Free Dining October '16 - Which Week Will It Be?

[jbee]

Hi All! This is my very first post on the DIS boards - how exciting!

I'm planning my next WDW trip for October 23rd-29th, 2016 at CSR in anticipation of free dining being offered that week. My intention is to book the hotel and hold off on booking airfare so I can adjust my stay dates, if necessary, to align with free dining once it's announced. In looking at free dining offers of the past, that's the week in which it's typically offered and it's usually announced it late April/early May. Since that's right around the 180 day mark for dining reservations, I'm worried now that it might screw up my chances of landing the reservations I wanted if the free dining dates are say, for the following week instead. Can anyone weigh in on the likelihood that free dining will be offered 10/23/2016-10/29/2016 instead of 10/30/2016-11/5/2016? I know it's safer to assume the last week of October but since some October '16 dates fall into the following week, I'm just unsure now!

Sincerely, a girl who takes her restaurant selections very seriously

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It may not be ANY week. I don't think you can safely rely on free dining being an automatic offer for US travelers at this point. They have very heavy advance booking from bounce backs and Food & Wine. Then, if someone like you advance books hoping to switch to a Free Dining offer, what it looks like to Disney is that they have lots of rooms booked, they don't need to sweeten the pot to get butts in beds.

 

[Blackadder337]

I'm looking at going in Oct. 2016 as well. I've noticed in some of the previous years, free dining deals end the first week of October, then pick up again the first week of November. Has anyone ever noticed if there are other deals in October when the free dining ISN'T offered?

 

[lustergirl]

If it happens I would guess during the first week of October.

 

[rwdavis2]

I'm sure Disney's goal is to stop offering free dining. Look at the restrictions and increased associated costs this past year. If demand remains high I'm sure they will drop it ASAP.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

This year's blackout was 10/3/15-10/24/15, 11/1/15-11/7/15 and 11/20/15-12/14/15, with end date of 12/21 for US visitors. Given how successful F&W was this year, and that they sold out nearly every MNSSHP, I would not be surprised to see them just drop it for October-December entirely.

 

[jbee]

thank you for all of the replies! all very good points! i know you can never fully rely on free dining being offered but hopefully they'll extend it just oneeee moreeee october. what i'm thinking i'll do is make my harder to get reservations (e.g. california grill during wishes) for both the last week of october and first week of november tentatively and only keep whichever week i wind up booking. if they don't offer free dining at all then i may just chalk up my plans and rent dvc points at the same price i'd pay for a moderate.