New free dining offer yeaaah

[PrincessTiffany]

when did this start?

2005, when free dining was first introduced.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Is CSR usually included or blacked out for FD?

Thanks!
Susan

CSR has always been included in the free dining offers and it doesn't really sell out the quickly. In the past, when there have been sell outs, Pop usually sold out first, Port Orleans Riverside usually goes next, followed by All-Star Movies.

The only time I ever saw a resort completely blocked out of a promo was in 2007 and that was at Wilderness Lodge. Every other free dining promo all of the resorts were included, and as mentioned earlier, some resorts and room categories will go faster than others.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I have DV, do they email us with the information?

Sometimes. Sometimes it's after the offer has already opened to the general public. If there is a Disney Visa free dining offer, you are most likely going to see it here on the Dis before the DV/Chase site. It's sad, but true.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

We are booked at the allstar movies on 10/4-10/8. i booked room only. i have an annual pass and i bought a park hopper for my husband from undercover tourist. Will i be able to convert this into a package reservation somehow so i can take advantage (hopefully) of free dining? Thanks.[/QUOTE

No. You would have to cancel your room only and book a Magic Your Way Package that includes room, tickets and dining with a 2 day base ticket purchase to receive the free dining discount. You can not apply your AP or your husband's Undercover tickets to this promotion.

 

[Lehuaann]

So even though they are linked to a reservation that will not cover those dates, they won't be canceled? Like I said, I've never dealt with anything like this before.

When you cancel or modify a Disney trip your ADRs are not automatically cancelled. Dining reservations are tied to a lead name/phone number/confirmation#, and this is the information that's required at the restaurant, not your resort reservation#.

DDP reservations *initially* require a resort reservation# for the purposes of booking 180 days in advance as well as securing prepaids such as CRT, HDDR, etc. by credit card guarantee. However, once you have secured your dining reservations, you are free to modify/cancel resort reservations at any time. Your dining reservations remain the same.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Maybe this will help with all of the reoccurring questions and misunderstandings that keep popping up about the WDW Free Dining Promotion and Promotion Guidelines (Of course, this info will be based on Free Dining Guidelines for the past 7 years, Disney can change their policies at any time.):

FREE DINING FACTS AND INFORMATION

The Free Dining Promo/Discount was first introduced in the fall of 2005 and up until the fall of 2009, was, basically, just offered during the timeframe of mid August to the first of October (height of hurricane season) and included the Basic/Plus Dining for all levels of WDW resort. Starting in the fall of 2009, they offered a second Free Dining Promo/Discount that covered dates between October 1st and the third week of December and they also started including the Quick Service DDP for Value resorts and the Basic/Plus DDP for Moderate and Deluxe Resorts. With the popularity of the Free Dining Promo, last year, for the first time, WDW offered multiple Free Dining discounts during this year that included many value season/low crowd weeks.

To take advantage of a Free Dining (FD) discount you must be booked at a Disney-owned resort and purchase a Magic Your Way Package that includes room, tickets and dining with a 2 day base ticket purchase. The FD promos have a 3 day booking minimum and a 14 day booking maximum. You can not include Annual Passes or previously purchased tickets for Disney or any other outside ticketing agent.

The current FD promos have included the Quick Service Dining Plan for Value Resorts and the Basic/Plus Dining Plan for Moderate and Deluxe Resorts. You can not downgrade to the Quick Service Dining if you are staying at a Moderate or Deluxe Resort - there have been reports that, once in the parks, guests have been able to trade/convert Table Service (TS) credits for Counter Service (CS) credits, but this is not advertised on the WDW website and should not be considered WDW "policy." You can however pay the monetary difference and upgrade to the Basic/Plus DDP or the Deluxe DDP if you are staying at a Value Resort and can upgrade to the Deluxe Plan if you are staying at a Moderate or Deluxe Resort. The Deluxe Dining Plan has never been included in any free dining promos. Here is a breakdown of FD upgrade costs for 2011:

Upgrade from Quick Service DDP $34.99/$11.99 to Basic/Plus DDP $45.99/$11.99
$11.00 per adult 10+; $0.00 per child 3 - 9

Upgrade from Quick Service DDP $34.99/$11.99 to Deluxe DDP $78.99/$21.99
$44.00 per adult 10+; $10.00 per child 3 - 9

Upgrade from Basic/Plus DDP $45.99/$11.99 to Deluxe DDP $78.99/$21.00
$33.00 per adult 10+; $10.00 per child 3 - 9

Your check in date must fall within the dates of the FD promo to apply the discount to your reservation. If your check in dates do not fall within the FD dates, you can not apply the discount - even if every single night of your vacation falls within the promo, except for your check in date, you can not take advantage of the FD promo.

If any of your vacation dates fall within a FD promo dates you can receive the FD discount for your entire vacation stay, up to 14 nights, even if you are checking in on the last day of a FD promo, you can still recieve the discount for up to 14 nights.

If your vacation starts a couple of days before a FD promo, it's possible to do a Split Stay - meaning, you can do a room only reservation for 1 to 3 nights at the beginning of your vacation, pay for your food out-of-pocket for those days, and be allowed to pick up your PACKAGE TICKETS up to 3 days early at guest relations at any of the four parks or at Downtown Disney (For further info on picking up tickets early, please see Diser, CheshireFigment's, Ticket Sticky on the top the Themeparks Board.)

