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

[ThistleMae]

I swear I'm not ignoring everyone--I just have no clue what the hell is going on in here--I gotta take a few classes everyone. Sorry

LOL! I know...so true. You will catch on. There are still lots of things I don't know and find out about in here. For instance, I didn't know they have some kind of "extra shuttle service" you can purchase to get from one park to the other and avoid the longer bus lines. Go figure!

 

[Disneylover99]

Can you change the resort on a bounce back.

Yes. If there is availability.

 

[pigletto]

I know offsite would be less expensive, even if food has to be bought, but my daughter will not stay offsite. So when we go next year for grandson's graduation, we absolutely need free dining. I'm staying offsite this year and gave myself a generous food budget, $ 100.00 a day. I don't know how my daughter will afford it, so just seeing how this year goes as a reference.

I too was one who wouldn't stay offsite until we did. We LOVED Bonnet Creek and had more space while being closer to some of the parks than some of the onsite resorts. However, after a few offsite trips, I do miss the immersion of being onsite. I like both, and wouldn't be unhappy to move back to Bonnet Creek, but we were really hoping to do an onsite stay this time.
I understand your daughter wanting the kind of trip she's dreaming of, and I hope she'll be able to get it next year .

 

[ThistleMae]

I've been reading another thread where the OP asked whether anyone has ever cut their trips short due to crowds. They actually left early because they felt the parks were too crowded! Huh...can you imagine?

 

[pigletto]

I wasn't able to get POP! until 3 days after because TA are allowed to hold resorts for 3 days without payment. So TA's were hogging alot... So if you can't get what you want KEEP checking ESPECIALLY at the 3 day after mark.

That's good to know.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

So if all of the few available FD packages are going to be booked up within hours or days, mostly by those of us who are already planning to go or even already have vacations booked why is Disney offering this deal at all? It doesn't seem like it's enticing people who wouldn't other wise be going.

Am I missing something? Why don't they offer more rooms in the deal to attract more people? Or why don't they just stop this deal all together if we'd go without it any way?

Sorry if I'm bringing the mood down. I just want to understand.

It's more to fill the rooms, so while one hotel may be pretty full, the room options might be less, but those others that are going to be less full, will have more options. Its just if you are flexible on where you want to stay.

 

[pigletto]

I've been reading another thread where the OP asked whether anyone has ever cut their trips short due to crowds. They actually left early because they felt the parks were too crowded! Huh...can you imagine?

I can see that in some select circumstances. I often think when I am there, "Can you imagine the poor people who have no idea that you need to plan fastpasses or restaurants and pay thousands to get here and not be able to do things?" Like what if you paid $7000 for a week at the Poly and couldn't even get in to your own hotel restaurant. I don't think the average traveler spends all this time planning. Now imagine that clueless scenario and make it Christmas week!!! I can imagine people being astounded and miserable and leaving.
I had a collegue who was planning to take his kids and had zero clue about what parks there were, let alone fastpasses. That was a steep learning curve let me tell ya!

 

[Elsaalltheway]

I've been reading another thread where the OP asked whether anyone has ever cut their trips short due to crowds. They actually left early because they felt the parks were too crowded! Huh...can you imagine?

NO, I'm at Diesney, I just go experience something else. See what other hotels there are, see what else there is to do, enjoy everything the hotels have to offer.

 

[Disneylover99]

WHAT??? We make all the difference. Are you telling me Disney isn't refreshing this board every 10 minutes like I am???

Seriously though, if I look for the room I want it isn't available to book any more. I'm already booked in exactly what I want. Once this FD becomes available (notice I've switched from saying "if"... Speaking this into reality) is there honestly no way I'm going to get what I want? My reservation really isn't doing me any good?

Unfortunately, if your resort or room category is not offered for your dates, then no. If your resort and room category is offered for your dates and you have a modify button, and you get online when it opens then yes!

Free dining is a bit like being on a game show. You gotta be the first to hit that buzzer.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

So it seems to me, from what I've been reading, that there is no advantage to having something already booked because anyone who happens to be staying in those rooms already, still have to call, right? Or does it make things extra complicated because those rooms would already be unavailable because someone is already booked in them, making the # of rooms less available? Ugh!

This is a real sticking point with someone. Say a person has ONE room they want, but they have back ups. A 200 deposit might not be a lot to some people. So someone might be holding three rooms, well the problem with this is Disney already sees those rooms booked, so when they finally do realease the offer its based on trying to fill rooms. Well after people finally get what they want they start canceling and then all these rooms that they thought were already booked just start popping up, at that time they have to readjust what their availabilty is. So some say go ahead and already reserve, and then others say not too, becuase Disney needs to see the available rooms.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

Yes. If there is availability.

wow really good to know.

