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

[trucker den]

180 day for us too! Got everything we wanted. Multiple BOG (DD is a huge beauty and the beast fan) also includes pre park BOG for mine train. ohana. Pre park garden grill. We never did garden grill before but as some touring plans say " do garden grill for 8. This way you are first in line for soarin" this way we can do test track single rider and fast pass frozen.

 

[memma05]

OK so my hubby just told me we can go to Disney for my 30th birthday in September!! I am so excited! The last time we went kiddo free was 12 years ago!! We are booked currently in December and hoping for FD but my birthday is over labor day weekend and when I look at past discounts it looks like FD is normally available then too!! Anyone have experience with the park LD weekend? Also any great suggestions for dining?

 

[Nagy3girls]

OK so my hubby just told me we can go to Disney for my 30th birthday in September!! I am so excited! The last time we went kiddo free was 12 years ago!! We are booked currently in December and hoping for FD but my birthday is over labor day weekend and when I look at past discounts it looks like FD is normally available then too!! Anyone have experience with the park LD weekend? Also any great suggestions for dining?

I'd like to know what the parks are like over labour day weekend because we'll be there then....last two weeks of August for us.

 

[goldnvalli]

OK so my hubby just told me we can go to Disney for my 30th birthday in September!! I am so excited! The last time we went kiddo free was 12 years ago!! We are booked currently in December and hoping for FD but my birthday is over labor day weekend and when I look at past discounts it looks like FD is normally available then too!! Anyone have experience with the park LD weekend? Also any great suggestions for dining?

Last year we left Disney the Saturday of LD, but I can tell you the week before was not busy at all. We were able to do everything in MK in 1 day. We had EMH and my kids were able to ride splash mountain an unlimited number of times, they didn't even get off, just kept riding. They loved it. We also had FD. Planning on going the same days again.

 

[Neeky78]

It sure is! Only problem is that it is now bedtime for me (just gone 11pm in New Zealand), and I am too bouncy to get to sleep yet!

Sydney here and we just got an extra hour last night! But I'm headed to bed now too. 10.15pm. I'm a teacher, so I have one more week before school holidays. Then I can REALLY get obsessive about fd and all things Disney!

 

[Causin_a_commotion]

We are going the first week of September, my daughter's 2nd birthday is Labor Day. I expect it to be busy on Labor Day itself, but hoping that crowds die down after. We are also staying at CBR with the gift card offer, hoping beyond hope to double dip with FD. If we are able to get FD and the gcs, we will use the cards to pay for part of another trip before my girl turns 3!! Gotta take advantage of her being free

 

[Neeky78]

OK so my hubby just told me we can go to Disney for my 30th birthday in September!! I am so excited! The last time we went kiddo free was 12 years ago!! We are booked currently in December and hoping for FD but my birthday is over labor day weekend and when I look at past discounts it looks like FD is normally available then too!! Anyone have experience with the park LD weekend? Also any great suggestions for dining?

Do you mean Sept this year? If so, you better get onto it quick as dining reservations for the 29th opened today. So you might not get much if a choice if you're arriving before then.

Aim for Be Our Guest. If you're using the dining plan (free or otherwise) breakfast and lunch are counted as Quick Service, BUT you can reserve them like Table Service. Only QS that allows this, which attests to its popularity.
Dinner is 1 Table Service and is the time when The Beast is there.

Cinderella's Royal Table is the other hot ticket. 2 Table Service credits. Dine in the castle with several Princesses.

From there, it's a matter of taste, theme, location and price.

 

[Rusty2rules]

Hey Neeky! Mine too! Got the 4 I wanted most: CP breakfast @9.35 on Fri 6th (will see if a later time comes up as we get closer).
BOG @5.25 on Fri 6th
CRT @6.55 Sat 7th

I booked Bon Voyage for 10 am on the 2nd too. That is a non park day for us.

Got a couple of others that we will do if we end up with FD.

How the...heck are you people getting BOG reservations?! I've been trying to get dinner reservations for the end of September for a week and nada.

 

[JackieO]

We are going the first week of September, my daughter's 2nd birthday is Labor Day. I expect it to be busy on Labor Day itself, but hoping that crowds die down after. We are also staying at CBR with the gift card offer, hoping beyond hope to double dip with FD. If we are able to get FD and the gcs, we will use the cards to pay for part of another trip before my girl turns 3!! Gotta take advantage of her being free

When we get awesome deals like these I tell me husband "It would be financially irresponsible not to go!"

 

[memma05]

Do you mean Sept this year? If so, you better get onto it quick as dining reservations for the 29th opened today. So you might not get much if a choice if you're arriving before then.

Aim for Be Our Guest. If you're using the dining plan (free or otherwise) breakfast and lunch are counted as Quick Service, BUT you can reserve them like Table Service. Only QS that allows this, which attests to its popularity.
Dinner is 1 Table Service and is the time when The Beast is there.

Cinderella's Royal Table is the other hot ticket. 2 Table Service credits. Dine in the castle with several Princesses.

From there, it's a matter of taste, theme, location and price.

Oh gosh yes this year!! I totally spaced on ADR's! We would be there the 1st-4th! Just a quick trip but I better book now so I can make my ADR's!

