Free Dining Question

[graciedad]

This may be a stupid question, but I have to ask. We have never been to Disney during a free dining period. Say I was to book a trip today at Port Orleans French Quarter for September at today's pricing with dining. Then free dining comes along for my dates, will they just subtract the entire dining amount that I booked for today? I realize that this wouldn't happen automatically, obviously I would have to call to add it. Or will room rates change for me because of the free dining perk? Thanks for any help!

 

[laceyinwonderland]

This may be a stupid question, but I have to ask. We have never been to Disney during a free dining period. Say I was to book a trip today at Port Orleans French Quarter for September at today's pricing with dining. Then free dining comes along for my dates, will they just subtract the entire dining amount that I booked for today? I realize that this wouldn't happen automatically, obviously I would have to call to add it. Or will room rates change for me because of the free dining perk? Thanks for any help!

Yes, you will have to call and have it added. And you would lose any room or ticket discounts. And depending on availablity, you may have to change resorts to get the free dining.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

POFQ is usually excluded from the general September offer so it would be likely that you would need to change resorts. As long as the new resort and room type costs the same, the only change would be to remove the cost of the dining plan (if you booked a package to start with; if you book a room only you'd have to cancel it and rebook as a package to get free dining). If you have to change to a new resort and new room type that costs more or less than your original resort and room type, there will be a price adjustment.

You might be lucky enough to get a PIN code that would include POFQ but you have to personally receive one to use it.

 

[Mikie]

Not stupid at all. If you have any room or ticket discount already, you'd have to calculation which discount is a bigger total savings, since you can only apply one discount at a time. You do have to call, as Disney will not simply reduce your price. Last fall, PortOrleans was excluded from the Free Dining promotion for the first time - if it happens again, you'd have to select a different resort to still get the free dining.

The Discount Codes and Rates board usually has several "watch" threads where people will discuss free dining tips as well as get a little jump on the news when free dining is announced.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Last fall, PortOrleans was excluded from the Free Dining promotion for the first time

Port Orleans Riverside was excluded for the first time. French Quarter has been exluded for the past few years.

 

[DisMama5]

Yes last year that resort was excluded. If you check into some of the free dining threads from the past on here, most with suggest waiting to book until the free dining promo comes out if that's what you are aiming for because that offer is based off of how many resort bookings Disney needs/wants to fill. So dates can and will vary along with what resorts are included. Booking early and hoping for FD decreases the chance because that's another room booked at the resort. If your planning to go with out without FD and don't care, that it would be a nice added option if it did come out, then book away but I'd wait if your really hoping for it, the less bookings the more of the chance. Last year there were several excluded resorts due to bookings already in place. Hope this helps.

 

[graciedad]

Thanks everyone for the replies! We are not set on staying at POFQ, so that doesn't really matter for us. I just knew that you usually had to stay at a Mod resort to get the regular dining plan for free, correct?

 

[larryz]

I just knew that you usually had to stay at a Mod resort to get the regular dining plan for free, correct?

Deluxe resorts offer it, too. As another poster pointed out, rebooking under "free dining" will cancel out any discounted room rates or tickets unless they're specifically part of the package.

 

[msmama]

I don't know if it matters, but I think how they do it in the Disney reservation system is to cancel your original reservation and book a new one, though they do often keep the same reservation number.

They will work with you, too to find the best discount for your family, also. As much as I'm an anti-phone person, I love calling disney reservations!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I don't know if it matters, but I think how they do it in the Disney reservation system is to cancel your original reservation and book a new one, though they do often keep the same reservation number.

If you book a room-only reservation and want to change it to a package, yes this has to be done. If you have a package, they can change the existing package.

 

[POOHsie]

Thanks everyone for the replies! We are not set on staying at POFQ, so that doesn't really matter for us. I just knew that you usually had to stay at a Mod resort to get the regular dining plan for free, correct?

Yes, a stay at a Moderate or Deluxe resort is needed to get the Regular Dining Plan. A couple of years ago, when a Free Dining offer came out, the Dining Plan offered at the Moderates was the Quick Service Plan. If you wanted to upgrade to Regular Plan, you had to pay the difference. I've only seen that Moderate+QS FD offer that single time.

One other difference between a Paid Dining reservation and a Free Dining reservation is the minimum ticket purchase required for each person in your room. For Paid Dining, it's a one-day basic ticket minimum. For Free Dining, it's a two-day basic ticket minimum.

