Free Dining Preview Thread

[kimmychad]

Do you think that they might offer Free Deluxe Dining plan? Or perhaps a discount on it now that there are variations on the DDP? I'm just curious as to what everyone's opinion is.

we got the bounceback promotion also, and they asked if we wanted to upgrade to the deluxe dining plan, so we did. so no i dont think it will be offered for free

 

[kimmychad]

I have done free dining for the past 3 years. As stated in previous post, I do wish they gave a choice of appertizer or dessert. The "having to cover the tips myself." issue. I really dont have a problem with this, seeing how over the past 3 years I have seen the service factor steadly decline.

Being an ex bartender/waiter I do tip very well when the service is great. I really got sick of seeing the servers getting a guaranted 15% and providing little to no service. During free dining, if I received great service I always tipped more knowing good and well they recieved 15%

they received 18% tip with the old plan

 

[Lucky]

Oops, musta gotten my months mixed up then.


Here's the dates Mousesavers has.

8/26/07-9/22/07package discounts ("free dining") for Disney Rewards Visa cardholders4/9/07, exp 6/24/07
8/26/07-9/22/07package discounts ("free dining") for general public 4/12/07, exp 6/24/07


Thinking back, I remembered March as well -- a death in the family that same day I booked (and later had to unbook). I remember getting back from the hospital around midnight the night before and setting the alarm for 5:30 to leave plenty of time to get the kids up and ready for the day before hand so I could book at 7 AM. Thanks for correcting me.

Guess we may be less than 2 months away then. Time to start solidifying those ADRs to book on Valentines Day for the trip in August. 15th-30th looks like to be a wonderful run to go. 10 day hopper w/plus pack for an additional 6 days of water park fun!!!

Your dates for beginning of booking were correct. It was April, not March as someone else said.

I suspect there will be less of a frenzy this year, because of the DDP changes. It was free food and free service. Now it's just free food, and not quite as much of it. And taking this offer means foregoing room discounts.

Someone else asked if the deluxe DDP might be offered free (not a chance) or discounted (possible, not likely).

Someone else asked about mid August. The trend seems to be to shorten or eliminate the August dates so that it's mostly a September thing. But ya never know.

 

[JimboJones123]

we got the bounceback promotion also, and they asked if we wanted to upgrade to the deluxe dining plan, so we did. so no i dont think it will be offered for free

Now that would be kinda sweet -- if it was when you could actually get reservations. I'd do Deluxe DP for $32 a day. That's a steal!!

 

[kimmychad]

Now that would be kinda sweet -- if it was when you could actually get reservations. I'd do Deluxe DP for $32 a day. That's a steal!!

lol yeah thats what we were thinking. love that it has app and dessert

 

[JimboJones123]

lol yeah thats what we were thinking. love that it has app and dessert

That and knowing you could have 1-2 character meals a day would be kinda neat. It would be really worth it if you were on a 10+ day trip where CS becomes very much the same after day 6. Plus that would mean longer days at parks with a meal break for lunch guranteed. A trip to the plaza would be nice. That may also mean much less park hopping with a refresher meal. Very interesting.

 

[Mickey'n'Minnie]

I just wanted to post this but i was on the phone with a rep from Disney the other day and i was asking if they dates for the free dining overlap with the dates for MNSSHP and she actually said that they aren't sure if they were doing the free dining this year.

I found this strange since on our last trip which was September 3rd to the 10th there was a flyer asking us to BOOK NOW! to get the same deal we had booked with which was the free dining.

Any ideas as to why the confusion or is the rep advised to not say that they will be offering free dining for sure???

Just wondering

 

[New2WDW]

I just wanted to post this but i was on the phone with a rep from Disney the other day and i was asking if they dates for the free dining overlap with the dates for MNSSHP and she actually said that they aren't sure if they were doing the free dining this year.

I found this strange since on our last trip which was September 3rd to the 10th there was a flyer asking us to BOOK NOW! to get the same deal we had booked with which was the free dining.

Any ideas as to why the confusion or is the rep advised to not say that they will be offering free dining for sure???

Just wondering

They did offer Free Dining on a bounce back promo (the flyer) this past September that you had to call in from your resort room to get but they may not offer a public free dining package this year.

 

[Mickey'n'Minnie]

ohhh ok thanks! i was wondering why people were talking about a bounceback promo!!!

 

[sophie_the_pooh]

I just wanted to post this but i was on the phone with a rep from Disney the other day and i was asking if they dates for the free dining overlap with the dates for MNSSHP and she actually said that they aren't sure if they were doing the free dining this year.

