Free Dining Watch 2009 - Dates Released!! Update post 1

[LorilieMarie]

I'm new at this, so maybe you can all clear this up for me....we are currently booked for Nov 29th-Dec 5th at All Star Music in a Family Suite. We are doing the dining plan. There has been some talk of possible extension of the free dining...that would be great and we would be happy to take it if its available but heres my question. Most of the packages I see say that the package is based on 2 adults, a junior,and a child. We are sharing a suite with my inlaws so we would be 4 adults and a toddler, would we even qualify?

My MIL, has even discussed moving our trip to get free dining...but I thought I would ask this question anyway...thanks..

Hope I explained that well. Thanks in advance if anyone has any info. I love reading everyones excitement...I havent been to Disney since I was 8. I cant wait to go back...

It doesn't matter how many are in your party . . .they were probably telling you how much it costs or how much you would save, and that would depend on the size of your party.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

We are booked for free dining bounceback and will be eating for free from Oct.3-Oct.13.

I was surprised at the late booking for this year. Fall break here we come, now I just need someone to babysit in the afternoons to help pay for this.

so as long as your first day is oct 3erd. can you get free dinning till you leave? I was gona push for the end of sept but oct2ed would be so much better if i still got free dinning

an who else has heard about it extending to end of nov begging of dec?

 

[DoodlesBow]

Would you upgrade to Deluxe dining??

 

[lsutiggergirl]

My DH booked our FD package on Friday for our Grand Gathering! When he called back to make a change, the CM had to switch him to someone esle because "Oh, you're a grand gathering." Is there are more direct number that we should call for grand gatherings? I need to let the rest of our party know what number to call to pay for their package.

YES: Call directly to Grand Gatherings at 407 939-7526.

They are wonderful!

 

[KKB]

so as long as your first day is oct 3erd. can you get free dinning till you leave? I was gona push for the end of sept but oct2ed would be so much better if i still got free dinning

an who else has heard about it extending to end of nov begging of dec?

As long as your arrival day is Oct. 3, you will get Free DP until the end of your trip. (10 or 14 days max, I can't remember)

And the thoughts of extending thru Nov. are PURE speculation at this point...
There were some offerings of free dining during the slow season after Thanksgiving/before Xmas last year, so that is where the speculation comes from. Anything is possible...but all spec at this point!

 

[KKB]

Would you upgrade to Deluxe dining??

We were STUFFED eating the basic DDP on our last trip. Even DH & I don't eat 3 full meals/day on vacation when it is just us.

Plus travel time to restaurants at resorts eats into a day big time. I definitely could not see it w/ young kids.

The freedom is nice...eat where you want, when you want; get the appetizer (but again, when we order appetizers, I tend to be too full for the entree!).
We are big fans of the basic, but deluxe seems like a ridiculous amount of food to me.

BUT if you were thinking of trying it, free DDP is the time to try. I just couldn't justify the $2K for the 7 of us to do it!

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I'm new at this, so maybe you can all clear this up for me....we are currently booked for Nov 29th-Dec 5th at All Star Music in a Family Suite. We are doing the dining plan. There has been some talk of possible extension of the free dining...that would be great and we would be happy to take it if its available but heres my question. Most of the packages I see say that the package is based on 2 adults, a junior,and a child. We are sharing a suite with my inlaws so we would be 4 adults and a toddler, would we even qualify?

My MIL, has even discussed moving our trip to get free dining...but I thought I would ask this question anyway...thanks..

Hope I explained that well. Thanks in advance if anyone has any info. I love reading everyones excitement...I havent been to Disney since I was 8. I cant wait to go back...

Last September Disney Destinations sent out some emails that offered free dining pin codes for select dates in October, November and December, 9/28-10/11, 11/9-11/22 and 12/12-12/20 to be exact . These emails were random, not for the general public, and the codes were non-transferrable. About two weeks after that Disney Visa sent out a free dining code for their card holders for the same select dates in October, November and December. Those pin codes were not part of the regular Fall Dining promotion and there was no general public fd code offered for any of those dates.

As for the advertised vacations prices you are referencing, that is all they are, advertisments using a typical size family for a pricing example.

 

[Eli's 1st trip]

Thanks Tiffany...i knew that the free dining was that way last year from reading it here on the boards, but there has been much specualtion about Disney possibly extending free dining again this year to the public b/c of the economy as they extended the 4/3 deal a few times...so I just wanted to make sure that IF it was extended to the public :fingerscrossed: that we would be able to get that promo eventhough we are in a family suite

 

[LorilieMarie]

Would you upgrade to Deluxe dining??

I looked into it just in case my parents paid for breakfast every morning. . . We are staying 8 nights, it came out to around $250 per person to upgrade! I guess it is because they can all be TS if you would like, but who has the time for that?

 

[Goofy22]

I'm new at this, so maybe you can all clear this up for me....we are currently booked for Nov 29th-Dec 5th at All Star Music in a Family Suite. We are doing the dining plan. There has been some talk of possible extension of the free dining...that would be great and we would be happy to take it if its available but heres my question. Most of the packages I see say that the package is based on 2 adults, a junior,and a child. We are sharing a suite with my inlaws so we would be 4 adults and a toddler, would we even qualify?

