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

[bjcaed]

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.

We are going the same time! Wednesday before and leaving Thanksgiving. I am hoping the first part of the trip will be easy crowds so we can get a lot done then go at a slow pace when things get crazy the next week. Can't wait to see what people say!!

 

[DisTXMom]

No offense, but I think each of us is our own brand of crazy right now. I'm just trying to figure out which of you are ax murderers and which are simply a little excitable right now (I'm in this group) lol!

 

[Attracted to Beasts]

Steve, your "like" tells me we're cool again. See everyone, everything's cool. Just be cool everyone.

Don't be all uncool....haha sorry I'm a real housewives fan! I had to!

 

[Attracted to Beasts]

My parents went the week before thanksgiving 3 years ago and said the closer they got to thanksgiving it got really crowded! My mom said there were lots of LSU shirts! Haha my inlaws all live in Louisiana and they are off that week...it must be the LA invasion! Haha

 

[Marianm]

Don't be all uncool....haha sorry I'm a real housewives fan! I had to!

 

[The Dirty Steve]

We are going the same time! Wednesday before and leaving Thanksgiving. I am hoping the first part of the trip will be easy crowds so we can get a lot done then go at a slow pace when things get crazy the next week. Can't wait to see what people say!!

I'll take a stab at this one. We normally arrive the Wednesday before and stay until the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Historically the Thursday and Friday before Thanksgiving are MVMCP nights and there are somewhat lighter crowds at MK. Be at other parks on Saturday and Sunday though. We have found lighter crowds on that Tuesday as well but here's a good lesson. One year it rained almost all day on a Tuesday. We stuck it out and just enjoyed our day at MK. They postponed Wishes over and over but finally started the show at 1am. I really think there were about 20 people there to view it. Absolutely one of our favorite memories.

Now, they are cancelling Wishes. Let that sink in....

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

Don't be all uncool....haha sorry I'm a real housewives fan! I had to!

I was thinking more along the lines of, "Yolanda! Point the gun at me baby!"
(Pulp Fiction)

 

[bjcaed]

Need advice. We have a ressie with our Disney TA right now for POR for November. We know adjustments will need to be made. If mods get qs, then we really want a standard room at AKL or WL. I am hearing this will be tough to get. Our TA said he will be active at 7:00. Should I try at 4:00 to get that ressie and then cancel it needed. Really want to end up at AKL!! Help!!

 

[Attracted to Beasts]

Need advice. We have a ressie with our Disney TA right now for POR for November. We know adjustments will need to be made. If mods get qs, then we really want a standard room at AKL or WL. I am hearing this will be tough to get. Our TA said he will be active at 7:00. Should I try at 4:00 to get that ressie and then cancel it needed. Really want to end up at AKL!! Help!!

I would try to DIY!!! No one is going to look out for you the way you would!

 

[KimBean]

Nothing new since @black562 posted his intel. Why is everyone freaking out?

Who is freaking out what did I miss. I leave you guys alone for two hours. Lol!!!

 

[The Dirty Steve]

Need advice. We have a ressie with our Disney TA right now for POR for November. We know adjustments will need to be made. If mods get qs, then we really want a standard room at AKL or WL. I am hearing this will be tough to get. Our TA said he will be active at 7:00. Should I try at 4:00 to get that ressie and then cancel it needed. Really want to end up at AKL!! Help!!

There is a way for your TA to takeover a ressie you make. Get what you want when it is available.

 

[The Dirty Steve]

Who is freaking out what did I miss. I leave you guys alone for two hours. Lol!!!

What was more important for two hours?

Ha!

 

[Amunet]

There are some TAs that treat your reservation as if it were their own.
That said, @bjcaed If you do reserve AKL, you can transfer your reservation to your TA afterwards so they can still help you with the trip.
Also, if you plan on nabbing your own, let your TA know so he isn't wasting time.

 

[The Dirty Steve]

There are some TAs that treat your reservation as if it were their own.
That said, @bjcaed If you do reserve AKL, you can transfer your reservation to your TA afterwards so they can still help you with the trip.
Also, if you plan on nabbing your own, let your TA know so he isn't wasting time.

Good work!

 

[Kelly014]

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 first time we went we stayed at CSR and really enjoyed it. Next time we wanted free dining but when we booked there was no moderate availability so we were "stuck" with Pop. I prefer the moderates, but Pop wasn't that bad. My kids were 5 and 9 months at the time so I slept in one bed with the baby and my husband slept with DD. He's 6'2" and did fine in the double bed. Rooms are smaller and not quite as nice looking for lack of a better word, but it worked! If we were going again and wanted FD and Pop was our only choice then I'd book it again. I was bummed for DD about no pool slide because she loved the slide at CSR but we don't do a ton of pool time and she didn't really care. It all worked out!

 

[DisDee1982]

I heard on a podcast that there will be a minimum 4-day hopper needed for FD? Anyone else hear this??

So Far the three who seem to have some credit so far are
Black
Steve
and Ron.

We have a lot of Info thanks to them they may not be able to give us all of the info we want. However, we should be thankful.
Thanks, Black, Steve, and Ron, for being our open ears out there.

We know if the rumors be true.
1. Mods get QS
2. You must check in on one of the dates when FD is open, to receive it the whole trip.
3. If you book with a TA, Your TA is the only one who can make a change for you. If you trust your TA good for you. If you don't then have 200 ready for a deposit for a new reservation before the phone lines open, all online.
4. Starts Aug 13 or 21st?, No dates open in October, Some in Nov, most in Dec.
5. You can not get a RO deal and FD deal. It won't work.
6. This year if you have the GC from the CRB then that can be kept with FD added.
7. Drop date of FD is Mon the 24th.
8. The time varies year to year. Midnight east coast, to 4 am east coast, then maybe to 7 am when call centers open. No one knows.
9. You must upgrade from QS to TS meal plan 72 hours before your trip. / 48 hours for dvc.
10. This is all still just roumors. No one will know untill Monday what is really happening. We are all just Disney Fanatics taking every lead we can and running with it.

At least we are not alone!

 

[RDenton]

Don't be all uncool....haha sorry I'm a real housewives fan! I had to!

Yes!!!! Elegance is learned! Lol me too

 

[Lesley Wake]

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

Haha-that's what I did when my parents tried putting a leash on me! A big public space (almost 30 yrs ago), and I just got down on all fours and started barking. Yup, and they never tried again. But now they have the cute backpack versions which probably stop that behavior.

And, did you any of you see the Modern Family episode at Disneyland? They tried to put Lily in a leash because she kept running away, but were ashamed of themselves. The grandpa just went and got her princess shoes, so she wanted to wear them, but it was too hard to get away!

 

[DreamingoftheCastle]

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.

That is adorable! I think you'll be glad you have it!

We used a similar harness (but looked like a teddy bear) with my son when he was about 18 months and we went over Christmas. He's always been our "wanderer"...he just naturally heads towards things that draw his interest. (Even now that he's 9, but we don't use the harness anymore, lol.) We tried letting him out of the stroller to walk on our first day without it, and we briefly lost him in a split second. He was actually right close by and we found him quickly, but it was scary. Used the harness for the rest of the trip. He was happy he could walk and we were happy to feel safer and know he could only wander so far!

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Nothing new since @black562 posted his intel. Why is everyone freaking out?

I'm not freaking out but people did seem to think more info would be available today...Not sure they got the info that there would be more info today..
Then this morning another poster did post new info but people are looking for "black" to confirm or deny that rumor is true.