Will Free Dining make Big Crowds in September?

[sgrabin]

We usually go mid Nov to mid Dec to avoid crowds as much as possible. We never stay on property because we like the larger condos/homes you can rent for the same price as a Disney room, plus being able to save a ton on eating out.
This year, with the Free Dining plan in September, I think we've decided to give the Disney Resorts a try since we'd save so much on eating out. Looking at Saturday 9/26 thru Monday 10/5. I know the "Normal" crowds in September are pretty small.
Does anyone expect, or have any experience to suggest that all of a sudden, due to the free dining plan that there would be huge crowds in the parks? I know the DP doesn't apply for the million other people not staying in Disney, but it worries me. We got surprised with big Pop Warner crowds last December that we didn't anticipate and I really don't want to get a bad surprise again and ruin our trip.
Bottom Line: What should my expectations for crowds be for last week in September this year?? Any Help Is Appreciated!

 

[Bob P]

Hi,

September crowds are among the lightest of the year at WDW, free dining or no free dining. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Cleveland Hercules]

Resturants will be more crowed, but should have little impact on the parks

 

[kevgraub]

We usually go mid Nov to mid Dec to avoid crowds as much as possible. We never stay on property because we like the larger condos/homes you can rent for the same price as a Disney room, plus being able to save a ton on eating out.
This year, with the Free Dining plan in September, I think we've decided to give the Disney Resorts a try since we'd save so much on eating out. Looking at Saturday 9/26 thru Monday 10/5. I know the "Normal" crowds in September are pretty small.
Does anyone expect, or have any experience to suggest that all of a sudden, due to the free dining plan that there would be huge crowds in the parks? I know the DP doesn't apply for the million other people not staying in Disney, but it worries me. We got surprised with big Pop Warner crowds last December that we didn't anticipate and I really don't want to get a bad surprise again and ruin our trip.
Bottom Line: What should my expectations for crowds be for last week in September this year?? Any Help Is Appreciated!

Since they have been offering free dining at this time for several years now, I think the standard view that this is still a time when crowds are at their lightest will hold true. If free dining pulled a lot of extra people in, I think that would have shown the last few years.

I am hoping/dreaming that maybe some of the other deals offered by Disney this year, such as the 4/3 deal, might actually make the free dining time even slower than normal. I wonder if many of the people that normally used to wait for the great deal with free dining won't end up going earlier in the year since there were great deals to be had then as well. Really, the free dining this year is no better deal that most of the rest of the year, it is just a different deal.

I'm probably just dreaming here, but I'm about to convince myself that I might be right. I know Disney has been promoting the free dining deal a lot more than it ever did in the past, which leads me to think that at least the initial response was not huge.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

We have been in April and in Oct but I could not believe how light the crowds were when we went two years ago in Sept. They were offering Free dining then, but we didn't have it. This year we do and I am so excited. I have some pictures of the wait times with "0" wait. It was GREAT!

 

[kmvand1]

Yes, it is crowded.

 

[jamaunt]

Went last year in September. Restaurants were jammed...the parks were great! We were able to get off and go right back on several rides(Tower of Terror, Space Mountain among them) with very little wait.

 

[WelovMickey!]

We went last year in Sept. it was awesome. We completed the Magic Kingdom by 1:00pm. I would do it again this year too but I have never seen Disney dressed up with Christmas so we are going in the beginning of Dec.

 

[WelovMickey!]

Yes, it is crowded.

Can you explain why you think this please?

 

[mykidsrock76]

Looking at Saturday 9/26 thru Monday 10/5.

We're there the same time and I have been wondering about the crowds as well. What I do not understand is that everyone says "the restaurants will be crowded but not the parks".... Do people go to WDW just to go to the restaurants during this time? I would think all those people would make the parks crowded too.

 

[Bob P]

We're there the same time and I have been wondering about the crowds as well. What I do not understand is that everyone says "the restaurants will be crowded but not the parks".... Do people go to WDW just to go to the restaurants during this time? I would think all those people would make the parks crowded too.

Hi,

Not to be obvious...but the parks can hold a lot more people than the restaurants!

What people mean is that during the Free Dining promotion, many people who would not necessarily eat in sit-down restaurants on their trip will indeed be eating in sit-down restaurants becuase the meal is "free." Therefore ADRs are hard to come by even though crowds are light.

