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

[missnikki411]

I feel your pain. CSR has not been available for my dates since I started looking 3 months ago and I'm going late Nov.

Same. Looking at week after Thanksgiving. November 30 is sold out. Thought about doing split stay but then wouldn't get FD for second half of trip. It's making me feel like if we only get QS this year and can't stay at our favorite resort, maybe we skip this year. THE HORROR

 

[ThistleMae]

Kind of off topic....but we're all here for the food right?!?! Has anyone eaten at T-Rex? Yay or nay? My boys are 4 (next week) and 5.5. It's not too scary is it? Also, they never seem to have availability online but I've heard if you call the restaurant directly they have lots of tables. Any truth to that?

I can't answer about availability but I really liked the food there, and the kids really enjoyed it. It is loud, but it's a cool place.

 

[KimBean]

Why is everybody so obsessed in planning the best Disney vacation?

I do it for a couple of reasons
1. I like to save money! Every little bit helps

2. I think Disney is a great class leveler. Sure people can stay in top of the line deluxe or bargain values. But in the parks it's all about the planning! I like the look on my wife's face when her girlfriends ask if we rode 7dmt and my wife replies yes about 5 times. Or the say did you eat at be our guest and she replies yes twice dinner and once lunch. Some people may have more money and sure they can get a VIP tour guide. But because I plan and put work in to the vacation I can get more out of it than the people who just show up.

We like to save money. We like a deal. My DH is so cute feeling like the food is "free." We understand that you pay more for the room and that you have to get park hopper, but he loves free food. We both also like to plan because we don't like standing in lines. Staying 10 days with 30 FP, rope drop and good amount of planning, we never stay in a line longer than 15 minutes. That is not only what we enjoy, but we enjoy preparing and doing Disney better than other people. So many people say you can't do everything you want while you are at WDW... but we usually do and do what we really like multiple times. We like pin trading and collecting cards, this year I think we will start with the penny press.

 

[ThistleMae]

Express pass is a must do on our trip. I have figured out how to use it best for many of my days.

I will do rope drop do 1-3 hours in one park. take express over somewhere else get a fp+ out the way eat lunch, then use the last two fp+ and then go back for our afternoon break. Then back to whatever part is that evening's park.

I think our first night (arriving at the park about 7 pm) we will get to see the normal fireworks.
I also think I can do F! and make it to Epcot to see the 9 or 9:30 showing of Illuminations in one night.
We will have rol package we could do that one night and after take express to mk or just go get some sleep (lol)
all I know is we have a lot evening shows and 2 nights is party nights.
The express bus pass is going to come in handy.

Wow...you've been doing some figuring! I think the Express Bus will really help with the PH.

 

[scard192]

Thank you for the lemonade. Hope Disney adds more sugar! This is only our second trip so many places we haven't eaten at yet.Plus it may be our last trip for a couple years AND I have a newbie going that id like to impress with Disney. So we will upgrade to include TS restaurants

Good luck! we can only afford to go every 3 years.

as far as the newbie, I am the Disney planner for my family and my sister's. I obsessed last year about a lot of things (ROL) and my sister pointed out that no one besides me would know what didn't quite work out that way I had hoped as the rest of the family doesn't pay attention to any of that they leave it to me.

 

[donp]

I really hope POR is NOT excluded. We booked there in December for our anniversary. Fell in love with it through pictures and we were so excited to stay there. Tempted to switch it to POP since many of you experts keep saying how great it is, and it sounds like that will fill up right away on Monday... But then again, if I book there, it doesnt mean I will get FD added to my reservation, plus I will be kicking myself if POR is good to go. I really wish this would just drop. Not sure I can be patient much longer, lol

I would be very surprised if they include POR past the end of September with FD based on the past several year trends. But, for your sake, I hope that they do! I DO expect them to include it in the Aug-Sept timeframe.

 

[ThistleMae]

Sorry uf you don't understand something because my english is not very good but I'll try to explain my experience: I have been to Pop 3 times, first year we stayed in a standar room in it was a long loooonnng walk from our Room to the bus and restaurant, we had to walk through the parking lot to cut the walk. The next two years we stayed at standar but we called 3 days before our arrival date to ask a Room request to be the closest posible to the restaurant and it was a big difference, very short walk.
But I'm not sure this year if they are going to take room request because of the construccition , I belive I read something about it, but I'm not sure.
Bottom line: it is worthy to pay preferred

Good attempt on your English...it was comprehensible.

