2018 Free Dining Watch Thread V3

[SarahC97]

I really don't know if it will be the end of FD or not but believe it could be. I also believe the BB that drops in August will tell us a lot about what we could hope for this time next year!

That's true. The current BB ends on 8/15, so I guess we'll see then! *fingers crossed*

 

[kdisser]

Just a wondering...in the past has the FD BB been offered through September stays as well??

 

[Disneylover99]

You hear so many people talk about this being the last year for free dining -- do you all think that's true? We're going for a weekend in August with the hope we'll be able to book a free dining bounceback for next year, so I hope they don't end free dining. I think it's more likely they'll just keep restricting the dates and resorts each year and slowly phase it out, but I don't see them getting rid of it totally for quite some time. Judging by the posts on these boards, it drums up so much business for them and is an incentive for so many people to come, why would they stop? I don't know, might be wishful thinking on my part because free dining just makes me feel like I'm getting a good deal, whether it's true or not! LOL

I think next year will be the last year for it. And I think there will be a shift in dates. I bet only August and September dates will be offered due to Star Wars land opening in October/November. Just my prediction.

 

[bluejasmine]

Someone asked if maybe this was the last year of free dining? Disney has been saying for quite some time the discounts were put out when the economy was bad well its not anymore so they want to wean the discounts away, I predict with all the new openings and things for the big anniversary we wont have FD as we knew anymore it may be a distant variation but nothing close. WIth all the new things coming to WDW they wont need discounts to bring ppl to their . I hope Im wrong tho..

 

[SarahC97]

Just a wondering...in the past has the FD BB been offered through September stays as well??

In the past, the free dining bounceback was bookable for the following year starting in August and going through October.

 

[tmhoppert]

Now that free dining has dropped, for ADRs, I know they become available 180 in advance but is there a specific time they open up reservations? Is it early in the morning like the FD drop?

 

[ScubaCat]

Given the popularity of free dining, I actually don't see it going away. Rather, it'll just continue to be devalued. First it was QS for values, then had to buy a 2 day ticket, then 2 day with park hopper, then QS for moderates, and now a 4 day park hopper minimum. Compared to a room only discount stacked with an orbitz coupon, for example, it's often not even the best deal and it guarantees them a captive customer and a package with a more strict cancelation policy. So, to me, it seems like a huge win/win for them. Give people "perceived value" which makes them happy and guarantees WDW a package booking.

 

[kdisser]

In the past, the free dining bounceback was bookable for the following year starting in August and going through October.

Much appreciated! Thank you....I am sadly already looking forward to hopefully gaining a FD BB. I did one in 2016 for our 2017 stay in December and was super sad that BB was not offered during our December 2017 trip. So I am just trying to plan for the hopes that it is going to offered as a BB again during our 2018 trip.

 

[BabybetterDisney]

Given the popularity of free dining, I actually don't see it going away. Rather, it'll just continue to be devalued. First it was QS for values, then had to buy a 2 day ticket, then 2 day with park hopper, then QS for moderates, and now a 4 day park hopper minimum. Compared to a room only discount stacked with an orbitz coupon, for example, it's often not even the best deal and it guarantees them a captive customer and a package with a more strict cancelation policy. So, to me, it seems like a huge win/win for them. Give people "perceived value" which makes them happy and guarantees WDW a package booking.

Yeah, that's certainly possible that they just lower the values and increase the restrictions instead of getting rid of it altogether. I hope so, I don't want to lose my free dining! I loved the perceived value! That's what magic is, perceived reality, not real reality!

 

[Moliphino]

Now that free dining has dropped, for ADRs, I know they become available 180 in advance but is there a specific time they open up reservations? Is it early in the morning like the FD drop?

I think it's 6am eastern for ADRs.

 

[SarahC97]

Given the popularity of free dining, I actually don't see it going away. Rather, it'll just continue to be devalued. First it was QS for values, then had to buy a 2 day ticket, then 2 day with park hopper, then QS for moderates, and now a 4 day park hopper minimum. Compared to a room only discount stacked with an orbitz coupon, for example, it's often not even the best deal and it guarantees them a captive customer and a package with a more strict cancelation policy. So, to me, it seems like a huge win/win for them. Give people "perceived value" which makes them happy and guarantees WDW a package booking.

I completely agree with you. I think they know how unhappy people will be if it just suddenly goes away.

 

[DrFacilier]

YES, I got the Unique Offer Code in today's (Wednesday's) email. However, when I click through to see if it's a good deal, it auto-fills the offer code then asks for my last name and zip code. Doesn't matter whether I use my last name or DH's (shared email); it just tells me that the information doesn't match and they won't show me the offer. All that money Disney spent on IT and it STILL stinks!!



You could just try to make a payment with a different card and see what happens. My guess is that they needed you to make the reservation/deposit with the Disney VISA so they know you qualify for the promo dates. If you are worried about losing the reservation, maybe wait until next week (when the FD hoopla dies down) and call Disney to ask about using a different card.

Makes sense. I should probably call before I pay the balance just in case.

 

[ScubaCat]

Yeah, that's certainly possible that they just lower the values and increase the restrictions instead of getting rid of it altogether. I hope so, I don't want to lose my free dining! I loved the perceived value! That's what magic is, perceived reality, not real reality!

I completely agree with you. I think they know how unhappy people will be if it just suddenly goes away.

