HUGE change in crowds for free dining!

[kimberh]

I was afraid there would be a lot of people there that didn't know about the Free Dining. Even on the Disney Web page, if you didn't go to specials, it would let you book you trip without the free dining. I priced mine one night and the price changed greatly and when I looked at it the dining was added on. We leave on Sunday, I sure hope the crowds are bearable.

 

[susan1]

hi
goody, if everybody is staying at disney and free dining, off site hotels and restaraunts should be quiet. (all the screaming kids will be elsewhere) maybe some good bargains as well! dennys were doing buy one get one free dinners last time. can't wait only 17 days

 

[BlindTyldak]

hi
goody, if everybody is staying at disney and free dining, off site hotels and restaraunts should be quiet. (all the screaming kids will be elsewhere) maybe some good bargains as well! dennys were doing buy one get one free dinners last time. can't wait only 17 days

When you land in Orlando, check around the airport, there were TONS of buy one/get one coupons and massive discount cards for International drive and area restaurants at the information kiosks and such when we were there last, also during a massive discount time.

 

[Pisces_Regina]

My two friends and I will be visiting WDW September 19-25, 2006. We are VERY excited about the free dining plan and our first-ever MNSSHP (on the 22)! How crowded do you think the parks/resorts will be during this time?

(Josh) (Michael) (Me)

 

[JESW]

We leave TOMORROW!!!

We went the same week last year and there was also free dining and it wasn't too bad. The Magic Kingdom is always the most crowded so you can't always go by that. There were crowds, but we found that end of June was more crowded than end of august.

End of august seems to have a lot of us northerners, the brits, and southerners without kids - due to the fact that most of them are back in school now.

I am just hoping that the real bad storms and hurricanes stay away. Last year we were racing Katrina home.

Have fun everyone who is going soon!

Jill

 

[pixiechick]

Well did you say why it was free? Saying "you know it's free, right" can give a very wrong impression to someone. It was free only if you booked a package from April to June and you had to call CRO. Not explaining that to someone might make things even more confusing if they try to book something next time and can't figure out why they all of a sudden have to pay for food.

And some of us going next week (tomorrow!!) with the dining plan will be paying for it because we couldn't get it free. We're DVC members and had to pay for the plan. Then again, we didn't have to pay rack rate for a room, so it all evens out in the end!

 

[treehugger]

hi
goody, if everybody is staying at disney and free dining, off site hotels and restaraunts should be quiet. (all the screaming kids will be elsewhere) maybe some good bargains as well! dennys were doing buy one get one free dinners last time. can't wait only 17 days

I'll take the screaming kids at Citroco's over the quiet at Denny's any day. And we don't even have children!

 

[DebbieB]

The person who did not know about free dining may have got a discount on their room instead.

 

[darlene9947]

I leave in 16 hours and I don't care how crowded it is...a crowded day at Disney is better than being at work

With all the info I've gotten on these boards, TGM and UG, I'm ready for anything!

And FREE DINING is just the icing on the cake.

 

[2trips06Mom]

Woo hoo - we leave tomorrow at 6am and we won't mind the crowds since we were there the last week of June (DH, DS's-2 19&17). We ended up scheduling a family reunion and there will now be 16 of us there starting tomorrow at POR. None of us would have been able to afford it without the free dining special! So we will endure the crowds, the heat and just make it relaxing and fun and since that was my first trip and this is my second, I don't know any better than dealing with large crowds! Can't wait to see ya'll there. I'll be the one with the big happy grin!

 

[zippnby]

I think it may have seemed crowded when free dining first hit. Many of the schools in the south don't go back until this monday. So parents may have decided to do one last hurahh before school started. I bet the by Monday there will be a drop in the crowds. That's why we arrive on Tuesday!!!!!!!!

 

[bluejasmine]

Well last yr we had free dining Aug 25th which is the same time we are going this yr. Last yr I noticed the crowds were a bit more than I expected with school back in but defanitely better than peak summer crowds. I guess what I am thinking is that this time around more ppl have heard about the free dining so more are going. I am really praying that the crowds thin out by the time we arrive Fri(25th) but I do know most of the TS places or the more popular ones are booked solid that entire week and the next. Also Ive noticed many DISers going around this time as well.. See everyone there by the way, be wearing your lime mickeys I will have mine on my mini back pack!

 

[pooch]

also arriving 8/25. I think many people changed their dates to hit the beginning of Free Dining just as many will be in early for F & W to get the tail end. I'm hoping that the start of school many places will cut back on the crowds at least a little for our timeframe 8/25 - 9/3. A bad (not sure this is possible) day at Disney is better than a great day at work!!!

 

[StacyPop]

Well-Broward County schools started this week and Miami-Dade starts next week, so I bet it will be much better beginning next week. A lot of people drive up for the week before school starts-I would expect it to be like that.
We have gone every year for the last 10 years on the week after Labor Day-and there are no crowds-I never even knew there was free dining!

 

[MScott1851]

I got online and checked random school calendars around the US, and as far as I could tell, almost EVERYONE is back in school by the week of Labor Day.

Therefore, we arrive that Thursday.

I'm expecting no crowds, as is usual in September.

 

[ReneeA]

WOW! I wonder if it's that much different than last year...we were there from Aug 21-28 last year, and it wasn't bad at all. The only times we noticed big crowds were during the evening EMH's.

Leaving in 8 days, and hoping for crowds like last year!!

 

[exwdwcm]

we leave in a few hours! i am not too worried about it- i'll be at disney, so i'll deal with it! we'll use good planning and FP. we have ADR's, should be fine. see some of you there!!