 

[mousefan73]

I feel your pain. CSR has not been available for my dates since I started looking 3 months ago and I'm going late Nov.

Maybe convention biz ??? aren't they also reduced inventory due to construction?

 

[Elsaalltheway]

Youtube via appleTV. Netflix that way too

Will have to check it out. Thanks.

 

[sharonabe]

At this point I don't know!! I regret it and will probably never do it again!

Even if she isn't going to help you out with free dining, you can always go online yourself on Monday and book another reservation. If you get what you want, you then could transfer it to her and cancel the other one, or just cancel with her altogether and do it on your own.

Do they allot a certain number of rooms for room only discounts too?

Yes they do, but only Disney knows the algorithm for this one.

 

[donp]

Will this thread close at 500 pages?

 

[mousefan73]

Not sure if this has been asked yet or not but does anyone know if it's possible for 1 person on a reservation to upgrade to the DDP and the other person to stay on the QSDP?

I know for any DP, its all for one or none for all.. but that would be one HECK of a loophole I myself would love to take advantage of if possible... especially if you are staying one week and only really are in interested in 3 Tableservice or buffetts.. you could use the TS up and spread the QS out

 

[ThistleMae]

Why is everybody so obsessed in planning the best Disney vacation?

I do it for a couple of reasons
1. I like to save money! Every little bit helps

2. I think Disney is a great class leveler. Sure people can stay in top of the line deluxe or bargain values. But in the parks it's all about the planning! I like the look on my wife's face when her girlfriends ask if we rode 7dmt and my wife replies yes about 5 times. Or the say did you eat at be our guest and she replies yes twice dinner and once lunch. Some people may have more money and sure they can get a VIP tour guide. But because I plan and put work in to the vacation I can get more out of it than the people who just show up.

I feel the planning makes for such a smooth, trouble free vacation. Sure, there is a lot of work upfront, but it all pays off. And Disney is so easy. A bus to pick u to and from the airport. Transportation once you're there. And the place is so amazing! What more can I say.

 

[Disneygurl84]

I would be very surprised if they include POR past the end of September with FD based on the past several year trends. But, for your sake, I hope that they do! I DO expect them to include it in the Aug-Sept timeframe.

I wish I knew why people were saying POR wasn't included when the website list a few pages back doesn't mentionit.

 

[Tigger1965]

Can't wait to book my free dining on Monday! It'll all be official then....YaY

 

[Steve11874]

I wish I knew why people were saying POR wasn't included when the website list a few pages back doesn't mentionit.

I wish I knew why people were saying POR wasn't included when the website list a few pages back doesn't mentionit.

Because the past few years it was only included during the first part of the FD offer, Usually until the end of September. The rest of the year POR is an excluded hotel. It will almost surely remain that way this year.

 

[donp]

I wish I knew why people were saying POR wasn't included when the website list a few pages back doesn't mentionit.

History. Several years ago, you could get POFQ and POR with FD. Then, they did away with POFQ being included. At one point, they had 2 releases for FD as well--a late summer, and a fall. The late summer release (Aug-Sept) would come out around now (and as early as February one time that I recall), and would include POR. The Fall, did not include POR. A few years ago, they COMBINED the released dates for late summer and fall and POR was NOT included at all in that year. Finally, they then for the past couple years had POR included early, but not later. So, . . . history.

 

[KimBean]

I wish I knew why people were saying POR wasn't included when the website list a few pages back doesn't mentionit.

Maybe just going from past experience? I don't know.

 

[PrancingPony]

I've been so busy at work today! I keep trying to sneak into this thread to play catch up, but every time I think I get to the end there's 3 more new pages. We're so active today!

It's coming down to the wire ladies and gentlemen! I can't wait to for the drop so we can put this antsiness behind us . I want to join the POP party if I end up there, we'll see!

 

[Elsaalltheway]

I wish I knew why people were saying POR wasn't included when the website list a few pages back doesn't mentionit.

I think since so many Mods are already being booked with the displacement from the other renos going on, I'm not sure what will happen this year. I think that is why they changed the Mods to quick service because this isn't something that they HAVE to offer, its just a bonus to try and fill the rooms and with so many rooms already closed due to construction. How many do they actually have to fill...or where.....anybody's guess. We will see after the drop and people start dropping extra reservations what will open up. Who knows you might find something better next month when the reevaluate what is available.