Possible free dining??

[curlygracy]

We are planning a trip for August 2-9. We are hoping for free dining. Last year it started the day the Value season started. Value season starts on the 5h. So, I'm wondering how it would work for us (if it is offered). Would we have to pay for the dining plan August 2-4, or would they give it to us free for the whole time?

 

[Denmark]

Value season start 2006: July 5th
Value season start 2007: July 8th

Hopes this helps a bit!

 

[curlygracy]

I just went back and checked and it said that value season for the moderates, which is where we will be staying starts on August 5th not July 5th. Please someone clarify me on this if I am wrong.

 

[Denmark]

Sorry your right, the dates i gave is for Value and Deluxe! (lol, i must admit im personally only interested in Deluxe resorts! ).

 

[G&J's Mom]

Hi,

Here are the season dates at mousesavers.com.

http://www.mousesavers.com/seasondates2007.html

As for free dining. Your stay would need to begin while the free dining promotion is available in order to get your whole stay with free dining.

Hope that helps.

Denise

 

[Trekker]

Hi,

Here are the season dates at mousesavers.com.

http://www.mousesavers.com/seasondates2007.html

As for free dining. Your stay would need to begin while the free dining promotion is available in order to get your whole stay with free dining.

Hope that helps.

Denise

This information is available right here on the DIS at this link!

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/disney-rates-2007.htm

 

[G&J's Mom]

I just bookmarked it! THANKS!

 

[n2mm]

We are planning a trip for August 2-9. We are hoping for free dining. Last year it started the day the Value season started. Value season starts on the 5h. So, I'm wondering how it would work for us (if it is offered). Would we have to pay for the dining plan August 2-4, or would they give it to us free for the whole time?

If the free ddp starts on the 5th, you would need to reservations in order to get the free ddp. One for the days before it begins, and the second for when it begins. Unfortunately, that will mean 2 tickets each, which can be expensive. You could get a room only for the first couple of days, but then you still have the ticket dilema. The free ddp began Aug 13th?? last year for all resorts. Even though value season had not started, the rooms were available at value season rates. This year value season has changed (this info is only for the value and moderates as delux resorts have a different value season). Good luck, as your dates may complicate your plans. Are you flexible??

 

[jamounger]

We went to disney last year on the 12th and free dining started on the 13th if my memory serves me and ended on the 30 of Sept. The year before it was around the same dates. It was not offered according to the dates they post of the value seasons. I think you will be going too early in August. They started it more around the time that things slow down with kids going back to school. First week of august things are still pretty busy there, hot but busy.

 

[aubriee]

I was able to book the Bounce Back program when I was there in Dec. I'm looking at my paperwork and it says 'requested arrival dates must be on or between August 5, 2007 and Sept 29, 2007'. If free dining is offered for the general public I would assume it would be for the same dates as the Bounce Back and UK offers.

I asked the CM for the last possible date I could book the Bounce Back program and still the free dining and was told that as long as I checked in by Sept 29th I'd have it for my whole trip and by the same token If I wanted it for August I had to be checked in no earlier than August 5th.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

So many people were able to book with the 40% off promo that I'm afraid occupancy levels will be high enough that they won't offer free DDP. If they do, it will be an absolute nightmare for CRO when everyone tries to switch. Well not everyone...many of the deluxe resorts actually come out to a lower price paying for DDP with 40% off the room, than paying rack rate to get free DDP.

 

[n2mm]

So many people were able to book with the 40% off promo that I'm afraid occupancy levels will be high enough that they won't offer free DDP. If they do, it will be an absolute nightmare for CRO when everyone tries to switch. Well not everyone...many of the deluxe resorts actually come out to a lower price paying for DDP with 40% off the room, than paying rack rate to get free DDP.

I figured that too. Since we are hoping the free ddp starts Aug 5 (like the bbp) and the 40% discount doesn't start until Aug. 21, there are a couple of weeks right now that are promotion-less. That, of course, is when we want to go. We want Aug. 15-19 and we actually had pin code discounts, but could not use them because our dates are before the Aug. 21 target week. I called to check on my pin codes and the CM tried to encourage me to book my packages now full price and apply the free DDP code when it comes out. She was very certain that it was going to happen in early April. I take all of this with a grain of salt, as my hubby was a CM for 8 years and he never knew what he was talking about either. I told her I'd wait and if the free DDP doesn't come out, we would book our room only ressie with the AP discount.

 

[corndog]

Hoping for NO free dining and smaller crowds!!!

