past FREE DINING/PARK CROWDS??

[disneyfreak74]

We went last Labor Day during the Free Dining and the crowds were VERY low. I was shocked.

 

[maddhatir]

Thank you!!!!! I guess I will have to wait for April 4th. I can't wait. Not sure how the dining plan works but I will do some research about it when I get some free time.

This will tell you about it- right from the disney website:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/tickets/packageDetail?id=PackageDetailMYWDiningPkg06Page

and this is a printout of the restaurants etc.
http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/m...gespecific/eng/nontheme/tickets/MYWDining.pdf

it is SOOOOOO worth it-- even if it was not FREE!

PS- you can also visit http://allearsnet.com/ for additional info (ie- view some menus etc) that will help with your decisions!

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

This will tell you about it- right from the disney website:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/tickets/packageDetail?id=PackageDetailMYWDiningPkg06Page

and this is a printout of the restaurants etc.
http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/m...gespecific/eng/nontheme/tickets/MYWDining.pdf

it is SOOOOOO worth it-- even if it was not FREE!

PS- you can also visit http://allearsnet.com/ for additional info (ie- view some menus etc) that will help with your decisions!

Thank you!!! You just saved me a ton of time!!!!!!

 

[KBoopaloo]

I was at WDW last year during the last week of the Free Dining (9/26-10/1) We noticed very low crowds. I think someone else mentioned that the only ride they had to wait for was Small World and it was the same for us (kind of bizarre since you rarely have to wait for Small World at all!). We also had about a 20 minute wait for Soarin. Everything else was walk on.

I did notice Fantasyland was a little busier than the rest of the parks and I theorized that maybe there were more families with pre-schoolers there at that time since missing school would not be a real issue.

The sit down restuarants were definitely crowded but we had ADRs before we got there so didn't have a problem.

 

[maddhatir]

Thank you!!! You just saved me a ton of time!!!!!!

Your welcome!

i am just a planning freak! my husband thinks i am nuts- i print out the dining plan info- then look at the restaurants for hours just trying to make the perfect ADRs for the right days, i have all of tour guide mikes info for what park is good on what day--i study the menus for the c/s to see what has the best menus just so we dont wander around the parks staring at all the menus saying "well i dont know? where do YOU want to eat?" "well do YOU see anything on THIS menu that you might want?" and how about the famous-- "i can eat anything- you pick what c/s you want i will be fine!"

i need to avoid that all together this year-- that is why i am planning every bit of dining to the tee- !

good luck!

 

[pamouselover]

We were there Sept. 22nd-29th last year with the free dinning.
It was very HOT some days, but there was no crowds. We waited at dumbo for 30 mins, other then that everything was a walk on.

WHY CANT I GO AGAIN?

 

[laurietg]

I was at WDW last year during the last week of the Free Dining (9/26-10/1) We noticed very low crowds. I think someone else mentioned that the only ride they had to wait for was Small World and it was the same for us (kind of bizarre since you rarely have to wait for Small World at all!). We also had about a 20 minute wait for Soarin. Everything else was walk on.

I did notice Fantasyland was a little busier than the rest of the parks and I theorized that maybe there were more families with pre-schoolers there at that time since missing school would not be a real issue.

We were there at the end of Sept last year during the promotion and found it extremely busy. We would arrive at the park every morning when it opened to avoid the lines, and our first ride or two were the only ones without a looong line. I was shocked to hear others say that it wasn't busy last year. After reading your post, it makes a little more sense. We spent a lot of our time in Fantasyland with our daughter. Maybe that's where all the crowds were!

 

[cobbler]

Thanks for the heads up!

We're doing a really short stay, only 2 nights, but that will still save us a few bucks. For a short trip it's not a huge savings, but we think the Dining Plan is a lot of fun because we end up trying new things that we might not normally order.

Can't wait for tomorrow, and even better, that's also our 180 day window so I can do everything at once.

I am almost positive in order to get the free dining plan you have to book at least 3 nights.

 

[maddhatir]

Thanks for the heads up!

We're doing a really short stay, only 2 nights, but that will still save us a few bucks. For a short trip it's not a huge savings, but we think the Dining Plan is a lot of fun because we end up trying new things that we might not normally order.

Can't wait for tomorrow, and even better, that's also our 180 day window so I can do everything at once.

this is what it states on the mouse for less site:


Special magic Your Way packages are available for 8/13/06-9/30/06 travel dates. Purchase a Magic Your Way Package for 3 nights or more, and receive the Disney Dining option FREE!

