OFFICIAL 2020 Free Dining WATCH Thread - FREE DINING No Longer Available. First Post Updated with Details

[Attracted to Beasts]

We booked for only 4 nights that’s the minimum

 

[5kidsmommy]

Thanks. So we would have to purchase separate tickets. For FD, starting on Aug 29 + 4 days and then the other non-FD. If staying longer or may work but not for 4 days total with w 2 if them before FD date.

Your start date has to fall within the free dining dates. As long as your start date in within the dates you can get free dining if rooms are available. If you wanted to get there earlier you'd need to make a separate reservation for those dates and then another reservation for the free dining dates. So a split stay.

 

[twoolle]

Any word on a Disney Visa offer?

 

[mdsouth]

I booked preferred at music as that was what we had decided based on prices before the offer dropped. Had a quick look after I booked and standard at Pop was only $90 more. So I booked it as well! Anyone have any advice on which I should keep? I’d like to cancel soon so that others can book.

Yay! Finally got it.... Music Preferred (kinda sad there wanted to stay at the Broadway Section)... but still I got it! July 5-14th woot! My exact dates I needed! Could have been flexible bc were teachers but were leaving state on the 3rd to spend the 4th with my mom (and drop the kids off ) .... and were off on the 5th!

Good luck all those arent through.

Take POP for that upgrade. POP has a better resort layout, more efficient bus IMO, easy walk to better food court at AoA, can jump on AoA bus if it shows up faster than POP and the addition of the skyliner makes it an easy choice.

Thanks for the info!

Booked Pop standard 7/7-7/14! We are pretty open for the summer. Was hoping for Mid June or a July 9th check in, but can make this work. Glad I didn’t set my alarm until 3:15a PST. I was only in orbit for like 3 minutes.

Also, I feel like Disney might do a second wave of free dining in April. This round is too restrictive and the booking window is only 2 weeks.

I was able to snag the FD deal for June 28-July 3 at POP. I was able to get right on around 6:30 Central time (7:30 Eastern) without any wait. But CSR was not available so I did go with POP. POP is better for my budget anyway.

We did FD at POP last year....request a standard room in the 50s or 70s. Our standard room in the 70s was even closer than the preferred!

Thanks for the information about requests. This will be my first time staying at POP. We have always stayed at a mod before. But I am trying to cut costs a bit this year and so POP was better on the budget.

 

[DisLiss]

Well, our original check-in date was the 28th of August, LOL! We're willing to check in a day later, but we had a rough evening/morning here and I totally forgot to check in the early hours of the day, so now, of course, there's no telling if I'll be able to snag the deal.

If not we'll keep our eye open for either more dates later or a different deal.

 

[Rusty2rules]

I want to know where people are getting the info that it's a minimum 4-night stay. Everything I'm seeing says 5-nights.

 

[jwinky]

I want to know where people are getting the info that it's a minimum 4-night stay. Everything I'm seeing says 5-nights.

I just booked four days. You have to toggle on the calendar when you pick your check out date.

 

[Disneylover99]

I want to know where people are getting the info that it's a minimum 4-night stay. Everything I'm seeing says 5-nights.

Go in and book it.
Every time the offer comes out, it mentions a 5 or 6 night stay, but it never is.

 

[DisLiss]

Got it! Yay! We just re-booked a whole new stay at Pop checking in one day later than we originally planned to arrive, and that worked without orbiting forever. Since our transportation is already set we still will be arriving in Orlando on the 28th, so we still needed someplace to stay, so instead of booking a split stay at Pop, we decided to stay our first night at AoA. Then we can just walk our luggage across the bridge the next day.

We originally planned on hitting a park our first day and Disney Springs our last day, so we just flip-flopped that. to work around the fact that our Hoppers are now tied to the Aug. 29th check-in.

Now I'm holding to cancel our old reservation.

 

[focusondisney]

I want to know where people are getting the info that it's a minimum 4-night stay. Everything I'm seeing says 5-nights.

When you are on the page where you enter your dates.... the minimum 4 nights is shown.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Disappointed that only the first week of September is included

These dates are closer to the FD BB dates although those did go through until the 12th. They really cut back on dates this year!!!

 

[loriandmatt]

i was able to book a free dining package this morning. i opted to call in rather than try booking this online as i wanted to ask them to price out a few different resorts before i made my decision. from my experience, that goes quicker on the phone with a CM than using the app or webpage. called at 7:28 am Eastern, only waited about 2 min for a CM to pick up. she priced out a AOA suite, a moderate (both with the cost upgrade to the regular dining plan rather than the quick service - a request from my DH, who likes a sit down meal once a day on vacation. FYI that upcharge is $25/person /day. our kids are still "kids" for resort reservation purposes, but are over the adult age limit for park tickets and dining package. that cost may be lower for kids under the age cut off between kid and adult for dining.) i also had them price out a deluxe room to see if the cost would be similar since the standard dining package comes with a deluxe room booking - no upcharge. ended up booking the deluxe (Wilderness Lodge - they only offered courtyard view or club level, we took courtyard) from July 5-12 with a 6 day park hopper. she did state when giving package details that booking must be a 5 night minimum stay with a 4 day park hopper ticket minimum - had to be park hopper.

we are pretty excited about it. it's expensive, but we were planning on a WDW vaca this year anyway and were pretty flexible with our dates. it's been about 4 years since we have been to the world.....we are looking forward to coming back "home" and seeing all that is new.

 

[DisneyGirlMI]

Limited is an understatement.

Truly! It almost seems like a joke. Either that, or someone at Disney left out the word “except” when they released it to the public. A total of 16 days, which INCLUDE the 4th of July? It’s weird.

 

[Disneylover99]

ended up booking the deluxe (Wilderness Lodge - they only offered courtyard view or club level, we took courtyard) from July 5-12 with a 6 day park hopper. she did state when giving package details that booking must be a 5 night minimum stay with a 4 day park hopper ticket minimum - had to be park hopper.

we are pretty excited about it. it's expensive, but we were planning on a WDW vaca this year anyway and were pretty flexible with our dates. it's been about 4 years since we have been to the world.....we are looking forward to coming back "home" and seeing all that is new.

And that’s why I prefer to book online myself. Lol.
I know she was just following the script.

Happy you got what you wanted though!

 

[L.J.Dunk]

Booked Animal Kingdom for 6/27 - 7/05 free dining. Happy Dance! I called in although I could have booked online. I wanted to go over a few different options.

 

[evlaina]

I’m feeling doubtful FD will be available my dates (dec 1-7, not switching) so I’m looking for a room discount. Is there a watch thread for room discounts someone can direct me to?

 

[Elsaalltheway]

I’m feeling doubtful FD will be available my dates (dec 1-7, not switching) so I’m looking for a room discount. Is there a watch thread for room discounts someone can direct me to?

Don't give up hope, they usually do another wave in a few months.

 

[scard192]

I’m feeling doubtful FD will be available my dates (dec 1-7, not switching) so I’m looking for a room discount. Is there a watch thread for room discounts someone can direct me to?

does not look like it, but you could start one.. "December 2020 Discount Watch Thread"

 

[scard192]

Truly! It almost seems like a joke. Either that, or someone at Disney left out the word “except” when they released it to the public. A total of 16 days, which INCLUDE the 4th of July? It’s weird.

but to non-Disney "freaks" like those who post here, it would appear that Disney continues to offer discounts.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

I'm thinking of doing a split stay. Four days QS and then other four upgrade, but maybe not the cost of the two tickets would probably outweigh the perks, might be cheaper just to upgrade.
I think I'll just stick to my Dec vacation.