The Official Free Dining Watch 2007 Thread

[thelionqueen]

It could be trip insurance since that is $119.90 for 2 adults. But I'm confused now... Isn't AAA rate supposed to be less anyway? There seems to be conflicting information about whether or not you can get both AAA rate and free dining on the same package. Some people say you can't, others say they got it with both discounts. My TA told me if free dining came out she would get it added to my package and the price would be reduced accordingly. She didn't say anything about choosing between the discounts.

With the free dining promotion, there are no other discounts available. AAA will not be cheaper than going through Disney (at least on this promotion). The terms are this, you must pack rack rate for the room and at least a 1 day park ticket. No other discounts of any kind can be combined with this promotion. It is SO affordable anyway, I can see why. Trust me, for the last 2 years, I think every DISer has tried some sort of additional discounts, to no avail. Just boils down to your preference to use AAA or not I guess

 

[MrsPMC00]

Guess I'll go back and look through my paperwork. I don't remember seeing anything about that, but I'll check again. Thanks.

Hope this helps! Taken from AAA website:


Get More Value When You Book With AAA Vacations

Exclusive - AAA Vacations® Diamond Card, which provides special savings and values at participating locations throughout the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Exclusive - AAA Diamond Parking – Convenient Preferred Parking spaces at all four Walt Disney World® Theme Parks (subject to availability, voucher required, block-out dates apply).

AAA Vacations® keepsake luggage tag (one per person).

The How To Guide – a 40-page full-color booklet packed with everything from Theme Park maps and children’s activities, to tours, Disney Character Dining and special tips to make your AAA Vacations® package stay the most magical ever.

Include Hertz in Your Vacation Plans
Add a Hertz rental car to your AAA Vacations® package and add flexibility and convenience to your vacation. Hertz benefits in AAA Vacations® packages include free use of a child’s safety seat and upgrades on select car categories in Florida and California.

 

[PrincessAlina]

I also posted this on the trip planning board...

Okay, I'm in a good pickle here. I was worried about my AAA TA getting us free dining since she didn't come in until 9:30 this morning so I had booked free dining myself at 7:00 this morning. Now we have two free dining packages and I need to cancel one. I would love to give AAA my business - the TA ultimately did a good job even though I had to talk her through everything - but I'm worried about possible problems since we aren't dealing directly with Disney.

Also, the AAA price is about $120 cheaper and I can't figure out why. It makes me wonder if there is a mistake somewhere.

What would you do? I want to cancel one ASAP to open up the room for someone else.

I have a similar question that i wanted to ask. We don't have a Disney Visa and my AAA agent doesn't get in on Thurs until 8:30/9:00. I already have two rooms at ASMo booked, but I'm really nervous that she won't get the free dining in time. My husband and I are contemplating calling early Thurs and attempting to book w/ free dining in case it sells out before my AAA even gets to work. If I have two packages booked, one with AAA and one with Disney, is it possible to cancel the one booked with AAA and then transfer the one I booked myself over to AAA. I know, it's a confusing question. If anyone understood what I just wrote and has an answer or experience doing something like this, I would appreciate it. This free dining stuff is driving me CRAZY!!!

 

[WDW1st-timers]

Someone tried telling me that I'm going to lose $119.00 for my trip insurance once I cancel and start a new ressie because of the free dining. Right now I have the dining on my package so shouldn't it be just a price adjust and not a all right out cancel of my package? Am I confussing everyone right now?

 

[mirthmaiden]

Hope this helps! Taken from AAA website:


Get More Value When You Book With AAA Vacations

Exclusive - AAA Vacations® Diamond Card, which provides special savings and values at participating locations throughout the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Exclusive - AAA Diamond Parking – Convenient Preferred Parking spaces at all four Walt Disney World® Theme Parks (subject to availability, voucher required, block-out dates apply).

AAA Vacations® keepsake luggage tag (one per person).

The How To Guide – a 40-page full-color booklet packed with everything from Theme Park maps and children’s activities, to tours, Disney Character Dining and special tips to make your AAA Vacations® package stay the most magical ever.

