Free Dining Questions

[thesaurinis]

Ok will someone please explain this to me? I got a email telling me when free dining is offered to the DIsney Card holders. So I have some questions to go along with it.

1. Is it only for the basic dining or can you get the deluxe?

2. Is it really worth it for free dining? (It will be me and my 6 yr DS)

3. How far out do you make your reservations?

4. Which do you get basic/deluxe?

5. What are some suggestions for places to go with a 6 yr old boy.

Thanks for any & all advice ahead of time.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Ok will someone please explain this to me? I got a email telling me when free dining is offered to the DIsney Card holders. So I have some questions to go along with it.

1. Is it only for the basic dining or can you get the deluxe?
Free DDP is for basic. You can upgrade to deluxe for the difference.
2. Is it really worth it for free dining? (It will be me and my 6 yr DS)
For us it has been. We get to experience restaurants we wouldn't without it.
3. How far out do you make your reservations?
90 days is the earliest. I've even made them while at WDW-Changes in our schedule.
4. Which do you get basic/deluxe?
We stay with basic-it's enough food even without the appetizers that they took away in 2008
5. What are some suggestions for places to go with a 6 yr old boy.
50's PTC
'Ohanna
Sci Fi
just to name a few. Depends on your DS. My DD9 has loved dining around the world since we started taking her at 2-3/4. Her current favs are Kona (that's where she wants her birthday dinnner in Sept); Narcoossee's, and CG.


Thanks for any & all advice ahead of time.

My answers are in bold

 

[catne]

Ok will someone please explain this to me? I got a email telling me when free dining is offered to the DIsney Card holders. So I have some questions to go along with it.

1. Is it only for the basic dining or can you get the deluxe? The Free Dining is the basic dining plan. You can pay the difference to upgrade to the deluxe if you want (around $32 a day for adult)

2. Is it really worth it for free dining? (It will be me and my 6 yr DS) We thought so - DH & I did this last September for 6 night stay at a Value resort. Even though you pay rack rate for the room, that is value season so it's the lowest room rates of the year anyway. Saved us about $400 for the trip.

3. How far out do you make your reservations? the Free dining booking offer last year was book between approx. April 11 and June 2 (approx. dates) And your trip had to be between late August until end of September. So you could be booking 90 or more days out.

4. Which do you get basic/deluxe? Basic (1 snack, 1 CS, 1 TS)

5. What are some suggestions for places to go with a 6 yr old boy. Since son would be on the child's meal plan, at menu-type restaurants he'd have to order off the kids menu which is not all that varied (think chicken strips, mac & cheese & such.) So if he likes more variety, or if he's a picky eater and/or likes characters, I'd go for the many character buffets- Chef Mickey's, Crystal Palace, Tusker House, Cape May Cafe, and so on. check the Disney website, use their search on the Dining page to get a list of the buffets. Note that some of them are only character meals for certain meals - like Cape May is character at breakfast, but not dinner.

Thanks for any & all advice ahead of time.

Do keep in mind that you will have to book reservations for all your meals at your 90 day mark -- free dining is very popular and reservations book up quickly - and popular restaurants will require a lot of flexibility for you to get what you want - you may have to book earlier or later than you plan. Rarely would you be able to get reservations once you're there.Hope that helps!