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

[lok1sgrl]

Feeling uneasy about this too.

Been stalking Tom's page over at Disney Tourist Blog and he said this:
"That’s not meant to induce any drama. That new ‘Digital Waiting Room’ feature is supposedly 2-3 weeks away and I’d really hope that they wouldn’t be tinkering with it during their most popular and high traffic promo of the year, but this is Disney’s web team we’re talking about…"

http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-world-free-dining-dates/comment-page-33/#comments

I don't know if that's the same thing as the queue. Guessing it might be. Maybe it's something we won't have to deal with THIS time...?

 

[Mollymovacca]

Lurking for years but first time posting -- how does everyone feel about modifying a CBR res with GC online? (Sorry if this has already been covered, this thread is hard to keep up with.) Don't to wait til the phones open but don't want to risk losing the GC if CBR rooms are available either. Should I just book a new res and call later to have it switched to my original reservation or do you think I'll be able to modify my res to the free dining offer?

I'm planning on modifying mine!!

 

[lok1sgrl]

I have seen both ways. Is it $21 per a night or per a day to upgrade the dining plan?

Upgrade from QS dining to TS dining is $21 per person per night and (I think) $4 per person per night for ages 9 and under.

 

[Christinecinti]

Question about how adding or taking a day away affects free dining if I get it... since airlines haven't released flight info for when we're going yet, I'm not certain if we'll arrive Wed night or Thursday. (Both are within the free dining dates though) Last year I booked for Thur and after I got flights I called Disney and added on a day no problem (and that rep added free dining to that extra day too). Year before they said any added day would not get the free dining (maybe there weren't any of those rooms left that one day that year, dunno)...

this year I'd like to make it Wed and take away a day later if I need to, thinking it's a more likely way to keep the free dining for every night of our stay. But if I take that first arrival day away later, will it void our free dining for the week? It doesn't make sense that it would (since I obviously would have already HAD dining those days )but something I read some pages back made me think it's best to ask, cause it sounded like it may mess up dining for the whole week....of course this hinges on getting it anyway...

 

[Kiki_pa]

The best way to get through the heat is to start real early go back to hotel around 12:00 or 1:00. Go to pool and have a great time. Take quick nap and back out to park around 4:00 to 4:30. I live in Florida and between 1:00 to 3:00 it is real hot melting hot in September. I know some of you are there all day, but the break during the hottest part of the day is worth leaving and enjoying your resort.

Same would apply for August weather right?

 

[Disneylover99]

Been stalking Tom's page over at Disney Tourist Blog and he said this:
"That’s not meant to induce any drama. That new ‘Digital Waiting Room’ feature is supposedly 2-3 weeks away and I’d really hope that they wouldn’t be tinkering with it during their most popular and high traffic promo of the year, but this is Disney’s web team we’re talking about…"

http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-world-free-dining-dates/comment-page-33/#comments

I don't know if that's the same thing as the queue. Guessing it might be. Maybe it's something we won't have to deal with THIS time...?

Thanks for that info. Hopefully it will amount to nothing, though some people earlier today reported waiting in a queue to book.

 

[bizeemom4]

Me too. The good old days.

welcome to Disney world. I remember a few years back we stayed at a value resort and got free dining with included the regular dining plan, appetizers AND tips.

 

[donp]

I'm sure it has been said but anyone know what time it goes on sale? And how to change over an existing reservation to add on free dining?

Yes. $200 each--oops, answered wrong question. Getting punchy!

 

[AnnetteS]

it's 1 o'clock at night here..it means again little sleep, not due to my cold but to FD
Normally ik book through the UKsite but for this year i was too late
Last year i had 3 weeks FD at CBR. For next year we have to book this year..No CBR, they only offer the pirates room for the free dining 2018

This year i have my eye on ten days all star sports.. Do i have to decide now about upgrading to DDP? or can it wait
And do i have to make reservations for all the restaurants or just the popular and character ones?

I compliment you all for your schedules.. in never done that before, i think that we are lucky to have tons more vacation days in a year..
I am going for three weeks but i wanna add some beachtime and a cruise
Which company do you prefer RCL or Carnival?
It's just me with my 14 year old son

 

[lok1sgrl]

Thanks for that info. Hopefully it will amount to nothing, though some people earlier today reported waiting in a queue to book.

Fingers crossed. If someone's already seen it then... who knows?

 

[Taylor F.]

