Free Dining, Who Got It, and What Did You Get?

[ThruTheEyesOfMyChild]

I called to changed my ressie and wa sonly on hold for 4 minutes just now. Going on 8/23 to 9/1....needed to changed 8/23 to room only ressie and the rest to package with free dining. Well, I had it!!!...until I offered her my American Express #....UGH!!! I did not realize it was for Disney Visa holders today only!! She was real nice though and told me to just watch the Disney website for the announcement to the public. So here I sit!

 

[tinkerbell60]

We got free dining!!!

I already posted this on the other thread but wanted to get someone's opinion on our savings!

I was on hold for at least 50 mins. and total of 1hr. 4 mins. 18 sec. on my cell phone doing my hair, putting on makeup then driving to work!!!!

Okay, I may need help w/this:

We are trying to estimate the savings so here is what we have come up w/so far:

We got POR for 7 nights, 5 people, 1 day base ticket, and free dining for 9/20/08 - 9/27/08.

$1675.35 - Total

DH estimated (he thinks this is the low side) that w/ free dining, we could save approx. $735.00? Here is how he broke it down:

$5.00 - bkfst/lunch
$1.00 - snack
$15.00 - Dinner

Which would make our hotel $562.00? And of course I believe the tickets were $378.00.

Are we thinking right? I hope so! Of the many times we have been to Disney over the past 23 years, we have never done a package or dining.

Thanks Dis'ers for giving the heads up on free dining!!!
__________________

That estimate is DEFINATELY on the low side. You saved a lot more than that on food!!!

 

[Nicole786]

Did they lower the cost of the DxDDP? Or can you just choose that and its still free?

 

[mousiemom]

i set my alarm for 5:45am this morning cause we are central time zone here, i waited for 30 mins. and said shut, " i've got to get in the shower!" so without waking my dh up, i shaved me legs holding on to the phone and then jumped completely in the shower and still was on hold until 7:50 there time. now, that's wanting to get free dining!! i listened to every disney song that was made. i had a ressie @ pop so we did another ressie w/the free dining and i had to add someone to our room so this was the total:
3 adults w/4day hopper w/water parks
1 child
6 nights
free dining
$1900
i am so excited now. i can sit back and relax. all i have to do now is try to lose some weight before i gain it in aug. the cm said how do all of you know about this? she said,"we didn't find out about it till yesterday", are you on the disboard?" i said, have been since 2005!!!
good luck to everyone!!
mousiemom

 

[GoofyTraci]

i dont have a disney visa so will have to wait till offered to general public but are all resorts offered in the free dinning? I have mostly heard the value resorts.

thanks

 

[sandybobandy]

Got it! All Star Sports 9/20-9/24 for $524 We moved it up a week in order to get free dining. Woooot woo!

 

[Angela0917]

Can you book a trip with the free dining code if we have annual passes? How does that work?

 

[MHTeacher]

i set my alarm for 5:45am this morning cause we are central time zone here, i waited for 30 mins. and said shut, " i've got to get in the shower!" so without waking my dh up, i shaved me legs holding on to the phone and then jumped completely in the shower and still was on hold until 7:50 there time. now, that's wanting to get free dining!! i

ME TOO!!! I set the clock for 5:45 as well, but woke up at 5:30 and could never go back to sleep...too excited. I started calling at two minutes until 6 Central time. I got the "we're currently closed.." message about 4 times. Each time, I'd hang up and call again. Got through at 6:01 central time, was on hold for about an hour. I showered with my cell phone on speaker phone, and basically got ready for work, patiently waiting.

Anyway...I got POR, water view, for 5 nights, 4A, 1C, 6 day hoppers for $2290. I was able to book two rooms with my visa ( a deposit for each room). Our friends are going with us. They got the same thing, except they have a 2 year old that doesn't need a ticket, so their rate was approx. $2000. YEAH!!

 

[WithFaith50]

POR 2 Adults standard view, 1-day base tickets, w/ Deluxe Dining plan
September 20 - 27:

$1,774.88

Yippee!

CM answered in a couple of minutes. Total transaction took about 20 minutes.

