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

[Sharongal74]

Ihmmm, so we already have park tickets. Does that impact free dining if it comes up? Or does that just mean we already have them so that is ok? We have park hoppers. Just means we wouldn't be able to get a package.

If you buy the tickets and use them later the new tickets would have to be used by the end of 2018.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I thought it was $21 for adult and $4 for kids?? You guys are talking about upgrade from QS to DDP right?

She corrected herself later. Your numbers are correct.

 

[KimBean]

Removed post because of duplicate information. Sorry.

 

[JackieBal]

We have 6 nights at CBR booked for late August (with GC offer) and 8 day tix (no discount even though we are CDN) hoping for FD to "double dip" but with the current "summer expedition" offer giving the discounted tix for Canadians and room discount, we added the Disney dining plan and it ends up being $100 US cheaper than my original package would have been if we did happen to get free dining! No park hopper but I didn't want that anyway, no sitting on the edge of my seat for next few weeks and staying up all night before FD drops! CM confirmed that we will still receive gift card

 

[KimBean]

She corrected herself later. Your numbers are correct.

Okay. Not trying to call anyone out just making sure using the right numbers. Sometimes it won't show all posts and my phone and then I have to click more and sometimes don't see it. I can't use DIS on my computer it completely freezes it up.

 

[trucker den]

I'm freaking out!! Just a few days before I make my ADRs and I'm so undecided about where I want to make them!! Last trip I had everything planned and plotted out. This trip is coming up fast! I guess I will be calling a family meeting this weekend to find out where everyone wants to eat and then their second choices.

 

[jdubbsx10]

Ok, I welcome any and all opinions on this matter!

I am going down to Disney in September regardless of FD. However, if FD is available to us we can stay in CS for around $140 more total than if we stayed at POP, assuming we upgrade to regular dining on top of the FD at POP which we would do. Does anyone think this is worth it? I stayed at CS a while ago when I was younger so I don't remember much, and I've never stayed at POP. This is a girls weekend so no children. Is the extra $140 worth it to upgrade if FD is available? If no FD then we are sticking with POP anyways. Just want to see if anyone here likes CS and thinks that the extra $ would be worth it.

 

[Azjenn]

Ok, I welcome any and all opinions on this matter!

I am going down to Disney in September regardless of FD. However, if FD is available to us we can stay in CS for around $140 more total than if we stayed at POP, assuming we upgrade to regular dining on top of the FD at POP which we would do. Does anyone think this is worth it? I stayed at CS a while ago when I was younger so I don't remember much, and I've never stayed at POP. This is a girls weekend so no children. Is the extra $140 worth it to upgrade if FD is available? If no FD then we are sticking with POP anyways. Just want to see if anyone here likes CS and thinks that the extra $ would be worth it.

I have never stayed at CS but for 140 total more absolutely just to have bigger beds!

 

[menotyou21]

Anyone paying OOP can order anything they want! That applies at both QS and TS locations.

The only places they'll be required to pay the adult price are buffets, character meals, and all-you-can-eat places like 'Ohana dinner.

This is absolutely correct. My wife has been ordering kid's meals at QS & TS for years.

 

[scard192]

So we booked POFQ for 8/20-8/26. Paying rack rate, have hoppers, and regular dining plan. We are well aware that POFQ is never included in the free dining promos. We are going to Disney this August with or without a discount so we decided to book the best room within our budget. We can move our vacation by a few days but I want to be home before Labor day weekend starts.

We booked with a TA. I am guessing I should have a conversation with her about what we are willing to do if free dining becomes available. Since we have 2 adults and 2 kids and lots of character meals planned, free dining is the best deal for us(and nothing was available that was worth us moving for the % of room deal that was just released) Our first choice is to move to a deluxe, preferably on the monorail. We are willing to spend up to $500 more dollars that what we already are spending to be on the monorail. If we paid rack rate for a deluxe, it was close to $2000 more if I remember correctly(it's been awhile since I ran the numbers) Next would be to move to another moderate and spend less money. So should I contact the TA with my preferences now in priority order so she can try to get us free dining if it does become available for our dates?

For sure give your TA your options and exactly in what order. TAs are calling for multiple clients so having your exact choices handy should help.

