******Official 2017 Free Dining Plan Watch, Wait, and Dream

[ChiasMom]

Jumping on this thread as well! We are booked for 11/28/17 to 12/5/17; Not feeling super confident about my chances for free dining this year, but let's keep those fingers crossed!

 

[prettyprincess624]

We are booked for September 16-23! Hoping for free dining! We have never been there in the fall

 

[pigletto]

Following along. We used to go for free dining every year, but we have been staying offsite the last few trips. I LOVE the space and we are currently booked at Bonnet Creek but DH mentioned tonight that he might want to try free dining again. This would mean booking ADR's on the 26th of this month, so I suppose I better do some research and be ready to do that if we decide to go back onsite. I love the feel of being immersed onsite, and I love the space and amenities offsite. Hard decision.
If I could get free dining at POR (my favourite) I'd probably go for it. I know it's typically excluded except the earliest dates. We would be August 25th to Sept 1st this year, so maybe that would work.

 

[Mbuksa]

Nope! All three plans now include 2 snacks per night per person.[/QUOTE
Error

 

[Mbuksa]

Following along. Hoping for free dining end of September into October. I'm never sure if it's best to book a reservation now and then see if free dining is announced. We are going to go regardless, it's just that we will most likely stay at a value resort if no promotion is released, but may upgrade to a moderate for the regular dining plan.
Quick question... if I book at value resort and then book dining reservations, if I would later change my reservation to a moderate resort under the free dining promotion, will I loose my current dining reservations?

 

[Disneylover99]

Following along. Hoping for free dining end of September into October. I'm never sure if it's best to book a reservation now and then see if free dining is announced. We are going to go regardless, it's just that we will most likely stay at a value resort if no promotion is released, but may upgrade to a moderate for the regular dining plan.
Quick question... if I book at value resort and then book dining reservations, if I would later change my reservation to a moderate resort under the free dining promotion, will I loose my current dining reservations?

No, you won't lose your dining reservations.

 

[aekelburg]

Joining the wait! Looking for Late November early December dates! We have planned our trips around free dining the last few years and love it!! Hopefully it works out this year too!

We went around that time this year, it was absolutely magical!

 

[aekelburg]

Jumping on this thread as well! We are booked for 11/28/17 to 12/5/17; Not feeling super confident about my chances for free dining this year, but let's keep those fingers crossed!

We went those dates in 2016 and got it! The 28th was the last day for the promotion, so we had to check in on that day. Depending on the days of the week things fall on you may have to change it up by a day or two, but it was an absolute dream to be back at Disney for Christmas again!

 

[Cassarye]

We will be there Sept 12-21. Hoping for free dining also!!

 

[scrapbooksellman]

I have gotten free dining.
Should I assume thanksgiving week will be blocked?

 

[Aeby1122]

Hello everyone!!! Looking forward to our fall trip to Disney! Has anyone heard any rumors regarding October?? Still hoping for a shock with a couple October dates released. We are currently planning for the end of September as that is more likely but I would love late October instead!! Keep dreaming everyone April will be here soon and we should have all the info we need then!

 

[mcbutler23]

Joining in. DH just gave me the green light to book a trip this year, but gave me a budget that's half of last years! We are flexible on dates and looking at early December. I need some Disney Christmas in my life. We stayed at POR last year with free dining in September for our first trip. Trying to stay value this year with free dining. It's really the only way I think we'll get to go with the restrictive budget he's put on me. KYFX for me that we can get it. I hope the dates are announced earlier than late April.

 

[DISNEY1975]

Do you think there will be free dining in September this year since they move Food and Wine back a month to start at the end of August, when normally the free dining starts?

 

[sharonabe]

I have gotten free dining.
Should I assume thanksgiving week will be blocked?

Yes and no. For the past couple years, the last date offered before the Thanksgiving week black out was close enough that if you checked in on that date, you would have it through Thanksgiving week. Last year, the last date was Nov 21 which was Monday of Thanksgiving week, so I'm sure there were many people there on Thanksgiving enjoying free dining.

 

[pigletto]

Well, an update to my post above.. I spoke to the family and they unanimously voted to go back onsite if we can do the DDP. For what it's worth, they also unanimously voted for Bonnet Creek when we started planning this trip. They are easily swayed.

I chose to book my package last night because we will be going regardless, and we will just pay OOP for meals if we can't get free dining. Free dining will mean a lot more TS meals and a lot more flexibility though, and we are willing to move to get it. If we won't be able to get it, we want a standard view room at POR, so that's what I have booked.

I spent at least an hour last night reading through the 2016 Free dining watch thread. It seems that it's harder to get now then it was when we were getting free DDP from 2008-2012. It also seems like we will all be spending a bunch of time together while we wait and wish and hope!

