free dining in 08?

[wishiwereindisney]

What do you all think the chances are of free dining this fall?

 

[pigletto]

Well this is just my opinion and others more experienced than I might know better.
I think chances are pretty good. If you follow the trends for free dining discounts over the last few years than things are playing out pretty much the same. So statisctically it would indicate we will be offered free dining as the general public in April sometime.
But you just never know for certain until it actually happens.

 

[byoung]

No more free, you pay for the App andf Tip.

 

[TDC Nala]

You pay for the appetizer if you want one...you aren't required to get one. You could always upgrade to the deluxe plan and get the appetizer plus extras.

And yes, you pay the tip. I guess it would not be good marketing to call it "semi-free dining."

 

[Disney_Angel]

I think the chances are very good for free dining.

We rebooked for this September while still on property last September (2007) and were given free dining for September 2008. The experience was very fresh in
our minds so we quickly decided to upgrade to the DxDP because we
knew we enjoyed the TS meals. But every family dynamic is different.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

What do you all think the chances are of free dining this fall?

It has already been offered to UK visitors for this September and to those of us who were there at WDW during Free Dining this past September for the dates of August 30 - September 27 2008. Also, someone on the Dining board has already posted (according to their relative who is a Disney employee) that the offer will come out about April 5. The first three days will only be open to Disney Visa holders and then open to the general public, just like last year. And I'd bet good money that the poster was correct. Free Dining has been a brilliant plan on the part of Disney to fill the crowds during what was previously their slowest season, and hurrican season to boot. And then having the bounceback for free food while the free diners are there in the parks, on their Disney high, well I would call that sure marketing genius. We were there for Free Dining last year, and yes we did have fun, but we went for low crowds and there was definetly NOT low crowds during the week of Sept. 14 - 22. I hope Disney has rewarded the marketing genius who came up with Free Dining. I personally don't see it Free Dining ending anytime in the near future.

 

[100visitsorbust]

Does anyone know if you can book ahead of time and then when free dinning comes available you can then call back and get that applied? Also can you use free dinning and switch hotels during the visit. We were thinking about staying at a moderate resort for a couple days and then a deluxe later on. Thanks for any info you have

 

[beroh2253]

Does anyone know if you can book ahead of time and then when free dinning comes available you can then call back and get that applied? Also can you use free dinning and switch hotels during the visit. We were thinking about staying at a moderate resort for a couple days and then a deluxe later on. Thanks for any info you have

Here is how it went for us last year doing this. We booked thru AAA in Feb. for a last week in Sept trip. We were given the room discount and we were able to get into POP and we were going to pay for the DDP, this is where we want to go (POP) and figured if free DDP comes along we can just add it. Well we were able to add the free DDP when it was offered around April 9 but lost the room discount and had to rebook and could not get into POP we were booked at ASMU which we did the the year before but wanted to try POP. The free DDP is is way more savings then the room discount so we did't want to pass on that.
Reading on the boards here people were getting the free DDP and also getting into POP and we read to just call back several times cause spots do open up and after a few tries we got POP back and also the free DDP . Worked out great we got POP, free DDP and all the ADR's and at times we wanted.
A we have the bounce back for this Sept. again but will do a trip in June also with DD19 and DS21 for the last trip together before DS enters the working world.

 

[kaytieeldr]

THE PROBLEM WITH BOOKING AHEAD, ON 'SPEC':

If Disney offers the Free Dining Promotion to the general public - and it's likely they will - if reservations at a given resort on a given night exceed predetermined goals/percentages, there will be no or few 'promo' rooms available when the deal becomes available.

Say the Value resorts have a goal of 85% occupancy per night.
So many people book Pop Century in advance - some because of the already-offered packages, many simply because they want to stay there, and some because they want to have a room reserved there if/when free dining comes out - that their projected occupancy level is 92% over Labor Day weekend... NO free dining rooms will be available.

As for switching hotels during a trip: First, there is generally a three-night minimum stay per reservation (i.e. not per party) to be eligible for this promotion; and if the Guest were to do a split stay, they would be required to purchase two full, separate packages - including tickets with each package.

 

[100visitsorbust]

Thank you for the responses. I guess I am still a little confused.

1) If I have no prior discounts when I book book say now and in April free dinning becomes available and they have rooms part of the program at the same resort do you still technically have to cancel the first reservation and rebook. Or is there any way they just remove the charge?

2) With booking at two different locations. Are you saying that I can not buy one 7 day set off park tickets? I have to buy two separate packages with say one being 3 days and the other 4 days?

 

[amsafko]

I've been told by three different CMs that we would be able to just change over to free dining if it comes out without rebooking - we have no other discounts to worry about losing either. We have reservations for the end of August at WL.

 

[beroh2253]

Well like I said above we had to rebook but that is not to say you will, things are so messed up down there one CM could do one thing and another another thing.
To fill up all rooms equally at all resorts blocks of rooms become available one week that may not have been available the previous week. Thing is not to panic, if you do changes early enough when free DDP becomes available and you don't get your resort of choice just keep calling back every few day and you can change a resort without rebooking. 2 years ago we decided to do the free DDP and didn't book till middle of June and were able to get ASMU our 2nd choice and didn' get all the restaurants but most that we wanted and again that was middle of June. Just make changes as soon as free dining becomes available. And this is a great deal.

