Free dining, how busy?

[Momto3cuties]

We have a trip planned for late September/early October...during one if the free dining periods. Obviously staying at the campsites, we are not interested in free dining...prefer to grill

I am wondering though, will the parks be crowded with people taking advantage of free dining? We chose this time period prior to free dining being released, with the hopes that it would be a less crowded time. Now, I am not so sure...

 

[2goofycampers]

It will be busier. That's why they have FD, to fill rooms and get people into the parks.

 

[photogal06]

It's all relative, right?! So with free dining, that time period will be busier than it would be without free dining, but it probably won't be busy on the order of, say, Christmas or Spring Break

We've been during free dining a couple of times, and the parks and resorts didn't feel crowded to us. However, the restaurants did...it seems like during free dining people eat more or longer or something! So if you do want to eat at a restaurant that can be booked in advance, I'd definitely do that, as people just walking up to eat were turned away completely at the more popular places (like Crystal Palace.)

 

[Momto3cuties]

Thanks for the thoughts and advice! We have always been to WDW in early February, so this is a new time of year for us.

 

[PEC]

As PP mentioned. Free Dining is in slow periods to get more people in the resorts. Another words it will be busier than if they were not offering Dining but not as busy as Summer, Spring Break, Christmas etc.