free dining?! seriously?!?!?

[HopperFan]

I'm pretty sure (but not 100%) that when this was offered here in the UK for Aug/Sept, it no longer applied to value resorts. Someone will be along to correct me if I'm wrong

Bounceback last Sept was available in value resorts. I was in POP and booked bounceback for this year in POP.

Now that is not to say that values would be available should they decide to open it up to the public this spring. I imagine it will depend on what their expected occupancy rates are for September this year.

 

[disgram]

When I saw the title of this thread, I almost spit my Coke on the keyboard!! When free dining was first announced, I had a trip already planned and so I called right away and was given free dining. I felt so proud of myself that I had saved so much money, I was telling my friend about it. Like some others here, she didn't beleive that it could be free. She got so excited about the free food that she called that night and got the same hotel, same dates and the same flight!!!! So I ended up with more people going with my DGD and myself than anticipated!!!!!

 

[crazytp93]

I'm thinking that decimal place is misplaced down - more like 4000%

Yeah lol. They make it for 4 cents, and sell it for 40 bucks.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

September is normally a slow crowd time, due to hurricane season and kids going back to school. On top of that, August is usually pretty warm in Orlando, so it's not like you are going to escape the cold up north at that time of year. So Disney has to offer something to fill rooms. I can assure you that Disney has priced rack rates accordingly, along with park ticket rates, etc. Free dining can be a great deal, but as others have said, it's not as great as some of the other discounts Disney periodically offers.

Also, to those who say they don't 'eat all that much food,' I sort of thought that too, when the dining plan first came out - or at least we didn't eat an appetizer, entree, dessrt in ONE SITTING.

When we actually tired free dining we found we were able to adjust pretty easliy. You only get one QS meal and one snack beyond the TS meal. I'm really quite certain WDW has adjusted portion sizes since the advent of DDP, while also adjusting oop prices upwards. Add to that - this year the TS part of the DDP doesn't include the appetizer.
We don't get dessert at every meal ordinarily (non DDP), but we usually get one QS meal, TWO snacks, and one TS meal per day. You can also use the credits to dine at a high end place too.

One thing that DOES make sense - is to arrive early on your first day and stay late on your last. You get dining for each night of your stay, so making full use of it on each of those half days matters. On the last day, you can use up those leftover snack credits for 'lunch.'

 

[DW-Admin]

we did the free DD in Sept 07, and it was great. We loved it. The food was phenomenal and all the restaurants we ate.......
before we checked out we were offered the same deal for Sept 08, and we took it so we are going back in September. "cant wait to gain more weight"

Wow, i think you hit our situation dead on. Same thing about free dining last september and are going back this september. We are doing the "Half-off" Deluxe dining plan though for September, while staying at the Contemporary for a week. Should be fun

 

[blessedmommyX4]

If you stay on site for one night, but buy 10 day park hoppers- can you get the free dining still?

 

[Bugsmom73]

FWIW, even though your daughter is considered an adult in terms of park tickets and dining plans, she is still not considered an adult in the room until 18.

 

[VickiVM]

When did Free Dining begin last year?

 

[Stinky_Pete]

If you stay on site for one night, but buy 10 day park hoppers- can you get the free dining still?

The dining plan (free or paid) is only for on-site resort guests. It is based on how many nights you spend in a WDW-owned hotel, not how many days of admission you buy.

 

[mulderxcoltrane]

If you stay on site for one night, but buy 10 day park hoppers- can you get the free dining still?

Yes - but as the previous poster said - you'd only get one day's worth of free dining.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Yes - but as the previous poster said - you'd only get one day's worth of free dining.

However, the is also a min. on-property stay required. I think it was 3 days last year (and previously). So you need to have 3 nights on property but you only need to buy a one day base tix for each guest (unless that changes this year too.)

 

[mulderxcoltrane]

However, the is also a min. on-property stay required. I think it was 3 days last year (and previously). So you need to have 3 nights on property but you only need to buy a one day base tix for each guest (unless that changes this year too.)

Sorry - I didn't know that. When we went in 2006 I wasn't aware of this minimum. Sorry posters.

 

[slug]

Are you SURE its 400%? You didn't misplace the decimal did you?

I have no way of knowing this, but I have to imagine that many items are marked up WAY more than 400%. For example, I just can't believe that a $40 pair of disney crocs costs $10 to produce and put in their stores. I think it costs them pennies to make a pair.

 

[kathiep]

400% wouldn't surprise me.

I work in the financial end of a medical provider and our standard mark up is 250%

 

[DW-Admin]

all business have markup like this, and working in retail, I can say that you can basically "trade dollars" by saying "if you buy this you will get this for free" Most of the time the markup on item number one covers the cost of both items and still offers profit to the owners...

All and all, i get dining for free so it's a great deal

 

[Babyboo]

I'm pretty sure (but not 100%) that when this was offered here in the UK for Aug/Sept, it no longer applied to value resorts. Someone will be along to correct me if I'm wrong

Thats right no Value resorts or AKL for Free Dinning in the UK

 

[Dizneydaz]

Thats right no Value resorts or AKL for Free Dinning in the UK

Hope that doesn't happen here in US this year. I was there last Sept. and due to a medical problem with my DNiece (we weren't sure if she was going to be able to fly home that day-was throwing up all the last night ) anyway, due to all that drama, I FORGOT to book the bounceback. Hope we can still go to POP this year for free DDP. (I'm typing this with crossed fingers and it's hard to do! )

 

[TDC Nala]

So what happens if i get a discount over Labor Day weekend, and free dining comes up, they will not give it to me?

Free dining IS a discount. I doubt it will be combinable with other discounts.

If you are talking about a room discount, you can't book the dining plan with a room only discount anyway. You must book a room/tickets package.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

If you are talking about a room discount, you can't book the dining plan with a room only discount anyway. You must book a room/tickets package.

This is true, but but to clarify, often when a room only discount is offered a package discount that includes dining is also offered. I had a discounted package with the dining plan this past December.

 

[spiceycat]

it is offer because hurricanes hit WDW for two years in a row in Sept.

so the next year when no hurricanes came to WDW - they have problem with a bunch of empty rooms in Sept.

next year - 'free dinning in Sept!!' also includes the value seaon in August (last 2 weeks generally)

that say got free dinning with bounceback and the date it started was Aug 30 til the end of Sept.