2016 Free Dining Watch

[Kshell40]

If you can message me some info on a TA I could trust, I am starting to consider it. I am concerned I won't be able to get exactly what I need or even know what I need to make sure my daughter's medical condition is considered, and I want this trip to be as magical as possible for her. Any help or advice for a TA would be greatly appreciated.

The first time we went we stayed off property. My youngest still had her tracheostomy. Some had a slew of stuff going on. Biggest thing for us was getting the handicap tag for stroller. Not sure how old your daughter is but you may want to consider a stroller with handicap tag. It did make it easier for her and us. Since she has been decannulated we don't bother with that stuff now but still take stroller bc she has chronic lung issues and she's 8. It's gets tiring for any kiddo. Let alone one with a chronic health issue

 

[mmps108]

I'm going crazy!!!!!
We originally booked this trip not caring about free dining, more hoping for a room only discount. Now, I've got a full price package at POR and dying to know if we're going to get either FD or a room only discount or if we should have booked a different resort all together OR if this trip was a bad idea.

My travel agent said PO resorts haven't been included in the discount the past couple of years and really there were so few rooms available for the promotion we need to be prepared with different scenarios because she and I won't have a time to talk back and forth and she will need to make a decision for us.

I downloaded this amazing spreadsheet that helped me see that there is very little difference between free dining and just paying out of pocket for our ADRs but that's counting a room only discount. OR we can bump down to a value room and upgrade from free QS dining to regular dining for about the same price as the full price POR package I currently have. OR we can move our reservation to Caribbean Beach but at this point it's about $300 more than our POR package.

I know when you are spending $5000 for a trip, a few hundred dollars either way shouldn't be a big deal??
Our family is me, DH, DD (20) and DD (3). I just don't think we can do a value for 6 nights with me and my 20 year old daughter.

Help!!

 

[Dancerwife]

November hours are here:

http://media.disneywebcontent.com/staticfiles/parkhours/wdwtravelagent_november.pdf

Do they typically add wishes fireworks to the schedule at a different time?

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

November hours are here:

http://media.disneywebcontent.com/staticfiles/parkhours/wdwtravelagent_november.pdf

Thanks! Sept and Oct look to be updated too! Funny, I just looked at these earlier today wondering when they would be updated.

Do they typically add wishes fireworks to the schedule at a different time?

They just now added these to Octobers even though the hours have been out a while.

 

[beck00]

Do they typically add wishes fireworks to the schedule at a different time?

Yes, they do.

 

[Dancerwife]

Yes, they do.

Thank you!

 

[CandiceF]

Why does it have Magic Kingdom closing at 4:30 the one day?

I was wondering the same thing.

 

[Dancerwife]

Thanks! Sept and Oct look to be updated too! Funny, I just looked at these earlier today wondering when they would be updated.

They just now added these to Octobers even though the hours have been out a while.

Thanks!

 

[Amanda S.]

I was wondering the same thing.

One of the other boards had this posted.

Thanks to google, it appears that IAAPA (amusement attractions industry association) is having its convention in Orlando that week and in prior years they have rented out MK for a kickoff special event, so it is probably that. So I either plan around that or try to find a way to get event tickets through that convention

 

[shap39]

ABD means abdomen in my world.

X-ray tech?

 

[KearneyFam02]

I booked a trip for my sisters family and mine in May 2013, and have never gotten another one. My sister does not have an MDE account and gets the UOCS, she does have a Disneystore.com account. Her DH got 2 PINS in the mail in 2013 and has no Disney account, he doesn't even LIKE Disney, but does have an ESPN account. one of the major mysteries of our time "what criteria does Disney use for issuing UOC?"

I updated my address on my MDE account and got one the next week.

 

[Just Love Disney]

I'm going crazy!!!!!
We originally booked this trip not caring about free dining, more hoping for a room only discount. Now, I've got a full price package at POR and dying to know if we're going to get either FD or a room only discount or if we should have booked a different resort all together OR if this trip was a bad idea.

My travel agent said PO resorts haven't been included in the discount the past couple of years and really there were so few rooms available for the promotion we need to be prepared with different scenarios because she and I won't have a time to talk back and forth and she will need to make a decision for us.

I downloaded this amazing spreadsheet that helped me see that there is very little difference between free dining and just paying out of pocket for our ADRs but that's counting a room only discount. OR we can bump down to a value room and upgrade from free QS dining to regular dining for about the same price as the full price POR package I currently have. OR we can move our reservation to Caribbean Beach but at this point it's about $300 more than our POR package.

I know when you are spending $5000 for a trip, a few hundred dollars either way shouldn't be a big deal??
Our family is me, DH, DD (20) and DD (3). I just don't think we can do a value for 6 nights with me and my 20 year old daughter.

Help!!

Can you post a link to the amazing spreadsheet you found? I am driving myself nuts trying to figure out the different scenarios!

 

[donp]

X-ray tech?

Doc.

 

[Amanda S.]

One of the other boards had this posted.

I don't know if this is right though, since the convention website events don't say anything that I can see.

