Free Dining 2008 Watch

[momof296&02]

Here's our ADR's that we booked @ 180 +10-

Chef Mickeys-dinner
Akershus-lunch
Le Celllier 2x- dinner
Coral Reef-dinner
Crystal Palace (hoping for MNSSHP this night)
CRT- 2x- 1 bkfast & 1 dinner
HBD- fanasmic



We will pay oop for a few. If the free dining plan doesn't fit our schedule we will pay for the DDP.

 

[mickey2000]

 

[Goofy22]

Why? Any clues for us?

 

[abteer]

Is his crystal ball just what he's predicting maybe? Or does he have an insider prespective?

 

[Goofy22]

Is his crystal ball just what he's predicting maybe? Or does he have an insider prespective?

curious also!

 

[esdras]

Is his crystal ball just what he's predicting maybe? Or does he have an insider prespective?

I think its just a speculation - like the rest of us.

Actually, I've been following a lot of these threads for a while, and Mickey2000 was initially doubtful that Free Dining would even be offered. So, I don't think it's someone with insider info.

In terms of the prediction itself - the same post was over on the Free Dining Watch thread in Codes and Rates. This was my reply there:

Two problems with that prediction.

It seems as though every other Public Free Dining offer for North Americans from 2005-07 had its starting day on a Sunday. Now, that doesn't mean anything in and of itself - but it's probably the most consistent thing about the past Free Dining offers - as opposed to other things like start and stop dates.

Second, without the DVC resorts, Disney has almost 20,000 rooms at any given time - notwithstanding refurbs and such. Even closing 10% would leave approximately 18,000.

The value resorts on thier own account for almost 8,500 of those rooms.

So, UK was not even allowed to book values, and the initial Bounceback Dining offer intended for guests staying IN September to come back NEXT September was extended to those staying for the first two weeks of October '07 as well.

So, with all that, plus (as some have pointed out in other threads) the 50 or 60 of us who have booked Values in advance hoping for Free Dining - the Values are definitely at capacity and Disney doesn't need to do anything to fill them in late August or September. I don't think so.

Even setting aside 5% of Value resort rooms for '08 Public free Dining frees up over 400 rooms.

I've been pretty confident that Free Dining was going to happen this year, even in the face of a number of people who doubted that it would happen. While not "official" - odds are looking pretty good that it will happen.

I'll remain confident that all resort levels will be eligible. I see no obvious reason to expect otherwise.

Sure, mine is a prediction just as much as Mickey2000's - but I think there is enough evidence to support my guess.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Even setting aside 5% of Value resort rooms for '08 Public free Dining frees up over 400 rooms

Of course, that's across all four Value resorts. I'd bet there are more rooms available right now for any night in September at All Star Sports and Music, than Movies or Pop. So, while there may be 432 Promo rooms available say, September 1 - probably 175 are at Sports, 150 are at Music, 70 are at Movies, and 37 are at Pop.

While Guests will likely be able to get A room, they won't necessarily get the resort of choice.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

Anyone here planning to use AP for park entry in September? I'm expecting to have to buy 7 day MYW to get "free dining" if offered and we'll just save the MYWs for another trip...
Ideas? TIA

 

[esdras]

Of course, that's across all four Value resorts. I'd bet there are more rooms available right now for any night in September at All Star Sports and Music, than Movies or Pop. So, while there may be 432 Promo rooms available say, September 1 - probably 175 are at Sports, 150 are at Music, 70 are at Movies, and 37 are at Pop.

While Guests will likely be able to get A room, they won't necessarily get the resort of choice.

BINGO!

When Values make up almost half of the non-DVC rooms at Disney, it kind of makes sense to expect that they'll be included to some degree in this public offer.

I personally think that more than 5% of the Value rooms will be eligible - I would actually lean up to the 15-20% range, which isn't that much to release for a discount. However, that could be up to 1600 (or so) rooms.

Keep hoping.

 

[sjlupin]

Ok, I am getting nervous reading some of your posts about ADRs. I just made a reservation for 8/23-8/31. I haven't made any ADRs. I hope I can get some good restaurants and times!

Wish me luck ...

 

[Hockeychic]

Does anyone know if they have ever offered the free Dining for the first week of Dec??? Not sure if that is a slow time or not. Never been that time of year.

Also was this avail to Canadians???

Thanks

 

[catho72]

For our trip 9/13-9/21 we have:

Chef Mickey for dinner 9/14
Princess Storybook for lunch 9/15
Coral Reef for dinner 9/15
Mama Melrose with Fantasmic package for dinner 9/16
Crystal Palace for 8:10 breakfast 9/17
Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner 9/17
Spoodles for dinner 9/18
Tutto Italia for dinner 9/19
O'hana for breakfast 9/20

I can't wait for free dining! Our reservations are at POR. We loved it there in February!

