The Official Free Dining Watch 2007 Thread

[goofy613]

Has anyone heard anything more about the free dining? Will it be posted here on this theard first if it comes out? I keep checking here but should I be looking anywhere else? Still so new to this site and need direction to plan my 5th trip to Disney. So glad I found this site, it is very helpful.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

Has anyone heard anything more about the free dining? Will it be posted here on this theard first if it comes out? I keep checking here but should I be looking anywhere else? Still so new to this site and need direction to plan my 5th trip to Disney. So glad I found this site, it is very helpful.

Only rumors so far! If free dining is offered, come to the codes and rates board and you will see an explosion of threads about it!

You will find great info here

 

[THINK*PINK]

Going in September
Family of 5 free dining would be great

 

[KodakFigment]

A couple of folks asked about the weather. If free dining comes thru this will be our third time for the last week of August. Generally expect rain every day. It doesn't rain long and it certainly doesn't cool things off! We found it to be almost like clockwork..we would come back to the room about 2:30 for a break, relax a little get organized for evening then go down to the pool. Then the skies would open up (I love to swim in the rain ) By the time we were ready to go back to the parks about 5:00 the rain stopped.
We have always managed to miss the hurricanes, but I would NEVER travel this time of year without travel insurance.

 

[MARY-IN-OH]

For those going only if free dining is offered, are you making your ADR's and then planning to cancel them if it is not offered?

I'm not sure if I feel comfortable doing that, without a reservation - but I guess it has to be done to ensure getting the ADR time preferred, right?

Thanks Dis
mary

 

[JanineandMike]

I struggled with the same dilemma as Mary-In-Oh, I felt like I would have been wasting my time if I booked ADR's and ended up not even going to WDW. Not to mention, by booking an ADR that I may not need I would be taking a spot away from someone who actually has a trip booked and needs the ADR.

Anyway, we booked our trip on saturday and made all our ADR's already with no problems. I just hope they offer free dining and it covers our dates, but we are going 8/10-8/17, which is earlier than the last two years of free dining and the rumored dates, oh well, that is when we are going.

This will be our third year in a row in August, the first was with free dining, which was great, last year we didnt use it and regretted it and this year we will pay for dining if we have to.

 

[LakeAriel]

For those going only if free dining is offered, are you making your ADR's and then planning to cancel them if it is not offered?

I'm not sure if I feel comfortable doing that, without a reservation - but I guess it has to be done to ensure getting the ADR time preferred, right?

Thanks Dis
mary

I was told by CRO that you must have a reservation. You are right, you would be tying up reservations someone else could use...others will tell you differently so you have to decide for yourself...

 

[kdzgon]

I'm another one hoping for free dining. We are going no matter what, but it would be nice to save $600 ! I may add park hoppers and water parks if free dining comes out!

And it is posts like this (and those that say they will upgrade their rooms or add a few days, etc) that make me think it is more likely than not we will see either free dining or a comparable "special" discount program again this year. We were pulled in by free dining, taking two of our grandsons (ea 3 YO). We came home, ended up buying in to DVC, and have three trips planned before the end of the yr - one trip is for 20-26 people! Well worth Disney's "investment" of free dining for 8 days, I'd think.

Truth is, most of us will eventually look at the "savings" as a type of "free" money, and many of us will spend those "savings" 1 1/2 to 2X before we leave WDW.

 

[JanineandMike]

i agree with the free money comment, and if free dining is offered i would really be tempted to just roll it over into staying at a moderate over the value we are booked in now (if available of course) but on the other hand getting back close to $500 dollars would be nice. that's why we booked a trip with a budget we are comfortable with, which includes paying for dining, so if we get it free later we can either enjoy the extra savings or upgrade our room, because we are going either way.

 

[kdzgon]

I was told by CRO that you must have a reservation. You are right, you would be tying up reservations someone else could use...others will tell you differently so you have to decide for yourself...

Does that mean you cannot book ADRs if you are staying off site (wouldn't have a Disney reservation)?

 

[JanineandMike]

last year we stayed at the Royal Plaza, which is in DD, but not a disney resort and we were able to make ADR's.

 

[__Cujo__]

subscribing..

 

[djm99]

Since this is the year of a million years, here is my dream……..