 

[Crystal_27]

I for one hope that Disney does NOT offer free dining. There has been so much griping about the current DDP and I can just foresee people saying "well, it's not really FREE dining since you have to pay for tips." Just like has been said over and over and over again a million times since the change. Instead of appreciating the fact that Disney is offering the (incredible) savings of the DDP being free, they are going to instead bemoan the fact that the appy. is gone and that the tips are no longer included.

I hope instead that Disney offers a discount on the room rate comparable to what the DDP saves you (say 25%). That way, there is still a savings but Disney won't have to deal with the pushback about the DDP changes. Until people stop comparing the old (pre-2008) plan with that of the current one, I hope and pray that Disney doesn't offer free dining. I mean, the plan is what it is at this point; it works for some and doesn't work for others. I think that if a room discount was offered, it would please both the people who are mad with the current DDP and those who would just add it the DDP their reservation anyway. Anyway, just my thoughts - I just hope I'm right.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I've been told by three different CMs that we would be able to just change over to free dining if it comes out without rebooking - we have no other discounts to worry about losing either. We have reservations for the end of August at WL.

Last April when Free Dining came out WL wasn't even included in the resorts that were available for the FD package. I don't know if they opend up blocks of rooms later in June before the promo was over, but I specifically remember many posts on the Free Dining Mega Thread of people who were mad they could not get WL booked.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I for one hope that Disney does NOT offer free dining. There has been so much griping about the current DDP and I can just foresee people saying "well, it's not really FREE dining since you have to pay for tips." Just like has been said over and over and over again a million times since the change. Instead of appreciating the fact that Disney is offering the (incredible) savings of the DDP being free, they are going to instead bemoan the fact that the appy. is gone and that the tips are no longer included.

I hope instead that Disney offers a discount on the room rate comparable to what the DDP saves you (say 25%). That way, there is still a savings but Disney won't have to deal with the pushback about the DDP changes. Until people stop comparing the old (pre-2008) plan with that of the current one, I hope and pray that Disney doesn't offer free dining. I mean, the plan is what it is at this point; it works for some and doesn't work for others. I think that if a room discount was offered, it would please both the people who are mad with the current DDP and those who would just add it the DDP their reservation anyway. Anyway, just my thoughts - I just hope I'm right.

I highly doubt that Disney won't offer the FD plan again this year to the general public. They are making money hand over fist now in September, where as before it was their slowest season. I love Disney and for us it is the most magical place on earth, but first and formost Disney is a company and they will go by what is best for their bottom line. Just my opinion.

 

[BabyPiglet]

I sure hope they offer it, or we're going to have to change our dates to December. We basically use it just to save money, we don't actually follow the plan very well.

One thing I hate about the DDP, the way everyone gripes and whines about changes that are made, etc. I swear those comments are really starting to get to me.

 

[PaulaSB12]

It has already been offered to UK visitors for this September and to those of us who were there at WDW during Free Dining this past September for the dates of August 30 - September 27 2008. Also, someone on the Dining board has already posted (according to their relative who is a Disney employee) that the offer will come out about April 5. The first three days will only be open to Disney Visa holders and then open to the general public, just like last year. And I'd bet good money that the poster was correct. Free Dining has been a brilliant plan on the part of Disney to fill the crowds during what was previously their slowest season, and hurrican season to boot. And then having the bounceback for free food while the free diners are there in the parks, on their Disney high, well I would call that sure marketing genius. We were there for Free Dining last year, and yes we did have fun, but we went for low crowds and there was definetly NOT low crowds during the week of Sept. 14 - 22. I hope Disney has rewarded the marketing genius who came up with Free Dining. I personally don't see it Free Dining ending anytime in the near future.

The date reported is slightly wrong it starts 10th August, I should know because thats when I am going, I have the receipts 2 rooms CSR waterview with free dining.

 

[kaytieeldr]

August 10 for UK visitors (and thanks for that information!) but not until August 30 for the Future Stay Guests - and so that'd likely be the start date for the general public.

 

[tinkandonaldfans]

The date reported is slightly wrong it starts 10th August, I should know because thats when I am going, I have the receipts 2 rooms CSR waterview with free dining.

so if i wanted to go in september 2008 have i already mssed the oppurtunity? as coming from uk- do you have to book direct with disney or can you go through virgin? if i booked now and it came out that our resort and dates qualified would i have had to already booked the dining plan to swap or not? sorry new to dining plan

 

[WannabeBelle25]

I've been told by three different CMs that we would be able to just change over to free dining if it comes out without rebooking - we have no other discounts to worry about losing either. We have reservations for the end of August at WL.

This is absolutely true..............sort of! The answer is yes you can call and ask for the free Dining promotion to be applied. IF there is availability at the resort you are at on the days of your trip, a free dining package would be "substituted" for the regular package ( with or without dining) that you have booked. If there is no availability at the resort you want on the days you want, you will have to switch the resort, the dates or potentially both to get the promotion. Bottom line is pre-booking at the resort does not guarantee you that you will be able to keep that resort and simply apply the Free Dining offer. If anything it may make it harder as Disney looks at the number of rooms already booked and f they have enough rooms booked at full rate, little or no rooms for that resort may go into the Free Dining offer!!!! Hope this helps!! Belle