2018 Free Dining Watch Thread V3

[needtoplan]

I had been dozing since 2:30. At 4:58 am found FD live. We already had items in our cart, took 30 minutes of severe glitches, error messages, not available, call later. We went incognito and it finally worked. We GOT IT!! Family of 4 at sports 9/8-9/15. A Great big thank you to all here providing great info!

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

slightly disappointed because it isn't in our date range, we are going August 11-25. What are the chances they could still do a Visa Cardholder release and extend into early August?

The disney visa offer includes your dates. Here’s the link:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/resort-parks-stay-dining-visa-package/

 

[toothfairy74]

I got on at 5:20, and best deal for 5 of us was CBR, but when I tried to book it, it wouldn't go through unless I added extra night. I went ahead and did that,figuring I'd modify later, but then worried I'd somehow lose free dining. I got e-mail confirmation, but haven't been able to log in to see reservation to try to modify it. I ended up doing a new search once Disney specials page was working again, and was able to book a new reservation a few minutes ago for just the 4 nights I wanted with FD. So, now I have 2 reservations. Will have to go back and cancel that first one once I'm able to pull it up again. I figured better to be safe than sorry. Wish we could have gone during a less expensive week, as I still have a bit of sticker shock even with free dining, but we had a very small window of days that we could go in December due to finals for high school and college kids. Now to start penny pinching and restaurant planning!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Prices were big time jacked up before they released this! We already have a bounceback booked from our trip last year and it was 30% discount, which we kept since we are staying club level and it's worth it. Before this dropped, we just fooled around to see the price it would be WITHOUT the bounceback and it was 2000.00 less than what I am being quoted now....

 

[scrappinginontario]

I was able to modify my reservation at POP online fairly easily at 4am. The DIS was down at the time I was modifying so I wasn't able to check to see how others were doing. The total price of our trip went up about $60 but I was OK with that to get FD. The only bummer is that we now have to pay the nightly parking fee. I knew it was going to happen, but it still made me a little sad.

Good luck to all of you still working on getting it! Have faith!!

Are you sure you got the FD offer? I tried to adjust my Pop reservation (Nov 24 - Dec 2) and the new price was $40 more than I paid when I paid full rack-rate so even though the price was showing up when I clicked the FD offer, it really wasn't the FD offer. Did you have everything in place before or did you add things like dining now?

I changed our dates to 2 weeks later, booked a new reservation and I now have a 'true' FD reservation. Same amount of time but $500 less.

If you paid more after adding 'free dining' then I'm not sure you really got Free Dining. Just my .02 as I faced a similar challenge

 

[JenniferYoung44]

I see the arrivals part now but it definitely says "non-discounted 5 night/6 day magic your way package". That's a copy and paste from the website so maybe we are looking at different promotions ‍

So its tricky on that page, they are actually using a 5 night/6 day package as an example not a requirement. After the part you quoted its says "Note: packages for other lengths of stay may be available."

 

[Leoj12]

Huge THANK YOU to everyone here! What a ride!

Got on about 5:15am EST and had some glitches in the first browser I tried; neither special offers page or my "Change Reservation" page would load. Switched to a new browser and the "change" button worked but dining offer was not showing...clicked a few things, refreshed, etc and there it was! Modified and was back in bed by about 5:45.

One interesting note that might be helpful to people in the future...I had previously booked a package with a regular "Table Service" dining plan attached. We are staying at CBR so I was a little worried if it would transfer OK since I did not have a Quick Service dining plan attached. The Change button worked fine, however, I did not see an option to go "down" to the Quick Service or "up" to the Deluxe plan...it just gave me the option to add the "free" dining deal and the price of upgrading to the Regular Table Service Dining Plan was already baked in to the total I could see when waiting to save the changes to my existing reservation. Just thought that was interesting. It is all signed, sealed and delivered now...email received, reservation number stayed the same, etc.

Best of luck to all still looking!

 

[gleamnglow]

If I want to upgrade my dining plan from quick service to table service later by paying the difference, do I have to pay my balance off first? Or will they add it to my balance when I modify online?

Just getting the free quick service in my cart was glitchy enough, so I just wanted to make sure I grabbed the promo first.

Obviously I will wait to do anything until this all dies down.

 

[Flamingeaux]

Not sure if this will help anyone but I was just able to pull up the Visa offer - https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/resort-parks-stay-dining-visa-package/

If you don't have a Visa card when it pulls up all you have to do is select the non-Visa offer to book a trip. Worth a shot..

 

[sharonabe]

I see the arrivals part now but it definitely says "non-discounted 5 night/6 day magic your way package". That's a copy and paste from the website so maybe we are looking at different promotions ‍

If you look at the details, there's also a small line that says, "may be available for different length of stays." Have to click on the "more details."

 

[MamaDunk]

I called in... over 400 tries to get an agent... I'm in line! Estimated wait time... 2 hrs. My only concern... I don't hear disney music...or the little voice coming back on the line to let me know I'm still on hold. I am just sitting in que. Should I worry? Should I hang up and try again? Is their music broken? the recording of the lady letting me know that I'm still in que broken? I'm going to have a panic attack with trying to get this free dining!

