Free Dining Questions

[DisneyStarWisher]

I'm getting ready to help a friend plan a WDW trip for 2013. I own DVC so know nothing about free dining. I know there is no guarantee that there will be free dining in 2013, but I want to be prepared just in case. Here are my questions:
1. How far in advance are free dining dates released?
2. I know value resorts get QSDDP, but do the family suites at All-Star Music qualify? What about the Art of Animation Resort?
3. How do you figure the cost to upgrade to the basic plan?
TIA!

 

[3pletprincesses]

All star suites and Art of Animation are both considered value and only get the QS dining plan free. the price increase to go from QS to regular for 2012 is as follow but you can bet it will be more next year.

Quick Service to Regular

Adult non-peak: $16.55 per night
Child non-peak: $3.03 per night

Adult peak: $18.55 per night
Child peak: $4.03 per night

 

[TDC Nala]

As for which resorts are available on free dining, you'd need to call and check availability when the offer is released. Typically, any resort can be available for free dining, except for Fort Wilderness campsites, but they may be offered for the promotion at varying rates of availability, so call as soon as possible if a promotion is released for the dates you want, to check on the resort you want. Art of Animation, if it proves very popular when it opens, may not have as much promotion availability if they don't need to offer a discount to fill it.

There is a sticky thread on this board with all 2012 upgrade costs. 2013 prices are not out yet and they might go up. The 2012 prices are quite a bit higher than the 2011 prices, at least for adults per night.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Thanks for the replies. I had just read somewhere on the boards that the family suites were excluded from free dining. I guess it would be smart to go ahead and book the suite (since they have 5 people), then hope free dining comes out and can be applied to the reservation?

ETA: I also read that Fort Wilderness cabins do not qualify for free dining? Is this true?

 

[DisGirl1971]

Thanks for the replies. I had just read somewhere on the boards that the family suites were excluded from free dining. I guess it would be smart to go ahead and book the suite (since they have 5 people), then hope free dining comes out and can be applied to the reservation?

ETA: I also read that Fort Wilderness cabins do not qualify for free dining? Is this true?

The cabins and the family suites are always included in the free dining offers. Please click on this link that I have bookmarked here on the Disboards. It has all the current free dining booking information, past free dining dates and release dates and upgrade information:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2771101