Free Dining Fall 2015? (and a whole lot more)

[ammag]

You could always book but only pay the deposit, maybe that is a way to secure your dates but not committing? That's what I did but I did this before I even thought of free dining. I bought tickets already so I can't un book anyway just in case!

 

[aaarcher86]

I understand that feeling. I'm just hoping that any little bit I can do might make a difference, even if it is small. I can understand both sides, and don't get me wrong, it's hard to wait to book. I just know that there are already going to be a ton of people to book early in hopes of getting the free dining. If we can offset the impact of those people, even a little, it's worth it in my opinion. If I can help to influence anyone to wait, and those people influence others too, you never know if it will have an impact overall or not. I hope we all end up getting what we're hoping for, and get to save a bit of money in the process. I am certain we will all have a magical and memorable time regardless. I also know that the free dining can be make it or break it for some families so I guess I'm willing to hold off for a bit in hopes that it benefits us all in the long run, that's all. I hope yall each have fun vacations though regardless of when you book.

Yeah, I'm just not going to advise someone to plan anything with anyone else in mind. Especially strangers.

Which is why I like telling people to hold off if they need the discount to go, because it's helping themselves.

 

[lazer]

I am in the 'book when I know where I want to stay and when I'm ready' camp. We've always been able to apply free dining to our stays (whether it's been a public offer or code), but we're going regardless. There's usually a specific room type I want, and it's not worth it for me to wait and then not get what I want. Either way, we're going and getting a dining plan (especially now that there are 5 of us in one room, our options are limited). I also have to talk myself off the edge often and remember the DIS is just a percentage of people planning complaining, sharing their experiences, and booking disney vacations

 

[lazer]

Where do they get sent to? I'm an active Disney Visa holder and I've never gotten any promotion in the mail >.< Just the 'benefits' mailer.

It has nothing to do with being a Disney Visa holder, it's just 'random' offerings that get sent out via email or snail mail to people who are opted in to receive marketing messages/planning a trip.

 

[sukhakuli]

We're going no matter what and we already booked. We booked with the 40% off military discount, and those are limited rooms. It would be dumb to wait to book and risk not getting my ADR's in the hopes that it might help someone else get free dining.

We don't actually know why Disney excludes some resorts, unless they have sent out a press release telling everyone exactly how and why they make these decisions. We're just guessing.

 

[minerva78]

I have a question: during last year's free dining, was ALL of POR excluded, including the royal rooms? I feel like I've seen room only discounts on the royal rooms and not the other rooms one time, but I wasn't sure if that was the case with free dining or if the entire resort was excluded. And even though POR was excluded from free dining, was it still included in room discounts? We're looking to go December 12 - 19 and I'm trying to figure out what my options might be. I would like free dining, but I'm wondering if it might be better to stay in somewhere like AKL and take a room discount since there aren't a lot of table service restaurants I want to eat at. If I can figure out an affordable way to go regardless, I'll probably book soon, but I have a feeling I'm going to be waiting until free dining is announced!

 

[vrajewski10513]

If I remember correctly it was included in the room discount, but ALL of POR was excluded from free dining. Someone correct me if I'm wrong abkut the RO please.

 

[petrymom]

We're going no matter what and we already booked. We booked with the 40% off military discount, and those are limited rooms. It would be dumb to wait to book and risk not getting my ADR's in the hopes that it might help someone else get free dining.

We don't actually know why Disney excludes some resorts, unless they have sent out a press release telling everyone exactly how and why they make these decisions. We're just guessing.

I can understand why you would want to book early to get the rooms with the military discount. BUT you don't lose your ADR's by waiting to book. I have been making my ADR's for our September vacation that isn't booked yet.

 

[Honeybee83]

We're going no matter what and we already booked. We booked with the 40% off military discount, and those are limited rooms. It would be dumb to wait to book and risk not getting my ADR's in the hopes that it might help someone else get free dining.

We don't actually know why Disney excludes some resorts, unless they have sent out a press release telling everyone exactly how and why they make these decisions. We're just guessing.

I think a military discount is a whole other pool entirely. I was speaking only of general public discounts. Thank you and/or your family member for your service by the way.

 

[Marnm02]

I have a question: during last year's free dining, was ALL of POR excluded, including the royal rooms? I feel like I've seen room only discounts on the royal rooms and not the other rooms one time, but I wasn't sure if that was the case with free dining or if the entire resort was excluded. And even though POR was excluded from free dining, was it still included in room discounts? We're looking to go December 12 - 19 and I'm trying to figure out what my options might be. I would like free dining, but I'm wondering if it might be better to stay in somewhere like AKL and take a room discount since there aren't a lot of table service restaurants I want to eat at. If I can figure out an affordable way to go regardless, I'll probably book soon, but I have a feeling I'm going to be waiting until free dining is announced!

