Free Dining 2014 Discussion ~ Part 2

[TennesseeGirl]

Someone tell me that the QS plan is awesome and I don't need to upgrade. It's ~$415 to upgrade to the regular plan for our family from a value (which is still cheaper than booking a mod) and a part of me just wants to be frugal and save the $415 for other things. It will be myself, husband, 16 year old sister, 7 year old son, 3 year old daughter and 15 month old daughter. With the QS plan, we can still keep one or two of our ADRs, but we won't have to be tied down every day which makes it a lot easier to just take it easy and do what we want to do... especially with the younger kids. But then a part of me really thinks I'll miss doing the character meals, etc. AHHH planning a trip is so difficult sometimes! But so fun!

Oh wow... I feel your pain in having to decide. But how nice to have THIS kind of decision to have to make!
This year I am switching back to quick service. We tried the regular plan last year and it was nice to go to so many restaurants we'd never go to otherwise but... I prefer not rushing from one place to the other. Or getting to the restaurant and waiting around. And doing it every day. Luckily my son doesn't care that much about the characters so it made the decision pretty easy. Funnily enough... He enjoyed the sit down meals more than we did and he's a little bummed about switching back, but he forgets how grumpy he was every time we "made" him stop what he was doing so that we could get to our reservation in time.

 

[scard192]

We had done the DP every trip until the last one when we took the 3 of our 9 grandkids that were all turning 11. We thought it would just be too much to try and stay on a schedule with 3 kiddo's. We absolutely LOVED the QSDP!!! and we will be going with the QSDP again this year. It was so nice just to stop and eat when we wanted to instead of being on a schedule around a restaurant reservation. On the DP we found ourselves missing out on rides/shows trying to make sure we weren't late to a reservation and needing to check in 10-15 min early and having a sit down meal took us out of the parks for about and hour and 45 min-2 hours. We will have a character meal that we will pay OOP but saving the money on tips alone on the DP is a savings of another couple of hundred dollars or more. Whichever you choose, will be great!

exactly my feelings too. Loved the Free DDP when the kids were younger but last trip in October I was nagging everyone (2 families) everyday that we had to be at whatever TS in ___ minutes. Add having to be at FP+ too and it was stressful. Next trip (2016) the kids will be older, want to spend most of their time on the attractions, not at a sit down meal; they have already chosen POP!

we have Disney Visa cards and plan to use the rewards to chose one TS to pay for OOP.

 

[scard192]

Technically you won't be "adding" free dining to your old booking, you'll initially be making a new booking and then cancelling the old one (although they'll probably be able to keep your existing reservation number).

Thus you may find you end up getting a different room category at some resorts, or even a whole new resort, to take advantage of the offer.

So what you have provisionally booked is really of no relevance at all. Quite the opposite in fact, as if a lot of people have already made provisional bookings at any given resort, or for a particular room category, then that will have used up a lot of the available room inventory which might otherwise have been assigned to the free dining offer if Disney felt it wasn't selling well.

I suspect that will have been partly the reason that POR and POFQ are not included; Disney saw that bookings there are already very healthy, so from a commercial point of view why give out freebies when they apparently don't need to?

Andre

wish more people understood this, might not be so many disappointments every year when FD comes out. every year it seems more resorts are added to the excluded list.

 

[KNovacovschi]

wish more people understood this, might not be so many disappointments every year when FD comes out. every year it seems more resorts are added to the "excluded" list it seems.

I have had to explain this to my DH multiple times. Lol. I keep saying I'm worried about POP & he says "we are already booked". I then have to tell essentially we will be booking with a new room not just adding to current room. He gets it but then forgets. Lol

I think this is Disney's way of slowing taking FD away. They don't want to just stop all at once as it would probably cause a lot of trouble however if they just remove resorts slowly then when it's completely gone it won't be so hard.

 

[mmtwinmama]

Someone tell me that the QS plan is awesome and I don't need to upgrade.

It's ~$415 to upgrade to the regular plan for our family from a value (which is still cheaper than booking a mod) and a part of me just wants to be frugal and save the $415 for other things.

It will be myself, husband, 16 year old sister, 7 year old son, 3 year old daughter and 15 month old daughter.

With the QS plan, we can still keep one or two of our ADRs, but we won't have to be tied down every day which makes it a lot easier to just take it easy and do what we want to do... especially with the younger kids.

But then a part of me really thinks I'll miss doing the character meals, etc.

AHHH planning a trip is so difficult sometimes! But so fun!

I would probably price out those sit down meals that are a must. If you were going to do 2 character meals and pay OOP you may be quite close to that $415 especially with a dinner price with 3 adults. I had a plan with zero character meals or buffets because I found it hard to swallow paying 4 adult buffet prices. (2 adults, 2 twelve year old). But, now with free dining I will book them and not look back.

 

[daizieduck]

Wow. Got my revised reservation invoice email from Disney and it has me staying at CSR 10/3 to 11/3 for the bargain price of $3048, lol! Obviously a mistake. I am not staying for a month although it would be nice! (MDE app has my correct dates.)

