******Official 2017 Free Dining Plan Watch, Wait, and Dream

[1withForce]

Hi everyone, I currently am booked at POR from 8/17 9/2 in a standard room. Would I have a chance of free dining with a standard room or should I switch to garden or river view? Last year I noticed you had to have a park hopper? Should I add a park hopper too? Thanks very much!

Dates should hopefully be good, but POR not included last year for FD. Did also need PH I believe. This year is hard say though. Not sure what to expect for resorts offered.

EDIT: sorry. Thinking FQ, POR included last year for your dates!

 

[scard192]

Dates should hopefully be good, but POR not included last year for FD. Did also need PH I believe. This year is hard say though. Not sure what to expect for resorts offered.

last year POR was included up to October 1

 

[Christine43]

Dates should hopefully be good, but POR not included last year for FD. Did also need PH I believe. This year is hard say though. Not sure what to expect for resorts offered.

EDIT: sorry. Thinking FQ, POR included last year for your dates!

Thank you!

 

[Sadiemae76]

How does the free Dining promo work if you already have it added into your package price? Right now I have CBR booked for days with tickets and dining. When the promo comes out how does that effect the cost of my package. I'm trying to figure my budget for this trip and it driving me crazy!

 

[memma05]

I paid 3500 for WL FD BB (so room, tickets, park hopper and food) if I have to go three days earlier it would be 3400 for me to stay at pop and pay for dining, park hopper, tickets, and room! I am praying that I can either leave my Bounceback as is or they will be willing to let me change it....if we move to VA I would have to change it because they start school earlier then NY and the way I have it now Ds would miss the first 2 days of school!

We're in VA and have the same issue with start time! Our county starts super early this coming fall....8/14!!

 

[Kiki_pa]

I think the last week of August will be included in FD. We go the last week of August every year. Crowds are very low this time of year. I can't imagine them not offering it. Plus the bb started Aug. 11. That's as early as I've ever seen it.

In same boat. We are booked at Poly 8/22-8/29. Worried about FD. Also thought same thing about today's discount offer at Poly. Wasn't a discount at all. Rates were much cheaper last week. Afraid the standard rooms won't get FD!

 

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

Wow, if they don't have much available for standard rooms at Poly for FD and I have to upgrade a room offer may actually be a better deal, I'll run the numbers hopefully they might both be offered at the same time like last year.

 

[McFlea]

Well with all these new offers, I still come out on top with the 1QS meal per day deal. With any of these new offers, my 6 night stay at Pop with 7 day park hoppers and Reg DDP for my family of 4 (Me DH DD15 and DD14) comes to more than $4400. I am currently booked at $4000 for the same package with the 1QS meal per day discounted against the Reg DDP. I am still hoping for free dining but happy to have some sort of discount.

With these new offers, with the current very limited availability, I still come out on top with my current NON discounted package for my family of 5, 5 nights in August. Ugh. Not losing hope for FD though!

 

[1withForce]

last year POR was included up to October 1

Edited and then saw this. Thanks for catch too.

 

[KimBean]

I've had the Disney Visa for 10 years and I can't ever remember finding out about a promotion early. This board is by far your best source for information.

So true. I don't have a disney visa but I do know I'm 2014 they got to book early and it was them being notified that let us know (one of the ways) what the exact dates and exclusions were. However, I've heard no one was notified last year

Edited to remove incorrect information. Visa holders did not get to book early but had earlier August dates.

 

[KimBean]

Anyone else notice the Hawaii offer for Passholders has a mistake? January 2- March 24 2017, Purchase through May 4, 2017. It's been driving me crazy looking at the special offers and seeing the mistake.

I did not notice. Crazy.

 

[SWofDisorder]

I was thinking of going to WDW end of September and get a value with Florida Resident price. Can I add free dining to my room under Fla resident rate?

 

[FinnsMom7]

Not sure if this was already asked - what is the upgrade charge for QSDP to DDP this year? it was $19.57 a night per person previously and I have to assume it went up.

 

[Rusty2rules]

I see Disney announced room discounts for a "Summer Vacation Package" through August 31st. Any thoughts?

 

[memma05]

Yay! Well, I'm glad there are discounts coming out and glad it wasn't FD cause I would have been late to the party!

Me too! I take a day off from the boards and totally miss everything! Catching up in like 18 pages

 

[KimBean]

I just did a comparison. My same room type, same resort, same tickets, same days of the week in June instead of my booked vacation in Sep. It's $200 more with the summer discount than with my non discounted fall vacation. Are the summer prices really that much higher, or have prices gone up that much since I booked (last Oct)?

I'm afraid that if I have to rebook a new vacation for FD it may not really end up "free". I hope it doesn't sky rocket. We've all got our hearts set on POR and TS.

Summer prices are that much higher. My room in late November is $105. Goes up like $60 in summer. I'm glad I prefer the time that is value and my kids homeschool so I do get to go when we want.

 

[dwalterpsu]

So true. I don't have a disney visa but I do know I'm 2014 they got to book early and it was them being notified that let us know (one of the ways) what the exact dates and exclusions were. However, I've heard no one was notified last year and their were no perks so I don't expect any this year but you never know.

Last year, the perk for the Visa Card holders was some additional dates for FD. We use the visa to build up free points which we convert to gift cards to use while at Disney. It is amazing how much they can add up. One other perk that I like is that the cost of the trip is interest free for 6 months.

 

[JackieO]

I think I'm in the minority, but I'm DV holder (since 2012) and I have gotten offers for FD and room discounts via snail mail. I can't say what years but I know I've gotten them. I don't mean to add confusion, and certainly wouldn't advise anyone to count on that, but I keep seeing people say they never get offers and that's not my experience.

 

[VillainFavs]

So true. I don't have a disney visa but I do know I'm 2014 they got to book early and it was them being notified that let us know (one of the ways) what the exact dates and exclusions were. However, I've heard no one was notified last year and their were no perks so I don't expect any this year but you never know.

There actually was a perk last year. We all got to book at the same time. But the public FD dates started 8/23 and the Visa dates started 8/14. So when I checked in on 8/17, I was able to get FD because of my Visa card. If I didn't have that, I would have missed out on FD!

 

[KimBean]

I see Disney announced room discounts for a "Summer Vacation Package" through August 31st. Any thoughts?

We've had about 5 pages worth I think. I think the group consensus is (someone correct me if I am wrong) that the release of summer discounts just gets us one step closer to FD being announced. It could be any day in March-May or not happen at all. But we are hopeful. Lessons learned always check the thread before you go to bed (even though Black says we should get more heads up for FD even up to a week in advance.) another lesson just because it doesn't hit at 4am est means nothing, this discount was at 5:15.

I believe people are just now seeing if this summer discount has any savings for their trip. I'm Nov-dec so I just have a lot of time to stare.