Total Newb Here

[Opicana]

Hi everyone!

Just joined the forum today. How soon do I need to worry about making dining reservations for a trip in mid-January? We are 2 adults, and we don't really care about character dining. We haven't been to Disney in 10+ years, so we also don't have any "must visit" restaurants, but I do have some preferences.

Also, can you make dining reservations before you reserve a room? I'm want to book a room soon, but I'm waiting to see if there are any free dining plan promos for that time period (mouse saver's historical discounts page suggests such things might exist & would come out next month?). I will only go with a package if I can get a free dining plan, otherwise I will go with a room only discount. I'm totally new at this, so if you have any advice related to this as well, don't hesitate to share!

Thanks!
Kara

 

[monique5]

As of today, on-site guests could make their 180D reservations for 1/24/15 for length of resort stay. Off-site guests would only be able to make reservations for 1/24/15 only & call in daily for each day onwards. So you can start making reservations today with no Disney reservation. It will be treated as off-site, so one day @a time. TS restaurants require a CC gaurentee @ time of booking. Some require full payment @time of booking (HDDMR), it will state this.

So at this point you could check availability through 1/24/15 without having any type of reservation. I would do this to get an idea of availability. CRT will be closed in January, this will probably have an impact on dining. Maybe not. MLK, Jr. weekend/week probably has been booked in the last week. BoG is probably booked. You want know until you check.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

There's been no general public free dining in January for the past 2 years - it's been the Stay Play and Dine package discount, which while it isn't free dining is kind of the equivalent of getting the adult's dining for children's prices.

If you wanted Be Our Guest and your trip is before 1/24 it's probably gone at this point.

If you book a room only and then decide you want a package, you'd be cancelling the room-only and rebooking it as a package. You'd get a refund on the room-only and would need to pay a new deposit for the package (or pay for the package in full if you are within 45 days of arrival). You couldn't apply any payments you'd already made toward the room-only to the package.

 

[Msdaisy811]

Hi everyone!

Just joined the forum today. How soon do I need to worry about making dining reservations for a trip in mid-January? We are 2 adults, and we don't really care about character dining. We haven't been to Disney in 10+ years, so we also don't have any "must visit" restaurants, but I do have some preferences.

Also, can you make dining reservations before you reserve a room? I'm want to book a room soon, but I'm waiting to see if there are any free dining plan promos for that time period (mouse saver's historical discounts page suggests such things might exist & would come out next month?). I will only go with a package if I can get a free dining plan, otherwise I will go with a room only discount. I'm totally new at this, so if you have any advice related to this as well, don't hesitate to share!

Thanks!
Kara

you can always book it with dining and change it if it doesnt become available. with my experience in the past it hasnt been offered just because of marathon weekend and princess half