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

[mousefan73]

For those doing the math. Check this out.
https://www.distripplanner.com/


I think it's a few years old as most meals are a bit more. To see the exact values. Enter 1 person, meal and see below that cost. I have been using this to calculate expected OOH ( we have our favourites meals, restaurants) so we know what we plan on eating. I love looking up menus online. I can guesstimate we need 120 a day for food/ snacks. Breakfast part in room. If we do any buffetts that's 250 ( inc tip) for our 4 disney adults. FD really helps if families are doing those buffetts. To think my kids 10/11 cost over 100 for a buffett!

 

[mousefan73]

Is everyone booking right now? Lots of rooms that were available yesterday are gone now. No availability at all for POR for our dates, 09/29 to 10/06. And almost all other resorts have only the most expensive categories available. Anyone know what's going on? And also, are those dates typically that crowded? According to different crowd calendars they were supposed to be moderate and low crowds, but is doesn't seem like that based on resort availability.

Could be people booking rooms hoping for FD ( this plan only makes less room avail !!). And also due to two mods under construction, less inventory and overall increase in crowds. Unlike what politicians eill try and sell you, the overall economy has been doing great the past few years.

 

[FinnsMom7]

So now that the promo release date is "out" there - are people still going with the assumption that online planning will be available at 4 am est? or is it a total crap shoot until it is officially 4/24 and it's a wait and see

 

[Disneylover99]

So now that the promo release date is "out" there - are people still going with the assumption that online planning will be available at 4 am est? or is it a total crap shoot until it is officially 4/24 and it's a wait and see

Everything is still a wait and see until it happens.

 

[LauraJean]

Por was not included for my dates in 2015 so we picked cbr. I was wishing since Cbr had the gcs that por would be included in free dining this year for late fall.

With the Canada package I have booked right now for Dec my tickets are 25% off. The price is before the tickets went up in price. We booked in March and the tickets were the same price as before the increase. I can throw a ro discount on that too. Plus I have the gift cards.
When people changed to the summer discounts the gcs stuck since it was just a modify.
FD would have been better savings if I wasn't having to upgrade to TS. Seems like the Canada offer with RO would be okay.
I was thinking of moving up hotels but the exchange sucks and that makes me not went to lose more money there.
We are a family of 5.

 

[DiaryofaDisneyKid]

We went in November 2015 and 2016 and were there the 15th-21st in 2016. We did MK the 19th and 20th (Saturday and Sunday) and had no crowd problems at all! Even had ADRs at BOG both days.

We had no problem getting ADR's for those days we just found the crowds insane. It could be the rest of the week was really slow 30 minutes being the longest wait we had. The 20th and especially the 21st it was wall to wall. We had FP so were okay but would have preferred to end with the lower crowds. The 21st was predicted to be a 10 and it sure felt like it to us! We still had fun though.

 

[DisneyNic]

If u already have CbR GC and if u get FD for existing... than that will be better deal than booking FD with POP

Not necessarily. I'm facing the same situation. I have a standard CBR w/GC, if I could switch to a standard at POP, it would be $60 cheaper than CBR even taking the GC in to account. While normally that is a great upgrade price to stay Mod, no one knows what the construction is actually going to be like. So for $60 more I get queen beds, but lose food options and live in a construction zone for a week. If it was regular DP, it would make it worth it. I'm going to be thinking it through until drop time.

Hello all! This is my first time posting! I've been watching the madness for a few days, excited to be a part of it! I have a questions for you all!

This is my first vacation using a TA, and I'm nervous leaving my FD modification in her hands. This will be my third trip with FD, but I've always been the one to wait the agonizing 3+ hours on the phone to receive the discount. My question is, have any of you used a TA to modify once the promotion becomes available? Should I go ahead and call as well? She assures me she has a great track record. Just biting my nails over here thinking of leaving this in someone else's hands. TIA!

If you are booked with a TA, you won't be able to call to modify. They will only speak to the TA. You could try calling to book a new reservation and then transfer it to your TA, but you can't modify it yourself.

 

[squirrel]

For those doing the math. Check this out.
https://www.distripplanner.com/


I think it's a few years old as most meals are a bit more. To see the exact values. Enter 1 person, meal and see below that cost. I have been using this to calculate expected OOH ( we have our favourites meals, restaurants) so we know what we plan on eating. I love looking up menus online. I can guesstimate we need 120 a day for food/ snacks. Breakfast part in room. If we do any buffetts that's 250 ( inc tip) for our 4 disney adults. FD really helps if families are doing those buffetts. To think my kids 10/11 cost over 100 for a buffett!

So your $120 per day for food is for 4 people (2 adults and 2 children, adults for food and tickets)? I did my estimate with myself and my niece 13 at $60 per day. We would do breakfast in our room even if we had FD. I'm not planning on TS, I have one booked FoL at TH breakfast and then the only other expensive meal is BoG breakfast.

 

[ParryOttertheChosenBoy]

I called a few hours ago to change my dates because we decided to move later into December, and the lady said they were extremely busy. I wonder if it has to do with the rumors swirling.

