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

[focusondisney]

Can you add the Water Park and Sports Option, instead of Park Hopper when booking a free dining package?

You have to book what the offer requires. In the past, park hopper has been specified. So it had to be a park hopper. If a new offer comes out & specifies park hopper, water park wouldn’t qualify.

 

[AndreaDanger]

Can you add the Water Park and Sports Option, instead of Park Hopper when booking a free dining package?

We've added the Park Hopper Plus option with free dining in the past, which includes the water parks, NBA experience, etc. Not quite the same but the added pricing over a regular Park Hopper isn't bad if you intend to visit those places anyway.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Can you add the Water Park and Sports Option, instead of Park Hopper when booking a free dining package?

You used to be able to add either the park hopper or the water parks option but for the past couple of years you must add the park hopper option to get FD. We go for a longer trip and enjoy the water parks so we add that one on also as it isn't a big difference in the price.

 

[Craig Larson]

Looking over my notes from when I was hoping Free dining was going to be available when I booked my late Aug trip with QSDP:

8/23-8/29 w/ 8 day tickets @ POP, standard room
Before January it was $4044 with park hopper option
Today it is $4300 with park hopper

I am booked currently with the Kids tasty promo at $4690 without park hopper, so it would still be a savings and get the benefit of park hopper. I did price without dining and taking the Sun & Fun discount and paying OOP for food. After looking over the menus of where we are likely to eat, the 4690 was about $75 more. That was with never getting alcohol, averaging 1.5 snacks instead of 2 a day and picking a few entrees that were cheaper just because I know I would end up buying those when paying OOP vs getting what I would prefer.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Looking over my notes from when I was hoping Free dining was going to be available when I booked my late Aug trip with QSDP:

8/23-8/29 w/ 8 day tickets @ POP, standard room
Before January it was $4044 with park hopper option
Today it is $4300 with park hopper

I am booked currently with the Kids tasty promo at $4690 without park hopper, so it would still be a savings and get the benefit of park hopper. I did price without dining and taking the Sun & Fun discount and paying OOP for food. After looking over the menus of where we are likely to eat, the 4690 was about $75 more. That was with never getting alcohol, averaging 1.5 snacks instead of 2 a day and picking a few entrees that were cheaper just because I know I would end up buying those when paying OOP vs getting what I would prefer.

Although I'm sure in the end I pay a little more, I've paid for the dining plan in the past purely because I would do the same as you and order something cheaper even though I may want something else. For me, the dining plan allows me to enjoy my vacation exponentially more because I don't have to look at prices. That in itself is worth the cost of the dining plan.

 

[aimeekaye26]

It would be tempting to try the plus and max out those TS restaurants, but the cost in tips would be a killer.

That's true, I didn't really consider all that extra tipping that we'd be paying if we switched. I'm still completely on the fence about worrying with the 'free' dining this time, depending on what kind of deals come out for November/December I could be persuaded that way without the dining plan.

I mean, right now I have a 4 night stay with free dining at Pop - 2 adults and 2 kids (one is still free) and it is right at 2500.
I could do the special 4 day ticket (I don't remember what it's called atm, the one that is 89ish a day) plus a room discount at All Star Movies for 1500. I think $1000 would go very far for food for us vs the free dining and nuggets. KWIM?

Anyone think it's possible that Disney will revamp the kids menus anytime soon? I'm sure they see that this is the biggest drawback for the dining plan now.

 

[Disneylover99]

That's true, I didn't really consider all that extra tipping that we'd be paying if we switched. I'm still completely on the fence about worrying with the 'free' dining this time, depending on what kind of deals come out for November/December I could be persuaded that way without the dining plan.

I mean, right now I have a 4 night stay with free dining at Pop - 2 adults and 2 kids (one is still free) and it is right at 2500.
I could do the special 4 day ticket (I don't remember what it's called atm, the one that is 89ish a day) plus a room discount at All Star Movies for 1500. I think $1000 would go very far for food for us vs the free dining and nuggets. KWIM?

Anyone think it's possible that Disney will revamp the kids menus anytime soon? I'm sure they see that this is the biggest drawback for the dining plan now.

I’d definitely take the savings and ditch the fd. $1000 for four nights is $250 per day for food. Then you’re not stuck with the kids meals and you can order what you want. It’s also fun to take advantage of eating at cheaper Table Service restaurants like SciFi diner.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I just learned something. I was part of the ‘kids can’t live on chicken nuggets’ group because I’d heard so many people say it but I’ll admit I hadn’t really checked out the Menus for myself. I just went to the Disney website and pulled up about 12 of the QS locations our family likes and all but 1 had a variety of choices for kids to eat that were far from the nugget category!

If someone is concerned about what their child will eat if restricted to the kid’s menus, I highly recommend checking out the menus and seeing if you might find options your child would like.

I know I was pleasantly surprised!