 

[Nagy3girls]

How the...heck are you people getting BOG reservations?! I've been trying to get dinner reservations for the end of September for a week and nada.

HI, there are BOG breakfast available everyday for the last week of Sept. for party of 4 (wasn't sure how many you needed). There were multiple times. Keep checking.

 

[Neeky78]

How the...heck are you people getting BOG reservations?! I've been trying to get dinner reservations for the end of September for a week and nada.

I'm looking now (for 3 people) and there's 3 breakfast times avail on Sept 29. On the 30th there's 2 lunch times. Didn't see any dinner times though.

If you're trying for 2 people, change it to 3 or 4 and see how you go. Then you can call and ask to change it to 2.

Also, there's a website that has an alert for when a particular booking comes up. I can't remember the name, but it's here somewhere in the thread. You enter the date you want and approx time and it will email you when it becomes available.

 

[KimBean]

I'll bet a whole lotta money these calendars are subject to drastic change. I'm going the last week of September and it has AK closing at 7pm. Sunset isn't until 7:30ish. Touring Plans has already updated their planning schedules to AK being open until 9 pm to include ROL and Tree of Life Awakenings. Don't take those schedules as being set in stone.

This is so true. I've planned my two AK days just to be full days because of this. Eating lunch and dinner in AK. One of those days 2 QS just so I know I won't have to work around ADR. I fee like there is no way for me to know he schedule and routine of ROL until much closer and this gives me flexibility.

 

[KimBean]

Ok, I caved. Just changed out Crystal Palace dinner reservation for CRT. I wasn't going to do it, but there was a reservation available for dinner on the night we're at Magic Kingdom, so I grabbed it!

Maybe it's better. I much prefer the food at CP. lol. But I only had breakfast at CRT last time haven't had dinner in 10+ years.

I didn't care for breakfast but it was all part of plan that worked beautifully. Last day at WDW only there until noon so we could drive back to ATL. Ariel told my DD who had just turned 6 that she loved Max so much she had made sure that DD had a dog waiting on her when she got home and then handed her the pic we had slipped her before. My daughter was in shock we had gotten her a Boston terrier puppy. But it was the easiest exit from WDW ever. Lol. Dogs name is Winnie Max from the BT short and of course from little mermaid.

 

[Lesley Wake]

K, peeps. This is a bit off topic, but I'm seeing dates popping up through the end of September for Rivers of Light dining packages, but no availability. Is this because the system is still coming online for reservations or are they really all booked up already?

It looks like the only days are Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Do you think they won't have it on Monday, Wed, and Fri? We were hoping to go to AK on Mon because of am EMH!

Update: I adjusted some of our ADRs to account for this possibility. Mainly have Le Cellier for both Mon and Thurs and got an earlier Tusker for each day-although we would hope to get the ROL dining package.

 

[Starwind]

I may get stoned for this but I have eaten all three meals at BOG - breakfast under FD which was worth it for value alone food decent - lunch which I paid OOP was a waste - rushed and nothing overly fancy - Epcot is much better IMO and dinner was nice - glass of wine and the setting is amazing but the hype of getting a reservation and cost for what you get isn't what it's cracked up to be - under FD yes it's a better value than others but I rather go to Biergarten or France or Ohana for a TS

We've only done "lunch" at BOG. We wanted to see inside, so we did lunch and only got soup and drinks. Then walked around and looked in each room and took some pictures.

Our real lunch we ate at a different QS.

SW

 

[KimBean]

We are going the first week of September, my daughter's 2nd birthday is Labor Day. I expect it to be busy on Labor Day itself, but hoping that crowds die down after. We are also staying at CBR with the gift card offer, hoping beyond hope to double dip with FD. If we are able to get FD and the gcs, we will use the cards to pay for part of another trip before my girl turns 3!! Gotta take advantage of her being free

For your kiddo free trip I recommend Narcoosses.

 

[Azjenn]

How the...heck are you people getting BOG reservations?! I've been trying to get dinner reservations for the end of September for a week and nada.

What day are you trying for? Dinner right? I love stalking for ADR's so I'll look for you haha

 

[JackieO]

I didn't care for breakfast but it was all part of plan that worked beautifully. Last day at WDW only there until noon so we could drive back to ATL. Ariel told my DD who had just turned 6 that she loved Max so much she had made sure that DD had a dog waiting on her when she got home and then handed her the pic we had slipped her before. My daughter was in shock we had gotten her a Boston terrier puppy. But it was the easiest exit from WDW ever. Lol. Dogs name is Winnie Max from the BT short and of course from little mermaid.

 

[The Dirty Steve]

Since some of you guys are holding down the fort, mind if I hang out with you today?

Before you ask, no rumors and yes, I checked this morning.

So, first off....bloggers and their preferred travel agencies. Let's face it, we live in a time where information is money. Some bloggers dedicate their lives to providing great info about Disney. There are inherent costs to provide this service which is for the most part free of charge to the public. Now, I know some of these guys and most have the best intentions. BUT, I feel honesty is the standard.

I don't blog. We spend a TON of time in the parks each year, making some 6-7 trips each year. It's where my family takes time out of our busy schedules to reconnect. If I can share that type of experience with others, then I feel my time on the boards has been useful.