 

[dpswift]

Do you by any chance know this manager's name? This is actually the exact problem I've been having except I did order mine weeks ago and they can confirm it was mailed Monday and I still haven't received it. I called for probably the 5th time today fearful I won't get it in time. They transferred me to a disney chase related woman who told me there was nothing she could do and that unless I received the email with the code that I wasn't eligible. I told her that she was incorrect and it's open to all visa holders as long as they had their card info. She was very rude and said in sorry, I can not help you. I'm actually very frustrated with Chase right now. Maybe if I have the name of the person you dealt with, she's be willing to spread some more magic!

I cannot believe it is taking so long to get cards. DD applied last week and the sad thing is that they saved her card number to Disney on the computer so that she can charge a trip as long as it is online.

 

[scard192]

I have had to explain this to my DH multiple times. Lol. I keep saying I'm worried about POP & he says "we are already booked". I then have to tell essentially we will be booking with a new room not just adding to current room. He gets it but then forgets. Lol

I think this is Disney's way of slowing taking FD away. They don't want to just stop all at once as it would probably cause a lot of trouble however if they just remove resorts slowly then when it's completely gone it won't be so hard.

POP has so many rooms, I find it hard to believe that they will sell out of FD rooms if you book the first few weeks after it comes out. We won't be picky, POP or ASMu would be great. My dream was to stay at POFQ which we did last year so I am good with whatever Value the kids want.

Not sure if there will be FD for our November 2016 trip, I based my budget on SPD. RO won't cut it for my family at a Value so hope Disney continues to offer something better than that in 2 years,

 

[SPOERLX3]

Don't know if you all know the answer to this or not, but maybe someone can at least point me in the right direction.

I'm considering upgrading my 5yo to the adult DDP. I know I'll have to pay for an adult park ticket for her as well, but what about her MNSSHP ticket? Will she need an adult ticket for that too so all her tickets "match" or can I buy her a child's ticket since she is actually in the child age range? Has anyone run into this before? The price difference isn't much but I don't want to spend $ I don't need to spend.

I believe you can list her as 10, for the adult dining, but 10 is still a child for tickets... Both your package tickets and MNSSHP

Unfortunately, this isn't correct (tinklvsu, sorry to dispute your word). Once your child is shown as 10 years old (or asked to be shown as a Disney adult) on your reservation/MyDisneyExperience, everything you purchase would be based on the Disney adult price. With FD the only cost to upgrade your child is about $21 for the ticket package and for all special events your child would also be charged at the adult price (MNSSHP, MVMCP, Pirates & Pals, etc). Once shown as a Disney adult, everything becomes charged as a Disney adult. You purchase your tickets based on the info you have registered the child under on your reservation and MyDisneyExperience and that is the cost you would be charged.

 

[JLKennedy]

Unfortunately, this isn't correct (tinklvsu, sorry to dispute your word). Once your child is shown as 10 years old on your reservation/MyisneyExperience, everything you purchase would be based on the Disney adult price. With FD the only cost to upgrade your child is about $21 but any special events your child would be also be charged at the adult price (MNSSHP, MVMCP, Pirates & Pals, etc). You purchase your tickets based on the info you have registered the child under on your MyDisneyExperience and that is the cost you would be charged.

But you don't have to link you MNSSHP tix to your reservation. For arguments sake, I could buy them as a gift for her.....

 

[TheRatPack]

I cannot believe it is taking so long to get cards. DD applied last week and the sad thing is that they saved her card number to Disney on the computer so that she can charge a trip as long as it is online.

I had to request new cards due to some fraud issues. I called in on Tuesday and she said they had been mailed out that day. I received them on Saturday. They did allow me to send a charge through on the old number for the new reservation though, so that was nice of them (thanks to forum members for letting me know that was a possibility).

 

[mamabellefortwo]

I also am in the group of people waiting on a disney visa. At this point, I'm just assuming it won't get here before GP free dining is released. Having witnessed your phone experiences this week, I really don't want to have to call in to change my existing reservation and hold for hours. My question is this: what are the pros/cons to going online to book a new reservation with free dining when it's released online? I understand that I'll need to call disney to cancel my existing reservation to be refunded my deposit and that I'll need to manually link my ADR's to the new reservation. Anything else to consider? I have not seen anything that indicates I can't book a duplicate reservation. I wanted a TPV room at CR but if that room class is not available after waiting hours on hold, then I'd be switching resorts. Thanks in advance for any info!

 

[6loversofdisney]

I still have faith. I am in the 'General Public' gallery. I am calling on Wednesday to reserve. I think if you are 'open' to different options - like I am - you have a better shot. Yes ASMovies (2 rooms) is my first choice but I care more about Disney and the free dining than anything else, so put me in a cot, I don't care lol. Plus I think that forums like these with so much activity make us think that everything is going to be or is full. I never say never and I have faith. Now, if I don't get to go, I will be coming on here because I will be a sobbing mess but for now, I have faith

 

[WDW-A-RAMA]

I'm disappointed that we won't get free dining again this year. Last year, our trip was Friday, Nov 22-Saturday Nov 30. Free dining was available for the 22nd. We are booked for the same week this year (Nov. 21-29) but it's ending a day early. Anyone know why?

