2016 Free Dining Watch ~ Part 2

[VACamm]

Thank you everyone for participating in the free dining test. All of your discounts will now be cancelled. Please stay tuned to learn how you can book them for real in the near future. This has only been a test.

I literally would cry... lol

 

[DisneyArie]

I called a few times this morning just to see if I would get a different answer with a different CM, and I just hit the jackpot! I'm not sure this will work, but I called and explained everything to her. I told her that I was up all night and this morning. I was unable to book online, and that I was on hold for 2 hours then once connected, the call drop, and I was EXTREMELY nice. She was telling me the exact thing as the others (only upgraded rooms). She evened offered Pop Century. I pleaded with her, and she finally said "One just opened up!" I am soooo happy. I got my standard POR resort w/ free dining. This has been such a LONG day...meanwhile, I'm on a conference call presenting software I just developed at the same time smh.

 

[Jacie]

Am I the only one who sees less availability through the DV offer? I snagged my FD ressie in the wee hours but had to trim a day off my trip to get it, so I keep checking back.

Ever since I got the DV email this morning, I periodically check dates at CR through the DV link and then separately just by going directly to Disney site. While I can't yet add the day I want to, each time I check there are definitely more options through the regular site and basically no availability via the DV link. Just find it interesting...

Was the Dv link posted? I didn't get the email...

 

[momdisfan]

I was able to book when it dropped at exactly 4:00 AM. I got two standard rooms at CBR. I just checked my email confirmation and it was time stamped at 4:02. Thanks for all your help everyone!

Now I'm nervous. I still have not rec'd an email confirmation of my changes. I switch my resse to free dining at around 730 this am. Is there anyone else that has not rec'd an email confirmation?

 

[KT0191]

Someone talk me down from spending $555 more to stay at CBR instead of ASSP! (thats including upgraded dining). I love ASSP but its so hard seeing a standard room available right in front of me under free dining

 

[sullygirl14]

Was the Polyesian excluded from all of free dining? I haven't heard of one person getting it. I am going to keep my OKW free dining ressie and also my standard room at Polynesian. Does anyone know If I am booked under a package for Poly (not discounted at all), can I trim my dates down to room only? I currently have 9/30-10/11 booked, but if I wanted to stay at OKW for beginning of trip and then room only at Poly for last few days? Can I also shorten my free dining package on the other end of would they have to rebook? I am getting conflicting information and I know last year I was able to chop off a few days when we had to pick our flights....

 

[rere101399]

After 2 1/2 hours on hold we were unable to add either free dining or any type of room discount to our previously booked reservation at the Contemporary Garden Wing. They could have moved us to AKL but I guess we'll suck it up and end up paying for the ability to walk to MK instead of riding the bus all over.

Should we try calling back in a day or two and see if something opens up, or is the Garden Wing usually excluded from any type of discounts?

I booked a CR garden wing room at 4:06am for the week after thanksgiving. Pickings were slim right at the release! I had to lose a day to get the deal. I checked back and saw the exact dates I had booked still available off and on for about an hour after I booked and now when I look there's no available in a GW room at all that week. So it's possible, but definitely lean. Keep trying!

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Okay but it has been the same for every free dining offer they have ever had----with a company as big as Disney someone should have figured out a better way by now. This happens every time. Disney doesn't get mulligans---at least not from me. They charge for superior service and that "Disney Magic".

Exactly. There are so many ways they could avoid a "billion" people calling at once. A lot of companies manage to release major promotions without it being a complete disaster.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Great advice, thanks...Re: option #3, I wonder how I get Disney to prioritize my UT tickets and leave the 2-day tickets in the package for future trip?

I am not an expert on this one but I've read threads on it. It is important to have the tickets prioritized correctly - I would maybe start a new thread on the disboards (separate from our madness here!) and get advice from somebody who has experience with this. If I remember correctly it is not that hard to do.

 

[TH0MAS]

BTW, we are flying in the night before so we will have to either book a 1 night room only stay or stay over at 1 of the airport hotels nearby (I think our flight will come in later). Any experiences with this?

We're doing this for our upcoming trip and did it on our last. What we do is book a one night room only at the same resort. Last time we did it at the POR princess room and they allowed us to stay in the princess room for our entire stay!

 

[SPOERLX3]

Finally got through and there is NO moderate availability at all for Sept 22-Oct 1st if anyone else has those dates and are on hold trying to get through. 4 people in the room.

Our dates are 9/27- 10/3. I got on at 4ish AM this morning right when it dropped (the offer wasnt there at 4 but I hit refresh and it was there).
At that time the only thing available for our party of 5 was All Star Music suites, Cabins and several deluxe.
Deluxe is way out of my price range so I booked the ASMu Suites.

