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

[Disneycrums]

Sorry if this is a stupid question or if it has already been asked...if you have already reserved your package with dining can you still get fd? Or do you have to have a reserved package without dining and then call with the free dining code and add it?

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Sorry if this is a stupid question or if it has already been asked...if you have already reserved your package with dining can you still get fd? Or do you have to have a reserved package without dining and then call with the free dining code and add it?

If you already have a vacation package booked, just call Disney reservations and have them add the code to your package when it comes out in April.

And, no, you do not have to have an existing reservation, you can make a new reservation the day the code comes out.

You can get the free dining discount either way.

 

[mermaid&cinderella]

Well regardless I am waiting until FD is announced and hopefully I will get my CBR preferred room. Fingers crossed! Does anyone think that will be an issue if I wait a week after its announced since I will be out of teh country?

 

[O_Jr71]

Each resort is only alloted so many free dining rooms. The Pop and All-Star Movies tend to fill up first. So, let's say you are planning on staying at Pop or already have a room booked at Pop. You need to call as soon as possible so you can get one of those rooms or so you can add the code to your existing reservation. I always tell people to have a back up resort in mind when you call for free dining just in case your first choice is already booked up.

wow...thank you very much for the info and the quick response

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Can't remember where I read it now, but I heard that IF they offer free dining (and these days nothing is guaranteed) whether you get the DDP or the new QSDP will depend on what level of resort you book. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Well, I am booked at a value resort and have the regular dining plan, and as I stated before, I was offered the DxDP at the discounted price.

Suzanne

 

[TillyMarigold]

Following ... was planning to go mid-Sept. anyway and book early April, might as well keep an eye on what gets announced ...

 

[meljw1960]

wow...thank you very much for the info and the quick response

I can vouch for the fact that you can't always keep your original ressie. last year we had 2 preferred rooms booked at POP when free dining came out, my TA informed me that we could either stay at POP in a standard room, or move to ASsp in preferred rooms. we ended up moving to Sports. And YES, our res. # s stayed the same, BUT... obviously our room res. was canceled at POP. so yes, I guess MODIFY would be the correct term.,

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

Originally Posted by SelfEmployedDebtFree View Post
I just got off the phone with WDW (paying for my May trip) and I asked the CM if there was any new news about the free dining. He said ((quoting word for word)) "No, no news yet, but we have a lot of people calling, and we expect it to be released any day now".

I'd like to stress the bold above...
No need to call. You will know here when it happens. Trust me... you'll know.

Also like to point out (AGAIN) that there ARE other deals going at the same time. So dont assume that free dining is the best option for you!!!!! Do your homework! Check the codes page at Mousesavers for starters, and there are pages here as well.

Here's an example: (not dining related)
We were booked for May on the buy 4 get 3 free deal. We're already paid. I got to looking at the total price and thought "That's not a bargain!" So I called and asked why I was paying over $100 a night for POP in standard season. The CM then reminded me that I was buying a one day park ticket per person for all 4 of us. (DOUGH!!! as Homer says) I forgot about that. So we ARE getting a deal after all!
Well then I happen to spot an AP code at Mousesavers, and it looked CHEAPER that the buy 4 get 3 free deal that I have already.
My thinking was :
1) I have APs, so I dont need MYW passes. This will save me money "now". They can credit my credit card the difference.
2) I can rebook with JUST the AP code and cancel the other trip. I would then only have to make the down payment, and if we got sick and had to cancel at the last second (I'm not big on insurance) I'm not out but $200, because I can pay the remainder when I get there as opposed to NOW.
(sounds good)
3) No MYW passes to keep up with or lose. No waiting in line at guest services to trade in my MYW passes when I renew my APs.
4) The AP rate was showing less per night than the buy 4 get 3 free rate.

So I asked the CM if I was correct, and she said "YES! You ARE correct on all 4 points! Very good thinking! Let's check that!" Then we discovered that the first 4 days of my stay were weekdays, and the AP code didnt discount any more for weekends, but the Buy 4 get 3 free gave me the weekend dates for free... so it saved me about $150!!! Needless to say I kept it the way it was.

My point in all that is I wouldn't have known if I hadn't checked. We're all on a free dining thread, so it's safe to assume we are all trying to save money here. Do your homework for yourself and you'll be more assured that you made the right choices.

 

[aubriee]

Well, I am booked at a value resort and have the regular dining plan, and as I stated before, I was offered the DxDP at the discounted price.

Suzanne

We upgraded to the DxDDP for free dining last Sept. The DxDDP is not really discounted, you just pay the difference between what the DxDDP would have cost and what the regular DDP costs. It's about $30.00 a day to upgrade.

The OP needs to know that he can't just go in and order tons of anything. With the regular DDP you get one CS, one TS, and one snack a day. You get an entree, drink, and dessert with the CS and an entree (no appetizer), a nonalcoholic drink, and a dessert with the TS. Drinks with special glasses or light up cubes are not included, but most places do allow shakes and smoothies for beverages for adults. Tips are not included, but tax is.

