Free Dining 2013

[lmhall2000]

Can someone help me with a question about FD? We are booked for August but thought about booking in September when FD came out, my question is is FD that much of a savings over the 30% off? I think i did the math correctly and FD only saves me aroun $200.00, I this correct? Me, wife, 17 and 16 on the plan.

When I look at savings I look at the whole picture...

We are a family of five for 6 nights

$3800 at Contemporary

If we booked the discounted room it would run $1856, park tickets would run $1400 so we're sitting at $3400...now that 'looks' like a savings of $400..but will we be able to eat at 6 sit downs, 6 counter service for less than $400?? No way! When you add it up, we'd spend $300 a day on food at Disney! Now we could try and eat granola bars for breakfast, pbj for lunch and do one counter service per day and stay around $400 MAYBE...but if you tell me I can eat and just pay tips for $400 more..I'm booking FD!

 

[MackenzieFL]

Add me to the bundle of nerves group!! And I can't even get up early to call, since we booked through a TA! So it's completely out of my hands - yikes.

We are booked at POR in a standard room, which I've been reading is sold out now - fingers crossed because as a family of 5 that's our only real option haha!

That is our situation, we need the room for 5.

I hear they save some for when it opens to the general public so that's why I'm so nervous & keeping fingers crossed.

A suite at AS Music would be more than PORS... and only QS.

When we started planning/saving for this trip we never even expected FD, we just wanted to stay in a room at a mod resort for once, but now we're so excited about character meals it will be a huge let down. We'll still be at Disney & get over it I guess, but big disappointment the same.

 

[mssong85]

I haven't booked anything yet. I plan to start tomorrow. Will I be able to get any character dining? I am trying to decide whether or not it is worth upgrading to TS. Thanks you guys are rockstars! I e this thread!

 

[MackenzieFL]

I haven't booked anything yet. I plan to start tomorrow. Will I be able to get any character dining? I am trying to decide whether or not it is worth upgrading to TS. Thanks you guys are rockstars! I e this thread!

Yes, TS allows character dining.

They tell you here what counts as QS, what's TS, and what's signature dining (which cost 2 TS credits):
http://allears.net/din/basic-disney-dining-plan.htm

 

[Malibustyle23]

I haven't booked anything yet. I plan to start tomorrow. Will I be able to get any character dining? I am trying to decide whether or not it is worth upgrading to TS. Thanks you guys are rockstars! I e this thread!

You can go onto the WDW site now and look at online adrs and get an idea as to what and when is available. I think we have 6 character meals booked. I did them all last week and got into every one I wanted but didn't get the exact time I wanted in every case. That being said BOG is completely booked for TS and I didn't request CRT.

 

[TheDisney411]

I haven't booked anything yet. I plan to start tomorrow. Will I be able to get any character dining? I am trying to decide whether or not it is worth upgrading to TS. Thanks you guys are rockstars! I e this thread!

You are just going to have to do a search on the WDW dining site and see what is available at this point. A lot of the character meals will already have very limited availability at this point. Definitely make sure you can get the TS meals you want before you pay for the DDP upgrade.

 

[Malibustyle23]

And while character meals are nice especially for the kids there are plenty of delicious non character TS choices. If you want a break in your day or more than just cs don't limit yourself just because Mickey won't be there.

 

[Sylkie31]

I haven't booked anything yet. I plan to start tomorrow. Will I be able to get any character dining? I am trying to decide whether or not it is worth upgrading to TS. Thanks you guys are rockstars! I e this thread!

If you're talking about making ADR's, I would do it as soon as you possibly can - especially if you want to get reservations at a character dining place. They fill up fast. You can always cancel any of your dining ressies later if you need to. (Be sure to cancel if you aren't going to use them to avoid the $10.00 cancellation fee.) If I'm not mistaken, only the "dining experience" restaurants like CRT require advance payment if you're not on dining plan.

