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

[Marina Smyth]

When I spoke with a CM yesterday she said that they will make you choose between the FD OR the $75 GC!!! I requested to speak to manager cause I don't think that's fair cause resort being refurbished has nothing to do with FD and she confirmed that is the case! I am still hoping they were wrong lol

 

[yeitmamaof5]

When I spoke with a CM yesterday she said that they will make you choose between the FD OR the $75 GC!!! I requested to speak to manager cause I don't think that's fair cause resort being refurbished has nothing to do with FD and she confirmed that is the case! I am still hoping they were wrong lol

Take everything the CM's say with a grain of salt. In the past, I've been told multiple conflicting things, on the same day, but by different CM's.

 

[lawboysam]

If it's open for disney visa only you do have to call in to modify or book that. You can't do it online. If you have put down a deposit with another card they will require a $200 deposit on your disney visa. If the initial deposit was made with the Disney Visa they will just apply it to the new reservation and you won't have to put down an additional $200. Hth

Unless they changed it last year, that's not totally accurate. In 2015, I had booked my original reservation with my Disney VISA, and was able to just change my reservation online the morning free dining opened up to VISA holders. Didn't have to call anyone.

 

[Azjenn]

Unless they changed it last year, that's not totally accurate. In 2015, I had booked my original reservation with my Disney VISA, and was able to just change my reservation online the morning free dining opened up to VISA holders. Didn't have to call anyone.

Oh that's good to know!

 

[Jellybass]

For anyone new to this thread, let me summarize;

There may or may not be free dining
You may or may not save money depending on your situation
CM's may or may not always be right
Having a Disney Visa may or may not help
Being online at 4 as opposed to calling at 7 may or may not help.

Those highlights being said, I love of every second of this!!!!

 

[Rusty2rules]

For anyone new to this thread, let me summarize;

There may or may not be free dining
You may or may not save money depending on your situation
CM's may or may not always be right
Having a Disney Visa may or may not help
Being online at 4 as opposed to calling at 7 may or may not help.

Clear as mud!

 

[BJ7644]

For anyone new to this thread, let me summarize;

There may or may not be free dining
You may or may not save money depending on your situation
CM's may or may not always be right
Having a Disney Visa may or may not help
Being online at 4 as opposed to calling at 7 may or may not help.

Those highlights being said, I love of every second of this!!!!!

Great summarization!

And I agree about loving this - I'm not even planning a trip for this year but here I am following along for the fun of it!!

As far as FD being the best deal or not, for the 3 of us it was and I ran the numbers every which way imaginable. Nothing else was remotely close, shy of eating PB&Js for the whole trip!

Staying value and upgrading to the DDP worked best for us. But the cost was close enough that a family of 4 might have made out cheaper staying at a moderate in a standard room and getting the DDP included, but that also depends heavily on room category availability.

So doing the numbers definitely makes sense and what works for one may not for the another.

I remember from last year some people needed to look at ticket cost too, because they had APs or had already purchased tickets from a discount site. So for them to get free dining they had to purchase something they would not be purchasing otherwise.

Same with the requirement for the Park hopper or water park add on. For those not already planning on getting an add-on, that became another expense to get the free dining deal.

While I think most still come out ahead making the extra purchases and getting the dining plan free, I could see there being potential in saving more by a room only discount in particular situations.

 

[Sarahboo]

As a family of 6 (with 3 teenagers - yikes!) we get off way better with FD than a room discount. I think it depends so much on your situation, how big your family is, and how old any children are. Back in - gosh it must have been 2009 0r 2011 (?) we went on a Buy 4, get 3 promotion that I never saw again (Buy 4 nights package, the additional 3 nights were free) - we have a 1.5 year old and a 4 year old so buying DDP was cheap.

Now I have 4 kids and FD is the only way that makes sense. The calculator for our trip estimated food at $5000 for the two weeks at the places we intend to eat. Yowza! Even upgrading from QSDP to DDP is only $2000ish.

 

[yeitmamaof5]

As a family of 6 (with 3 teenagers - yikes!) we get off way better with FD than a room discount. I think it depends so much on your situation, how big your family is, and how old any children are. Back in - gosh it must have been 2009 0r 2011 (?) we went on a Buy 4, get 3 promotion that I never saw again (Buy 4 nights package, the additional 3 nights were free) - we have a 1.5 year old and a 4 year old so buying DDP was cheap.

Now I have 4 kids and FD is the only way that makes sense. The calculator for our trip estimated food at $5000 for the two weeks at the places we intend to eat. Yowza! Even upgrading from QSDP to DDP is only $2000ish.

