Free dining promotion question

[Honeybee83]

My husband and I will be going to Disney in the Fall of 2014. He is a pilot and has to bid for vacation time almost a year in advance so he will only have 5 set days off for us to book our trip to "The World". I am hoping to try for the free dining promotion so we are bidding for weeks in September of next year. Of course we don't even know for certain if it will be offered next fall, but we're bidding that way given the history of the last 5 years or so when the FD was offered every September. We are planning a 9 day trip, my daughter and I will head out early with my parents, and stay late and he will meet us in the middle of the trip. Unfortunately our booking dates are inflexible so I can't adjust them by a week or two once the dates are released .

My question is this:
If the bulk of your vacation will fall during the days when the promotion is offered but perhaps begins a couple of days before the promotion starts or lasts a few days after the blackout date ends, can you get the dining plan for free for the days that do overlap the days of your stay, or is it an all or nothing type of situation?

 

[Praying Colonel]

My husband and I will be going to Disney in the Fall of 2014. He is a pilot and has to bid for vacation time almost a year in advance so he will only have 5 set days off for us to book our trip to "The World". I am hoping to try for the free dining promotion so we are bidding for weeks in September of next year. Of course we don't even know for certain if it will be offered next fall, but we're bidding that way given the history of the last 5 years or so when the FD was offered every September. We are planning a 9 day trip, my daughter and I will head out early with my parents, and stay late and he will meet us in the middle of the trip. Unfortunately our booking dates are inflexible so I can't adjust them by a week or two once the dates are released .

My question is this:
If the bulk of your vacation will fall during the days when the promotion is offered but perhaps begins a couple of days before the promotion starts or lasts a few days after the blackout date ends, can you get the dining plan for free for the days that do overlap the days of your stay, or is it an all or nothing type of situation?

The key is checking in on a day when free dining is still being offered. For example, we're checking in on 10/2 and we got free dining. If we'd checked in on 10/3, we wouldn't have gotten it because 10/3 begins a short blackout period (10/3-10/17) when it's not being offered.

 

[kellyg403]

You can, but I believe you will have to book separate reservations with the chance of having to switch rooms.

If you arrive any time after free dining begins during your stay you have it for the entire vacation no matter the ending date of that promotion.

If you arrive earlier than the dates of the dining, you will have to book a separate reservation starting the day it begins.

Also remember there will be criteria to get the free dining also. Usually at least a 2 day ticket package.

Kelly

eta I have only done the first option. FD started on Dec 10th last year. We checked in on the 11th and had it throughout the trip. One year when we went the 3rd week of Dec, dining ended a few days after our trip began, but we received the promotion the entire length of our stay. I have never done the second option, so that is what I remember reading here and elsewhere. Hopefully, someone who has used that option will be able to elaborate for you their experiences.

 

[sharonabe]

My husband and I will be going to Disney in the Fall of 2014. He is a pilot and has to bid for vacation time almost a year in advance so he will only have 5 set days off for us to book our trip to "The World". I am hoping to try for the free dining promotion so we are bidding for weeks in September of next year. Of course we don't even know for certain if it will be offered next fall, but we're bidding that way given the history of the last 5 years or so when the FD was offered every September. We are planning a 9 day trip, my daughter and I will head out early with my parents, and stay late and he will meet us in the middle of the trip. Unfortunately our booking dates are inflexible so I can't adjust them by a week or two once the dates are released .

My question is this:
If the bulk of your vacation will fall during the days when the promotion is offered but perhaps begins a couple of days before the promotion starts or lasts a few days after the blackout date ends, can you get the dining plan for free for the days that do overlap the days of your stay, or is it an all or nothing type of situation?

Your check-in day must fall within the dates of the promotion. So even if you check-in on the last day, you still get FD throughout your stay.

On the other end, let's say you check-in two days before the promotion begins, then you can change your reservation to a "split stay." You do a room only for the first two days, and the package begins the day the promo starts.

 

[kaylasmom07]

Historically, As long as your arrival day falls within the free dining dates you can get free dining for the entire stay. They won't put free dining on any of the days that fall before the window of dates.

 

[TDC Nala]

You must check in on a day the promotion is offered to get the promotion. The other days don't matter. If your arrival date isn't a promotion date, you will have to check out and check back in when the promotion starts (which means having two separate resort reservations).

If he arrives in the middle of the trip, he is still required to get the same dining plan and tickets as everyone else on the reservation. If he doesn't need full stay tickets, it's better to book tickets for the length of time he can use them, and then upgrade everyone else's to full stay when you get there.

 

[Honeybee83]

The key is checking in on a day when free dining is still being offered. For example, we're checking in on 10/2 and we got free dining. If we'd checked in on 10/3, we wouldn't have gotten it because 10/3 begins a short blackout period (10/3-10/17) when it's not being offered.

Does it always work that way? What I mean is, as long as the first day of your stay falls within the non blackout dates then you are covered for your whole stay, or is that something they've only done this year?

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, it has always worked that way.

 

[Mamapapa]

This was one of those questions I always wondered but never asked. Leave it to you awesome dis-folk to answer this one! Thanks!!!