I'm not sure about the room discount, but I know that all of POR was excluded from FD last year. I saw the Royal Rooms included in the Pin Code offer, but never any other room categories. I'm not sure if they ever were available, or if Disney only included the RRs in the pin offer.

 

[Honeybee83]

If I remember correctly it was included in the room discount, but ALL of POR was excluded from free dining. Someone correct me if I'm wrong abkut the RO please.

I think you're right. I know it was all excluded from free dining, but I think POR even had some room discount dates in October, which the whole month was pretty much blacked out for free dining (regardless of resort).

 

[loveshak22]

I understand the point about Disney not offering discounts if they don't need to because everyone books early but I tend to think the number of Disney-obsessed folks that plan out as far as those of us on this board are few. Assuming I'm wrong and a large number of people book pretty far out and then the resorts fill up and then no discount comes out, it seems like it would backfire if all of us book anticipating a discount and then cancel when none come out within 45 days of our trip. Then Disney is left with a huge number of cancellations and empty rooms with little time to get them filled.

By only requiring a refundable $200 deposit to hold the room, while allowing cancellation up to basically 6 weeks before the vacation, no discounts seems risky to me.

There has to be more to what, when, and where discounts are offered than the number of predicted empty rooms over a period of time. Disney knows a lot about its consumers and they know how many times we've visited and how many of us are repeat customers who know about RO and FD discounts and expect them. They have to predict that a certain percentage will refuse to pay rack rate, cancel their room, and either downgrade resorts or stay offsite. And again, that puts them in a much worse position because then they risk running out of time to fill the rooms.

 

[Honeybee83]

Since we're all hoping for free dining, here's a pop quiz. What is your favorite and must have snack/meal/dining experience for each of the four main parks.

We have only done QS so mine would be:
MK: Frontierland Mickey pretzel
Epcot: Cheese empanadas with verde sauce and churro dessert in Mexico
HS: (didn't eat there)
AK: Ribs from Flame Tree BBQ
DTD: Pizza at Wolfgang Puck Express

 

[ammag]

I will play!
MK: lunch at BOG, specifically the pork dish
EP: something caramel
HS: ugh, if I have to pick a starring rolls cupcake?
AK: I loved tusker house but my must do no matter what is now the elephant cupcake at Kusafari. The one iw the big chocolate elephant on top? Maybe this year we will also try the tamarin.
DTD: I've only had the thanksgiving sandwich at earl. So that one!

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I am not sure if I mentioned on here that United changed our flights and eliminated their early morning flight. So that cut an hour and ten minutes off my trip! So I politely called United and asked them if there was any way I could fly out the night prior, being we had plans for early our first morning. I really figured they were going to say sure, pay the change fee, but guess what! They changed my flight with no problem at no cost! YAY!!! Now we get there one night earlier than planned.

As for booking early, I think that is a very personal decision. I have always booked my trip ahead of time, because it was never dependent on receiving free dining. But if you are only going with free dining or even if you are willing to change dates, resorts, etc to get free dining, not as much need to book ahead. I do not think there are enough people booking ahead JUST FOR FREE DINING to effect whether or not they offer it. Now there certainly may be enough booking ahead just because that is when they want to go and where they want to stay. Many don't even realize free dining exists.

 

[vrajewski10513]

Its def not as easy to get what you want if you do wait for free dining to start your ADR's. Last year I booked early and scheduled all of my ADR's at 180+10 in March for my September trip. If I would have waited to book any ADR's until free dining came out in May I would have been almost two months behind the game.

 

[MamaJessie]

MK - Nutella fruit waffle, or dole whip float
DHS - The candy bar dessert at SciFi
Epcot - ??
Animal Kingdom - Corned beef hash with cornbread topping
DTD - Wolfgang Puck Express everything

 

[ammag]

Ps. I have a deposit for oct/nov but I received the pin for room discount plus free park hoppers the day before the discount was announced. I don't know if that's positive or not as far as already having a booking since it is outside the timeframe. But how many people do they expect to book twice in a few months? Or did they just send it randomly? I've gotten one other pin last fall one year after our last trip and nothing booked. Same offer.
I ask for info form them and go to ot their website, I do have a visa but haven't activated it yet. Who knows?!?

 

[ammag]

Just listened of the dis podcast Pete seems to be suspicious that they won't offer free dining this fall. Hope he is wrong!

 

[MamaJessie]

Oh that makes me sad I haven't really seen any FD rumors yet though and I had hoped to start hearing them around the time the summer discount came out. Fingers crossed still.