2016 Free Dining Watch

[wilkeliza]

I thought I read somewhere that you could still get a room discount with AP's is this correct?

You can get an AP room discount but not free dinning. So just depends on how much you would save on the room discount vs free dinning if it is worth it. Also how long your trips usually are.

 

[lilly6]

Those dates don't make a lot of sense to me. Why would they need to offer free dining during Thanksgiving weekend?

 

[sweetcarolinamoma]

Those dates don't make a lot of sense to me. Why would they need to offer free dining during Thanksgiving weekend?

The first year that we got FD, we got it during Thanksgiving weekend. I want to say we check in a couple days before Thanksgiving though.

 

[CandiceF]

You can get an AP room discount but not free dinning. So just depends on how much you would save on the room discount vs free dinning if it is worth it. Also how long your trips usually are.

Thank you so much! Right now I think FD would save us more because the kids love character meals. Something to think about as they get older though!

 

[Iowamomof4]

Pete Werner just posted the following on twitter:
"Disney email announces UK market will get Free Dining offer next week."

 

[Lindsay Parker]

Pete Werner just posted the following on twitter:
"Disney email announces UK market will get Free Dining offer next week."

Historically, Does the US offer come first or after the UK?

 

[vcmartin413]

Pete Werner just posted the following on twitter:
"Disney email announces UK market will get Free Dining offer next week."

Does anyone by chance know what this means for us here in the states it's far as a date ?

 

[scard192]

due to work commitments, our dates are 11/12 - 11/19. if the rumored start date for FD in November is 11/15, I will have to do RO 11/12-11/14 and pick up the tickets early which I know you can do, just not sure how to do FP+ for the 1st 3 days of the trip.

 

[stitchfan75]

You would jump to Pop before CBR?

Last year CBR was one of the harder resorts to get. Our original reservation was for there but it became clear that those rooms were very limited or just selling fast, that's how we ended up at AKL. I already know POR is going to go fast, why put two potential heartbreaks on my list?

 

[LovingDisney2012]

due to work commitments, our dates are 11/12 - 11/19. if the rumored start date for FD in November is 11/15, I will have to do RO 11/12-11/14 and pick up the tickets early which I know you can do, just not sure how to do FP+ for the 1st 3 days of the trip.

Speaking of split stay, and getting tickets early, does anyone know how that works with magic bands? Are tickets loaded to your band effective on your check in date as part of your package, then mailed to you? If so, how do you use them early? I hope someone has done this. I have never tried a split stay.

 

[stitchfan75]

Is there a reason you are not considering CBR? It is spacious but very nice.

Last year it was impossible to get FD at CBR...it must have been the lowest room quantity for moderates. We originally booked CBR in November of 2014 hoping for FD. Our TA tried all day to get us the discount using our existing dates and resort. Eventually we ended up changing our dates to September and our resort to AKL.
That's the thing people have to understand, the FD discount isn't applied to every room at every resort. It felt like November was the leanest in terms of availability, in fact one family we know never got the discount even though they were staying during the FD dates (at CBR).

 

[Susan Doeberl]

So the changes, as listed for the UK plans, wouldn't go into effect for everyone until 2017, right? I mean, if they happen at all?

You are forgetting that the FD UK offer that was out in 2015 was for 2016 and they are the same as the FD UK out this year for 2017. I am afraid that these change may take place this year for us. I hope not, but I have a real bad feeling about this.

 

[Iowamomof4]

Historically, Does the US offer come first or after the UK?

Does anyone by chance know what this means for us here in the states it's far as a date ?

Good question! I think someone mentioned earlier in the thread that UK comes out a bit before US, I don't know how long though. A few days? A week? More than that?

 

[The Dirty Steve]

Whoever was asking about AP holders and Free Dining.....

We are AP holders. We take advantage of free dining every year. Our APs expire on the last day of November every year. We buy tickets through the free dining promotion, rolling those as a credit to our renewals. It's a little bit of a process but makes things much easier.

Also, when we got our first AP, we upgraded our 10 day tickets to AP by paying the difference in cost. Now, I will also say that we got lucky and found someone who would start our AP on the last day of our tickets, which gave us 9 days free!! It can be done!!

 

[Lisa J]

I could use some names of good TA's. I'm hoping they work hard to book FD.

 

[jannalynn_11]

I could use some names of good TA's. I'm hoping they work hard to book FD.

Sending you a private message!

 

[vrajewski10513]

Last year it was impossible to get FD at CBR...it must have been the lowest room quantity for moderates. We originally booked CBR in November of 2014 hoping for FD. Our TA tried all day to get us the discount using our existing dates and resort. Eventually we ended up changing our dates to September and our resort to AKL.
That's the thing people have to understand, the FD discount isn't applied to every room at every resort. It felt like November was the leanest in terms of availability, in fact one family we know never got the discount even though they were staying during the FD dates (at CBR).

Oh we're not that attached to CBR, if they say no availability I'll move on right then, I'm not wasting any time hoping something will open up. POR is our next, then CSR.

 

[dizneygirl55]

No, unfortunately you can not trade two QS credits for a TS credit. You can trade a TS for a QS however, which would be a terrible trade imho. If you are thinking of upgrading your dining plan, figure your costs at a value with QS vs a moderate with the BDP. It may surprise you that the difference may be nominal.

I like this idea-especially if it works in our favor! I will have to wait to see what moderate resorts the FD is offered and have my prices completed ahead of time!

Just have to play the wait and see game!!

 

[scard192]

I could use some names of good TA's. I'm hoping they work hard to book FD.

me too, there is one we can not mention here, but they have exclusive deals for WDW. hoping I can figure out which it is on Google

 

[dizneygirl55]

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

I would love to have only a $100 difference!