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

[HBouchard]

The GC can be used anywhere correct? If we wanted to use the $75 per day toward the table service meal at say BOG, we could do that? Just wondering if we could just get the QS plan and pay out of pocket the difference between the GC and the cost of the table service meal per day....

You can use the GC for most things. (I don't really know of anything you can't use if for, except Jelly Rolls) I collect GCs all year, when I get to Disney i charge everything to my room, the night before check-out I go down and pay my entire bill with GCs. This way I don't have to worry about paying every time I buy a water or snack.

 

[brittanidp]

Were you able to book online using that link at 4 am when the FD promotion dropped last year? Did you know about the DV early dates before FD dropped? My husband and I have both had Disney Visas for years and have never received advance notice of promotions. I'm hoping someone on this thread or on Mousesavers or another site this year may have info as far as any DV early dates as our dates are Aug. 18-23.

I wasn't on at 4am, but I was part of the frenzy lol! I actually tented dvc points last year so I was just teasing myself by looking at the options! If I remember correctly we had one report saying that everyone could book earlier and any there that said dv could book the earlier dates. I don't know if we knew the specifics of the DV dates ahead of time. By the time I got to work (around 7 central time) the DV link was working just fine and you have to put the deposit down with the DV card

 

[brittanidp]

Historically, it has usually ended on October 1, 2 or 3. I'm hoping it's at least the 1st. Which hotel are you booked at? I'm thinking port orleans Riverside. They usually have free dining for the first set. I would love wilderness Lodge but all the standard rooms are sold out for that week. I hate the waiting and I want to book before the 180 mark so I can get my dining reservations in. Wish they'd release it earlier.

You don't have to have a res to book ADRs, you just have to book day by day as the 180 progresses

 

[krisfan]

The GC can be used anywhere correct? If we wanted to use the $75 per day toward the table service meal at say BOG, we could do that? Just wondering if we could just get the QS plan and pay out of pocket the difference between the GC and the cost of the table service meal per day....

If I am planning for some table service.. I will either buy DP or everything OOP...
Kids under 9 DP is just 25... but if we have to pay for a character kid meal OOP it's much costly.. do some math..

Yes u can gc for any type of meals

 

[KimBean]

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...

Late November?!?!! I'm loving this info.

 

[vanjust14]

For those of you planning on staying at POP or other values, if you get free dining will you leave it as a QS plan? If you plan to upgrade to the DDP is it cost effective to do so or at that point would it be better to just book a mod (assuming one is available)? I want to do at least one character meal. I'll have to do the math but just wondering what others are thinking. We will have 3 Disney adults, one child and one infant.

 

[scard192]

You don't have to have a res to book ADRs, you just have to book day by day as the 180 progresses

I did this in 2013. was on my computer every day at 6AM Eastern. Got every single ADR I wanted at perfect times: CRT, CM, CP, 1900 Park Fare, Akerhaus. Only one I could not get was BOG dinner and I think that had a lot to do with MNSSHP. We actually prefer lunch at BOG anyway.

 

[KimBean]

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.

That's a great price for bonnet creek. Is that a 1 or 2 bedroom? I've looked on vrbo.com so you use something else?

 

[tinkpower]

 

[Rusty2rules]

Are you booked or just trying to make dinner plans? It's usually easier if you are booked and get then towards the end of your vacation. Just keep trying. Everyday a couple of times a day. You'll be surprised how it just pops up. Good luck!!!

If you mean am I booked at a resort, yes, I'm booked at POP for the end of September. Yes, I checked several times yesterday and have checked a couple times already today. Thanks!

Try Touring Plans reservation finder, its free

Way ahead of you! I actually signed up for Touring Plans a month or so ago. Love the ability to do customized park planning! Their search tool started searching today (since today is 180 days from the date I wanted reservations for BOG). Crossing my fingers it finds something! Thanks for the tip, though.

 

[Lynne G]

Historically, it has usually ended on October 1, 2 or 3. I'm hoping it's at least the 1st. Which hotel are you booked at? I'm thinking port orleans Riverside. They usually have free dining for the first set. I would love wilderness Lodge but all the standard rooms are sold out for that week. I hate the waiting and I want to book before the 180 mark so I can get my dining reservations in. Wish they'd release it earlier.

Funny, I am at FQ. Might have ended beginning of October, but last year, it did not. I hate waiting too. Next week hoping all dining I want (which isn't much) can be booked.

 

[ThistleMae]

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 am staying offsite this trip. My cousins have a time share about a mile away. Much cheaper! These are the disadvantages as I see them. We can't book FP+ until 30 days out, hoping we can get the new rides in Pandora. We do have to rent a car and pay for parking, still much cheaper than staying in a resort. We could cook and eat meals in the condo, but my cousins like to eat out, so no savings there, but if we did breakfast and packed sandwiches for lunches, we would save a ton on food. I tried to convince my daughter to stay offsite next year but she won't do it, even though it's going to cost her so much. I guess she feels it's worth it. We will def. be staying in a value resort and hope to get the one counter service offer and upgrade.

 

[scard192]

If you mean am I booked at a resort, yes, I'm booked at POP for the end of September. Yes, I checked several times yesterday and have checked a couple times already today. Thanks!



