? About Free Dining Starting During Trip...

[Disney8704]

Next year they will probably have the free dining again in August. What would happen if it started while I was down there? Would I be elgible for any of the free dining? So say I'm there for 9 days and I'm there for 5 days and after the 5th day the free dining would start. Would I just pay for the 5 days and the last 4 days would be free or would I still pay for all 9 days?

 

[kcashner]

The free dining this year required that the reservations be made during a certain time period, that the package include at least a one day park ticket, and that the check in be during a specified time period.

So...based on this year's rules....if you went down on Aug. 12 and the free dining is based on check in's starting August 16, you are not eligible for any part of the free dining. However, there are some ways to get around this. If you see free dining offered next year, you can change your reservations. Call during the appropriate reservation period and make a ressie with a check in date at the start of the free dining period...for the remainder of the stay you had planned. Then rebook your existing ressie to be for only the days before the free dining starts.

For instance, say you were going August 12-22 and free dining started August 16. You make a ressie with free dining for August 16-22. Then you cancel your August 12-22 reservation and rebook for August 12-16. You can do the paid dining plan for August 12-16 if you wish (you will have one day of "overlap" on your credits, but that's not a problem--just be sure to use the expiring ones first!) The only downside is that you will have to buy at least a one day park ticket for each person with each ressie if you plan to have paid dining on the first ressie. However, the savings of the free dining will more than offset this expense.

All that said, there is no way anyone knows whether free dining will be available next year or what the dates might be.

 

[3PRINCESSMOM]

I understand that not everyone's life affords them complete flexibility. However, if you planned a trip August 10-17; then you find out the MYW w/free dining packages begin on August 13. Couldn't you try to change your dates? Wouldn't an adjustment of 3 days, that could save you so much $$$, be worth it? Of course, not knowing how many people would be in your party...perhaps free dining isn't that great of a deal. For us, a family of 6, free dining is going to be tremendous. We had already planned our dates, and by chance they fell within the offer; so no adjustment necessary.

 

[Disney8704]

We are going August 6-15th. Our anniversary is on the 7th and we wanna be there for our anniversary. I have so many plans for our anniversary down there that if I were to postpone it would ruin them. I mean I could still do the plans but it wouldnt be the same compared doing it on a day after our anniversary to the day of our anniversary. I'm really not to worried about it. Our trip even staying at the AKL isnt gonna cost more then $4200 for 9 nights/10 days, 9 day park hopper tickets, airfare, dining plan, $600 for extra food and sounviners. So its not to bad. Its just me and my hubby. Ive spent way more down there then $4200. My last trip costed over $6000, lol.