Fall 2016 planning (continuation of 2016 Free Dining Watch)

[sahm2two]

Look at September 23 and 30. Both are Friday nights and the 30th is cheaper . The Thursday party has sold out in the past so I think that's why they started adding Tuesday to the party dates, but if Tuesday is higher and Thursday sells out, Sunday might be picking up some of the party crowd for that week.

So weird!

Disney just emailed me with a survey about my booking experience. One of the questions asked how many times I visited the Disney website or an unofficial Disney Fan Site (listed Disboards) before booking.

I got an error - the number of times I listed for both was "too large."

[The "too large" number was already reduced from the real number by at least 5x].

Ha! That's how I feel when Netflix asks if I'm still there... Yes and I'm still watching. Don't judge!

 

[SunnieRN]

Would you rather stay at the GF outer building garden room with free dining for 11 nights OR do a split stay at Polynesian standard room for 8 nights w/ free dining and then last 3 nights at the GF deluxe room Club level in the main building? The difference in package price is around $150.

Kids ages are 13 and 11. Our dream was to always stay at the Polynesian because we love the theme. Hubby's dream is to stay at the GF.

Thoughts?

[/QUOTE]

Split stay would be my vote!!

The reason we want to watch from the Poly, is because that night we are eating dinner at Konas. Ft Wilderness sounds fun!! The Wilderness Lodge, along with AKL are my favorite resorts. I'm from Northern CA and the Wilderness Lodge makes me homesick!!

I know my grandmunchkins and they will be ready to run and shout lol. Besides that, the Poly is gorgeous and it will be fun to browse the shop there!!

 

[ldauksch]

Would you rather stay at the GF outer building garden room with free dining for 11 nights OR do a split stay at Polynesian standard room for 8 nights w/ free dining and then last 3 nights at the GF deluxe room Club level in the main building? The difference in package price is around $150.

Kids ages are 13 and 11. Our dream was to always stay at the Polynesian because we love the theme. Hubby's dream is to stay at the GF.

Thoughts?

I would totally do the split stay but I might have a slight obsession with the Poly

 

[sullygirl14]

I would totally do the split stay but I might have a slight obsession with the Poly

hahah I have a feeling that I will too!! We'll be celebrating our 15th anniversary and my 40th bday while there and we honeymooned in Hawaii. The GF has always seemed too fancy for me, but I could handle a few nights there for sure.. lol. Plus we'd be going from a standard room at the Poly to a deluxe at the GF, so a definite treat.

 

[sullygirl14]

I would do a split (and did last trip and this upcoming one). I love the idea of trying to stay at as many different resorts as possible. We end up not feeling like eating so much by the end anyway, and the dining credits on that last day don't expire until 12:00, so it is really only the last 2 days you will have to worry about food for anyway. This year we are doing Caribbean Beach and thenYacht Club (or Beach Club if we end up not finding a room for the UOC promo). Poly actually was a big contender this time. I'm sure you will love it!

Thanks so much for the feedback and tips!! I think you are absolutely right about the food, plus we can lightly eat at the club level lounge.

 

[cshell624]

My husband and I are turning 40 this summer- which is also why we are going to WDW! Nothing better! It will be our first time at POR!

POR is my favorite resort.
and

 

[cassie58]

I have not read the last four pages, so I am behind on my reading so if this is a repeat sorry. Disney has opened up new resorts and rooms today. I was able to book my dream resort this morning and it has not been up for free dinning until today in any form. So do not give up if you are not in the room you need or want.

There is currently a FD standard room at the Poly from 11/26 - 12/3.

I know that has been a hard one to get.

Thank you both for posting. I was able to get FD room at Poly for my cousins for 9/29-10/5! They had booked a room a while back to make sure they had one there for their first trip with kids, since that's where my cousin had stayed as a kid, and thought when discounts came they would hopefully be able to get FD or room discount, but their TA tried, and I looked that morning, but nothing was available as many here reported. I keep an eye out whenever I am here, and today after you guys posted, I went and checked, and there was a room! I called him, and his TA is out of the office this week, but I helped him book the new one so it didn't disappear, and he can cancel and transfer the new one when she gets back. It pays to be on the disboards! I think I should get some commission now!

 

[cshell624]

I am calling this upcoming trip a birthday trip, even though my birthday is a few weeks before. When I booked the room the CM asked if I was celebrating anything and I told her that, and she just chuckled and said she'd add it to the reservation! Woohoo!

If your reservation is marked with a celebration, be on the lookout for a few birthday surprises. Be sure to ask for a birthday button when you check in.

