2018 Free Dining Watch Thread V3

[mousefan73]

A common misconception is that having an existing reservation helps get FD when its released. It does not! When you call to add FD its entirely dependent on FD availability at your resort and possibly the particular room type you have reserved. Thats why I never bother booking a room until FD is released. I tend to think that if rooms are already filled with reservations then Disney will offer fewer rooms to FD.

Agree and this is the first time I’ve noticed so many people already making bookings that already includes dining hoping to just simply click modify and bang they have free dining. Doesnt guarentee it. I’ve been doing this for years and I’ve never seen it like this maybe I just never noticed. I just hope people aren’t ruining it. Disney like all hotels and airlines have a revenue management system that I’m sure is dynamic. I even checked some dates during rumored offer periods in there’s no availability. so I why would Disney release free dining availability. Even the podcast say don’t book unless you’re going 100% and just hope for the best but don’t book if you’re only expecting free dining and think you’re doing yourself a favor. They don’t have to offer availability for free dining I’m pretty sure they have their butts covered through their bounce back offers

 

[BabybetterDisney]

I’ve been faithfully following this board and devouring every scrap of info about free dining for months and tonight my daughter gets admitted to the hospital for a week. The really sad part is I’m not sure if im more upset she’s sick or that I’m going to have to try to book FD on the hospitals crappy internet. I might be slightly obsessed.

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What??? That is horrible. I am so sorry to hear that. I hope your daughter gets better very soon!

 

[EllyBelly]

I agree w/your assertion that it won't count towards the promotion. Why would Disney do that? It would make zero business sense.

I agree!! Wish I knew!

 

[BabybetterDisney]

All Star Music was included in the 2017 free dining promotion. I was able to book ten nights at Music for our November, 2017 trip. Movies is the one All Star resort that is usually excluded.

Hm. Interesting. I googled what you said, and you are right. It wasn't Music, it was Movies that didn't have free dining. Wow, that makes it even worse: it looked like a ghost town even with free dining! Maybe it just looked that way to me. Thanks for letting me know.

 

[Nancyg56]

But to those vacationers who already plan on going for so many nights (ours is 8) and already are loyal park hoppers, it's not strict bindings. If you are staying just a couple days like in the past needing to stay 2 nights..no it's not going to be a deep discount. And you have to consider others travel situations. We have 3 adults and a child in our party going for 8 nights 9 days. Lets say we spend OOP $100 a day for all of us to eat (and that is QS only trying to find the cheaper menu options) That's still $800-$900, now if a RO discount can save me that much off of a value or moderate I might look into but as of right now I am looking at $3,678 for preferred POP (with hopper) and FD. Rack rate isn't always bad in different situations. I priced out RO for over the end of summer and including a dining package (ease of already having it paid for at the counter) at a value with QSD was over $5000.... so in our situation no RO does not offer us a decent discount. When we are already fans of the hopper and staying for a longer trip yes FD is FD. I am not spending over $2000 in add-ons. With our travel party consisting of 3 adults and a child that really comes into play of how well a RO discount works in our favor, which it doesn't.

Exactly. We are going, and we are booked for the dates that we can go. WE get hoppers and dining plan, and are staying for 8 nights, so any discount is a real discount for us. Nothing is free, but for us, any discount is better than rack rate.
I have a preference for which discounts will work, and given a choice I would use a RO on one room and FD on the other, however I will take teh FD on both if that is the only one that is dropped.

I’ve been faithfully following this board and devouring every scrap of info about free dining for months and tonight my daughter gets admitted to the hospital for a week. The really sad part is I’m not sure if im more upset she’s sick or that I’m going to have to try to book FD on the hospitals crappy internet. I might be slightly obsessed.

I am so sorry!

 

[rockinrhonda]

I know this has been asked before but I think it was on the last thread that got deleted and thank you for your expertise and generosity to help.
1) In your opinion, if I am needing 2 rooms at a value, and we are going with or without FD (taking mom for her 85th birthday!), hoping for POP, is it going to be easiest to book now and modify (if the button is there) or just book when it drops?
2) If I book now and just modify, When FD drops, if I have the modify button, once I click on it, where do I go from there?? And will I need to modify each room separately by logging in twice or if they are both under the same log in, can I just go into my MDE on each individual reservation #?
I hope this makes sense.
Thank you again, XOXO

If you book both rooms under the same loggin, then yes they will both be there. You will have to modify them separately, but under the same loggin. If the whole modifying thing has you worried then it would be easier for you to book when the free dining is dropped.
Because if you click on the free dining discount offer it will prop you though the process.

