Free Dining and Crowds?

[wiseguyslovethemouse]

Not sure if I should be asking this somewhere else, and can't believe I'm asking at all, but here goes! We're going to the World in December for a surprise trip. HOWEVER. My parents just mentioned going again, yes again in September for free dining!! My only question/concern is this. During free dining, (which we've never done) are the crowds really that much lower? I know they offer the dining then since supposedly all the kids are in school and "noone" is there. But doesn't free dining bring in the crowds then? I guess I ask, because I wouldn't take the kids out of school so early in the year, (esp. when we're going in Dec) if it was going to be just as crowded as any other time. Thoughts?

Thank you free diners!!!

 

[rgf207]

Crowds used to be lower before free dining. They are starting to pick up a lot. They are not near as what they would be for the summer/christmas but it will be more crowded

 

[wiseguyslovethemouse]

Crowds used to be lower before free dining. They are starting to pick up a lot. They are not near as what they would be for the summer/christmas but it will be more crowded

Thank you. If I may, just one more question. Do you know how they'd compare to the crowds in other "slow seasons"? We typically do early Nov, or Spring, but never around Easter.

Thanks!

 

[mbanks21]

Id say good luck finding a room available with the free dine offer. Last I checked they were about 92% booked up. If youre going with 7 people youre going to need two rooms also...

 

[wiseguyslovethemouse]

Id say good luck finding a room available with the free dine offer. Last I checked they were about 92% booked up. If youre going with 7 people youre going to need two rooms also...

There's six of us. And I checked this morning and can get one room at BWI or two at Coronado, so we're all set.

 

[aubriee]

I usually go every year for free dining, then again around the second week in December for the Christmas decorations, then again the first or second week in May for the Flower Festival. September is less crowded than either Dec or May. However, as another poster has already said, you can see the numbers picking up every September, it seems like. Attendance is still the lightest of the year, but not as great as it used to be. The lines in the parks are great, but TS restaurants are totally packed. People that would normally eat alot of CS flock to the TS restaurants.

 

[girli565]

Crowds used to be lower before free dining. They are starting to pick up a lot. They are not near as what they would be for the summer/christmas but it will be more crowded

I only go in teh summer and October for F&W so I'm sure for me the crowds will be nothing compared to full on summer crowds.

I'm excited to see lower crowds.

But I have heard that the restaurants are really crowded.

 

[iluvpluto27]

I've was there for free dining in 2005 and 2007. It was definitely busier last year but it was still pretty uncrowded, especcially during the morning hours.

 

[gigi1313]

Id say good luck finding a room available with the free dine offer. Last I checked they were about 92% booked up. If youre going with 7 people youre going to need two rooms also...

where are you getting your 92% statistic? i've gone in and booked rooms for various dates during FD and have had no trouble... yes, some of the value resorts are sold out, and other resorts have only certain room classes available... but overall, i'd say there is still a decent amount of availability based on my research

 

[nyyankeegirl]

The crowds are still light in Sept. for FD. The restaurants on the other hand, are crazy!! The ride lines are still only a 10 min. wait. I'd say it's worth it to go at that time. We are going a week after FD ends Not much I can do about -- DS starts track out on Sept. 27 -- oh well! Guess we'll just have to pay for our food this year.

 

[justplaingoofy]

Keep in mind that even though the Disney property resorts will be pretty full, it is still the slow season for all those that usually stay off property & time shares.


If you were planning on going in Sept and staying off property & disney offered their free dining wouldn't you do it? No car rental, no parking fees, free food?

 

[TDC Nala]

Park crowds should not be too bad.

The restaurants will be packed to the gills.

 

[mpls_mm]

It seems like it might be more full because of free dining, but what do people think about crowds for people with younger kids? Do you think since kids are in school it is lighter during the week for character meals and little kid rides? Mine won't go near Space Mountain or Expedition, but I had hoped crowds to do character dining and to meet characters would be light. Is that right?

 

[rgf207]

It seems like it might be more full because of free dining, but what do people think about crowds for people with younger kids? Do you think since kids are in school it is lighter during the week for character meals and little kid rides? Mine won't go near Space Mountain or Expedition, but I had hoped crowds to do character dining and to meet characters would be light. Is that right?

Nope. All restaurants are difficult to get into. More so the Character Meals, signature restaurants and restaurants within the parks

As others have said. You will see lighter crowds in the parks but the restaurants will be jam packed. Walk-ins will be turned away and ADR's will be difficult to get

 

[TDC Nala]

but I had hoped crowds to do character dining and to meet characters would be light. Is that right?

Character dining will be anything but light. Any sort of table service dining will be crowded. Character meals will be one of the most crowded types. Parents will take children, especially young ones who won't be missing much, out of school to take advantage of the free dining.

I don't know about the meet and greet lines in the parks. The parks on Labor Day weekend (I have experience with that weekend only) are nowhere near as crowded as the restaurants.

If you want character meals during the free dining period, you MUST have a reservation or risk not getting in at all.

 

[mpls_mm]

I've got all my ADR's made, I just was hoping it wasn't a madhouse like Thanksgiving week. Even with ADRs we waited an hour or more for nearly every meal.