Way ahead of you! I actually signed up for Touring Plans a month or so ago. Love the ability to do customized park planning! Their search tool started searching today (since today is 180 days from the date I wanted). Crossing my fingers it finds something! Thanks for the tip, though.

I bought it for our November trip, loved it! The lines app was so worth it when I was trying to book 4th, 5th. etc FP+; able to see which attractions had longer lines and which we were better off doing standby. and real time waits by people in the parks.

 

[KimBean]

For those of you planning on staying at POP or other values, if you get free dining will you leave it as a QS plan? If you plan to upgrade to the DDP is it cost effective to do so or at that point would it be better to just book a mod (assuming one is available)? I want to do at least one character meal. I'll have to do the math but just wondering what others are thinking. We will have 3 Disney adults, one child and one infant.

I will definitely upgrade. It's going to cost me $607 for 4 and 9 nights. So that cost is $67 a day. So I can just take my room cost at a value for the night and add on $67. Then compare apples to apples.

Right now my room is $105 a night. So adding $67 to that it is $172. And the mods for my dates have been about $235 so I can quickly compare and see I'm still saving money. But here is where knowing your daily rate matters. Let's say I get on at 4 and dates are slightly different and now cheapest value is $139 and they have opened up a mod for $211. Now I can take $139 and quickly add $67 that is $206. I would certainly pay $5 more a night for a moderate. And I didn't have to take the time to go through both reservations to figure out my bottom line.

 

[ThistleMae]

Completely agree. It's really just so I can try and get "Be Our Guest." I booked Disney last year about a month in advance and was able to get be our guest but that was only during the christmas party. A few years ago when it first opened and I couldn't get a reservation they said to come first thing in the morning and see if they had any. I practically ran there and was able to get a 6pm reservation that day. Not sure if they still do that.

I love the atmosphere in BOG but the food is just okay. Didn't book it this time, I'd rather eat in the countries, the food is so much better. But...it's hard to resist the place, it's beautiful!

 

[ThistleMae]

Staying off site and eating whatever and wherever I want. I'm giving myself a $ 100.00 a day food budget. We will be eating at several buffet's and or character meals. I would generally never spend this much for one person but my cousins are treating me to the room, so I am splurging!

 

[Lety S]

I would say if you don't like banana, you might not like Tonga Toast because there is definitely a good amount of banana in the middle. Have you ever tried the croissant doughnut at Refreshment Port in Epcot? No banana and it's yummy.

Thanks for the heads up and the recommendation!

 

[vanjust14]

I will definitely upgrade. It's going to cost me $607 for 4 and 9 nights. So that cost is $67 a day. So I can just take my room cost at a value for the night and add on $67. Then compare apples to apples.

Right now my room is $105 a night. So adding $67 to that it is $172. And the mods for my dates have been about $235 so I can quickly compare and see I'm still saving money. But here is where knowing your daily rate matters. Let's say I get on at 4 and dates are slightly different and now cheapest value is $139 and they have opened up a mod for $211. Now I can take $139 and quickly add $67 that is $206. I would certainly pay $5 more a night for a moderate. And I didn't have to take the time to go through both reservations to figure out my bottom line.

Ah, I didn't even think to look at it that way. This is very helpful, thank you!

 

[brooke789]

I sure hope the new rumors are true both of the release date and also the late November! Woohoo!

 

[Sarahboo]

Without FD we will still go, we will still stay on-site and we will still get the DDP. I'm prepared for that expense, but hopeful that without FD, we would at least get a good room discount. These are our choices (we're going for 14 nights 2 adults, 4 kids aged 17, 14, 13, and 9, 8 day tix with PH+):

1. CBR, 2 rooms, $2100 in gift cards, DDP = $16,842. FD cost = $11,637.36

We will only keep our CBR reservation if we can get both gift cards and free dining. Without that, we'll switch resorts:

2. Pop! 2 rooms, DDP = $13,184.34 Free dining with DDP upgrade cost = $9135.66

3. If we can't get that, ASMu, family suite, DDP = $13, 302. FD cost with DDP upgrade = $9254.34

4. If we can't get any of those, we would stay in another value resort - AoA then ASSp in order of preference.

ASSp = $8650.52 with free dining, $12,698 without
AoA = $12,481 without FD, $10,023 with free dining



So, I've done a lot of math, and we're pretty flexible in dates, I'm hoping we can land SOMETHING with FD. It's an expensive vacation for us that we've been saving for over 2 years - but our 17 year old will be a high school senior in the fall and we want one great family vacation before she goes off to college. We've only been a merged family for about 2.5 years, so we have a lot of time to make up for and this is our once in a lifetime last great hurrah family trip.

I think Chris and I are going to upgrade our tickets to APs when we're there, and get a TiW card for where appropriate. We'd like to go on another trip in the winter with just the two of us so we could get a lot of mileage saving on what we do buy OOP for the 6 of us, our alcohol with meals, and then he and I would not get the DDP when we go back. We don't eat that much anyway so we're more likely to eat at signature restaurants and then order a few apps and split an entree without dessert. DDP doesn't make sense for just us, but with a family of 6 it's a huge savings.


And actually, now that I've typed all of that out, I'm not sure CBR makes sense for us at all. I guess I need to sit down and look at it all again.