At 7:10am my daughter got the Disney Visa email.
Clicked on the link and the only thing available besides deluxe is Cabins, no ASMu Suites.

As of right now (11:05am) the same thing that was available this morning at 4ish is still available on the regular free dining offer (ASMu, Cabins & deluxe)

So this does indicate to me that the pool of rooms they are offering the GP is different that what they are offering the DV holders since ASMu is not available to the DV holders but it is available to the GP.

I am considering moving to the Cabins. I am just not sure about either of my options.

I just hate it that I had my 3 choices (CBR, POR & 2 rooms at POP) and none of them are available at all.

 

[eyeblaura]

Someone talk me down from spending $555 more to stay at CBR instead of ASSP! (thats including upgraded dining). I love ASSP but its so hard seeing a standard room available right in front of me under free dining

Do it, I don't think anyone regrets staying moderate over value, and book it soon there is nothing standard available for lots of dates already.

 

[dbennett3899]

I haven't slept since Sunday morning at 7am. My eyes are going crossed and I fear when I do fall asleep I'll be reading posts in my dreams or getting stuck in a Disney terror!

 

[Becky0216]

Wow, after all that I was able to book a visa FD offer for my dates. That was about 7:30am I think Website confirmation showed correct. My email did not. It Showed a normal MYW package with no dining. Figured it may be just a glitch but wanted to verify anyway. Went to chat and got no help, stayed on hold on phone for 3 hours. Finally get someone. She says she can see my reservation number shows as a dining reservation but my account is not showing that I have it. She went to Tech support. They couldn't help. Went to another CM and she told me that although I got the deal, my payment was not the Disney Visa so the site automatically took the offer away after processing. So no deal for me. I pleaded with her to get me a manager or something. You don't even get an option to use a different payment method for Visa offer, so I know I used the Disney visa. She wouldn't budge but I wouldn't let her off the phone. Somehow the site used my saved payment method (not a Disney Visa) even though I entered in my DV numbers. Not sure how that happened but they were not willing to look in to it. finally after much pleading for further review, they gave me my dining promotion. Sheesh. I need a few bottles of wine after this experience. Plus side is I got close to my dates I wanted and got the dining. Yay. Thanks to these messages to give the heads up. I would have had nothing if I didn't read here that Visa was offering some dates up.

 

[Jaime4004]

Am I the only one who sees less availability through the DV offer? I snagged my FD ressie in the wee hours but had to trim a day off my trip to get it, so I keep checking back.

Ever since I got the DV email this morning, I periodically check dates at CR through the DV link and then separately just by going directly to Disney site. While I can't yet add the day I want to, each time I check there are definitely more options through the regular site and basically no availability via the DV link. Just find it interesting...

It was the same for my dates with the DV link. Much less availability a few hours ago, the last time I checked.

 

[Jrits]

Are the DV free dining dates the same as GP?

 

[Becky0216]

12/10-12/17/2016 CBR standard room for family of 5 is available on the DV offer right now. Just FYI it wasn't there earlier and it doesn't show up on the GP one. Thought maybe someone could use it.

Probably mine. I just cancelled that exact reservation. lol

 

[eyeblaura]

I was able to book when it dropped at exactly 4:00 AM. I got two standard rooms at CBR. I just checked my email confirmation and it was time stamped at 4:02. Thanks for all your help everyone!

I was trying for one standard room at CBR, I coudn't get it for our dates. I did get CSR standard though, my email confirmation is stamped 4:04. Happy Dance!!

 

[Just Love Disney]

I stayed up just in case FD was available for end of October. Was able to book RO for Pop in standard pool view. After a nap I checked again, standard and preferred were both available, so I switched to standard to save a few dollars.

FD would have been nice but the dates dont quite work for us. Happy to see so many get what they were hoping for!!

I was hopeful that they would add a few days at the end of October for FD but no such luck. I also booked a RO discount for Pop Standard. It wasn't a big savings, nothing like FD, but I'll take a discount wherever I can get it!

 

[ndwest04]

Hopefully most of you by now booked the FD reservation you were wanting! This year, so far, is going far better than last year's disastrous start at booking free dining packages! A special thanks and shout out for those that alerted so many of us to this free dining offer being released today! You were spot on with practically everything you tipped us on a couple weeks ago. It enabled me to talk about plans ahead of time with my family and go into the reservation system this morning to do the booking. My family is doing a 5 night stay in December, staying at CBR and will combine the 2 day hopper with MVMCP. And free dining to boot! All for a reasonable price, so I'm tickled pink and for me, at least, this free dining offer works great. Sorry for those of you who had Oct. dates in mind. Try to flexible where you can and take advantage of this great free dining offer!