Free Dining 2014 Discussion ~ Part 2

[TanJDis2014]

Call at 7am Online? Who knows as Disney has done everything from load discounts at midnight, through the night, or at 6am.

Thank you!

 

[andeesings]

No problem. We loved deluxe dining last time and now we are hooked! Tried planning without it and it didnt work. It was the same to pay out of pocket for some meals as it is to upgrade!

It was even better before the price went up and it was only $35 per person per day to upgrade!! You could just eat at Cali Grill and it was completely worth it!!

We love it because we are appetizer family, and we also absolutely love taking breaks at signature restaurants in the evening. Trying a few new ones this trip as well!

 

[bookgirl]

And this is what I've been worried about. POP never has no availability.

It may have rooms just not DV discounted rooms. They only release so many per promotion. I'm sure POP will have more on GP day as there are more people without a DV then with one.

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Could we expect to see the Osborne Lights during the FD promo? Say around Nov 14 - 17?
TIA

 

[andeesings]

Any insight? We got DDP staying at CSR. Our ADRs include CRT and Crystal Palace so right off the bat we will deplete our TS and have some out of pocket dining costs. Is it worth it to upgrade to deluxe? We have 3 Disney adults and 1 child. Trying to crunch the numbers is making my head spin!

Disney math! I had an absolutely TERRIBLE time trying to figure out the math for the hotel, but I can do it for the dining! Be aware I round everything. It used to be a total no brainer at $35 a day per person, but now they price has gone up, so you need to do a little calculating,

Ok, so we will use me as an example. I am staying five nights, and the upgrade costs about $48 per person per night with the taxes. So I'll round that to $50, and since I'm staying five nights: $250.

Now where are my ADR's? Narcoosee's, Cali Grill, Monsieur Paul, Brown Derby, and a few character meals. Cali Grill twice, actually. Ok so I'll look at Narcoosee's first. I'm a pescatarian, so I only eat fish. I go to the menus. The mussel app looks good, that's $19. Then I'm having the lobster- $69. Dessert is $8. That's $96 on one meal alone. Then if you look at Cali Grill, I have a sushi app for $22, a $40 entree, and a $12 dessert, you've got almost the entire upgrade amount on two meals. However not everyone eats at signatures. My advice: look at your ADR's and check prices. That will tell you if you're doing the right thing with he upgrade.

 

[wdwmaw]

Ok, I ll finish my plans today, and call tomoro. As long as upgrade it before it's released to GP, it will be fine right, since we already have FD applied?

Upgrading your dining is not tied to any discount or promotion, you can do it anytime you like, even if the promotional booking dates has ended

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[KNovacovschi]

That is amazing! POP always has rooms. I guess that is the result of excluding POR! Does anyone think they might eventually open POR to free dining? I would switch in a second.

Exactly. Lol

 

[KNovacovschi]

If pop is sold out for you visa card holders...I'm worried what that means for us GP people

Glad to see I'm not the only one worried about this.

 

[dreamit]

A story I thought some on here might appreciate as much (well almost as much) as we did...

We have 2 boys - 6 and 3, and with my 6 year old starting 1st grade we are falling into that bucket of needing to do summer vacations, or other expensive travel times, to avoid pulling our kids of out school. However, living in NJ, there is a week each year in early November where there is election day and the annual teacher's conference, and we can go away for 8-9 day vacations and only miss 2 days of school. That week isn't too big of a secret for Disney World though, so getting free dining at that exact time is typically hard without a pin code...and cheap flights are also difficult to come by when we need them.

Anyhow, this year we went back and forth flying to Disney Sat to Sat (Nov 1 - Nov 8) or Sun to Sun (Nov 2 - Nov 9), but eventually booked our flights Nov1 - Nov8 at really cheap prices (Jet Blue is the best), so I just knew there was no way free dining would also cooperate....until Joe posted those dates and wouldn't you know it Nov 1 was in (and everything else was out, so if I would have booked Nov2-9 I'd be really bummed out right now). Everything was perfect...the only issue was my Disney Visa card still hadn't arrived. And this is why I'm making this post.

I've been calling Chase for days now wondering where my card is..being promised rushed delivery, Saturday delivery, UPS delivery and just about everything else other than them giving me my card number over the phone (which they will not do under really any circumstances). I've probably spoken to at least 8 different people, and this is all shame on me anyway since I should have ordered this card weeks ago but didn't think ahead and waited too long. So called one more time again today and was told my card should be arriving at the middle to end of next week, right around the time this offer would be open to the public and I wouldn't need the card anymore. I'd basically given up hope and was preparing to wake up really early Wed morning ...and that's when it happened. I got a wonderful chase supervisor on the phone that understood Disney, free dining, and was in the mood to make a customer's day. So what did she do? She could not give me my credit card number...but she did take down all my reservation info and everything else about our trip, along with my phone number, and told me she would call me back in 30 minutes. Then she called her Disney rep on my behalf, confirmed I was a Disney Visa card holder, gave the merchant my card number for my deposit (which I still don't know), and then conferenced me back in for Disney to tell me I'm all set with free dining on my reservation this November.