 

[sharonabe]

If I want to upgrade my dining plan from quick service to table service later by paying the difference, do I have to pay my balance off first? Or will they add it to my balance when I modify online?

Just getting the free quick service in my cart was glitchy enough, so I just wanted to make sure I grabbed the promo first.

Obviously I will wait to do anything until this all dies down.

If you upgrade before your paid in full date, it should just add it. If you want to wait to pay it, you can add it any time up to 72 hrs before check-in and pay for it then.

 

[gleamnglow]

I called in... over 400 tries to get an agent... I'm in line! Estimated wait time... 2 hrs. My only concern... I don't hear disney music...or the little voice coming back on the line to let me know I'm still on hold. I am just sitting in que. Should I worry? Should I hang up and try again? Is their music broken? the recording of the lady letting me know that I'm still in que broken? I'm going to have a panic attack with trying to get this free dining!

yes, you are still on hold. That same thing happened to me when I had to reschedule due to Hurricane Irma last fall...5 hours later, and I still got through

 

[madtaj]

Can someone tell me how to make the best out of the free dining quick service plan? We are a family of 4 with an 11 year old and 15 year old. So we get 2 QS meals and 2 snacks per night of stay. So we don't arrive till 6pm so if we don't use our meals first day do they transfer over? Also we are planning on having 3 meals per day, to maximise the plan I am assuming just using it for lunch and dinner and paying for breakfast is the way to go?

 

[gulliesmom]

I am already booked at Grand Floridian, checking in on 11/20, checking out 11/27, so I should fall under the criteria for Free Dining. How do I add it/where do I find it? I see nothing on the website for special offers and on MDE, it keeps just sending me back to the home screen.

 

[gleamnglow]

Can someone tell me how to make the best out of the free dining quick service plan? We are a family of 4 with an 11 year old and 15 year old. So we get 2 QS meals and 2 snacks per night of stay. So we don't arrive till 6pm so if we don't use our meals first day do they transfer over? Also we are planning on having 3 meals per day, to maximise the plan I am assuming just using it for lunch and dinner and paying for breakfast is the way to go?

you can use your credits up until midnight the last night of your trip

 

[MamaDunk]

yes, you are still on hold. That same thing happened to me when I had to reschedule due to Hurricane Irma last fall...5 hours later, and I still got through

I could hug you... thank you thank you thank you <3

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

Can someone tell me how to make the best out of the free dining quick service plan? We are a family of 4 with an 11 year old and 15 year old. So we get 2 QS meals and 2 snacks per night of stay. So we don't arrive till 6pm so if we don't use our meals first day do they transfer over? Also we are planning on having 3 meals per day, to maximise the plan I am assuming just using it for lunch and dinner and paying for breakfast is the way to go?

Your credits are pooled and you can use them as quickly or as slowly as you’d like. You can use them all on the first day, spread them out over the course of the entire stay, or use them all on the last day....doesn’t matter.

Any unused credits will expire at midnight on your checkout day. So even after you have checked out and physically left your room for the last time, you still have until midnight to use the credits.

 

[SandS_K]

Can someone tell me how to make the best out of the free dining quick service plan? We are a family of 4 with an 11 year old and 15 year old. So we get 2 QS meals and 2 snacks per night of stay. So we don't arrive till 6pm so if we don't use our meals first day do they transfer over? Also we are planning on having 3 meals per day, to maximise the plan I am assuming just using it for lunch and dinner and paying for breakfast is the way to go?

You can use your credits any day you want. Some meals at QS can be quite large so we share meals often. We always eat 3 meals a day (sharing some) and still have credits left over. They have menus online for you to look at and you can always get cups of water free at the QS locations.

 

[MickeyEarrings]

Just for the purpose of information:

I had a 4-night package booked at Movies 11/26-30 with 4-day Park hoppers and regular dining dining plan. I was up most of the night waiting for the free dining offer to drop, and when I saw the 5-night requirement when it dropped at 5am I needed to book a new reservation.

I tried both Music and Pop (which said they were included) but when I added the room, then the hoppers, and then the QS dining to the cart the dining didn’t show as being free. This happened to me over and over again.

Finally I decided I was out of luck, and all those rooms were gone... and I would be happy with what I had.

But I was up most of the night, darn it, and I wanted to keep trying - so at 6:30 (before thrnphones opened at 7) I tried one more time.

I didn’t choose a specific resort, but opened up “all resorts” and found availability at All Star Sports. I put in my five nights, chose six day hoppers, and then the QS dining showed it was free. I chose the option to pay the upgrade for regular dining.

The morale of the story? Tenacity bought me and extra night at the resort, and two extra hopper days.... and a refund of $25.

Go get ‘em, GooglyBear! Don’t give up.
And I’ll be cancelling my room at Music in a few days, after the call volume dies down.