>> FREE DINING 2011 WATCH - Read Post # 1 BEFORE Posting

[whencanwegoback]

If you get a pin that ends 11/18, but your trip last beyond that, does the FD still apply to the remainder of the trip?

 

[dizzydrop]

^^From what I've read yes you can still use it for up to 14 days!

 

[PrincessTiffany]

If you get a pin that ends 11/18, but your trip last beyond that, does the FD still apply to the remainder of the trip?

Yes. If you checked in by November 18 you could have the free dining discount applied to your package reservation for up to 14 nights.

By the way, hello from Wetumpka

 

[theguda]

Hey Dizzydrop....how did you know about the PIN for November? Did you call and the CM told you about it?

 

[cardav1114]

I just spoke to a very nice cm and was told that some people are receiving the free dining pin codes because they want to see the RESPONSE that is receives and usually that means they are gearing up to offer it to everybody. He said to keep trying and SOMETHING should become available.

 

[dizzydrop]

Hey Dizzydrop....how did you know about the PIN for November? Did you call and the CM told you about it?

Yes, I called and asked about it!

 

[StuckInKS]

Okay...so what I am hearing is that it is possible to switch resorts provided that the resort you want to switch to still had some availability remaining on the expired promotion. I have heard several conflicting opinions on my situation.....some say yes, some say no, and some say maybe. I guess I'll just have to call Disney and see what they say. Thanks all. Wish me luck and a little pixie dust!

The answer that Canadian Guy gave you is the same answer that I got from a helpful and knowledgeable CM whom I spoke with when I booked my rooms 2 days ago. The PIN was going to expire and 10 PM and he picked up at 9:56, but I still wasn't completely sure about what room types we wanted so I asked him.

 

[whencanwegoback]

I called and the CM said I had no PIN and that she hadn't heard of any such PINs. Any suggestions? Is there a magic code word to use to get the CM to look for more than 1.7 seconds?

 

[StuckInKS]

Just curious.....would you all have been paying for the dining plan if a offer had not come out? I guess to me it is worth it only if you intended to buy the dining anyway.

We are still on the fence about this code, since kids free paired with a % off PIN may save us more money, but the dining plan itself (when paid for by us) saves us a ton of money (more than the 30% advertised if we upgrade to DxDDP) when adding up what we plan to eat and the characters meals/buffets we plan to do. Even if we go with a different discount, we will still buy dining.

 

[StuckInKS]

My wife wants to pay for the dining plan!!! That's $1000 for our family! We have gotten used to FD,and really can't see the point of staying on property without it-we don't do EMH,and could use a couple of queen sized beds as opposed to the "little" beds at Pop;Also,we could stay very close and get a bigger room with free hot breakfast,a kitchen, double queens,full size pull-out sofa bed,room for 6 instead of 4 at $84/night.Wal Mart is right down the street,and I know I can feed 6 of us(3 adults,3 kids)waaay less than $1000!!! I could probably feed us well for about $300 or less for 10 days.So,NO,we are probably not going to pay for the DDP-would rather stay off-site! The only way we'll be a"captive audience"for Disney,is IF they'll feed us!! Don't tell my wife I said this!!!

I agree. Disney is such a big expense (especially for a family of 7 or 8) that staying onsite is not worth it unless we are A) getting our kids tickets for free or B) getting DDP for free. Even QSDP free wouldn't do it for me since I don't care for Disney counter service and can get a much better meal at an off-site casual dining restaurant for $40-$50. Because of this we have never stayed onsite, but will this time for kids free. The price of a 3-night stay under Kids Free with 7-day tix for 1A/3C, an extra value room for 3 nights with 30% off (for DH and extra 'under 3') + a 7-day ticket for DH is just over $1100. Tix alone for 2A/3C for 7-days is just over $1240! So we are basically getting the rooms free and still saving $140 on our tix. I am still doing the math to see how the same works out with the new FD code (once we factor paid DDP & OOP food costs into our current reservation.)

We are using the money we are saving for a few nights at CR w/ 40% off!

 

[StuckInKS]

You don't have to"run around" looking for anything if you know where you are going.

Even still, if we are in MK and get hungry in the middle of the day we have to:

- Make you way out of the park
- Wait (possibly in-line) for the monorail or boat
- Take the monorail or boat to the TTC
- Wait for a tram
- Load into the tram (which for us means loading in 5 small children, a double stroller and our bags)
- Take the tram to your lot
- Hike to your car (again, for us with 5 kids, a double stroller, bags and tired feet)
- Strap all the kids in (again, 5 for us. This part is easier if you have older kids)
- Make you way out of the MK and WDW in general
- Find somewhere that looks good (even at home, this can be a challenge for me because sometimes nothing sounds good)
- Eat
- Pack everyone back into the car (again, 5 car seats)
- Drive back to WDW (hope its not busy)
- Make your way to MK and into the lot
- Walk to the tram area (w/ 5 kids, double stroller and bags) and wait
- Load into the tram (with 5 kids, double stroller and bags)
- Get off at the TTC and make your way to the monorail or boat
- Wait for the monorail or boat
- Arrive back to the MK

That seems like a lot of "running around" to me, even if I know where we are going. When I say "and bags," I mean the bags we'll need for water, fruit and other snacks since we won't have snack credits. Those sucker are a pain and I can't wait to go without them this time.

Maybe this whole eating off site is easier with no kids or pre-teens/teens

 

[StuckInKS]

Ok, we were one of the luckies to have scored FD pin yesterday. I'm staying at POFQ, and we're only in the parks for 2 days, so we opted for the QS dining. Now I'm wondering if I should upgrade? If you upgrade, is it $13 per person per day? Or total? And does that allow you 2 sit down meals per day?
Thanks!

