No Free Disney Dining at Wilderness Lodge

[nctarheel]

I booked a 8 night stay at Wilderness Lodge Villas back in June 2013 for 19-24 Oct 2013. I paid the trip off on 1 Aug, just as Free dining was opening for my stay. I tried calling the 1st of Aug, all lines were tied up, and I tried again today 2 Aug, and was told there was no availability for free dining during my stay at Wilderness. I was told that they only offer a limited amount of free dining within a resort, however I told them that that is not what there website said. My wife and I feel we were kind of misled, even though we are planing on going anyway, but this would have been a great perk. Disney needs to be more specific. Does anyone know about the limited availability??

 

[JLKennedy]

I booked a 8 night stay at Wilderness Lodge Villas back in June 2013 for 19-24 Oct 2013. I paid the trip off on 1 Aug, just as Free dining was opening for my stay. I tried calling the 1st of Aug, all lines were tied up, and I tried again today 2 Aug, and was told there was no availability for free dining during my stay at Wilderness. I was told that they only offer a limited amount of free dining within a resort, however I told them that that is not what there website said. My wife and I feel we were kind of misled, even though we are planing on going anyway, but this would have been a great perk. Disney needs to be more specific. Does anyone know about the limited availability??

Yes...it says on the site....subject to availability.

Give it a couple days and call again.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[bigbabyblues]

Discounts are used to fill empty rooms. If the occupancy is high for your dates, they don't need to offer a discount. Availability has always been limited with any discount, as you found out the hard way. Are you set on WL, or would you be willing to change resorts to get the discount?

 

[gillenkl]

I don't think you were misled "subject to availability" - keep calling and you may still get in on the deal or consider another deluxe resort.

 

[nctarheel]

Thanks Guys. Yea, as most time most people miss the "Fine Print". No I don't plan on changing resorts, we have been planing this for quite some time, besides I checked some of the other Villas, and there booked as well (Epcot F&W) I will try every few days, and maybe I will get lucky. Any suggestions on maybe helping my chances?

 

[MEK]

You could always fool around with different check in dates if you have any flexibility in your arrival. Try a day or two before and a day after. It doesn't hurt to check it out. If you can get the free dining to start later you can always do a room only reservation for one or two nights.

Any way - I agree with what the OP said. Keeping checking back. Also check other deluxe resorts for the same time frame just to see what their availability is.

WL is a lovely resort and one of my home DVC resorts. I hope you enjoy your stay.

 

[MEK]

Your dates are a 5 night stay and it is available on the website with a courtyard view, not a standard view for $2708. Standard view is not available.

 

[nctarheel]

Sorry MEK, that was 19-27 Oct. Thanks for your help, I'll just keep checking back, and hope something comes open. We have stayed at Disney 5 times (5 different resorts), however we have always wanted to stay at WLV (35th wedding anniversary) Thanks again.

 

[MEK]

Sorry MEK, that was 19-27 Oct. Thanks for your help, I'll just keep checking back, and hope something comes open. We have stayed at Disney 5 times (5 different resorts), however we have always wanted to stay at WLV (35th wedding anniversary) Thanks again.

Ahh - that's a BIG deal! Congratulations! So - I checked your real dates and its not available. The question is - would you be saving money if you booked it for the first 5 nights of your stay - because it IS available then. Then you can book the last three nights as room only. You will already have your park ticket, so that's not a problem.

At least you get 5 nights of free dining. You can use the dining straight through your check out day.

Definitely do the math and see if it makes sense to book free dining for 5 nights and then a room only stay for 3. They will link your two reservations. It will simply mean that you have to check in and out again and get a new card. Barely an inconvenience.

Consider eating at Artist Point. It is a great place and they treat you SO great for your anniversary.

 

[GaBelle]

As PP said, they offer discounts to fill rooms. And when they do offer, there are only limited numbers and categories. Best analogy I've heard is its like a clearance sale...its the "leftovers".

As time goes on, the resorts can release more rooms that will qualify for the discount if they are not selling. So, keep trying!

 

[Marionnette]

Trying to get a DVC villa through Disney during F&W AND a discount on top of it is not likely to happen. The rooms are owned by the Vacation Club and not by Disney Resorts. The DVC villas go into Disney Resort inventory only under certain conditions where members do not book them up by a certain date or if members choose to trade out their points for something in the Disney Collection. Since F&W is wildly popular among DVC members, it is unlikely that Disney Resorts is going to have a lot of availability in the Vacation Club villas, especially in the smaller resorts like VWL and the Epcot resorts like BWV and BCV. Whatever they do have, they will have no trouble filling at the rack rate.