I can't say for others who have booked, but I just wanted to make sure my ideal room and dates weren't taken -- FD or not-- so we wanted to figure that out before FD drops. Especially now that a potentially sizeable number of people who were wanting mods might move back over to values if mods only get QS.

 

[DiaryofaDisneyKid]

Por was not included for my dates in 2015 so we picked cbr. I was wishing since Cbr had the gcs that por would be included in free dining this year for late fall.

With the Canada package I have booked right now for Dec my tickets are 25% off. The price is before the tickets went up in price. We booked in March and the tickets were the same price as before the increase. I can throw a ro discount on that too. Plus I have the gift cards.
When people changed to the summer discounts the gcs stuck since it was just a modify.
FD would have been better savings if I wasn't having to upgrade to TS. Seems like the Canada offer with RO would be okay.
I was thinking of moving up hotels but the exchange sucks and that makes me not went to lose more money there.
We are a family of 5.

We did the same for November. We booked a RO at POR and added the dining plan at the beginning of year before before price increases. We also bought the discounted Canadian tickets before the price increase. We are at POR so we don't have the GC but if we can add a RO discount we will be happy. With families of 5 there are not as many options.

 

[mousefan73]

So your $120 per day for food is for 4 people (2 adults and 2 children, adults for food and tickets)? I did my estimate with myself and my niece 13 at $60 per day. We would do breakfast in our room even if we had FD. I'm not planning on TS, I have one booked FoL at TH breakfast and then the only other expensive meal is BoG breakfast.

Yes that is my guesstimate. Per QS about 60 if all order an entree. Some meals we split 3 and maybe a soup. 2 large drinks to share. I am not spending 3 bucks for my DS to leave half her sprite. Some sit downs are about 20 -25max entree ( sci-fi burger etc. ). Those days we do TS we definately do breakfast in room and snack before TS meal. Example split 2 corn nuggets at Caseys for 4. we are 2 adults and kids 10/11. by kids find more pleasure in snacking around the world than TS. But if we switch to FD then the game changed. TS means getting the steak!! For 30plus

 

[squirrel]

Yes that is my guesstimate. Per QS about 60 if all order an entree. Some meals we split 3 and maybe a soup. 2 large drinks to share. I am not spending 3 bucks for my DS to leave half her sprite. Some sit downs are about 20 -25max entree ( sci-fi burger etc. ). Those days we do TS we definately do breakfast in room and snack before TS meal. Example split 2 corn nuggets at Caseys for 4. we are 2 adults and kids 10/11. by kids find more pleasure in snacking around the world than TS. But if we switch to FD then the game changed. TS means getting the steak!! For 30plus

Okay, thanks. I guess I estimated well if we are getting the same amount. I won't upgrade to the DDP if we end up doing FD. I just have the one TS meal planned and the cost to upgrade would be more than the one meal. Plus all the extra in tips. We have done many TS in the previous years of FD so I'm fine with QS.

 

[DisneyNic]

So, I was just on FB for a minute and noticed that the Dis had posted an article about the rumors and our little thread. My thoughts: "Don't post it on FB!!! We want to keep these rumors on the down low!!!" Yep, like no one in the world outside this thread knows about FD. I may have lost my mind a little! Haha!

 

[Disneylover99]

So, I was just on FB for a minute and noticed that the Dis had posted an article about the rumors and our little thread. My thoughts: "Don't post it on FB!!! We want to keep these rumors on the down low!!!" Yep, like no one in the world outside this thread knows about FD. I may have lost my mind a little! Haha!

Quick!!!! Post random days for FD in February to throw them off!!!

 

[Bethislucy]

Quick Question. So if you booked your trip before the ticket price increased as a whole package deal that already had park hoppers and you want to take advantage of this free dinning offer, will you keep your old price or will it go to the new ticket prices for the whole package?

 

[Susan Doeberl]

Can we open a vacation club account t before we have a reservation and also pay our deposit from there?

Yes you can, but I believe you have to have the account open for at least 120 days before you can use it.

 

[mousefan73]

Okay, thanks. I guess I estimated well if we are getting the same amount. I won't upgrade to the DDP if we end up doing FD. I just have the one TS meal planned and the cost to upgrade would be more than the one meal. Plus all the extra in tips. We have done many TS in the previous years of FD so I'm fine with QS.[/QUOTEnot sure how long your trip is. But to upg I believe is about 100 per day for 4 "adults". Say you stay a week. I wouldnt upgrade and "save" that upg value and each TS only every 2 days. You have 200 then. Worst case is if someone Upgrades and uses 2 Table credits for a dinner show or signature. In this case OOP cheaper. ( upgrade plus 2 credits is expensive). Upgrading for us wouöd only make sense if we did a character buffett daily. Been there done that. No need now

 

[mousefan73]

My post is gone??

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Quick Question. So if you booked your trip before the ticket price increased as a whole package deal that already had park hoppers and you want to take advantage of this free dinning offer, will you keep your old price or will it go to the new ticket prices for the whole package?

New ticket prices.

 

[Disneylover99]

New ticket prices.

If you're not messing with the tickets, I'm not so sure. I just made changes to a resort package I booked last August. I did not pay the new ticket prices.