Free Dining 8/26-9/22-Anyone Else Hear This?

[brooke1]

I am disappointed..I hope this is wrong. I would loved for once get something.

but this don't make sense since they are doing the pirate and princess party for Value season.

You can never tell what disney is doing....oh well that is life...

I think they are doing the pirate and princess until its time for the MNSSPH.

Brooke

 

[frannn]

Our trip falls into the free dining dates this year (early Sept), but would knock us out next year. If we activate our APs for this trip on 9/7, we will have to vacation in August next year to be able to use them again (and not have to purchase new passes). I have to vacation mid-late month every time we go, due to work. So, late Aug would probably not work for next year. Oh, well....guess I am just borrowing trouble. Yayyyyyy free dining 2007!

 

[suzydisney971]

Happy b-day to you StepDisney!!! My birthday is on the 29th. Crossing my fingers for last years' dates for free DDP. It is the year of a million dreams so hopefully this dream will be granted.

 

[Reese]

A couple of questions about free dining. Should I be booking a package now and than change and cancel if deal comes out? We are only going in Sept if free dining or something comparble comes out if not we will wait until Jan. That being said if I book now and nothing comes out will I lose my deposit or can I just change it to Jan?
Next question, if I book through CAA can I still get the room discount along with the free dining?
Do you stand a better chance of getting the room you want with free dining if you book ahead or is it the same as if you book when it come out?

 

[thunderbird1]

IF true (big emphasis on the IF), it sounds like over the last couple of years their promotions have managed to narrow the window of their early fall "slow time." Good for them, bad for those of us with kids in school and those who like to use free dining at F&W. We were (are, think positive!) planning to come down for two weeks, departing August 25, but only if there's free dining. If not, we'll likely do something else (cruise, all-inclusive resort) or maybe come in December or next year.

Actually, the thing that bums me out the most about this rumor are the release dates--I was hoping to know something in the next couple of weeks, not a month from now!

You need to remember a bunch of us already got free dining starting August 5 going to Sept. 28 during the bounceback program, plus there was a 40% off code that a lot of people got.
They only need to pick the weeks that are not full, which I guess are not too many.

That was my point--that all the promotions they've already done have worked. Between the last 2 years' free DDP promotions (getting people in the habit of going to WDW in August/September) and last year's UK/bounceback promotions they've managed to shave a few weeks off the expected "slow time." I don't think the 40% off code had much to do with it, at least for the start dates, since it wasn't available until the end of August, either.

It will be interesting to see how many people who booked between August 5 and 25 hoping for free dining end up cancelling or changing dates IF these rumored dates are accurate.

 

[skier_pete]

All I can say is...let it be so...we have a 9/22 to 9/29 trip planned... perfection... until it comes out official I will be visiting here everyday. Oh, please, please, please, we could upgrade to a mod and STILL save money!

Come on, big money, big money....no whammies!

SkierPete

P.S. I do feel bad for those booking nearby. It is likely the late August dates are changing because more and more people are going in late August. The dates may yet be wrong. In particular, I'll be a little surprised if they don't extend it to the 29th in reality.

 

[phabric]

Looked at the dates for free dining for 2006, so I booked Aug 19-25 hoping for free dining for 2007. Hope the dates are wrong.

 

[Jill Schwartz]

The way I understand it, booking either a room or package now, does NOT guarantee you will get the free dining at the resort of your choice. They won't just "convert" an existing ressie to dining.
I've heard a certain number of rooms at the various resorts are available for the offer. If they are gone, or maybe none were ever made available at your resort of choice b/c that resort was already full enough, you can't get the free dining, at least at that resort on those days.
So you could call up and say I have a package Pop on xxx dates that I want to cancel, and then I want to re-book a package w/free dining those same dates at Pop. They could say sorry, I can cancel your current package but no more free dining rooms are available at Pop at that time.
I hope I got that right...at least thats how I understand it.

Seems to me that if you book a room or package now, its only going to make things harder on you and others when they go to book free dining (assuming it happens.) Disney will see the number of reservations already on the books and possibly cut back on the number of rooms offered with free dining.....
But thats just my guess.

