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

[JackieO]

Just wondering would you go to Disney if they did not offer free dining?

We would still go, but it would be a totally different trip. We would move off property, eat breakfasts in our room and take in picnic lunches. I am willing to upgrade to a mod this time, but only if it includes FD. I love Disney with my whole heart, but I'm also frugal to my core. We are park people not room people, and we like to drive to the parks even when we're stay on property. Our trips that have included Disney resorts have certainly been more magical, but in the end Disney is Disney and we've got to get back!

 

[sharonabe]

But that's 37$ per adult per day, 14$ per child so 88$ per day, right??

For two adults and one kid, yes that would be the cost to upgrade from regular DDP to DxDDP, but it is per NIGHT of stay, not days you play.

 

[dznygrl70]

8 re

Regarding the podcast...I also found the history of FD interesting. And it is true, depending on your situation and how many folks in your party, that POP may indeed cost less, if you have to upgrade your room or resort. For large families, it does save a ton of $.

l didn't either. It is great for newbies and I was completely green 4 years ago!

 

[pigletto]

We would still go, but it would be a totally different trip. We would move off property, eat breakfasts in our room and take in picnic lunches. I am willing to upgrade to a mod this time, but only if it includes FD. I love Disney with my whole heart, but I'm also frugal to my core. We are park people not room people, and we like to drive to the parks even when we're stay on property. Our trips that have included Disney resorts have certainly been more magical, but in the end Disney is Disney and we've got to get back!

I am thinking this will be us too. I've been running the numbers every which way. I really would like to stay at POR this trip, and that is where we are booked, but when I can stay at Bonnet Creek or Vistana for $800 for the week, everyone has their own bed, I have a full kitchen, two bathrooms, laundry facilities in unit, and tons of pools and amenities, why in the world would I stay onsite for twice to three times as much?
It's not even about frugality at this point.. it's necessity. The Canadian dollar is the worst it has been for any of our 10 trips. I'm paying 35% more than an American guest. It's either going to be free dining for me or we're going offsite. I really tried to make it work, but it would take too much from our every day budget.

 

[mrspurcell29]

I'm a newbie to the board (not Disney) but I've been reading all this great information and conversation for days! It really is great and informative ... and frankly, just fun! Thank you! I discovered The Dis and The Dis Unplugged about a year ago and I LOVE keeping up to date on the goings-on and learning about things I haven't done and places I haven't eaten at. I learned about this board in a Dis Daily Fix video.

We are currently booked at AKL for Sept. 6-15. Hoping for either FD or room discount. My DH and I do not yet have children so we are able to take advantage of that time right after most schools go into session for travel. We use a TA (that I do like but feel like I teach her sometimes) so I don't have the option to modify on my own on MDE or by phone. The 17th is Easter Monday here in Canada so it's 50/50 which businesses are closed. I feel guilty hoping TA is not off?

Last Year: We had a pretty phenomenal experience which is why this next trip is happening so soon! We travelled September 8-16 and were bit by the "staying onsite" bug. First time staying onsite and having the dining plan
and using their transportation which really wasn't that bad at the beginning of September. Sometimes we had our very own bus! We booked in January at POFQ with QSDP (but not free). Come July we received an email warning us the main POFQ QS would be down for refurb. I was fine with it really - not too fussy and I am always just happy to be at Disney! However, a couple days later my TA called me to advise we had been offered to stay where we were, change to CBR and receive some $ back or upgrade to AKL (standard room) and get FREE DINING DDP for an extra $115/per person! We jumped on it! I didn't know much about FD last year but it now sounds like we were very lucky to get it in JULY which makes me not so panicked this year.

Looking forward to continuing all this talk and planning with you all!

 

[pghmom]

So, I finalized my spreadsheet and if we don't get FD, we may very well end up off site. This would also mean dropping our number of days at Disney down drastically, since we'll likely hit up the beach and Universal as well.

