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

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

I'm really thinking about doing it. Will probably buy tickets second day in since we are going for nine and its only good for seven days.

Ahhh yes. Well played my friend!........well played indeed.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

We are planning to use the express bus too. Depending what resort at will depend on where we go sometimes.
I think being in MK or AK and getting to Epcot and HS (closer to the resort) will help us too.

I will start out rd one park, a few hours. PH using express. Use fp's+ eat lunch in that park. They head to the resort (closer then if I were in MK) and take afternoon rest. Then we will go to whatever night time show/dinner park we have set up. We also think that if we are at an early closing park, we can hop to a later park after closing that one out.

IE Fantasmic on a 1 am mk opening day? So after Fantasmic we'd head to the express bus and go to MK

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I read somewhere that there's a new headless horsement paid event coming this halloween, and booking starts 4/2, so maybe MNSSHP will be bookable then too. Just a thought, I know some people were wondering about that.

 

[Ahuck06]

Switched our Beaches & Cream to Wednesday (Epcot day) at 4:30. That will free up Monday at HS and give us some variety on Wednesday. Yay!

Any later lunch reservations avail on sunday for BOG? Crystal Palace often runs behind. Not sure you'll be hungry by 12:40. Unless your girls eat like birds at breakfast like mine

 

[keishashadow]

2018 UK free dining is also much more limited than US free dining. They are only offering 1 CS meal/per person/per day at values, CS plan for moderates, and regular DP for deluxes/villas. That would be a large step down for US free dining, although it might be an omen for this fall if free dining does come.

Seriously, a big drop in value for US if it follows the UK one i just saw via kennythepirate email yikes. There goes any shot of a bonus trip for me if it pans out that way.

Perhaps, FDP has become so popular WDW feels they don't need to be quite so generous out of the gate?

They Could challenge the market this way intitially, and offer a tweak/better promo if the rooms don't fill down the road.

Even a kicker of A $200 GC doesn't go far, especially with a family of 4.

 

[SGMCO]

I hope everybody waiting for FD is able to get it! I hope it's offered, I know how wonderful it is from past trips.
My upcoming trip with just me and DS is the first trip in several years that I rented a DVC room and won't have FD.

 

[ustasmom]

Have you used it? I am really thinking about it but it almost seems too good to be true.

We used it last month. It was great. Buses leave every 10 minutes for one of the parks. In HS, you catch the bus next to RnRC. In MK, it is right around the corner from Buzz Lightyear. It is to the left of Spaceship Earth in Epcot and near Wild Africa Trek sign in AK. You get to see behind the scenes of the parks. My son fell ill at BoG and I just needed to get him out of MK. I figured that my best option would be to grab a bus to EP and get on our resort bus there. They sent a bus and brought us right to our building in SSR.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I've always stayed at DVC resorts with my parents, (they've been DVC members since it began in '91) and I've never been able to get FD. This is our first trip on our own (how dare they use their points for a trip without us!) and my first time using the DP at all, free or not. I feel like a newb, even though I've been a million times. I've never really had to plan anything before, I've always relied on my dad to do that. I'm still spoiled, and he enjoys it. Anyway,I never realized how much planning and stress went into a disney vacation!

 

[SGMCO]

I've always stayed at DVC resorts with my parents, (they've been DVC members since it began in '91) and I've never been able to get FD. This is our first trip on our own (how dare they use their points for a trip without us!) and my first time using the DP at all, free or not. I feel like a newb, even though I've been a million times. I've never really had to plan anything before, I've always relied on my dad to do that. I'm still spoiled, and he enjoys it. Anyway,I never realized how much planning and stress went into a disney vacation!

Years ago planning a Disney Vacation wasn't as hard and difficult as it is now. Used to not have to make ADRs or Fastpasses (6 months in advance). I miss those days and was able to relax and enjoy my Disney vacations, now I can't relax as much, but still enjoy my trips. Disney also is much more popular and crowded nowadays than it was years ago, so can't get as much done as I used to.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

Seriously, a big drop in value for US if it follows the UK one i just saw via kennythepirate email yikes. There goes any shot of a bonus trip for me if it pans out that way.

Perhaps, FDP has become so popular WDW feels they don't need to be quite so generous out of the gate?

They Could challenge the market this way intitially, and offer a tweak/better promo if the rooms don't fill down the road.

Even a kicker of A $200 GC doesn't go far, especially with a family of 4.

I don't think it will follow UK because they get a bigger value plus other things with their stays. Their options are totally different and their time stay is different too. It really is comparing apples to oranges. When people usually travel from the UK they stay longer then a week, like we do here in the US.

 

[pghmom]

Any later lunch reservations avail on sunday for BOG? Crystal Palace often runs behind. Not sure you'll be hungry by 12:40. Unless your girls eat like birds at breakfast like mine

After looking at the menu, we may end up dropping the BOG lunch and just doing another QS at some point.

 

[anitsa123]

Wow, that is a lot. I don't think I could do two TS meals unless one was a show and the other was breakfast, in one day.
While looking at this can someone tell me why CRT doesn't have steak? We wanted to eat there so bad but the food to us looks far too uppity and fancy for our family. I could have sworn a few years ago there was some steak meal.
I wish we could talk our self into breakfast, but even on a dining plan that's 2 credits. If I am spending 2 credits I need it to be dinner to work out for us.

