Offical free dining watch 2008

[JediTim]

okay things dont look so good about free dining for us...

our dates already booked and planes tickets bought are for 8/19-8/26 we would have gotten a later date but we are going with other family members who couldnt go any later is any one else is this predictament? hmmm

just wondering if we get free dining for some of the days even though we already have 40% off could they swtich the promo when free dinning starts????/ i know im just wishing and hoping ..... but i still have some little hope... im always looking for the best deal..... and if we would have gotten it would have saved us 200 dollars more.....

I am with you...I am booked for the 16th through the 26th. I have no discounts at this point...I would love the 40% off.

 

[WVUFan]

Is it possible for my brother (who has a Disney Visa) to make a reservation for me? Also, if it is possible, I know that he would have to put the deposit on his card, but could I put the rest on a different card?

Thanks!

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

Is it possible for my brother (who has a Disney Visa) to make a reservation for me? Also, if it is possible, I know that he would have to put the deposit on his card, but could I put the rest on a different card?

Thanks!

HIS name would have to be on the reservation.

 

[Mom2AAA's]

Just called to IF free dining is offered on the 24th of Aug ( we are there the 19th - 26th of Aug) could we have free dining starting on the 19th~ NO!! didn't think so but thought I'd try. The CM hadn't heard anything yet, I told her it was all a buzz on the internet and she said I would probably know before her! I don't want to split our stay for 2 days, just not worth the hassle, we have 4 rooms with 16 people, we would be taking the chance of having to move rooms and getting new tickets... I will just have to hope some discount comes out for the middle of Aug.

 

[LoveTwoTravel]

Is it possible for my brother (who has a Disney Visa) to make a reservation for me? Also, if it is possible, I know that he would have to put the deposit on his card, but could I put the rest on a different card?

Thanks!

From what I've read (on the boards and on the web) the balance must also be put on a Disney Visa to qualify. You could ask him put the entire thing on his card and you can write him a check.

 

[The Brain]

From what I've read (on the boards and on the web) the balance must also be put on a Disney Visa to qualify. You could ask him put the entire thing on his card and you can write him a check.

I don't think you're right about that. I think as long as you put the deposit on the Disney Visa, you're covered. Now I will say I think the card has to be under the name of the person making the reservation. Technically the brother would have to go.

 

[HALEYSMOMMOM]

I don't think you're right about that. I think as long as you put the deposit on the Disney Visa, you're covered. Now I will say I think the card has to be under the name of the person making the reservation. Technically the brother would have to go.

That's correct, just a deposit.


Also, I know I read something on here about only 3 rooms can be discounted with FD, with the same person paying. Is that correct? We have 4 and I'm trying to plan ahead. It is a grand gathering....

 

[LoveTwoTravel]

I don't think you're right about that. I think as long as you put the deposit on the Disney Visa, you're covered. Now I will say I think the card has to be under the name of the person making the reservation. Technically the brother would have to go.

That's just what I read, but I'm by no means an expert. And until the bookings start everything is really still speculation to some extent.

There are several "Disney Visa" threads on the boards so that's a good place to check (and where I read the condition of the balance being paid with the Visa). I was also told this when I called DV and asked them about the offer (and offers in the past).

However, before paying the balance with the DV (I was told) you may pay in cash or use a Disney Rewards Points Card (if you have one).

If you have the Visa (and the money to pay it right off**) then it would be a great thing to pay for the entire thing with it to earn more points.

That's our plan, anyway.

Good luck everyone!


**Just not suggesting anyone use credit cards or go into debt.

 

[MisunderstoodLilo]

Okay you travel agents, leak some more

Wish I could!

 

[VickiVM]

For those that wish that it would start earlier than the 30th... I'm sorry, but the key to the value season (the season in which dining is offered), is that its AFTER most schools go back in. That's the reason they offer it to entice people to come since the parks get thinned.

You can't expect too much more than that. I'm not saying it won't happen, but the most I've seen in the past is a week more than that.

"Value Season" (at least for value resorts) starts 8/3. True that most schools start mid to late August, even closer to Labor Day, but at least for now, Disney see's there is benefit to them to lower rates earlier in August - probably because most folks with children are winding their summer down and prepping for BTS by early August. Some older children may have sports practice, such as football, that begin earlier than the first day of school.

The driving force for FD may be not so much when school starts, but anticipated bookings.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

okay things dont look so good about free dining for us...

our dates already booked and planes tickets bought are for 8/19-8/26 we would have gotten a later date but we are going with other family members who couldnt go any later is any one else is this predictament? hmmm

just wondering if we get free dining for some of the days even though we already have 40% off could they swtich the promo when free dinning starts????/ i know im just wishing and hoping ..... but i still have some little hope... im always looking for the best deal..... and if we would have gotten it would have saved us 200 dollars more.....

Did you factor in the one park tickets you will need to buy for the free dining portion of your trip?

