Free Dining..what do you think?

[WeLoveLilo05]

We are all booked for Aug 19-26th...I booked last year w/ a free dining promotion....
Wondering if anyone has heard any rumors about them offering it again? I see the promo they have now ends the 13th of Aug.

My parents are thinking of coming with us

 

[Bete]

that ends 4-30 is by invitation only via pincodes; it's not a general public offer. That's the one that doesn't go beyond 8-13. I'm thinking if anything more will be offered this way it will be after 4-30. Many on these boards are not feeling confident about more free dining offers for the fall and winter. Also, it may be with a pincode offer and not a general offer for free dining.

The only option you may get into for your exact dates is to share your current room with your parents if you have capacity to do so. I'm not sure who all is your party. You can do up to 4 adults in the same room; so, you could add them to your own existing reservation. If they would share half the cost with you for the trip then everyone wins financially. You do have to be accomodating to each other this way. If you use the room to just sleep and clean up this can be very doable and very affordable. You would need to double check with Disney reservations that this is doable under your existing reservation.

Otherwise, they may have to pay full toll for those exact dates. The other option is to change your dates all together if you have the current pin code free dining offer. Then you both can have separate rooms and free dining.

Supposedly, as the rumors are being discussed there is an overall feeling that discount offers will be less and not as good as they've been over the last two years. I'm hoping for December deals myself; so, I'm waiting patiently.

 

[boufa]

It should be noted that no one knows what the future holds for discounts. Disney has said that they are cutting back, and holding off a little longer may allow them to see if people will book at full rate.

I would not count on any discounts coming up, and then be thrilled when they do. The advantage of booking with (most) travel agents is that they will adjust you booking to get you the best rate, so if Disney comes out with any kind of discount they will try to get it for you IF it is a better price.

The other option is to book, hope and then cancel before your final payment is due... you will have to put down a deposit, but so long as you cancel by the final due date you will get it all back.

 

[tinka-belle]

I have no Disney crystal ball, but a few years back when the economy was good WDW offered free dining to fill their rooms during the slow September period. I've seen it start late (toward the end of August, usually just before Labor Day) and end early (third week or so in September for check-in), but there was FD offered.

The FD promotion has been the most successful for Disney in filling rooms during an off period for travel. I've been in travel business for 20+ years, and September is an off travel month for just about anywhere in the USA.

The offers, if they do materialize, might not be as good though. September is "value 2" season, not as low as January now for room rates, and any FD offer might just be QSDP for most resorts, but I predict there will be something. Might be just by PIN code, might be a GP offer, hard to say. Most people ('cept us DISers!) don't make plans 9 to 12 months ahead and didn't take advantage of the FD booking peiod that ended 12/20/10. I'm sure there are still large numbers of on site rooms to fill.

 

[Colleen27]

I think we'll see something good for the fall value season. Even in a much stronger economy Disney had to offer discounts to fill rooms at that time of year, because it is the slowest time of year for family travel and a bad time to visit Florida weather-wise (hot as heck and the peak of hurricane season). So I do believe a general public code will come, but it'll come later than it has the last few years to give Disney a chance to gauge demand (and hopefully that analysis isn't too skewed by all the people who booked at rack rate counting on being able to apply a free dining offer later!).

As much as Disney would like to scale back the discounts, the fact that they're still offering free dining (even if it is only a PIN code) through even the peak summer season tells me that demand isn't quite strong enough to scale back significantly for such a low-occupancy time of year.

Where I think discounts are going to get more iffy is 4th quarter. Crowd levels have been well above the planning/prediction sites' estimates through Food & Wine and the holiday season for the last couple years. And between Columbus Day, Jersey Week, Thanksgiving, Pop Warner, and Christmas break - not to mention the Disney Halloween & Christmas events - there are plenty of reasons for people to travel during that time of year. That would be a logical time for Disney to test the waters with dramatically reduced discounts.

 

[nooneshome]

I don't know what the dates will be but I would bet that FD is offered again for some time from August to December. The economy is still in the tank and gas prices are still high so expect WDW to have another great offer.

PS - We aren't big eaters so the FD isn't a super bargain for us but we still love it. We have more resort breakfasts and we do love those snacks. Last time we had the FD QSDP was in November so we didn't pig out on the cold treats. I see lots of ice cream and such during our May trip. Don't forget all the waters we can get instead of desserts.

 

[DanaAustinChelsea]

Today, we called to check for Pin Codes again & specifically asked about Free Dining coming back. I was told that she was not supposed to say anything but to check back closer to June. Crossing fingers for FREE Dining mid to late August.

 

[boufa]

Disney cast members are actually one of the worst sources of info on future promotions. Having said that the unstoppable rise in gas prices is a good sign for free dining. We are traveling from ohio and it might make me think twice about going... 1000 miles each way. It would not take too many people who had similar thoughts to drive the promotions stratagy.

I was even considering changing from pop to ft wilderness and camp to save some money, but the extra gas costs to bring and suv instead of a car to carry the additional camping gear makes it cheaper to pay the extra for the hotel.

 

[mickeynut1]

As others have said, there is no way of knowing what Disney will do as far as future discounts . Free dining has already been offered to the general public for August/Sept, which had to be booked by 12/20/10. IMO, the only way Disney will offer free dining again for that time is if they didn't fill enough rooms with the first running of the promo . But again, Disney could surprise us all with another promo .