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

[twoolle]

If you have 5 people on the reservation that count towards capacity they will only put you in an accommodating room. If there are no more they will tell you there is no availability.

Thanks. Any idea how to put an unborn, unnamed baby on a reservation? (We don't even know gender)

 

[themommy]

Thanks. Any idea how to put an unborn, unnamed baby on a reservation? (We don't even know gender)

Congrats! And maybe just baby (last name?)

 

[bksomody]

I kind of have a hunch that one of the ways Disney is trying to slowly ween people off Free Dining is by dramatically reducing the number of standard rooms available for the promotion. As our plans changed around last year, we had public FD at CBR, then UOC FD at POR, then UOC FD at POFQ. We booked all these as soon as they were available to us, and checked back many times, and we never once saw any standard rooms available. Even our Bounceback for this year at POFQ didn't have an option for booking a standard room. I'll be curious to know if anyone is able to get FD in standard rooms this year...

When did you book the BB for FD? I was wondering if I stay this summer or fall if the BB would be available for next summer or fall? Then I wouldn't have to play this waiting game next year.

 

[Aubrav]

Oh goodness, so many NEW PAGES of posts since I was on at lunchtime today!

So, here is my contribution: this afternoon, speaking to my TA, she heard from a Disney emp that a special offer is coming VERY SOON,but it won't be on Monday because they have not ramped up staff for Monday.

Soooo, maybe Tuesday???

I wonder how early they actually "ramp up" the staff to reduce leakage? Maybe they'll tell them Sunday?

 

[lazer]

Thanks. Any idea how to put an unborn, unnamed baby on a reservation? (We don't even know gender)

You don't have to include them as they (infants) don't count against room capacity. Congrats! Traveling with my 5 month old was one of our best trips...so easy!

 

[smitch425]

When did you book the BB for FD? I was wondering if I stay this summer or fall if the BB would be available for next summer or fall? Then I wouldn't have to play this waiting game next year.

If you stay in Aug, Sept, Oct, and even into early-mid Nov, your BB offer will likely be FD for mid Aug-late Sep/early Oct, 2016.

ETA: I can't remember the start date for last year's free dining BB, but it was bookable through Nov. 15 and covered Aug 20-Oct 2, 2015.

 

[twoolle]

Congrats! And maybe just baby (last name?)

Thanks and that's what I was thinking too. Then maybe just changing the name later in the ressie if possible. Would be nice to have it on the MB. But I guess it really doesn't matter...as baby will be free for everything.

 

[RejoyceoverDisney]

You don't have to include them as they (infants) don't count against room capacity. Congrats! Traveling with my 5 month old was one of our best trips...so easy!

That and you can always modify the reservation after the baby is born if you did have to list.
Congratulations.

 

[sarahplus4disneymom]

T

Thanks. Any idea how to put an unborn, unnamed baby on a reservation? (We don't even know gender)

This happened to us 2 years ago! We did baby ( last name) then updated once we had her and had a gender/name!
Congratations!

 

[smitch425]

You don't have to include them as they (infants) don't count against room capacity. Congrats! Traveling with my 5 month old was one of our best trips...so easy!

You still have to put them on the reservation, but you can do it later, you know...when they have a name. Lol! They also need to be included in you ADR count. They get a magic band, too. Lol

 

[totebagg]

We are going Oct 1 - Oct 11 and staying at CBR. We do already have FD through a BB but watching and hoping for FD so family can come along!

 

[Gelfling_Jen]

You don't have to include them as they (infants) don't count against room capacity. Congrats! Traveling with my 5 month old was one of our best trips...so easy!

I thought you did have to include infants on the reservation though. there's an option for it and I included mine. Would also make sense if you need to request a pack and play and you also need to include infants in the total number of people for ADR's.

 

[Gelfling_Jen]

haha darn it Smitch did it again haha. I probably learned the including infants on ADR's from you anyway lol

 

[lazer]

I thought you did have to include infants on the reservation though. there's an option for it and I included mine. Would also make sense if you need to request a pack and play and you also need to include infants in the total number of people for ADR's.

Yup, I was corrected upthread. I was thinking of something else. Smitch is on top of correcting me today haha. Kids have fried my brain!

 

[Gena001]

I wonder how early they actually "ramp up" the staff to reduce leakage? Maybe they'll tell them Sunday?

That is a mystery! Maybe?

Actually, I've no idea as I'm just a layman.

 

[PirateD]

I just gotta say that I would not be at all surprised to see Disney stop the FD on Dec. 21st. We have went at Christmas the last 2 years and what a difference it was between this year and the year before. There were soooo many more people there this year it was down right unreal. It was so bad that when I was in Epcot on the 28th I kept thinking that if my son would have been with me, I would have lost him in the crowd. It was 5pm! You seriously could hardly walk in there so you can imagine what it was like that morning in MK. We left there around noon because it was so bad. They really have no need to continue the dining if people are going to be packed in there already like sardines. The economy is getting better and business sense would tell me not to offer FD. It's in business to make money after all. It makes me sad but, I would totally understand their reasoning. Just my opinion.

Usually they don't just cut off free dining though. My understanding is that you get it for your length of stay if you check-in by that date. It seems kind of silly for them to offer it for people checking in on Dec 21st and then cut them off the very next day! It would be pretty unfair to give it to others for their length of stay but change the policy for those booking Dec 15-21. Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part but I have a hard time believing that's what they are planning to do. It seems more likely that they would just move the black out dates forward.

 

[Doug M]

Hope the dates on this rumor are wrong. Checking in Dec 1 at POFQ, open to move resorts to another moderate or 2 or 3 of the cheaper delux, but dates are firm.

 

[RedWolf95]

Not exactly. Lol! l What I said was that I didn't think SA residents could get a DV, but they have the booking date as 4/27, which was odd. I still think that will likely be our Visa date, though. The public offer could be 4/30 or 5/1. Anything is possible, though, and at this point, I'm sure several people will call in each day to check.

Is there any history of Disney releasing a discount over the weekend or has it always been weekdays?

 

[themommy]

Usually they don't just cut off free dining though. My understanding is that you get it for your length of stay if you check-in by that date. It seems kind of silly for them to offer it for people checking in on Dec 21st and then cut them off the very next day! It would be pretty unfair to give it to others for their length of stay but change the policy for those booking Dec 15-21. Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part but I have a hard time believing that's what they are planning to do. It seems more likely that they would just move the black out dates forward.

I know they don't usually do it. I have done it the past 2 years over Christmas. I'm just saying that it makes sense to me why they would stop it. It would not really be "unfair". It's not like they gave it to you and then took it back. They don't have to offer anything. If it was my company I would not do it. Just sayin'

 

[00zero00]

Ok, so I just want to make sure I have this straight. We plan on getting to Disney Sat Oct 24 and staying through the 30th. If we get a one day room on the 24th, and 5 nights (25th through 30th) for free dining, how do my tickets work?

If I have to have at least two day ticket for free dining, I'd want put all 6 days of tickets on the check in on check in on the 25th for free dining. Can I use my tickets on the RO check in on the 24th? Or do the tickets not become active until the day of check in for the reservation that the tickets are bought with?