Crowds Free Dining Offer

[pj54]

I see that Free Dining is being offered - Will this increase the
crowds during this time a lot? Hope not!!
Have booked POP for 8/26-9/3. First time and would
prefer not to be with HUGE crowds and extreme HEAT!

 

[mking624]

Last year I went for free dining (9/10-9/16) and it wasn't crowded at all. The longest we had to wait in lines was for five minutes, but most things were walk on. The only thing we noticed was that it was busier at the restaurants.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

They offer FD to increase the crowd size to make more money, but the crowds last year were fairly small. But the restaurants were packed. And the heat will at least border on extreme.

 

[parith1114]

Don't be fooled, however; the parks may not be crowded, but the restaurants most certainly are.

I remember being early for ADR's and still waiting an hour past our res. time.

Regardless though, it's WDW!!! Have a ball!

 

[kimisabella]

last year we went last week of august/first week of sept w/the free dining and some days we would literally walk onto rides - at the HM we walked the que area and went right into the elevator with about 2 other people - it was crazy. The resturants will be busy, and the heat is intense, but that is what the pools and water parks are for!

 

[Microcell]

I have heard the parks clear out after Labor Day. You won't have to worry about people from Missouri or Kansas, we start school mid to late Aug and the majority of us won't be there. Though I am willing to pull my kids from school four weeks into the year, I do plan to have mine in school for the first day, and week even! We start here Aug 18th!

Also, we went last year like Sept 8th and I think maybe it was because KC has its share of blazing hot summer, we were not that affected by the heat, it was as hot as it was here in July and August. Now if I came from Michigan or something to that I would be DYING!

 

[C_leen]

I'm glad to hear this as we originally selected mid-Sept. for lesser crowds & value rates. Now with free dining in our plan (hopefully Thursday) I can take that to my adult budget heart and slow down our touring pace. As it is, I am not used to eating TS meals, so we are slowing down!

 

[eternallydisney03]

we went for free dining last year, aug 14-22, and although school wasn't in session for most of the country.. i didn't feel like it was crowded at all for that time. the restaurants were SUPER busy, the park was KINDA busy.. longest we had to wait in line for a ride was 40 minutes... and that's not bad at all compared to the peak times!! i went in 2003 in july, and i will NEVER do that again, haha!! 60+ minutes waiting in line is way too long for me. i can't imagine how nice it's going to be this year! we're going aug 31-sept 9!!!

EDIT: i called Dining right after I got off the phone with CRO, and got every restaurant I wanted at pretty much the exact times I had planned!!! so... I wouldn't worry too much at all if I were you.

 

[nbodyhome]

The parks shouldn't be busy, but the restaurants do book up pretty well ahead (except for some that aren't as popular).

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

September 2005 (last week) was really nice. Low crowds, not much waiting, low to mid 80s, a few short showers through the week.. September 2006 (last week) was HOT! About 90 or 91 each day, crowds were completely manageable. Never had to wait for more than 20 minutes past an ADR time for any meal, even at the hot ticket restaurants. We'll be back again this fall!

 

[FINFAN]

We went last August, arrived the 11th, 2 days before free dining. These 2 days were AWESOME...parks were so light...didn't feel dead, but very manageable..then the floodgates opened on the 8/13...the first day of free dining, and a week that many were still off school (like us) it was a madhouse! Seriously, we have gone over the fourth of July, Christmas week, and I tell you, we waited as long if not longer for rides...and forget AK...we did the early mornigs, did get to ride EE 2x's during our 10 day trip....but it was nuts over there for that ride. Lucky we had 10 days, because running around trying to get to your ADR'S takes up a lot of time, ressies were running late, some as much as 45 minutes, and it was so hard to watch folks who were walking up to try and make ressies get turned away...since we had to wait for our ressies that we had made , we got to see a LOT of sad, frustrated HUNGRY folks turned away. We had to choose several times between our FP times and ADR times...we did have a nice trip, but we had been on several trips before. I cannot imagine if that was our first time to WDW, the crowds/restaurants would've turned us off for sure. The time frame you are going in will be less crowded I'm sure...maybe a few straglers for your first few days...but ABSOLUTELY make those ADR's.....and plan on it taking up some of your time to eat. Also , when planning your days /ADR's out, make sure you account for transportation time...one night we had ressies at France, we were staying at the Poly and hit MK in the morning. Our France ressie was for 5pm we caught a monorail at 3:45 and there was a big back up for some reason...and didn't get to WS until after 5:15. I had called to tell them we were running late, and good thing, they were ready to give our slot away! I actually think they did because once we got there, we didn't get seated 'till 6:10, and it was 8 pm before we got out. Loved the place, food was great, service was great, just crowded and long. So do allow time.


