Free Dining Availability Opened Up Today for Values!

[mareed]

I've been checking for Free Dining at Pop Century for Sept. 24 - 29 since late May. At first, I could get all 3 other Values, but not Pop, so I reserved All Star Music. I continued to check regularly (almost daily) to see if Pop showed up, and gradually watched availability at all values disappear and for several weeks now there weren't even any mods that showed up.

I did my usual check this afternoon and was shocked to see Pop show up! I actually had to double-check to be sure I'd really checked for free dining. Other values were also showing up. I booked it online and it took a long time to go through after I entered payment so I was afraid it wasn't really going to work, but it did! I then realized that my dining reservations were linked to my All Star Music reservation and I couldn't rebook all of them. So, I called Disney to switch my All Star Music ressie to Pop and then cancelled the new Pop ressie I'd made myself online.

So if you've been checking and not finding availability for free dining at Values, I suggest checking again! I hope this helps someone else.

I'm so glad to be staying at Pop again instead of All Star Music. We stayed at both for our June trip and definitely preferred Pop. The air conditioning at All Star Music was horrible!

 

[DebbieB]

Rooms probably opened up because they upgraded some people from the values to SSR or OKW.

 

[mareed]

Rooms probably opened up because they upgraded some people from the values to SSR or OKW.

I don't understand what you mean by this. I really don't think Disney changed some people who had booked Values to DVC resorts! If so, how can I get in on that! (Is that really what you mean?)

My assumption was that they released more rooms at the last minute (offer must be booked in next 3 days) trying to get even more bookings.

 

[PiperGirlInWondrland]

I don't understand what you mean by this. I really don't think Disney changed some people who had booked Values to DVC resorts! If so, how can I get in on that! (Is that really what you mean?)

My assumption was that they released more rooms at the last minute (offer must be booked in next 3 days) trying to get even more bookings.

That's definitely what happened as we just upgraded from Pop Century to Saratoga Springs for a quick free dining trip we booked in August!

 

[cappygirl]

the only way to get in on it is to be sent a pin code from Disney.
We're staying at ASMu in September but unfortunately despite staring at my inbox all morning, no pin code for us

 

[mareed]

the only way to get in on it is to be sent a pin code from Disney.
We're staying at ASMu in September but unfortunately despite staring at my inbox all morning, no pin code for us

Ah - thanks for the explanation. Well, if that's what freed up Pop Century for my dates, I'm happy with it! Even though almost all of our trips are offsite (see sig), and you might think that Disney would want to entice us to stay onsite more often, I also haven't ever received a pin code!

 

[cappygirl]

Ah - thanks for the explanation. Well, if that's what freed up Pop Century for my dates, I'm happy with it! Even though almost all of our trips are offsite (see sig), and you might think that Disney would want to entice us to stay onsite more often, I also haven't ever received a pin code!

They claim it's random. I told my DH that I think we go so often that they don't think they have to entice us at all. I've been going for years, always ordering the free planning dvd (or videos before they were dvds), always entering any contests - and have NEVER gotten any pin code! One day......