Free dining how is the crowd ?

[myosotisd]

I would like to know how is the crowd during the free dining
for example how is the wait for major rides, for bus

Last year it was more crowded that i thought

i'm going the19th September and want to know if it will be more
quiet than last year

 

[tinkandpan]

i actually don't think free dining makes the parks anymore crowded- although this year that could change. However, it makes the restaurants less than pleasant.

 

[Belle4mygrl]

This will be our 3rd trip with FD. The past 2 years the TS restaurants (at supper) and some CS (especially noonish) were packed. That being said, the rides were fairly decent. The only long lines we encountered were the fantasyland rides.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

i actually don't think free dining makes the parks anymore crowded- although this year that could change. However, it makes the restaurants less than pleasant.

September used to be empty, the very least crowded time to visit WDW. Since Free Dining started being offered in 2005, the crowds have grown and grown each year. We were there last September 13- 21 and were expecting the "empty" and "dead" parks I had read all about hear on the DIS and well, that is NOT what we found. Of course, it wasn't like Christmas or Easter or 4th of July summer crowds, but it certainly wasn't "empty" or "dead" either. There were plenty of people and crowds there taking advantage of the Free Dining. We still had fun, but we did get to the parks early and use Fastpasses. If we had not, I don't think we would have been able to see and do as much.

 

[nbodyhome]

I was at the MK a couple of days ago, and it was very slow (as were all the resorts I stopped at). I haven't found August/September to be busy with the free dine. Plus with gas prices up, it seems to be having an effect on the parks as well.

 

[emmabemmainc]

We went last year from 9/15 through 9/22 and I thought the crowds were pretty low. I don't think we ever waited for more than 10 minutes for a ride (that includes rides we did not have fastpasses for).

 

[PrincessTiffany]

We went last year from 9/15 through 9/22 and I thought the crowds were pretty low. I don't think we ever waited for more than 10 minutes for a ride (that includes rides we did not have fastpasses for).

I guess everyone's opinion on crowds is subjective. This is my trip report from last September:

We went this past Sept. from 9/14 - 9/22. Now, don't get me wrong, we did have a great time. Afterall, it is Disney World and we are Disney fanatics, but we will never (and I mean never) go in September again. It was very crowded and very hot (I don't mean a little hot. I mean sweltering. When you came out of an air-conditioned ride and walked out in the heat it would take your breath way hot). I live in Alabama, I know what hot is and it was hot, hot hot. Did I mention it was hot?

It rained at least a little bit every afternoon we were there. On one day, without any warning, no menacing clouds or noticeable wind change, the sky just opened up and poured. It poured so hard, it was like the sky opened up and dumped a bucket of water on your head. There wasn't even time to put our ponchos on. By the time we drug everyone's ponchos out and put them on the rain stopped. We then left for our Ohana ADR looking like someone had just thrown us in the hotel pool - literally socked to the bone.

We did have awesome food on our trip. We ate at Chef Mickey's, Liberty Tree, Planet Hollywood, 50's Primetime Cafe, Garden Grill, Cinderella's Royal Table, Ohana (best meal we had), and Crystal Palce. We had ADRs for all and always had to wait at least 20 minutes for our table. Saw them turning away walk-ups at all restaurants. Counter service was not too crowded, but we tried to eat early around 11:30 a.m.

I am a faithful fan of the UG and if it weren't for knowing about their touring plans and knowing how to utilize the Fastpasss system the lines would not have been manageable. There was the occasion that you walked up to something in the late afternoon and there was only a 10 or 15 minute wait, but most of the headliners kept 30 minute or more waits. At MK on our last day Space Mountain had a 75 minute wait at 3:30 p.m! Now, to you Christmas week, Easter week, or July 4th people that probably doesn't sound too bad, but we specifically booked these dates for low crowds, and there were not low crowds.

When we left we had every intention of booking the Free Dining bounceback for next September that they were offering, but after the terrible heat and crowds my husband said he would happily pay the $1300 we saved on this trip and put it towards a slower, cooler time to visit.

We have previously been at the end of January into the first part of February and have also been end of November into first of December and those are the times we will be planning our future WDW vacations.

I don't want to rain on anybody's September Free Dining parade (excuse the pun), but I wanted to be honest about the heat and crowds so others will know what to expect and not be disappointed.

 

[nbodyhome]

I don't remember large crowds at all last September, and I live here (and did 11 nights on free dine). A little busier maybe than in some previous years, but not bad at all. The restaurants were pretty packed, though.

 

[emmabemmainc]

Yeah--I guess it is subjective. Maybe we were just in different parks on different days. The heat was bad, I'll definitely agree w/ you there, but that didn't keep us from doing anything.

I've also been there during spring break time, and that is so much worse than September--crowd wise.
I honestly didn't think it was bad at all. Maybe I just went into it expecting different things, I don't know. Like I said though, we LOVED the FP!!

 

[RMulieri]

I, too thought the crowds were negligable.I thought the 2nd week in December last year was worse than the 3rd week in Sept.But hey its subjective.I have heard some people say the parks are great right now, and others say it is more crowded than usual

 

[patsal]

Crowds, there can't be any crowds! With people upgraded to DXDDP spending 9 hours per day between restaurants and transportation to them there can't really be anyone in line
Seriously though, when I was there last year at the end of Spetember--very end of free dining Epcot was a zoo (F&W started that weekend), but nothing else was crowded IMHO (usually have to go only during school holidays and summer at July 4th time).

 

[Leigha]

I have a friend there and she said Friday that rides were either a walk on or less than 10 min. wait. Wish I was there!!

 

[shoes99]

We just returned 8/28. Most of the crowds are in the popular restaurants. We at at Coral Reef on Tuesday and when we checked in at 6:55PM there must have been 100+ waiting. We were seated immediately right near the fish tank, so I guess we lucked out. We finished dinner at 8:45PM and hoofed it to soarin......We got to the entrance to the ride at 8:55PM, and still waited until 9:30PM to get on the ride. This ride Soarin' was crowded all week. Most of the other rides were a walk on.......or 30 min or under wait times. Fantasy Land was a little more crowded as was Toontown.......
All the restaurants we ate at for dinner were very crowded and not taking walk ups.
The Wave, Coral Reef, Kona Cafe....
Lunch at Chefs de France and Rose & Crown were taking walk ups.
Olivia's at OKW for dinner was also taking walk ups.

 

[KPLC]

We got back from WDW today and found the week to be very manageable crowd wise - most rides were a 10 - 20 min wait time at the most. We had ADR'S CRT, Chef Mickey's, Donald Breakfast, Crystal Palace, Coral Reef and never waited for our tables in face - we were seated early when we arrived early. Our plans changed slightly and I was able to get a table immediately at Sci Fi and a breakfast reservation at Ohana's with Stitch the day before - the restaurants are managing with Free Dining.

 

[ReneeA]

We've done free dining in 2005, 2006 & 2007.

I didn't ever think the crowds were unmanagable...however, I use the online planning calendars to decide which park to visit on which days. Basically, they just tell you to avoid the EMH parks and also avoid parks on their "traditionally" heavy days.

Our typical waits were 10-15 minutes, anything more than that we used Fastpass on. I don't think we waited longer than 20 minutes for anything in a standby line.