For our family (2 adults, 2 kids) assuming we can stack the CBR GC compensation (subtracted from totals in these calculations) and need a PH pass for FD for a 7 night stay in September:
1. CBR, FD w/PH, GC $2896
2. POP (or other value), FD w/PH, TS upgrade $3189
3. Off site, 5 day park tickets, no PH, breakfast included at hotel, budget $750 for food; $3070
4. POP, TS DP OOP, no PH $3637
5. CBR, GC, DP OOP, no PH (currently booked) $3697

 

[JackieO]

I am thinking this will be us too. I've been running the numbers every which way. I really would like to stay at POR this trip, and that is where we are booked, but when I can stay at Bonnet Creek or Vistana for $800 for the week, everyone has their own bed, I have a full kitchen, two bathrooms, laundry facilities in unit, and tons of pools and amenities, why in the world would I stay onsite for twice to three times as much?
It's not even about frugality at this point.. it's necessity. The Canadian dollar is the worst it has been for any of our 10 trips. I'm paying 35% more than an American guest. It's either going to be free dining for me or we're going offsite. I really tried to make it work, but it would take too much from our every day budget.

I hear that! I didn't realize the Canadian dollar was so low right now. I sure hope you get FD. It does make it magic.

 

[scard192]

I'm thinking of going to Disney on October 1. Does anyone know/think/heard rumors that free dining will be offered then?

last year October 1 was the last day to check in before FD was blackout until November 15. In the past the first day of so of October has been included but no way to know. the BB FD offer has a lot of September blacked out as well as all of October and November. Just no way to know that the dates will be this year.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Free dining will save my huge family around $2800! Calculated that if I move to a ASMu suite and upgrade to standard dining plan, it would cost about the same as staying at FW cabin with free standard. We're booked for 10 nights, and going regardless, but DH says if we get FD we can add 2 extra nights! I'm a stay-at-home mom and DH works for a family business so we can go whenever, very flexible schedules, though hoping to go during late nov/early dec. Only issue is taking kids out of school, which I will do, because they're my kids and they're great students. Here's hoping for some late fall/early winter FD dates!!

 

[disneydreamer1980]

The TA facebook acct that said FD would drop on 4/17, said for dates in September, late November and early December. Don't know if that was a guess or what...

 

[Disneylover99]

The TA facebook acct that said FD would drop on 4/17, said for dates in September, late November and early December. Don't know if that was a guess or what...

Was August mentioned?

 

[Kiki_pa]

Yes, $37.33 per adult, per night and just under $14 for the kids



I don't think you can upgrade with the modify, but you can wait and call in to upgrade. Just needs to be done 72 hrs before your arrival, and if you're within 45 days, paid in full when you call.



If you have a modify option, you should be able to do it online. Your room rate won't change as long as you currently are paying full rack rate for that room. If you have any discount, you will not be able to keep that discount. If you already have tickets attached to your reservation, they will have to be the type ticket that is required, so if you don't have park hopper, you will have to add park hopper. If you made your reservation before the ticket price increase in February, your ticket price will go up as well.

Thank you!

 

[agassizsmile]

Was August mentioned?

Yes any August dates? The latest we can go is aug 28 to sept 5

 

[kindle&wine]

Just wondering would you go to Disney if they did not offer free dining?

We won't go without FD .. or a good room discount so that we can then buy the Dining Plan.
After going the past 2 times with the dining plan I can't imagine going and not having it...

 

[Rusty2rules]

I'm a newbie to the board (not Disney) but I've been reading all this great information and conversation for days! It really is great and informative ... and frankly, just fun! Thank you! I discovered The Dis and The Dis Unplugged about a year ago and I LOVE keeping up to date on the goings-on and learning about things I haven't done and places I haven't eaten at. I learned about this board in a Dis Daily Fix video.

We are currently booked at AKL for Sept. 6-15. Hoping for either FD or room discount. My DH and I do not yet have children so we are able to take advantage of that time right after most schools go into session for travel. We use a TA (that I do like but feel like I teach her sometimes) so I don't have the option to modify on my own on MDE or by phone. The 17th is Easter Monday here in Canada so it's 50/50 which businesses are closed. I feel guilty hoping TA is not off?

