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

[ChiCat]

So I got free dining at CBR 9/15-9/23 but for $3700, which is outrageous. That is with upgrade to regular dining from quick service, and park hoppers of course to qualify for the deal. CBR also has the Enchanted Escape Room offer, which makes the room only $1200 for 8 nights!! (Without tickets). I don't know if we are going to keep the free dining, because it's not really free at all

 

[Lesley Wake]

So it looks like I probably won't be doing Free Dining
I had booked POR with garden view. But of course found that only royal rooms are available for the promo. I booked but will probably cancel it. Especially because I also booked AKL and the price for Royal Room with upgrade to DDP is the same as AKL with FD!

But it's not all bad. With the RO discount, it had a 20% odd for POFQ, which I grabbed. So for my costs, it will work out cheaper! Especially if an AP discount comes out that is even more! My sister may be bummed she has to pay for food now, but hey, I'm paying 100% of room. And I will be getting an AP which she can use the discount. But everything I've heard about POFQ is great, so hoping it's true!

I'll probably keep monitoring to see if more rooms pop up for POR, but am not holding my breath!

 

[sjs314]

No I already had it. Plus my standard room didn't change to preferred or anything?

Did you book originally before the ticket price increase?

 

[tink1957]

Yeah I had heard 3 night minimum,2 day PH or PH+

I was pretty sure of my source so was confused when it said 5 night. Where in the fine print do you see 3?

I'm not the op but I didn't see it anywhere in the fine print. I just put in my dates and the offer showed up...shhhh, I think they are trying to keep it a secret.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

So I got free dining at CBR 9/15-9/23 but for $3700, which is outrageous. That is with upgrade to regular dining from quick service, and park hoppers of course to qualify for the deal. CBR also has the Enchanted Escape Room offer, which makes the room only $1200 for 8 nights!! (Without tickets). I don't know if we are going to keep the free dining, because it's not really free at all

I had a similar issue. Had to upgrade to a 'better' room so now it looks like it may be cheaper to do a RO discount and get some discount tickets somewhere else.

Can anyone comment on how quickly the RO offers go? Will they go as quickly as FD and I should probably book ASAP or will they take more time to fill up?

 

[Christinecinti]

It's okay with me too! I just wanted to know the "why"!

I gotcha... I'd want to know why too! I know mine jumped a LOT from what it would have been before free dining, but it's due to having to upgrade to preferred I don't know that I want to pay $370 more just to be closer to the food court and bus. For some ppl I'm sure it's worth it, but I'm cheap, LOL

 

[wdw4rfam]

I had a similar issue. Had to upgrade to a 'better' room so now it looks like it may be cheaper to do a RO discount and get some discount tickets somewhere else.

Can anyone comment on how quickly the RO offers go? Will they go as quickly as FD and I should probably book ASAP or will they take more time to fill up?

I'd do it ASAP only because the more people are seeing that with all the requirements and room upgrades to get free dining- it's no a great deal at all- they will jump on the RO.

 

[oka1jeg]

I just got though online via the Disney Visa link and was able to get All Star Sports standard room for that first Visa card only week (which is my DD's 18th birthday). $1816.69 for 7 days for 3 people. I dialed down the passes to only 2 days and I left the DDP alone as QS only. I assume that I can call back later and upgrade to the DDP and I also assume that I can trim off days on either end and retain the promo. I think we're only going for 5 days but I wanted to grab the whole week just in case I wanted to stay longer.

ATTENTION ANNUAL PASSHOLDERS: One thing that I noticed about the tickets is that they now have an expiration date! The ones on my reservation was December 31, 2018. That's OK with us as we'll probably go later on in the year after our APs expire in January 2018 but our DD will be in college and I'm not 100% sure she'll be able to use hers.

What is the Disney Visa Link if you don't mind? Having no luck for Pop the week before Thanksgiving.

 

[Lemurone]

I'm not the op but I didn't see it anywhere in the fine print. I just put in my dates and the offer showed up...shhhh, I think they are trying to keep it a secret.

I am the OP I can book some rooms (the expensive ones) for fewer nights but cannot modify my existing reservation so far at Music for less than 5 nights.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

We got FD for thanksgiving week at the Pop. 11/19-11/25. We had to shave a day off our trip, but it ended up being worth it. Total was pretty much exactly what rack rate would have been for a ticketless dining package and we got 3 two day hoppers out of it.

 

[randye1]

We booked four rooms at ASSP with dining upgrade for Nov 14-21 everything went smooth this morning after Goofy went away. Now planning for 13 people ages 7 to 70, let the fun begin!

