Free Dining at Value Resorts?

[tinytinkmom]

Our family is planning a trip to DW in November... I seem to recall hearing something awhile ago about free dining no longer being offered at the value resorts going forward - Was I dreaming, or is that accurate? I know that there haven't been any deals announced for November yet, but we are trying to decide whether buying AP's or hoping for free dining is a better bet...
Thanks!

 

[Amy&Dan]

The current offer for guests booking from the UK is no free dining offered for value guests. Moderate guests get the QSDP for free, deluxe guests get the DDP. So if the future offers for those of us in the United States mirrors that, then you would need to book a mod or above to get any sort of free dining. I think that current UK Disney Travel offer is for August 1 - November 18th.

One thing I can feel safely about is that everybody in the party will have to have some sort of park ticket on the reservation. Gone are the days when AP holders could book a room with four guests to get free dining, but only having to add one, one day park pass to make it happen. So you might want to wait on buying AP's so that if fd does come out for your dates, you won't have to purchase add'l tickets.

In the end, its anybody's guess.

 

[momto2inKC]

We are booked for free dining in May. The offer was free QSDP for value resorts, and the regular DDP for moderate and deluxe. We booked a value and paid to upgrade to the regular DDP. So yes, the last free dining offer did include value resorts.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Our family is planning a trip to DW in November... I seem to recall hearing something awhile ago about free dining no longer being offered at the value resorts going forward - Was I dreaming, or is that accurate? I know that there haven't been any deals announced for November yet, but we are trying to decide whether buying AP's or hoping for free dining is a better bet...
Thanks!

That is referring to UK offers. The UK free dining offer hasn't ever mirrored the US free dining offers, so I wouldn't worry about it. If WDW comes out with a second free dining offer for 2011 I would feel safe to say it will include at least the quick service option at the values.

 

[shocker]

One thing I can feel safely about is that everybody in the party will have to have some sort of park ticket on the reservation. Gone are the days when AP holders could book a room with four guests to get free dining, but only having to add one, one day park pass to make it happen. So you might want to wait on buying AP's so that if fd does come out for your dates, you won't have to purchase add'l tickets.

I'd also double check this info as well. When we last had AP's we got dining without adding tickets. There is a method for booking for AP's that does not require ticket purchase.

There's a discussion of it on this website:

http://www.mousesavers.com/meals.html#diningplan

 

[Bete]

It would have to take a windfall I think to get free dining at a value for November and December this year. The economy would have to tank really bad for Disney to do it this year for those two months. I'm hoping like the rest that we will get it, but I'm not counting on it. I thought it was very strange for the only FD offer in 2011 to include most months, but Nov and Dec were omitted; this has to mean something.

I got the current pincode with the resort discount that is offered through the end of the year, right now with some blockout dates. Anyway, I believe there will be a public discount of some kind for Nov and Dec, but I don't think values will get any free dining offers; unless the economy really tanks. I really hope I'm wrong on this one.

 

[aubriee]

One thing I can feel safely about is that everybody in the party will have to have some sort of park ticket on the reservation. Gone are the days when AP holders could book a room with four guests to get free dining, but only having to add one, one day park pass to make it happen. So you might want to wait on buying AP's so that if fd does come out for your dates, you won't have to purchase add'l tickets.

In the end, its anybody's guess.

To get free dining even AP holders have always had to buy at least one day park tickets for everyone in the room. We go every year for free dining and have since the first year free dining was ever offered. We've always had to buy at least one day tickets for everyone in the room. This past year Disney changed the rules to require at least 2 day park tickets for everyone in the room, so the AP discount beat the free dining for us and we went the AP discount and then paid for the DDP. We were there both in Oct and again in Dec while free dining was going on. Both times we used the AP discount and then paid for the DDP.

I'd also double check this info as well. When we last had AP's we got dining without adding tickets. There is a method for booking for AP's that does not require ticket purchase.

There's a discussion of it on this website:

http://www.mousesavers.com/meals.html#diningplan

AP holders can pay rack rate or use an AP discount and then purchase any of the DDPs, without buying a park ticket, but to get free dining even AP holders must purchase park tickets. Again in past years all we had to buy was a one day park ticket for everyone in the room, but this past year Disney started requiring at least a two day park ticket for everyone, so free dining is no longer as good a deal as it used to be for AP holders. I have a trips booked for May and also for next Sept and decided not to go with free dining even though it was offered for my dates. I'm currently booked with the GP 25% off code for both trips, but am hoping for an AP discount to come out, so I can not only save a little, but so I can also add the DDP without having to buy anymore one day park tickets we don't need. To use any GP discount, even AP holders must buy one day park tickets in order to add the DDP and to use the free dining offer, we have to buy at least two day park tickets for everyone in the room.

The only people who can get the DDP without having to buy park tickets for everyone in the room are AP holders who are paying rack rate or using an AP discount for the room, people staying on DVC points, and people using the military deal, but even they have to buy park tickets and can not use a room discount in order to get free dining.

 

[gismo1554]

As others have said ignore the UK offer. Last year it didn't include Value resorts either which is why we ended up booking through the US site instead as it was a better offer.

 

[disneykris2001]

Is there any likelyhood that there will be free dining in August? I'm debating doing ASMu family suite the last weekend in August and free dining would definitely help my budget.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Is there any likelyhood that there will be free dining in August? I'm debating doing ASMu family suite the last weekend in August and free dining would definitely help my budget.

There has been a free dining discount for August every year since 2006. There was already a free dining offer/discount for August 2011, it had to be booked by December 20, 2010. Half the people on this board are speculating if there will or won't be another discount offered for this fall, but nobody knows. We are all just waiting to see what happens.

 

[Lisa29]

As others have said ignore the UK offer. Last year it didn't include Value resorts either which is why we ended up booking through the US site instead as it was a better offer.

Hi
Did you manage to book through the US site or via the phone? If so, how do you do this? Whenever I try I always get re-directed to the UK site for booking details.
Thanks

 

[appleseed1]

Thx. for sharing!

Best,

 

[Jenny-momof3]

Looking to plan a last minute spring break trip...and deals out there? We will be getting AP's this trip.

 

[gismo1554]

Hi
Did you manage to book through the US site or via the phone? If so, how do you do this? Whenever I try I always get re-directed to the UK site for booking details.
Thanks

I was going to book online but ended up getting Dreams Unlimited to book for me as timing wise it was the wrong time to try and book. To book online you need to change the area at the bottom to USA (right down the bottom of the front page there's a drop down box saying location and you have to change this to USA to get it to work). Hope that helps. I have booked via the US website but not for a few years so can't remember if it was easy or not. Dreams Unlimited gave me exactly the same price as it would have been to book myself but without all the hassel.

 

[Elmo007]

My Prediction: I think something will definitely occur probably right when it happens. My inside source tells me that some people will complain and that some people will be happy but the thing will happen right after it happens. they may even announce it, if not tell us about it. In any event, keep the faith that it might.