2016 Free Dining Watch

[O-so-good Disney Mama]

I love the buses at Pop too! We've never had bad bus service when we stay there.

I agree! Someone convince me to try POR!

 

[Disneylover99]

I agree! Someone convince me to try POR!

Boat to DTD, bikes, fishing, YeeHaw Bob, make your own pasta.....It's a good resort too.

 

[revdisney33]

After reading Joes FB post' I found this on a Disney site for tourists....apparently some dates were on the Disney site but taken down quickly...this is what the article said

Free Disney Dining Plan is rumored to be offered at Walt Disney World for booking in late Spring 2016 with specific dates (see below) having leaked for August through December. With this special offer, guests booking vacation packages with non-discounted resort hotels and park tickets receive the Disney Dining Plan for each member of their party for no additional charge. For obvious reasons (who doesn’t love free food?!), the promotion is incredibly popular and some resorts that offer free dining tend to sell out quickly.

Exact dates currently are not known, but Disney briefly posted dates for the promotion on its site, before quickly removing the listed promotion dates:

• August 23 through October 1, 2016
• November 11 through 21, 2016
• November 26 through 28, 2016
• December 10 through 21, 2016

Will these leaked dates are entirely unconfirmed (we haven’t heard a peep from usual sources on this), they are very plausible given past years and normal blockouts that occur around busier times. These dates are really similar to last year’s, which gives them some credence (although dates so close to Thanksgiving is interesting).

 

[Jacie]

Exact dates currently are not known, but Disney briefly posted dates for the promotion on its site, before quickly removing the listed promotion dates:

• August 23 through October 1, 2016
• November 11 through 21, 2016
• November 26 through 28, 2016
• December 10 through 21, 2016

.

That 11/11 versus 11/15 changes things a lot for my family, if it's true. I really hope it is...

 

[jannalynn_11]

After reading Joes FB post' I found this on a Disney site for tourists....apparently some dates were on the Disney site but taken down quickly...this is what the article said

Free Disney Dining Plan is rumored to be offered at Walt Disney World for booking in late Spring 2016 with specific dates (see below) having leaked for August through December. With this special offer, guests booking vacation packages with non-discounted resort hotels and park tickets receive the Disney Dining Plan for each member of their party for no additional charge. For obvious reasons (who doesn’t love free food?!), the promotion is incredibly popular and some resorts that offer free dining tend to sell out quickly.

Exact dates currently are not known, but Disney briefly posted dates for the promotion on its site, before quickly removing the listed promotion dates:

• August 23 through October 1, 2016
• November 11 through 21, 2016
• November 26 through 28, 2016
• December 10 through 21, 2016

Will these leaked dates are entirely unconfirmed (we haven’t heard a peep from usual sources on this), they are very plausible given past years and normal blockouts that occur around busier times. These dates are really similar to last year’s, which gives them some credence (although dates so close to Thanksgiving is interesting).

11/11 is new! Previously said 11/15!

 

[ml sumner]

I don't know. Sometimes free dining is a slippery slope. You end up booking a more expensive room at a moderate and all of a sudden the Deluxe isn't that much more. Once you start thinking that way, it might be worth while to check out a room only discount in comparison.

My husband & I werejust having this same conversation.

 

[dznygrl70]

Has Disney ever had a free dining plan encompass the food and wine festival? If not, I am wondering at the fd dates beginning during the festival. Anyway, this is becoming an obsession for me and I can't wait until it's announced. Unfortunately, I'm on a strict vacation budget. Boooo. Just glad to be going.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Has Disney ever had a free dining plan encompass the food and wine festival? If not, I am wondering at the fd dates beginning during the festival. Anyway, this is becoming an obsession for me and I can't wait until it's announced. Unfortunately, I'm on a strict vacation budget. Boooo. Just glad to be going.

Yes, they frequently have free dining during the Food and Wine Festival. The dates are limited, though. It looks like 2016 will have the least amount of overlap between free dining and F&W.

