******Official 2017 Free Dining Plan Watch, Wait, and Dream

[memma05]

Wow, I guess that's early! I like the old schedules when I grew up, after labor day.

Maryland just passed a law that schools can't start before labor day. That's how it was when I was a kid. It's nice because it allows for more family vacation time. Kids were getting out of school at the end of June and going back mid August.

We get out in may here so our summers are equal length but the negative is less pool time since our pools are only open memorial-labor day. In VA each county is different and ours is one that starts the earliest. Growing up in Northern VA I always started after Labor day too.....so this is new to me lol.

 

[rebsie]

I received an email with a working code yesterday. But we are planning on December so it did not do me any good.

Just curious, what kind of offer was it?

 

[Jellybass]

30 percent off, at least that is what I saw when I received mine

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I don't know if this is relevant or not, but I saw on another forum that someone from the UK just booked a vacay with virgin that included FD. He says it was no FD for values, QS for mods, and standard for deluxe. Don't know it that means anything or not...


EDIT: Nevermind, looks like he booked for August 2018. Must just be a UK specific deal

 

[scard192]

I used to get UOCs all the time leading up to our 2013 trip and nothing since. May 2013 I saw posts that DISers were getting FD PINs, called to see if I had one. NO but asked the CM to check my sisters account and she had one that she did not notice or get. We used it for FD and POFQ. She does not have any MDE account, but does have a Disneystore.com one.

Since 2013 I never get them, sis does, her DH got a few via snail mail and he has no Disney Accounts but does have one for ESPN

Last year my 10 year old niece got some in snail mail.

it is a mystery....

 

[memma05]

Our county and some of the surrounding counties in VA have the same law. Due to the amusement park in the area (King Dominion) schools can't open until after Labor Day so they don't loose their high school help to early. We get our in mid-June and go back the day after Labor, not a bad summer vacation.

You must live near us! We are in Caroline but I grew up in Stafford operating on the after labor day schedule!

 

[KimBean]

There will always be people who only order on fd to get maximum value, rather than maximum enjoyment. I love lobster and steak, so I'd order it for that reason. Bonus that it's good value. But if I feel like a salad that day, I'll order a salad and damn the "poor value".

They're also the ones at buffets that have to get double what they need and leave half of it on the table and leave with pride that they "really got their value" because they wasted so much food. They feel abusing the system is a victory and anyone who doesn't do the same is a sucker.

I don't even get this but I don't get what a lot of people do. This is pure waste and I don't see what gratification they get from it. And I agree people ordering steak instead of chicken if they really want the chicken, silly! One of the reasons I love the DDP and have decided if I don't get it free I will purchase it (I've ran the numbers and think it is break even for me) is that my DH is a money worrier. He knows this trip cost a lot but with free dining I was able to watch him order whatever he wanted and not worry about the budget. It won't be quite as nice if we don't get it "free." But him knowing the package is paid for and behind us and he can order the lobster without feeling like it could go toward something more useful is a win. It really gets him in vacation mode. Also I might get steak but my 16 year old is going to get chicken or pasta so disney is winning on her. Bahahaha!!!

 

[Sarahboo]

My husband is a money worrier too, and he is able to relax more if he doesn't have to count money the whole time. It's not about getting a savings, for us, it's a way to pre-pay and simplify the vacation.

We'll go whether there's free dining or not. Hopefully there's some sort of discount even if it's not free dining (I can't imagine they would have no promotions for fall) but free dining would sure be nice, wouldn't it! If we don't get free dining, we'll pay for free dining.

I often order more expensive things but that's just because my body doesn't like pasta or chicken. It's never about maximizing my dollar, sometimes I order the cheapest thing. For me, going on vacation is about relaxing and doing what you want when you want - that includes ordering whatever you want when you want it. Outside of trying to figure out what I'll feel like for dinner 6 months from now, we manage to do that well with the DDP.

 

[KimBean]

I don't know if this is relevant or not, but I saw on another forum that someone from the UK just booked a vacay with virgin that included FD. He says it was no FD for values, QS for mods, and standard for deluxe. Don't know it that means anything or not...


