2018 Free Dining Watch Thread V3

Wanted to share our experience this week with being "downgraded" to QS dining plan. For years we have gone to moderates to get free table service, but now that moderates no longer qualify we did POP with QS. We tried to pick quick service that came close to approximating the variety and quality of food we are used to with table service. (No hamburgers and hot dogs.) We ate at Wolfgang Puck Express, BOG lunch, Pecos Bills for fajitas, Lotus Blossum in Epcot, Flame Tree at AK. Hot sandwiches at Woody's lunch box were tasty. ABC Commissary because we needed air conditioning in 93 degree heat. The food court at POP had surprisingly good fried chicken, pot roast and carved turkey. Blaze Pizza because we love it. We survived just fine without table service and were liberated to park hop without worrying about TS reservations. We actually felt better not walking around quite so stuffed all the time. On a side note, the rooms at POP are AMAZING!! The TVs are massive. Our 18 year old was in heaven watching world cup! We had forgotten how magical Disney could be at the value level. If you're on the fence about upgrading your dining, we feel like we had PLENTY of good food with the QS plan.
 
Maybe after we find out what the new bounceback offer is on August 15th. If free dining is the offer again, there’s a decent shot for a general public release of FD for next year.

so this will be the first time I am pretty certain I will be booking a bounceback hopefully if its offered, just wondering if what they release in Aug will still be the "deal" for me to book in mid Sept?
 
The big unknown this year is IF FD will be offered. It has been for the past number of years but with Star Wars opening next year, FD has been in question.

Personally I feel it will be offered for Aug/Sept 2019 but have less confidence for Nov/Dec 2019.

Hopefully we'll have an answer to this in just a few weeks!
 


The only thing that gives me hope for free dining next year is that they extended the booking dates for free dining this year.
 
The only thing that gives me hope for free dining next year is that they extended the booking dates for free dining this year.
I agree!

If you're interested, I've started a 2019 Free Dining BB Watch thread. Thinking whatever Disney offer's for their upcoming new BB offer will be a good indicator of what we might see offered to the General Public in the spring of 2019.
 
Hello everyone!!! I’m sure many are very excited as lots of Fabulous FD vacations are going to begin just next month!!!!!

Disney Springs is bringing in a new restaurant called “Chicken Guy” everything is supposed to be $7 or under so I’m not sure if using credits would be worth doing here or not, I do however think it is an experience worth checking out for the fun atmosphere and some tasty options!

Supposed to be opening in August.

Have fun everyone our trip isn’t until late November and like usual I’m full of excitement counting the days down!!!!!!!!!!!!
 


Hello everyone!!! I’m sure many are very excited as lots of Fabulous FD vacations are going to begin just next month!!!!!

Disney Springs is bringing in a new restaurant called “Chicken Guy” everything is supposed to be $7 or under so I’m not sure if using credits would be worth doing here or not, I do however think it is an experience worth checking out for the fun atmosphere and some tasty options!

Supposed to be opening in August.

Have fun everyone our trip isn’t until late November and like usual I’m full of excitement counting the days down!!!!!!!!!!!!

we HOPE FD begins next month! No guarantee this time around.

If you're interested there's a 2019 BB watch thread.
 
we HOPE FD begins next month! No guarantee this time around.

If you're interested there's a 2019 BB watch thread.

The poster is referring to the fact that the people who already booked FD will begin taking their vacations next month. He/she is not talking about stalking FD for next year. :-)
 
A while back in this thread when FD was first announced, a bunch of us were having no luck getting BC. I had booked AKL and was ok with that. However, just wanted to update that a few weeks ago when I checked for the heck of it, BC is now available in all room types! So if anyone was like me, don't forget to keep checking if you didn't get your original choice.
 
I just rechecked my dates, and the only thing available now is the pirate rooms at CB and Saratoga Springs. Just two days ago all the deluxe had openings, and for days in a row. Mad rush, or just taken away?
 
I just rechecked my dates, and the only thing available now is the pirate rooms at CB and Saratoga Springs. Just two days ago all the deluxe had openings, and for days in a row. Mad rush, or just taken away?

Maybe it depends on party size? Because I looked out of curiosity for my family's dates, Sept. 21 - Sept. 25 but looked as though I were a party of 4 and it only showed me the pirate rooms at CB.

However, I changed it to the actual party size that we're going as, which is 6 adults and one 2-year-old and it's showing me a whole lot more is available:

AoA - Family suites, no Nemo available, but including a general one where theme is assigned upon check-in

CSR - Casitas 1 bedroom suite

Fort Wilderness - Wilderness Cabin

Saratoga - 2 bedroom villa

AKL - 2 bedroom suite at club level

BC - 2 bedroom suite at club level
 
Just checked availability again - deluxe are available (Yacht Club, BC, Old Key West, SS, Boardwalk), plus All Star Music family suite (my date is 12/9-12/23 for 3 people). Crazy how fast it changes, goes to show we should check a few times a day if we don't get what we want the first time!
 
Just checked for my dates December 16th - 22nd for 5 of us and it says there's nothing left. I even tried other dates in December and still nothing....there was plenty of availability yesterday....:worried:
 
The website keeps glitching and saying:

We Had to Duck Out
We apologize for the temporary inconvenience, but disneyworld.com is not currently available. Please check back in a few minutes.
 
The website keeps glitching and saying:

We Had to Duck Out
We apologize for the temporary inconvenience, but disneyworld.com is not currently available. Please check back in a few minutes.
I was on the phone with Disney IT last night and they're aware of this....eh hem....'Magical Enhancement' problem right now but I'm guessing since the special offer ends today they're not going to fix this particular problem.

Hopefully the others they're having will be fixed soon though. There is nothing 'magical' about getting errors doing things I've done on a regular basis for years!
 
I was on the phone with Disney IT last night and they're aware of this....eh hem....'Magical Enhancement' problem right now but I'm guessing since the special offer ends today they're not going to fix this particular problem.

Hopefully the others they're having will be fixed soon though. There is nothing 'magical' about getting errors doing things I've done on a regular basis for years!
From what ive heard, Disney's whole IT is run on an old system that simply cannot handle all of what it needs to handle. However, to upgrade the system would require a complete system-wide shut down for a day. Apparently, THAT is what is what is holding them back. Can you imagine the impact of no IT for an entire day anywhere? Then again, maybe the recent IT outage they had for a little while a couple of weeks ago might prep them for how to logistically prepare for a day-long shut down.
 

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