On Monday April 2, 2007, Disney will offer to the general public, FREE dining for Aug 5 - Sep. and since this is my dream - I will be the first to find this info online. I call Disney and a CM immediately answers, book me, and then tells me, Mrs. DJM99 you are not only going to have FREE Dining, you have won $700 in Disney Dollar ($100 for every day I book). Wow, thanks Disney......

 

[mirthmaiden]

Since this is the year of a million years, here is my dream……..

On Monday April 2, 2007, Disney will offer to the general public, FREE dining for Aug 5 - Sep. and since this is my dream - I will be the first to find this info online. I call Disney and a CM immediately answers, book me, and then tells me, Mrs. DJM99 you are not only going to have FREE Dining, you have won $700 in Disney Dollar ($100 for every day I book). Wow, thanks Disney......

Mine is sorta like yours only in mine free dining starts on Aug 3rd and I don't have to go to bankruptcy court after my vacation is over

 

[thunderbird1]

Since this is the year of a million years, here is my dream……..

On Monday April 2, 2007, Disney will offer to the general public, FREE dining for Aug 5 - Sep. and since this is my dream - I will be the first to find this info online. I call Disney and a CM immediately answers, book me, and then tells me, Mrs. DJM99 you are not only going to have FREE Dining, you have won $700 in Disney Dollar ($100 for every day I book). Wow, thanks Disney......

Mine is sorta like yours only in mine free dining starts on Aug 3rd and I don't have to go to bankruptcy court after my vacation is over

I love it! People who dream bigger than I do! As someone pointed out either earlier in this thread or in another thread, it is, after all, the Year of a Million Dreams, right?

I was told by CRO that you must have a reservation. You are right, you would be tying up reservations someone else could use...others will tell you differently so you have to decide for yourself...

You do not have to have a reservation at a Disney resort or any other hotel to make ADR's. We don't currently have a resort reservation, and won't be making one if free dining doesn't start until the rumored August 26, but I did go ahead and make a few ADR's, mainly for the hard to get places. I can't say I feel bad about "tying up" ADR's someone else could use, as I will cancel them if we don't end up going. I'm sure someone who has been trying without success to get into Le Cellier will be thrilled with my last minute cancellation!

 

[kindakrazy2]

Waiting, waiting, waiting......

 

[Disney's Fab 4]

Since this is the year of a million years, here is my dream……..

On Monday April 2, 2007, Disney will offer to the general public, FREE dining for Aug 5 - Sep. and since this is my dream - I will be the first to find this info online. I call Disney and a CM immediately answers, book me, and then tells me, Mrs. DJM99 you are not only going to have FREE Dining, you have won $700 in Disney Dollar ($100 for every day I book). Wow, thanks Disney......

Your dream is WRONG! The free dining will start Sunday April 1st, you will get $150. for every day you stay and you were the second caller... I was the first!!!

 

[mas6010]

I talked to a CM last night at Disney, and his words were " We look for the Free Dining to come out again this year but it won't start to the first to mid May." I then ask him if this is just what he thinks or he knows it to be true. He said, I haven't heard it come out of the Higher Ups mouth but "they" all think that it will happen from what they have heard. So... with that said. May is a little later than what I was hopping for, but I can wait............

 

[MickeyT]

And it is posts like this (and those that say they will upgrade their rooms or add a few days, etc) that make me think it is more likely than not we will see either free dining or a comparable "special" discount program again this year. We were pulled in by free dining, taking two of our grandsons (ea 3 YO). We came home, ended up buying in to DVC, and have three trips planned before the end of the yr - one trip is for 20-26 people! Well worth Disney's "investment" of free dining for 8 days, I'd think.

Truth is, most of us will eventually look at the "savings" as a type of "free" money, and many of us will spend those "savings" 1 1/2 to 2X before we leave WDW.

The same with us. We got free dining in 2005 and purchased it last year on our Christmas trip because we received another discount. Now the DW says she wouldn't go back without it!!! So I fully believe they earn back the dollars either immediately or in the future.

 

[missmun52]

this leads me to believe that free dining will start on the 26th! last year little ones travel time also offered free dinding for parents traveling with preschoolers, the same time as the general free dining offer.