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

[DisneyDreamers3]

I talked with a Guest Communications Cast Member today about my FD BB that I booked last September for Pop and while I had her on the line I asked for her thoughts on FD at CBR this year. She said with 100% certainty that there will be no FD at CBR this year. We all know how inconsistent and unreliable Cast Members can be, but thought I'd pass on the information just in case.

Good luck to everyone who is waiting and wishing for FD!

 

[dznygrl70]

I talked with a Guest Communications Cast Member today about my FD BB that I booked last September for Pop and while I had her on the line I asked for her thoughts on FD at CBR this year. She said with 100% certainty that there will be no FD at CBR this year. We all know how inconsistent and unreliable Cast Members can be, but thought I'd pass on the information just in case.

Good luck to everyone who is waiting and wishing for FD!

Honestly, I would tend to agree. It's just TOO good to be true. Fd and gift card....not Disney style to give so much away.

 

[dznygrl70]

Honestly, I would tend to agree. It's just TOO good to be true. Fd and gift card....not Disney style to give so much away.

But would be happy to be proven wrong

 

[Neeky78]

I talked with a Guest Communications Cast Member today about my FD BB that I booked last September for Pop and while I had her on the line I asked for her thoughts on FD at CBR this year. She said with 100% certainty that there will be no FD at CBR this year. We all know how inconsistent and unreliable Cast Members can be, but thought I'd pass on the information just in case.

Good luck to everyone who is waiting and wishing for FD!

But you have to remember that all the resort bookings for the expected FD dates are not locked in. People can cancel at any time. So if FD drops soon and doesn't include CBR, all those people who booked there expecting FD will jump (pirate) ship for another resort that does offer it. FD for a family of 5 (or even 4) is worth much more than the $75 gift card that probably attracted them to CBR in the first place. Even a Value resort with the FD upgraded would work out cheaper.
Even worse, without FD a lot may opt to stay off-site and get tickets through a reseller, taking a lot of their dollars away from Disney.
Which will leave them in the position of an empty resort undergoing renovations with NO compensation or added benefit (the gift card compensation offer ends today).

That makes zero marketing sense to me.

The more likely scenario is they have cut short the gift card offer because FD will be available for a good chunk of the renovations dates.

That way they've locked in people to a compromised resort, along with unrefundable park hopper tickets, for the slowest part of the year.

Once all those dates are full, I imagine they will reintroduce the gift card offer to lock people in for the non-FD dates as it makes it as affordable as a Value resort.

 

[Neeky78]

How would it work for a 14 night stay?

You could book dining for up to your 10th night. Then you would have to call up or go online the next day to do day 11, and do the same for for the next 3 days.
So your day 11 adr would be based on 180+10 days out from the 2nd day of your resort stay. Your day 12 adr would be based on 180+10 days out from your 3rd day etc.

So you still get the +10 day jumpstart bonus, but not the convenience of doing it all in one go like your first 10 days.

 

[PracticallyPerfectPoppins]

**FD newbie here**

We are staying at AoA in a Cars Suite over Labor Day weekend (Sept 1st-4th). I booked it before realizing that FD might possibly be available on those dates and we are firm on the days/room we want. Do the rates for the AoA suites typically shoot up once FD is offered? Since we are only going for a few days and my two boys are young and don't eat much, I'm wondering if it's even worth it to stalk the threads for FD to drop. We've only been to Disney once before during W&D weekend last November and stayed in the AoA Nemo suite for almost exactly the same rate as I was able to get this reservation for, but if the room shoots up to the $430+ range that I see offered during busier parts of the year it likely wouldn't be a savings in the end to modify my reservation to snag the FD. Haha if this is a horse that has been beaten to death please ignore, I just didn't know if anyone had experience with snagging FD for the AoA suites in particular last year

 

[Azjenn]

I have a 12 day resort reservation; if free dining comes out in the middle of it will I have to make two different reservations? Also does anyone know when I modify my existing reservation to free dining would I have to cut my days down if FD falls in the middle of the dates then rebook the first part of my trip? Sometimes I think this stuff is just too complicated...

Yes, if your check in day is not a day that free dining is offered you would have to do a split stay with 2 different reservations. I would run the numbers though and see if it would be worth it. Typically the free dining requires a minimum of 2 day tickets. Depending on how many nights your first reservation would be for, there might not be an advantage there. I believe that park tickets don't start to get significantly cheaper until after day 4, so if you were having to buy 2, 5 day tickets let's say, that would cost way more than a 10 day would. Hope this wasn't confusing !

