Free Dining 2008 Watch

[got2luvtink]

I have been lucky enough to get free dining in 2006 & 2007. My son's birthday is Sept 2nd and it has been a great tradition to take him to Disney every year. The free dining helps me stay longer. We are going to Disney this April for 4 days with my grandparents (elderly and will be renting the electrical carts) and we are doing Deluxe Dining. I will absolutely go again in September if dining is free. Otherwise - I am waiting until December or so.

If anyone has gone during September, how was the weather. Lots of rain?? Really hot??(what was the temp?) Humid??
I reeaally want free dining, but I won't be able to, if weather is too severe. We'll be traveling with an infant and asthmatic

 

[DisneyDeeva]

While we haven't experienced an excessive amount of rain, it has been pretty warm the past couple of years. My roomie describes it as walking into a sweaty armpit.

 

[TLHB70]

Check out this web site:
http://www.wunderground.com/history...ernational&req_state=FL&req_statename=Florida



It currently has my dates from my last trip plugged in. You can change the dates on the right of this page. Type in your September dates that you are considering. It will give you the weather statistics based on searched dates from 1978 to present. For example, it tells you average highs, lows, chances of precipitation, etc.

I can tell you that it is VERY hot and humid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We didn't get much rain at all, really. I think it only rained one day, and it passed after about an hour.

 

[pigletto]

Does anyone know where I could look to get an idea of where people stayed for free dining last year? An old thread somewhere?
We were booked for CSR this year but due to a few things we have just moved our vacation to Sept. 13th to the 22nd at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
We'd really like to stay there but we will move somewhere else for free dining.
Are more rooms released at certain resorts than others or is it all fairly random and unpredictable?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Not specifics (i.e. mostly everywhere, although somebody posted recently that it's not available at the FW Campgrounds, and the ASMusic Family Suites have been excluded in the past), but...

Each resort has an occupancy goal each night of the year. Let's say it's 85%.
Right now (example ONLY) All Star Music has reservations for 76% of its rooms every night in September; All Star Sports is at 72%; All Star Movies is 86%; and Pop Century is 82% on a given night.
ASMusic has 179 Free Dining rooms available.
ASSports has 258
ASMovies has no rooms available with Free Dining that night
Pop has 86 rooms

 

[canadianmom2three]

I had read about how hot it would be, and thought I was prepared, but it was so HOT it takes your breath away, and you are wilted and sweaty 1 minute after you leave your room. THankfully it is fairly easy to alternate between outdoor and indoor attractions, and we made out just fine. An infant and someone with asthma might be another story though, although we did see loads of sweaty looking babies that seemed to be doing ok.

 

[chessie2008]

Hum - now I am really confused - can someone help me?

I have a pin code to use for 40%. I was going to use it to get a moderate for about the same price as a value. But then we decided to go in Sept. So I was trying to figure out if I could go back to a Value and get the free dining (not increasing total spent). Then I read that Values are not included in free dining. But from the last post is it really that only a certain number of rooms will be eligible for it?

Also confusing me (okay I admit sometimes it doesn't take much!) - discussion from people with bounce back free dining are still able to take advantage of the % discount? This that right?

So can someone tell me if this is right - if I book a moderate w/ the 40% off and then they do offer free dining I will not qualify? But if I book a value and they have too many people I still wouldn't qualify and should have just gone with the moderate? I don't know what to do!!!!!

 

[DisneyDeeva]

Free dining is accomplished with a code - just like the 40% discount on rack rates. You can only use one code per reservations - no stacking. So, hypothetically, you would have to choose. Pay rack rate for the room and use the free dining code OR get a discounted room rate and pay for meals. Of course all of this is contingent on codes being released and rooms being available.

Which one works better for your family? Only you can decide. But, it looks like you have small children. Are they big eaters? If not, the discounted room rate might be a better choice.

 

[kimsuenew]

Thank you so much for letting me know this. We may have to look at changing dates. We were wanting to go a few days into October also.
That is new this year. I completely understand why WDW chooses to do this though; it is just different than the previous years.

