Free Dining? Is that Basic or Deluxe?

[disalways]

I was wondering if you already have Basic or Deluxe booked and free dining happens, do you get either free?

 

[glitzybabes]

It will be Basic. But I have heard of people that book during bouceback paying the difference for the deluxe.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I was wondering if you already have Basic or Deluxe booked and free dining happens, do you get either free?

When the free dining offer comes out you have to call and have the code applied to your reservation. They will not automatically add it and there is no guarantee you won't have to rebook. Each resort is only allotted so many rooms for the FD promotion. Last year POP and ASMo sold out first and WL wasn't even included in the FD promo when it came out in April. As for Deluxe Dining, you would have to add the code to the reservation and pay the difference in price of $32.00 per adult and $10.00 per child.

 

[SGMCO]

You would have to redo your reservation so that it could include
the FD offer-I've never done this so I'm not sure if they have to
cancel original ressies and totally create a New Reservation or if they can just add FD to existing Ressies. The only Dining that you will get for FREE (if Disney even offers FD again-won't know that until April) is the Basic Dining Plan, the Deluxe plan was discounted (in the Bounce Back offer). I wonder if most people go ahead and book rooms for Fall in hopes of FD will Disney even offer FD because the whole point of offer a special like FD is to get the Resorts filled (something to think about). Disney would not have to offer any
specials if most rooms are booked.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

You would have to redo your reservation so that it could include
the FD offer-I've never done this so I'm not sure if they have to
cancel original ressies and totally create a New Reservation or if they can just add FD to existing Ressies. The only Dining that you will get for FREE (if Disney even offers FD again-won't know that until April) is the Basic Dining Plan, the Deluxe plan was discounted (in the Bounce Back offer). I wonder if most people go ahead and book rooms for Fall in hopes of FD will Disney even offer FD because the whole point of offer a special like FD is to get the Resorts filled (something to think about). Disney would not have to offer any
specials if most rooms are booked.

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. Now, don't get me wrong, we love Disney and for us it is the happiest place on earth, but disney will always do what is best for their bottom line and free dining has been very, very good for Disney's bottom line. I don't see free dining ending anytime in the near future.

 

[SGMCO]

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. Now, don't get me wrong, we love Disney and for us it is the happiest place on earth, but disney will always do what is best for their bottom line and free dining has been very, very good for Disney's bottom line. I don't see free dining ending anytime in the near future.

But the whole point of FD offer was to get people to come to WDW during Slow season. Now as you said it is not a Slow season anymore. If most of the rooms are filled, I don't see the point of WDW offering a special. FD is not a Guarantee thing that will always be there, we have just gotten used to it being offered.
Before Katrina FD was not a Special Disney offered and because everyone was worried about travel during
hurricane season that if why Disney started this offer.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

But the whole point of FD offer was to get people to come to WDW during Slow season. Now as you said it is not a Slow season anymore. If most of the rooms are filled, I don't see the point of WDW offering a special. FD is not a Guarantee thing that will always be there, we have just gotten used to it being offered.
Before Katrina FD was not a Special Disney offered and because everyone was worried about travel during
hurricane season that if why Disney started this offer.

How many of the current reservations will be cancelled if Disney doesn't offer Free Dining? I would say a very high number of people are only going BECAUSE of free dining being offered and Disney knows this. The incredible value of free dining makes taking the risk of going during hurricane weather for feasible. If free dining wasn't offered most families would not choose to go during September and take their children out of school. It may not last forever, but it won't be ending anytime in the near future . . . just my opinion.