Free Dining 2014 Discussion

[middlesista]

Our TA told us that POFQ was part of FD in Sept for the last few years and so we are in there now. We have a "what if" list for her to act on, BUT I want the smaller park too. What is amazing to me is that I can't remember when Disney didn't have a promotion announced as soon as one ended. There is NOTHING past Aug and it has been that way for a few weeks now. Just seems odd. When I checked the numbers at POFQ they were not close to filled either.

How did u learn that POFQ was not close to being filled?

 

[Kate and Family]

Silly question:
Why are the cabins listed as deluxe on this thread, but Disney considers them a moderate? Is it the higher price?

Also, have the cabins ever been excluded for FD in the fall? Our family is going nov 8-16. I know the first two days are generally excluded and hopefully it'll start that Monday (10)! Are they always excluded with a Pin as well?

Thanks guys!!!

They have been included in FD. We had it 2 years ago early December using a pin - but I am pretty sure it was available in public discount as well.

 

[jessicamouse]

I applied for mine a week before the last estimated fd date and received my cards 5 days later. But it told me 7-10 days in my email. Most people get them a week or so later from what I read waiting for mine.

Off subject, but how did you get those AWESOME icons/smilies in your signature? So cute! I love animal

 

[scard192]

I don't know what to do lol. Were. 2 adults booked POR standard with room discount I think 20% and free MM. Which I will buy. If FD comes out I'll probably have to upgrade to a garden view. I just don't know what the savings would be for 6 nights and tickets. Ugh! The waiting.

you should be able to price it out on the website, chose garden view, tickets don't add the DP and add the MM. Compare that to the price you have now.

Last year we had to upgrade from standard to Garden view at POFQ to use an FD Pin and the difference on the room was about $80 for 7 nights; well worth it for FD.

 

[oldtink]

How did u learn that POFQ was not close to being filled?

Somewhere else on this site they showed us how to go to the Disney site and check room availablitiy. You can see each "type of room" and work from there. I also cheated and asked my TA...... I didn't know if I was reading it correctly.

 

[oldtink]

im not sure if this is in this or not, does anyone have the link to joes facebook page. I cant seem to find it. Thanks

https://www.facebook.com/disneybyjo...ffset=0&total_comments=56&notif_t=share_reply

Hope it helps. I thought it was just a site for info, but I asked a question and he answered right back on fb.

 

[SPOERLX3]

Somewhere else on this site they showed us how to go to the Disney site and check room availablitiy. You can see each "type of room" and work from there. I also cheated and asked my TA...... I didn't know if I was reading it correctly.

You can't really see how many rooms are available on the Disney website, you can only see if a room category is "not" available indicating it is booking well without a discount

 

[crazymomof4]

Last year we had to upgrade from standard to Garden view at POFQ to use an FD Pin and the difference on the room was about $80 for 7 nights; well worth it for FD.

POFQ was included in FD in Sept of 2012 as well. We had to book a Garden View though to get it.

 

[ragel1023]

I just spoke to a CM to see if she could answer a few questions I had about what I will need to do provided FD comes out next week. She was quick to correct me and say FD is not coming out next week. I said well I am hoping that some sort of discount is coming for September and she said "we are not sure where this is coming from, if it is on message boards or something, but it is not true." I said , well I know that sometime FD is offered in September so I think people are just hoping for that and she said it is actually done in October because it is hurricane season. (I hate to tell her, but September is also Hurricane season, so that made no sense.) Now I'm not saying I believe her, but do you think it is definitely going to be a FD offer, or maybe it will be some sort of room discount. I just wanted to see about adding my kids to my parent's reservation or possibly add one adult and one kid and was wondering if it costs more to have more than 2 adults in one room. It would be more beneficial (financially) to add 1 adult and 1 child if FD is offered. If it is only a room discount, it doesn't change anything for me as I have a DVC room booked. My question to everyone saying it is coming on the 1st... Are you pretty sure it is FD or do you just know that SOMETHING is coming on that day?

 

[EveClark]

Sorry if this is off topic, but does anyone know if there is another thread like this one where people are keeping an eye out for the Room Only discounts?
We'd love free dining but since we want to stay at the Contemporary, RO might work out better...
I know in the past they have run during the same check-in/out dates as FD but I'm not sure if the offer date would be around the same time as well...
Thanks!

