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

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

Black and dirtysteve....where are you????!!!

Deep undercover gathering valuable intel!!!!!

 

[DisTXMom]

I've learned so much reading all of these posts - thank you. We are checking in 8/19 staying at the Beach club. If it turns out that the free dining for the general public doesn't start until 8/21 but Visa cardholders start on 8/13, will I be able to modify our reservations online or will I have to wait until 7am to call?

That depends. Are you a Disney visa holder? If so, my recollection is you have to call at 7am eastern to book a visa offer.

If you are not a visa holder but want to move your dates to get free dining, I would book a new reservation in the wee morning hours of 4/24 to get free dining and cancel your other reservation (assuming it's cancellable). You'll need to pay the $200 deposit on the new reservation, but that is your best shot at getting the date/room you want. You can't modify dates of existing reservations online.

 

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

Right here at post #11799

Right here all along....

 

[Meeko5]

Here is the one I found and am thinking of buying for him. We will have a stroller but when he is not in it is what I am worried about. He now likes to think he is independent and do what he wants.

Oh god a child on a leash?! Whyyy?!

KIDDING!! but man posts like that have caused quite a stir from the sanctimommies on this board

Safety first! I bought my now 8 year old a leash as a toddler because he was a runner. But he started crawling around on all 4's and barking when I put it on him, so that didn't happen again LOL

 

[Mommydust]

Trying to understand the strategy here. If you are already booked in the FD time frame, and FD is released Monday at 4 am online, how exactly do you get it? Do you cancel your room reservation and get a new one? Will it be possible to add FD onto your current reservation online or even on the phone? Either way, unless all the rumors are wrong, we are out of luck with POR and will probably jump to a deluxe if one is available. Should I be planning on doing that at 4 am? I'm getting too old for this....

 

[MyDisneyGlassSlipper]

I'm getting there 11/27 it looks like a pretty good time to me.

Us too! It is our favorite time of year to visit WDW.

 

[chewysmom]

We are four average-sized adults and I previously ruled out the Value Resorts on hearing that there were only double beds. Anyone have a hard time sleeping in the small beds? Wondering if I am making a mistake ruling them out.

This was my concern as well. We are a pooh sized family, plus dd is 5'11", Dh is 6'2", ds is 5'6" (at age 12. ) and I'm 5'6" as well. I have to say, it was close but we did it for a week and ASMu quickly became our favorite resort, hands down! SInce my kids will not share a bed (and I don't expect them to, given their ages) dd and I shared a bed, and Dh a and ds shared. Dd and I were snug as we are both overweight while the boys fared a bit better.

We are actually excited to be going back to a value this time!

 

[Meeko5]

Right here at post #11799

Pot stirrer

 

[Neeky78]

Fair enough, but it's not vendor rooms I'm seeing. I didn't just start going to WDW last month. I know how it works.

When I was looking online there was no availability for my resort. When I called the CM said she had plenty of inventory on her screen and it wasn't even highlighted as low. I booked over the phone easily while sitting in front of the website which I kept refreshing and it still said no rooms were available for my dates.
The CM couldn't explain it either. I think the bottom line is, what we see on the website is not the full picture.

 

[lovi]

Question for those who have stayed at POP or can weigh in with thoughts on Value resorts, which we've never stayed in.

Our dates are 11/26-12/3. Split stay: 11/26-11/30 at CBR and 11/30-12/3. (I won't get free dining the last few days of our trip- but we can use Sunday's QS credits on Thursday and with the gift card offer and our Disney Visa rewards, paying for food OOP is no biggie Fri & Sat. Plus I may be able to score a room-only discount 11/30-12/3 since that's a separate reservation not eligible for FD).

Anyways, if I can't get FD with current reservation at CBR 11/26-11/30, my first choice would be another moderate- but POR and POFQ are excluded and I'm not seeing availability at CSR. Even with FD, upgrading to a deluxe would add $1,000 to our trip, which I can't justify. So I'm looking for advice on staying at a value and it looks like POP is available. I'm hesitant to book this due to the double beds vs. queens (there are 4 of us- husband, me, 2 kids (10 & 6) and husband is pretty tall). And, if it's warm enough to swim, we'd love to have a great pool (and the Values don't have slides). Some people seem to love POP. Others have complained that the beds/ rooms are just too small.

I realize this is a personal decision, but if we are park commandos for the most part, is the difference between POP and CBR std room really that big? Worth changing to POP to get FD? Other consideration is, if we get FD at POP we could perhaps stay at a deluxe the last 3 nights vs CSR, if a good room only discount comes out.

Sigh, sorry this is long, just debating our options before pulling the trigger Monday and my husband may kill me if I ask his advice again LOL[/QU

Question for those who have stayed at POP or can weigh in with thoughts on Value resorts, which we've never stayed in.

Our dates are 11/26-12/3. Split stay: 11/26-11/30 at CBR and 11/30-12/3. (I won't get free dining the last few days of our trip- but we can use Sunday's QS credits on Thursday and with the gift card offer and our Disney Visa rewards, paying for food OOP is no biggie Fri & Sat. Plus I may be able to score a room-only discount 11/30-12/3 since that's a separate reservation not eligible for FD).

Anyways, if I can't get FD with current reservation at CBR 11/26-11/30, my first choice would be another moderate- but POR and POFQ are excluded and I'm not seeing availability at CSR. Even with FD, upgrading to a deluxe would add $1,000 to our trip, which I can't justify. So I'm looking for advice on staying at a value and it looks like POP is available. I'm hesitant to book this due to the double beds vs. queens (there are 4 of us- husband, me, 2 kids (10 & 6) and husband is pretty tall). And, if it's warm enough to swim, we'd love to have a great pool (and the Values don't have slides). Some people seem to love POP. Others have complained that the beds/ rooms are just too small.