 

[gigi1313]

we had very tolerable waits the last few years during FD... last year we were a party of 6 or 12 and never waited more than 15 mins that i can recall

 

[aubriee]

As I said previously, I have gone every year during free dining and while the parks attendance is very low, the TS restaurants are crazy. Every year we have seen walk ups turned away at multiple restaurants. We have also seen signs at the front of the parks, saying either no restaurants had any openings or else just a very few would be listed as being available.

We have seen LOTS of very angry folks either begging or yelling at CMs, about "Disney sold us this free dining, but now won't let us in anywhere to eat". I don't know how many times I've heard that phrase the last few Septembers. We've seen people demanding managers and also people stalking off yelling, "I'm going to guest services to see what they say. I'll be back!". I saw one lady really lose it trying to get into Crystal Palace last year. They were in line just in front of us to check in. Her little boy was so sad. He looked in the window, saw all the characters, and then asked his mom, "Are you sure they're going to let us eat here? Everywhere else has told us no all week." His mom promised him she'd get them in. Her husband, snorted, and walked a little away from her. When the CM asked about ADRs and turned them away, the mom really lost it. She pulled the little boy forward, yelled at the CM, "I promised my son he'd get to eat with Pooh and by God if we can't eat with them, at least we are going to get their autographs". She then tried to drag the little boy around and inside the door, with the CMs blocking them. A manager and security had to be called. The little boy just looked so accepting, as if that was what he expected. Mom was making a fool of herself and dad just looked disgusted with mom.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Not sure if I should be asking this somewhere else, and can't believe I'm asking at all, but here goes! We're going to the World in December for a surprise trip. HOWEVER. My parents just mentioned going again, yes again in September for free dining!! My only question/concern is this. During free dining, (which we've never done) are the crowds really that much lower? I know they offer the dining then since supposedly all the kids are in school and "noone" is there. But doesn't free dining bring in the crowds then? I guess I ask, because I wouldn't take the kids out of school so early in the year, (esp. when we're going in Dec) if it was going to be just as crowded as any other time. Thoughts?

Thank you free diners!!!

Here is a copy of my trip report from last September (Disclaimer: I have read literally hundreds of posts talking about last years crowds and heat and apparently the consensus is that we were there during the hottest (broke heat records 3 of the days we were there - 108 heat index on September 15 at MK) and busiest week of Free Dining last year. And I do want to reiterate that we did have fun. Just be prepared for the heat and crowds) :

We went this past Sept. from 9/14 - 9/22. Now, don't get me wrong, we did have a great time. Afterall, it is Disney World and we are Disney fanatics, but it was crowded and very hot (I don't mean a little hot. I mean sweltering. When you came out of an air-conditioned ride and walked out in the heat it would take your breath way hot). I live in Alabama, I know what hot is and it was hot, hot hot. Did I mention it was hot?

It rained at least a little bit every afternoon we were there. On one day, without any warning, no menacing clouds or noticeable wind change, the sky just opened up and poured. It poured so hard, it was like the sky opened up and dumped a bucket of water on your head. There wasn't even time to put our ponchos on. By the time we drug everyone's ponchos out and put them on the rain stopped. We then left for our Ohana ADR looking like someone had just thrown us in the hotel pool - literally socked to the bone. ):


We did have awesome food on our trip. We ate at Chef Mickey's, Liberty Tree, Planet Hollywood, 50's Primetime Cafe, Garden Grill, Cinderella's Royal Table, Ohana (best meal we had), and Crystal Palce. We had ADRs for all and always had to wait at least 20 minutes for our table. Saw them turning away walk-ups at all restaurants. Counter service was not too crowded, but we tried to eat early around 11:30 a.m.

I am a faithful fan of the UG and if it weren't for knowing about their touring plans and knowing how to utilize the Fastpasss system the lines would not have been as manageable. There was the occasion that you walked up to something in the late afternoon and there was only a 10 or 15 minute wait, but most of the headliners kept 30 minute or more waits. At MK on our last day Space Mountain had a 75 minute wait at 3:30 p.m! Now, to you Christmas week, Easter week, or July 4th people that probably doesn't sound too bad, but we specifically booked these dates for low crowds, and there were not low crowds maybe medium-ish.

When we left we had every intention of booking the Free Dining bounceback for next September that they were offering, but after the terrible heat and crowds my husband said he would happily pay the $1300 we saved on this trip and put it towards a slower, cooler time to visit.

We have previously been at the end of January into the first part of February and have also been end of November into first of December and those are the times we will be planning our future WDW vacations.

I don't want to rain on anybody's September Free Dining parade (excuse the pun ), because we really did have a good time (the Halloween party alone was worth the trip), but I wanted to be honest about the heat and crowds so others will know what to expect and not be disappointed.

 

[justplaingoofy]

We've been every September for the last 5 yrs and its our favorite time of the year to go
Sure its hot, but for us its managable. (we are from the North East and not used to hot weather).

We arrive at the parks just prior to the rope drop and hit all the headliner attractions, and leave around noon'ish to go back to the hotel to cool off/swim/rest. (We bring with us face cloths from the room & zip lock bags, & mini misting fans to keep us cool.).. after our break we head back to a park around 4:30-5'ish for dinner(in a/c)and more park touring fireworks, etc.
We save shows and things in the air conditioning for later in the morning or early evening when its hotter.

other things we do in the afternoon if we don't want to swim is hop on the monorail and tour the hotels (nice & cool), then maybe grab a bus to downtown disney for some shopping..