Pam

 

[disneymoon_0307]

We went the week after Labor Day last year. The longest we had to wait for a ride was like 15mins and that was Peter Pan. (and that's b/c it was raining)
The restaurants are crazy so make sure you make your ADR's soon. We are doing Free Dining again this year about the middle of september because it was so awesome. I don't think I would go any other time of the year.

 

[Ladybugsy]

It's very manageable. I've been in September the last 3 years and now I wouldn't go any other time. Now if I can just get the people in line to not give me mean looks when I'm in line with my aunt and uncle who are both on ECVs, my vacations would be PERFECT! (If I didn't take them, they'd never get to go and they love it just as much as me.)

 

[novdisneydreams]

Does anyone have an educated guess on what the crowds will be the last week of August? We are looking at 8/26-9/3 ... I've seen on here that they are generally pretty low, but I am wondering if the Free Dining Promo will bump it up. After all, who can resist THAT offer ? I know I can't! Unfortunately the kids start school right after Labor Day so September doesn't work well for us ... just wondering how the crowds will be.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I was at WDW last August during first week of free dining, it was mid August. It was impossible to walk up to any restuarant for a table, OR to move up or back your PS, etc. SO, make those PS carefully and plan on keeping them. (we are group of 6, so it is always hard for us to get walkup anyway) Lines at the food courts build, esp. at breakfast. (its confusing to use the food plan for breakfast sometimes, lines for the hot food and at the register. At the register, each CM seems to have their own interpretation of the breakfast rules) Also, the long lines for the snacks were noticable, but what can you do?

We were NOT on the free food last summer, we were staying at BCV on points. I found myself annoyed, because I somehow sub-conciously expected better service because we were PAYING cash. That sounds weird and horrible, but sometimes it was frustrating. I rationally knew that was not the deal, free food guests get the same trreatment as paying guests of course.

I have also BEEN on the free food offer at WDW, loved it, and the inconviences did not bother me. I was so grateful for free food plan offer and enjoyed it.

 

[beachgrl001]

I am wondering this myself. I will be there 8/27-9/4 we usually go around 9/1 to 9/11 But this year my ds is starting Jr. high and I dont want him to miss the first week.

See ya there!!!

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

I've never been then but that weekend may be busy since it is Labor Day weekend - WDW tends to be busy during the holiday weekends.

 

[eternallydisney03]

We were there for the 1st week of DDP last year.. and it was crazzzyyyyy!! I was shocked at how big the crowds were.. especially at the restaurants! I'd suggest making your ADR's ASAP and planning on sticking to them, because otherwise you might be stuck eating at a CS instead of a TS... something I've heard a lot of ppl had to do last year.

 

[missmun52]

I went 8/27 - 9/1 last year and they parks were EMPTY in my opinion. I used the UOG and went to the parks they were supposed to have lowest attendance each day and I never waited more than about 20 min and that was for only one ride. Most waits were from 0-10 min.

I will say that the resturants were a different story. I never felt crowded but I did see many turned away and VERY upset! So make those ADR's. Also the resort was full (pop) but not overly crowded.

 

[javaj]

We were there last year the week before Labor Day and it was pretty busy. In 2005, we were there the week of Labor Day and it was much better starting the day of Labor Day. But would we go again the week before Labor Day? YES of course! Just make sure to do the usual things....make your ADRs, get there early, be flexible, and use fastpass.