The reason I mention this, is that last summer I had a coworker who got a travel agent that knew absolutely nothing about Disney or the DDP. He sold her the DDP, then told her it would give her front of the line access in every restauraunt and that she could eat as much as she could hold and order whatever she wanted at any restaurant (multiple entrees if she wanted). Neither he nor she knew anything about making ADRs. When I found out and tried to correct the little info he had given her, she called him and he said that with the DDP she would automatically be seated before everyone else and was guaranteed a seat in any restaurant she wanted to dine at. All she had to do was show her card. He told her ADRs were not needed, as long as you had the DDP. Thankfully since he has never been to Disney and she knows I go several times a year, she chose to believe me and we were able to get her into some good restaurants. This was the last week of July/first week of August by the way.

 

[kmvand1]

I do not use Travel Agents and I have always booked all of our trips to Disney myself. In 2007 and 2008 I booked packages months in advance of the free dining offer being announced. When the FD offer was released I called Disney Reservations directly and added the code to my existing package reservation. My reservation number stayed the same and they did not have to cancel anything.

Yes, sorry Disneyfalcon - wrong again! I too book directly with Disney. NO cancellation to my original package. My gosh people! It is just added to the orginial package. I am not sure what the procedure is if you use a TA, but with Disney directly, there in NO CANCELLATION when you add the Free Dining code.

 

[livinlife25]

i think its funny how rude some people are.....when they could be wrong.....tact people. even if you think you are right, do it nicely

 

[princess&her4princes]

Booked FD last year with AAA, with a package . I told my AAA TA to call the day it opened up to the general public and she did all the calling and e-mailed me the same time. It was great. While we were there in Sept. we did the bounceback for this year with Disney and when we got home we transfered the package to AAA and a few weeks ago we changed our dates and that was done with our AAA TA with no problems.

Thanks for putting my mind at ease!!!

 

[faindrops27]

That is exactly what I was trying to describe!

Disneyfalcon. I did not want to add to the "debate". But, you are right.

Anyway, I am interested in your avatar. Can you tell me how you got it. I would like one. Thanks.

 

[kmvand1]

i think its funny how rude some people are.....when they could be wrong.....tact people. even if you think you are right, do it nicely

Excuse me? Just go back through the threads last year that were debating this very same issue and you will see what happened. Please don't chastise me or call me rude when you can check the facts for yourself. Tactful enough?

 

[livinlife25]

Excuse me? Just go back through the threads last year that were debating this very same issue and you will see what happened. Please don't chastise me or call me rude when you can check the facts for yourself. Tactful enough?

Did I quote you???? I was speaking in general, NOT about you in particular

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Yes, sorry Disneyfalcon - wrong again! I too book directly with Disney. NO cancellation to my original package. My gosh people! It is just added to the orginial package. I am not sure what the procedure is if you use a TA, but with Disney directly, there in NO CANCELLATION when you add the Free Dining code.

Wow! That was incredibly rude. I'm not sure why you're taking this so personally? In later posts, I said modify might be a better word. The point is you can't do it if there's not availability. Like others have attested to in this thread.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

Disneyfalcon. I did not want to add to the "debate". But, you are right.

Anyway, I am interested in your avatar. Can you tell me how you got it. I would like one. Thanks.

Thanks faindrops.

My avatar was made by another Diser named Andy. He is a wonderful animator and very generously made a few for some of us. I love it too!

 

[ZeroToHero]

I can vouch for the fact that you can't always keep your original ressie. last year we had 2 preferred rooms booked at POP when free dining came out, my TA informed me that we could either stay at POP in a standard room, or move to ASsp in preferred rooms. we ended up moving to Sports. And YES, our res. # s stayed the same, BUT... obviously our room res. was canceled at POP. so yes, I guess MODIFY would be the correct term.,

kmvand1, I would like to point you to a fact right above that you may have missed.

I also ask you if there are certain rooms that are blocked off for free dining, wouldn't they have to modify your reservation to put you into one of those? So they do cancel your room.

And I mean, when you call to book, you could always ask the CM.. they would know, right?

 

[kmvand1]

Wow! That was incredibly rude. I'm not sure why you're taking this so personally? In later posts, I said modify might be a better word. The point is you can't do it if there's not availability. Like others have attested to in this thread.

I am just taking it as personally as you are. If most people took the time to check posts regarding this issue from previous years, they could see for themselves. You can't book anything without availability, can you? Also, people cancel sometimes before a deposit is made, so rooms are always opening up even after showing no availabilities. Now have your coffee.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

I am just taking it as personally as you are. If most people took the time to check posts regarding this issue from previous years, they could see for themselves. You can't book anything without availability, can you? Also, people cancel sometimes before a deposit is made, so rooms are always opening up even after showing no availabilities. Now have your coffee.

Nope, not taking it personally at all until your post. I'm hopefully not being rude to anyone who disagrees. If I was, I apologize. I didn't mean to start this again, I was just answering someone who asked if they should book now. I was trying to explain that it wouldn't help. That's all.