 

[Azjenn]

**FD newbie here**

We are staying at AoA in a Cars Suite over Labor Day weekend (Sept 1st-4th). I booked it before realizing that FD might possibly be available on those dates and we are firm on the days/room we want. Do the rates for the AoA suites typically shoot up once FD is offered? Since we are only going for a few days and my two boys are young and don't eat much, I'm wondering if it's even worth it to stalk the threads for FD to drop. We've only been to Disney once before during W&D weekend last November and stayed in the AoA Nemo suite for almost exactly the same rate as I was able to get this reservation for, but if the room shoots up to the $430+ range that I see offered during busier parts of the year it likely wouldn't be a savings in the end to modify my reservation to snag the FD. Haha if this is a horse that has been beaten to death please ignore, I just didn't know if anyone had experience with snagging FD for the AoA suites in particular last year

Are you booked under a promotion right now? Free dining requires you to pay rack rate for your room, so maybe run the numbers for your exact same trip when an offer isn't applied and it should give you a pretty good idea of what I would cost with the free dining. Remember to add on the park hopper option because it will most likely be required.

 

[Shelbizzles]

Want to go again tomorrow myself. Luke Evans nailed his character of Gaston

Agreed! I feel like overall the casting was fantastic

 

[PracticallyPerfectPoppins]

Are you booked under a promotion right now? Free dining requires you to pay rack rate for your room, so maybe run the numbers for your exact same trip when an offer isn't applied and it should give you a pretty good idea of what I would cost with the free dining. Remember to add on the park hopper option because it will most likely be required.

We aren't booked under a promotion, I just wasn't sure if the rates are inflated once it is announced that the room is FD-eligible. Thankfully we already have planned for 2 days of PH tickets so that won't be a tough pill to swallow

 

[Sailormoon2]

I know that but try booking be our guest for 13 people at 180 days out.

OMG!! That must take some serious planning patience!!

having a resort reservation so that you can book more then 180 is the way to go.

I actually didn't know this, very cool!

 

[Neeky78]

Loved Beauty and the Beast!!!!! Can't say enough!!!! Had GOOSEBUMPS

*sigh*
We have just under a week still to wait here in Australia.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Now see, that's when I want the PH. Go to MK on party days during the day and hop somewhere else for the evening. This allows me to do all the attractions at MK with somewhat shorter waits since guests don't like "wasting" a day at MK when it closes early. Then, I hop back to MK on a night without the party just for the fireworks. Those non-party days/nights at MK are CROWDED!

That's a good point worth considering. My challenge is that I want to get the most out of our MK days when the park is less crowded so I book our dining for 6:30 or 7:00. By the time we finish eating all of the others parks are closed (or will be closing within the hour) so there is no park to hop to.

We are booked to do something similar to what you suggest on an EMH MK day in that we'll do a water park during the day, supper at Hoop-Dee-Doo then go to MK info the evening for fireworks and rides. We don't need a PH for that option though.

I have a 12 day resort reservation; if free dining comes out in the middle of it will I have to make two different reservations? Also does anyone know when I modify my existing reservation to free dining would I have to cut my days down if FD falls in the middle of the dates then rebook the first part of my trip? Sometimes I think this stuff is just too complicated...

If FD begins part way through your trip you will only be eligible to get FD for those dates so yes, you will need 2 different reservations. This has happened to me in the past and I paid out of pocket for our meals before our FD reservation. (This may also include changing rooms if they are unable to keep you in the sane room)

What I'm not positive about is how your park tickets would work. If you keep your tickets with the FD pkg I believe you can pick them up early and start using them but how early I'm not positive.

You might want to look into booking a FD pkg with a ticket that covers your entire stay and a room only reservation before this BUT check to ensure when you could begin using your tickets.

 

[Disneylover99]

We aren't booked under a promotion, I just wasn't sure if the rates are inflated once it is announced that the room is FD-eligible. Thankfully we already have planned for 2 days of PH tickets so that won't be a tough pill to swallow

No the rack room prices won't be inflated for FD.