Now I can guarantee this isn't part of their normal process, but this Chase manager told me she wanted to give me some "magic" today, and "spread some pixie dust" (to be honest she sounded more like a Disney rep than the Disney rep on the phone did)...and calling downstairs to tell my wife we got absolutely everything we thought was a long shot but were hoping for was just an amazing feeling. Those Chase Disney people have a customer for life.

I hope your day is as good as ours is. Good luck to everyone else out there.

Thank you for sharing. I hope you and your family have an amazing vacation!

 

[KNovacovschi]

If pop is sold out for you visa card holders...I'm worried what that means for us GP people

Glad I'm not the only one worried about this.

 

[Dawn Dis]

OK. We originally had a res. @ POFQ. Since it was not inc. In FD we switched to CBR preferred. However, I have read so many neg. Reviews about CBR contemplating going to WL for $700 more. Ugh..help

turning into a Disney fanatic

 

[Dawn Dis]

Exactly. Lol

When I called today for info on WL I asked this question. The CM said it was the first time ever for both PO resorts to be excluded and it was a management decision for this year. No FD at these resorts for 2014., Even if a lot of people cxl their res. Only way would be with a pin.... Sorry I'm upset too.

turning into a Disney fanatic

 

[KNovacovschi]

So excited for everyone! Do you know if we GP people can call at midnight on Tuesday? Online at midnight? Or will we need to do a 6 or 7am call on Wednesday morning? Thnx

At 7am if you already have an existing reservation or online at midnight for new, if it's available online.

 

[Dawn Dis]

That is amazing! POP always has rooms. I guess that is the result of excluding POR! Does anyone think they might eventually open POR to free dining? I would switch in a second.

When I called for info on WL. The CM told me that it was the first year ever for both PO resorts to be excluded. She SD it was a management/marketing decision for 2014 and they WILL NOT be participating for 2014 even with ppl cxl their res. Maybe next year....so bummed too.

turning into a Disney fanatic

 

[TNDisneyNut]

OK. We originally had a res. @ POFQ. Since it was not inc. In FD we switched to CBR preferred. However, I have read so many neg. Reviews about CBR contemplating going to WL for $700 more. Ugh..help

turning into a Disney fanatic

If the money isn't too big of an issue, I'd take WL in a heartbeat. You will love it! Smaller, wonderful pool, on the lake, boat ride to WDW, access to FW, bike rides, etc., etc. WL is my favorite!

 

[Dawn Dis]

If the money isn't too big of an issue, I'd take WL in a heartbeat. You will love it! Smaller, wonderful pool, on the lake, boat ride to WDW, access to FW, bike rides, etc., etc. WL is my favorite!

Its is and it isn't. Still less than what we would have pd at POFQ without free dining. I'm convinced.... DH not so much

turning into a Disney fanatic

 

[freckles04]

Is there any hope for people like me, who don't have the Disney Visa, to score free dining when it's released for the rest of us??

We are booked for Pop Century Oct 1-10 in the Preferred Pool View category..

 

[nicynot]

Could we expect to see the Osborne Lights during the FD promo? Say around Nov 14 - 17?
TIA

Yes, you'd see them!

 

[Christine9125]

Guess it won't matter since we are only doing one day park tickets :-(

 

[stephyamber]

Disney math! I had an absolutely TERRIBLE time trying to figure out the math for the hotel, but I can do it for the dining! Be aware I round everything. It used to be a total no brainer at $35 a day per person, but now they price has gone up, so you need to do a little calculating, Ok, so we will use me as an example. I am staying five nights, and the upgrade costs about $48 per person per night with the taxes. So I'll round that to $50, and since I'm staying five nights: $250. Now where are my ADR's? Narcoosee's, Cali Grill, Monsieur Paul, Brown Derby, and a few character meals. Cali Grill twice, actually. Ok so I'll look at Narcoosee's first. I'm a pescatarian, so I only eat fish. I go to the menus. The mussel app looks good, that's $19. Then I'm having the lobster- $69. Dessert is $8. That's $96 on one meal alone. Then if you look at Cali Grill, I have a sushi app for $22, a $40 entree, and a $12 dessert, you've got almost the entire upgrade amount on two meals. However not everyone eats at signatures. My advice: look at your ADR's and check prices. That will tell you if you're doing the right thing with he upgrade.

Question for you because you seem to know, when it says appetizer on the menu for deluxe dining, does what you order off the menu for an app have to be under the app category? For example, we are going to Yaughtsman and I'd prefer one of their sides to an app?