Nov. 2011

[tmfranlk]

I think if you add the dining plan to those two nights (Nov 11 and 12) you will also have to add park tickets ..... might be more cost effective to just pay out of pocket for those meals.

Very true GG. Jennifer, you'd need to pay for a 1 or 2 day ticket for the 11-12 and another separate 5-day ticket for 13-17. OR you could do a 7-day for the 11-12 and a 1 or 2-day (whatever the min required for free dining) with the 13-17 then use the 7-day for your whole trip and save the other ticket for a future trip (they don't expire if you don't use any days). Might be more trouble than it's worth.

We're already booked in two reservations because of the holiday and my in blackout days. I just planned our Candlelight Processional and one of the cheaper meals for the first 2 days. I wouldn't have wanted to use 2 credits for CP anyway and will just pay the other OOP.

 

[jamiesmom07]

This is probably here somewhere and I missed it....but can you get the dining plan on two night stay?

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

This is probably here somewhere and I missed it....but can you get the dining plan on two night stay?

You can get the dining plan .... that you pay for but to get the fd you need a minimum 3 night stay.

 

[tmfranlk]

This is probably here somewhere and I missed it....but can you get the dining plan on two night stay?

I believe that you can this year but that it is going up to a min of 3 nights next year. A lot of the discounts, though, have a min stay of 3 nights.

 

[skier_pete]

This is exciting about the possibility of free dining being announced Aug 3, and I hope it works out! We're going to Walt Disney World November 11 to 17. In hindsight I wish I would have shifted it back a day or two, since free dining looks to be blocked out Nov 11 and 12. I hope I can change my AAA reservation! But I'm a veteran and psyched to go to WDW on Veteran's Day!

Anway if I understand this right, I can change our reservation for Nov 11 and 12 to room only. We probably wouldn't have gone to a park anyway on Nov 11, just check in, get settled, go to downtown Disney. We like Rainforest cafe, so we'll probably eat there for supper Nov 11 since we won't have the dining plan. Then Nov 12, my plan was to go to the Animal Kingdom, not sure how we get those tickets ahead of time, but I'm sure it'll work out, from other people's descriptions here. We'll just eat out of pocket--that'll be only 5 meals out of pocket total, not bad. Then hopefully we can get a new reservation Nov 13-17 on the dining plan, and upgrade to the regular plan which will be 15 meals on the dining plan (yes I know I'm cheating and considering the "snack" a meal.) That's great! Does that mean you get one table service, one quick service, and one snack a day, even on your checkout day? Since we're flying around noon, maybe we'll do a table service breakfast that day!

I have an email to my AAA agent to make sure he can make this happen if they do indeed announce this! Any thoughts/comments/ideas? Thanks!

I think if you add the dining plan to those two nights (Nov 11 and 12) you will also have to add park tickets ..... might be more cost effective to just pay out of pocket for those meals.

That's right...pay for your 11th and 12th meals OOP - you can pick up your package tickets early, even though the package doesn't start until the 13th. For you to have the DDP for 11th and 12th, you'd need a second set of tickets, and that would just be penny-wise, pound-foolish as they say.

 

[jamiesmom07]

I believe that you can this year but that it is going up to a min of 3 nights next year. A lot of the discounts, though, have a min stay of 3 nights.

We are checking in 11/25 and staying through 12/3, was wondering about the dining plan for the first two days (check in day and the next day) then getting the fd. Just wasn't sure about getting it for 2 days...after much number crunching, we will just pay for the first 2 days oop and then live it up on the fd!

 

[JLKennedy]

Hi TmFrankLK, whew, thanks so much for correcting my math--I really appreciate it! If Nov 11 and 12 are blacked out, we might just buy the dining plan those nights. We find it's so freeing to just enjoy ordering what we want, without so much looking at the price! Jennifer

I don't think she's asking about adding the free dining to those 2 nights. I thought you were always allowed to add the dining plan (at 34.99/night adults) to any reservation, that the tickets, were the requirement for "free" dining, or at least, that's how it used to be.