My MIL, has even discussed moving our trip to get free dining...but I thought I would ask this question anyway...thanks..

Hope I explained that well. Thanks in advance if anyone has any info. I love reading everyones excitement...I havent been to Disney since I was 8. I cant wait to go back...

Yes! Everyone in your party would get the free dining! The toddler depending on age may not qualify but can eat from your plate ! The toddler would have to be 3 yrs old to qualify for free dining. Just and FYI! Free dining then would just be speculation! I'm sure with this economy there will be a good offer but who knows what it will be??? If you want to lock in free dining book your trip starting on 10/3 which is the last day of the promo as long as your check in is that day you get free dining for up to 10 days !

 

[neatokimmo]

get free dining for up to 10 days !

Just for clarification, it isn't limited to 10 days, I booked a 14 day trip last week I didn't want anyone to think they'd have to split a long trip in two

 

[JadeDarkstar]

ok i do wish they would but if they dont I have figured out a way to save up to make the deposit by the time it says to but i did have a question.
dose any one know if I booked it for oct (just being safe an all) then if they had it open up at Christmas time could we change the dates. an would there be any big charges?)
We would much rather nov 29-dec 5 or 6th (my bdays nov 30th) sons is oct 3erd's so eathier way its for one of us.

 

[Goofy22]

ok i do wish they would but if they dont I have figured out a way to save up to make the deposit by the time it says to but i did have a question.
dose any one know if I booked it for oct (just being safe an all) then if they had it open up at Christmas time could we change the dates. an would there be any big charges?)
We would much rather nov 29-dec 5 or 6th (my bdays nov 30th) sons is oct 3erd's so eathier way its for one of us.

Yep you can definitely change the dates with no problems! No charges! God! I would be broke! Last year I changed my dates like 4 times before I finally kept August! So definitely the answer is yes you can!

 

[spider0215]

Would you upgrade to Deluxe dining??

I thought about it but my TA said unless i was doing several signature meals I was better off with the basic and just doing oop if needed. I figure I won't eat 3 full meals a day anyway.
Here's my strategy. Saving my change, what i have to cash in when I leave will be the extra food money. That way I'm covered for extra snacks if needed. If not it's a t shirt.

 

[splashmtnfan]

Would you upgrade to Deluxe dining??

It cost us $966 to upgrade 7 night 4 adult 1 child to Deluxe, and as I am going back Sept. 30- Oct. 5 FD we decided to just save the $ and use it on our next trip, and eat anything we may have missed on our second go round! Besides that pays 2/3 of our next trip!,( fewer people going ASM- Family Suites)

 

[disneynuts777]

Would you upgrade to Deluxe dining??

Yes...in a heart beat. Our family loves the signature places!!! We are total foodies when we are on vacation.
So with the deluxe plan we have a sit down breakfast, use our 2 snack credits during the day and have a nice signature dinner most nights.
So even though it is a $32 a night upgrade it is a bargin when I am enjoying my $60 surf and turf at Narcoosee's and have not had to pay for any other food all day as well!!!

 

[Tomh]

I thought briefly about going deluxe, but there is no way it would pay for it's self. The way I figure it, you would pretty much have to eat three TS meals a day, and get a few of the signature meals in there in order to realize and kind of real value from it.

There is no way I could spend the time it takes to have three table service meals a day. That seriously adds up to probably five hours, maybe more with traveling time, and waiting to be seated. We're there to enjoy the parks and rides, and want to spend most of our time doing that. I don't mind an hour or so for one good TS per day, it is some much deserved down time, but I don't want to devote half of our day to eating.

We stuck with the basic free dining. We're staying at a mod, so we get the mini fridge in the room, and a coffee maker. We'll bring along a basic toaster, so we can make toast, English muffins, waffles, pop tarts, and with hot water from the coffee maker we can make up instant oat meal. That will take care of breakfast (except on our MK days, when we have breakfast at CP). We'll have a couple of meals that will be OOP (Rainforest Cafe', T-Rex, and one other) and the rest will be covered by the free dining.

 

[mbanks21]

Deluxe Dine is $72 a night for adults. Hoop De Doo is $60+, as is Aloha, and you can easily order $50-60 worth of food at a signature restaurant. So basically for $10-20 a night you get another sit down meal and 2 snacks which could easily come to $30-40 oop

 

[Tomh]

Deluxe Dine is $72 a night for adults. Hoop De Doo is $60+, as is Aloha, and you can easily order $50-60 worth of food at a signature restaurant. So basically for $10-20 a night you get another sit down meal and 2 snacks which could easily come to $30-40 oop

I'm NOT saying that there aren't people who are plenty happy to eat two, or even three TS meals a day, and get in as many Signature meals as possible. For them, the Deluxe Dining Plan is well worth it.

For people who are there to go on rides, and experience other aspects of Disney, I think that the regular dining plan is more than enough. I personally would never spend that much of my vacation time sitting down eating, it just isn't what I'm going to Disney for.

 

[MapleGirl]

Hi,
I'm on the phone with CRO now. I asked the reservationist how the Free Dining has been selling and she said it has been a lot lower than they expected. She sounded pretty down about it. I wonder if they'll try to sweeten the deal in the coming months.