Free Dining Resort Trends

[Kate and Family]

If I understand what I have read from many sources on the board, when Free Dining is offered, it is not for every resort, but instead for those resorts that have lower bookings. It has occurred to me that we might find a trend here, that would help us with choosing a resort very early in the process. What I would like to know, is where and when you received Free Dining.

I'll start:
Coronado Springs Last week Nov - First of December 2010

 

[deakam]

September 24th 2011 French Quarter. I went to book this years and the French Quarter was not available at 7am. I booked Riverside September 29th 2012, went back to see if I could book another room and all that is left are the more expensive royal rooms.

When they say the rooms book fast they are not kidding.

 

[Kate and Family]

deakam,
Those were free dining?

 

[DLB]

POFQ - Garden view(only thing available) 09/29/2012 - 10/08/2012

 

[deakam]

deakam,
Those were free dining?

sure were---last day it was available---stayed and are staying 7 nights

 

[Babymie]

Yesterday I booked All Star Sports, which was the only value available at 7am. Today I got a message from a friend telling me she had just looked at the website and Pop seemed to be available for my dates. I called and changed to Pop, and there were rooms available at AS Movies and Music too!
It seems they just opened AS Sports at first and then put more rooms available at the other resorts too!

 

[deakam]

POFQ - Garden view(only thing available) 09/29/2012 - 10/08/2012

so you are the one that got my POFQ room this year....I had to move to Riverside 09/29/2012-10/06/2012

 

[BearcatsFan]

Sept 24th - 27th, 2011 - POP (king bed)
Sept 17th - 22nd, 2012 - POFQ (king bed)

 

[BrytEydBelle]

September 29th-October 5th 2012 - Caribbean Beach Resort Standard View (called at 7 a.m. the day FD opened to general public and nothing at POFQ was available. CBR was my very close second choice )

 

[Missytara]

It is true that promotions are used to fill rooms.

I think it is hard to see a real trend, unless you account for resorts that go through refurbishments during free dining, because they would have several rooms out of inventory.

 

[KarenAylwood]

POR September 8-15.

We've stayed at POR every free dining offered in September since it started in 2006 (except for 2011... DH and I got married ).

We've never had an issue booking POR, but generally we did the bounce back except for 2006 and 2012.

 

[Mom2Stitch]

Booked on website via iphone on the day FD was released to GP-got my first choice-CSR Standard View 9/28-10/6. Water and preferred were both available.

 

[Kate and Family]

Has anyone ever received Free Dining at a FAMILY SUITE (value resort)

 

[DisDaze]

For the last 8 years ALL the disney resorts have been included in the free dining promotions. In the past suites and some high-end rooms have been excluded. The Star Music suites were included in the FD promos in 2007 - early 2012, but seem to be excluded from the current fall FD offer. Some resorts will book up quicker than others and certain room categories will fill up faster than others, but none of the resorts have ever been totally excluded from a free dining offer. Also, people book and cancel daily. If the resort or room category you wanted is booked up, just wait a week or so and call back and see what they have available then.

 

[irishdadx4]

Has anyone ever received Free Dining at a FAMILY SUITE (value resort)

We had an ASMU family suite for the QSDP free dining promotion in Dec 2009.

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

Dh called and booked yesterday - got AS Movies Sept 4th - 13th. He had a cranky CM (bad day?) who said Movies was the only value available for those dates. Fine by me.

 

[jacob123]

we have had FD in nov 8-18 time frame ,dates change because of the yr however in 2010 we had to take the first day of holidays 11th as a 1 night acc and then the 12-21 we got free dining. my question is in 2011 we did not go same time frame as above but this yr 2012 we want to go nov8-18 and usually they black out nov11th for FD. so will they do this again as nov 11th seems to be the blackout date. thanks