 

[NHBelle]

I think there will be free dining. I think it is a good sign that they had the bounce back thing and are offering to UK. I know it seems like a lot of people booked, but I jsut don't believe it would be so many people that Disney will do away with a great hurricane season offer. Also the "pin code" thats out right now is only for select dates (not in the beginning of August when I am going) and even thought that seems like tons of people are booking it, I bet there are tons of people who have no idea about it. Not everyone keeps such close track of all this stuff. In fact no one I know knows anything about codes and discounts for Disney. They all just call a TA and book with no discounts. i myself used to do it this way. I didn't think Disney even offered any "deals". i thought you had to book through them or a TA and the rate is the rate. For years I got no deals. I know there are a ton of savy Disers here, but not enough to fill the World if you know what I mean. I am holding out for Free Dining. I will check these boards everyday until it comes out and I will book immediately and be so happy.

 

[Trekker]

So many people were able to book with the 40% off promo that I'm afraid occupancy levels will be high enough that they won't offer free DDP.

What you need to keep in mind is that even though it seems that we rule, the number of people on this site and similar site across the web is a very small percentage of the people that go to Disney.....

 

[HayGan]

So many people were able to book with the 40% off promo that I'm afraid occupancy levels will be high enough that they won't offer free DDP. If they do, it will be an absolute nightmare for CRO when everyone tries to switch. Well not everyone...many of the deluxe resorts actually come out to a lower price paying for DDP with 40% off the room, than paying rack rate to get free DDP.

I honestly don't know how valid that statement will really turn out to be. THe dates for the 40% off were spread throughout the year and I'm guessing that the amount of reservations really made isn't really that high (couple thousand - maybe) When you spread those reservations out over the different time frames and look at the overall number of rooms available at Disney, there likely isn't a huge dent made in certain times - such as peak hurricane season of late August and September.

I bet there will still be some sort of promotion (free dining or whatever) in that August/Septemeber timeframe to encourage more people to stay and play at WDW. Only time will tell

 

[mking624]

I honestly don't know how valid that statement will really turn out to be. THe dates for the 40% off were spread throughout the year and I'm guessing that the amount of reservations really made isn't really that high (couple thousand - maybe) When you spread those reservations out over the different time frames and look at the overall number of rooms available at Disney, there likely isn't a huge dent made in certain times - such as peak hurricane season of late August and September.

I bet there will still be some sort of promotion (free dining or whatever) in that August/Septemeber timeframe to encourage more people to stay and paly at WDW. Only time will tell

I agree with you. There are a couple of reasons why I doubt occupancy will be that high...
1. Only a certain number of rooms are alloted for discounts. It may seem like high occupancy if the CM tells you the rooms are booked, but the truth may be that the alloted rooms for the discount are booked, but rack rate rooms may be all available. For example, the time frame I wanted had a bunch of standard rooms available for AKL, but when I asked about the discount, all the standard rooms alloted were booked.
2. We are judging the occupancy by the number of people on this board who have booked it. But in all honesty, we're a very small number. Don't forget the number of people who may have received the pin code, but have opted not to go this year or they're traveling outside the discount dates. Or the people who HAVE booked with the discount, but have decided against it and they'll be cancelling the reservation (i.e. myself...we're actually changing resorts AND dates so we're cancelling the discount offer). I remember last year people were freaking out about possible high occupancy during the free dining period because all these Dis members were booking...and when I went, it was practically empty at the parks.

So don't forget, the number of Dis members booking something can be very deceiving in the grand scheme of things...a high number of Dis people is very low compared to total Disney guests at any given time.

 

[skier_pete]

I talked with a CRS a couple of days ago, and he indicated that he thought that there will definitely be free dining. Two reasons: (1) he said that the bounce-back program was just a pilot program and from what he heard it was not a big success, and (2) CM get a discount on the dining plan if they book a stay, but they have blackout dates that they cannot book dining during August and September. He said they did the same thing last year for the dates of the free dining program. He thought it was very likely to come out late March / early April.

Also, from my personal thoughts, there is NO WAY there won't be some sort of public code offer for August and September, which is the slowest time of the year. You can talk all you want about this recent "code", but it is NOT a general public code, even if some people are getting it that don't have the pin. I will be very surprised if they do not do some public code, whether it be free dining or some other offer.

SkierPete

 

[bell.of.the.ball]

I was able to book the Bounce Back program when I was there in Dec. I'm looking at my paperwork and it says 'requested arrival dates must be on or between August 5, 2007 and Sept 29, 2007'. If free dining is offered for the general public I would assume it would be for the same dates as the Bounce Back and UK offers.

I asked the CM for the last possible date I could book the Bounce Back program and still the free dining and was told that as long as I checked in by Sept 29th I'd have it for my whole trip and by the same token If I wanted it for August I had to be checked in no earlier than August 5th.

O please please let those dates be the dates for free dining. I am going the 9 to the 16 in august. If dining come out the 13. I will have to make two reservations to get in some free dining.

 

[jcemom]

I take all of this with a grain of salt, as my hubby was a CM for 8 years and he never knew what he was talking about either.

I got a chuckle out of that statement, LOL.