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

[ThistleMae]

Oh no!! I hope nothing else broke! Hope you're okay, ThistleMae.

Thank you, not broken just badly bruised...the thing is, I fell on the knee I just had replaced...ooh!

 

[ThistleMae]

I'm an engineer, so yes, I love math!

LOL...I knew it!

 

[ThistleMae]

Yes, it is. However, the standard rooms go first.

And they are doing some room renovations there too, so don't know how that will affect availability.

 

[uchi]

IF available. FD sells out very quickly. Last year people spent hours on the phones.

I'm sorry, I don't understand your answer. Or maybe you misunderstood my question? What I meant was if I got FD and then had to change my dates, say instead of Sep 15 - 25 make it Sep 18 - 25, would that be considered a cancelling my reservation and then making a new reservation? Meaning, would I maybe lose my FD?

 

[Disneylover99]

Upgrading from QS to regular dining is ~$25/day for us. Assuming we're there for a week, the total cost is $175. Conversely, if we want to do 3 table service meals out of pocket, it would be roughly $25/pp, so $75 per table service for our family, totaling 225. For us (note: it'll vary from family to family) it makes sense to upgrade to the table service than pay out of pocket.

It's roughly $21 per day per adult and $4 per day per child to upgrade. If there are 3 people in your family, your numbers are off.

 

[ThistleMae]

So...wishing everyone a lovely Holiday weekend before everyone gets busy. Next week is going to be exciting, leading up to the big drop. Rest up everyone for the all nighter next Sunday. I may need a little wine!

 

[pkr1209]

We will have 4 adults and 10 children in our party. Does anyone know if I'll be able to make dining reservations for a party this size online or if I need to call? Thanks so much!

 

[Cbtexan04]

It's roughly $21 per day per adult and $4 per day per child to upgrade. If there are 3 people in your family, your numbers are off.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Somehow I missed the *2 in my adult calculation on that price.

 

[VillainFavs]

Upgrading from QS to regular dining is ~$25/day for us. Assuming we're there for a week, the total cost is $175. Conversely, if we want to do 3 table service meals out of pocket, it would be roughly $25/pp, so $75 per table service for our family, totaling 225. For us (note: it'll vary from family to family) it makes sense to upgrade to the table service than pay out of pocket.

If you've got a family of three, your upgrade fro QS to regular dining is going to be much more than $25 a day. It's $21 per adult and I'm not sure how much for kids. Just want to make sure you're using the right numbers to compare!

 

[Chris Anglin]

Here's updated info.

Looks like free dining could be dropping on April 24. Minimum of 4 nights, maximum of 14, with park hopper and park hopper plus add on. Check in dates: 8/13-9/30, 11/14-11/20, 11/25-11/27, 12/3-12/23. It also appears that values AND moderates may get quick service, with regular dining only for deluxe resorts (I hope that is wrong).

As always, information is fluid and more detail will hopefully come.

How many tickets days are required?

 

[Acrosthec]

We will have 4 adults and 10 children in our party. Does anyone know if I'll be able to make dining reservations for a party this size online or if I need to call? Thanks so much!

I made reservations for 12 this past trip. I'm pretty sure 14 is an option, but you'll want to make them as early as possible because the larger your group the more difficult to find availability. Good luck!

 

[DisKaren]

Ok, maybe this is just me. I see people talking about staying offsite a lot. I went with a group once and we stayed offsite. I'm sorry, I just didn't enjoy it as much. Having to drive back and forth to the hotel that wasn't nearly as nice or as clean as the resort. Not being "immersed in the magic" the whole trip. I dunno. It just wasn't the same. For me anyway.

I know. We like staying onsite better too, but still had a lot of fun staying offsite. I was just trying to give the OP a couple of ideas because it sounded like they may not be able to go this year looking at the costs to stay onsite. I totally get what you are saying about being "immersed in the magic" the whole trip when staying onsite, but if it ever came down to (a)staying offsite in a really nice, clean, affordable hotel, or (b)not going to Disney at all, I'd pick choice (a) every time!

 

[anorman]

Here's updated info.

Looks like free dining could be dropping on April 24. Minimum of 4 nights, maximum of 14, with park hopper and park hopper plus add on. Check in dates: 8/13-9/30, 11/14-11/20, 11/25-11/27, 12/3-12/23. It also appears that values AND moderates may get quick service, with regular dining only for deluxe resorts (I hope that is wrong).

As always, information is fluid and more detail will hopefully come.

I love the dates since we are arriving Aug 19th.....not loving the QS at mods though. The plan was to cancel my Pop reservation when FD dropped and move to POR with free reg dining plan. The cost difference with that scenario was only an extra $150 to stay at POR with free reg dining vs staying at Pop with free qs and upgrade to reg dining plan. Now, if there is only free qs offered at mods, the cost difference is approx $600. I'll probably still do the upgrade to the mod but it's not as much of a savings, costs significantly more, and requires a bit more thought....

He didn't word it very well. I take it to mean you'll have to add the park hopper plus to the package. That one includes the water parks.

I take it to mean that it could be the park hopper OR park hopper plus option. It's definitely open to interpretation.

