Free Dining 2014 Discussion

[NiniMorris]

I can't imagine that Garden Grill can be filled very far out--they often take walk-up, don't they?? I wonder if something was just wrong with the site??

I have had success with BOG by checking back periodically. I have also had friends walk up and get it if they go early in the evening (though, that was in the off season).

I have noticed, with Garden Grill, they frequently hold out on the available reservations. I used to just think it was during the CP that they with held some but I now believe they hold some back all during the year. In February we could not find anything...then a week before we left there were tons...and the restaurant was only half full...For what it is worth...


Nini

 

[SouthernGirls3]

Just curious and it probably has already been addressed but just didn't know if we are supposed to call every morning or just Monday/Thursday mornings? Don't want to miss out on anything. And for that matter, checking the website at midnight? Last year when the FD rolled out, I had no idea about the website making promo available at midnight and so I missed out on 7 hours of bookings and had to go to 2nd choice (which I may have anyway, but you never know...).

So ONLY Monday/Thursday be on the lookout?

 

[DisMom829]

Just curious and it probably has already been addressed but just didn't know if we are supposed to call every morning or just Monday/Thursday mornings? Don't want to miss out on anything. And for that matter, checking the website at midnight? Last year when the FD rolled out, I had no idea about the website making promo available at midnight and so I missed out on 7 hours of bookings and had to go to 2nd choice (which I may have anyway, but you never know...). So ONLY Monday/Thursday be on the lookout?

Historically it's been Monday/Thursday release days. I did check the website when I got up this morning & no new offers yet :/ keep on hanging in there!

 

[wdw4rfam]

I can't imagine that Garden Grill can be filled very far out--they often take walk-up, don't they?? I wonder if something was just wrong with the site??

I have had success with BOG by checking back periodically. I have also had friends walk up and get it if they go early in the evening (though, that was in the off season).

Nope, I've been trying for weeks to get garden grill on Sept 26. All I can get is 4:20, and we have another ADR at 12:30, so it won't work.

 

[wdw4rfam]

What sites do you use, may I ask? I wasn't so lucky with BOG

I used the dining link on the regular website, but we are staying 10 days, so at my 180+10, I had to get to day 10 before anything would come up for BOG. So it was only available at 190 days out.

 

[oldtink]

I have my days picked out and have been tweaking the ressies for what seems like months now. Waiting to see when and if free dining falls on my dates. I have BOG at 4:30 before a Halloween party and I happened to luck into a Fireworks Dessert party which I understood could not be booked more than 60 days out. I got mine at 160 days out. So I switched my LTT dinner to a lunch and some how managed to cancel the lunch I had booked there the previous week as well. So I now have no reservations for one day. I also have 2 Akershus breakfasts and 3 Rose and Crowns. I know that the minute I give up one of them the dates will come out and I will have canceled the one I actually need.

I am sooooooo confused!!!!! It would just be soooooo much easier if they would call me up and say "hey, we heard you were having difficulty planning so we decided to give you the promotion of your choice." Then I would have to decide if I wanted the Poly with a room discount or free dining!!!! I can't win.

Honestly, we have all our ADRS just as we hoped (we have a great TA) and I can't do the FP+ until July, so just waiting and hoping to hear I owe a lot less than we planned. That would make this trip the least costly AND the best room and some of the nicest ADRS we have ever had.

 

[jamnich314]

Hypothetical scenario here...

Say the FD discount becomes available May 1 and includes dates from August 28 through end of September.

Currently, we have reservations from August 22 through August 30. Because the 28th falls in the middle of our stay, would we be able to get FD for the entire stay, or would it only apply for the 28th, 29th and 30th (which would mean a reservation change to split stay)? I swear the room-only discounts apply to your entire reservation even if some nights aren't in the time frame but I don't know about FD.

 

[oldtink]

We have been blessed with FD on our last 5 trips and we have always stayed in standard rooms. Maybe when you booked, it could have been that all the standard rooms at POFQ were already booked up.
POFQ is one of the most popular and smallest resorts and it always books up fast in all room categories.
Disney excludes some room categories, resorts and dates if they are booking well without a promo, so maybe this is what was happening when you tried to book in 2012.

We have always wanted to be at POFQ because it's small but the resort discounts on the last trip didn't include it and we did want to save some money. This time, as I age, and fight to keep the MS in remission, the smaller resort is best. HOWEVER, if for some reason only the Disney gods know, they take out POFQ for FD, we are ready to shift to PORS if necessary. Our TA has a list of resorts in order of our likes. It's just that CSR is sooooo big and with all the conventions, a lot of people in suits and really nice drinks standing around, and CB is very large as well. I hate to wait and waive down internal golf carts (last time they just zipped by us when we waived anyway). So, forgive me but we are two rooms already booked at POFQ because I was afraid they wouldn't be there when I did need them.

 

[black562]

Hypothetical scenario here... Say the FD discount becomes available May 1 and includes dates from August 28 through end of September. Currently, we have reservations from August 22 through August 30. Because the 28th falls in the middle of our stay, would we be able to get FD for the entire stay, or would it only apply for the 28th, 29th and 30th (which would mean a reservation change to split stay)? I swear the room-only discounts apply to your entire reservation even if some nights aren't in the time frame but I don't know about FD.

It's all about the checkin day. So in your case it wouldn't apply for any of your trip. Free dining is one of those all or nothing deals. You can't book it for just part of your trip.

 

[smitch425]

Hypothetical scenario here...

Say the FD discount becomes available May 1 and includes dates from August 28 through end of September.