I realize this is a personal decision, but if we are park commandos for the most part, is the difference between POP and CBR std room really that big? Worth changing to POP to get FD? Other consideration is, if we get FD at POP we could perhaps stay at a deluxe the last 3 nights vs CSR, if a good room only discount comes out.

Sigh, sorry this is long, just debating our options before pulling the trigger Monday and my husband may kill me if I ask his advice again LOL

The resorts I have stayed at are All Star Movies, Pop, Coronado Springs, and Port Orleans Riverside. In my opinion I liked the values the most with Pop being my favorite but the beds are smaller. As for the slides my kids didn't even notice the values didn't have slides they were just happy to be swimming. I'm probably going to try deluxe for the first time this year because my kids are teens now and the double beds are getting a little squishy but I definitely think the values are great.

 

[samsteele]

Years ago someone posted that the walls are paper thin and you can hear babies crying all night long, hence the reason we ruled them out.

I haven't found any difference betw the AS, POP & even some moderates re walls. I have dealt with noise & jet flush toilets roaring in the night in all of them. I always pack ear plugs & keep them on the nightstand. I've had some nights in both values & mods when I had to use them.

 

[mn51]

Has anyone gone the weekend and week leading up to Thanksgiving? (Thursday week before/ leave the day before). We are booked 11/16-11/22. I was trying to get an idea of what crowds may be like.

Two years ago we did. It was a bit more crowded than I expected. However, it was not horrible. Again, that was two years ago so things have probably changed a bit.

 

[thefull1030]

Has anyone gone the weekend and week leading up to Thanksgiving? (Thursday week before/ leave the day before). We are booked 11/16-11/22. I was trying to get an idea of what crowds may be like.

Interested to know too. We're 11/16-11/21. Also, are there any special thanksgiving activities the week before? We're leaving too soon to be there AT thanksgiving.

 

[meaganmg]

This was my concern as well. We are a pooh sized family, plus dd is 5'11", Dh is 6'2", ds is 5'6" (at age 12. ) and I'm 5'6" as well. I have to say, it was close but we did it for a week and ASMu quickly became our favorite resort, hands down! SInce my kids will not share a bed (and I don't expect them to, given their ages) dd and I shared a bed, and Dh a and ds shared. Dd and I were snug as we are both overweight while the boys fared a bit better.

We are actually excited to be going back to a value this time!

Good to know. Maybe I will un-hide those rows from my spreadsheet for our Disney discussion meeting tonight

 

[Just Love Disney]

This was my concern as well. We are a pooh sized family, plus dd is 5'11", Dh is 6'2", ds is 5'6" (at age 12. ) and I'm 5'6" as well. I have to say, it was close but we did it for a week and ASMu quickly became our favorite resort, hands down! SInce my kids will not share a bed (and I don't expect them to, given their ages) dd and I shared a bed, and Dh a and ds shared. Dd and I were snug as we are both overweight while the boys fared a bit better.

We are actually excited to be going back to a value this time!

Those are our sleeping arrangements as well. Can't imagine DS 18 and DD 15 sharing a bed, ewwwww!

 

[lovi]

Advice...
DS tuns 7 while there so we are thinking MK that day. Crystal Palace breakfast, QS lunch, Pirates League (his request), BOG dinner? Would this be a fun 7th birthday, other than the ovbious fact that we will be at Disney?

Sounds like an awesome birthday to me

 

[chewysmom]

We never heard a peep out of any neighbors while at ASMu. We were there for 7 days. We have several health issues in our family so we always go back midday for a nap and rest, and we never heard a word, a toilet flush or anything else.

Last year at CBR was nightmare though. We were unfortunately stuck beside the idiots from a not so nice place who let their multiple kids scream, cry, fuss all through out the day and night. My normally calm and cool Dh was ready to lose it after a few days of it. I'm sure the kids were sick, but my compassion wore off after the first day/night combo. Dh and ds were violently ill (stomach fun) and they had to lay there and hear it non stop. (I know I sound like a meanie, but trust me, you had to be there!) We couldn't move rooms bc I couldn't physically pack it all up by myself.

 

[VillainFavs]

Thank you. That is VERY helpful. Which All Star is your favorite and why? Years ago someone posted that the walls are paper thin and you can hear babies crying all night long, hence the reason we ruled them out. Maybe it's time we give those resorts a try especially because we are not in love with the new murphy bed situation coming to Pop....

I actually like Movies because of the theme basically. But having two young boys at one point, Sports quickly became the family favorite! It really just comes down to theme since there's not much else that's different about them. We had never considered Music in the past. But, as I mentioned, my kids are there now and they're in the Broadway section. Looking at those pictures online, it looks fantastic! I'm now sorry that we never tried that one!

As for noise, it's hit or miss anywhere. I think we heard just as much noise last year at Wilderness Lodge (with a connecting room) as we did at the values or at POFQ. Really depends on who your neighbors are!

 

[LovingDisney2012]

Right here at post #11799

You got here just in time, we are all about to crack!

 

[Just Love Disney]

I haven't found any difference betw the AS, POP & even some moderates re walls. I have dealt with noise & jet flush toilets roaring in the night in all of them. I always pack ear plugs & keep them on the nightstand. I've had some nights in both values & mods when I had to use them.

I am used to wearing earplugs to bed due to DH's snoring but they sure don't block the noise of those toilets! When traveling I make sure that I have extra pairs handy just in case they get lost in the bed.