Free Dining '10 Update: Disney Visa FD Released (See pages 1 & 57+ for details)

[williamson_ja]

In addition, could someone please help with these basics:
2. We are looking to travel OCT 7 - OCT 12. If I book now, and include a dining plan in my reservation, will I simply be able to have the cost of my dining plan deducted, if/when the offer becomes available? With those date, you may not be eligible for free dining at all if/when it comes out. It typically only goes until Oct. 2
3. I see lots of mentions here of ADRs. Does it matter if I make my ADRs before the free dining offer becomes available?I would make any dining reservations at exactly 180 days before your trip regardless of what offers are announced. You really limit what availability you will have by waiting past that

Any help for this newbie would be so appreciated! [/QUOTE]

 

[clarkfamily]

So if our travel dates are flexible, does it make sense to bump our trip to one weekend earlier, which would put us within the window of dates that might possibly earn free dining?

Is my understanding of free dining correct: that in previous years Disney has simply offered entirely free meal plans to all guests staying in WDW resorts -- and that even if I book my trip now, the cost of our entire meal plan may end up being refunded?

If this is the case, I'm thinking it might make sense for us to go one weekend earlier. I'm so new to this...! All of this information is a bit overwhelming at times! Am I on the right track here?

 

[DISNEY1975]

I will be taking our little one on our first vacation to Disney, so I am new to all of this, but very excited! I am a thorough planner (and it's obvious I'm in good company here)...but I am very confused about the constant references to free dining offers.

1. I'm not sure I understand the quote above about who will have access to these offers. What do "bounceback", "PIN codes" and "DVR holders" mean? Is there something I can do now to give myself access to free dining sooner?

In addition, could someone please help with these basics:
2. We are looking to travel OCT 7 - OCT 12. If I book now, and include a dining plan in my reservation, will I simply be able to have the cost of my dining plan deducted, if/when the offer becomes available?
3. I see lots of mentions here of ADRs. Does it matter if I make my ADRs before the free dining offer becomes available?

Any help for this newbie would be so appreciated!

Hi and Welcome!

There is nothing you can do to get a discount sooner other than sign up for a Disney Visa card.

Bouceback = when you are at a Diney resort and put a deposit on your next vacation before you check out, you get a special discount. You must book beofre you leave the resort.

Pin Codes are sent to random people who have been a past guest or signed up for a Disney.com login. Disney randomly send out sporatic Emails offering a few people perks to book a vacation.

DVR are Disney Vacation Club Members, you can buy a Disney Time Share and maybe get a few dollars off of your next trip! Hardly worth it if you are doing it to get free dining sooner!!!

Hope that helps! Enjoy your vaca..we'll be there in Oct too!

 

[DISNEY1975]

Definitely make your ADRS before free dining comes out. You can always cancel them later if you dont get an offer. Once Free Dining comes out, ressies get more difficult to make at the time/location you want.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Hi and Welcome!

There is nothing you can do to get a discount sooner other than sign up for a Disney Visa card.

Bouceback = when you are at a Diney resort and put a deposit on your next vacation before you check out, you get a special discount. You must book beofre you leave the resort.

Pin Codes are sent to random people who have been a past guest or signed up for a Disney.com login. Disney randomly send out sporatic Emails offering a few people perks to book a vacation.

DVR are Disney Vacation Club Members, you can buy a Disney Time Share and maybe get a few dollars off of your next trip! Hardly worth it if you are doing it to get free dining sooner!!!

Hope that helps! Enjoy your vaca..we'll be there in Oct too!

DVR reference from the other post is referenced Disney Visa Card holders.

DVC is the code for Disney Vacation Club.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I will be taking our little one on our first vacation to Disney, so I am new to all of this, but very excited! I am a thorough planner (and it's obvious I'm in good company here)...but I am very confused about the constant references to free dining offers.

1. I'm not sure I understand the quote above about who will have access to these offers. What do "bounceback", "PIN codes" and "DVR holders" mean? Is there something I can do now to give myself access to free dining sooner?

In addition, could someone please help with these basics:
2. We are looking to travel OCT 7 - OCT 12. If I book now, and include a dining plan in my reservation, will I simply be able to have the cost of my dining plan deducted, if/when the offer becomes available?
3. I see lots of mentions here of ADRs. Does it matter if I make my ADRs before the free dining offer becomes available?

Any help for this newbie would be so appreciated!

Since 2005, Disney has been offering the Free Dining promo for Magic Your way packages with a 3 night minimum and a 14 day maximum (Basic Dining Plan; 1 TS, 1 CS, 1 Snack per person per night) during the mid to last part of August until the end of September, give or take a few days. It is usually offered to UK visitors first (and for longer booking dates) and for the last few years it has been offered as a bounceback to guests staying in the resorts during the Free dining promo. The free dining offer is usually announced during the last week of March/first week of April. The first couple of days it will only be open to Disney Visa holders and then will open up to the general public. The speculative dates for this year are August 15 - October 2, 2010. Going the the previous booking rules for free dining, if you book your vacation by October 2, you will have the free dining discount applied to your reservation for your entire stay, up to 14 days.

If you already have a package booked when the free dining code is released, you can call Disney reservations and have them apply the code to your existing reservation. If you have already paid the reservation in full, they will refund you the free dining portion of your vacation package.

