Free Dining 2008 Watch

[Michele926]

I am a Disney Visa holder...is that true I may get the offer before the general public? Does anyone have past experience with this? And if so will it come in the mail? Possibly with my card statement?

 

[vinny13]

My understanding is that April-May-June is typically when Disney World Florida offers out their free dining plan for August into September.

They've done it each of the past 2 years so they better do it this year.

I head there on August 24 with 10 people. They better open the free dining plan.

 

[chessie2008]

Michelle - I have a Disney Visa as well. For the latest promotion (upgrade for park-hopper & water parks for this spring) they sent me an email and a mailing. If you sign up to pay your card online there is a link there that shows all card specials. Hope that helps...

 

[beroh2253]

Has it been true for the past years that if you arrived in the 'free dining' window that all the days of your trip were included? We were thinking of arriving Sept 26 and staying 10 days. In the past would all the days be free dining? Does anyone know if the UK free dining offer for this year works this way (therefore we could guess that the US one would too)?

We have run into Oct. the past 2 years and it had been allowed. Now I don't know if this would be true this year, Disney is always trying to close those loopholes and the Food and Wine Fest . is underway last few days of Sept. and Oct. and that brings in the crowds. This year we will be there on the bounce back from Sept. 21 thru 28 so we aren't into Oct. but get a few days of F & W Fest.

 

[beroh2253]

I am a Disney Visa holder...is that true I may get the offer before the general public? Does anyone have past experience with this? And if so will it come in the mail? Possibly with my card statement?

We have the Visa rewards card and last year I think it was 3 days before everyone else you could sign up. But there were plenty of places for everyone calling a few days later. 2 years ago we signed up to go mid June about 2 days before the offer expired, just couldn't get exactly what we wanted in ADR's but not bad.
As for how we found out, that was here of course, it may have come in the mail but we knew because of the Disboards. So keep your eyes here for early April, I think lastyear it was April 9th.

 

[DoodlesMom]

subscribing

 

[darlak]

Has it been true for the past years that if you arrived in the 'free dining' window that all the days of your trip were included? We were thinking of arriving Sept 26 and staying 10 days. In the past would all the days be free dining? Does anyone know if the UK free dining offer for this year works this way (therefore we could guess that the US one would too)?

We've done this for the past 2 years. We're booked this year on the bounceback from 9/28-10/5, so I know it works that way this year on the bounceback. I currently have 2 rooms booked at Pop for a total of 6 people, but now I need one more room for 2 more people.

 

[Michele926]

Does anyone know if they will let you use more then one offer @ a time? I am hoping they will make the Free ddp before 3/31 b/c I have another offer for 20% off a room discount (someone I know got a 40% off discount code...I tried and Disney won't let me use that one) that was email'd to me from Disney Destinations but reservations have to be booked by 3/31 (this may leave one to believe they may offer the DDP once this offer is over??). Another issue I also have when I have called to get a quote they have not been able to recognize the code I have received, I think it was a 7 diget code, anyone else have that problem???

 

[talulabelle]

This is probably a very biased group of people to ask, but what do you all think? I am trying to decide what is the most economical and best value for my money (I haven't compiled all exact numbers yet) For a family of 6 - 2 rooms at pop (or other value) and free dining, or get a condo off-site at Windsor Hills and have a pool with a slide, lots of space, a kitchen to cook some meals in . With off-site, I have to add the cost of a rental car. Anyone else run this comparison before?

 

[mybabesuz]

 

[mommy2taylor]

This is probably a very biased group of people to ask, but what do you all think? I am trying to decide what is the most economical and best value for my money (I haven't compiled all exact numbers yet) For a family of 6 - 2 rooms at pop (or other value) and free dining, or get a condo off-site at Windsor Hills and have a pool with a slide, lots of space, a kitchen to cook some meals in . With off-site, I have to add the cost of a rental car. Anyone else run this comparison before?