 

[nhpooh]

We were there last year during the free dining promotion in September. I didn't notice any difference in crowd level compared to other Septembers that we've visited WDW. Low attendance! Only thing I noticed was the restaurants were always full - so make sure you make ADR's or you will be out of luck at most places.

Same here, make sure you make your ADR's. We are thinking of going again this year because of this offer.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We were there last year during the free dining promotion in September. I didn't notice any difference in crowd level compared to other Septembers that we've visited WDW. Low attendance! Only thing I noticed was the restaurants were always full - so make sure you make ADR's or you will be out of luck at most places.

Do you know the date that the free dining started last year? I was at WDW August 23-29, and since I have an AP, I didn't even know if there was free dining or not. Crowds were low though, so if there was free dining, it will give me an idea what to expect.

 

[emmabelle]

Do you know the date that the free dining started last year? I was at WDW August 23-29, and since I have an AP, I didn't even know if there was free dining or not. Crowds were low though, so if there was free dining, it will give me an idea what to expect.

Free dining ran from 8/20/05-10/04/05 last year.

 

[Bekawells]

My DD17 and I were there from Sept 2-9 last year and the only times that there were lines at all was during the EMHs. We arrived to the parks about an hour before they opened and for Breakfastasarus at AK, and Crystal Palace at MK, we were allowed to go in right away even though our ADRs weren't until 10:00 or so.

Very short lines! The only restaurant we had to wait at all for was the Rose and Crown in EPCOT. Rude waiter and bad service, but everything else was awesome.

Coral Reef was the best. We left and extra $30.00 tip, (even though tips are included in the dining plan) just because the waitress was so attentive and pleasant.

 

[DeterminedOne]

We were in WDW during the final week of the 'free' DDP last Fall. The park crowds really were not all that bad (no worse than usual for the time of year, as far as I saw). We could walk right on, or had only short waits, for most attractions.

But as for the t/s restaurants, it was absolutely crazy at times! We had a 7 PM ADR for Le Cellier, arrived 15 minutes prior to 'check in'... and were not seated until a full hour and a half later! Service was painfully slow, it was crowded and extremely noisy, and our waitress was very frazzled and unhappy. Worst Disney dining experience I've ever had. Most of our other t/s meals were better experiences, butit seemed that there were almost always crowds of people waiting to be seated. And those who did not have ADRs were frequently turned away. We overheard a lot of people asking the CMs at the check in stations to help them find someplace, anyplace, that had openings for dinner (which they can do via computer--and the choices were slim, as most places were booked up solid)...

OMG! That's exactly what I'm worried about. We are going 9/24-10/2 on the premium plan (3 meals per day) and have lots of ADR's planned. There's no way we can wait 90 minutes to be seated. By then it would be time for the next ADR. Just kidding. I have been nuts since finding out about free dining. It was one of my concerns when I began planning the trip, but I seriously thought it wouldn't be offered this year. Shame on me! DH keeps saying not to worry. The one good thing is several of the restaurants on the Premium plan are excluded from the dining plan, 3 out of 21 anyway.

 

[pamouselover]

The only place we waited to be seated with a ADR was 50's prime time.
I was not happy. We waited over a hour, and it was not worth it at all.
I asked a million times are you sure you did not call " ___family".
Because people were coming in after us and being seated.
After wanting to go there to eat for years, I was so dissapointed.
Our server was not "INTO IT" one bit and the food was blah.
This was the only place we did not feel was worth even free dinning!
It was like they knew we were free dinnning and did not care.
It was so bad I would never want to go back again.

 

[lorrainesy]

Do they still do the free dining?

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

For us, we went the first week of October. It was light the first part of the week but as we got closer and closer to Columbus day Weekend, it gradually picked up. It was packed that weekend.

The restaurants were full but the most we waited was about 20 minutes.

 

[maddhatir]

Do they still do the free dining?

i am sorry-- does who-- disney or the restaurant??

if you are speaking of disney- the free dining promotion is now on for aug and sept. 2006

 

[Simba's Mom]

Free dining ran from 8/20/05-10/04/05 last year.

Thanks! That's really encouraging! I arrived on August 23rd and although I noticed that the resturaunts were busy, WDW wasn't noticeably crowded. And come to think of it, I got Sci-Fi for lunch 6 weeks out (although it was packed when I got there), I got R&C for lunch with no ressies and no wait, and Chefs de France told people without ressies that there would be a half hour wait for lunch. Based on last year, it won't be bad at all.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

You can only book a package for ten days at the most BUT we booked two ten day packages for our upcoming trip from September 20th-October 10th.(free dining all days)

Lady, be still my heart!! Dare I hope that we will be at DW together? Wanna meet at Millionaire? I would enjoy watching you win the cruise.

Slightly Goofy