EDIT: Nevermind, looks like he booked for August 2018. Must just be a UK specific deal

No FD for value really freaks me out.

 

[jlundeen]

We haven't gotten a UOC (used to be called a PIN) for years...last one I got was in 2012, and we were able to use it....since then, I've done everything possible to get the "UOC GODS" to smile on me, but alas...nothing. It seems to me that a couple of years ago, I read a long list of threads, I think on the DIS DISOUNTS forum, about all the so-called "sure fire" things people did to get the codes...the final verdict - no one knows. Nothing is sure-fire. Disney keeps this a very closely guarded secret, as far as I know.

So, for those that get the UOC, congratulations - hope you can use it!! The rest of us will just have to wait and hope.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

If you're ordering something you don't really want because it's "a good value", than it's actually a poor value because value is more than monetary, it's also how much you enjoy it and how happy it makes you. If you'd rather have chicken, order it instead of steak because it would be more valuable to you at that time. Now, if ordering the most expensive thing on the menu makes you happy, go ahead, nobody else should care about what you're eating.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

No FD for value really freaks me out.

The way Disney's been cutting back every year on FD, it wouldn't surprise me to see this some day.

 

[lampshadehead]

The bounceback FD last summer, when I called the line from the room, was only offering moderates. Which is why I didn't book it at the time.

 

[DisneyNic]

I find the dad site garbage. All it is is one giant advertisement for the travel agency he endorses. When I did subscribe every email was just something telling me to buy his stuff or use his travel agent.

On top of that nonsense, I watched his video about the buses at CBR. I haven't been to CBR, but everything he said was opposite of what I have read everywhere else. First, he put Port Royale between Aruba and Barbadoes, and then he has the buses circling the resort counter-clockwise. If they did that, either passengers would be walking around the bus to get in (um, no) or the buses would constantly be doing u-turns to get to the bus stops and back on the road (again, no.)

 

[disneydreamer1980]

On top of that nonsense, I watched his video about the buses at CBR. I haven't been to CBR, but everything he said was opposite of what I have read everywhere else. First, he put Port Royale between Aruba and Barbadoes, and then he has the buses circling the resort counter-clockwise. If they did that, either passengers would be walking around the bus to get in (um, no) or the buses would constantly be doing u-turns to get to the bus stops and back on the road (again, no.)

Every year he's said "you''ve heard it here first---there will be no FD this year", including this year. Let's hope he's wrong again. I signed up for his emails a while ago and had to cancel, like everyone else said, every email led to his encouraging you to book with that TA. The site's like one giant commercial, which kind of devalues all the good info he does have there.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Does anyone have insight on how difficult it has been in the past to grab the FD offer at POP in the past?

 

[scrappinginontario]

The bounceback FD last summer, when I called the line from the room, was only offering moderates. Which is why I didn't book it at the time.

Quite often the BB offer does not advertise value resorts but when you call x8844 and specifically ask if any value resorts are included, they are. But, you need to ask them if they're included, not ask them what is included as often they will only say moderate and deluxe.

I called the BB number last year and now have a value resort FD BB offer booked for September. The BB offer for value resorts included Free Quick Service Dining but I opted to pay the difference and we have the Disney Dining Plan with 1 Table, 1 Quick and 2 snacks.

It's always worth asking if a Disney offer includes Value resorts as often it does even though it's not advertised this way.

This will be our 6th FD BB reservation in a row, each booked the previous Aug/Sept and always staying at Pop which is a value resort.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

The bounceback FD last summer, when I called the line from the room, was only offering moderates. Which is why I didn't book it at the time.

That is odd because I'm staying at PoP with a free dining bounce back from last year.

 

[lampshadehead]

I should have called back and asked for someone else!!!

 

[scrappinginontario]

I should have called back and asked for someone else!!!

I would recommend when you call in the future that you ask them specifically if Value Resorts are included.

If you ask 'what is included' they may only mention Moderate and Resorts but if you ask specifically IF Value resorts are included they will tell you Yes if that is the case.

It's all in the wording of the question. Sorry you missed out.