You could wait until just before FD drops as Black and Dirty Steve usually have pretty good details on dates and excluded resorts a few days before FD drops

 

[vanjust14]

Ok, I welcome any and all opinions on this matter!

I am going down to Disney in September regardless of FD. However, if FD is available to us we can stay in CS for around $140 more total than if we stayed at POP, assuming we upgrade to regular dining on top of the FD at POP which we would do. Does anyone think this is worth it? I stayed at CS a while ago when I was younger so I don't remember much, and I've never stayed at POP. This is a girls weekend so no children. Is the extra $140 worth it to upgrade if FD is available? If no FD then we are sticking with POP anyways. Just want to see if anyone here likes CS and thinks that the extra $ would be worth it.

I love POP but because this is an all adult trip I think I would upgrade to CS. I love the pool there and the beds are a plus like the PP mentioned!

 

[Susan Doeberl]

I rent through Redweek. Owners predict what will rent and what won't. And if it doesn't rent they drop the price as to recoup something. My kids grew too fond of the Presidential suites. lol

Where are you talking about?

 

[jlundeen]

Anyone (adults too) can order a "kids" meal from a QS location. I have never tried at TS, but will go out on a limb and assume "No", unless you have a really awesome server.

I have been told, however, that even on the Dining Plan, adults may "split" meals at a TS restaurant and thereby use only 1 credit. never did this myself when on the plan, only when OOP...most meals in the TS restaurants are big enough to split between two people.

ETA: To clarify: You cannot split meals, either on a dining plan or OOP, at the buffets, though.

 

[Neeky78]

Healthcare isn't really free is it? You must pay for it in other ways I'm sure.

It's about how the government uses your tax dollars. Some governments use tax dollars to give massive corporations incentives/subsidies, while others choose to direct those funds towards healthcare for its people.

It's the prioritisation of tax dollars - do they get spent to make the rich richer and secure political backing, or do they get spent on the people?

 

[Neeky78]

I thought the part that was condescending was that she said Disney doesn't offer free dining because they care or love you it is to fill rooms, I.e. Make money. Wow disney is a business- who knew? It was a pretty big duh and even for the uneducated a not nice thing to say. The rest of the information was good for the usual park goer.

After reading hundreds, if not thousands, of posts and comments about free dining, I think she was justified making that point. A lot of people seem offended that free dining isn't offered when they want to go and accuse Disney of only providing free dining "to fill rooms", like it's a nefarious scam.
Most people recognise fd for the marketing strategy it is, but a lot don't.

 

[KNovacovschi]

Yeah, but you get free healthcare.

Unfortunately not the whole country gets free healthcare.

 

[KNovacovschi]

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

Last year we couldn't get POP and I checked for weeks, we initially booked ASMu and after checking found CBR one morning however kept checking for POP and just couldn't get it. Worked out though because we got upgraded from CBR to AKL because they overbooked our category for our week. Before last year I never had an issue getting POP. We went the week of Sept 25th last year. And I was online at 7am because I did not realize about the 4am release.

 

[KNovacovschi]

I don't recall seeing posts in the past that people could not book FD at POP (or ASSp). maybe no standard rooms but POP is a big resort I would think getting it at POP should be pretty good odds.

I wasn't able to get POP last year, standard or preferred, for the week of Sept 25th and I checked daily for weeks.

 

[agassizsmile]

My TA says she hasn't heard any FD rumors...I'm still going with 4/17.Our trip dates are 8/24 to 9/1.So if FD is for 8/28-9/1 hypothetically we qualify right? Or no?Confused.....Would we have to pay out of pocket for the 24th-27th? Can someone break it down please?

 

[Neeky78]

I said this in the MVMCP thread - how can they expect people to "know" what/where they want to eat before park hours/FP/special events are released/available?? Seems like it would be so much better to release hours 180 days out with special event schedules then ADR's maybe 90 days out and FP 60

They want people to keep coming back to the website to make changes. The more someone is on the website, the more likely they are to buy something else/upgrade/extend their stay. By holding back dates, people keep their plans more flexible while waiting.

If everyone locked into their dates, dining and fastpasses 6 months out, they are not likely to go on the website in that time.