 

[jadejazzkayla]

can someone tell me what day the free dining was announced last year? was it announced on the official disney website?

thanks. jade

 

[The Brain]

Does anyone know if they have ever offered the free Dining for the first week of Dec??? Not sure if that is a slow time or not. Never been that time of year.

no

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

Our adrs are:

Akershus Dinner
O'Hana Dinner during Wishes
Le Cellier Dinner
CRT breakfast last day
Kona Cafe Dinner
and Akershus breakfast

trying 3 new ones this trip!
It's hard to get excited about my Sept trip when I am going in May and still planning that trip too.


I am also using AP for tickets. Someone mentioned they thought we'd have to purchase length of stay tickets to get free dining-that's not how it was last year. You just had to buy at least one day tickets. I wish I'd booked the bounceback last year while I was there. Now if there's a bounceback offered this year I will definitely book it!

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

can someone tell me what day the free dining was announced last year? was it announced on the official disney website?

thanks. jade

Friends who went last year added free dining to their package as soon as it was offerred and she says her records show March 1...
Disney Visa cardholders had a day or two earlier booking window the last couple years. I'm got the Visa but no dining deals info - yet...

 

[kimsuenew]

So who has their ADRs?!...
On my 180-day mark, we successfully booked:

Sci-Fi lunch
Crystal Palace breakfast
Boma dinner
Garden Grill dinner
Chef Mickey's dinner

IF Free Dining comes out, our TA is going to try to get us Hoop-de-Doo (didn't book it now, since it requires payment up front w/out a dining plan of some kind, and that's big $$ for a family of 5!!). If we can't get HDD, I will add:

O'Hana for breakfast
Whispering Canyon Cafe for dinner

Eating is such a fun part of Disney!!

.

I do, I do

We were fortuanate to get the bounceback free DDP for 2008 and we have ADR's here:

Planet Hollywood
Crystal Palace
Boma’s
50’s Prime Time Café
Cinderella’s Castle Breakfast
Tony’s Town Square Dinner
50’s Prime Time Café’ Dinner
Whispering Canyon Café Dinner
Sci-Fi Drive In
Chef Mickey’s Breakfast
La Cellier Dinner
1900 Park Fare Character Dinner
Coral Reef - September 16th - my birthday

I can't wait to go!

 

[Twinkler]

Where do they post the Free Dining? I know it should be coming up soon, right??

I'm a Disney Visa Holder.

I'm pretty new at this, I'd love any help I can get. HELP HELP HELP!!


I put in our ADRs last Friday.

Here is where we are eating.

Akershus (dinner)
Cinderella's Royal Table (dinner)
Play-n-Dine at Hollywood & Vine (lunch)
Chef Mickey's
1900 Park Faire (breakfast)
Liberty Tree (dinner)
Crystal Palace (lunch)

 

[jerseypixie]

Okay, I have a 9 night reservation room only at POP starting August 15th. I was able to get all my ADR's including CRT breakfast for my niece. I am thinking about changing my reservation when free dining is announced but really don't want to lost my ADR's.

How likely is it that I would get into the following restaurants once free dining is announced? I could easily move my reservation to later in August, just want to make sure I would still have Crystal Palace and CRT because we are celebrating my DS and DN's birthdays at those restaurants.

Chef Mickey's
CRT
Crystal Palace
Sci-fi
Rainforest
WCC
Ohana (dinner and Lilo & Stich breakfast)

TIA

 

[thunderbird1]

Okay, I have a 9 night reservation room only at POP starting August 15th. I was able to get all my ADR's including CRT breakfast for my niece. I am thinking about changing my reservation when free dining is announced but really don't want to lost my ADR's.

How likely is it that I would get into the following restaurants once free dining is announced? I could easily move my reservation to later in August, just want to make sure I would still have Crystal Palace and CRT because we are celebrating my DS and DN's birthdays at those restaurants.

Chef Mickey's
CRT
Crystal Palace
Sci-fi
Rainforest
WCC
Ohana (dinner and Lilo & Stich breakfast)

TIA

If you know your preferred new dates, you could try making ADR's now. That's what I did last year--made a batch of ADR's for August based on the bounceback dates. When it became pretty clear that the general public dates were going to be much shorter than bounceback, I called and made another batch of ADR's for the new dates I was hoping to get. I figured there wouldn't be much point to booking a free dining trip if we couldn't get into the restaurants we wanted. A few days later, free dining was officially announced, and I called and made my hotel reservations. Then I just had to cancel the August ADR's and we were all set!