 

[Disneylover99]

I just learned something. I was part of the ‘kids can’t live on chicken nuggets’ group because I’d heard so many people say it but I’ll admit I hadn’t really checked out the Menus for myself. I just went to the Disney website and pulled up about 12 of the QS locations our family likes and all but 1 had a variety of choices for kids to eat that were far from the nugget category!

If someone is concerned about what their child will eat if restricted to the kid’s menus, I highly recommend checking out the menus and seeing if you might find options your child would like.

I know I was pleasantly surprised!

Yes. Some kids meals are pretty good. And some counter services are better then others when it comes to kids meals. They’ve definitely made improvements over the years. That’s why we occasionally order them when we’re not on the dining plan.

The problem is, the selection can be very limiting when you are on a dining plan. There may be 3 or 4 kids meals listed and maybe 1 or 2 of those meals are actually something other then nuggets, Mac and cheese, uncrustables or pizza. Whereas the adult meals have maybe 8-10 selections with much more variety.

Sure there are a few stand out counter services that offer more variety, but I think there should be an option to get smaller portions of the adult meals for the kids and get rid of the carrot/cookie/grapes/GoGo Squeeze offerings. Those choices get old fast.

 

[atreides]

Has anyone tried to call in and change their dining plan under Free Dining to the new Plus plan? I did not pay the $1,000 adder for Deluxe, but I might be interested in the Plus plan. It is not showing as an option to upgrade to that online.

 

[siren0119]

Has anyone tried to call in and change their dining plan under Free Dining to the new Plus plan? I did not pay the $1,000 adder for Deluxe, but I might be interested in the Plus plan. It is not showing as an option to upgrade to that online.

There's another thread about it but thus far people have NOT been able to change their dining plan without being expected to rebook under current room/package pricing.

 

[aimeekaye26]

I’d definitely take the savings and ditch the fd. $1000 for four nights is $250 per day for food. Then you’re not stuck with the kids meals and you can order what you want. It’s also fun to take advantage of eating at cheaper Table Service restaurants like SciFi diner.

Yes! I really wanted Via Napoli Pizza last time we were on the dining plan, but it wasn't a 'good value' of my credit so we didn't get it. I also LOVE Earl of Sandwich cause I'm basic, but again didn't eat it because its a terrible use of a credit.

 

[aimeekaye26]

There's another thread about it but thus far people have NOT been able to change their dining plan without being expected to rebook under current room/package pricing.

Someone upthread said they could, but I could not. Just my two cents. It never became available as an option for me. I can upgrade to deluxe or downgrade to quick service but I don't have the option to go to plus.

 

[btosh]

Any word on these dates being extended later into September/October? We head down right after the current promo runs out, but got Free Dining (IIRC) when we went in 2018.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Any word on these dates being extended later into September/October? We head down right after the current promo runs out, but got Free Dining (IIRC) when we went in 2018.

The current BB offer ends mid-August. Historically the next BB offer is FD for select dates the following year but that can change. Next BB offer is normally for stays Aug - Oct 2020 and bookable for select dates in 2021.

 

[Bittersweet & Strange]

I would really like to add a day to my free dining reservation. It's modifiable online, but there is no availability. Anyone had luck changing this by calling rather than looking online? Or are the CMs limited by the same system?

 

[ml sumner]

I would really like to add a day to my free dining reservation. It's modifiable online, but there is no availability. Anyone had luck changing this by calling rather than looking online? Or are the CMs limited by the same system?

We called about a month ago and added a day to our stay at Pop. They didn't have the preferred pool view that we originally had but they had standard pool view.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I would really like to add a day to my free dining reservation. It's modifiable online, but there is no availability. Anyone had luck changing this by calling rather than looking online? Or are the CMs limited by the same system?

Sometimes by calling 407-939-1923 they can find additional space but it's not guaranteed.

Last year I wanted to add 1 day to our September trip. I called in April and May but there was no availability. I was able to purchase a 1 night room-only reservation at a different resort. Thankfully once we arrived they found space at our first resort but the reservations were not joined. In our case the dining plan expired at midnight the night before our departure as the night we added was not part of our FD BB.

 

[Attracted to Beasts]

So with all the insanity that is going on right now I was able to find a standard FD room at CBR like I originally wanted. I modified my reservation from POFQ to CBR. Now I’m just praying that all of this is over by September and we can take this trip! Anyone else nervous about their plans?

 

[scrappinginontario]

So with all the insanity that is going on right now I was able to find a standard FD room at CBR like I originally wanted. I modified my reservation from POFQ to CBR. Now I’m just praying that all of this is over by September and we can take this trip! Anyone else nervous about their plans?

I wouldn't say that I'm nervous about our trip but will say that I'm aware our September trip may need to be delayed if they are unable to get this under control by then.

I went ahead and placed all our dining reservations yesterday and will say by some of the challenges I had, it appears September trip planning is going on as planned as a couple places I wanted still showed zero capacity for ADRs.