Free Dining Announcement by April 12

[Dizneydaz]

We had the Disney Visa last year and we got an e-mail announcing free dining on April 1st. We were then allowed to book ressies before everyone else. I was hoping to wake up to an e-mail this AM from Chase about free dining but there has been nothing in my inbox yet. Someone else posted that they had heard that free dining would be announced to Disney Visa cardholders on April 7th this year for us to book it.

I too booked free DDP last year during the VISA early period. I'm crossing my fingers for April 7th!

 

[CHRISP1027]

I am so wishing that the Free Dining Plan will be available this year again. We have been promising our grandchildren to take them to Disneyworld after our daughter passed away from a brain tumor and this will be the only way we can afford it. Please if anyone hears about the free dining plan can you email me to let me know. I am not familiar to the message board and I'm afraid I may not be able to find the proper response to my message.
Thank you
Chris
chrisp1027@aol.com

 

[stoudt6]

I had to change a couple of my ADR's because MK is closing early for Pirate/princess party on Labor Day . When I called I got a real nice Cm who I was able to joke with. Told her I was doing it today becuase rumor is rampant that free dining is coming out in a few weeks and worried I wouldn't get times I wanted (was changing days and time for O'hana, Le Cellier, and Sci-fi). She got me the days and times with little problem, but told me its good I did it now becuase Free Dining is coming out soon and to change them after that would be very hard. I told her I wouldn't be able to do dining plan becuase of staying at the Swan(got $125 special rate). Told her was at WDW last year( at Dolphin-last week of sept) during the free dining and only really heard of your very popular spots (epcot,Chef Mickey's, o'hana) as being booked solid. She laughed and then told me something very intresting. because they have has a good deal of success of doing the UK , 40% Pin code, and re-book while at wDW promotion; Free Dining will be for a shorter time and the number available packages will be less then the year before. Also here's the biggie DELUXE Resorts will be getting/ will have the most available and the Values the least. She didn't go into specifics but she made it sound like Deluxes will have twice as many available as Mods or Values--OR another words - 50% Deuxe 25%mods. 25% values. I told her sounds like it will be a very busy day whan that breaks, she then told me with a laugh "well I'm off on Thursday's.". (april 12 is a thursday! -HMMM!). Anyways I thanked her helping me and giving the heads up. I guess the time around April 12 should be real interesting on here!

 

[Simbee3]

Well thanks so much for the information. I think that I will have to start making all of our ADR's sometime today or tomorrow. I really want to get everything that we want and for when we want it for that matter.

It's looking really good for the free dining. And I need it because it is a make a break for my husband.

 

[dlpcarden]

To me making 2 different reservations for one visit just to get the free dining sounds really confusing. Don't get me wrong if that's what I have to do in order to take advantage of the free dining I will do it.

 

[firemanx]

if they announce it will be awsome. Im planning our labor day weekend trip very soon.

 

[macraven]

To me making 2 different reservations for one visit just to get the free dining sounds really confusing. Don't get me wrong if that's what I have to do in order to take advantage of the free dining I will do it.

it is not hard to do.
make two separate ressies but you will have to pay a deposit on both of them.
when you check in, tell the cm you do not want to switch rooms at the end of the first ressie, you want to stay in the same room for the entire time.

you go to the lobby in the morning to check out on paper only.
then you sign the same papers again for your second ressie.

it takes less than 6 minutes to do it all.
i have done it before.

if i come in late to check in after 6 in the evening, i don't do the parks, just stay at the resort. too tired and just want to unpack and relax to get ready for the next day.
so i make the ressie for one night, the second ressie for the rest of the stay.

 

[srgibbs]

Did she give any dates for the free dining to you?

 

[kaytieeldr]

You will not need to re-find "your" post. If/when free dining is announced, it will be EVERYWHERE on these boards!

But I'm still going to buy next Sunday's paper as soon as I can talk a convenience store into selling me one.