If you already have an existing reservation that falls within the dates of a FD promo, you can call and have the FD code added to modify that reservation. You can not add the FD code on line, you will need to call WDW Reservations, 407-W-Disney. You do NOT have to rebook, your reservation number does not change and there is not a fee - if you are within your 45 day window, they can charge you a $50.00 change fee, but, most FD promos come out before the 45 day window, so this shouldn't be an issue. If you have already paid your package in full, WDW will refund you the monetary difference - this can take up to 2 billing cycles or about 2 months. Each resort is only allotted so many FD rooms, so if you call and your resort is sold out of FD promo rooms, you can change your resort and do not have to cancel or pay a fee and your reservation number stays the same. If your existing reservation is a room only reservation, then you would have toTy cancel and rebook under a Magic Your Way Package to receive the FD discount.

Typically, in the past, other than last's August FD announcement, Disney Visa holders ere given the FD Promo Code three (3) days before it opens to the general public. In the past, all you had to do to get the Disney Visa FD discount was put $200.00 down with your card, the balance did not have to be put on the Disney Visa.

If you already have Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) changing or modifying a reservation does not effect or cancel your ADRs. You would have to go on-line or call WDW Dining to cancel ADRs, even if you completely cancel a vacation/reservation. Remember, anyone can make ADRs, even offsite guests and don't have to be linked to your reservation in any way. If you have already booked and paid for any restaurants and/or dinner shows, and then a FD promo/discount is released, you can contact Disney Dining once you modify your reservation to include the FD code and give them your reservation number, and they will credit you the amount you pre-paid. This type of refund also takes 2 billing cycles or about 2 months.

Hopefully this info will give everyone an overview of the current Free Dining Guidelines.

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

Thank you Princess Tiffany

 

[ILUVWDW]

I am looking to go December 6-December 12. Is there any free dining promtions that could be used during that stay and if so will it cover the entire stay? Thanks for the help in advance.

 

[IncredibleboysMom]

What has been the latest trend in FD offers regarding inclusion of family suites?

Thanks!

 

[KEPE]

Princess Tiffany, that was great. i'm sure it will help many!!

It's 6:30 EST and no DV offer that I can see on the site . Wanted to check before I head off to work. Will have lots to read on here by the time I get home.

HAppy planning all. Only 2 more sleeps before we can all try our luck!!

 

[nyrfan00]

OK Dis'ers I now have another question...

If I want to do a split stay, arrive on 12/11 and leave on 12/18 how exactly does a split stay work in conjunction with the FD offer?

Say I want to stay at AKL for the first 3 nights and finish at WL.

If I purchase an 8 day pass will they just add my dining credits to the cards already have? I don't have to purchase new park tickets, right?

How does the transferring of luggage work?

Is linking the 2 ressies necessary?


I think that's it.

TIA

 

[Tinker Pam]

Good Morning Everyone. Based on history are these dates pretty accurate for previous free dining times? We are currently booked Oct 20-27 (FD doesn't start until the 23) and have been struggling to find decent priced airfare, however if I change my dates to Nov16-23 I have found airfare for the 3 of us for $600 roundtrip. (over $1200 for my original dates and changing my dates to the 24-31)
But I don't want to go and buy the tickets if there's not a very good chance those dates will be FD dates.
Advice please, should I jump on those tickets.

 

[pixiedaisy]

Thank you so much Princess Tiffany!

I asked before and was told that I could add FD even though I only have a room and tickets MYW package. Since that info says you need to have the dining plan, should I just call at 7am on the 3rd and talk to a CM about adding on a dining plan to get FD? Would I have to cancel everything and rebook?

Sorry, I know this is probably redundant but I've received conflicting info and am a little confused.

 

[ciera321]

I am looking to go December 6-December 12. Is there any free dining promtions that could be used during that stay and if so will it cover the entire stay? Thanks for the help in advance.

You'd only be able to take advantage of the FD December 11 and 12, but only if you do a split stay, with the second part starting on December 11.

 

[Brandilovesdisney]

That is incorrect. In the past all you have had to put down is the minimum $200.00 deposti to take advantage of the Disney Visa free dining offer. You do NOT have to pay the entire balance on your Disney Visa.

That's why I said "I'm not certain" - it sounded odd when I read it on this TA website

 

[Happy99]

You'd only be able to take advantage of the FD December 11 and 12, but only if you do a split stay, with the second part starting on December 11.

Not if they have a minimum 3nt stay

Also we don't know for sure if the black out dates are correct. I remember seeing Webmaster John say that the information on the first post wasn't 100% accurate so it could be that those dates may change

 

[Brandilovesdisney]

CSR has always been included in the free dining offers and it doesn't really sell out the quickly. In the past, when there have been sell outs, Pop usually sold out first, Port Orleans Riverside usually goes next, followed by All-Star Movies.

The only time I ever saw a resort completely blocked out of a promo was in 2007 and that was at Wilderness Lodge. Every other free dining promo all of the resorts were included, and as mentioned earlier, some resorts and room categories will go faster than others.

I'm happy to hear that - I was wondering if resorts were ever completely blocked.

 

[Brandilovesdisney]

Not if they have a minimum 3nt stay

Also we don't know for sure if the black out dates are correct. I remember seeing Webmaster John say that the information on the first post wasn't 100% accurate so it could be that those dates may change

He said that the information in this "thread" wasn't 100% accurate - which can refer to any one of the posts on this thread.

 

[ciera321]

Thank you so much Princess Tiffany!

I asked before and was told that I could add FD even though I only have a room and tickets MYW package. Since that info says you need to have the dining plan, should I just call at 7am on the 3rd and talk to a CM about adding on a dining plan to get FD? Would I have to cancel everything and rebook?

You're fine, just call on Wednesday and have them add the FD to your reservation. They will adjust your existing reservation and you'll keep the same reservation number...

 

[ciera321]

Not if they have a minimum 3nt stay

Also we don't know for sure if the black out dates are correct. I remember seeing Webmaster John say that the information on the first post wasn't 100% accurate so it could be that those dates may change

Oops, I didn't think of that. Sorry!