 

[2forMe]

I don't think she's asking about adding the free dining to those 2 nights. I thought you were always allowed to add the dining plan (at 34.99/night adults) to any reservation, that the tickets, were the requirement for "free" dining, or at least, that's how it used to be.

No you must have a package that includes tickets (aside from military, dvc and AP) to get the dining plan. You must buy at least a 1 day ticket. For free dining you must buy 2 day ticket.

 

[T Morrows Child]

No you must have a package that includes tickets (aside from military, dvc and AP) to get the dining plan. You must buy at least a 1 day ticket. For free dining you must buy 2 day ticket.

As I do cost comparisons, I wonder . . . do I need the ticket for every person on the plan or would just 1 one-day, one-park ticket work?

 

[2forMe]

As I do cost comparisons, I wonder . . . do I need the ticket for every person on the plan or would just 1 one-day, one-park ticket work?

No every person must have a ticket, the same ticket. How many days before free dining will you be arriving? I amy be arriving 2 nights before free dining and will either stay on site with a room only reservation and pay my own meals(counter service to save $$$) or will stay of-site to save even more $$$.

 

[T Morrows Child]

No every person must have a ticket, the same ticket. How many days before free dining will you be arriving? I amy be arriving 2 nights before free dining and will either stay on site with a room only reservation and pay my own meals(counter service to save $$$) or will stay of-site to save even more $$$.

According to the leaked info, Free Dining will be available on my arrival day of Nov 4. There are blackout dates, but it has always been honored for the stay as long as check-in day is eligible, from what I've seen in the past. Although they used to do that with rates, too . . .

Still not sure that it'll be the best deal for me. My current matrix shows that, overall, Free Dining may-or-may not save me around $50 total against my 10% AAA discounted rate at WL.

 

[prisjoyce]

Hi,
Can someone help me figure out this potential new free dining deal? Right now, my family of 4 is booked at POFQ for Sunday, Nov 20- Sat, Nov 26 w/ Magic Your Way 6 day tix. As that is Thanksgiving week, those dates are blacked out, but could we add a date on the front side (Sat the 19th, which from the info that is out there is the last date avail before Tgiving) and get FD for the whole week? If so, would it be as simple as calling to add a night? And can I keep all my ADR's ('cause I'm not giving those up! )?

Alternately, is a room-only discount likely to come out for the same dates? Could I even use a room-only b/c we're booked w/ a package?

I apologize for so many questions, but I've been sitting here, , reading as much on this as I can, and I'm still a little unclear.

Thanks and here's hoping for pixie dust all around tomorrow!!

 

[2forMe]

Hi,
Can someone help me figure out this potential new free dining deal? Right now, my family of 4 is booked at POFQ for Sunday, Nov 20- Sat, Nov 26 w/ Magic Your Way 6 day tix. As that is Thanksgiving week, those dates are blacked out, but could we add a date on the front side (Sat the 19th, which from the info that is out there is the last date avail before Tgiving) and get FD for the whole week? If so, would it be as simple as calling to add a night? And can I keep all my ADR's ('cause I'm not giving those up! )?

Alternately, is a room-only discount likely to come out for the same dates? Could I even use a room-only b/c we're booked w/ a package?

I apologize for so many questions, but I've been sitting here, , reading as much on this as I can, and I'm still a little unclear.

Thanks and here's hoping for pixie dust all around tomorrow!!

Yes, you can easily add the night bef0ore to qualify you for the check in dates for free dining. then you would get fd for the whole stay.

 

[skier_pete]

Hi,
Can someone help me figure out this potential new free dining deal? Right now, my family of 4 is booked at POFQ for Sunday, Nov 20- Sat, Nov 26 w/ Magic Your Way 6 day tix. As that is Thanksgiving week, those dates are blacked out, but could we add a date on the front side (Sat the 19th, which from the info that is out there is the last date avail before Tgiving) and get FD for the whole week? If so, would it be as simple as calling to add a night? And can I keep all my ADR's ('cause I'm not giving those up! )?

Alternately, is a room-only discount likely to come out for the same dates? Could I even use a room-only b/c we're booked w/ a package?