Last Year: We had a pretty phenomenal experience which is why this next trip is happening so soon! We travelled September 8-16 and were bit by the "staying onsite" bug. First time staying onsite and having the dining plan
and using their transportation which really wasn't that bad at the beginning of September. Sometimes we had our very own bus! We booked in January at POFQ with QSDP (but not free). Come July we received an email warning us the main POFQ QS would be down for refurb. I was fine with it really - not too fussy and I am always just happy to be at Disney! However, a couple days later my TA called me to advise we had been offered to stay where we were, change to CBR and receive some $ back or upgrade to AKL (standard room) and get FREE DINING DDP for an extra $115/per person! We jumped on it! I didn't know much about FD last year but it now sounds like we were very lucky to get it in JULY which makes me not so panicked this year.

Looking forward to continuing all this talk and planning with you all!

Welcome to the madness! This is a great thread to follow.

I totally get the being "bit" by staying onsite. You're completely immersed in the mouse magic the whole trip. I know for me when I drive under that "Welcome to the happiest place on earth" crossover at the entrance to the property a huge smile comes over my face and a wave of relaxation fills me. I tell everybody that's going for the first time, you have to stay onsite at least once.

 

[DisneyFD]

2 adults, 3 kids staying at CBR October 7-14th. No park hopper and regular dining plan. Planning on no FD being offered for those dates. Now with the GC, wondering if the regular dining plan is worth it or should we go back to the QS plan if that is even possible.

 

[VillainFavs]

So, I finalized my spreadsheet and if we don't get FD, we may very well end up off site. This would also mean dropping our number of days at Disney down drastically, since we'll likely hit up the beach and Universal as well.

For our family (2 adults, 2 kids) assuming we can stack the CBR GC compensation (subtracted from totals in these calculations) and need a PH pass for FD for a 7 night stay in September:
1. CBR, FD w/PH, GC $2896
2. POP (or other value), FD w/PH, TS upgrade $3189
3. Off site, 5 day park tickets, no PH, breakfast included at hotel, budget $750 for food; $3070
4. POP, TS DP OOP, no PH $3637
5. CBR, GC, DP OOP, no PH (currently booked) $3697

How about checking to see if you're actually saving money with buying the plan or if you'd be better off paying OOP for food itself, not the plan? We'd love to have FD, but if that's not available at a mod, we're going to go with a special August deal on deluxe resorts and pay for food OOP. I really don't want to go back to a value with two teenage boys--they take up too much room!

Oh, and I plan to buy GCs at Target for the 5% discount and/or use my Disney Visa for discounts in some of the restaurants.

 

[pghmom]

How about checking to see if you're actually saving money with buying the plan or if you'd be better off paying OOP for food itself, not the plan? We'd love to have FD, but if that's not available at a mod, we're going to go with a special August deal on deluxe resorts and pay for food OOP. I really don't want to go back to a value with two teenage boys--they take up too much room!

If we keep our ADRs as is, we come within $50. Right now we have a lot of character meals planned (which works well for the ages of our kids).

 

[ustasmom]

I am thinking this will be us too. I've been running the numbers every which way. I really would like to stay at POR this trip, and that is where we are booked, but when I can stay at Bonnet Creek or Vistana for $800 for the week, everyone has their own bed, I have a full kitchen, two bathrooms, laundry facilities in unit, and tons of pools and amenities, why in the world would I stay onsite for twice to three times as much?
It's not even about frugality at this point.. it's necessity. The Canadian dollar is the worst it has been for any of our 10 trips. I'm paying 35% more than an American guest. It's either going to be free dining for me or we're going offsite. I really tried to make it work, but it would take too much from our every day budget.

I think that you can do better than $800 for WBC. I have it booked for the first full week of December and it cost me $448 (this far out) for the 2 bedroom. We stayed at WBC in early December and it cost me $55/night but that was pretty last minute. Having a W/D in your unit (albeit stackable) is really high on my list. And we just did SSR 1 bedroom and it took the bus a good 15 minutes until we got to the light at Chelonia Parkway. So I plan to drive and park and use the Express transportation for hopping. Granted the rental car will add cost, parking if you don't have at least one AP will add up as well.

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

Really hope the the last week of August is included. Discount that just came out saved us a huge $25 dollars