How many people will be in Disney for the Free dining?

[Allensfan]

I had already booked and paid for my trip in Sept and booked the dining. Of course, now I am on the free dining...but I thought Sept was super low season but it sounds like most people here are going during that time. I guess I should expect larger crowds because of the deals.

Since we have never have been to Disney (I went once as a child but I am the only one) I wanted to know what to expect.

Also...everyone *here* is talking about the dining, but I wonder if the average public even knows about these deals. What are your thoughts on that?

Thanks

 

[p2oh]

I for one changed my plans. I was going the 15th-22nd of October and paying for dining. Now we are going 9/30-10/8. Staying an extra day and saving money. I think a lot of people on this board are going but I don't think that is an accurate represenation of all Disney World travelers.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

We changed our November ressies! and i don't know about the general public i mentioned it in passing to some family memebers and they were like HUH?!?! so who knows!

We are checking in September 29th at POP!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

I can only speak from my own experience. We have gone in September the past two years. First year- low crowds. Last year- free dining- again really low crowds. I didn't see any effect in the crowd size with free dining offered. Still got to ride Kali River Rapids as many times in a row as we wanted!!!! Free dining is to try to encourage people to come during hurricane season! And as far as the general public...you wouldn't believe how many people we had met who had PAID for dining last year when it was offered for free. Unless people are on these boards- it's hard to learn about deals!

 

[Allensfan]

I hope I don't sound like a bad person, but..whew..that made me feel better. We certainly did not mind paying for the dining and I am glad it was offered but I was worried about the crowds. My husband does not enjoy himself in really crazy crowds so I researched the lowest times to go and it just so happened to be during my ds birthday. So of course we booked and then the free dining was offered and my husband worried that the crowds would be huge....Sigh, I just felt like I could not win.

If anyone has experience on my travel dates 9-10 through 9-16, I would really love any advice or help. I love these boards, everyone here is so wonderful...just like Disney!

M

 

[Letsbgoofy]

I called my friend who is going at the end of August as we are. She hadn't heard about the free dining. I don't know how someone not on boards like these hear about it.

Last August we saw so many people at our resort and at restaurants paying for food, I was surprised. Crowds were the lowest I have ever experienced at the end of August - maybe because of Katrina?

It does sound like the last few days of September going into early October might be busier as many people change their October/November trip to get the free dining...but again, that's just people on the boards.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

well then let me just say thank God for the DIS!!

 

[#1Disfann]

My family (me, DH and DD) already had ressies last August 31 - Sept. 8 and when the free dining came out we adjusted our ressie to include it and I was also worried how it would impact the crowds. The 31st was a Wednesday and from that day thru Friday everything was a walk on!! On Saturday the crowds picked up quite a bit (as in shoulder to shoulder - it was Labor Day weekend ) and then thinned down a bit around Tuesday. We were not even planning a trip this year till the free dining came out again so when I booked I did it for Aug. 22-29 so we will be out of there before the Labor Day crowd comes in and hopefully it's like it was our first 3 days last year - Walk on conditions!! Hope you all have great trips!

 

[maddhatir]

I hope I don't sound like a bad person, but..whew..that made me feel better. We certainly did not mind paying for the dining and I am glad it was offered but I was worried about the crowds. My husband does not enjoy himself in really crazy crowds so I researched the lowest times to go and it just so happened to be during my ds birthday. So of course we booked and then the free dining was offered and my husband worried that the crowds would be huge....Sigh, I just felt like I could not win.

If anyone has experience on my travel dates 9-10 through 9-16, I would really love any advice or help. I love these boards, everyone here is so wonderful...just like Disney!

M

Dont feel like a bad person--- actually i had to appologize a few weeks back when there was only "talk" of a good deal coming out in the fall.....i said i chose sept for the low crowds and would rather PAY for my dining (or full room price if that was the case) and there NOT be a good deal for everyone else! at least for the time I would be there.

i feel the same as your husband- i cant deal with large crowds-- DH and I have been to disney 10 times prior to our sept 06 trip and we keep trying a new month each time we go b/c you can barely find a low crowd month anymore-- we go and pick sept- and now we have the free dining.

but what i have read from posters who have been there prior during free dining- it all seems good.

BUT-- i mentioned this on another thread-- i read somehwere that there are only a limited # of free dining promotions-- so i am guessing not everyone that books/or trys to book their trip during that time will get it.....and maybe that will discourage some from coming during sept. if they wont get a good deal.

