Free Dining Period vs. Non-Free Dining. What a Difference.

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

We just got back from a trip where I decided to purchase the dining plan for the first time. We have had it before, but only during free dining periods.

The difference in the restaurant crowds and the character interactions was incredible.

We didn't have to wait at all outside Be Our Guest. We had one dinner, one breakfast, and one lunch reservation. For each of them we walked right in the restaurant without waiting and sweating among crowds of people on the bridge. It was so nice. We were able to walk through the restaurant during the quick service periods without having to dodge others constantly. There were many tables from which to choose and we did not have to search for one in a corner.

Tusker House breakfast was half full. The characters came by twice.

Minnie's Seasonal Dine was less than half full. We waited about three minutes to be seated and the characters came by twice.


We did not have to wait in long buffet lines at our Boma dinner. No crowds at all at the Crystal Palace dinner buffet. So easy to get food. The princesses at Akershus did not seem rushed.

It was really so different than our previous dining experiences. Perhaps it was a combination of going to expensive one credit meals during a non-free dining period and just generally low crowds, but it was such a pleasant surprise. I am a little afraid of the difference we will see when we go back in September for free dining. We definitely got spoiled on this trip.

 

[Funfire240]

We noticed this as well going from September free dining trips to July trips then back to November after a couple of years. We decided that for eating wise we like the non-free dining times better.

 

[ELSA711]

We've been going for Free Dining in late October and early November for a few years now and we seem to have the same experience as you just had. Never any waits, great character interactions, etc.
Must just be luck of the draw.

 

[Disneylover99]

I get that there could be a difference in crowds at buffets.

But BOG is booked solid (especially at dinner) every day of the year. I'm not sure how no crowds at BOG could be attributed to the fact that there is no free dining.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I get that there could be a difference in crowds at buffets.

But BOG is booked solid (especially at dinner) every day of the year. I'm not sure how no crowds at BOG could be attributed to the fact that there is no free dining.

I don't know either. But that was the case. It would be interesting to see what is going on behind the scenes with reservations and guest counts.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

We've been going for Free Dining in late October and early November for a few years now and we seem to have the same experience as you just had. Never any waits, great character interactions, etc.
Must just be luck of the draw.

Maybe September free dining is more crowded because of school fall breaks? I don't know. I can only use my experience as a guide.

 

[Disneylover99]

I don't know either. But that was the case. It would be interesting to see what is going on behind the scenes with reservations and guest counts.

I wonder if they increase the number of reservations during FD.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I wonder if they increase the number of reservations during FD.

I wondered that, also. So much behind the scenes info to which I would love to by privy.

 

[Malibustyle23]

Everything I have read has shown crowds to be abnormally low this summer season. Crowds lower and slower than anyone has seen in a very long time. While I agree more people are dining most likely during free dining i do have to wonder how your experience would've been had it been normal summer crowds.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Everything I have read has shown crowds to be abnormally low this summer season. Crowds lower and slower than anyone has seen in a very long time. While I agree more people are dining most likely during free dining i do have to wonder how your experience would've been had it been normal summer crowds.

That is true. Might have been worse if crowds were higher.

I still wonder if they don't increase the number of available reservations during FD. I know the characters often seem rushed during FD and that we typically have to ten or twenty minutes (or once an hour) past our reservation time during FD.