 

[JennJ84]

I've been reading another thread where the OP asked whether anyone has ever cut their trips short due to crowds. They actually left early because they felt the parks were too crowded! Huh...can you imagine?

I wouldn't cut my trip, I would add more days!!

 

[samsteele]

So it seems to me, from what I've been reading, that there is no advantage to having something already booked because anyone who happens to be staying in those rooms already, still have to call, right? Or does it make things extra complicated because those rooms would already be unavailable because someone is already booked in them, making the # of rooms less available? Ugh!

As Disneylover99 explained so well, its a crap shoot. People are divided on this strategy. Some swear they have great luck getting a standard room in the Mod of their choice with FD by booking ahead of time and then modifying as soon as FD drops. Others think that's crazy since on the magic day the website slows & sometimes crashes making modifying the ressie difficult and this strategy ensures WDW will phase out FD because no incentive to offer the promo when bookings look solid. But every year, people do it. Some are happy with the results. Others incredibly upset. Because of my low Cdn $ and being a solo guest, I only look at Values. I love POP and praise the efficiency of its bus system. But for me, that extra $20 US premium/night can be put to better use. So I'm good with AS Sports or even AS Music if push comes to shove. Touch wood, AS Sports has been available in the past so I just wait & see what's on offer as soon or if FD drops.

 

[Disneylover99]

This is a real sticking point with someone. Say a person has ONE room they want, but they have back ups. A 200 deposit might not be a lot to some people. So someone might be holding three rooms, well the problem with this is Disney already sees those rooms booked, so when they finally do realease the offer its based on trying to fill rooms. Well after people finally get what they want they start canceling and then all these rooms that they thought were already booked just start popping up, at that time they have to readjust what their availabilty is. So some say go ahead and already reserve, and then others say not too, becuase Disney needs to see the available rooms.

I think the bottom line is this.......if you have already booked knowing that you will only go if free dining comes out, then you are shooting yourself in the foot. You are just taking up inventory making it less likely that resort or room category gets offered. You will have no advantage getting the room you've booked over someone who books a room when the promotion drops. It's first come, first served the day the promotion starts, not ahead of time.

If you are going regardless, then book away!

Sorry. I feel like this has been repeated ad nauseum. If you all want to put me on ignore, I understand.

I know there are people who are booked with travel agents and they are happy because they feel they don't have to think about it now cause they're agent will automatically add the promotion for them. They may get what they want, but there is no guarantee.

 

[samsteele]

I know there are people who are booked with travel agents and they are happy because they feel they don't have to think about it now cause they're agent will automatically add the promotion for them. They may get what they want, but there is no guarantee.

Absolutely right. No guarantee because if your TA has traditional office hrs & doesn't get to work until after 9am, there may be no availability left in the category & at the resort that you desired. If you have a super-person TA who will be up at midnight anticipating a FD drop and can modify your reservation then, then you are very lucky. My TA would not have done that.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Absolutely right. No guarantee because if your TA has traditional office hrs & doesn't get to work until after 9am, there may be no availability left in the category & at the resort that you desired. If you have a super-person TA who will be up at midnight anticipating a FD drop and can modify your reservation then, then you are very lucky. My TA would not have done that.

My TA said she wont book any offers before 7am, so I'll be trying to get FD for myself then

 

[JackieO]

This may be beating a dead horse for some if you, sorry. I need to get this straight in my head.

I'm booked in POR garden view Sep 10-20th. I have options to change within a few days of those dates and I'm open to another resort. I only booked early so that I could get my ADR and because I thought I was making it easier to get the FD as by modifying my existing reservation.

Does anyone know that it would be better for me to cancel now or if it's better to keep what I have and try to modify??

I think maybe I need to get off here and clear my head. It's just adding to my confusion.

 

[Disneylover99]

This may be beating a dead horse for some if you, sorry. I need to get this straight in my head.

I'm booked in POR garden view Sep 10-20th. I have options to change within a few days of those dates and I'm open to another resort. I only booked early so that I could get my ADR and because I thought I was making it easier to get the FD as by modifying my existing reservation.

Does anyone know that it would be better for me to cancel now or if it's better to keep what I have and try to modify??

I think maybe I need to get off here and clear my head. It's just adding to my confusion.

Do you have a modify button? Honestly, I would just keep the reservation at this point. Don't fret.

 

[JackieO]

Do you have a modify button? Honestly, I would just keep the reservation at this point. Don't fret.

Ok, thank you for your advice. I have a "change resection" button. I'm going to leave everything like I have it and worry about this later.

 

[TomServo27]

Does anyone know how has the availability for 2 bedroom villas been at ss or okw. That is my backup if we can't get into a moderate or if we have to get royal rooms to get free dining. We have 6 adults and 2 children.