 

[cshell624]

hahah I have a feeling that I will too!! We'll be celebrating our 15th anniversary and my 40th bday while there and we honeymooned in Hawaii. The GF has always seemed too fancy for me, but I could handle a few nights there for sure.. lol. Plus we'd be going from a standard room at the Poly to a deluxe at the GF, so a definite treat.

What better way to celebrate than with 2 deluxe resorts. Congrats on your anniversary and .

 

[SJSloan]

Hope this is in the right place. We have two rooms reserved at Coronada with standard view and FD for Nov. If a water view becomes available, can I change this through my MDE or do I have to make a new reservation and cancel the 1st? I see where there is an option to edit view, but didn't know if I would be able to edit and keep FD.

If a water view room become available under the free dining offer then yes you can switch online. I did that a few days after FD was released. Originally booked a water view room at CBR under FD but wanted a standard. I kept checking and finally standard rooms were offered under FD. I clicked change reservation, and then selected room and then selected the standard.

 

[Hope2016]

Does anyone know if you can put credit into your magic band now to help save for your extra spending. I have fully paid for our fd package but would now like to add extra credit for drinks now if that's possible.

 

[SunnieRN]

Thanks so much for the feedback and tips!! I think you are absolutely right about the food, plus we can lightly eat at the club level lounge.

Please take lots of pictures to show us!!!!

Hope2016, you can add a credit or debit card to your account upon arrival. Your magic band can then be used for purchases. We use room. Charging privileges but pay it off our last night.

 

[Hope2016]

Please take lots of pictures to show us!!!!

Hope2016, you can add a credit or debit card to your account upon arrival. Your magic band can then be used for purchases. We use room. Charging privileges but pay it off our last night.

Thanks, I understand how the credit card link works, but I want to know if I can put credit on it now. I'm from Australia and our rate is dropping badly, so putting some aside onto the magic band now would be great. I also have a money card that I am slowly adding to, but I would rather keep that separate for the other parts of our 4 week trip.

 

[revdisney33]

Thanks, I understand how the credit card link works, but I want to know if I can put credit on it now. I'm from Australia and our rate is dropping badly, so putting some aside onto the magic band now would be great. I also have a money card that I am slowly adding to, but I would rather keep that separate for the other parts of our 4 week trip.

I'm not sure if it helps or can even be done from out of the country, but have you looked at the Disney Vacation Account? Can put money in it and when you use it for a Disney trip, you get $20 back per $1000 in gift cards. Might be worth looking at.

 

[Attracted to Beasts]

I am calling this upcoming trip a birthday trip, even though my birthday is a few weeks before. When I booked the room the CM asked if I was celebrating anything and I told her that, and she just chuckled and said she'd add it to the reservation! Woohoo!

Me too! We will actually be there for DHs birthday but my birthday is a week and a half before his and our anniversary is a week before that and DH1s birthday is a week after....so we're celebrating it all! Hahaha August-September is non stop partying for us!

 

[sullygirl14]

What better way to celebrate than with 2 deluxe resorts. Congrats on your anniversary and .

Thank you so much, I am so excited!!

 

[wdw4rfam]

We went one time to the MNSSH and we did not care for it. Too expensive and no place to eat. Why would you have an after hours program and not have restaurant open? I hope those of you going will have a great time. I am taking that money and doing something else with it at disney.

DITTO. Plus, in September, the weather is way too unstable to pay hundreds in advance to possible be walking around in a typhoon like we saw happen one year, luckily we didn't go. We went to 1900 for dinner and it was raining so hard we had to drive and pay for valet because we couldn't walk from the car to the building. We saw all the poor kids dressed up heading to the monorail. It did that all night. The year we did it it was almost sold out and the lines were terrible, you couldn't even walk, and so conjested for the parade. Even our kids don't have any desire to do it again.

 

[ELSA711]

Can anyone tell me just how bad it will be Thanksgiving week? Family of 5, 3 kids between 6-12 for the next trip.
We are not rope drop people, but maybe we will have to be this trip.

Thoughts? I know the crowd calendars are not out yet for November on easywdw but has anyone gone that week in the past? any trip reports to share?

 

[CaraMiaBelle]

No, but really - the highest they would let me say was 99... Maybe they meant in a day?

Well that would make more sense! Lol!

 

[wdw4rfam]

No better way to spend 40 than at Disney! I just turned 40 last month but we can't go until November so I will still celebrate then! We have only stayed at POR for 1 day before because we needed to add an extra day to our CBR reservation and there was no availability. We loved it and were sad we only had 1 day there. We usually go for FD but since this is for my birthday we sprung for POR. I just may have to keep turning 40, LOL!

I just celebrated my 40th in November at CBR.