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

[rey_rey]

I was so looking forward to the tickets going on sale for the MNSSHP, until they did.
Then I realized that I can't buy my tickets anyway until I book my stay, which I can't (won't) do until/unless free dining comes out.
Really hoping it gets released sooner than last year, the wait is killing me! I just want to book and it be final.

 

[sarahplus4disneymom]

I hate to buy mnsshp tickets now ... Not knowing if FD is going to be offered!
My dates are flexible. So if free dining is offered I'm going when I can get it! So I can't book air travel or "event" tickets until I locked down my dates!
We went 2 years ago and FD wasn't released to the public until like the end of June if I remember right... I pray it's released like last year instead! The wait is seriously killing me!

 

[donp]

Starting to worry about no promotion coming out for CSR. I just looked at our dates and there are only two categories of rooms that haven't been filled. Why would they ever give a promotion when the rooms are filled? So I checked other moderates and sure enough, most are filled. But then again, like I said before, maybe they realize people booked and might cancel if FD doesn't come out. What are the chances that a huge moderate resort only 3 weeks after school starts, in the middle of hurricane season, in one of the slowest months of vacationing would be full?

OR they have set these rooms aside for the big FD promotion that is about to come out for September???? Wishful thinking?

 

[prettypatchesmsu]

I'm in the same boat, I cannot purchase my MNSSHP tickets until FD is released. We are going to WDW for sure either way, but the FD or (less wanted room discount) is going to determine the dates of our checkin. So cannot book our flights, our disney package or our party tickets! I'm so impatient!

 

[disneyseniors]

This whole thread is scaring me! I have always waited for the fall free dining to come out and then book via my TA. After reading all these comments, I am wondering if my favorite resort will have anything for me when and if this promotion comes out? I got worried in January and went to see my TA about this very thing. She talked me out of booking before they promotions come out. She looked at me like I was being a worry wart for nothing, so I didn't prebook at that time. However, even my husband is encouraging me to book now! I have another call in to her about this and will probably prebook anyway. We are thinking about not doing any dining plan this year anyway, but would like the decreased room option. Okay, now that I've ranted, I feel schizo about this. I'll let you know how it works out

 

[disneyseniors]

This whole thread is scaring me! I have always waited for the fall free dining to come out and then book via my TA. After reading all these comments, I am wondering if my favorite resort will have anything for me when and if this promotion comes out? I got worried in January and went to see my TA about this very thing. She talked me out of booking before they promotions come out. She looked at me like I was being a worry wart for nothing, so I didn't prebook at that time. However, even my husband is encouraging me to book now! I have another call in to her about this and will probably prebook anyway. We are thinking about not doing any dining plan this year anyway, but would like the decreased room option. Okay, now that I've ranted, I feel schizo about this. I'll let you know how it works out

 

[bond24seven]

Starting to worry about no promotion coming out for CSR. I just looked at our dates and there are only two categories of rooms that haven't been filled. Why would they ever give a promotion when the rooms are filled? So I checked other moderates and sure enough, most are filled. But then again, like I said before, maybe they realize people booked and might cancel if FD doesn't come out. What are the chances that a huge moderate resort only 3 weeks after school starts, in the middle of hurricane season, in one of the slowest months of vacationing would be full?

We stayed at CSR last year and loved it.. I tried to get back there this year and everything was already booked for my dates as well (except 477.00 a night rooms). So I booked CBR instead. CSR may have some kind of convention going on there where all the standard rooms are already booked..

 

[Honeybee83]

I'm trying to hold my husband off from booking but he really wants to lock something in before the rooms fill up. I'm hoping he'll be patient and at least wait until right before our ADR window opens. I agree that the incentive for them to offer free dining goes down the more people who book in advance.

 

[disneyseniors]

I'm trying to hold my husband off from booking but he really wants to lock something in before the rooms fill up. I'm hoping he'll be patient and at least wait until right before our ADR window opens. I agree that the incentive for them to offer free dining goes down the more people who book in advance.

It's kinda a "catch 22", isn't it? If you pre book you might cause the rooms to fill even more and then no FD will be offered, or room discounts. However, if you wait, you might not get the resort you want! That happened to us last year. When FD rolled around, our resort was not on it. We absolutely did not want to take the resort offered, so we were just out of luck!!! We waited and got nothing we wanted! However, I did call my TA to see if any PIN #s came up, and one did show up for us. Disney said they sent it to us, but we did not get. So, just by luck we got the resort we wanted, the time we wanted, with FD. But it's scarey that if I had not asked the question, we would be out of luck. Scarey! Is that the way a vacation is supposed to be???? worry, frustration, trying to outthink WDW, I don't know anymore! it's crazy!