 

[samsteele]

Sorry off topic but do you like sports more? And if so why? We are booked at music. I couldn't see the difference in spending an extra $200 for POP or Movies even though Movies looks cuter. I figured that is 1 signature meal. But have been worried about this. Only stayed one time onsite - CSR

IMO Sports has better bus transpo than Music or Movies. It is the first stop for pick up and first stop on return to the resorts. Generally, there is less AS resorts bus sharing than in the past but Sports seemed to have more buses arriving & be more efficient than Music when I stayed at each over the past 2 years. I personally prefer the theming at Music more so than Sports but better busing trumps for me. All of the Value room interiors are practically the same (although the POP renovated rooms when finished & available to book will be very different). The AS Music bldg I stayed in was Jazz & it was an OK walk to the main bldg, caf & bus stop. Beautiful little fountain in the courtyard in front of the section. Movies traditionally has not been included in FD. Just Sports & Music.

We stayed at sports and really liked it. The pro is that when it shares busses it's the first stop. Music is second and movies is third. My parents have stayed at music and said it was nice. At sports I had requested a standard football room. Very close to food and busses and no extra fees! I also felt that it was much quieter than pop. We were there in September though. I've heard it can get rowdy when sports teams stay there during the school year.

As of last summer, the AS Sports football section is preferred. I tried to stay in that section last Fall but no luck with a standard room booking. I was in the "Hoops Hotel" basketball area instead in the wing closest to the main bldg and it worked out well. Not a long walk at all.

 

[Abbey Albright]

I have a 12 day resort reservation; if free dining comes out in the middle of it will I have to make two different reservations? Also does anyone know when I modify my existing reservation to free dining would I have to cut my days down if FD falls in the middle of the dates then rebook the first part of my trip? Sometimes I think this stuff is just too complicated...

That's a good point worth considering. My challenge is that I want to get the most out of our MK days when the park is less crowded so I book our dining for 6:30 or 7:00. By the time we finish eating all of the others parks are closed (or will be closing within the hour) so there is no park to hop to.

We are booked to do something similar to what you suggest on an EMH MK day in that we'll do a water park during the day, supper at Hoop-Dee-Doo then go to MK info the evening for fireworks and rides. We don't need a PH for that option though.

If FD begins part way through your trip you will only be eligible to get FD for those dates so yes, you will need 2 different reservations. This has happened to me in the past and I paid out of pocket for our meals before our FD reservation. (This may also include changing rooms if they are unable to keep you in the sane room)

What I'm not positive about is how your park tickets would work. If you keep your tickets with the FD pkg I believe you can pick them up early and start using them but how early I'm not positive.

You might want to look into booking a FD pkg with a ticket that covers your entire stay and a room only reservation before this BUT check to ensure when you could begin using your tickets.

Two years ago when we had a split stay we needed to go to guest relations to activate our tickets early (the tickets were attached to the second reservation for the FD promotion). We had 7 day tickets and could use them during our entire trip (14 day window). We could not book fast passes 60 days out for the first hotel reservation since the tickets were for the second hotel reservation, had to wait until the 30 day mark. Our split stay was a very smooth transition.

 

[missyboocoo]

I haven't snagged FD in a few years. We always stay at Wilderness Lodge. Does anyone know if FD is typically offered there? And if so, is it offered for standard rooms or is it usually attached to upgraded rooms?

 

[mnmhouston]

Loved Beauty and the Beast!!!!! Can't say enough!!!! Had GOOSEBUMPS

It was AMAZING! Alternated between goosebumps and tears through the entire move!! Did not want it to end...

 

[pigletto]

I haven't snagged FD in a few years. We always stay at Wilderness Lodge. Does anyone know if FD is typically offered there? And if so, is it offered for standard rooms or is it usually attached to upgraded rooms?

It's offered there, but what rooms it will apply to is anyones guess. I do think I've seen it mentioned that people have snagged Free Dining on a Wilderness Lodge standard room in the past, but I don't know how common that is.

 

[KimBean]

I haven't snagged FD in a few years. We always stay at Wilderness Lodge. Does anyone know if FD is typically offered there? And if so, is it offered for standard rooms or is it usually attached to upgraded rooms?

This is from another site. I'm not sure the rules on posting links so I just put the info here. This seems to be the exclusions, what the exact requirements are (days, tickets, park hopper) and what room types will be available at each resort I don't think we will know until it drops or we get solid rumors which will only happen a few days before.


Typically, there are the room exclusions for the Free Dining promo; most commonly, the following are exempt: All-Star Movies, Bay Lake Tower, Port Orleans Resort Riverside (except the first set of dates), Port Orleans Resort French Quarter, Fort Wilderness campsites, Art of Animation Little Mermaid Rooms, all 3-bedroom Villas, Villas at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (except Studios), and the Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, are all not eligible for Free Dining.