 

[aprescher]

I currently have a reservation for 12/10-12/16 at CBR with QSD that was booked back when the GC offer was still up. I tried modifying first thing but the only rooms available were pirate. Since I already have a room, will they be able to just add the free dining if I can get through on the phone?? It seems like it should be so simple...

 

[Jchoma]

I was able to modify our 11/26-11/30 standard view CBR room to FD by using the Disney Visa link (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/resort-parks-stay-dine-visa-package/)

I'm relieved, but stressed because the update isn't showing up in MDE. I did get an email confirming the successful change, so my guess is, the site is just overloaded and hasn't updated yet. I'll call in later today or tomorrow when hold times calm down. Good luck to everyone still trying!!! I got up at 3:45 (after maybe 2 hours of sleep) so today at work will not be fun....

 

[MoukeyMouse]

I just got though online via the Disney Visa link and was able to get All Star Sports standard room for that first Visa card only week (which is my DD's 18th birthday). $1816.69 for 7 days for 3 people. I dialed down the passes to only 2 days and I left the DDP alone as QS only. I assume that I can call back later and upgrade to the DDP and I also assume that I can trim off days on either end and retain the promo. I think we're only going for 5 days but I wanted to grab the whole week just in case I wanted to stay longer.

ATTENTION ANNUAL PASSHOLDERS: One thing that I noticed about the tickets is that they now have an expiration date! The ones on my reservation was December 31, 2018. That's OK with us as we'll probably go later on in the year after our APs expire in January 2018 but our DD will be in college and I'm not 100% sure she'll be able to use hers.

What is the Disney visa link?

 

[dznygrl70]

Got Pop Century with a preferred room, free quick service with an upgrade to Table service. 9/4 through 9/10. I had already had the reservation since February and have TA who is a family friend so I was fortunate. I hope everyone else does well! Wishes for magical vacations!

 

[DiaryofaDisneyKid]

So it looks like I probably won't be doing Free Dining
I had booked POR with garden view. But of course found that only royal rooms are available for the promo. I booked but will probably cancel it. Especially because I also booked AKL and the price for Royal Room with upgrade to DDP is the same as AKL with FD!

But it's not all bad. With the RO discount, it had a 20% odd for POFQ, which I grabbed. So for my costs, it will work out cheaper! Especially if an AP discount comes out that is even more! My sister may be bummed she has to pay for food now, but hey, I'm paying 100% of room. And I will be getting an AP which she can use the discount. But everything I've heard about POFQ is great, so hoping it's true!

I'll probably keep monitoring to see if more rooms pop up for POR, but am not holding my breath!

I was just going to mention that POFQ had a RO discount for 20%. It is hard to find a discount for this resort so I think you made a good choice! I would love to stay there but we are a family of 5 and I would have to leave DH or one of the kids home.

 

[Anfrantay]

I am so excited we got free dinning. This is going to be the best Disney vacation ever. We booked at CBR but called and got a free upgrade to SSR in a two bedroom deluxe villa because of the construction. We did not know at the time that deluxe would be required for DDP, but it worked out perfect because now we do not have to pay to upgrade our QSD to DDP. SO now we have SSR two bedroom villa deluxe villa and DDP for the price of CBR standard room with not dinning.

 

[markpenske]

I am really disappointed at the lack of availability and the very high prices. Ended up not booking at this time

 

[scard192]

But it's not all bad. With the RO discount, it had a 20% odd for POFQ, which I grabbed. But everything I've heard about POFQ is great, so hoping it's true!

POFQ is a beautiful resort. We stayed there in 2013 with FD PIN (UOC).

check out this site for all things Port Orleans http://www.portorleans.org/

 

[Skallywag Steph]

I'm so bummed! Booked through a TA and she didn't find any availability for our week at CBR. We're 4 adults and 2 kids (one's an infant), so we're limited in room options anyway without booking two rooms, so we've found nothing! I guess I start looking offsite today because the cost difference just isn't worth it when you start talking thousands of dollars. Disney may get to keep our $75 gift cards.

Is there any use in checking over and over online? What do you think? Was it a grab and go or will some pop back on here and there throughout the offer time?

I definitely will do my own booking next time, so I can modify myself. I may not have been able to find anything either, but at least I'd have known I tried!

I feel like things may open up as a lot of people have multiple reservations. I don't know how often you'd have to check though. We're in the same boat at CBR. I'm also keeping an eye on construction to see how bad that gets too.