I know! Last year it was actually Saturday because we took advantage of it. I just moved our arrival back to Thursday, but my wife's and my work schedules allow it. I realize that everyone is not that fortunate in that regard. I hope you are able to work it out.

 

[6loversofdisney]

PS - Thank you Joe Black for starting this thread - I would have not found the information on my own. Yesterday a friend of mine and her sister were able to book their vacations with free dining with their Disney Visa and they were thrilled. I am not a TA but many people like to talk Disney with me Thank you again JOE!

 

[oldtink]

Technically you won't be "adding" free dining to your old booking, you'll initially be making a new booking and then cancelling the old one (although they'll probably be able to keep your existing reservation number).

Thus you may find you end up getting a different room category at some resorts, or even a whole new resort, to take advantage of the offer.

So what you have provisionally booked is really of no relevance at all. Quite the opposite in fact, as if a lot of people have already made provisional bookings at any given resort, or for a particular room category, then that will have used up a lot of the available room inventory which might otherwise have been assigned to the free dining offer if Disney felt it wasn't selling well.

I suspect that will have been partly the reason that POR and POFQ are not included; Disney saw that bookings there are already very healthy, so from a commercial point of view why give out freebies when they apparently don't need to?

Andre

I think I need to clarify, because there are a few feeling guilty that they were already booked. We booked quite a while ago, before we even thought that FD would be possible (we don't go that often and never have during school year). So we had two rooms at POFQ but it is a PACKAGE (Disney My Way) and so after transferring to CS, my TA said we are only "adjusting the price on the package", not cancelling and making a new reservation. So if someone is now "adding FD" it only cancels and rebooks if they had a RO reservation to begin with.

We didn't book POFQ to ruin other people's chances at FD, we booked last December to go with our best friends on a trip this Sept. And once the feeding frenzy settles down, I still hope that some PORS standards opens up, but if not we will make CS once again. It's Disney, we will be all retired, it's F&W and we will be under the bubble for a week. I am going to enjoy it and know that there will be another one in our near future.

 

[WDW-A-RAMA]

My fingers are crossed for midnight! I'm in the UK and working a 12 hour shift meaning I can either book between midnight and 2am Orlando time or from 4pm. I'm convinced CBR will be sold out of standard rooms by then! On another note - if I am lucky enough to get CBR which is actually my third choice and my first choice, POR gets released will it cost me to change? With UK WDTC there's only an amendment fee if your change will result in a cheaper booking. Is that the same with the US site? Thanks

I have never encountered a change fee, anyone else?

 

[andeesings]

I understand that I'll need to call disney to cancel my existing reservation to be refunded my deposit and that I'll need to manually link my ADR's to the new reservation. Anything else to consider?

Why would you need to manually link your ADR's? I knew my family was coming to Disney for specific dates, and I wanted to try to get BOG in the 180+10 slot (I didn't, btw, for ANY day we were going, which I find ridiculous but there it is, AND that ended up all being moot because I needed to add another person well after our 180 anyway but whatever- can you tell I'm miffed with my family who don't understand how cutthroat Disney dining can be, lol?), so I made my parents a "dummy" reservation at a hotel I didn't plan on staying at (a crazy deluxe, the Poly, so it wouldn't pull rooms from you nice value $ mod people hoping for FD!) and then booked my reservations. Then they were all in my MDE because my parents are 60 and don't understand how to use the app and I "control" them. When the FD promo just came out I switched them to where we planned to stay (WL, for the record), made additional room reservations for myself, my aunt & uncle, and my cousins. All my ADR's are still right where they should be, in MDE, no changes necessary. So in short what I'm saying is if your ADR's are in MDE, you shouldn't be worried. They will continue to remain there when you switch your res to the FD promo.

 

[dpswift]

I had to request new cards due to some fraud issues. I called in on Tuesday and she said they had been mailed out that day. I received them on Saturday. They did allow me to send a charge through on the old number for the new reservation though, so that was nice of them (thanks to forum members for letting me know that was a possibility).

I am glad that it worked out for you.

 

[Later_Mater2009]

hey and happy sunday morning,
I am wondering, I got the regular dining plan, thats what comes with mod and values in the deal right? Im staying at a Value (?AOA? not reallllly value pricing but i digress) I upgraded to the regular dining plan, I am curious the price i paid, I come up with some numbers but Im not sure Disney MATH ppl, Help me...

2 adults
2 disney adults (15 yo and 10 yo)
1 disney kid

i got the value QS in the deal
then I upgraded to regular...
how much did I pay and ...... how much would it be to upgrade to DDP just curious... i dont think we could eat that much but all this stuff is so interesting to me.. THANKS Mathmaticians!!!