Just so you know... I have seen a few "bouncebacks" on here where they were allowed (in 2008) to take it into October... but I was not. Maybe, if/when (fingers crossed) the offer comes out to all... they will allow it!

Here is a sprinkle of pixie dust in hopes that they do!

 

[kimsuenew]

Hum - now I am really confused - can someone help me?

I have a pin code to use for 40%. I was going to use it to get a moderate for about the same price as a value. But then we decided to go in Sept. So I was trying to figure out if I could go back to a Value and get the free dining (not increasing total spent). Then I read that Values are not included in free dining. But from the last post is it really that only a certain number of rooms will be eligible for it?

Also confusing me (okay I admit sometimes it doesn't take much!) - discussion from people with bounce back free dining are still able to take advantage of the % discount? This that right?

So can someone tell me if this is right - if I book a moderate w/ the 40% off and then they do offer free dining I will not qualify? But if I book a value and they have too many people I still wouldn't qualify and should have just gone with the moderate? I don't know what to do!!!!!

Values have been included in the past, including 2007!

When the UK were allowed to book this fall (for their free dining in August/September 2008), they HAD to do Moderates up, no Values.

No one knows if that will, or will not, be the case if free dining is offered to all this spring.

I hope free dining is offered, I would guess it partially would depend on how many people took advantage of the bounceback free dining during 2007.

Also ~ you are correct. You have to pay rack rate for your room to get free dining, you cannot use any discount code.

 

[DisneyDeeva]

Values have been included in the past, including 2007!

When the UK were allowed to book this fall (for their free dining in August/September 2008), they HAD to do Moderates up, no Values.

No one knows if that will, or will not, be the case if free dining is offered to all this spring.

I hope free dining is offered, I would guess it partially would depend on how many people took advantage of the bounceback free dining during 2007.

Also ~ you are correct. You have to pay rack rate for your room to get free dining, you cannot use any discount code.

We've booked at Pop Century on the Free Dining Plan for three years in a row - 2006, 2007 and 2008

It's a fabulous deal - I split the room cost with my friend, Shirley and we eat like queens. The time it carefully so that we also get MNSSHP and the F & W Festival. Last year, we even managed some special events in celebration of Epcot's 25th!

 

[newmommie77]

Never done free dining, but if it is open, I have alreayd booked my room for September, can I just add free dining to an existing reservation???

 

[DisneyDeeva]

Only if it's a package reservation. If it's a room only ressie, you'll need to cancel that one and rebook a package using the promo code. What we did last year was prebook our package with dining, tickets and room. Then the morning the free dining code was released, made a quick two minute call to CRO, had them apply the code to our existing ressie and, voila, we saved hundreds of dollars.

 

[ajcolorado]

I received this information when I signed up for a "Free Dining Alert" on this site: www.buildabettermousetrip.com/free************.htm

"You may be thinking about your 2008 vacation plans, and you may be wondering if there is any news concerning a free dining promotion at Walt Disney World this year. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any official word but here are my not-so-psychic predictions on that subject:

Possible Free Dining Dates

• For 2007, free dining was released for residents of the United Kingdom (U.K.) for dates between Aug. 12 & Sept. 29th, 2007.
• In 2007, free dining was released for U.S. residents for dates between Aug. 26 & Sept. 22 (3 weeks less than for U.K. residents).

Disney already released free dining for U.K. residents for dates between Aug. 10 & Sept. 27, 2008. If the same pattern holds true, we can cautiously hope that free dining might be offered to US residents for Sunday, Aug. 24 through Sept. 22nd.


Estimated Official Announcement / Promotion Release

• In 2005, the Fall Free Dining Promotion had to be booked between June 2nd to July 3rd.
• In 2006, the Fall Free Free Dining Promotion had to be booked booked between April 4th to June 4th, then an extension was offered from June 2nd – June 25th but the available dates for the promotion were very limited.
• In 2007, the Fall Free Dining Promotion had to be booked between April 12th to June 24th.
• In 2006 & 2007, Disney Rewards Visa holders were allowed to book the Free Dining Promotion up to 3-Days prior to the promotion becoming available to the general public.

