October 2012 Code Watch!!!

[kelleigh1]

LOL. And just in case we don't have enough out there on the dates...this is from DisneyFoodBlog:

Oct 1-6, 2011
Oct 22-Nov 3, 2011
Nov 12-17, 2011
Nov 26-Dec 1, 2011
Dec 10-Dec 15, 2011

Jan 8-12, 2012
Jan 21-Feb 2, 2012
Feb 11-16, 2012
March 3-8, 2012
March 24-29, 2012

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2011/08/03/disney-world-free-dining-packages-in-2011-2012-now-booking/

We are already booked and we had a PIN (actually 2) that I've had applied already, so we'll have to see if the free dining is a better offer if it does come out. We are booked with the Deluxe Dining, so we'd have to pay for the upgrade, so there is a good chance that the room discount we got is the better deal.

 

[TheRatPack]

LOL. And just in case we don't have enough out there on the dates...this is from DisneyFoodBlog:

We are already booked and we had a PIN (actually 2) that I've had applied already, so we'll have to see if the free dining is a better offer if it does come out.

So, that's another question I had.......if I book using my PIN code (never had one of those before so I'm a bit excited LOL) and then free dining comes out for those dates.....how hard is it to switch the reservation? Will I have to cancel it and rebook, or just call in and change it?

Thanks for the extra list of dates too....always good to compare. Not sure why Mouseplanet had odd dates that were one or two days off from everyone else.

 

[kelleigh1]

So, that's another question I had.......if I book using my PIN code (never had one of those before so I'm a bit excited LOL) and then free dining comes out for those dates.....how hard is it to switch the reservation? Will I have to cancel it and rebook, or just call in and change it?

Thanks for the extra list of dates too....always good to compare. Not sure why Mouseplanet had odd dates that were one or two days off from everyone else.

I just called my AAA Travel Agent and gave her the new code and she had them apply it. It was pretty easy for me. And she said if Free Dining or anything else comes out, we can always check that again too. I had booked, then the first PIN came out so she rebooked me, and then when I got the 2nd PIN she took care of that one. It was easy for me because she did all the work. LOL

 

[sophie832]

I also found that 10/5 through 10/8 is Columbus Day weekend, so crowds are a bit heavier. The Gartner Symposium is 10/21 through 10/25 this year. Looks like most everything else (F&W Marathon, PGA Tournament Week, Veterans Day Week and Jersey Week) all start in November.....

We are going to be at WDW from 10/23-10/28. Is the Gartner Symposium a major event? I saw on the website for the Symposium that it takes place at the Swan/Dolphin/Yacht Club/Beach Club. We already have a reservation at the Dolphin for $199/night ($30 more a night than a previous reservation we had for April), and if some good AP discounts come out, we were thinking of switching to the YC. Will the whole Epcot resort area be more crowded? And is there a chance that the rooms will sell out a lot quicker, perhaps preventing any discounts?

A tiny voice in my head says to just book at CSR to save some $, but since the main point of our trip is F&W (we love to eat!), I'm not sure we'd be happy there.

I've never received a pin...was thinking of calling just to see if we possibly have one. Still, I doubt any pin would be as good as potential AP discounts.

 

[rcepek]

Actually called @ symposium & CM said the (4) parks total can hold 200,000 so the supposed 8000 attendees would not really impact the parks. I am sure you would notice the influx of the crowds but he was confident we really wouldn't.

 

[nemofans]

But is it 8000 attendees and their families or 8000 total? Not that all would bring family with, but that would greatly increase that #.

 

[smitch425]

But is it 8000 attendees and their families or 8000 total? Not that all would bring family with, but that would greatly increase that #.

It is 8000 attendees. I was there last year during this time and honestly it was not bad at all. They take up a lot of the EPCOT resorts, and it is likely that you could see an increase of crowds at EPCOT in the evenings, but not enough to deter you from wanting to be there. Don't stress!

 

[mom2rtk]

Are this year's dates for the conference the same as last year (or roughly)? I'm considering October as an option for this year but need to guess at what days might be blacked out for free dining.

 

[smitch425]

Are this year's dates for the conference the same as last year (or roughly)? I'm considering October as an option for this year but need to guess at what days might be blacked out for free dining.

Oct. 21-25,2012

 

[Candycane83]

Oct. 21-25,2012

Oh no, I'm going from the 21st to 28th. If there is FD before or after that date (during my stay), will I be able to get it?