 

[EveClark]

I just spoke to a CM to see if she could answer a few questions I had about what I will need to do provided FD comes out next week. She was quick to correct me and say FD is not coming out next week. I said well I am hoping that some sort of discount is coming for September and she said "we are not sure where this is coming from, if it is on message boards or something, but it is not true." I said , well I know that sometime FD is offered in September so I think people are just hoping for that and she said it is actually done in October because it is hurricane season. (I hate to tell her, but September is also Hurricane season, so that made no sense.) Now I'm not saying I believe her, but do you think it is definitely going to be a FD offer, or maybe it will be some sort of room discount. I just wanted to see about adding my kids to my parent's reservation or possibly add one adult and one kid and was wondering if it costs more to have more than 2 adults in one room. It would be more beneficial (financially) to add 1 adult and 1 child if FD is offered. If it is only a room discount, it doesn't change anything for me as I have a DVC room booked. My question to everyone saying it is coming on the 1st... Are you pretty sure it is FD or do you just know that SOMETHING is coming on that day?

I am by no means an expert and there are a lot of people here who have a better knowledge and understanding on FD than I do, but what I DO know is that we got FD in September 2012... so if she was wrong about that, I'd take the rest of what she says with a grain of salt. Unfortunately, I've learned first hand that some CMs don't have all of the facts straight...

 

[ragel1023]

I thought it was weird that she was so adamant that FD is not coming next week. I expected her to take a more "we don't know anything" approach.

 

[EveClark]

I thought it was weird that she was so adamant that FD is not coming next week. I expected her to take a more "we don't know anything" approach.

I've talked to some CMs who have taken the "well it's been offered in the past but we can't say for certain about this year" approach, and I appreciate that.
But the people on this board have been so kind, thoughtful, and helpful that I trust what they say. They've made this whole process a lot less scary and anxiety ridden than when I was trying to figure it out alone.

Good luck with your planning!

 

[Kate and Family]

I just spoke to a CM to see if she could answer a few questions I had about what I will need to do provided FD comes out next week. She was quick to correct me and say FD is not coming out next week. I said well I am hoping that some sort of discount is coming for September and she said "we are not sure where this is coming from, if it is on message boards or something, but it is not true." I said , well I know that sometime FD is offered in September so I think people are just hoping for that and she said it is actually done in October because it is hurricane season. (I hate to tell her, but September is also Hurricane season, so that made no sense.) Now I'm not saying I believe her, but do you think it is definitely going to be a FD offer, or maybe it will be some sort of room discount. I just wanted to see about adding my kids to my parent's reservation or possibly add one adult and one kid and was wondering if it costs more to have more than 2 adults in one room. It would be more beneficial (financially) to add 1 adult and 1 child if FD is offered. If it is only a room discount, it doesn't change anything for me as I have a DVC room booked. My question to everyone saying it is coming on the 1st... Are you pretty sure it is FD or do you just know that SOMETHING is coming on that day?

September is considered peak hurricane season. Many schools have a fall break in October. October is busier than September.
She seems a bit confused
Just in case you did not know, DVC does not qualify for FD

 

[donp]

I just spoke to a CM to see if she could answer a few questions I had about what I will need to do provided FD comes out next week. She was quick to correct me and say FD is not coming out next week. I said well I am hoping that some sort of discount is coming for September and she said "we are not sure where this is coming from, if it is on message boards or something, but it is not true." I said , well I know that sometime FD is offered in September so I think people are just hoping for that and she said it is actually done in October because it is hurricane season. (I hate to tell her, but September is also Hurricane season, so that made no sense.) Now I'm not saying I believe her, but do you think it is definitely going to be a FD offer, or maybe it will be some sort of room discount. I just wanted to see about adding my kids to my parent's reservation or possibly add one adult and one kid and was wondering if it costs more to have more than 2 adults in one room. It would be more beneficial (financially) to add 1 adult and 1 child if FD is offered. If it is only a room discount, it doesn't change anything for me as I have a DVC room booked. My question to everyone saying it is coming on the 1st... Are you pretty sure it is FD or do you just know that SOMETHING is coming on that day?

This sort of thing always makes me feels nauseated, and really bursts the enthusistic bubble! Hoping that s/he is wrong! Black seems pretty confident.

