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

[finleyd]

I just tried to book my same reservation, it is saying unavailable, does this mean there won't be any rooms available when FD starts?

 

[trucker den]

Does it every open before 4 am?

Not really sure. On here they say 4 because that's when it came out the last couple of years. Also the thought is 4 is midnight west coast time

 

[Neeky78]

I answered you.

Thanks. I just edited my post. For some reason a chunk of posts weren't showing for me before. Now they are!

 

[Neeky78]

In addition to FD. I also need ROL dining packages to be released for October and MNSSHP tickets to be released.

I'm also waiting for MNSSHP!

But I have booked ROL dining package for early October already (Tusker). When in October were you wanting it?

Edit: oops. I actually booked for Sept 30. Still no October avail.

 

[Disneylover99]

Does it every open before 4 am?

A glitch opened it after midnight a few years back, so some people were able to book then. The website then shut down til almost 6am and then was bookable again. Anything is possible.

 

[trucker den]

I'm also waiting for MNSSHP!

But I have booked ROL dining package for early October already (Tusker). When in October were you wanting it?

October 1

 

[trucker den]

October 1

It still says unavailable

 

[Neeky78]

October 1

Oops. I just double checked my notes and I actually booked it for Sept 30, sorry. That was over a week ago.
Still no dates for Oct? How annoying. Only one day later than mine!

 

[ThistleMae]

Oops, forgot to answer your question. The website is open 24hrs. So as soon as the free dining offer goes up on the website, you can modify/change/book a new reservation.
Phone lines will open at 7am EST.

That's what I thought. I think I have everything straight now. And I have seen the poster who said they use a diff. MDE account to book a second reservation. So if one don't work, try the other. You know how finicky MDE can be at times.

 

[trucker den]

Oops. I just double checked my notes and I actually booked it for Sept 30, sorry. That was over a week ago.
Still no dates for Oct? How annoying. Only one day later than mine!

Ok. Yes it's so frustrating. It is the only ADR we still need. I am sure I will snag one. But the wait is killing me. I just want everything lined up so I can do my touring plans.

 

[ThistleMae]

OT a bit.
I know black has talked about FD rumor, and I realize this is the FD thread, but has anyone heard an discussion about the RO discounts often offered at the same time? I know I can look up historic discounts, but with mods only getting QS change, I'm wondering if they're going to be changing the RO discounts as well.

Mousesavers has this info. Go to their site. Just google it.

 

[markpenske]

T-minus: 186 hrs -13 min - 23 sec

 

[ThistleMae]

I wonder how many people they will lose being yearly patrons if they take away the table service from the moderate resorts and then eventually take away FD all together? It is obvious that is the way it is going and better Disney analysts than myself have predicted this. Probably not enough to make a difference to the bottom line. Finding value for this trip is getting harder and harder for us. We cut our trip to Disney to 5 nights instead of 10 staying at WL. Then we are going on vacation this year to Paris at a beautiful time of year that is a longer trip than our booked Disney stay at a undesirable time of year. The short Disney trip is more expensive than our trip to Paris that includes airfare from Boston on a major airline. I love Disney and it is of course a totally different kind of vacation. The price hikes and reduction in value have done us a favor and we are starting to see more of the world again.

I am a Disney nut. We love going, We love everything about it except the out of control cost associated with the vacation. It is not a rant but I just wonder how many people who can afford the Disney vacation but are still concerned with overall cost are making the decision to walk away or significantly shorten the trip like we have? And no..we will not go to Disney Paris LOL.

Strangely the taking away of the HWS Christmas lights was really a bummer for me..we enjoyed that so much. It is the little things that add up as well to making the decision to downsize the trip.

At this moment I am at a complete loss. I thought I would switch to a moderate to try and curtail costs and now I can see that the deluxe may be our best bet since we will not do QS alone....which may be what they want people to do.

Either way we eagerly anticipate the dining deal whatever it ultimately is and figure out the best deal for our Disney trip!

I think what you'll see is exactly what we are seeing since Black made the announcement. Folks are already figuring out how to do their trip with more limited offers. I don't think people will give up going, they'll just figure out a way to go, whether it's cutting their trip short, only eating QS or staying off site. When you're in love, you make sacrifices but don't give up the relationship. Just my thoughts.

 

[Neeky78]

That's what I thought. I think I have everything straight now. And I have seen the poster who said they use a diff. MDE account to book a second reservation. So if one don't work, try the other. You know how finicky MDE can be at times.

It makes it trickier as I will be handing it all over to my husband to do, which was not planned!!
Midnight EST on Monday is 2pm here in Sydney and is my first day back at work (teacher) after the holidays so I will not be able to do anything for at least 3 hours.

So hubby will be on his computer at work checking regularly to see if the offer has dropped and will need to be ready to pounce if it does drop before 4am.

Problem is, I have planned EVERYTHING so far. He doesn't even know the difference between Disneyland and WDW. He keeps telling people we're going to California.

So it will be much easier if he can just log in to my MDE and add another reservation rather than start a new one. That's just more confusion on top of the chaotic confusion he will be faced with when he meets "The Spreadsheet".

 

[Disneylover99]

I just tried to book my same reservation, it is saying unavailable, does this mean there won't be any rooms available when FD starts?

Probably. But you never know.

 

[Disneylover99]

It makes it trickier as I will be handing it all over to my husband to do, which was not planned!!
Midnight EST on Monday is 2pm here in Sydney and is my first day back at work (teacher) after the holidays so I will not be able to do anything for at least 3 hours.

So hubby will be on his computer at work checking regularly to see if the offer has dropped and will need to be ready to pounce if it does drop before 4am.

Problem is, I have planned EVERYTHING so far. He doesn't even know the difference between Disneyland and WDW. He keeps telling people we're going to California.

So it will be much easier if he can just log in to my MDE and add another reservation rather than start a new one. That's just more confusion on top of the chaotic confusion he will be faced with when he meets "The Spreadsheet".

Good luck!
Maybe you should make him do some trial runs now. Get him to input everything, just don't check out.

 

[Neeky78]

I just tried to book my same reservation, it is saying unavailable, does this mean there won't be any rooms available when FD starts?

When I booked online a few months ago, only one type of room was showing for CBR, which was the high-priced pirate room. No preferred rooms, no water view rooms, no standard rooms. So I booked the pirate room.
I called up as soon as I booked it and when I spoke to a CM they said every room type was available. I was looking at MDE, refreshed it, and it still said no availability for anything other than Pirate.
So I asked for a standard room on the phone and got it. She also said her system wasn't even showing standard or preferred rooms as "low inventory".

So my lesson from this is to call if you can't get anything online.

 

[Neeky78]

Good luck!
Maybe you should make him do some trial runs now. Get him to input everything, just don't check out.

Oh, don't worry - I will!
I have the training manual all ready to go. I have booked him in for Monday night for an hour so he can complete his crash course.
I will have chocolate as a reward and a rapping stick for his knuckles for when he gets something wrong.

 

[Disneylover99]

Oh, don't worry - I will!
I have the training manual all ready to go. I have booked him in for Monday night for an hour so he can complete his crash course.
I will have chocolate as a reward and a rapping stick for his knuckles for when he gets something wrong.

Good. Your training techniques are spot on.

 

[FinnsMom7]

what are the chances additional info will come out before next Sunday night/Monday morning? Or is it at the point we have our "rumor" and until it drops we won't have the confirmed details?