 

[lfwhipp]

We're there the same time and I have been wondering about the crowds as well. What I do not understand is that everyone says "the restaurants will be crowded but not the parks".... Do people go to WDW just to go to the restaurants during this time? I would think all those people would make the parks crowded too.

What happens is this... normally the fall travelers will go to WDW and enjoy the low crowds and grab CS meals off their own dime... these same people now can get the FD deal, so instead of breezing around the park and eating a CS, they make ADR's and use the FD deal. it crowds the TS restaurants due to using the DDP when they normally would not

 

[mykidsrock76]

What happens is this... normally the fall travelers will go to WDW and enjoy the low crowds and grab CS meals off their own dime... these same people now can get the FD deal, so instead of breezing around the park and eating a CS, they make ADR's and use the FD deal. it crowds the TS restaurants due to using the DDP when they normally would not

I can deal with crowded restaurants. We just have three choices planned for each night. I do not want a packed park. So, this sounds good.

 

[kmvand1]

Can you explain why you think this please?

Sure. We have been in September for the last 3 years. Each year, more and more people are taking advantage of the free dining, and for some year, each year is hotter than the year before. My opinion was it was very crowded. We have been several other times during December, March and June, but it was crowded in September in my opinion.

 

[yeaitspootie]

It's all gonna be luck of the draw, but I think kmvand1 is being realistic. Sure, it may end up not being crowded, but there's a good chance you'll be dealing with some crowds. The free dining does attract people.

However, Disney is Disney and the crowds most likely will not be as bad as summer or holiday crowds.

 

[lfwhipp]

It's all gonna be luck of the draw, but I think kmvand1 is being realistic. Sure, it may end up not being crowded, but there's a good chance you'll be dealing with some crowds. The free dining does attract people.

However, Disney is Disney and the crowds most likely will not be as bad as summer or holiday crowds.

I agree. there will be some sort of crowds, after all it is Disney, but compared to what you see in the summer or Xmas time, it is low crowds. For me i dont mind a crowd as long as i am in disney

 

[winterman]

Resturants will be more crowed, but should have little impact on the parks

I agree. Just be sure you make you ADRs.

 

[SPOERLX3]

This year, with the Free Dining plan in September, I think we've decided to give the Disney Resorts a try since we'd save so much on eating out. Looking at Saturday 9/26 thru Monday 10/5. I know the "Normal" crowds in September are pretty small.


To be able to take advantage of the Free Dining, your dates must fall within the time frame that they specify which is 8/16/09 thru 10/03/09. I pulled this off their website:

FREE Disney Dining Plan
When you purchase one of these 5-night/6-day Magic Your Way hotel and theme park ticket packages, your family will enjoy the Disney Dining Plan, Free. Valid for stays most nights 8/16/09 to 10/03/09. It's the Disney vacation you've been dreaming of.

The only reason that I know this is because we were planning our trip for 8/15-8/22 but when I called to book it, they didn't give me the free dining. When I ask about it, the agent said to get free dining, our trip would have to start on 8/16. Why didn't she offer that up front instead of when she quoted me the price!!! Of course I changed it 1 day!!! well sort of.............I booked my free dining fro 8/16 thru 8/22 and then did a room only reservation for 8/15. Why, you may ask? because the plane fares flying out on Saturday were much cheaper than flying out on Sunday. We got found trip tickets from Dallas/Orlando for $158 flying in and out on Saturday. If we would have gone Sunday to Sunday our round trip would have been $272! The difference paid for the room only plus some and we are taking that Saturday to hang at the hotel, soak up the pool and go to Beaches and Cream (oop) and get rested for our Disney Magic!!!

Hopefully you can adjust your dates just a couple of days and take advantage of the free dining!

 

[goofy4tink]

I went down last year, during free dining. There were more people there than I thought there would be, but it wasn't what I would consider crowded. I went back down again, solo, about 3 weeks later, towards the end of free dining, but at the start of the Food and Wine Festival....more people again than I had expected but mostly over in Epcot..not the other parks to any huge degree.
I'm heading down on Aug 14 this year...free dining starts on the 16th, the day I move to BWV. I'm hoping it is still a less crowded time to go....we've been several times at this time frame and it has been very good crowdwise.

 

[Disneyaunt4]

Going in Sept. for the 3rd year in a row,our favorite time of year to go. Hardly even have to use fastpass. It is hot though