2018 Free Dining Watch Thread V3

[BabybetterDisney]

I’m also wondering why I couldn’t sleep for two nights worrying about getting this deal and now realizing a standard room is still available there. Smacking my head!!!!

My hotel Pop is all gone by now. In the past, i've always been able to book it weeks or months after first drop. You really never know how much Disney is cutting things down. Better safe than sorry.
We played safe, and now we are going to Disney World!!!!!

 

[6loversofdisney]

My school district just announced a start date of 9/10/18 due to renovations. The draw to go is worse than ever!!!

 

[Nikciburd]

My hotel Pop is all gone by now. In the past, i've always been able to book it weeks or months after first drop. You really never know how much Disney is cutting things down. Better safe than sorry.
We played safe, and now we are going to Disney World!!!!!

You’re right. There was no way to know. I’m just happy to have it since I planned my dates (8/23-8-30) heavily around the promotion. I even applied for a Disney visa just in case I needed the extended range of dates if my predictions (really a summary of other people’s predictions on multiple blogs) were off. Feeding 7 people at Disney is expensive based on the menus I’ve looked at. The incredible summer offer I had before was only saving me $400 since I planned on staying at POR and getting park hoppers anyway. I’m living it up (even if not in deluxe hotel) at Disney this year!!!

Anyone think they may release some riverside rooms later? If so do you think rumors will be around beforehand again so I could have the best chance. I love the pool at CSR but really liked the feel of the POR resorts.

 

[garris3404]

You would be able to use the park hopper tickets from the 1st trip to apply to the cost of the Annual Pass. If you want to keep the free dining trip in November than you would be buying a second set of park hopper tickets which you would have to use before they expire, but you could use them if you wanted to renew your AP's next summer. I could crunch the numbers if you want to see the cost for both choices.

If I upgrade my 9-day hopper to annual base at my September trip, how does that affect my 'free dining' for September trip?

 

[garris3404]

My school district just announced a start date of 9/10/18 due to renovations. The draw to go is worse than ever!!!

Nothing like an 'educational' trip to Disney to get the kids ready for school!

 

[garris3404]

Here are some numbers:

Annual pass - $904.10
9 day park hopper - $543.15
6 day park hopper - $511.20
total tickets for two free dining trips - $1,054.35
Annual pass cost $150.25 less than tickets - and they have additional benefits, such as free memory maker and resort, restaurant and merchandise discounts of 10%

The value of the qs dining plan for six days, one person is $314.97. So if you subtract what you would have saved by buying the AP, then your "free dining" is worth $164.72 per person or $329.44 for the two of you for your November trip. Additional discounts from the Annual Pass over the course of the two trips could easily make up for the price difference. For example, dinner at Ohana for 4 adults would be approximately $180. But if you had an AP then the cost would be $162. A resort discount of 10% for a value resort would add to the benefits.

If you think you will be going to WDW a third time, before your annual pass would expire, then I would definitely buy the AP. They are very addictive and it becomes very easy to return to Disney again and agin.

I'm the only person common between both trips. Daughter in September, and wife in November. The included Memory Maker is nice, as I plan to use it for each trip. Maybe there will a room only discount later for the November trip? I don't plan to make a third within the year. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this, and especially how it affects 'free dining' for both trip?

 

[kpd6901]

Ok everyone, I need some help, advice, and thoughts. As I've mentioned, we now have a split stay beginning Nov 22-23, followed by free dining from Nov 24-29, then a non-free dining from Nov 30-Dec 2. At AoA Cars Suite. Obviously if FD availability opens up to cover the third leg, that would just be logistically advantageous. I've heard you guys talk about being a passholder and how some of these things may be applied as payment toward it or something. Family of 5: me, wife, 3 boys - 14, 9,6 when we travel. 9-year-old has a hockey tournament in Orlando in April 2019 for a couple of days. And wife and 9-year-old would go (probably just those 2). In late June 2019, I need to go to Anaheim for a week, and wife and 9-year-old would join me for some of that time. There is the annual pass, and then there is also a platinum passport that offers admission for both WDW&DL. Our current Nov2018 trip is a 6-day PH ticket for the 5 of us. Of the annual pass is purchased when all three trips fall within the year (say I get it in August 2018), a) does it provide significant cost savings b) would it help me get FP for the first part of my non-FD split stay c) does the payment for it work toward covering the FD park hopper requirement for the middle part of my current split stay d) would it be best to only get the WDW pass if our DL time is only 2( maybe 3) days, or would the big pass still be a benefit? E) if I use this, does it negate the FD portion of our current trip?
A lot to think about and process. Please help me wrap my brain around this.

 

[Wood Nymph]

If I upgrade my 9-day hopper to annual base at my September trip, how does that affect my 'free dining' for September trip?

It doesn’t affect your free dining at all for your September trip. You will still have all your dining credits if you upgrade the 9 day ph to an annual pass.

 

[scard192]

Anyone think they may release some riverside rooms later? If so do you think rumors will be around beforehand again so I could have the best chance. I love the pool at CSR but really liked the feel of the POR resorts.

POR is excluded from FD, they won't be adding rooms at an excluded resort.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I'm the only person common between both trips. Daughter in September, and wife in November. The included Memory Maker is nice, as I plan to use it for each trip. Maybe there will a room only discount later for the November trip? I don't plan to make a third within the year. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this, and especially how it affects 'free dining' for both trip?