 

[Grumpyhaus]

I went ahead and called today to change to CBR from POR because of past exclusions and that CBR has never been on that list. The amazing rep I spoke with said "If you are going to do FD then this is the exact thing that I would do as well"; so I felt good about that. She also mentioned that CBR is wide open for all room types for my travel dates 9/9 - 9/14. All in all it was hopefully a good strategic move so I am not caught up in the phone melee that morning that the details are released.

 

[Meldev]

Only BC or Std rooms available week I want to stay at CSR - fingers crossed they stay available if/when FD comes out!

 

[vrajewski10513]

I went ahead and called today to change to CBR from POR because of past exclusions and that CBR has never been on that list. The amazing rep I spoke with said "If you are going to do FD then this is the exact thing that I would do as well"; so I felt good about that. She also mentioned that CBR is wide open for all room types for my travel dates 9/9 - 9/14. All in all it was hopefully a good strategic move so I am not caught up in the phone melee that morning that the details are released.

Unfortunately, already having a room at CBR wont keep you out of the madness that is release day. For pretty much all resorts, they only set aside so many rooms for the free dining offer and once they're gone, they're gone. You will still have to call and have your reservation switched to the free dining offer. If you choose to put off making that phone call theres a chance that all of the free dining rooms could book up and you will have a room at your second choice hotel and still not be able to get free dining with it.

 

[davidwalden05]

I asked this in another thread but I'll ask here too...

Do you guys think the villas at the polynesian will be excluded? Its brand new so it wouldnt have been around for the exclusions last year correct?

Also will the blackout dates remain similar?

I'm trying to plan a trip for the middle of October and I was really hoping to take advantage of the free dining plan but I'm worried that the times I'm planning on going and the place Im planning on staying will be excluded...

I'd like to make my reservations now so I can take advantage of ADR but based on last years exclusion dates I'll either have to move my travel dates so I'll miss pre-booking or so I'll miss halloween at home with the kids.

I'm 6 months ish out and this is becoming very stressfull

 

[Cambribec]

We are scheduled to go Oct. 25-Nov 4th. Realistically, is that too late for free dining to be offered?

 

[vrajewski10513]

I asked this in another thread but I'll ask here too...

Do you guys think the villas at the polynesian will be excluded? Its brand new so it wouldnt have been around for the exclusions last year correct?

Also will the blackout dates remain similar?

I'm trying to plan a trip for the middle of October and I was really hoping to take advantage of the free dining plan but I'm worried that the times I'm planning on going and the place Im planning on staying will be excluded...

I'd like to make my reservations now so I can take advantage of ADR but based on last years exclusion dates I'll either have to move my travel dates so I'll miss pre-booking or so I'll miss halloween at home with the kids.

I'm 6 months ish out and this is becoming very stressfull

I'd venture to guess the Villas at the Polynesian probably will be excluded because they are still new, but thats just a guess as we have no history to go on for them.

The black out dates will more than likely be similar to last years, but it does seem that there are more and more black out dates every year...

If you want to get the 180 + 10 days to book ADR's you will need to have a resort reservation. BUT, if you dont want to book that yet you can book any reservation at exactly 180 days out, you dont need any sort of hotel reservation.

 

[vrajewski10513]

We are scheduled to go Oct. 25-Nov 4th. Realistically, is that too late for free dining to be offered?

Last year the last week of October (specifically, Oct 26-Nov 1) WERE included in free dining.. so hopefully the dates will be similar for you and you'll get lucky.

 

[Just Love Disney]

So bummed....We had booked a bounceback for September 12-26, 2015 at POFQ w/ Free Dining but we are going to have to cancel it. Instead, we will be going late October and are keeping our fingers crossed that FD will be offered at that time. It's hard to give up a reservation that already has the FD attached but we've realized that it's just not a good time to take the kiddos out of school for an extended absence

 

[Grumpyhaus]

Unfortunately, already having a room at CBR wont keep you out of the madness that is release day. For pretty much all resorts, they only set aside so many rooms for the free dining offer and once they're gone, they're gone. You will still have to call and have your reservation switched to the free dining offer. If you choose to put off making that phone call theres a chance that all of the free dining rooms could book up and you will have a room at your second choice hotel and still not be able to get free dining with it.

Thank you for that tip. It looks like I will be involved in the melee and speed dialing when the information gets released.

 

[donp]

Thank you for that tip. It looks like I will be involved in the melee and speed dialing when the information gets released.

It is always a crazy morning, but it is really fun to have this thread open at that time! Lots of excitement, frustration, gnashing of teeth, the thrill of victory, agony . . . .

 

[scard192]

It is always a crazy morning, but it is really fun to have this thread open at that time! Lots of excitement, frustration, gnashing of teeth, the thrill of victory, agony . . . .

my family is not going back until 2016 so I have to vicariously enjoy the excitement for others DISers when they FD at their preferred resort.