You can keep trying, OP, but I'm somewhat skeptical that you're going to find anything with free dining at VWL for all of your dates.

 

[Marionnette]

Ahh - that's a BIG deal! Congratulations! So - I checked your real dates and its not available. The question is - would you be saving money if you booked it for the first 5 nights of your stay - because it IS available then. Then you can book the last three nights as room only. You will already have your park ticket, so that's not a problem.

At least you get 5 nights of free dining. You can use the dining straight through your check out day.

Definitely do the math and see if it makes sense to book free dining for 5 nights and then a room only stay for 3. They will link your two reservations. It will simply mean that you have to check in and out again and get a new card. Barely an inconvenience.

Consider eating at Artist Point. It is a great place and they treat you SO great for your anniversary.

This isn't entirely true. The OP does risk having to pack up and move. She will definitely have to move if her room category is different.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

As a previous poster said, you could book the FD package for the 19-24th, then a room only for the last 2 nights.

I just checked the Disney website and both court yard and woods view were available - for the FD for the first part, then the room only discount for the last 2 days.

You could link the ressies and hopefully you won't have to move, but if it were me I'd take the chance and have at least 6 nights of free dining!

 

[Deb & Bill]

VWL is a DVC resort, meaning a timeshare and it is one of the smallest (I think GFV and GCV are the only ones smaller). There is limited cash availabilty anytime there since it is basically sold out to members. Since DVC members on points do not get free dining any time, there probably was only one or two villas available total for free dining, if that.

 

[stsomewhere]

This is from the website:

Get a free dining plan when you purchase a non-discounted 6-night/7-day Magic Your Way package (includes room and theme park tickets) at select Disney Resort hotels. This offer can be booked through September 15, 2013 and is valid for arrivals most nights:

September 29 to October 2, 2013
October 18 to November 2, 2013
November 11 to November 23, 2013
December 12 to December 22, 2013

Resort Category Dining Plan
Select Disney Deluxe Villa Resort Hotels
FREE Disney Dining Plan

Select Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels
FREE Disney Dining Plan

Select Disney Moderate Resort Hotels
FREE Disney Dining Plan

Select Disney Value Resort Hotels
FREE Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan

The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Tickets are valid for one theme park per day and must be used within 14 days of first use.

Offer excludes:
Campsites
3-Bedroom Villas
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Free Dining is paid BY THE RESORT, not by WDW in general.
2) Thus, when enough rooms are sold, the Free Dining offer is ended.
3) There is not a predetermined numbers of rooms for FD.
4) The quantity can change daily, based upon occupancy sales.
5) Which can be a mix of FD room sales and non-FD room sales.
6) This is decided at the morning meeting.

 

[tinkgirl1984]

Did you book your room at rack rate? And is it just the two of you going? Because if so, there's no way you would come out cheaper with free dining rather than a room only discount. The only way free dining would make sense is if you currently have no discount at all.

 

[DLFan123]

We are likely staying at WL the week prior to you all...using the 30% discount. However, this seems like an exceptionally busy time and almost all deluxe resorts are full, except for club level, which is what we have booked now. We made our reservation the day they released the 30% discount. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the free dining requires a 6 night stay? So even if the free dining promotion is "available" the first 5 nights of your stay, you wouldn't qualify for it, because it has to be a 6 night package with tickets included, in order to qualify for the discount.

It's too bad it's not working out for you to enjoy the free dining. It seems like these promotions only actually work for people who are planning a trip last minute with flexible dates and flexible on the resort... We have never gotten anything free in all our time at WDW, except one free bday cupcake during a 10 night stay in which the bday was noted on every single reservation. So we feel your pain.

 

[MEK]

This isn't entirely true. The OP does risk having to pack up and move. She will definitely have to move if her room category is different.

True. But the likelihood is it won't happen. I've done this a few times with no issues, but you are correct - it COULD happen.

 

[MEK]

We are likely staying at WL the week prior to you all...using the 30% discount. However, this seems like an exceptionally busy time and almost all deluxe resorts are full, except for club level, which is what we have booked now. We made our reservation the day they released the 30% discount. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the free dining requires a 6 night stay? So even if the free dining promotion is "available" the first 5 nights of your stay, you wouldn't qualify for it, because it has to be a 6 night package with tickets included, in order to qualify for the discount.

I did a mock reservation with a 5 night stay and it worked. I think they just advertise it as a longer stay, but in the past you have always been able to shorten it as long as you buy the right ticket length.