates was considered a relatively slow period. So we booked a Pirate Room because that was ALL that CBR had (No preferred, no water view, etc...) and there was NOTHING at CSR. A few days later suddenly there were Standards available at CBR and so we were able to switch and even add an extra night to stay through 11/5. That's not to say it will definitely be that way this year, but don't lose hope if you don't get exactly what you want Monday. Remember as long as you get something that works you are still going to Disney!!!!

Good Luck to All!

 

[Disneylover99]

Is anyone else waiting for the price of MNSSHP tickets?

I wish I knew the prices before Monday. The price of those tickets could be the difference between me booking a value or a moderate resort.

 

[margievis]

I am looking for a little advice... I already have a room booked for my family in one of the family suites at AofA. We are 6 Disney adults, my husband, myself, and 4 kids-dd-17, ds-15, and twin dds-12. I have been juggling numbers, and it looks like it would be cheaper (by about $1000) for us to get 2 rooms at Pop Century for the same time. Probably more comfortable, too, since they are all bigger than the last time we stayed in a family suite at AOA. My question is this: What would be the best way to change this reservation? It does not appear that you can change the reservation to 2 rooms online. Do I have to call? Should I ...
A. Change the reservation I already have to one room for 3 of us, and book a second reservation for another room? If I go this route, I assume I will still have to call to have them adjoining or adjacent to one another. Will they do that?
B. Just call.
C. Some other way that I don't know/am not seeing. Please explain!

Thanks in advance for any help/advice!

 

[Vmp]

On a NORMAL day DW website updates/opens for new bookings at 6a.m. EST. But when FD starts is not a normal day. I've seen on here that in past years FD becomes available at various times 12am, 4am, etc. phone lines always open at 7am EST. So to summarize, website gets you earlier access.


I hope that was an isolated incident. I've got my eye on Coronado for my upcoming trip.

Me too because we really enjoyed it there and we will figured good back up for this trip ! The pool was amazing when we went. Everyone has their own experiences places. We had a cousin have a bad experience at CBR too last year. Her room was super musty and gross smelling. Disney was amazing and upgraded them for free to a Board walk room because they had no rooms at CBR left . They do fix it if your not happy !

 

[Pippi201672]

Every other hour my change reservation option disappears. I really hope this is not the case Monday morning.we have had this trip booked since last year. We are going with my in laws and sister in laws family so we booked ahead to give everyone time to pay and to get vacation time off set . It would be nice for everyone to have free dining for the trip.

 

[RedWolf95]

I am looking for a little advice... I already have a room booked for my family in one of the family suites at AofA. We are 6 Disney adults, my husband, myself, and 4 kids-dd-17, ds-15, and twin dds-12. I have been juggling numbers, and it looks like it would be cheaper (by about $1000) for us to get 2 rooms at Pop Century for the same time. Probably more comfortable, too, since they are all bigger than the last time we stayed in a family suite at AOA. My question is this: What would be the best way to change this reservation? It does not appear that you can change the reservation to 2 rooms online. Do I have to call? Should I ...
A. Change the reservation I already have to one room for 3 of us, and book a second reservation for another room? If I go this route, I assume I will still have to call to have them adjoining or adjacent to one another. Will they do that?
B. Just call.
C. Some other way that I don't know/am not seeing. Please explain!

Thanks in advance for any help/advice!

I would say go ahead and change to the two rooms NOW so that you can add Free Dining on Monday to each of them by doing it online. See my previous post at the top of this page, you do NOT want to have to call on Monday. For the Adjoining/Adjacent, at this point the best you are going to be able to do it make the request and there is nothing that a reservations agent is going to be able to do right now to make that any more likely. Once the craziness subsides then get that request on the reservation. That actual room assignments don't occur until much closer to your arrival date.

 

[sienk1mh]

I have a FD question. My parents are Florida Residents and are considering joining us on our stay. Can they purchase a FD package with tickets and then upgrade the tickets to a Florida Resident Silver Annual Pass at the park? Looks like it's about $47 more than a 3 day ticket with park hopper. We are traveling on dates that aren't blacked out for the AP.

 

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

Ok so did anyone bother calling this morning?

 

[Disneylover99]

Ok so did anyone bother calling this morning?

We're all so busy thinking about Monday......can you imagine if we all missed it this morning?

 

[Wood Nymph]

Is anyone else waiting for the price of MNSSHP tickets?

I wish I knew the prices before Monday. The price of those tickets could be the difference between me booking a value or a moderate resort.

I would count on those tickets being at least $75. It would be in the ballpark at least.