I found this strange since on our last trip which was September 3rd to the 10th there was a flyer asking us to BOOK NOW! to get the same deal we had booked with which was the free dining.

Any ideas as to why the confusion or is the rep advised to not say that they will be offering free dining for sure???

Just wondering

I also asked a rep if the free dining plan promotion was going to be offered in 2008 (I knew I wasn't going to get a clear answer, but I thought it was still worth it to try...). I got a long answer, about how hard it would be for CMs to know all the promotions going on at all times, and that the only thing I could do was to keep looking through my local medias... I know it's probably a standard answer CMs are told to give, but I'm still positive, it wasn't a final "no", so I still have hope that the promotion will be offered in April... :shrug:

 

[teacup317]

???free Dining ???bounceback???

Ok all you folks that are talking about a free dining plan PLEASE, PLEASE, fill us not to savvy folks in. My DH and I arrive 4/30 at POR and are staying thru 5/9. How do you sign up for Free Dining Plan, and as long as your answering that question, what is a "bounce back". Thanks for all your answers. I really like this website and all the terrific information everyone supplies to one another.

 

[pinkrose]

Ok all you folks that are talking about a free dining plan PLEASE, PLEASE, fill us not to savvy folks in. My DH and I arrive 4/30 at POR and are staying thru 5/9. How do you sign up for Free Dining Plan, and as long as your answering that question, what is a "bounce back". Thanks for all your answers. I really like this website and all the terrific information everyone supplies to one another.

Welcome to the boards!!! :wave:

The free dining has been offered the past 2 years only during certain dates in Aug/Sept.

A "bounce back" is a special offer that is offered to guests if they will go ahead and book before their departure. This past fall, a "bounce back" offer for free dining this coming Sept. was offered to resort guests.

 

[bgraham34]

I have never taken advantage of the free dining plan. I try to wait and use my annual pass and the DDE to get lower pricing that what i would with the plan.

 

[marinoalulema]

adding free dining?

i want to book my trip for sept 12 - 20 now but i have a question

if i do it now, and free dining is offered later on, will they add it to my reservation?

do i have to pay for the dining plan first and then get a refund?

how does it work?

 

[Aurora23]

i want to book my trip for sept 12 - 20 now but i have a question

if i do it now, and free dining is offered later on, will they add it to my reservation?

do i have to pay for the dining plan first and then get a refund?

how does it work?

I had my reservations in place in Nov 06 (for Sept 07 trip), paid it off in March. When free dining was announced, I had my travel people work with Disney and I had a refund check in the mail (what I had paid for dining).

Pretty nice set up! We had a wonderful time eating for free!

 

[goofyfamily]

we got the bounceback promotion also, and they asked if we wanted to upgrade to the deluxe dining plan, so we did. so no i dont think it will be offered for free

We also booked the bounceback but never heard anything about the upgrade how much more is it?

 

[WildcatDen]

unless your in a big party and

Just curious, what is the cut off weight? Is it 300 pounds for a man, 225 for a woman, and over 125 for a child? Or is it a combination of weight and height.

 

[brucie]

we are planning to go in Sept with a party of 6 for 10 days staying at Pop Century!!! Providing free Dining is a go. We went once with free dining and the next time we went last May we bought the Dining package! Love it!! Now that it has changed I would definetly not buy the package. But it will get me to Disney if it's free, if it's not free I can see our plans getting cancelled. We are going with my brother and his wife and who have been before and 2 budget conscience friends that have never been to Disney!! The Promo was offered here in Canada in April the last few years so we are waiting for that again before we book! They better bring it back!!! WE ARE COUNTING ON IT! despite it being in a lesser form now!

 

[mary219]

I think you will see the offer again.When we went last aug07,the restaurants were busy,the parks not that much.So i believe the free dining fills the rooms that would probably not be filled as quickly or at all.better to give away some food and have the rooms full and park tickets paid for.It is offered during the value season when not so many people are going away.Disney is always busy now,just not as much late aug early sept when schools are starting and people have used their summer vacation time.So,if i go by what i experienced last year.i would think it is going to be offered.

 

[New2WDW]

I was able to get the Free DDP Bounceback for this coming Fall and I just heard that my girls' school break is going to be a week after the vacation I already set up.... So now we are looking at seriously missing a week of school to get what is a make or break vacation discount for us! :hammer:So here's to hoping they change the Fall break schedule before the official list is produced!