Currently, we have reservations from August 22 through August 30. Because the 28th falls in the middle of our stay, would we be able to get FD for the entire stay, or would it only apply for the 28th, 29th and 30th (which would mean a reservation change to split stay)? I swear the room-only discounts apply to your entire reservation even if some nights aren't in the time frame but I don't know about FD.

As Joe said, you would not get FD at all, and room discounts are only applied to the nights included in the offer, with the rest of the nights billed at full price.

 

[ARAITHEL]

subscribing with the hope of FD soon! ADRs booked! Now that pesky wait for an announcement!

 

[chrissy walsh]

Fingers and toes crossed that we hear something soon

 

[ammama]

Patiently waiting to book my resort!! Hoping Aug 30 is included in FD

 

[Jazzerfan]

My dates are 8/22 to 8/29. and prefer the FD over the Room Discount.

Would DISNEY offer a FD Package offer to run along the same time as the Room Discount offer? In looking at the historical data, the Room Discount offers in past 3 years typically ended mid-August (around the 15th). Since the current Room Discount ends on August 28, it makes me wonder if FD wouldn't be offered to start until Sept. 1 or 2.

Just saying and would love to hear feedback on this scenario.

 

[mrsbmacdonald]

Hypothetical scenario here...

Say the FD discount becomes available May 1 and includes dates from August 28 through end of September.

Currently, we have reservations from August 22 through August 30. Because the 28th falls in the middle of our stay, would we be able to get FD for the entire stay, or would it only apply for the 28th, 29th and 30th (which would mean a reservation change to split stay)? I swear the room-only discounts apply to your entire reservation even if some nights aren't in the time frame but I don't know about FD.

I don't want to disagree with the other answers (since I am NOT an expert ) but I think you are right about the split stay (or maybe I just don't understand the question!)- I found this on the Moms Panel:

"If you check in PRIOR to the start of the free dining promotional period, you are not eligible for free dining. However, you can split your reservation. If you check in on the 8th, and free dining begins on the 11th, you can split your reservation into two separate reservations. One reservation would go from the 8th until the 11th, and then you could make one from the 11th for the remainder of your stay to qualify for free dining. Keep in mind, the number of days that count towards the required number begins with check in day of your second reservation. So, for example, if the requirement for free dining is three nights, your three nights would have to begin on the 11th, not the 8th."

 

[smitch425]

My dates are 8/22 to 8/29. and prefer the FD over the Room Discount.

Would DISNEY offer a FD Package offer to run along the same time as the Room Discount offer? In looking at the historical data, the Room Discount offers in past 3 years typically ended mid-August (around the 15th). Since the current Room Discount ends on August 28, it makes me wonder if FD wouldn't be offered to start until Sept. 1 or 2.

Just saying and would love to hear feedback on this scenario.

Deals overlap all of the time, but I do not expect any other discounts to come out that will cover your dates. It is possible that the upcoming FD offer will include the last two or three dates in August, but deals covering your timeframe have been out for awhile now. Your only hope for FD at this point is a PIN code, and they haven't gone out yet.

 

[smitch425]

I don't want to disagree with the other answers (since I am NOT an expert ) but I think you are right about the split stay (or maybe I just don't understand the question!)- I found this on the Moms Panel:

"If you check in PRIOR to the start of the free dining promotional period, you are not eligible for free dining. However, you can split your reservation. If you check in on the 8th, and free dining begins on the 11th, you can split your reservation into two separate reservations. One reservation would go from the 8th until the 11th, and then you could make one from the 11th for the remainder of your stay to qualify for free dining. Keep in mind, the number of days that count towards the required number begins with check in day of your second reservation. So, for example, if the requirement for free dining is three nights, your three nights would have to begin on the 11th, not the 8th."

Split stays are only beneficial if you are checking in 1-3 days prior to the FD deal. With anything more than that, they would have to purchase two sets of tickets making the savings minimal at best, if at all.

 

[fallen_angel727]

Hoping against all hope that FD lands on Sept 27 (historically I know that general area has not been included but I can hope can't I?). IF I can snag FD I can upgrade to a Moderate (probably CSR) and add on the difference to the deluxe dining and still come out 300 less than I'm paying now *fingers crossed*

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I don't want to disagree with the other answers (since I am NOT an expert ) but I think you are right about the split stay (or maybe I just don't understand the question!)- I found this on the Moms Panel:

"If you check in PRIOR to the start of the free dining promotional period, you are not eligible for free dining. However, you can split your reservation. If you check in on the 8th, and free dining begins on the 11th, you can split your reservation into two separate reservations. One reservation would go from the 8th until the 11th, and then you could make one from the 11th for the remainder of your stay to qualify for free dining. Keep in mind, the number of days that count towards the required number begins with check in day of your second reservation. So, for example, if the requirement for free dining is three nights, your three nights would have to begin on the 11th, not the 8th."

Yeah but the glaring obvious omission from the good ole mom's panel is they will have to buy tickets to get free dining. So on the second part of the trip dropping another $200 min per person for tickets (usually 2 day minimum) would eat up any savings they were getting. If they don't plan on the parks the first few days or can arrange it to do early ticket pick up (which confuses anyone that is not a Disney vet) it could be worked out but still probably not worth it.

 

[ConnieB]

BUT....those tickets that you have to buy for the second stay can be saved and used for future tickets. AND.....you get a tiny bit of savings by doing this because if on your next stay you enter the park with those saved tickets BEFORE you upgrade them, you'll get the value of the current ticket, so any price increases (which Disney seems to do more than once a year now) are the savings.

So, as long as you have the savings available to be able to "invest" in those tickets it's not a loss.

(And yes, I'll grant you that the "investment" isn't really a good one given what you could do with the $200 invested properly, lol).