 

[samsteele]

Trying to stay value this year with free dining. It's really the only way I think we'll get to go with the restrictive budget he's put on me.

I've done the same thing for the past few yrs (my budget issue is low Cdn dollar) and, for a solo guest, staying at AS Sports with fall free dining & paying the upgrade for one for TS works well. I also prefer to stay for at least a week & a half so can stretch my WDW vacation at a value. With a couple, the upgrade to TS starts to add up depending on length of your stay. Looking at approx $20 per person per night for upgrade from included CS to TS. One thing to keep in mind is that POP has been priced a bit higher than AS Sports or AS Music over the past 2 yrs or so and if staying for more than a week, that "value premium" difference might be better spent to help subsidize at least one guest's upgrade to TS. Of the 3 values, POP & AS Sports have much more efficient transpo IMO than AS Music (traditionally, AS Movies is not included in free dining). While I prefer POP's theming, I don't prefer it to the tune of $250 plus when staying a week & a half or longer. I'd much rather use that $ to pay for most of my upgrade to TS food. Once you have a family of 4 in a room (children 10 yrs & up are "adults") then a moderate resort with included TS becomes much more realistic.

 

[mcbutler23]

I've done the same thing for the past few yrs (my budget issue is low Cdn dollar) and, for a solo guest, staying at AS Sports with fall free dining & paying the upgrade for one for TS works well. I also prefer to stay for at least a week & a half so can stretch my WDW vacation at a value. With a couple, the upgrade to TS starts to add up depending on length of your stay. Looking at approx $20 per person per night for upgrade from included CS to TS. One thing to keep in mind is that POP has been priced a bit higher than AS Sports or AS Music over the past 2 yrs or so and if staying for more than a week, that "value premium" difference might be better spent to help subsidize at least one guest's upgrade to TS. Of the 3 values, POP & AS Sports have much more efficient transpo IMO than AS Music (traditionally, AS Movies is not included in free dining). While I prefer POP's theming, I don't prefer it to the tune of $250 plus when staying a week & a half or longer. I'd much rather use that $ to pay for most of my upgrade to TS food. Once you have a family of 4 in a room (children 10 yrs & up are "adults") then a moderate resort with included TS becomes much more realistic.

I'm totally bare-bonesing (is that a word? haha) this trip. No upgrade to TS, QS only. In all honesty, I think we did every TS character meal last time. I'm hoping it will all backfire on DH and he will wish we had stayed moderate again. I'm still working all the numbers to see if we could go without free dining and pay OOP for meals. The portions are so large that DD and I could easily share. Plus we had a hard time getting her to eat last time. It seemed like a waste of meals even though it was free.

 

[samsteele]

The portions are so large that DD and I could easily share. Plus we had a hard time getting her to eat last time. It seemed like a waste of meals even though it was free.

Very true. Free TS Dining with children can be a waste esp if they are light eaters or really just want comfort food like mac & cheese or chicken nuggets. Many of the CS meals are huge as well & can easily be shared by 2 adults (think FlameTree BBQ at AK or Sunshine Seasons & Tangierine Cafe in Epcot). There are good to great CS choices at WDW and the days of hotdogs & greasy hamburgers are way in the past.
The other issue with a family staying in a value room is just how small that room really is. It's fine for a solo guest & even a couple (if they don't mind a double bed) or a single parent or grandparent traveling with one child. Getting cleaned up & ready to go in the a.m. could turn into a stressful & ugly experience fast with everyone squeezing past to get into the shower & pull on their clothes. Maybe check out some room pics online of AS Sports or POP to get a sense of what is in store & whether it is right for your family. Touringplans has some good pics & info but there are lots of sites & images out there.

 

[pigletto]

We are Canadian as well and feeling the sting of the poor exchange rate. We want to keep the budget reasonable and looked at staying value and upgrading, but like you said samsteele, it didn't work out much cheaper after the upgrade. And you are spot on about the space. We used to be ok when the kids were young, but a mod is as small as I am willing to go for 2 adults and 2 teenagers. Moderate appears to be the way to go.
We are going for 10 nights. IF for some reason I can't get free dining at a mod, I do have a backup plan.

Currently I have 5 day tickets for all of us that I earned with airmiles. If we get free dining we will use those and the 2 day tickets we have to purchase to qualify for free dining. If we don't get free dining, I will do room only with whatever discount (estimated at 20%), budget $200 a day for meals, and just stick with the 5 day tickets. It works out to almost the same cost.

The downside of the back up plan is I would lose the "waterparks and more" I plan to get, and would only have 5 day tickets on a 10 day trip. Upgrading them would be a bigger than normal expense because they included the Canadian 25% off discount, which means I would lose that discount to upgrade. It would be over $400 to add a few days. Not worth it .

 

[disneylovinmom3]

I won't say Free dining determines whether we go or not but it definitely has an effect on what kind of trip we take.