No Gen.Public Free Dining for Fall sure makes planning easy...

[catne]

I know a lot of folks are waiting hopefully for a Free Dining offer for late August-October like previous years...

but I have to say I'm having a great time planning (and changing plans repeatedly) for a 5 night vacation beginning Labor Day weekend. I booked all the restaurants we wanted with no issues at about 170 days...then just changed 4 of the 5 (it's like 145 days out now.) And again, had no trouble finding just about anything I could possibly want at multiple times. Even had the option of le Cellier dinner both nights we're at Epcot, or Le Cellier lunch on 2 different days (we don't even want to go there this trip...just saying they both showed up when I was searching for Epcot meals.)

It wasn't like this last year when we went for September Free Dining...had to book at 180 and when I changed reservations had a much more limited set of choices instead of virtually anything I wanted.

I'm enjoying this

 

[carly chloe]

I hope it stays like this too- hopefully the crowds will be good. That's why you always book and if you have to- cancel later.

 

[Seahunt]

No Gen.Public Free Dining for Fall sure makes planning easy...
I know a lot of folks are waiting hopefully for a Free Dining offer for late August-October like previous years...

Just to eliminate any confusion in my post below, there WAS a general public free dining for fall offer already offered, but it expired in December:
For check ins 8/19/11-9/29/11 package deal ("free dining") for general public became available on 8/16/10, exp 12/20/10

Now on to talk about the "regular" FD offer that usually comes out in March/April for the fall, but that hasn't shown up yet - since you're reporting easily getting ADRs I wonder if that means that the previous FD offer (plus the FD PINs that people are getting ) haven't filled up dining venues, and if WDW will think they've shot themselves in the foot by not doing it just as they have in past years

Hmmm we might be witnessing a marketing mistake in action

 

[catne]

Just to eliminate any confusion in my post below, there WAS a general public free dining for fall offer already offered, but it expired in December:
For check ins 8/19/11-9/29/11 package deal ("free dining") for general public became available on 8/16/10, exp 12/20/10

Now on to talk about the "regular" FD offer that usually comes out in March/April for the fall, but that hasn't shown up yet - since you're reporting easily getting ADRs I wonder if that means that the previous FD offer (plus the FD PINs that people are getting ) haven't filled up dining venues, and if WDW will think they've shot themselves in the foot by not doing it just as they have in past years

Hmmm we might be witnessing a marketing mistake in action

We booked the offer last December, so we actually do have the regular Free Dining (staying at a mod) for our September trip.

But keep in mind the main reason they offered free dining was not to fill restaurants, but to fill up hotel rooms during hurricane season. Could be they have enough hotel rooms booked already. Or they are just holding out until later in the season. In October of 2009 they talked at the Disney annual shareholders meeting about the need to begin weaning the public off the deep discounts and get back to normal business models. I suspect the delay on releasing deep discounts is part of that weaning plan...and the fact that the discounts that have already been offered for this year have not been as good as previous years. For example, the 30% discount at the deluxe level...last couple of years you could get as much as 45% off deluxe resorts. And the current pin code free dining offer only gives the QSDP for values AND mods...you have to book deluxe resort to get the regular dining. Last year, only values got the QSDP. And in 2009, all resort levels got the regular dining plan for free dining offer.

It will be interesting to see what they offer the rest of the year.

 

[10_Kyle_10]

Hmmm we might be witnessing a marketing mistake in action

This wont be the case. Hotel occupancy is the key with Free Dinning. If they need to fill rooms I'm sure they will bring it back or some another offer. A lot of Europeans have the fall as their holiday period so I'm sure they play a role in all of this.

 

[catne]

This wont be the case. Hotel occupancy is the key with Free Dinning. If they need to fill rooms I'm sure they will bring it back or some another offer. A lot of Europeans have the fall as their holiday period so I'm sure they play a role in all of this.

The Europeans get different discount offers than US, though...and a lot of them prefer to travel in the winter to get that good ol' Florida sunshine

 

[10_Kyle_10]

(deleted)

 

[Kennywife]

I know a lot of folks are waiting hopefully for a Free Dining offer for late August-October like previous years...

but I have to say I'm having a great time planning (and changing plans repeatedly) for a 5 night vacation beginning Labor Day weekend. I booked all the restaurants we wanted with no issues at about 170 days...then just changed 4 of the 5 (it's like 145 days out now.) And again, had no trouble finding just about anything I could possibly want at multiple times. Even had the option of le Cellier dinner both nights we're at Epcot, or Le Cellier lunch on 2 different days (we don't even want to go there this trip...just saying they both showed up when I was searching for Epcot meals.)

It wasn't like this last year when we went for September Free Dining...had to book at 180 and when I changed reservations had a much more limited set of choices instead of virtually anything I wanted.

I'm enjoying this

It is truly fun right now planning my ADR's!!!!!! I'm getting EVERYTHING we wanted and more!

Frankly, I've never taken advantage of FD. I just either pay OOP (frankly many of the restaurants are about what the price of a decent place to eat in my town is anyway) or get the DXDP and pay off a little at a time till the balance is done. I can do without it and for me with a walking problem....lower crowds means more fun!