I am looking for a little advice... I already have a room booked for my family in one of the family suites at AofA. We are 6 Disney adults, my husband, myself, and 4 kids-dd-17, ds-15, and twin dds-12. I have been juggling numbers, and it looks like it would be cheaper (by about $1000) for us to get 2 rooms at Pop Century for the same time. Probably more comfortable, too, since they are all bigger than the last time we stayed in a family suite at AOA. My question is this: What would be the best way to change this reservation? It does not appear that you can change the reservation to 2 rooms online. Do I have to call? Should I ...
A. Change the reservation I already have to one room for 3 of us, and book a second reservation for another room? If I go this route, I assume I will still have to call to have them adjoining or adjacent to one another. Will they do that?
B. Just call.
C. Some other way that I don't know/am not seeing. Please explain!

Thanks in advance for any help/advice!

You would need to call to make the change. Since you are all one family I would book two rooms under the same reservation rather than under two different reservation numbers. Trying to work out dining credits on two separate reservations would be crazy.

I really don't know if you would be able to modify two rooms online if you change your reservation ahead of time. You might have to call no matter what you do, since you would be changing it to two rooms.

 

[Disneylover99]

I would count on those tickets being at least $75. It would be in the ballpark at least.

Are you thinking $75 for a ticket? Or $75 more than last years price?

 

[Wood Nymph]

Are you thinking $75 for a ticket? Or $75 more than last years price?

I hope it isn't $75 more. Last year the range was something like $71 to $84, I think, with the more expensive tickets being in the second part of October.

 

[JMCDisneyLover]

Our 180 day for making dining reservations is Monday....how difficult is it going to be for me to get online at 6am to make my reservations if free dining is announced! ?

 

[margievis]

I would say go ahead and change to the two rooms NOW so that you can add Free Dining on Monday to each of them by doing it online. See my previous post at the top of this page, you do NOT want to have to call on Monday. For the Adjoining/Adjacent, at this point the best you are going to be able to do it make the request and there is nothing that a reservations agent is going to be able to do right now to make that any more likely. Once the craziness subsides then get that request on the reservation. That actual room assignments don't occur until much closer to your arrival date.

So If I called today, would it be updated on MDE before Monday, you think? So far, it doesn't look like Pop is excluded from FD, right? Thank you, RedWolf95 and WoodNymph, for your responses!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Are you thinking $75 for a ticket? Or $75 more than last years price?

I found the 2015 ticket prices.

07
Apr
Magic Kingdom Hard-Ticket Party Event Dates and Ticket Prices Announced for 2015
19 comments - Leave comment
Posted in:The Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort


All tickets go on sale tomorrow, 4/8/15:

MICKEY’S NOT-SO-SCARY HALLOWEEN PARTY 2015

• September 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, & 27
• October 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31
• November 1

All September dates & 10/1 – $68.00 plus tax age 10+, $63.00 plus tax age 3-9 in advance, $74.00/$69 same-day

October dates & 11/1 – $74.00 plus tax age 10+, $69.00 plus tax age 3-9 in advance, $79/$74.00 same-day

10/31 – $87.00 plus tax age 10+, $82.00 plus tax age 3-9

Passholder Rates available 9/15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27; 10/1, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20; & 11/1 – Rates are $63/$58 plus tax for September nights and 10/1, $70/$65 plus tax for October nights and 11/1.

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2015/04/magic...-2015/screen-shot-2013-11-06-at-8-36-08-am-2/

MICKEY’S VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS PARTY 2015

• November 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 29
• December 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18

Advance Ticket Sales – $74.00 plus tax age 10+, $69.00 plus tax age 3-9

Same-Day – $79.00 plus tax age 10+, $74.00 plus tax age 3-9 in advance

Premium Night 12/18 – $82.00 plus tax age 10+, $77.00 plus tax age 3-9

Passholder Rates available 11/8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19; 12/1, 3, & 8 – Rates are $70/$65 plus tax

 

[Disneylover99]

I hope it isn't $75 more. Last year the range was something like $71 to $84, I think, with the more expensive tickets being in the second part of October.

With the price increases, I wouldn't be surprised if the tickets are over $100 each. If they are, I may try to switch from a moderate to a value. But I'm going no matter what.

 

[rere101399]

We're heading to the zoo for the day, any chance you guys could keep this thread to ten new pages or less?! I'm dreading having to catch up tonight!

 

[Disneylover99]

We're heading to the zoo for the day, any chance you guys could keep this thread to ten new pages or less?! I'm dreading having to catch up tonight!

No way! We've got two threads to post on now!!!

 

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

Our 180 day for making dining reservations is Monday....how difficult is it going to be for me to get online at 6am to make my reservations if free dining is announced! ?

My condolences.