ARRRGH!!! No Free Dining For Me

[tndisneyfan]

Well the title says it all. I just got an email from Disney Rewards and there will be no free dining for my arrival date. Crap.....I hope we get some kind of room only discount.

 

[kerplop]

What are your dates? Could you do it at least partially?

 

[tndisneyfan]

No we are totally blocked out. Our dates are 10/7-10/12. The earliest we could go would be 10/5 and we can't go any later because of DS's school.

 

[Pink Mouse Ears]

There's no chance you could arrive the 4th? If that was your arrival date, you could get it.

 

[photographymom517]

No we are totally blocked out. Our dates are 10/7-10/12. The earliest we could go would be 10/5 and we can't go any later because of DS's school.

You could always do a room-only reservation for the nights of 10/5 and 10/6 and then get a package starting 10/7 for the rest of your stay in order to get the Free Dining. You would just have to pay out of pocket for meals on the 5th and 6th.

 

[jenlov]

The OP noted that 10/7 is not included in the date, so that scenario wouldn't help at all.

What about splitting up your family for travel? Are you flying? if so, maybe 1 of you could fly down on the 4th to start your package, and the others can fly down on the 5th? that's assuming your flying, of course.

 

[tndisneyfan]

The OP noted that 10/7 is not included in the date, so that scenario wouldn't help at all.

What about splitting up your family for travel? Are you flying? if so, maybe 1 of you could fly down on the 4th to start your package, and the others can fly down on the 5th? that's assuming your flying, of course.

Splitting up isn't an option for us. DS is in school thru 10/5, he is taking a dual enrollment high school/college credit class and really can't miss. I would consider taking him out for one day but not two. We are driving down and I really need DH to help drive, neither one of us can drive all the way for 10+ hours. If I add too many days without everyone there it really takes away the money we would save with the free DDP.

I'm just a little bummed but the world isn't going to end. I'm still hoping for a room only discount and we have looked at getting tickets through Undercover Tourist that will save about $140 on our tickets.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

I feel for you. Our fall break is blacked out this year so probably no trip for us. My high schooler can't miss school either and I don't know about a trip with just my other child. He would have to miss 4-5 days depending on when we went and I am usually so anti-miss school for vacation.

 

[kydisneyfans]

We moved our trip up a day to get free dining for Fall Break. We're pulling our son out for 1 day (Friday) and making a Bee-line for Disney after school Thursday, maybe even during the lunch hour.

 

[qtsugarangl]

I feel your pain! Our wedding is on Oct 8, most of our guests are arriving on Friday the 5th so they are completely blocked from the free dining as well We have a room block discount but FD would have been so much better!

 

[Mariep26]

Right there with you. To split our booking would have cost us $600 more. Now I just sit and hope for a room rate discount.

 

[qtsugarangl]

Do they traditionally release room discounts for the free dining black out times?

 

[Brave]

Do they traditionally release room discounts for the free dining black out times?

No, the room only discounts are, generally, the same as the free dining discounts. Disney offers room discounts and free dining discounts to fill rooms. If they don't need to offer a deep discount like free dining to fill the rooms during those black out dates, they should need to offer room only discounts to fill those rooms either.

 

[scrappinam]

We moved our trip up a day to get free dining for Fall Break. We're pulling our son out for 1 day (Friday) and making a Bee-line for Disney after school Thursday, maybe even during the lunch hour.

We are doing the exact same thing. We were scheduled to arrive on the 6th but are changing check-in to the 4th for free dining. Catching a flight as soon as school is out on Thursday. Decided to stay an extra day and should still save $1000.

 

[mom2rtk]

Actually Disney does sometimes offer room only discounts even during blacked out dates for FD. However, last year October was almost completely bypassed for RO discounts.

Don't expect anything for that weekend in October. It's Columbus Day and MANY folks build on a 3 day weekend to head to Disney. Expect the parks to be fine on any weekdays surrounding the weekend, but PACKED on Saturday and Sunday.

 

[TheElectricMayhem]

I've had 30% off pin codes covering the same period as free dining in the past- last year I booked with a 30% off pin and then re-booked with the free dining pin when it came out, for the exact same dates and resort.