Been stalking Tom's page over at Disney Tourist Blog and he said this:
"That’s not meant to induce any drama. That new ‘Digital Waiting Room’ feature is supposedly 2-3 weeks away and I’d really hope that they wouldn’t be tinkering with it during their most popular and high traffic promo of the year, but this is Disney’s web team we’re talking about…"

http://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-world-free-dining-dates/comment-page-33/#comments

I don't know if that's the same thing as the queue. Guessing it might be. Maybe it's something we won't have to deal with THIS time...?

I do love the idea of a digital wait room/queue. I mean - I get it. And it keeps their site from crashing. Makes sense.

 

[lok1sgrl]

I do love the idea of a digital wait room/queue. I mean - I get it. And it keeps their site from crashing. Makes sense.

As a web developer, I agree. It makes perfect sense -- once it's been tested and all the bugs have been worked out. I've worked for large companies who rolled things out even though they weren't ready yet (and were advised of that) and the results were often not good. Like Tom said, I'd like to think they wouldn't do that right now. But they can.

 

[pooch]

What's your secret for getting FD fir 4 years?!

Heck, except for 2014, I've gotten it every year since 2006!! In fact, in 2013 Guest Services called ME and offered to "assist me with any free dining reservation I wanted to make". We got 8 days at POFQ that year!!!

 

[kels420]

A TA can put a room on hold, too.

I should have clarified. I meant you couldn't do it yourself online ;-)

 

[hodad]

They used the online queue when Pandora fastpasses became available and it seemed to work, from what I remember.

 

[Avalon_toon]

We can't go to Disney for FD this year! We had a house for sale in New Mexico for 2 years and it was FINALLY selling. We were going to use the money from closing for our first ever Christmas time vacation. Even my hubby is dying to go and he usually doesn't care about Disney at all. He loves free dining though. This weekend the buyers backed out...8 days from closing and we are out all the money we put into repairs and improvements. Not to mention no money from closing for Disney.

I can't make myself stop watching this thread though. I'll be watching to see what you all get. Good luck!

Oh that's terrible! I hope another buyer shows up soon!

 

[Susan Doeberl]

That article is rubish at its best. 2-day park hopper? Wrong. No values mentioned? Wrong again.

Some Facebook pages and groups just want to stir the pot or to quote a saying from Portuguese 'to see the circus catch on fire', as long as they generate clicks and revenue for their own site they don't have a care for the whole picture.

Well we really won't know if this is wrong until tomorrow. I myself hope it is correct.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

What's you trick to getting it every year?!

I don't this is the first year with free dining and I haven't been to wdw since 2006

We can't go to Disney for FD this year! We had a house for sale in New Mexico for 2 years and it was FINALLY selling. We were going to use the money from closing for our first ever Christmas time vacation. Even my hubby is dying to go and he usually doesn't care about Disney at all. He loves free dining though. This weekend the buyers backed out...8 days from closing and we are out all the money we put into repairs and improvements. Not to mention no money from closing for Disney.

I can't make myself stop watching this thread though. I'll be watching to see what you all get. Good luck!

I am so sorry. I have to ask can anything get fixed in time? Can you pull 200 deposit out and just hold the room (with fd) and try to go. If things don't change then you can cancel but if your family can end up going I would at least try to get a room tonight/tomorrow.

Staying at POR checking in 12/8. Usually use a TA but am doing all of the booking myself this time for our family of 6 in 2 rooms. First time flying for us also as we usually drive. We always stay at POR but have gone the beginning of Oct the last few times and were able to get the FD near the cut off. Really hoping that Mods get TS instead of QS but it seems that POR isn't going to be included for our dates. One piece of advice I have for newbies is to not freak out if you don't get what you want the first day. I checked every night at about 1 am for the new inventory and was able to get FD for both rooms at POR at least a month after the release in 2015. It gets to be frustrating but I'm learning to be cool as I'm number crunching. Pixie dust to everyone!

Your Dates for Port will not be eligible. Port is excluded after September

 

[luvallprincesses]

I'm looking at going that week this year for the first time, is it super crowded? I keep going back and forth on wether then or December 9-16 would be better. Thanks!

We go that week a lot and it's fabulous.

 

[Kindermouse]

I do love the idea of a digital wait room/queue. I mean - I get it. And it keeps their site from crashing. Makes sense.

As someone who has sat in many a virtual waiting room trying to get comicon tickets I assure you it is actually quite painful. It feels helpless sitting there as the minutes tick by and you envision everyone getting what you want right before you get your turn. and there is nothing you can do but sit there. It's also burned me for the last 4 years-I have sat there for an hour in a virtual queue and watched the event sell out and there was nothing I could do about it-not fun.