Include Hertz in Your Vacation Plans
Add a Hertz rental car to your AAA Vacations® package and add flexibility and convenience to your vacation. Hertz benefits in AAA Vacations® packages include free use of a child’s safety seat and upgrades on select car categories in Florida and California.

Thanks. I appreciate your help!

 

[mirthmaiden]

I have a similar question that i wanted to ask. We don't have a Disney Visa and my AAA agent doesn't get in on Thurs until 8:30/9:00. I already have two rooms at ASMo booked, but I'm really nervous that she won't get the free dining in time. My husband and I are contemplating calling early Thurs and attempting to book w/ free dining in case it sells out before my AAA even gets to work. If I have two packages booked, one with AAA and one with Disney, is it possible to cancel the one booked with AAA and then transfer the one I booked myself over to AAA. I know, it's a confusing question. If anyone understood what I just wrote and has an answer or experience doing something like this, I would appreciate it. This free dining stuff is driving me CRAZY!!!

I am in exactly the same situation, couple with the fact that my TA doesn't seem to understand English very well I have to repeat things over and over with her.

Anyway, I booked a package last week with AAA in anticipation of the free dining. She told me I could not have a "double booking," but since I don't have a lot of confidence in her, I wouldn't take that as the gospel truth. Does anybody else have experience with this?

 

[MrsPMC00]

Thanks. I appreciate your help!

Hope it helped you! Have a GREAT trip!!!

 

[DznyLvr2005]

I have a similar question that i wanted to ask. We don't have a Disney Visa and my AAA agent doesn't get in on Thurs until 8:30/9:00. I already have two rooms at ASMo booked, but I'm really nervous that she won't get the free dining in time. My husband and I are contemplating calling early Thurs and attempting to book w/ free dining in case it sells out before my AAA even gets to work. If I have two packages booked, one with AAA and one with Disney, is it possible to cancel the one booked with AAA and then transfer the one I booked myself over to AAA. I know, it's a confusing question. If anyone understood what I just wrote and has an answer or experience doing something like this, I would appreciate it. This free dining stuff is driving me CRAZY!!!

I wouldn't worry... Last year Disney couldn't get enough 'free diners' so they stretched the booking time in which to make a reservation....
If you feel better about it, call... I would
I think you can cancel the AAA, but if you got trip insurance, you might not get that back

 

[spindoctors]

It could be trip insurance since that is $119.90 for 2 adults. But I'm confused now... Isn't AAA rate supposed to be less anyway? There seems to be conflicting information about whether or not you can get both AAA rate and free dining on the same package. Some people say you can't, others say they got it with both discounts. My TA told me if free dining came out she would get it added to my package and the price would be reduced accordingly. She didn't say anything about choosing between the discounts.

Yes, you will have to choose between discounts. We had a discounted package through AAA but had to choose between that discount or free dining. Our TA said that Disney would not allow both discounts. Our AAA discount was about $300, but free dining saves us $1400.

 

[ShhhQ]

I also posted this on the trip planning board...

Okay, I'm in a good pickle here. I was worried about my AAA TA getting us free dining since she didn't come in until 9:30 this morning so I had booked free dining myself at 7:00 this morning. Now we have two free dining packages and I need to cancel one. I would love to give AAA my business - the TA ultimately did a good job even though I had to talk her through everything - but I'm worried about possible problems since we aren't dealing directly with Disney.

Also, the AAA price is about $120 cheaper and I can't figure out why. It makes me wonder if there is a mistake somewhere.

What would you do? I want to cancel one ASAP to open up the room for someone else.

Whatever you choose.... wait till later in the week so us non-visa people have a shot at it!!!!!

 

[Friendly Frog]

Whatever you choose.... wait till later in the week so us non-visa people have a shot at it!!!!!

Yes, please wait till late Thursday to cancel. Us non-Visa holders need all the help we can get.

Honestly, I am a little worried even though the CM told me that they should have plenty of Free Dinning rooms left by Thursday.