Also, we saw an add on tv or youtube with them eating in a car. is that syfy drive in? My DH did ask about the place where he can eat in a car. Lol I guess its appealing and I am trying to fit things in he might like.

We have it spaced out where it is around 6 to 7 hours between meals and on some days 8 hrs between meals. We book the earliest lunch we could.

 

[KNovacovschi]

Columbia Harbor House sounds yummy but I'm a bit skeptical about seafood at quick service

I usually am as well but love the shrimp at Columbia Harbor House, I have it every trip.

 

[MickeyPlanning]

So I am looking for advice:
Deluxe Plan- DD age 4, DS turns 7
day 1:
B- Chef Mickeys
D- CRT
day 2:
B- Garden Grill
D- Coral Reef
day 3: (Son's b-day)
B- Crystal Palace
D: BOG
day 4:
D: T-Rex (meeting family who live there- so their pick)
day 5:
B- Hollywood and Vine
D: Mama Melrose- Fantasmic Package

* just grab lunch each day when we are hungry at QS locations.

Any thoughts or suggestions??

 

[Disneygurl84]

I wish we knew the dates for late September early October. I wanna book my trip and make my dining reservations on the 180 mark but I just don't know when the cut off is.

Anyone have any ideas or speculation?

 

[KimBean]

We have it spaced out where it is around 6 to 7 hours between meals and on some days 8 hrs between meals. We book the earliest lunch we could.

You know what a lot is? My MIL planned a few of our trips. One trip her and a TA went to town and we had 3 sit downs in one day for like 4 days. My FIL loved a big breakfast. We were never hungry. Wasted so much time and food. In 2003 when my first was 3 I took over the planning and got them down to 2 (but still TS.) Then finally we did a trip just the 3 of us in 2007 and it was 1 TS and 1 QS (we usually do a clif bar type for breakfast) and it was like yeah, this is how it is suppose to be. LOL!

 

[KimBean]

I wish we knew the dates for late September early October. I wanna book my trip and make my dining reservations on the 180 mark but I just don't know when the cut off is.

Anyone have any ideas or speculation?

If you do late September how long until 180 days?

 

[Disneygurl84]

If you do late September how long until 180 days?

It would be soon. In a couple of days. I would rather do october 1. Then I can book my dining on April 5 I believe.

 

[ThistleMae]

I'm not the poster you quoted but will respond anyway. It is a great option to have. The pick-up locations are in the link I posted. Notice you don't have to go to the main entrance of the park to hop on the bus.

Big time saver if, for example you're in the back of AK the pick-up spot is near KS. This saves you the 15-20 minute walk to main entrance of AK to board a regular bus.

The location in MK is good if your in or near Tomorrowland. Not so good if your back in Frontierland but still better than walking to MK exit to get on regular busses.

I feel like there should be 2 of these locations in EPCOT. If you're back by the American pavilion in World Showcase you've got a decent walk to get to the pick-up location near Spaceship Earth.

HS is small (at the moment) so this is where the advantage is not as great as the other parks. Especially if coming from EPCOT due to the boats that run back and forth between these two parks.

The biggest advantage IMO is not having to wait on security lines to enter the park your hopping to. The Express Transportation busses drop you off inside the park.

I see this as a huge plus!

 

[GeorgiaHoo]

Saturday - arrive (driving/flying TBD); 7:45pm 1900 PF
Sunday - MK; 8:40am Crystal Palace, 12:40pm BOG
Monday - HS; 8:10am 1900 PF, 4:45pm H&V Fantasmic; 6:30pm Beaches & Cream (only going for ice cream, will try to adjust time)
Tuesday - 8:05am 'Ohana, MNSSHP
Wednesday - EP; 9:45am Akershus
Thursday - MK; 8:30am BOG, 6:10pm BOG
Friday - AK; 8:05am Tusker House
Saturday - 8:05am Kona Cafe, check out

ETA: Note, our daughters will be newly 3 and 4.5 at the time of our trip. Beauty & the Beast is a HUGE hit with them right now, hence all of the BOG stuff.

So I am looking for advice:
Deluxe Plan- DD age 4, DS turns 7
day 1:
B- Chef Mickeys
D- CRT
day 2:
B- Garden Grill
D- Coral Reef
day 3: (Son's b-day)
B- Crystal Palace
D: BOG
day 4:
D: T-Rex (meeting family who live there- so their pick)
day 5:
B- Hollywood and Vine
D: Mama Melrose- Fantasmic Package

* just grab lunch each day when we are hungry at QS locations.

Any thoughts or suggestions??

day 1:
B- Chef Mickeys
D- CRT
day 2:
B- Garden Grill
D- Coral Reef
day 3: (Son's b-day)
B- Crystal Palace
D: BOG
day 4:
D: T-Rex (meeting family who live there- so their pick)
day 5:
B- Hollywood and Vine
D: Mama Melrose- Fantasmic Package

With the deluxe plan you have 3 table service credits for each night of stay, so you have 12 total. By my count you are only using 10. I'd add a signature in place of Coral Reef - perhaps Flying Fish or Yachtsman since they are close to Epcot and you can walk over - and add a breakfast/lunch reservation for day 4 - perhaps the buffet breakfast at Tusker House or lunch at Yak & Yeti (assuming you'll be at Animal Kingdom that day)? Another option would be a signature in the MK area if you can't get a Be Our Guest reservation -- Narcoossee's or California Grill would work.