 

[lisaisanurse]

we have done FD since it started, skipped last year....the online dining ressies are GREATTTT! I got everything I wanted for a group of 5 on the deluxe dining plan! This was a spare of the moment trip, never thought we would want to go again but some of the family wanted to see Harry Potter and I have a brother in a wheelchair and parents getting up there in age, so my hubby and I are gonna take them!!

FD definately makes the restaurants CRAZY! I would still change my package to add on the free QSDP if it comes out for September, it would take $35 off per person per day since we are on the Deluxe Dining..we did get a great discount already so, the FD would be an unexpected bonus!!!

 

[catne]

we have done FD since it started, skipped last year....the online dining ressies are GREATTTT! I got everything I wanted for a group of 5 on the deluxe dining plan! This was a spare of the moment trip, never thought we would want to go again but some of the family wanted to see Harry Potter and I have a brother in a wheelchair and parents getting up there in age, so my hubby and I are gonna take them!!

FD definately makes the restaurants CRAZY! I would still change my package to add on the free QSDP if it comes out for September, it would take $35 off per person per day since we are on the Deluxe Dining..we did get a great discount already so, the FD would be an unexpected bonus!!!

make sure you do all the math if Free Dining does come out because to take the Free Dining you would lose the "Great Discount" you already have...you're only allowed one discount, cannot stack 'em, so keep whichever works out less expensive to you

 

[karice2]

ITA. I am going in May and have been able to add all the restaurants that I want to try. This is my last trip for awhile so that I can focus on some other stuff. I have been able to get California Grill, Jiko and Breakfast at Cape May.

I am trying to do a couple of restaurants that I haven't tried before and able to get all of them. It is kind of awesome. No more free dining makes my life so much easier.

 

[aubriee]

We booked the offer last December, so we actually do have the regular Free Dining (staying at a mod) for our September trip.

But keep in mind the main reason they offered free dining was not to fill restaurants, but to fill up hotel rooms during hurricane season. Could be they have enough hotel rooms booked already.

It will be interesting to see what they offer the rest of the year.

I go to WDW at least every Sept/Oct, early Dec and early May, so knowing I was going to be there during the usual free dining time I seriously considered booking free dining for my late Sept trip when it came out this past Dec, but decided to wait and see what GP or AP discounts came out instead. I usually stay at a moderate and free dining is not that good of a deal for a solo traveler. I'd rather have the room discounts. I did book when the GP discount came out for that time period, but am still planning on switching to an AP discount if/when one comes out. I have used either the DDP or DxDDP every single trip since they came out, but decided to try something different for the Sept trip. I'm going to get out my comfort zone and pay OOP (still trying to decide if the TIW card would be worth it for a solo diner).

Anyway at 180 days I intentionally booked mainly restaurants that don't even accept the DDP. I was able to get multiple times for every single day at all of them. However, I also booked a few restarants that do accept the DDP and had no trouble getting any of them either. In fact, I have two ADRs for Le Cellier, but will probably only keep one.

 

[rznhal]

So does everyone feel that the restaurants will be less crowded this year? We went during free dining in 2009 and the restaurants were SO PACKED!!! We are going in August this year and hoping the restaurants will be better....(in 2009 we waited an HOUR past our ADR at Coral Reef one night) it was an awesome meal though, so everyone forgot about that part

 

[imdizzy4disney63]

Yes, we can make our ADR's easily now, but I miss free dining!!! It's better than a room discount in my book. What will be next? Probably paying for the the magical express. I'm surprised they haven't charged for that already.

 

[catne]

Yes, we can make our ADR's easily now, but I miss free dining!!! It's better than a room discount in my book. What will be next? Probably paying for the the magical express. I'm surprised they haven't charged for that already.

Oh, I think that one might stay "free" (though the cost is probably built into the room rates, anyway.)

Reason I say that is so many hotels do offer free shuttle service to/from airport so from that standpoint, Disney might have to keep offering it free just to stay somewhat competitive. But even more important, from a Disney business/profit standpoint, it very well could be that if customers had to pay for a shuttle, they might just decide to rent a car instead. And if they have a car, they might as well stay some place cheaper, right...or they might just use the car to leave Disney property for meals and less expensive souevenirs. Who knows, they might even use that rental car to go to UNIVERSAL for a day

No, I think they'll keep providing the free Magic Express...they want the customers fully dependent on Disney transportation: and staying at Disney property, eating at Disney restaurants and shopping at Disney stores.

 

[tinksgilrs251520]

Last year the free dinning for gen public was not released until the first week of May so its jumping the gun to say they have not offered it yet ,,, I hope they do offer it it helps a lot of families out and makes going there easier for a lot of people....

 

[Nefferz]

I was talking to a local TA here and she told me that she had heard rumors of another FD plan to be announced at a later date, so a May announcement wouldn't really surprise me.

I lucked out and got my ressie in December (mod) and got the free dining then.