 

[Danielle1971]

I'm just confused on FD & pre-booking! I'm going Deluxe this time & it's a first for us but only because we got the card w/PIN! We had to book by a certain date or we would of lost discount! I was told that you can't have both & I don't think it's being offered during our stay! Anyone know anything different! I was told I was getting a great deal!

 

[SPOERLX3]

I'm just confused on FD & pre-booking! I'm going Deluxe this time & it's a first for us but only because we got the card w/PIN! We had to book by a certain date or we would of lost discount! I was told that you can't have both & I don't think it's being offered during our stay! Anyone know anything different! I was told I was getting a great deal!

If you are going deluxe and you have a RO discount, you are getting a great deal. Most times a RO discount at a deluxe resort gives you a better discount than FD. If you want confirmation, you would want to price it out on the Disney website.
Simply go in and enter your resort, adult/children, your dates and any add ons that you have. DO NOT add the dining plan. That will show you what you would be paying if you changed to FD, then compare it to what you are paying for your already booked trip.

 

[SPOERLX3]

I just spoke to a CM to see if she could answer a few questions I had about what I will need to do provided FD comes out next week. She was quick to correct me and say FD is not coming out next week. I said well I am hoping that some sort of discount is coming for September and she said "we are not sure where this is coming from, if it is on message boards or something, but it is not true." I said , well I know that sometime FD is offered in September so I think people are just hoping for that and she said it is actually done in October because it is hurricane season. (I hate to tell her, but September is also Hurricane season, so that made no sense.) Now I'm not saying I believe her, but do you think it is definitely going to be a FD offer, or maybe it will be some sort of room discount. I just wanted to see about adding my kids to my parent's reservation or possibly add one adult and one kid and was wondering if it costs more to have more than 2 adults in one room. It would be more beneficial (financially) to add 1 adult and 1 child if FD is offered. If it is only a room discount, it doesn't change anything for me as I have a DVC room booked. My question to everyone saying it is coming on the 1st... Are you pretty sure it is FD or do you just know that SOMETHING is coming on that day?

By any chance was your CM's name "Aunt Scrooge"
Clearly this uneducated CM is having a bad day. And she definitely does not know the ends and outs of Disney! How dare she try and burst our balloons!

 

[Tarheel Mom]

I just spoke to a CM to see if she could answer a few questions I had about what I will need to do provided FD comes out next week. She was quick to correct me and say FD is not coming out next week. I said well I am hoping that some sort of discount is coming for September and she said "we are not sure where this is coming from, if it is on message boards or something, but it is not true." I said , well I know that sometime FD is offered in September so I think people are just hoping for that and she said it is actually done in October because it is hurricane season. (I hate to tell her, but September is also Hurricane season, so that made no sense.) Now I'm not saying I believe her, but do you think it is definitely going to be a FD offer, or maybe it will be some sort of room discount. I just wanted to see about adding my kids to my parent's reservation or possibly add one adult and one kid and was wondering if it costs more to have more than 2 adults in one room. It would be more beneficial (financially) to add 1 adult and 1 child if FD is offered. If it is only a room discount, it doesn't change anything for me as I have a DVC room booked. My question to everyone saying it is coming on the 1st... Are you pretty sure it is FD or do you just know that SOMETHING is coming on that day?

Yeah, well I went to the online chat a couple nights ago to see when MNSSHP tix go on sale. The first CM said late July/early August which sounded kind of late to me. So, I exited out of that chat session and started another one hoping to get the "right" answer. I should have known after the CM asked me what MNSSHP stood for that I wasn't getting a seasoned CM. I spelled it out for her and she said she'd check and let me know. A couple minutes later she came back and said they go on sale September 19th. Okay, well the first party is the first of September so are they selling tickets AFTER the parties start? I think not. I said all that to say this, while some CM's know there stuff, I've run into A LOT of them that don't. I trust the Disney Experts on the DIS way more than I do them....just my two cents

 

[BUTTERHEAD1]

I have no inside info but I have a feeling that WDW is changing FD this year. I think the offer will be free breakfast at values,quick service at moderates and the regular dining plan at the deluxe hotels. I hope I am wrong but I just have a bad feeling about free dining for Aug/Sept.