 

[wdwmaw]

Can you book a trip with the free dining code if we have annual passes? How does that work?

Yes you can but you will need to have evryone in your party a 1 day base ticket to get the free dining. Hey its an investment for you next AP since the 1 day base will never expire.

 

[fabulousgirl]

This is my first time doing this, but I got CSR this morning when I called. It was great. I am in Central Time, so I got up at 5:50am. I already had reservations for a Grand Gathering on 8/30- 9/6. When I called the Grand Gathering #, I held about 7 minutes. The rest is history! My email confirmation arrived within an hour. Now I have to figure out where we actually want to eat. I only have 1 reservation made, so I better get started. This is our first trip with our 3 kids, as well as the first trip for my parents!! My in-laws are going too! There are a lot of restaurants, so I will be watching the dining boards for recommendations.

 

[Jenvenza]

I may sound like a dummy here, but have never done this before - We are planning our stay September 20 - 26 - Will we still qualify for free dining the entire time? Or will I need to move my trip up?

 

[ReadingMama]

Have not booked yet.

What are phone numbers to book reservations?? And what time are they open?? Want to call first thing on thursday, although it sounds like I will be on hold for a long time.

Are the deluxes excluded from FD this year, is that right??

 

[ShhhQ]

Congrats to everyone that got exactly what they wanted....
I am a bit jealous since I have to wait till Thursday and I got really antsy when I heard anyone getting Pop especially between the dates of Aug 31-Sept 5!!!!!
Good luck to those still waiting along with me!

I work midnights and thursday morning I will get off work at 6am.... I usually go to bed around 7-8am.... but I know I will be too wound up to sleep waiting for my DU agent to email me!!!!

 

[denman007]

I may sound like a dummy here, but have never done this before - We are planning our stay September 20 - 26 - Will we still qualify for free dining the entire time?

YES.

 

[Taterella]

I'm still waiting to hear. TA is on hold again.

I'm currently booked at AK villas 9/20-9/26, but they aren't participating in the offer, so, interrupted by errands, family phone calls, and cardio class, we have decided to move to AKL-club floor, 2 rooms instead of 1 villa.

So, free dining will end up costing me $142 extra. I don't think that's how this is supposed to work?

 

[robin09]

We're in! POFQ 8/25/08 - 08/31/08 6 nights
2 adults 1 child
6 day base theme park tickets for the 3 of us
1772.16 Wondering If I could've done better? AAA rate? One of my friends mentioned she got waterpark and more on hers for free.. .. Is that possible? But either way! Got the free dining, made my ADR's I'm sooo happy!

 

[castanhope]

I apologize in advance if this has been asked before, haven't had time to read through all the pages... Anyway, I know people have said they are qualifying for free dining even if their stay extends beyond the end of the offer dates, but I'm wondering about the opposite. If you begin your stay BEFORE free dining starts but your stay extends into the free dining period, will you qualify? Thanks!

Christina

 

[goofy4tink]

Just wanted to check in...my DU agent emailed me about 9:00 this morning....she got me preferred POP, for 3 adults, one day park passes, for Sept 4-7, for $548.....I was paying (with AAA discount) $468 for the room and a 3 day park pass for DD.....for $80 more, I get dining for 3 days for the 3 of us....works for me!!! This is my first FD stay....I think I may get used to this.

 

[LilGMom]

Ok... really stupid Free Dining Question coming up, you've been warned. We have seasonal APs so we've never been eligible for free dining so I am totally clueless about how it works (DH would say I'm clueless about other things too but we don't listen to him).

Do you have to book MYW tickets for your entire stay? Does everyone in your room have to book MYW tickets (three of us will already have our APs and we'd be buying our 3 yr. old his first AP). The prices they are showing on wdwinfo are just for the rooms right and don't include tickets (you were warned earlier) right? If we book using the Disney Visa dates (meaning before free dining gets offered to even more masses) do we have to book with our Disney Visa? It would be a deposit greater than one nights' stay right?

Anything else you can provide me for the quick and dirty beginner lesson would be appreciated. Thanks!