YES, we are a family of 7 my hubby and I, and 5 kiddos (2 children that are "Disney' adults" and 3 under 10). It always is necessary to calculate it out with a room only discount, and with a free dining discount if you have both options. For us, when we went in 2015 w/the free dining promo, even though we stayed at the AoA Cars Suite, which is pretty pricey for a Value, upgraded our park tickets to park hoppers in order to get the free dining (which we hadn't originally planned on doing), and upgraded our dining to table service dining, we still saved like $1,500. As a large Disney family, we sometimes feel punished for there not being many feasible options for us to stay without booking 2 rooms, or having to splurge and go Deluxe 2 bedroom villa, but when it comes to this promotion, the more you have, the better!!!

 

[cshell624]

Can someone please explain to me how this "free" dining works? We are booked for CBR early June under the current promotion. Are we eligible for free dining it's offered? I'm sorry if this has been answered already. I'm new to this board. Thank you for your help.

I'm afraid that you won't be eligible for "free" dining if you are going in June. The Free Dining Promotion usually starts with check-in dates toward the end of August and goes through December with blackout dates. (See chart on page 26 of this thread).

I forgot to post in my original reply, to the boards!

 

[debbye]

Help please....We are staying at CBR in August 20-25, 2017. Received the $75 gift card offer yesterday. I booked a package in Feb 2017 that includes the Quick Service Dining Plan. If Disney puts out Free Dining, would I be able to switch to Free Dining? Should I edit the reservation and cancel the Dining Plan in hopes of FD coming out?

 

[cshell624]

OK, I'm watching this thread for the off chance that FD is offered for my dates - doubtful as it's end of October, but heck, I can hope, right?

I'm also really hoping for a good Annual Passholder/VISA/General RO discount, and wondering if anyone knows a thread dedicated to that for the fall? Thanks for pointing me in the right direction - if there is one - if there isn't, maybe I'll start one......LOL

Jeanne

I have a friend hoping for FD at the end of October too. We can always hope.

 

[cshell624]

In 2015 we booked a bounce back for FD for a week in June. It was only for a couple of days the end of May the beginning of June. It was not in the 2016 FD offer.

I thought I remembered FD in June before, but I couldn't remember what year and if it was just a BB offer or if it was available for the GP too.

 

[cshell624]

We'll have none of this negative thinking! Click your heels three times and repeat after me: There will be FD this fall. There will be FD this fall. Port Orleans will be included. Port Orleans will be included.

I like the way you think and I have to admit this made me laugh a little. The other day you said you couldn't wear plaid and today you're wearing sparkly red slippers.

 

[sharonabe]

Help please....We are staying at CBR in August 20-25, 2017. Received the $75 gift card offer yesterday. I booked a package in Feb 2017 that includes the Quick Service Dining Plan. If Disney puts out Free Dining, would I be able to switch to Free Dining? Should I edit the reservation and cancel the Dining Plan in hopes of FD coming out?

If the rooms at CBR are available for free dining (when and IF it is announced), you would be able to switch, but you might lose your $75 gift cards. Until it happens, we won't know what they will do with that offer. If you have any other discount, you'll definitely lose it. You will need at least a 2-day, park hopper ticket for each person in the room (and that might change as well).

I wouldn't cancel anything right now. Having or not having the plan already will make no difference.

Aug 20 is a little early. Doesn't mean it's out of the realm of possibility, so still keep an eye out.

 

[ThistleMae]

They change things up a bit every year. They add, they adjust, they take away. It's a crap shoot! Some of us will be lucky and some of us will pay, pay, pay....but still have a blast!

 

[Disneylover99]

Must be a Canadian thing.

We're just so cheap cause our dollar is so bad. We share meals like crazy when we're not on the dining plan. Good thing we like the same foods in our family.

 

[ThistleMae]

We're just so cheap cause our dollar is so bad. We share meals like crazy when we're not on the dining plan. Good thing we like the same foods in our family.

That's what we did two years ago. Shared lunches and snacks and any dinner that wasn't a buffet. We bring granola bars and eat breakfast in our room, oatmeal, which we bring. It saves a ton of money and I feel we eat better.

 

[Disneylover99]

That's what we did two years ago. Shared lunches and snacks and any dinner that wasn't a buffet. We bring granola bars and eat breakfast in our room, oatmeal, which we bring. It saves a ton of money and I feel we eat better.

It works out well for us. Our family of four can easily eat well for less then $100 per day. That's why I would definitely take a room discount at a deluxe over fd at rack rate. We'd save more money.

 

[DisKaren]

I forgot to post in my original reply, to the boards!

Thank you! This is so exciting! I don't have a Disney reservation yet. . . we actually have one for August 18-23 at Universal RPR. DH is against going to WDW again this year unless it involves FD, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Will cancel Universal and switch to Disney if FD comes out for Disney Visa cardholders for those dates. The whole new Fast Pass + system kind of made him grumpy LOL. Of course we went at Easter-time (super busy) last year. I win either way. . . I'm just excited for a vacation as NY winter weather is soooo long!