You get 1 sit-down and 1 QS with the DDP, which should already be included in the price for FD at POFQ. You shouldn't have to pay extra. You could pay to upgrade to DxDDP for $33 per person per day and get 3 regular sit-down meals or 1 regular sit-down and 1 signature sit-down + double the snacks and 1 mug per person.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Even still, if we are in MK and get hungry in the middle of the day we have to:

- Make you way out of the park
- Wait (possibly in-line) for the monorail or boat
- Take the monorail or boat to the TTC
- Wait for a tram
- Load into the tram (which for us means loading in 5 small children, a double stroller and our bags)
- Take the tram to your lot
- Hike to your car (again, for us with 5 kids, a double stroller, bags and tired feet)
- Strap all the kids in (again, 5 for us. This part is easier if you have older kids)
- Make you way out of the MK and WDW in general
- Find somewhere that looks good (even at home, this can be a challenge for me because sometimes nothing sounds good)
- Eat
- Pack everyone back into the car (again, 5 car seats)
- Drive back to WDW (hope its not busy)
- Make your way to MK and into the lot
- Walk to the tram area (w/ 5 kids, double stroller and bags) and wait
- Load into the tram (with 5 kids, double stroller and bags)
- Get off at the TTC and make your way to the monorail or boat
- Wait for the monorail or boat
- Arrive back to the MK

That seems like a lot of "running around" to me, even if I know where we are going. When I say "and bags," I mean the bags we'll need for water, fruit and other snacks since we won't have snack credits. Those sucker are a pain and I can't wait to go without them this time.

Maybe this whole eating off site is easier with no kids or pre-teens/teens

Oh man.....I just had flashbacks to the days when we stayed offsite with a little one.

 

[Don Disney]

That being said, I'm not going to waste valuable park time leaving WDW property looking for a cheap meal. I think that's the huge appeal of the DDP for most people.

No one is looking for a "cheap" meal,as is repeatedly implied-would rather just have something more substantial than burgers and fries for $30-$40 for lunch,or dinner for that matter.Some folks don't mind dropping that kind of cash for what it is,but we do.We take our lunches to work every day too!!! Now THATS a "cheap" meal!!

 

[jpaxton1118]

I am really hoping for it to extend and to go public! We can only go in September if we get the free dining, well the only way my husband will agree to go. I called today and the cm was very nice but he told me that the codes were already generated and they would just show up in the price of the package, they did not have to look for them anymore?!?!?! I really wish Disney would train them to all know the correct information. It seems like each one has something different to say.

 

[Don Disney]

Even still, if we are in MK and get hungry in the middle of the day we have to:

- Make you way out of the park
- Wait (possibly in-line) for the monorail or boat
- Take the monorail or boat to the TTC
- Wait for a tram
- Load into the tram (which for us means loading in 5 small children, a double stroller and our bags)
- Take the tram to your lot
- Hike to your car (again, for us with 5 kids, a double stroller, bags and tired feet)
- Strap all the kids in (again, 5 for us. This part is easier if you have older kids)
- Make you way out of the MK and WDW in general
- Find somewhere that looks good (even at home, this can be a challenge for me because sometimes nothing sounds good)
- Eat
- Pack everyone back into the car (again, 5 car seats)
- Drive back to WDW (hope its not busy)
- Make your way to MK and into the lot
- Walk to the tram area (w/ 5 kids, double stroller and bags) and wait
- Load into the tram (with 5 kids, double stroller and bags)
- Get off at the TTC and make your way to the monorail or boat
- Wait for the monorail or boat
- Arrive back to the MK

That seems like a lot of "running around" to me, even if I know where we are going. When I say "and bags," I mean the bags we'll need for water, fruit and other snacks since we won't have snack credits. Those sucker are a pain and I can't wait to go without them this time.

Maybe this whole eating off site is easier with no kids or pre-teens/teens

Easy fix-eat a substantial breakfast,bring some granola bars,almonds,a couple of sandwiches per person,a few small packs of fruit snacks,some cheez its or goldfish,and some crystal light to go in the ice water from the CS places-Who said we we leaving the park-at least not before Wishes,Fantasmic,or Illuminations? A turkey leg here and there,a little popcorn,and some Mickey bars,and a little imagination goes a long way;and not very expensive either.

 

[lllGurulll]

My problem is that even if it does go public, my TA is horrible at getting back to me this year. I really regret using one now because I can't get out of it without losing my flight. Bunch of crap that I can't just fire them and take over the reservation.

 

[amcdona3]

My problem is that even if it does go public, my TA is horrible at getting back to me this year. I really regret using one now because I can't get out of it without losing my flight. Bunch of crap that I can't just fire them and take over the reservation.

can't you get back your deposit and then book on your own? i have a travel agent for the first time. he is very very nice and seems great, but i'm pretty controlling and miss not getting to "do it all"!

 

[bdiddy]

I called yesterday and had no pin codes attached. My best friend called me today to say that she got a free dining pin code via email but I didn't get anything. I've never, ever gotten a pin code through email. I always just get them via brochure in the mail. I wonder why that is??I also checked through my Disney Visa online at special offers, etc....and I didn't have anything new.

Right now I am looking at a week in mid August with the kids play & stay free but I think the free dining would be better based on the dates my best friend got.

Is it possible that I might not get one? What makes some people get one and not others?

 

[lllGurulll]

can't you get back your deposit and then book on your own? i have a travel agent for the first time. he is very very nice and seems great, but i'm pretty controlling and miss not getting to "do it all"!

NOpe. I booked my flight through them as well and they did it thorugh disney so if they cancel my reservation they cancel my flight as well. I can't afford to lose that. Plus, rates have gone up since I reserved.

It is ridiculous that I can't just take over my reservation when the service is as horrible as it has been.