There is a very tricky way to get free dining for your wife for the November trip without having to buy a ticket for you. You could have your wife make a free dining reservation under her name with her as the only person in the room. Then you can be added to the room when you check in. That way you don’t have to buy a 6 day ph. The disadvantage would be that you wouldn’t get free dining.

Do you plan to take the Magical Express?

 

[garris3404]

It doesn’t affect your free dining at all for your September trip. You will still have all your dining credits if you upgrade the 9 day ph to an annual pass.

That's great to hear. Thanks!

 

[jade'nsuch]

Well….WE MADE IT!!!! I do hope others got what they wanted or something close to it. I have been up since 2:45 CST (had to be at work by 4:30). The promo dropped at 4am CST BUT the link was not active, me and my mom kept trying we would “check availability” for the FD promo it would then show us the hotel packages with the price for FD. Once we clicked on what we wanted we would get the “sorry this resort is not available for this promotion”. We kept trying and refreshed until we were finally able to make progress and book our vacation at 4:09. All room categories were available at POP for Sept1-10. There were all sorts of room availability across the board at drop this morning. I was actually surprised by the standard room availabilities at all resorts!

Giiiirl you did it I'm so proud of you. And I'm still peeved I missed the glory of the drop.

 

[garris3404]

There is a very tricky way to get free dining for your wife for the November trip without having to buy a ticket for you. You could have your wife make a free dining reservation under her name with her as the only person in the room. Then you can be added to the room when you check in. That way you don’t have to buy a 6 day ph. The disadvantage would be that you wouldn’t get free dining.

Do you plan to take the Magical Express?

We'll take ME in September. Not sure about November? Haven't decided if flying or driving? Southwest flight schedule not available yet? How does the ME fit into the equation?

And that would limit my FP at 30 days if I had annual pass. But wife would get FP at 60 days.

 

[sharonabe]

If I upgrade my 9-day hopper to annual base at my September trip, how does that affect my 'free dining' for September trip?

It means that you will have a 4-day PH ticket that you don't use. You can save it. It won't expire until Dec 2019, but your AP will be good through Oct 2019 (I think). If you won't use it before the end of 2019, you can apply the purchase price toward a new ticket or AP renewal when you need it.

As to the work around and ME, if you're not on the reservation for the Nov trip, then you can't sign up for ME. But you're right that it also means you can't do FP+ until 30 days out.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We'll take ME in September. Not sure about November? Haven't decided if flying or driving? Southwest flight schedule not available yet? How does the ME fit into the equation?

And that would limit my FP at 30 days if I had annual pass. But wife would get FP at 60 days.

You wouldn’t be able to sign up for Magical Express for the trip to the resort in November but you could get it for the trip back to the airport.

You will still be able to get fast passes at 60 days out. Your wife will be adding you to the fast pass when her 60 day window opens.

 

[Wood Nymph]

But you're right that it also means you can't do FP+ until 30 days out.

That’s not right. A person who has a room reservation and tickets can include another person who has tickets when they make fast passes. We have done it many times for family members who have tickets but aren’t staying at a resort. He can still get fps at 60 days out when his wife’s fp window opens. You can check the discussion thread that talks about fast passes for more information.

 

[Canadisney Fly]

Shocking how quickly the rooms went - my first FD experience was completely fortuitous - just happened to be planning a trip, and the offer showed up for POR (months after drop). The next two trips were late night anticipatory board-monitoring events, where I was able to get what I wanted when the offer dropped. We even managed to get friends to commit to joining us at CSR, and they booked a room weeks after drop.

This trip, I booked 7 days at Pop STD for my SIL, who now realizes what a screaming good deal it is and wants to put four in the room and extend the reservation to 11 days. So far, I've been looking since yesterday, and it's IMPOSSIBLE to find availability to extend, but I'll keep checking. I was hoping that there might be something today, as all those three day holds that TAs put on rooms should be trickling back into the pool.

I did have 11 days at ASSp in my cart, but it disappeared before I could book it. They're all big people, so double beds vs queen - I'd rather keep them at 7 days in Pop!

So yes, I see that FD is dying a slow, and painful death. Just over the last couple of years, the loss of DDP at moderates, reduction in the # of resorts that offer FD, and now, what seems to be a reduction in the number of rooms that qualify for the offer - I too suspect that when Star Wars opens, the need for FD as a marketing tool will be gone. Congrats to all who managed to book, and best of luck to those still searching!

 

[leebee]

Well, after all that anticipation and staying up for 2 nights, I canceled my FD package at ASMu. We decided to stay at AKL instead, for the same price, but without the dining. It's OK... I have rewards points and gift cards for food, and I am SO PSYCHED about AKL!

 

[BA75]

I apologize in advance if this has been asked and answered already....We have FD reservations for August 20 - August 27 with 4 day park hopper tickets and I want to change it to a 6 day park hopper...will that mess up my reservation? Would the whole thing have to be rebooked? I don't want to risk losing the hotel. It is not available any more for the dates we are going.

 

[tink1957]

I apologize in advance if this has been asked and answered already....We have FD reservations for August 20 - August 27 with 4 day park hopper tickets and I want to change it to a 6 day park hopper...will that mess up my reservation? Would the whole thing have to be rebooked? I don't want to risk losing the hotel. It is not available any more for the dates we are going.

No it will not mess anything up, just call or change it online under my itinerary...I just changed my reservation today to apply a discount and got a preferred room at Pop for less than I was paying for a standard. I kept the same reservation number.