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

[macraven]

I see you said you went the last 2 years during free dining... How were the crowds? Just curious! We are going either way... paying for dining or not! Just want to know bout those crowds??? (I know WDW is never crowd free...) We went Sept of 2003 and the crowds were very small, then again... no free dining.... Any answers you could give would be very helpful... Thank you

in 2005 and 6, i went the last week of sept and stayed 10 nights on site.

crowds were not bad at all for september.
epcot was starting to have more crowds during the first weekend of the food and wine events.

it wasn't the crowds that were bad but trying to obtain or change adrs for that time period starting the last weekend of sept.
many booked their adrs in advance which made quite a few resturants booked solid. there were signs placed out front of many resturants stating "no walk ups"
i found that to have dining at a time between 5:15 to 6:30 were very crowded time periods. i had more waits than ususally for my adrs then.
one wait was a 45 minute wait.

disney implemented a change in the ddp while i was there last year.
at my hotel, i received a voice mail message (and it was posted in the lobby) that people on the dining program could exchange their table service credit for a few different options, one being trade in 1 ts credit for 2 counter service credits.

the last week of september was not too bad for crowds last year.
but the dining places were.

 

[Aimros]

I'm a little confused.

I book for the last week in August with the dining plan (I'm paying for it regardless of free dining). But does this mean I would still have to change my room if free dining came out, even though I will have the dining package anyway?

 

[jcemom]

If you want to get the free dining special you will need to rebook. If it's available at the resort you've booked and for the same room category you've booked you can essentially get the exact same thing you have now. It will all be dependent on availability though. For example, if you booked a package with dining in a standard view room at POFQ, then free dining is released, you call and there is no availability at POFQ with the special for standard view rooms only water view, you will need to change room categories if you want to get the special. They do not simply "add" the special to the reservation you already have. It doesn't work that way. They basically cancel the reservation you have and book you a new reservation under the special. Does that make sense?

 

[lustergirl]

If you want to get the free dining special you will need to rebook. If it's available at the resort you've booked and for the same room category you've booked you can essentially get the exact same thing you have now. It will all be dependent on availability though. For example, if you booked a package with dining in a standard view room at POFQ, then free dining is released, you call and there is no availability at POFQ with the special for standard view rooms only water view, you will need to change room categories if you want to get the special. They do not simply "add" the special to the reservation you already have. It doesn't work that way. They basically cancel the reservation you have and book you a new reservation under the special. Does that make sense?

FYI!! For the past 2 septembers that we have traveled to Disney World I included the dining plan in my ressie and when the free dining promo came out all I had to do was call them and they changed my reservation to include the free dining promo- they just took the amount off of my bill. They didn't cancel my reservation and give me a new one, I kept the same reservation number both times, they just modified it. I also had no problem keeping the same preferred location that I had booked originally. Who knows- maybe I just got a more obliging CM to deal with though.

 

[maryt01]

last year we got free dining in early dec. hope it goes until then . we arrive dec 9th.

 

[Aimros]

Ok, so should I not be making any ADR's? Or can I make them and switch them to a new reservation afterwards>?

 

[kath1210]

last year we got free dining in early dec. hope it goes until then . we arrive dec 9th.

How did you do that? There was no free dining in December, was there?

 

[jcemom]

FYI!! For the past 2 septembers that we have traveled to Disney World I included the dining plan in my ressie and when the free dining promo came out all I had to do was call them and they changed my reservation to include the free dining promo- they just took the amount off of my bill. They didn't cancel my reservation and give me a new one, I kept the same reservation number both times, they just modified it. I also had no problem keeping the same preferred location that I had booked originally. Who knows- maybe I just got a more obliging CM to deal with though.

They don't have to change your reservation number, so I guess maybe saying they cancel and rebook isn't the way to say it. However, it could have been possible that the room/resort you booked was not available with the promotion even though you already had it booked at rack rate. In that case you would have needed to choose another room/resort or forgo the promotion. KWIM? It wouldn't have been any more difficult to change your reservation had you booked a package without dining. It would have taken an extra minute or two had you booked room only, but not a big deal there either. In any case you could have kept your same reservation number.

What I mean is that if I book POFQ water view package with dining, my sister books POFQ room only, and my mom books POFQ standard view with dining -- when free dining is released it isn't really any easier for one of us to change than another. We all have to call and get our reservation changed to a package with free dining regardless of what we've already booked. If water view isn't available I can't get it even though I already have it. I'll have to book standard view.

Does that make any sense? I know what I mean I just don't know how to say it, LOL.

If someone wants a package with dining regardless of whether or not it's free, then by all means book it. However, there's no point booking it if you're only going for free dining and will cancel if it's not offered. You don't gain anything by booking in hopes of free dining if you don't intend to pay full price if it isn't offered/available.