 

[ml sumner]

I'm really torn about this as well. POR is my first choice. But I really love the buses at Pop. My husband just wants to stay at Pop and upgrade the dining plan. As much as I love Pop, I want a moderate this time around. My back ups are CSR followed by CBR.

We're torn between Pop and POR too. For $137 less we can get preferred pool room at Pop, which would be nice to be near the pool and food court. Last year we did CBR in a standard room which was nice, but man that walk to the food court or pool was terrible!

 

[dznygrl70]

Yes, they frequently have free dining during the Food and Wine Festival. The dates are limited, though. It looks like 2016 will have the least amount of overlap between free dining and F&W.

Thank you! I was wondering about that.

 

[SunnieRN]

Mr. Black upped the ante and listed possible exclusions as well! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

I hope he is correct about POR, which is possible since demand for CBR is higher this year, however I hope the dates are more similar to last year!

 

[kellyjeanie]

We stayed at CBR in 2013 and we loved it! As a family of 5 we have limited options - CBR and POR are our best bets but I'm not sure which will be more readily available. When our original check in date of 11/12 was not included in the first rumors I started looking at checking in on 11/26 instead and now I can't decide - it may boil down to availability for us, since we're pretty flexible on dates.

 

[jannalynn_11]

We're torn between Pop and POR too. For $137 less we can get preferred pool room at Pop, which would be nice to be near the pool and food court. Last year we did CBR in a standard room which was nice, but man that walk to the food court or pool was terrible!

We are deciding between any moderate and Pop, but would likely do a regular room at Pop to save even more money. Looking at the map and having stayed at AoA in the rooms so far away from the food court, we feel like even standard rooms at Pop would be ok.
Edit to add: regular room at Pop would save us $300 over a moderate (after upgrading dining plan), and that's assuming we can even get a standard room at moderate

 

[vrajewski10513]

I hope he is correct about POR, which is possible since demand for CBR is higher this year, however I hope the dates are more similar to last year!

Definitely. That Murphy bed is a huge draw for families. The fact that CBR has them now too may actually help out people looking to go to POR because it's not the only option anymore.

 

[agriffith]

CBR wasn't that hard to get for us. A lot of it had to do with certain dates though. I remember having several opportunities to get CBR last year, even several weeks after release. We arrived the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Each time we looked there was a standard room available.

We were at CBR as well, checking in on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving! It was our first Thanksgiving there, after the previous 8 at CSR, (with FD every year!) and we loved it! We still love CSR, and as I am a MAJOR creature of habit, we only decided to give CBR a try so we could finally stay at the same resort as our friends. This year, we don't know which of the two to choose! I agree with you that Thanksgiving is the most wonderful time of the year to be at WDW! Hope your trip this year is as wonderful as always!

 

[CandiceF]

As a family of 5 the choices are pretty limited in the Moderate and Value range. CBR or POR are usually the best fit for our family size! I hope both are included in the FD offer, it will open up more options for families of 5!

 

[Sharongal74]

We really liked POR. The pool was great and so was the food court. Very quiet. Thought it was a decent bit of walking. Hoping for CBR this time and dates for Halloween! If not guess I'll have to go in September.

 

[Disneylover99]

We're torn between Pop and POR too. For $137 less we can get preferred pool room at Pop, which would be nice to be near the pool and food court. Last year we did CBR in a standard room which was nice, but man that walk to the food court or pool was terrible!

I need a close walk to the food court! If I book moderate, I'm going to try to stay preferred. Then when I price out preferred at a moderate, I think I might be better off just staying at Pop and paying the difference to upgrade the dining plan.

 

[kandb]

We stayed at CBR for the first time this past August and have a fd bounceback booked this August at CBR. I was able to get a standard room. I would like to of booked a preferred room but for some reason they were a lot more (I think like $70/night more). when we stayed at preferred room in POR a few years back, I think it was only around $30/night more. We don't mind walking a little, CBR grounds are so relaxing and beautiful.

 

[The Dirty Steve]

So, while we have some more noise happening now, it won't happen this week.

Get some rest folks!!