 

[Disneylover99]

Agree and this is the first time I’ve noticed so many people already making bookings that already includes dining hoping to just simply click modify and bang they have free dining. Doesnt guarentee it. I’ve been doing this for years and I’ve never seen it like this maybe I just never noticed. I just hope people aren’t ruining it. Disney like all hotels and airlines have a revenue management system that I’m sure is dynamic. I even checked some dates during rumored offer periods in there’s no availability. so I why would Disney release free dining availability. Even the podcast say don’t book unless you’re going 100% and just hope for the best but don’t book if you’re only expecting free dining and think you’re doing yourself a favor. They don’t have to offer availability for free dining I’m pretty sure they have their butts covered through their bounce back offers

And so many questions this year about the modify button......I'm starting to think the new strategy might be to make multiple resort reservations right now to get the back up modify buttons......at least one of them has got to work right?

 

[madtaj]

How much are the dining plans on their own?

 

[rockinrhonda]

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What??? That is horrible. I am so sorry to hear that. I hope your daughter gets better very soon!

Sorry to hear that your daughter is sick. hope she gets well soon. Sorry you have the stress of her being sick and trying to get free dining with crappy internet, free dining is stressful enough all on its own. yuck sending pixie dust your way.

 

[rockinrhonda]

And so many questions this year about the modify button......I'm starting to think the new strategy might be to make multiple resort reservations right now to get the back up modify buttons......at least one of them has got to work right?

I have never had an issue with changing my reservation to free dining. I have done free dining several times without a problem.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Sorry I haven't been paying attention and now I need to know...
Are the ASMu family suites typically included?

Yes it’s only the little mermaid that aren’t.

 

[Disneylover99]

I have never had an issue with changing my reservation to free dining. I have done free dining several times without a problem.

Lots of people have never had a problem. Some people have. It can be an issue.

 

[rockinrhonda]

I wouldn't make multiple reservations, but I would make a new reservation if free dining is dropped and the modify wasn't working, then at that time I would make a new reservation.

 

[Brandon Routt]

Agree and this is the first time I’ve noticed so many people already making bookings that already includes dining hoping to just simply click modify and bang they have free dining. Doesnt guarentee it. I’ve been doing this for years and I’ve never seen it like this maybe I just never noticed. I just hope people aren’t ruining it. Disney like all hotels and airlines have a revenue management system that I’m sure is dynamic. I even checked some dates during rumored offer periods in there’s no availability. so I why would Disney release free dining availability. Even the podcast say don’t book unless you’re going 100% and just hope for the best but don’t book if you’re only expecting free dining and think you’re doing yourself a favor. They don’t have to offer availability for free dining I’m pretty sure they have their butts covered through their bounce back offers

I booked early because there was a discount offered then. My package is 400 dollars cheaper then what I can get right now. When free dining comes out I will look to see what gives me the best deal and go with it. That’s why I book early

 

[mousefan73]

And so many questions this year about the modify button......I'm starting to think the new strategy might be to make multiple resort reservations right now to get the back up modify buttons......at least one of them has got to work right?

Good thing is that usually after a week of the release madness avail sometimes opens up.

 

[mousefan73]

I booked early because there was a discount offered then. My package is 400 dollars cheaper then what I can get right now. When free dining comes out I will look to see what gives me the best deal and go with it. That’s why I book early

And that is ok. I am just getting vibe this year people are booking multiple bookings with everyrhing set up and only going if FD comes as a modify option.

 

[Disneylover99]

I wouldn't make multiple reservations, but I would make a new reservation if free dining is dropped and the modify wasn't working, then at that time I would make a new reservation.

Definitely.

But someone on the other thread mentioned making more than one reservation right now because of the modify button. It made me wonder if some people are actually doing this. I hope not.

 

[rockinrhonda]

How much are the dining plans on their own?

quick service $52.50 per adult per night and $21.74 per child per night.
regular dining $75.49 per adult per night and $25.74 per child per night.
deluxe dining $116.25 per adult per night and $39.99 per child per night.

 

[Attracted to Beasts]

And that is ok. I am just getting vibe this year people are booking multiple bookings with everyrhing set up and only going if FD comes as a modify option.

I think they do this every year which is why it’s so important to keep checking back multiple times a day if you don’t initially get what you want! I have always booked something the initial day FD drops but have modified it after the fact to save even more money-ie. switch from Deluxe to moderate or preferred room to standard. Also TAs can place holds for 72 hours so they eat up a lot of initial reservations then release them if they’re clients don’t want!

 

[mousefan73]

Just curious a bit OT but have you guys gotten your ADRs you want for fall?