For us, we have 20% off our room. We lose $220 from that discount and would have to pay an additional $290.76 for the one day tickets for all of us. "free" dining would only save $495.84 during those days but it would cost us $510.75 to save that. Not to mention the time to check out and check back in on the 24th. I think we will just stay with the reservation we have and I'll be one less person tying up the phone lines for the rest of you.

 

[WVUFan]

Thank you all for your help! I'll check out the Visa boards,but it looks like I'll be waiting until April 10, but we're flexible with both dates and resorts, so hopefully we'll get in somewhere. Thanks!

 

[esdras]

Thanks to everyone - especially all the TA's and/or family of TA's - who have posted information regarding the travel dates.

IF this holds out as true, I feel somewhat vindicated in terms of my posting history here stating that I was pretty sure Public FD would start before the Aug. 30th Bounceback date. I really though that it would start the weekend of the 23rd-24th - which seems to be the case now. I had really hoped (especially for those with travel dates earlier in August) that it would have started the weekend of the 16th-17th, and I had even thought that maybe the chance for that increased with Universal's FD offer - sadly, no.

Here, however, is my latest question - and I did try to call Disney a couple of times to see if I might get an answer on it - I didn't, but I also didn't really expect to get one from a CM either. This isn't a knock against the CM's, but this is such a specific detail, I really didn't expect them to have this info. On the other hand, I know that there are some on the DIS who seem to be able to scrounge up reliable info in advance of the details being made "official".

Anyway, here is the question...

It has to do with the early booking date for Disney VISA card holders. For years, we Canadians have been (to put it mildly) somewhat irritated that we can't take advantage of early bookings offered to those with Disney VISA cards - this is because Chase doesn't offer that card to Canadians. Believe me, I've tried to work around the restriction, but without having a U.S. address, I'm pretty much out of luck. Anyway, the last two package discounts (the two Ticket Upgrade promos that came out in late '07 with room discount included and the one in early '08 without the added discount) offered Canadians the chance to book on the same earlier date as Disney VISA holders. Basically, I'm wondering if this will happen with the Free Dining.

I know (or, at least I don't think) that this hasn't happened from '05-'07 - but at the same time there weren't any other offers during that time period where a Public offer opened to VISA holders early was also opened to Canandians early.

So, if anyone has heard about the possibility of Canadians getting the offer early - or, if you know for certain that it ISN'T happening - please post. While I'm not counting on this, I have to admit that I'm really hoping that it will happen.

Thanks!

 

[Lintasare]

Well phooey...I was hoping for FD for my parents. My sis and I got bounceback and are checking in on the 27th but my parents have their own ressie. Guess they have to pay for their dining plan.

 

[wildirishrose]

That's just what I read, but I'm by no means an expert. And until the bookings start everything is really still speculation to some extent.

There are several "Disney Visa" threads on the boards so that's a good place to check (and where I read the condition of the balance being paid with the Visa). I was also told this when I called DV and asked them about the offer (and offers in the past).

However, before paying the balance with the DV (I was told) you may pay in cash or use a Disney Rewards Points Card (if you have one).

If you have the Visa (and the money to pay it right off**) then it would be a great thing to pay for the entire thing with it to earn more points.

That's our plan, anyway.

Good luck everyone!


**Just not suggesting anyone use credit cards or go into debt.

We are doing the same I just get a promo from my Disney Visa card and we earn extra points for all purchases until June, so I will be using my Tink card to pay for this just to get extra points and maybe someday I'll have enough points to pay for a trip

 

[danx2plus3more]

someone posted dates aug 24- sept 1 ..where on earth did those come from???

 

[polyforme]

Thanks for the response Haleys mom. I had a feeling as well that you couldn't get both even thru a AAA agent but she insisted that you could. I just couldn't see it happening. I will probably just stick with the AAA room discount since it is $650- off and wait to see what they have for AP rates.
Thanks again
Kathy

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

As per info on another thread I called Disney and asked about the Free Dining Promo, using the code, and was told that it would not be out for about another week.

Since I did not see a flutter of threads of folks who had already booked I sort of thought it was too good to be true but one never knows.

Still waiting and a watching, Slightly Goofy

 

[crystalcml]

As per info on another thread I called Disney and asked about the Free Dining Promo, using the code, and was told that it would not be out for about another week.

Since I did not see a flutter of threads of folks who had already booked I sort of thought it was too good to be true but one never knows.

Still waiting and a watching, Slightly Goofy

Per that thread, booking was to begin on 4/7/08 for Disney Visa holders and 4/10/08 for the general public.

 

[The Brain]

We are doing the same I just get a promo from my Disney Visa card and we earn extra points for all purchases until June

I'd forgot all about the extra points thing. I'll probably pay mine in chunks with the Disney Visa and then pay it off as I do it. Then towards the end, I'll use the points I've built up to finish it off. I've already got over 100