 

[smitch425]

Oh no, I'm going from the 21st to 28th. If there is FD before or after that date (during my stay), will I be able to get it?

Free dining is based solely on your check-in date. As long as you check-in on a covered date, you will get free dining for your entire stay up to 14 nights. There is no telling when they will start FD or even IF they will start it. It could be as late as mid-August before we know anything.

 

[TheRatPack]

The 2011 dates are posted above.....last year in October there was only 1 week before that one that had free dining, which was the first week of October and a lot of fall breaks for school....although if you wanted the first week of October you could just book now with a check in date of September 29th (last day to check in for the current Free dining promotion) and make your trip last the whole next week.

 

[SaberJ]

I'm hoping for October 14th-21st, personally. Since the Symposium is the following week, I'm really hoping it will work out that FD will be offered during the week I want. However, I'm nothing if not flexible. So if it ends up being on a different week, that's not a huge deal to me. Since I'm relatively flexible, I went ahead and booked my party (9 people, 3 rooms) for Sep 28th-Oct 6th to get the current free dining. We'll have to remove a day on the front or back before then, but that isn't such a huge deal.

 

[Firedad]

I think I've heard of people getting a FD pin in Oct. Does anyone have the blackout dates for that? Thanks

 

[moljammom]

Congrats! Can I ask-what was your PIN? Room discount?

EDITED to add-I am NOT asking for the PIN CODE. I just wanted to know what kind of discount it was. Room only? FD?

Sorry SciGirl - I just saw this note. It was a room only 30%. Hope this helps.

 

[Nermel9]

LOL. And just in case we don't have enough out there on the dates...this is from DisneyFoodBlog:

Oct 1-6, 2011
Oct 22-Nov 3, 2011
Nov 12-17, 2011
Nov 26-Dec 1, 2011
Dec 10-Dec 15, 2011

Jan 8-12, 2012
Jan 21-Feb 2, 2012
Feb 11-16, 2012
March 3-8, 2012
March 24-29, 2012

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2011/08/03/disney-world-free-dining-packages-in-2011-2012-now-booking/

We are already booked and we had a PIN (actually 2) that I've had applied already, so we'll have to see if the free dining is a better offer if it does come out. We are booked with the Deluxe Dining, so we'd have to pay for the upgrade, so there is a good chance that the room discount we got is the better deal.

So if these are the dates for Free Dining from last year, if you checked in on November 3, you could have had Free Dining for that entire week, right? Isn't that Jersey Week? I thought that week was always blacked out...that's the week I really want to go this year, but it's blacked out through the Bounceback offer (I'm going in May and was thinking of booking a bounceback) so I was thinking of going Halloween week instead, but I'm nervous about the crowds. I also considered going the week before Halloween, but then I came here and read about that Symposium, which I've never even heard of, so now that's a concern! If FD got extended and had the same dates as last year, I'd be able to go the first week of November!

Disney makes me crazy sometimes! I wish I didn't have to worry about this now, but it's hard to make ADR's 180 days out when you don't know which week you can go...

I guess I could always make ADR's one by one, every day, for like 2 weeks, just so I'm covered until FD possibly gets extended into the Fall...

 

[TheRatPack]

So if these are the dates for Free Dining from last year, if you checked in on November 3, you could have had Free Dining for that entire week, right? Isn't that Jersey Week? I thought that week was always blacked out...that's the week I really want to go this year, but it's blacked out through the Bounceback offer

Last year Jersey week was probably different dates.....even so, they say while the Jersey week brings in a lot of people it really doesn't have a huge impact on the overall crowd at Disney parks and you won't notice a huge difference. I hate that they don't release free dining dates for October until August.....that is way past the 180 days needed to book ADRs.

I already made a reservation for mid October using our 30% PIN, hopefully it'll be a free dining week...it wasn't included in last years but we chose it anyway hoping since it was a low crowd week it would be included this year. That way I can go ahead and make ADRs in April.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Glad to see FD released for the usual time but hoping and praying for some magic for Fall Break! The bad thing is our district moved it to a week that was blacked out last year. No FD no Disney for us

I'll just wait to see what summer brings in the way of discounts.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

I'm hoping for October 14th-21st, personally. Since the Symposium is the following week, I'm really hoping it will work out that FD will be offered during the week I want.

I'd love the same dates!

 

[TheRatPack]

I hope that date is released too.....although my luck it won't be released until August and I'll already have it paid in full (45 days out is August 29th)....hopefully they'd still apply the discount code and issue a refund for the overage.