 

[space ranger 1]

I believe, I believe, I believe.
I believe all of us non-Disney Visa holders will get FD and great rooms!!!
I believe, I believe, I believe.

I believe that new blocks of rooms will come available on Thursday for the general public code!!! Someone even said their CM told them that when they were trying to book today.

We all believe in the Disney magic or else we would not be here, right!

Think positive and believe!!!

 

[annieb727]

Yeah...we just gotta think positive...especially since there's nothing we can do until Thursday.

I sure hope they release more rooms for it on Thursday. I can't figure out what my Disney Visa card Expiration date (can't find the card - it's somewhere in my house *ugh*).

 

[DznyLvr2005]

yeah last year our friends booked with free dining right before the promotion ended (in June) , so I'm sure they'll be plenty of rooms

 

[WAHMto5]

Just an update on a previous post.

I had made my ressie a couple of weeks ago anticipating applying the code this am. A CM told me that I would need to cancel my ressie and rebook, and the previously paid deposit would be refunded to me...WRONG...WRONG..WRONG...

The very nice and knowledgable CM I spoke with this am kept the same reservation (and confirmation #) and applied the previously paid deposit to the balance of the updated reservation..simple as pie!

Kills me the difference of knowledge & experience each CM has that causes me headaches during these times

In any event, everything was switched with no problems and now I need to go to the gym in preparation for our 10 day eating fest!!!!

Just wanted to say that the CM I talked with this morning said that was the plan originally to have to cancel all of them and re~book them, but since there were SOO many people that needed to do this, Disney decided that they would make it easier on the CM's and just add the additional deposit from the DV on the reservations. He said that he had already received 15 emails this morning from them on how exactly to handle these calls It did make it soo much easier and faster for everyone!

 

[REL1203]

yeah last year our friends booked with free dining right before the promotion ended (in June) , so I'm sure they'll be plenty of rooms

But last year there was a longer window of bookings and more rooms overall. This year is a much smaller window of bookings and the total number of rooms is smaller from the start as well... I hope everyones get its though and look for me 8/25-9/3 at POP

 

[PrincessAlina]

I wouldn't worry... Last year Disney couldn't get enough 'free diners' so they stretched the booking time in which to make a reservation....
If you feel better about it, call... I would
I think you can cancel the AAA, but if you got trip insurance, you might not get that back

Yeah, I think my husband and I are just gonna wait and hope our AAA agent is able to get it. Otherwise, we'll just have to rethink our plans. I didn't get the insurance yet, but will be adding it when I make my final payment. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[DznyLvr2005]

But last year there was a longer window of bookings and more rooms overall. This year is a much smaller window of bookings and the total number of rooms is smaller from the start as well... I hope everyones get its though and look for me 8/25-9/3 at POP

Does anyone know if there are limited number of rooms for free dining? If not,
that would mean every room would have to be booked up and that would make Sept. the most crowded time
Sept. is always the least crowded, and so are January.. hmmmm
I really don't think it would be filled, since Sept kids are back at school.. I don't know, just throwing out some thougts...
Good Luck everyone!

 

[kimberlyp02]

I'm ticked :-( Well, not that ticked...lol I have ressies at ASMu from Sept 22-29 w/free dining. I just noticed they didnt' have the popjets that POP does for kids. LAst year my dd LOVED those and went every night before bed.

I just called and there are NO rooms, preferred or otherwise for the 22-29 available at Pop. I sure hope for you guys too that there are more rooms that open up on the 12th.

Also, at 9am there were only preferred rooms left at ASMo too. Looks like this is booking up SOOO Fast.

I'm hoping that there are those that have booked without knowing if they are going, just to get a room and are going to have to figure it out tonight then cancel if they aren't going...lol...I want to switch to POP!

 

[safetymom]

Let's drop the discussion of saying you are on the dining plan to get around paying. This board does not support getting around the rules. If the discussion continues we will have to close this thread.

There are rules in place by Disney for making reservations. If Disney sees that people are going around the rules they will make tougher new rules which will make it harder on everyone.