 

[DisneyPrincessMommy]

Not necessarily. I'm facing the same situation. I have a standard CBR w/GC, if I could switch to a standard at POP, it would be $60 cheaper than CBR even taking the GC in to account. While normally that is a great upgrade price to stay Mod, no one knows what the construction is actually going to be like. So for $60 more I get queen beds, but lose food options and live in a construction zone for a week. If it was regular DP, it would make it worth it. I'm going to be thinking it through until drop time.


If you are booked with a TA, you won't be able to call to modify. They will only speak to the TA. You could try calling to book a new reservation and then transfer it to your TA, but you can't modify it yourself.

Yes, she told me I couldn't modify my reservation. I already have all my Adrs, so I guess I was wondering if I booked a new reservation if I could just transfer my Adrs to that reservation instead? I'm thinking both of us calling might help us out, just nervous leaving that in someone else's hands. Thanks!

 

[JanelleB]

How much luck have people had modifying a reservation when free dining is released? I'm concerned that FD is going to be hard to grab with CBR booked up already My reservation is Nov 10-17 so if dates are correct for FD I would have to make a new reservation for the 14th-17th to get FD which will make me lose my gift cards. I was thinking of switching to the week before Christmas to get the full week of FD. I could modify now before it's released and if any rooms are left that week. I just don't know what to do!! This is so stressful

 

[Cbtexan04]

If you've got a family of three, your upgrade fro QS to regular dining is going to be much more than $25 a day. It's $21 per adult and I'm not sure how much for kids. Just want to make sure you're using the right numbers to compare!

You're 100% right. I updated my comment to correct that error. Thanks!!

Here are the quick calculations I did for our cost for 9 nights. This assumes value rooms are will average to be $182/night and moderates will average to be $286/night (both including tax). As a DVC member, I have 9 nights worth of points at SSR (home resort), which I would sell to cover cost of FD, assuming the numbers work out:

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Using DVC,,,,,,,,,Free Dining Moderate,,,,,,,,Free Dining Value (PC or AoA)
Disney sell DVC points,,,,,,,,,,,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,-1482,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,-1482
Disney tickets,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1150,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1398,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1398
Disney MNSSHP tickets,,,,,,,240,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,240,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,240
Disney Room Price,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,2574,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,638
DDP Upgrade or OOP,,,,,,,,,1155,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,387,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,387
Total,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,2545,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,3116,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,2181

Some notes:

• I can get a better discount on my tickets going the DVC route, since I don't have to buy hoppers.
• Also using DVC, we would *not* be buying the dining place, but rather paying out of pocket for meals ($75 per day for 3 people, plus another ~$480 for character meals we'd pay for OOP).
• Free dining Value and Moderate include upgrades to the regular dining plan, so that we don't have to pay OOP for our character meals

(Admittedly, I would have been better off taking a screenshot and uploading a link)

 

[LucyBC80]

That is what is confusion to me two. I think it will be similar to last year only POR for August thru Sept then excluded for the November and December dates.

That's pretty much it. POR is only included till September. It's excluded for November and December.

 

[Rusty2rules]

I know. We like staying onsite better too, but still had a lot of fun staying offsite. I was just trying to give the OP a couple of ideas because it sounded like they may not be able to go this year looking at the costs to stay onsite. I totally get what you are saying about being "immersed in the magic" the whole trip when staying onsite, but if it ever came down to (a)staying offsite in a really nice, clean, affordable hotel, or (b)not going to Disney at all, I'd pick choice (a) every time!

Here's something else. Maybe somebody can tell me where I'm going wrong. I've tried to play with the numbers staying offsite vs staying onsite. I have yet to come up with numbers that are significant savings, if at all. What am I missing? Plus you have to pay to park every day. Deal with traffic outside of the park. You can't make your ADRs 180 days out. I have yet to find a significant advantage.

 

[Chris Anglin]

Oh did I miss the part about needing 4 day PH? I didn't read it as that I thought he just stated it needed to be a 4 night minimum stay but never saw a minimum for tickets. In the past it was 2 day PH so I'm just speculating (praying!).

I read it the same way you did. Last year was minimum 3 nights with 2 day PH.

 

[DisneyNic]

You're 100% right. I updated my comment to correct that error. Thanks!!

Here are the quick calculations I did for our cost for 9 nights. This assumes value rooms are will average to be $182/night and moderates will average to be $286/night (both including tax). As a DVC member, I have 9 nights worth of points at SSR (home resort), which I would sell to cover cost of FD, assuming the numbers work out:

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Using DVC,,,,,,,,,Free Dining Moderate,,,,,,,,Free Dining Value (PC or AoA)
Disney sell DVC points,,,,,,,,,,,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,-1482,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,-1482
Disney tickets,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1150,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1398,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,1398
Disney MNSSHP tickets,,,,,,,240,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,240,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,240
Disney Room Price,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,0,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,2574,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,638
DDP Upgrade or OOP,,,,,,,,,1155,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,387,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,387
Total,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,2545,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,3116,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,2181

Some notes:
The above assumes I can get a better discount on my tickets going the DVC route, since I don't have to buy hoppers. Also using DVC, we would *not* be buying the dining place, but rather paying out of pocket for meals ($75 per day for 3 people, plus another ~$480 for character meals we'd pay for OOP).

(Admittedly, I would have been better off taking a screenshot and uploading a link)

Just to make sure you are aware, AOA suites are the only thing offered w/FD and they run quite a bit more than Little Mermaid rooms or POP.