Free Free Free dining plan is back and info!

[Jerm]

Look what I just got in my e-mail! Thank Walt I am going to miss it by about 2 weeks, so everyone that was planning on going the first week of Aug push back to the end of Aug now!!!! But have fun all you that have to go during this time! It looks like they cut back on the time it is avaliable????

The Free Disney Dining Plan Offer Is Back!

On April 10, 2008 Disney will once again be offering the Disney Dining Plan for FREE for vacation dates between August 24, 2008 and September 20, 2008! This is a savings of $37.99 per adult, per day!!! Enjoy all the wonderful dining experiences Walt Disney World has to offer without breaking your budget!

The Disney Dining Plan allows you to have one quick service meal, one table service meal and one snack per person, per day. You can enjoy the wonderful food at most restaurants throughout the parks and resorts.

Want an even more amazing deal? Check out the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan which offers three meals (quick service or table service) and two snacks per day. During the FREE Dining Plan offer period, you can get this wonderful upgrade for less than half price!

 

[JimboJones123]

I can't say I won't miss this battle for dining.

Anybody else notice that getting to your reservation 15 minutes early like requested still leaves you waiting more than 30 minutes during free dining.

 

[WDW-LUVR]

Look what I just got in my e-mail! Thank Walt I am going to miss it by about 2 weeks, so everyone that was planning on going the first week of Aug push back to the end of Aug now!!!! But have fun all you that have to go during this time! It looks like they cut back on the time it is avaliable????

Did this email include the Discount code????

 

[Jimmy Thick]

Good luck getting ADR's from Sept 7-20, I'm gobbling up as many as Disney allows me for my party, which consists of 75 people.


I love being a Disney elite!

 

[NewfieFan]

I can't say I won't miss this battle for dining.

Anybody else notice that getting to your reservation 15 minutes early like requested still leaves you waiting more than 30 minutes during free dining.

Is this true!?! Will I be waiting forever for every meal? (I thought you only had to check in 10 mins before? It's no big deal either way 15mins/10mins - no difference!) I've booked a lot of my TS meals for early lunches, will I avoid some of the maddness this way?

Well, whatever, I'll be at Disney - And I'd rather be waiting to sit down for a meal at Disney than be anywhere else!

 

[JimboJones123]

Is this true!?! Will I be waiting forever for every meal? (I thought you only had to check in 10 mins before? It's no big deal either way 15mins/10mins - no difference!) I've booked a lot of my TS meals for early lunches, will I avoid some of the maddness this way?

Well, whatever, I'll be at Disney - And I'd rather be waiting to sit down for a meal at Disney than be anywhere else!

Don't get me wrong. If we hadn't planned to go marathon weekend, we would FOR SURE go in September. I'm trying to make myself feel better about things. Yes, the waits can go longer than necessary. We have waited an hour past our reservation time several times in the past for free dining. Only a handful of times were tables ready at the 10-15 minute mark. Yes it is upsetting. But not enough to kill a FREE DINING vacation.

 

[JimboJones123]

OH, we can't go 2x out of school. So we were hoping for August. September doesn't work when we are taking a week out in Jan.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

Ok.... so I booked all my ADRs right at the 180 day mark for the trip down 8/19-8/30, and glad I did. We do not use the dining plan as we are DVC and have some meals in the room and it doesn't really work for us. Actually last year we went during the free dining and were frustrated when we had to cancel one of the ADRs for the second night at either Boma or Jiko, I can't remeber which. And yes everyone SHOULD call and cancel if the are not going to need their ADR. We tried to reschedule for the other nights, calling each night with no luck. We rebooked it this year and I told the wife.. we are not canceling for anything!

I wonder how many ADRs are not fulfilled each night. Disney should take credit card info to make an ADR and have some kind of charge if not canceled by an hour or so before the reserved time. They do it for the Castle Royal Table and others I beleive.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

Is this true!?! Will I be waiting forever for every meal? (I thought you only had to check in 10 mins before? It's no big deal either way 15mins/10mins - no difference!) I've booked a lot of my TS meals for early lunches, will I avoid some of the maddness this way?

Well, whatever, I'll be at Disney - And I'd rather be waiting to sit down for a meal at Disney than be anywhere else!

Actually... over the past few years our post ADR wait time has increased... sometimes 10-15 mins but others over 40 minutes(this was at SCI-Fi). The extra 40 minutes just was not worth it for the Sci-fi, but it was our first and last time there.

 

[brucie]

Yahoooo Free Dining!!! I Love it, I Love it, I Love it. Im booking Apr 10th!!!

 

[imamouse]

Ok.... so I booked all my ADRs right at the 180 day mark for the trip down 8/19-8/30, and glad I did. We do not use the dining plan as we are DVC and have some meals in the room and it doesn't really work for us. Actually last year we went during the free dining and were frustrated when we had to cancel one of the ADRs for the second night at either Boma or Jiko, I can't remeber which. And yes everyone SHOULD call and cancel if the are not going to need their ADR. We tried to reschedule for the other nights, calling each night with no luck. We rebooked it this year and I told the wife.. we are not canceling for anything!