 

[clarkfamily]

Wow! Thanks, PrincessTiffany! That's exactly the information I was looking for. So, in your opinion, would it make sense to bump our vacation one weekend earlier? (From Oct 7-12 which might not qualify for free dining to Sept 30-Oct 5, which seems more likely to fall within the free dining range...???) If getting our entire meal plan for free is a real possibility, it seems that bumping the trip is worth the chance at such a significant savings...right?! Am I on the right track here?

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Wow! Thanks, PrincessTiffany! That's exactly the information I was looking for. So, in your opinion, would it make sense to bump our vacation one weekend earlier? (From Oct 7-12 which might not qualify for free dining to Sept 30-Oct 5, which seems more likely to fall within the free dining range...???) If getting our entire meal plan for free is a real possibility, it seems that bumping the trip is worth the chance at such a significant savings...right?! Am I on the right track here?

If you want the free dining discount, your best bet would be to move your arrival date back to at least October 2, 2010.

 

[ShellyShellfish]

Since 2005, Disney has been offering the Free Dining promo for Magic Your way packages with a 3 night minimum and a 14 day maximum (Basic Dining Plan; 1 TS, 1 CS, 1 Snack per person per night) during the mid to last part of August until the end of September, give or take a few days. It is usually offered to UK visitors first (and for longer booking dates) and for the last few years it has been offered as a bounceback to guests staying in the resorts during the Free dining promo. The free dining offer is usually announced during the last week of March/first week of April. The first couple of days it will only be open to Disney Visa holders and then will open up to the general public. The speculative dates for this year are August 15 - October 2, 2010. Going the the previous booking rules for free dining, if you book your vacation by October 2, you will have the free dining discount applied to your reservation for your entire stay, up to 14 days.

If you already have a package booked when the free dining code is released, you can call Disney reservations and have them apply the code to your existing reservation. If you have already paid the reservation in full, they will refund you the free dining portion of your vacation package.

So if I'm reading this correctly, as long as we ARRIVE on 10/2, we should qualify for free dining, correct?

We're thinking of POSSIBLY going 10/2-10/9...thanks!

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Yes, as long as your reservation starts on the last day of free dining. Last year we went to WDW on October 3-12. October 3rd was the last day, yet we got free dining for our entire stay.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

So if I'm reading this correctly, as long as we ARRIVE on 10/2, we should qualify for free dining, correct?

We're thinking of POSSIBLY going 10/2-10/9...thanks!

Yes, in the past you have always been able to check-in on the last day of free dining and receive the discount for your entire trip - up to 14 nights.

 

[babybunny223]

I have a Disney Rewards Visa...what would be the best way to find out when free dining is offered for that? Visa website? Disney web? Email? Also, do Visa holders require a PIN?

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I have a Disney Rewards Visa...what would be the best way to find out when free dining is offered for that? Visa website? Disney web? Email? Also, do Visa holders require a PIN?

The Disney Visa Free Dining Code is always leaked here on the DIS and on Mousesavers long before Disney Visa ever sends out their promo email - you'll be lucky if you get one at all!

 

[irirom]

Thanks a lot..

 

[kimmar067]

Yes, in the past you have always been able to check-in on the last day of free dining and receive the discount for your entire trip - up to 14 nights.

...how much of a discount??

 

[ShellyShellfish]

Yes, as long as your reservation starts on the last day of free dining. Last year we went to WDW on October 3-12. October 3rd was the last day, yet we got free dining for our entire stay.

Yes, in the past you have always been able to check-in on the last day of free dining and receive the discount for your entire trip - up to 14 nights.

Oh, that's fantastic news...thank you!

Is it probably going to be set up like in the past with values getting QSDP free and mods/deluxe getting the DDP? Or will there be "upgrades" give to the DDP for values as well? It's only $10/day pp to upgrade anyways, right?

 

[WDWKOOK]

...how much of a discount??

I think the "discount" she is referencing is the Free Dining promo.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Is it probably going to be set up like in the past with values getting QSDP free and mods/deluxe getting the DDP? Or will there be "upgrades" give to the DDP for values as well? It's only $10/day pp to upgrade anyways, right?

The annual fall free dining offer has always included the Basic DDP (1TS, 1CS, 1 Snack per person per night). There was a second FD offer that came out late last year for some October - December dates that only included the Quick Service DDP for value restaurants, but that offer did not have anything to do with the original fall free dining offer.

There's some speculation here that the FD general public offer this year will only include Quick Service for the values, but the 2009 Bounceback offer for this year's 2010 Free Dining does include the Basic DDP for all levels of resorts.

But, even if by chance, the annual FD offer this year only offer QS DDP for values or there is a second offer as last yaer, and you want the Basic DDP, all you have to do is upgrade and pay the difference, which is $10.00 per adult a day and $2.00 per child per day. The Free Dining discount is almost always a better discount than the room only discount when you are staying value or moderate.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

...how much of a discount??

Whatever the total cost of the DDP is for your family for your length of stay.

 

[super_troop]

Do you have to have an existing WDW reservation to make ADRs for dining? We are planning on going in late September, and the free dining will not be released (if at all) until after our 180 window. We will make our reservations when the dining is released.

Thanks for the help!!