It costs less to rent a house and car, if you prepare meals at the house, and bring along food for the day. The benefit of staying on property and using the dining plan, is that you don't have the hassle of finding the rental car, finding the house you rented, worrying about a grape juice spill on the carpet or something breaking (both happended to us )., finding the store and grocery shopping, and cooking, washing sheets and vaccuming before you leave. Don't forget the time involved with traveling to/from the house, the cost of parking and the loss of EMH's The benefit of staying on property with the meal plan is that your food costs are known upfront (free if they offer it!), you don't have to cook or clean, and you are able to use EMH's and disney transportation. What could be better than kissing your luggage goodbye at home, to have it delivered to your room!!! I call that more of a vacation.

 

[hmhs]

Subscribing to this thread.... hoping to get free dining!!

 

[Melanie98]

Off topic, but had to add to this...
We are also taking a family honeymoon. We are blending two families, so it only seemed right for everyone to go on the Honeymoon. It is going to be such a wonderful experience for us to begin building such awesome memories as a family right after the wedding!

Congrats on the wedding!

Ajcolorado...
Excellent post. And mostly things I had considered so that helps
I am waiting with baited breath with the rest of you. One thing that has helped is that Fiance and I (we have kids) really sat and talked about the kind of vacation we want. We decided to book where we would be happy and if free dining comes out Great! We have a list of places that we would happily stay and would move to (and this list has been given to my T.A.).
If free dining doesn't come out .. Well.... we are already booked for somewhere we would love to stay and are taking our kids to Disney for the first time. So yes it would be a little disappointing but in the grand scheme of things It's still Disney!!!!!!!
We are getting married in June and decided this last week for sure that we would just rather do this vacation in September with the kids than any kind of honeymoon (we've been together a LONG time).
So free dining or not.. it's still a magical Disney family-moon!

 

[pigletto]

Does anyone know if they will let you use more then one offer @ a time? I am hoping they will make the Free ddp before 3/31 b/c I have another offer for 20% off a room discount (someone I know got a 40% off discount code...I tried and Disney won't let me use that one) that was email'd to me from Disney Destinations but reservations have to be booked by 3/31 (this may leave one to believe they may offer the DDP once this offer is over??). Another issue I also have when I have called to get a quote they have not been able to recognize the code I have received, I think it was a 7 diget code, anyone else have that problem???

If you go ahead and book with your 20% off code then if free dining comes out and you get it , you would lose the 20% off. So basically I would just figure out which of the two is more economical for your situation.The two offers can not be combined.

 

[pigletto]

Off topic, but had to add to this...
We are also taking a family honeymoon. We are blending two families, so it only seemed right for everyone to go on the Honeymoon. It is going to be such a wonderful experience for us to begin building such awesome memories as a family right after the wedding!

Congrats on the wedding!

Congrats to you as well!! I can't think of a better way to spend my vacation!

 

[zippy doo dah]

I'm hoping they offer the free dining as well!! This will be my first time using the program if it is and am unsure of something...DH and I will be going solo this time and were thinking about doing the Deluxe Dining Plan...now I know in the past that they have offered the basic plan, but what if you want to upgrade to the Deluxe - do you get a credit and pay the difference or does this just null and void the offer? Also, do you think it would be worth it to upgrade or just keep the basic and why?

TIA

 

[tink25]

Subscribing....if I can get free dining, maybe a September Birthday trip in my future??
That would definitely deserve 3...
Oh, heck, maybe just one more

 

[kaytieeldr]

Guests who've already been able to book free dining for 2008 (at least the Future Stay Guests; I don't know about the UK) were able to choose the Deluxe Dining Plan for $32 per night per adult, i.e. saving the $37.99 of the temporarily-free Basic Dining Plan.

 

[BabyPiglet]

We're booked for September 20th - Otober 4th. I hope we can get it!

Although if it doesn't come out we won't cancel our trip. It'd just be nice to save that money on the DDP.

 

[newmommie77]

My question is: What do you think they will do with annual pass people. We can now book dining with a room stay...Anyone have any insight?