 

[black562]

Home now, cake batter shake has been drank....what did I miss?

 

[JoanneDisFan]

I was so excited today that I can book tomorrow. Had physical therapy for tendinitis and got talking with my therapist and let it slip free dining comes out tomorrow. Turns out she's also a Disney fan and was glad to know it was coming out, as she was wanting to go. Glad to be able to share the love.

 

[SlightlyocdDisneyfan]

Home now, cake batter shake has been drank....what did I miss?

Hope you're giving your typing fingers a rest... you're going to be slammed with questions and comments tomorrow!

 

[Mariannekay]

I have such anxiety over FD tomorrow!! I already have a reservation for CSR with all of my adrs booked, including a CRT breakfast...but not during free dining 9/30-10/6. We will have to change our dates to the beginning of Sept because that's the only other vacation time I have available. I know it will be tough to replace the CRT adr...although I saw one today and couldn't book it without the dining plan (don't want to advance pay out of pocket)! This is going to be a loooong night! Lol!

 

[SlightlyocdDisneyfan]

Oh PLEASE let's have a FD Thread 2: Thursday Strikes Back! I super love this thread and all you guys! I feel like I have made friends!

Don't forget about those of us waiting for the July/August (fingers crossed) announcements for late fall free dining!! This thread group has a while to go! Listening to ya'all getting great deals is getting me through the waiting and waiting and waiting....

 

[disneyfantotheend]

Don't forget about those of us waiting for the July/August (fingers crossed) announcements for late fall free dining!! This thread group has a while to go! Listening to ya'all getting great deals is getting me through the waiting and waiting and waiting....

Me too!!!

 

[Kat016]

Don't forget about those of us waiting for the July/August (fingers crossed) announcements for late fall free dining!! This thread group has a while to go! Listening to ya'all getting great deals is getting me through the waiting and waiting and waiting....

Me too! I can't wait to post that I have FD...fingers crossed!

 

[DisneyMom5]

My husband is happy that I got the free dining on Monday... but he doesn't get that I'm still talking and excited about it.... so fun to share this excitement with all of you! Good luck tomorrow morning!!

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone gets tomorrow too...and I booked on Monday!

When I look at savings I look at the whole picture...

We are a family of five for 6 nights

$3800 at Contemporary

If we booked the discounted room it would run $1856, park tickets would run $1400 so we're sitting at $3400...now that 'looks' like a savings of $400..but will we be able to eat at 6 sit downs, 6 counter service for less than $400?? No way! When you add it up, we'd spend $300 a day on food at Disney! Now we could try and eat granola bars for breakfast, pbj for lunch and do one counter service per day and stay around $400 MAYBE...but if you tell me I can eat and just pay tips for $400 more..I'm booking FD!

Right, the savings is how much you save on what you would eat.
We wouldn't PAY for the dining plan, and OOP would kill us...but we can't eat for cheaper than our upgrade to DDP at a value!

 

[black562]

Hope you're giving your typing fingers a rest... you're going to be slammed with questions and comments tomorrow!

Oh by now I have probes in my head...so I just think about what to type...hmmm.

 

[HBGdancermom]

Hey guys!!! I just switched out of my AoA Nemo suite for 10/21-10/25 to the BC. I think this might be a better fit for my family.

Wanted you guys to know in case you wanted the AoA nemo.

Good luck to everyone in the am. Will be checking in!

Go FD!!!!!

 

[Kat016]

Don't forget about those of us waiting for the July/August (fingers crossed) announcements for late fall free dining!! This thread group has a while to go! Listening to ya'all getting great deals is getting me through the waiting and waiting and waiting....

That's what I'm waiting for too! I can't wait to post on here that I have FD on our pkg...fingers crossed!

 

[Jenmia]

I will be up in 12 hours ready to call for free dining. I've done the math. So if I'm not able to book an AOA suite with free dining then I'm just going to take the 15% off and pay for Quick Service Plan. Either way I'll be saving money.