If you book a Room-only reservation, that cannot be converted to a FD package reservation. Room-only and package reservations are two different booking systems on Disney computers. Your only choice is to cancel and re-book when going from one type of booking to the other. BUT, if you book a Paid Dining package now, you could modify that to a FD package, since they are both packages. I did this exact thing 2 years ago. You have to be ready to re-book as soon as a FD offer appears -- types and number of rooms are limited.

 

[smitch425]

Yes, a stay at a Moderate or Deluxe resort is needed to get the Regular Dining Plan. A couple of years ago, when a Free Dining offer came out, the Dining Plan offered at the Moderates was the Quick Service Plan. If you wanted to upgrade to Regular Plan, you had to pay the difference. I've only seen that Moderate+QS FD offer that single time.

One other difference between a Paid Dining reservation and a Free Dining reservation is the minimum ticket purchase required for each person in your room. For Paid Dining, it's a one-day basic ticket minimum. For Free Dining, it's a two-day basic ticket minimum.

If you book a Room-only reservation, that cannot be converted to a FD package reservation. Room-only and package reservations are two different booking systems on Disney computers. Your only choice is to cancel and re-book when going from one type of booking to the other. BUT, if you book a Paid Dining package now, you could modify that to a FD package, since they are both packages. I did this exact thing 2 years ago. You have to be ready to re-book as soon as a FD offer appears -- types and number of rooms are limited.

There is no minimum ticket purchase for paid dining. Anyone can book a ticketless dining package, but only by phone.

 

[graciedad]

Yes, a stay at a Moderate or Deluxe resort is needed to get the Regular Dining Plan. A couple of years ago, when a Free Dining offer came out, the Dining Plan offered at the Moderates was the Quick Service Plan. If you wanted to upgrade to Regular Plan, you had to pay the difference. I've only seen that Moderate+QS FD offer that single time.

One other difference between a Paid Dining reservation and a Free Dining reservation is the minimum ticket purchase required for each person in your room. For Paid Dining, it's a one-day basic ticket minimum. For Free Dining, it's a two-day basic ticket minimum.

If you book a Room-only reservation, that cannot be converted to a FD package reservation. Room-only and package reservations are two different booking systems on Disney computers. Your only choice is to cancel and re-book when going from one type of booking to the other. BUT, if you book a Paid Dining package now, you could modify that to a FD package, since they are both packages. I did this exact thing 2 years ago. You have to be ready to re-book as soon as a FD offer appears -- types and number of rooms are limited.

Thanks so much. I will definitely be booking a paid dining reservation with 8 day park hoppers. Also, I have the Disney Visa, so I think I get a chance before the general public, correct?

 

[smitch425]

Thanks so much. I will definitely be booking a paid dining reservation with 8 day park hoppers. Also, I have the Disney Visa, so I think I get a chance before the general public, correct?

Usually, yes, but not always. Keep in mind that booking now gives you zero advantage to getting in on a promotion. In fact, it actually hurts your chances. Disney includes resorts/room types in deals to fill rooms. If rooms are booked to a satisfactory level, there is no need to include that resort/room type in the offer. I advise people to hold off on booking unless there is a specific limited room type they want (such as a royal room at POR), and only if they are going whether they get a discount or not. Otherwise, it is better to wait.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

well they are booked at POFQ. It's highly unlikely free dining will be offered there anyway, since if they don't book it someone else probably will. If it's not they would just have be prepared to switch to a resort where it is offered.

 

[switch15foot]

free dining can only be for max of 2 weeks?

 

[Anne5555]

Some people say that the more people who book in advance the less likely that free dining will be offered. I hope they don't phase it out.

 

[Saimaeve]

Some people say that the more people who book in advance the less likely that free dining will be offered. I hope they don't phase it out.

I could definitely see it happening eventually. The reason for FD was to bring up bookings during a normally quiet period. If people start booking ahead in anticipation of it, then they won't need to entice people to book with offers.

 

[Saimaeve]

If you book at today's price, wouldn't you have to pay for any difference between today and rack rate? So it wouldn't just deduct the dining plan cost, but also figure in the difference in rack rate and what you booked

 

[Disneylover99]

free dining can only be for max of 2 weeks?

yes