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

[TomServo27]

It's very simple and I've explained it before. First I'm an experienced TA for an earmarked agency which is how I've done this several times. It all depends on your family make up. If you are a family of five or more with only 2 adults then you will need to call to book the room. Typically it works best at Value resorts as these rooms do not accommodate more than 4 people. So if you have 4 kids and it is just you and you hubby, then you call and say you need too book a room for your family at Pop. Tell them your family size and they will give you the option of booking a guaranteed connecting room with one reservation number, one deposit, but two linked rooms.

This is true Disney in the very specific situation listed in the quote. Disney will not guarantee connecting rooms say in my situation party of 8 with only three children. So crissi is absolutely correct.

 

[jenseib]

I've read a couple items out there that are saying a 3 night stay plus 2 day park hopper instead of the 4 day ph in some of the early reports. Is anyone else hearing that?

I have heard 4 night stay and 4 day park hopper

 

[Im_her_Mickey]

Quick question. So we are currently booked at CSR 9-24 through 10/1 standard room with table service dining which we are already paying on. With the rumored discounts, would it be in the realm of possibility that we could be able to upgrade to one of the lower end deluxe resorts for in the same ballpark price-wise or am I a bit delusional in thinking it's possible? Lol

 

[Disneygurl84]

So topic of the day

What is everyone doing tonight to wait for FD drop?

Watching White Princess on Starz, then I should take a nap (might not) when it gets to about 11 my time (Az on Cali's time) then I'll eat ice cream or drink soda and try and stay up all night so I can hopefully get FD at one of the two places we are willing to go.

I'll be watching the white princess too!!! Can't wait for tonight's episode.

 

[samsteele]

We will not arrive the first day at the airport until 5 something and we figure at least 1 1/2 hrs to get to resort from there. So we were think around 7:30 to 8 getting back to the resort, but we will want to eat dinner and the lasted I found is 8:30 so do you think we can do one at 8:30? We are wanting to do Downtown Disney oops Disney Springs

I wouldn't plan on it. You may well have a flight delay or other issue and you'll be dead tired at the end of your traveling day. I would just do an easy CS dinner at your resort that night. ps I tried to do exactly this a few yrs ago and it resulted in a spectacular fail. I arrived at POP approx 7pm, checked in, got my magic band and then got on the bus for Dis Springs to rush to a Raglan Road ADR for 8:30pm. Got there, got to the table, just to find out that the CM at POP's front desk hadn't set up my dining plan correctly. When my server scanned my band, there was no record of my dining plan so they gave me the option of paying OOP or just having a drink. I had that drink and then went all the way back to POP. Concierge reset my band and advised that it was a good thing I hadn't paid OOP for dinner because she didn't know how to comp it properly. I ended up walking over the bridge to AoA caf and had a great tandoori dinner. And I should have just had the easy CS dinner in the first place. Hard lesson learned. I am just one person. Can't imagine having to do that on my arrival day towing hungry little ones with me.

 

[Magicalcarpetride]

For those of us planning an Aug-Sept. trip, will you do MNSSHP? We will be there at the end of Aug. and the parties will start during our stay... Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I'd love to go. If you're going, will you dress up? Family costumes, or solo ones?

We went about 10yrs ago. I love the Disney fall decorations even more than the Christmas ones, so I loved it! My favorite part was the Halloween parade & I normally can take or leave the parades. The treat or treat candy was meh. We dressed up as Marvel characters as a family, but after the first hour, it was kind of aggravating to be wearing a costume and riding some of the rides. If you dress up, choose something comfortable with comfortable shoes & since it will be dark, something that doesn't impair your vision. We are definitely going again this fall & I can't wait!

 

[Jenny-Mom of 4 J's]

Hi. I am new to this thread. So does the Free dining usually drop on eastern time. I live in California , so I should plan to be up for 2-3 hrs prior to look for new offers right?

 

[mamamelody2]

The focus of that article was the change to FD at the moderate resorts. Since FD at the value resorts wouldn't be changing they probably didn't mention it.

Exactly!

 

[dcrippin15]

If you are considering a DVC purchase in the next year or two I highly suggest researching the product you are buying to prevent any buyer's remorse (like not knowing you wouldn't qualify for free dining with DVC booking). There is a DVC forum here on Disboards with many owners willing to share their knowledge and experience. Some DVC salespeople may be wonderful and honest but others may not be exactly forthcoming about its limitations.