 

[missmun52]

I am going aug 27 - sept 2. I booked this trip before i knew about the dining then re-booked yesterday 4/4 when it was avalible to those without the disney card. It is only limited to a certain number and most people dont even know about it. I dont think it will effect crowds so much that it will cause all 4 parks to be overcrowded.
I myself am disney obsessed and i seach the internet night and day for the best deals. When one comes up i cancel my trip then rebook, or when possible have the promotion added on to my current trip. I cant affod not to.
I think many people can and they dont do that so dont worry.
We all know about it because most of use are disney obsessed too

 

[Allensfan]

I could hug every one of you for making me feel better.

As much as I hate to say it, I too would rather pay more to go at the low crowd times. In fact, the deal is not a super one for us...we are only a family of 3 and we were already saving $300.00 off our room through AAA...so with paying full price for the room and getting the deal...we saved $230.00. So yes a savings, but enough for our low key Disney Vacation to turn into a sea of people, not for us.

But for some people, I know this value allows them to go to Disney and I am very happy for them

So it sounds like Sept 10-16 will be okay afterall. Thanks to everyone for putting up with me.

M.

 

[daisyduck123]

Well, we didn't change our plans...we're still going in May for 9 days...but...

WE JUST ADDED ANOTHER TRIP...checking in at POP on Aug. 13th for 1 week!!

 

[maddhatir]

Well, we didn't change our plans...we're still going in May for 9 days...but...

WE JUST ADDED ANOTHER TRIP...checking in at POP on Aug. 13th for 1 week!!

THERE YOU GO! DONT CHANGE YOUR PLANS JUST ADD MORE!

 

[lustergirl]

We went last year in September with the free dining plan and the crowds were minimal. We are going again 9/19-9/26 and don't expect huge crowds this year either. I believe alot of people don't know about the great offers that Disney makes for us.

 

[Threeriversdisneyfan]

We went the last week of Sept and practically walked on most rides for most part, with a few rare crowds. My guess the Food and Wine festival, EHM's and Halloween party affected the crowds more than free dinning. The majority of the people I talked to (except at TS restaurants), didn't know about free dinning and a good portion didn't even her of the Dinning plan in general. Like I saw in eariler post Disney limits the number of free dinning packages to each number of resorts. The key word is "limits", is I can't see more than 10 % of the rooms being set aside for free Dinning. If you think of the math Let's say 10000 people are visiting a park in Value season, maybe a conservative guess that 3000 to 4000 are Disney resort guests, and if only 10% of those are on free Dinning that leaves an extra 300 to 400 guests in a park in one day. Hardly that much of a difference in whether a park gets crowded or not. At that time many other factors would affect the crowds, special events, locals, and even weather.

 

[FINFAN]

All I know is.....after eating like Kings for 8 days...my family will be a little "larger" making for a slightly more crowded park.... Seriously....I am thinking the seats on the rides are gonna feel different on day 8 than they did on day 1. I am supposed to lose 10 lbs PRIOR to the trip...now I will need to make it 20 to make up for the 10 I will gain. Maybe DDP is not the best idea for my families health.


Pam

 

[phyllisnnj]

Free Dining is being advertised on the Disney website so more folks are going to know about it http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/index

But I still think you're safe since you're going after the kids are back in school.

 

[WDWTravel]

It will be much busier, and walking in to most of the more popular restaurants for dinner will be difficult if not impossible. If you have booked a res with the dining plan make sure you make your dining reservations well in advance! I took my family last year during the special and every night while we were waiting to be seated we watched many families -- more than we could count -- walk in to try to get on the list to be seated and they were told there was no availability for the rest of the evening!

 

[missmun52]

Well i am starting to think that crowds might be affected a little more than i thought before. Disney just sent me there "Hello" ( the new news letter they have) talking about the free dining. So i figure that everyone thats signed up with them now know about it and so does everyone who goes on the site. Free dining is a huge this, i am saving about $470 and thats just for two people. Some people will save twice that much.
I guess you just have to wait and see, you never know right????

 

[gopack]

We have been to Disney in September the last two years. Last year with free dining was no more crowded than the year before without the free dining. We had ADRs but we were easily able to change a couple of them the day of our dining. Some places such as CRT, Chef Mickeys, and 1900 Park Fare were very crowded, but many were not at capacity.