 

[disneyfanUSA]

disneyfanUSA, how were you able to find out about booking first? Did you see it online somewhere? TV commercial? I'm just so afraid of missing out..

I saw it on intercot.com.It said if you're a Disney Visa holder you could book before everyone else! Last year cardholders started on April 1st others could begin on April 4th.

 

[2forMe]

Wow that sounds promising.. I think I will finally do my ADR's tomorrow

 

[disneyfanUSA]

Yeah did she give any dates in agust when it might be out!?!?!

 

[Dizneydaz]

April 12 should be real interesting on here!

What about April 5th? Wasn't the free dining promotion last year announced around April 1st, with Disney Visa members being able to book first? I know I booked early in April last year using the Disney Visa offer.

Luckily I booked one ADR today, for LTT on 9-14. Haven't decided on others yet as I don't know our exact dates yet. Last year I was able to make the hard-to-get ADRs in April with no problem and I made the rest of mine in June. Then, when we were at WDW, I was even able to change a few, last minute. The only one I had to check a few dates on was Narcoossee's. Couldn't get Sat, or Sun., but got Monday, which turned out great since it was our last night. The harder 2 that we definitely kept were LTT on MNSSHP and CG. All others were subject to change. Sadly, I had made ADRs for Rose and Crown within the perfect time frame to see Illuminations but we didn't go to the parks that day, so we didn't get to use that one

Once the free DDP is announced, I will book our room but I know that I may have to change the dates, depending on what days I can get the best airfare on. Last year I did this around June and didn't have a problem. I had to change our dates by about 3 days to take advantage of the better air fares. So, this year my window of dates we can go is 9-4 to 9-17. My DD7 will be off track then and this year she wants to be home for her birthday. (19th). She has spent her last 2 at WDW. Last year we actually flew home on her

 

[Zooey72]

My aunt reserved a bunch of rooms for our grand gatherings vacation in Sept. Would those rooms (port orleans) be able to auto upgrade to free dining?

 

[HayGan]

My aunt reserved a bunch of rooms for our grand gatherings vacation in Sept. Would those rooms (port orleans) be able to auto upgrade to free dining?

You (or your aunt) would have to call and rebook. In order to get the free dining you have to book a package which must include tickets (at least a 1 day base park pass) for every person staying in each room.

 

[Zooey72]

You (or your aunt) would have to call and rebook. In order to get the free dining you have to book a package which must include tickets (at least a 1 day base park pass) for every person staying in each room.

That 25/25/50 split with the value/moderate/deluxe... does that mean that they only have so many free dining they are going to give out, or that if you have their package while you are there it is free as long as you can get a room? Or in other words do I have to call the day it comes out to be sure that I get it because they will run out of "free" spaces, or is it enough to have the package with the room and you auto get it as long as you ask for it.

 

[ekball]

Couple of questions about free dining....just in case!!!

1. Where's the best place to find out about free dining for Disney visa holders? I have the Disney visa and did free dining last year - but didn't book until June - so I wasn't in on it during the early days. Should I be checking chase.com? disneyrewards.com? Where did those of you with disney visa's find out about it last year???

2. I am already booked during the speculative free dining time, with the 40% deal. I will not change that as the 40% deal is better than free dining for us. BUT - if they do have free dining again, I want to book a trip for my sister-in-law while we are there. Question- Can I book her trip, making the ressie under her name, with my Disney visa?? I'd pay it off for her and she'd pay us back. But is that allowed? Ressie under one name, credit card under a different?

Thanks in advance for the info. And, oh, by the way......COME ON FREE DINING!!! We want to take our (little) sister-in-law with us!!

 

[Flagondry]

Can you book ADR's before making hotel reservations?

 

[ekball]

Can you book ADR's before making hotel reservations?

yes, at 180 days out from the date you would like to make the ressie for.

 

[Jenna319]

Any chance there will be free dining in October? We will be there from the 10th-17th..... however, I already booked our room through DVC and mentioned we wanted the DDP so if it does end up being free, would I still qualify and how do I go about getting it? Thanks