Based on the past trends, I’m hopeful that we might have an official announcement in late March or early April. We’ll need to book your package and a refundable $200 deposit will be required within 2 weeks of booking the promotion. The package balance will be due 45 days prior to your arrival.

A New Twist

Disney did something new this last year – if you were at Disney World this last autumn, you could book a “Bounce Back” with Free Dining for 2008. You had to book it from your Disney resort and the dates allowed were August 30th to September 27th, 2008. What does this mean? Truthfully, I’m not entirely sure – it could be an indication that some type of Free Promotion is in the works. On the other hand, this change could mean that less Free Dining Packages might be available to the general public for 2008. Some are guessing that there might be more specific criteria (specific resorts, ticket requirements, etc.) for this year’s promotion. The bottom line is that we just won’t know what it means until Disney makes an official announcement. In light of these changes, I recommend that you give some advance thought to your trip budget, preferred travel dates, and maybe have a second or third resort choice just in case your first resort choice is not available.

A Few Final Thoughts on Free Dining

Remember, free dining has been offered for a couple of years now and the public is increasingly aware of the possibility. There are limited numbers of these packages offered so the probable scenario is that the promotion will be released, rooms will be booked quickly (especially over weekends and in the value resorts), and people will begin making their dining reservations as soon as they book their trip. Based on 2007, we can expect that popular locations like Cinderella's Royal Table, LeCellier, Coral Reef, Chef Mickey's etc. will be completely booked fairly quickly.

Here's an important note though - your 180 day window for dining reservations for those dates runs from February 26th to March 24th so we may want to make reservations for popular locations before the promotion is released. Dining reservations can be cancelled easily enough if the promotion is not released or you decide not to travel during that time. We will call Disney Dining and change your reservation status to "dining plan" once the free dining package is released and you've booked your reservation."

 

[faindrops27]

Ajcolorado-What a well laid out post.
I am hoping you all get what you want. Keeping my fingers crossed for all of you. I remember last year. I was with, baited breath waiting for the free dining promo to come out. It was painstaking knowing that visa card holders got first dibs. Long story short. I got exactly what I wanted. Was lucky enough to be one of the people informed. Via a flyer in my mom's room, of the bounceback program, for 08'. Good luck all!

 

[ShhhQ]

I wish we had heard about the bounceback last year when we were there, but not sure if we would have been able to put the deposit down back then anyway..... but we sit again with baited breath hoping for Free Dining to return again.....

 

[TLHB70]

ajcolorado, thank you so much for your post!!!!!!!! Great information!!!!!!

 

[DISNEYNY]

Subscribing...waiting and hoping for FDP in August.

 

[pigletto]

Ajcolorado...
Excellent post. And mostly things I had considered so that helps
I am waiting with baited breath with the rest of you. One thing that has helped is that Fiance and I (we have kids) really sat and talked about the kind of vacation we want. We decided to book where we would be happy and if free dining comes out Great! We have a list of places that we would happily stay and would move to (and this list has been given to my T.A.).
If free dining doesn't come out .. Well.... we are already booked for somewhere we would love to stay and are taking our kids to Disney for the first time. So yes it would be a little disappointing but in the grand scheme of things It's still Disney!!!!!!!
We are getting married in June and decided this last week for sure that we would just rather do this vacation in September with the kids than any kind of honeymoon (we've been together a LONG time).
So free dining or not.. it's still a magical Disney family-moon!

 

[chessie2008]

Has it been true for the past years that if you arrived in the 'free dining' window that all the days of your trip were included? We were thinking of arriving Sept 26 and staying 10 days. In the past would all the days be free dining? Does anyone know if the UK free dining offer for this year works this way (therefore we could guess that the US one would too)?