ITS COMING -Nov. 2014 Free Dining - waiting, watching, wishing & worrying thread

[christyk2002]

Count us in! We're doing cruise on Disney dream nov 14-17 then already booked all star movies for nov 17-21!!! Yay!!

Anyone know if there has ever been a minimum number of days you need to stay to get FD in the past?

Can't wait!!!

 

[disneynewbee]

Looking at the first couple weeks of November. My dates are flexible so hoping to get a free dining deal. Don't know if we can swing it without. Hoping and praying, I need a vacation.

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

Joining in....Hope to book 5 days/4 nights for Nov 1st.....I would be happy with a room only discount for this trip..

Looking at booking POR and last year we got the room only discount rate for early November at PFQ.

I just looked and it was August 1st when I booked, so that must have been when they released the Nov discount dates.... Don't think I will wait that long..Will probably go ahead and book our package in May and then if we get a discount apply it....

I used to get a pin code on occasion, but it has been a while...

 

[lindsey]

Joining - want to go in November for a few day (hoping to include the Wine & Dine 5k)

 

[dakotix]

The wait wouldn't be tolerable without this: Reedy Creek Radio (Walt Disney Parks music)

 

[jcano]

Hoping for mid-November. FD would be awesome!

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

The wait wouldn't be tolerable without this: Reedy Creek Radio (Walt Disney Parks music)

Totally agree! I get through my day with the Disney radio stations on Live365!!

Love it!!!! Keeps Disney in my life till I get there...Can not believe I have to wait till November!!!

 

[MiceFan]

We had a snow day so I spent it comparing costs for our November trip. I decided that without free dining, we are better off paying out of pocket for meals.

With free dining, I'd like to try a few new table service restaurants: Raglan Road, Plaza, Hoop De Doo, and 'Ohana for dinner. If we're paying out of pocket, we'll mostly eat counter service. Either way, we'll do breakfast in our room this trip, it's our first time driving so we'll be able to make a grocery stop along the way.

I'm still hoping for free dining but as long as we can at least get a room only discount I think we can stay under $3,500 without feeling like we're sacrificing anything!

Waiting is the hardest part.

 

[Melany502]

Joining in! Hoping to book 11/15-11/22

 

[MrsPinup]

We are hoping to go at the beginning of November, staying at Pop or Sports. This will be our first family trip to WDW and I am so overwhelmed. I am a DL veteran, but Florida is over my head We will go whenever FD is available, honestly.

 

[dakotix]

We are hoping to go at the beginning of November, staying at Pop or Sports. This will be our first family trip to WDW and I am so overwhelmed. I am a DL veteran, but Florida is over my head We will go whenever FD is available, honestly.

I havent been to DL since '78! I think a trip there is coming next after this year's trip to WDW in NOvember. If you are hoping for free dining, the last few years its been offered after the 8th/9th/10th. In other words plan for the second week of Nov. By no means are past dates indicative of how Disney will promote FD this year (i.e. Stay/Play/Dine) but its always a good idea to remain flexible. Remember, dont book air until you know for sure when free dining is. Good luck!

 

[lazer]

And, the marathon is the 8th and Veterans Day the 10th...adding jersey week and it'll be interesting!

 

[dakotix]

And, the marathon is the 8th and Veterans Day the 10th...adding jersey week and it'll be interesting!

Never heard of Jersey week. All crowd calendars I've looked at never gave any reference to that so I was curious. I found this bit of info on it:
Dad's November Disney World crowds page

http://www.dadsguidetowdw.com/november-disney-world-crowds-and-jersey-week.html

Now, lets move on to November Disney World crowds and Jersey week.

Jersey Week is the creation of someone with an overactive imagination. Every year the first or second week of November, the New Jersey schools dismiss classes on Thursday and Friday. The story is that every family in New Jersey packs up and goes to Walt Disney World for the whole week and the crowds are uncontrollable.

It's not true. Yes, you will run into a few people from New Jersey but the crowd levels are historically low. (To see the historical daily crowd numbers for November go to Touringplans.com. They have a database with the numbers all the way back to 2006.)

I get this question every year. Here is a link to some feedback I got about November Disney World crowds and Jersey week from last years question.

Does anyone know if "Jersey Week" is a real thing or is it more of a curiosity that appears in the parks during certain periods of the year like gay days?

 

[dansdad]

Does anyone know if "Jersey Week" is a real thing or is it more of a curiosity that appears in the parks during certain periods of the year like gay days?

It's a real thing as in there is an influx of guests from NJ that week. However, it does not have any affect on crowds, IMHO.

 

[TSirgey]

We are planning on booking Nov 9-15. I haven't been there since 2006 so I feel like a total novice when it comes to the dining and free dining. How do you take advantage if you are already booked? It would be great if they did offer it because we really want to do the deluxe plan.

 

[lazer]

It's a real thing as in there is an influx of guests from NJ that week. However, it does not have any affect on crowds, IMHO.

Agreed, we've been during it twice. Met a lot of NJ people, but no affect on crowds at all!

 

[tyniknate]

We are planning on booking Nov 9-15. I haven't been there since 2006 so I feel like a total novice when it comes to the dining and free dining. How do you take advantage if you are already booked? It would be great if they did offer it because we really want to do the deluxe plan.

Hi. Thanks for joining us. If you already have your reservations booked you just wait until the promo is offered. Obviously the Dis will be a great place to keep your eyes/ears open for what will be offered and when. Then either call your travel agent or disney direct (if that's how you booked) and tell them you would like to use the free dining offer. As long as your hotel and room type is open for booking they will add the offer. If it isn't one of the hotels/room types for the promo you might have to make some changes to take advantage. All I can say for sure is when the promo is offered be ready to patiently wait on the phone. Last time it was almost 2 1/2 hours on hold, but we did get our reservation.

We will be sure to post all the rumors as we get closer to booking time!

 

[tyniknate]

So, when I started this thread it was August of 2013 and it seemed like November 2014 would NEVER be here! Now, six short months later....its finally looking like something real and not just a Disney dream. Anyone else feel that way? When I would mention we were going to Disney in November 2014everyone was like "really, you plan that far ahead?" Obviously they just don't have Disney fever like my family does!

This trip is a bittersweet one for me, as my oldest son is in college and won't be able to take the trip with us. Momma doesn't know how she is going to handle the mixed emotions of that!

The good news is my baby sister is taking the trip with us and it is her first time to WDW! Can't wait to see everything through the eyes of someone who hasn't been there before. Maybe that will help with the feelings of guilt in not taking my oldest.

ANYWHO.....

How is everyone doing with their waiting, watching, wishing & worrying? Can't wait to hear all of your updates!

 

[ksianis]

Thank you so much for all of your posts, we are patiently waiting for the Free dining plan, we have taken advantage of that for the last couple of years! We are taking our nephew for the first time, and of course our 12 year old, so I'm hoping they offer it. These kids can eat a ton. Regardless we are going with/without it, but I can always hope

 

[zumakyle]

This is our first time to WDW. We did DL for our oldest eighth birthday 3 years ago. We're hoping to drive a friends RV and stay in Fort Wilderness. And a free dining plan would be icing on my son's birthday cake! What level of plans do they normally do?