Exactly, that's why I think it'll stick around. There are other things they do to reduce the value that aren't even mentioned here. For instance, ticket prices go up just a couple of months prior. They used to go up in June, but now it's February. Coincidence? I think not And I'm quite sure the room rates have been stealthily adjusted to make up a lot of the difference, too. Not specifically for FD, but the rates surely factor it in. And this year... The parking charge. Yes everyone pays it, but it's an increase nonetheless....and again, not coincidental that it appeared just a month before FD.

 

[SPOERLX3]

So did everyone get what they wanted?

Yes sir!
2 rooms @ POP + 7 Disney adults for 5 nights with FD = total savings of $1838 WIN!!! Memories of my moms 85th birthday and celebration my granddaughters graduation! PRICELESS! Thank you @Disney Ron sharing all your expertise!
This is my mom at her very first to Disney at 82!! Can’t wait to take her back!

 

[Disneylover99]

Given the popularity of free dining, I actually don't see it going away. Rather, it'll just continue to be devalued. First it was QS for values, then had to buy a 2 day ticket, then 2 day with park hopper, then QS for moderates, and now a 4 day park hopper minimum. Compared to a room only discount stacked with an orbitz coupon, for example, it's often not even the best deal and it guarantees them a captive customer and a package with a more strict cancelation policy. So, to me, it seems like a huge win/win for them. Give people "perceived value" which makes them happy and guarantees WDW a package booking.

I think you might be right. I can see values going down to the meal deal, where everyone gets one quick service meal/snack per day, in order to draw more people back to the moderates. And I can see increasing ticket/resort day requirements.

 

[SPOERLX3]

Yeah I am trying to solve this same problem. Went up $1400 from our old pkg price but I have no control as my agent scored free dining for us at my asking!!
My package is showing up as $1000 more than the exact same package priced at a comparable resort at it's level. I called Disney and of course they can not go into the resort ressie since it is through the agent but the cast member said that has to be wrong! She could see a couple of hundred difference but not over $1000. So email is into our agent. Who by the way I have used forever and love!
I am so frustrated right now. We did upgrade to regular dining & I know that ticket prices increased so both have that in the price. However the side by side costs of the two pkgs does not make sense.
So basically free dining cost me $1400 today!!!

That seems high but I guess it depends on what your original package was and what your TA had to add to get the FD. So each person to upgrade to regular dining is about $50 for a 5 day trip and the rate increase for a 5 day ticket was about $32 per person. Did you already have the park hoppers added to your package before your TA added FD? If not, they are about $100 each for a 5 day. (I can only give you pricing on 5 day since that is what my trip is ) it can sure add up

 

[scard192]

I think you might be right. I can see values going down to the meal deal, where everyone gets one quick service meal/snack per day, in order to draw more people back to the moderates. And I can see increasing ticket/resort day requirements.

agreed. and maybe only FD in August (too hot!) and September (prime hurricane season). All of October and all except a few days at the end of November are now excluded.

as another person posted, the BB that comes out towards the end of August could give a big clue as to what direction Disney is going.

 

[madmeg]

Got the email last night. I jumped on my laptop and changed our reservation ASAP. Saved $1400.

What is this email? Does everyone that booked get one?

 

[SPOERLX3]

Stayed up all night and thanks to some super helpful Dis folks I got exactly what I wanted! Need some advice on how to proceed though.

So I booked the public FD for POP 8/20-8/26 then when the Visa link finally showed up I made a second reservation for 8/19-8/26 which is my full trip. That reservation was immediately cancelled and I was prompted to call Disney(around 7 when everything was in full crash mode and the phone lines were full).

When I finally got through I was told that since I already had an existing reservation I had to modify instead of cancelling and they weren’t going to give me the Visa cardholder day I needed at first. The CM checked with her manager and said she could book the whole trip under the cardholder deal but I would have to pay my balance with the Disney Visa. I said I would and completed the transaction happily. So my question is: Does Disney know or care how I pay the balance of my reservation or was the manager just trying to have me use my DV card for something since everyone is required to use it for a deposit and I hadn’t? I have a number of other cards I would rather use and I’m wondering if it will matter if I use a different card. I’m leaning towards “no” but would love to hear other opinions.

Either the deposit or if their is an existing reservation and the deposit was not paid with DV but booked with the DV promo, a $200 payment must be paid with the DV. After that you can pay with any payment method that you want.
I normally pay with my DV to get my points and have the 0% interest for 6 mo (then pay it off before we start the trip) but I have had some gift cards and used them and I have made payment with my debit card. Sooo as long as a $200 payment has been made with you DV you are good!

 

[madmeg]

I'm so paranoid because it seemed so easy for me to get free dining, that I keep checking my reservation over and over just to make sure it's still there! I got the confirmation email so I don't know why I'm freaking out

I had a thought, and I don't know if this is accurate at all, but when I originally booked my package, I booked it BEFORE the ticket price increase in February. So maybe that is the reason for the $60 increase in my package price? I saw a couple other people say their packages increased by a similar amount. Again, that could be totally wrong, just an uneducated guess

I also wanted to add that I did NOT have the dining plan on my package before I got the FD offer added to my reservation. So who knows what caused the price increase lol. I'm just glad to be going to Disney with FD again!!

We felt the same way. Kept checking to make sure FD was still on there.
We did have Dining in our original package. After the FD offer added, I noticed an increase of $70.