Thanks for the insight, will definitely have to check out that forum. Been considering purchasing for some time now and now that my kids are old enough and taking anywhere between 3-4 trips a year (even with renting points) it makes sense for us price wise just for the rooms and no top of the AP discount (which we already do) and everything else long term I think it makes sense, but I will definitely check out the forum nevertheless

 

[chewysmom]

My plan for tonight is to get off work ~7 pm, go home, chill with the family until 9 or so and then sleep on the couch. I usually sleep fairly well there, but I wake a lot more often on the couch so every time I wake up, I'll just hit refresh. I plan on setting my clock for 3:45 am, and then I'll hit refresh about a million times during those next 15 minutes. Then, once I'm booked, I will probably dance around the living room like I've lost my mind and by the time Dh is up at 4:45 I will once again be the sane, normal woman he knows and loves.

Of course, all of that could fly right out the window and I just pull an all nighter.

 

[mamamelody2]

Dang, the environment there is totally different than here. Note to self: stay HERE

I know, right?? Yikes!

 

[TomServo27]

Quick question. So we are currently booked at CSR 9-24 through 10/1 standard room with table service dining which we are already paying on. With the rumored discounts, would it be in the realm of possibility that we could be able to upgrade to one of the lower end deluxe resorts for in the same ballpark price-wise or am I a bit delusional in thinking it's possible? Lol

I would think so but hard to know without knowing the details of your group. For us that is definitely the case four dining adults in a room.

 

[Avalon_toon]

So topic of the day

What is everyone doing tonight to wait for FD drop?

Watching White Princess on Starz, then I should take a nap (might not) when it gets to about 11 my time (Az on Cali's time) then I'll eat ice cream or drink soda and try and stay up all night so I can hopefully get FD at one of the two places we are willing to go.

My DH and I are trying to find a new show to watch, we recently finished watching The Mentalist and haven't found anything else that captures us. So we will probably try to watch a few different pilots hoping to find something that works, then I'll go to bed and my DH will monitor my phone and wake me up if I get an @everyone text on *******. If no text comes before he falls asleep, he will bring the phone to bed with us, and I'm setting my alarm for just before 4.

 

[Im_her_Mickey]

It's out honeymoon so just us. 7 nights with 7 day park hopper

 

[LoveTheBeach23]

Question: if I book a Free dining reservation for two people can I increase it to three people at a later date? My husband may not be able to go so if he doesn't go I would still go but my son and his girlfriend would go instead. Can I add them to the reservation and cancel my husband and still get the free dining promo for all 3 people?

 

[JadeDarkstar]

I'll be watching the white princess too!!! Can't wait for tonight's episode.

I think she is going to be so cool. She is going to learn how to play the game.

 

[KimBean]

I've read a couple items out there that are saying a 3 night stay plus 2 day park hopper instead of the 4 day ph in some of the early reports. Is anyone else hearing that?

This is what WDW News says, and this is what I heard. However, just as many or even more saying 4 night with 4 day PH or PH+

It's the completely unknown.

 

[LucyBC80]

Question: if I book a Free dining reservation for two people can I increase it to three people at a later date? My husband may not be able to go so if he doesn't go I would still go but my son and his girlfriend would go instead. Can I add them to the reservation and cancel my husband and still get the free dining promo for all 3 people?

As long as it's not a new reservation/room, which in that case would it would be up to availability, you can add and subtract people from your current reservation up two 30 days before your check in date.

 

[KimBean]

I just hate how there's so much conflicting info.\
I've been PM'd not to worry that its 2 day tickets but seeing as I've seen more things that say 4 day tickets then I have 2 day tickets my gut says its 4 because Disney wants to phase it out so they won't be getting people like me that are all about shorter trips.
Right now I've moved beyond excited and I just want it to drop to see if I can even go.

And there are some saying 8/13 and some saying 8/21. Conflicting rumors all abound. We won't know till it drops. And it wasn't me who PM'ed her so someone else out there says 2 day tickets. Hmmm....

 

[codylamb18]

I am currently booked at AKL Aug 27th - Sep 4th with a travel agency exclusive offer. I have been told that free dinning can not be combined with this offer. Would any of you choose AKL with no free dinning or a moderate/value with free dinning?