2016 Free Dining Watch

[Confederate Scott]

We are staying at a family suite at AoA I wonder what would be cheaper

I would imagine the family suite at AoA would be higher than a moderate. Especially if you upgrade to the DDP.

 

[vbell91]

I'm sure the answer to this question is somewhere but I just can't find it. Would the US dates for free dining in 2017 match what the UK offer will be next week?

The UK tends to do the best out of the Free Dining Offer. For the past fews years, Free Dining is available for stays at any stage, bar a few weeks over Easter and December. This year is following the same trend - Free Dining is valid for stays 5 nights or more from Jan 1- Mar 30 and Apr 17 - Nov 30 2017. I don't think I've ever seen anywhere else have as generous an offer.

It's also worth noting that UK Travel Agencies are also reporting the the QS and Regular Plans are going to see the addition of an extra snack, whilst losing the dessert element from the Quick Serivce Meals. Up to this point the Dining Plans have been the same across the board so Im interested to see if this change will be across the board too once the 2017 Dining Plans are officially released. For my family, an extra snack as opposed to the dessert with a QS meal works a lot better! Both sites below have details on the changes

http://www.maximisethemagic.com/dining/big-changes-coming-disney-dining-plans/
http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/special-offers/disney-dining-plan

 

[jannalynn_11]

Have any of you got FD through a TA?

We are using a TA to do the booking portion of our planning, but we are doing all of the other planning as far as what parks we do, daily plans, and dining choices. She has been VERY helpful in answering some of our questions, and she is basically doing all of the legwork with booking, including getting us different quotes for different situations, and actually taking our payments. Also, she was up this morning at 4:30 & then again at 6:00 checking to see if it dropped because she heard the same rumor. Huge help for us. By us still planning the other aspects and obsessing like everyone else, I would definitely recommend it.

 

[Elliemay2]

This...

This is the one from last night we were chasing.

How do you feel about the 12/10 date? Our first night is going to be 12/11 at CBR. We opted out of POR because it was excluded last year and we change to the YC.

Thanks!!!!

 

[CandiceF]

The UK tends to do the best out of the Free Dining Offer. For the past fews years, Free Dining is available for stays at any stage, bar a few weeks over Easter and December. This year is following the same trend - Free Dining is valid for stays 5 nights or more from Jan 1- Mar 30 and Apr 17 - Nov 30 2017. I don't think I've ever seen anywhere else have as generous an offer.

It's also worth noting that UK Travel Agencies are also reporting the the QS and Regular Plans are going to see the addition of an extra snack, whilst losing the dessert element from the Quick Serivce Meals. Up to this point the Dining Plans have been the same across the board so Im interested to see if this change will be across the board too once the 2017 Dining Plans are officially released. For my family, an extra snack as opposed to the dessert with a QS meal works a lot better! Both sites below have details on the changes

http://www.maximisethemagic.com/dining/big-changes-coming-disney-dining-plans/
http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/special-offers/disney-dining-plan

We would love an extra snack instead of dessert with the Quick serve meals!

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

Thank you for posting these! I have seen several people mention other phone numbers but was never able to find them. I am hoping to make a reservation first thing but if I can I will have 3 phones going with these different numbers.

You are welcome! I had gathered those up from both 2013 when I booked FD via phone, and I was prepared to book for 2015 via phone. But ended up doing it online in 2015 since the promotion opened so early in the morning and was easy to do. My biggest tip, is to keep calling. If you call right at 7am EST, you might get through to at least be in the waiting queue. If it's busy, keep dialing. When you get through, say new reservation when it asks, and just keep saying agent,...agent...,agent to all those annoying "information" prompts from Disney. It will skip all that and get you to a real person quicker. The longer you wait entering that information before you get into the waiting queue, the more people in front of you. So just skip all that by saying agent. It works on the dining reservations phone too, I just say agent repeatedly until I get to wait for a real person haha!

 

[Delphinus317]

Did anyone else see this article yet? http://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/walt-disney-world-free-dining-promotion-coming-soon/

 

[MegMouseketeer]

Have any of you got FD through a TA?

We did not get free dining, but we got an agency exclusive deal that was a large discount off of our room, tickets and dining plan at POR through our travel agent for end of September/first weekend of October. It works out to a larger discount than free dining. Her discount was awesome!!

 

[SGMCO]

Does anyone remember if the Online Booking came up at the same time as it was released?

Could you book online around the same time everyone else is calling to book?

If I have to call by phone to book--how do I connect my Package information to "My Disney Experience" I forgot?

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

The UK tends to do the best out of the Free Dining Offer. For the past fews years, Free Dining is available for stays at any stage, bar a few weeks over Easter and December. This year is following the same trend - Free Dining is valid for stays 5 nights or more from Jan 1- Mar 30 and Apr 17 - Nov 30 2017. I don't think I've ever seen anywhere else have as generous an offer.

It's also worth noting that UK Travel Agencies are also reporting the the QS and Regular Plans are going to see the addition of an extra snack, whilst losing the dessert element from the Quick Serivce Meals. Up to this point the Dining Plans have been the same across the board so Im interested to see if this change will be across the board too once the 2017 Dining Plans are officially released. For my family, an extra snack as opposed to the dessert with a QS meal works a lot better! Both sites below have details on the changes

http://www.maximisethemagic.com/dining/big-changes-coming-disney-dining-plans/
http://www.virginholidays.co.uk/special-offers/disney-dining-plan

That's very interesting! I would think when they start offering the FD Bounceback offers in the rooms for 2017 dates we might get our answer. I would say that it would be very hard to not do this across the board with the dining plan. I do not know how they would implement this without it being standard for all on the dining plan. The cashier CM would not be able to tell the difference between a UK dining plan and a US dining plan when using your credits etc. That would be chaos. So I bet this is going to be a thing for next year.