I apologize for so many questions, but I've been sitting here, , reading as much on this as I can, and I'm still a little unclear.

Thanks and here's hoping for pixie dust all around tomorrow!!

Yeah, if you can change your plans to arrive 1-day earlier, you should be able to pick up the free dining. You should be able to stay on the same reservations, and definitely don't have to give up your ADR. This will also depend on availability @ POFQ - it IS possible you might need to change resorts to take advantage of the FD offer.

We'll hopefully be seeing you there @ POFQ on the 19th (we leave on the 20th).

 

[luvallprincesses]

We are checking in 11/25 and staying through 12/3, was wondering about the dining plan for the first two days (check in day and the next day) then getting the fd. Just wasn't sure about getting it for 2 days...after much number crunching, we will just pay for the first 2 days oop and then live it up on the fd!

Cool...you are going the EXACT same days as we are. We have booked 2 packages right now - the first two nights rack room and the rest is on another package using a 30% off pin at POFQ. If the free dining magic happens, we will be cancelling the second reservation in exchange the free dining from Nov 27-Dec 3. It saves us a lot of money for a family of 4...especially if it is truly the full dining instead of QS. Even if it is QS we don't mind since the kids really don't like to sit down for a long meal every day.

I don't want to be overly optimistic for you or myself, but the last time we did the same type of deal in Nov/Dec 2009, and when we checked in, they gave us the free dining for the ENTIRE trip - even though the first two nights were still in Thanksgiving holiday peak rates and not in the dates of the free dining offer. We didn't have to go back and change our keys either. It was really a dream come true.

Based on that, I do have to decide about keeping the ADR that I made for Saturday or not. We won't do a sit down that day if it isn't part of the free dining (as it isn't supposed to be)...but aren't going to cancel in until we are there and find out!!

 

[jamiesmom07]

Cool...you are going the EXACT same days as we are. We have booked 2 packages right now - the first two nights rack room and the rest is on another package using a 30% off pin at POFQ. If the free dining magic happens, we will be cancelling the second reservation in exchange the free dining from Nov 27-Dec 3. It saves us a lot of money for a family of 4...especially if it is truly the full dining instead of QS. Even if it is QS we don't mind since the kids really don't like to sit down for a long meal every day.

I don't want to be overly optimistic for you or myself, but the last time we did the same type of deal in Nov/Dec 2009, and when we checked in, they gave us the free dining for the ENTIRE trip - even though the first two nights were still in Thanksgiving holiday peak rates and not in the dates of the free dining offer. We didn't have to go back and change our keys either. It was really a dream come true.

Based on that, I do have to decide about keeping the ADR that I made for Saturday or not. We won't do a sit down that day if it isn't part of the free dining (as it isn't supposed to be)...but aren't going to cancel in until we are there and find out!!

Wouldn't that be wonderful if they replayed 2009 for us?? I won't get too excited, just a little

We had two TS for Saturday, one at CRT and one at Liberty Tree Tavern, I was the one who wanted CRT and LTT was to use a TS we had after all our other ADR's. I booked the character breakfast at Grand Floridian instead on our departure day, I think DS(13) will enjoy that one more anyway. So either way, if we get fd=FABULOUS, if not we will still have a ball. At this point in my life I just go with the flow, swimming upstream is too much work

 

[sleepingbean]

....So either way, if we get fd=FABULOUS, if not we will still have a ball. At this point in my life I just go with the flow, swimming upstream is too much work

 

[micknme]

Keeping my fingers crossed for you all tomorrow that the free dining rumor becomes a reality. We won't be able to use it because the week I need a discount is not included with this deal (Jersey week)

So anyway, I will live vicariously through you and look forward to reading about all your great savings!!!. Good luck everyone!!!

 

[candeeapril]

I was on hold for over an hour but it was worth the $1014 that we saved on a party of 7!

 

[lovesdumbo]

I was on hold for over an hour but it was worth the $1014 that we saved on a party of 7!

I am on hold with an anticipated wait of "more than 60 minutes". I would save $730 with AP discount at BWI vs 15% AAA I have now for 11/10 to 11/15.