 

[tinkerone]

No offence to any TA or anyone who uses a TA however the one time I used one for WDW it didn't go to well. I had booked a DCL cruise through DU so I thought I would just book our WDW stay with the agent as well. She booked it all and just sent me the bill, which at the time was great. Then some of my family decided they would meet us at WDW for the week we were going to stay there and they appointed me their agent (LOL) so I went ahead and booked their rooms, three in total, without an TA. A few months in I heard there was going to be FD for our stay and it was to be released the following day. I sent an email off to my agent and requested she please switch my booking. I suppose I really didn't have to tell her but it made me feel better. I sent the email off in the morning and did not hear back until that evening when she sent out a mass email to all her clients stating that if we had booked WDW she would do her best to get free dining, please don't send her any more messages, she would let us know. She would 'do her best' and 'please don't send me anymore messages, I'll let you know'. That was kind of off putting.

The next morning when FD opened up I was able to call and get it for the three other rooms. I still didn't not know if I would be getting it on my reservation and I was not happy! It would have sucked if they had gotten it but we hadn't. No word from the agent all that day, it was the next afternoon when she sent an email stating she was able to get it for me. I have to tell you, it was a horrible wait. To stressful for me. I never ever booked WDW through an agent again. I get that they have a lot of clients but lets face it, its only ours that we are concerned with at the moment.

It was the next year when I booked my own that I realized it wasn't as pressing as I had thought. We were able to get FD when we called in and even in later years we were able to book at the end of the offer and still get it.
Moral of the story is, if you think it is stressful waiting for FD to come out, a TA may not be for you, maybe you should book your own and not have to wait 24 hours to hear if you got what you wanted.
Again, no offence, that is just our experience. YMMV.

 

[mstblu]

So although I've gone through this FD process for the past four years, I still need a refresher on what to do the morning of the release! Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, or if you have a better way to do it. Scenario #1- Modifying or changing an existing reservation: Sign into MDE (I believe on a desktop, laptop, or tablet- how about on a cell phone? I'm not sure...) > My Reservations and Tickets > Change Reservations > Vacation Offer > Change > Choose Free Dining offer. Scenario #2- Creating a new reservation: go to disneyworld.disney.go.com > scroll to bottom of the page under header "Places to Stay" > Special Offers > Free Dining offer (I forget the exact verbiage, does anyone remember?) > Check Availability > Enter your preferred dates and either search All Resort Hotels or your chosen resort. Scenario #3- FD is released to Disney Visa card holders first: I believe you cannot modify, change, or make a new reservation for FD offer online, you must call Disney at 407-934-7639, or 407-939-7639, or 407-939-7709, or 407-939-7675, or 407-939-4357 (phone numbers courtesy of prior poster- sorry I can't remember your name! As suggested by pp, just keep saying over and over "New Reservation" (even if it isn't) or "Agent" to skip all the prompts to get you to a live person. My best advice is to have alternative resorts (2nd choice, 3rd choice, etc.), room types (expect that standard rooms may be hard to come by at the MODs or Deluxes), and dates (+/- a day, different week, etc.) ready to refer to while online or on the phone with CM. I've gotten FD every year. I may not have gotten exactly what I originally planned for, but it always works out!

Copied and pasted this!! Awesome job!

 

[CandiceF]

One of the other boards had this posted.

Thank-you!

 

[twoolle]

You would think not but apparently I am being a momzilla---she can change everything else but mom doesn't get free dining!!!LOL. The really sad part is that I have an annual pass so I would have to purchase tickets that I would not use in order to get free dining. I really am sick---this free dining disease has got me by the throat. I don't think it is even a good deal for me this trip but I WANT IT!!!! Yes, I have lost my mind. I am going to search for my medication. Good luck everyone.

I don't have a back up plan yet - if we don't get FD with a moderate I don't know what my back up plan is. Switch to a family suite? More expensive, and just quick service - though the AoA family suites are just gorgeous. Hope for a room discount and book a moderate? I know if we don't have FD I won't need ADRs, so that will be easier. I really have my heart set on FD - I'll be super disappointed if I can't land it but I'll get over it, going to Disney regardless!!

The last 2 years we had FD and I saved all our receipts and we would not have broken even if we would have paid OoP for our meals, if that make since. It was still an incredible deal because it was better than a RO discount and paying OOP for just a few TS and QS meals. That's why it's so important to calculate it both ways. You would need an idea of what you would order, but all the menu prices are online. We will never pay for the dining plan because we are not adventurous eaters and just wouldn't get our money's worth.

I'm making a reservation for 2 rooms as we are going with another family and really hoping for connecting rooms. Is there any way to book 2 rooms at the same time or can I only book one at a time? We used a TA last time so never had to do this part. I'm just worried in the frenzy I won't be able to get the second room in the same category. Any helpful hints would be appreciated

When doing this online you have to make each ressie separate, meaning you can only book one at a time. You could then call in about a week later after the madness dies down and have them link the ressies and request connecting rooms. I did this for our last FD trip, booked 3 rooms then got them all linked later. Unfortunately we didn't get connecting rooms at POR but we were close.

 

[Aeby1122]

One of the other boards had this posted.

Thank you!

 

[EcknMama]

I currently have a package booked the last week of October. It's our 1st ever trip and we've been planning it for years. Our package was booked at the pre increase prices and has a free memory maker. When I originally booked I picked my dates based on historical free dining dates (before I read the DIS ) I was hoping we could add it later. With the rumored dates leaking I am trying to decide what's best for us. I am considering rebooking if I could get FD. We would lose our free memory maker and pay higher ticket prices but the room would be less. Our dates are flexible so that's not an issue. The room / ticket packages price difference is $600 more for the current prices. Maybe more depending on getting a room discount. What do you think, do I stick with the current package and pay oop for QS dining or attemp tto get a FD package?