I'm conflicted on whether I like that or not. I love our snack credits, so an extra would be nice. But we also like having the dessert with our dinner. I am thinking this would be good at say the restaurants that have kind of generic desserts (chocolate cake I'm looking at you) versus like Be Our Guest lunch and the Lemon Cupcake. I don't know, I'll have to ponder this haha! At least it's an extra snack credit added. I've been worried they were going to actually take something away, like the mug or the snack credit entirely. So this is certainly positive!

 

[Landslide305]

If it starts 8/23 which would fall during the middle of my stay, will I still be eligible for it or would I lose out?

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

Does anyone remember if the Online Booking came up at the same time as it was released?

Could you book online around the same time everyone else is calling to book?

If I have to call by phone to book--how do I connect my Package information to "My Disney Experience" I forgot?

No, booking online opened way earlier that the phones last year. And used to, it was 6am online and 7am phone. So online is definitely better when trying to book earlier. Last year it opened early early, around 4:30am.

To connect to MDE after calling in, you just use your reservation number to add it.

 

[KT0191]

If it starts 8/23 which would fall during the middle of my stay, will I still be eligible for it or would I lose out?

Your check in date matters the most. You have to check in on one of the days that it's offered to be able to receive it.

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

If it starts 8/23 which would fall during the middle of my stay, will I still be eligible for it or would I lose out?

It's based on your check-in date. However, you could do a split stay where you have two reservations, pre-FD and after FD starts. Your second reservation would start on 8/23. I've never did it, but others on here have and could answer your questions about that.

 

[CandiceF]

If it starts 8/23 which would fall during the middle of my stay, will I still be eligible for it or would I lose out?

I believe the first day of your stay must fall within the FD dates. You could do a split stay at the same resort and get FD for part of your stay. You may have to move rooms this way though.

 

[Landslide305]

Probably not worth it then. Thanks

 

[vbell91]

That's very interesting! I would think when the start offering the FD Bounceback offers in the rooms for 2017 dates we might get our answer. I would say that it would be very hard to not do this across the board with the dining plan. I do not know how they would implement this without it being standard for all on the dining plan. The cashier CM would not be able to tell the difference between a UK dining plan and a US dining plan when using your credits etc. That would be chaos. So I bet this is going to be a thing for next year.

I'm conflicted on whether I like that or not. I love our snack credits, so an extra would be nice. But we also like having the dessert with our dinner. I am thinking this would be good at say the restaurants that have kind of generic desserts (chocolate cake I'm looking at you) versus like Be Our Guest lunch and the Lemon Cupcake. I don't know, I'll have to ponder this haha! At least it's an extra snack credit added. I've been worked they were going to actually take something away, like the mug or the snack credit entirely. So this is certainly positive!

I thought the same when it was released; as much as no one can confirm yet if it is across the board my gut says it is as the logistics of operating different versions of the Plans is just too complicated! Will be excited to see the new 2017 plans

Im pleased with the extra credit, but do feel like the QS plan is losing out a little more than the Regular Plan; by the looks of things the Table Serivce element still keeps dessert so to me it could end up with the Regular Plan working out better value (QS loses 2 desserts and gets an extra snack. Regular loses 1 dessert and gets an extra snack!). Will be doing some serious researching into whats best before I book for 2017!

 

[cmarsh31]

It is fun. When it comes to Disney just about everything is fun, including the obsessive planning.

I'm reading obsessively even though I'm not even planning a trip for this fall! (ok, if I found a really, really good deal... maybe... but we're going in Feb 2017 and I don't think I can convince DH that we NEED to go twice).

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

That's very interesting! I would think when they start offering the FD Bounceback offers in the rooms for 2017 dates we might get our answer. I would say that it would be very hard to not do this across the board with the dining plan. I do not know how they would implement this without it being standard for all on the dining plan. The cashier CM would not be able to tell the difference between a UK dining plan and a US dining plan when using your credits etc. That would be chaos. So I bet this is going to be a thing for next year.

I'm conflicted on whether I like that or not. I love our snack credits, so an extra would be nice. But we also like having the dessert with our dinner. I am thinking this would be good at say the restaurants that have kind of generic desserts (chocolate cake I'm looking at you) versus like Be Our Guest lunch and the Lemon Cupcake. I don't know, I'll have to ponder this haha! At least it's an extra snack credit added. I've been worried they were going to actually take something away, like the mug or the snack credit entirely. So this is certainly positive!

I would like an extra snack credit too because the snacks are usually far superior to the CS desserts. However, if they are going to cut out the CS desserts, they should give those on the QS plan 2 more snack credits bc the QS plan has two meals a day. They finally got flexible and allowed substitutions between drinks, desserts, and items with the snack credit item, so I'm not sure I like the possible change.

 

[MichiganScott]

Question, let's say FD was offered through 11/28, and that was also your planned check-in date. If things go fine, you get there on the 28th and boom, FD for the whole stay. But, what if your flight got delayed and you ended up actually checking in on the 29th as a result?

In this case you still are paying for the 28th (because it's within the 5 day window and you can't help that), but you aren't physically checking in until the 29th. Would you still get FD?