I wonder how many ADRs are not fulfilled each night. Disney should take credit card info to make an ADR and have some kind of charge if not canceled by an hour or so before the reserved time. They do it for the Castle Royal Table and others I beleive.

I agree! Last Dec I met a nice family from NY who asked me what I thought of the food at Morocco, France and Canada at Epcot. They had made ADRs at each of these sit-down restaurants for the same time because they didn't know what they'd be in the mood to eat. They made 3-4 ADRs for EACH night of their trip in order to have options and flexibility. I wouldn't mind so much if the unused ADRs went directly back into the system for walk-ups, but it's my understanding that they don't.

Disney has got to do something about this abuse of the system. :fork: It's becoming very difficult and frustrating to get even your third choice of sit-down dining locations. And what about the poor free-spirits who depend on walk-up availability? Talk about destroying the magic.

 

[kimmychad]

I agree! Last Dec I met a nice family from NY who asked me what I thought of the food at Morocco, France and Canada at Epcot. They had made ADRs at each of these sit-down restaurants for the same time because they didn't know what they'd be in the mood to eat. They made 3-4 ADRs for EACH night of their trip in order to have options and flexibility. I wouldn't mind so much if the unused ADRs went directly back into the system for walk-ups, but it's my understanding that they don't.

Disney has got to do something about this abuse of the system. :fork: It's becoming very difficult and frustrating to get even your third choice of sit-down dining locations. And what about the poor free-spirits who depend on walk-up availability? Talk about destroying the magic.

when i made reservations for some restaurants for our upcoming trip in sept i had no idea my wife had made some for the same meal at other reataurants. the cm asked which one i wanted to cancel, saying i couldnt have both. apparantly they are doing something

 

[Disneysue]

Well since Ive only been once, and my travel partner is PETRIFIED to go to WDW during the "Extra Stormy" season I will not get a chance to experience Free Dining.

I can comment on the wait for ADR's. I went 2/1-2/9 last year and for most of our ADR's we had to wait for over an hour and we were not able to check in any sooner than 10 min prior to our reservation time. We made sure to make our ADRs for either way past "dinner time" or way before and we STILL had to wait forver.

We really didnt mind at all until my friend got SEVERE food poisoning :hurl:. Then it kinda blew big time (hehehe pun intended!):ROFLOL:

Maybe someday I will do the solo trip during free dining.

 

[Jerm]

Did this email include the Discount code????

It did not, it was a basic e-mail about the info.

Someone was saying about the price of the hotels being less, I actually booked my room at POP early in Aug and the room was less expensive then most of the rest of summer. I am VERY HAPPY to miss the free dinning!

 

[OneLuckyMom]

From wdwinfo.com - codes are towards the bottom:



A 5-night/6-day package includes: (longer and shorter stays are available)

• 5 nights at a select Disney Resort
• 6 Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket
• FREE Disney Dining Plan
• 3 night minimum length of stay - 14 night maximum
• Booking Dates:
  • 4/07/08 – 6/22/08 - Disney VISA Card Holders
  • 4/10/08 – 6/22/08 - Everyone
• Travel Dates: 8/24/08 – 9/20/08
• Prices start at:
  $57 per person, per day for family of 4 at select Value Resorts (std room)
  $73 per person, per day for family of 4 at select Moderate Resorts (std room)
  $104 per person, per day for family of 4 at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa (studio)
• Booking Codes:
  Magic Your Way Package plus Dining - AYG
  Magic Your Way Package plus Deluxe Dining - AYI
  Magic Your Way Package plus Dine with Wine - AYH
  Magic Your Way Package plus Deluxe Dining with Wine - AYJ

*Offer available for stays most nights 8/24/08-9/20/08. Availability is limited and certain restrictions apply. Tickets are for one Theme Park per day and must be used within 14 days of first use. No group rates or other discounts apply.

(Seems to have been posted just after midnight East Coast time.)

 

[crlachepinochet]

Good luck getting ADR's from Sept 7-20, I'm gobbling up as many as Disney allows me for my party, which consists of 75 people.


I love being a Disney elite!

lol... can you do everyone else a favor and post when you're going where so we all know how to avoid that 75-person wave?

 

[brucie]

We are going for 10 days in Sept with FREE DINING!:sohappy::sohappy: With our friends who have never been to Disney!! I'm counting the days!!:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

 

[Jerm]

SEE!!!!! Told you so!

 

[disneytopdog]

Disney has got to do something about this abuse of the system. :fork: It's becoming very difficult and frustrating to get even your third choice of sit-down dining locations. And what about the poor free-spirits who depend on walk-up availability? Talk about destroying the magic.[/FONT]

I fully agree. There are so many people who have figured out a way to abuse the system. Until Disney finds a way of stoping the abuse the problem will only get worse

 

[DisneyJunkie]

Ok, so tell me what this would mean for people whose WDW vacations BEGIN on the last available date for the Free Dining offer? My wife and I (and some others) will arrive on 9/20 (the last date, supposedly, for the 2008 Free Dining offer) - Does this mean we'd only get free dining for that one day and not the entire trip? Or would our getting in at just the last moment ensure us having free dining for the length of our stay?

 

[octoberbarry]

Usually availability is based on the first night of your stay, so assuming it's the same this year as in years past, you should be able to get free dining for your whole trip.