 

[jcemom]

Ok, so should I not be making any ADR's? Or can I make them and switch them to a new reservation afterwards>?

You can make them. You don't have to switch them if you change your reservation. They're tied to your name and phone number, not a specific reservation.

 

[carriemn]

Hi all- A few questions...as I am new to Disney.
We are going 8/23-30. So if they do the free dining- would we still get it for those days that we are there during the promo?
Also- I have a new Disney Visa-do you book somewhere through the visa to get a special deal? Or just through the regular disney website?
Also- I called the (407)939-6244 # taht the disney site has- but was on hold for EVER! Is that the number to call? You would think they would have a 1-800 #....?
TIA!!!

 

[thelionqueen]

We were lucky enough last year to get the free dining. We decided to upgrade from value resort to deluxe for a small difference in price. Whether it happens this year or not, it sounds like I won't be waiting long to find out. We are already booked so we'll see what happens. Here's hoping we all get what we want.

Just have to ask what your idea of a "small difference in price" is. Every time I have booked a trip (over 25 times) the deluxe was always (even with discounts) 3X or MORE than a value. We had only gone deluxe for many years before trying POP in 05'. Once I figured out that we could go to WDW 2-3 more times going value than deluxe, and how much we love POP, we have not gone deluxe since.

I checked the price difference between a garden room @ the Poly vs. POP and the cost for the POP package was $1100.00. The same exact package @ Poly was over $3800.00. That to me is a little bit more than a small difference in price Just needed clarification if you got a code rate or another promo rate.. Let us in on your secret

 

[LakeAriel]

last year we got free dining in early dec. hope it goes until then . we arrive dec 9th.

Free dining was over then. There was the DDP which is still a good deal.

 

[d4est]

Just have to ask what your idea of a "small difference in price" is. Every time I have booked a trip (over 25 times) the deluxe was always (even with discounts) 3X or MORE than a value. We had only gone deluxe for many years before trying POP in 05'. Once I figured out that we could go to WDW 2-3 more times going value than deluxe, and how much we love POP, we have not gone deluxe since.

I checked the price difference between a garden room @ the Poly vs. POP and the cost for the POP package was $1100.00. The same exact package @ Poly was over $3800.00. That to me is a little bit more than a small difference in price Just needed clarification if you got a code rate or another promo rate.. Let us in on your secret

It probably has a lot to do with how many are in matt&jakesmom's party & if the party is made up of more adults than children. Say they were paying for four adults (2 parents, two kids over age 9) for the dining plan... $38/day times 4 is $152/day. Times that by 6 nights (for example), that's $912 total. If dining is FREE, that's $912 that could go toward switching from a value to a deluxe. Then they would only have to spend a little more...hence "small difference in price." Your example is up there, as Poly is one of the most expensive deluxes. My math example is better suited if switching from POP to Wilderness lodge, woodsview during value season.

That's my take anyway. Just guessing.

 

[MouseTriper]

subscribing...

 

[yrdlyprincess]

I saw that when they offered the bounce back and the UK the special offer that it went to Sept 29th- I think they should offer it the same for EVERYONE. I haven't been down to Disney in about 12 yrs but that doesn't mean that I haven't spent an arm & a leg with all my disney stuff!! I know this free DDP is driving me crazy I hope they come out with a great deal for the end of Sept!! I need it!

 

[mkaccountant]

we were there for our honeymoon the last week in Sept last year and I thought it was wonderful. of course it was our first time, so there really wasn't a comparison. we used fast pass alot but there really weren't any lines, we were just so thrilled, we wanted to do everyting!

loved this -
I do believe in free dining, I do, I do. I do believe in free dining, I do, I do.

 

[kkbrig]

I've been out of town and away from a computer for the past 3 days. I'm scanning through these dis boards as quick as I can, but haven't seen anything, but want to make sure I didn't miss it- Has there been any new announcements about free dining since the speculation last week?

 

[Ziggy]

I saw that when they offered the bounce back and the UK the special offer that it went to Sept 29th- I think they should offer it the same for EVERYONE.

And who says they won't? Try and be positive they may offer everyone a BETTER deal

 

[jcemom]

I saw that when they offered the bounce back and the UK the special offer that it went to Sept 29th- I think they should offer it the same for EVERYONE.

Maybe they will, we don't know yet. However, if they feel they have enough bookings for that week then there's no reason for them to give away any more discounts. They are a company whose goal is to make money after all.

 

[Praise2Him]

Also- I called the (407)939-6244 # taht the disney site has- but was on hold for EVER! Is that the number to call? You would think they would have a 1-800 #....?
TIA!!!

The # is 1-800-828-0228 - much better than paying long distance! (but you still may be on hold forever! LOL)