 

[stepdisney]

A couple of questions about free dining. Should I be booking a package now and than change and cancel if deal comes out? We are only going in Sept if free dining or something comparble comes out if not we will wait until Jan. That being said if I book now and nothing comes out will I lose my deposit or can I just change it to Jan?
Next question, if I book through CAA can I still get the room discount along with the free dining?
Do you stand a better chance of getting the room you want with free dining if you book ahead or is it the same as if you book when it come out?

Book the room now. No you won't loose your deposit even if you cancel completely unless you cancel 45 days or less prior to arriving and even then you would loose $100.00. I would book now for the better room choices. Do what is best considering your budget and pray for free DD. Good luck.

 

[huggiebear23]

I was told by a VERY reliable source that it is 8/26-9/26.

I hope everyone gets all their adr's and has a great time.

 

[wic0721]

I was told by a VERY reliable source that it is 8/26-9/26.

I hope everyone gets all their adr's and has a great time.

Ooohhh....I like your dates better! We're arriving 9/23!

 

[Perrine]

What will happen if we've booked before these dates ?
Do you think we'll have free dining plan because my husband booked in March ?

Thank you.

Perrine

 

[cocowum]

Just subbing-

I was hoping to start our trip with 5 days at POPw/free dining and end with 4day WL w/40% code. We have WL already but I guess the worse case scenario is ending our trip with 5 days free dining at POP.

Which BTW is a pretty great worse case

 

[gabriellewatson]

Last year, my husband and I got lucky enough to get the free dining package, which saved us tons of money for our honeymoon vacation from 8/27-9/3; this year, we are planning to stay from 9/9-9/15 to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary and two years together!! I would love to get the same benefits as last year. This was a first for both of us, who'd never been to Disney. It was very magical!! I really, really hope this works out again!! I really don't mind waiting to book our trip until the discount officially starts either!!

 

[skater]

I'm hoping so hard! There's something about the dining plan being FREE that helps me relax. If I have to buy my DS 9 a hamburger OOP at that hamburger joint called Pecos Bills or ice cream for desert at Teppanyaki, its no big deal if I didn't pay for the DP anyway. No sugar free jello on our vacation to the most magical place on earth!

 

[IngridRalph]

I have a trip planned arriving 9/22 BUT I do not plan on doing dining free or paid for. If dining is offered during the time period discussed in the first post...do you think it will make the week of 9/22 super duper busy? Just wondering if I should more my trip to early september and not be arriving at the end of this big promo in an effort to avoid crowds.

~Ingrid

 

[kimberh]

Speculation is that free dining will be offered 8/26-9/22 if booked 4/12-6/24. I hope this turns out to be true for those of you waiting and hoping!

We are going Sept 9-15

 

[cepmom]

okay ~ if these dates are accurate, how can I work this??

We are planning on arriving 8/23 and departing 8/28. I would need to split the ressie?? I could do room only AAA discount for the first few days but what about tickets? I was planning on getting 10 day non-expiring and saving the rest for another trip. I think I would need to get at least a one day base ticket in order to get the package with free dining right? Has anyone ever split a reservation liek this? Help me! Oh it's all so confusing

 

[PammyPoppins]

Hi! I have a few questions that I thought you guys would be able to answer for me. I didn't book a trip but we would like to go inn Sept. amd we were waiting for the free dining if it was offered. Should I book a trip now and then if it is free dining call and ask to apply that code? How much of a deposit do you need to put down on the packages? I know it has ot be paid in full before you go and they give intervals that you must make a payment but I forget how much it is to hold your reservation? We did the free dining a few years ago and it was wonderful!
Thank-You,
PammyPoppins

 

[gabriellewatson]

I have a trip planned arriving 9/22 BUT I do not plan on doing dining free or paid for. If dining is offered during the time period discussed in the first post...do you think it will make the week of 9/22 super duper busy? Just wondering if I should more my trip to early september and not be arriving at the end of this big promo in an effort to avoid crowds.

~Ingrid

I don't think that it will cause more crowding. Of course that is probably what Disney wants, but the week or two following Labor Day weekend are the slowest of the year (that's what I've heard). Last year, we went the week before labor day weekend, and there were hardly any lines, and it was definitely a thinner crowd than what I've seen in photos; given it was our first time though, we expected a lot more people to be there.