Free Dining Fall 2015? (and a whole lot more)

[Camaro305]

What are the odds of the FD offer starting at the end of August? I looked up the history of the deal and it used to start then but seemed to have moved later the past couple of years. Also, if the offer starts on one of the days of my stay, will I automatically get FD for the whole length of the stay even if some dates fall before the FD start date? For example, Free Dining starts August 26th, but my vacation dates are from August 23-30. What happens then?

Free Dining is based on check in date. You need to check in within the range it is offered for. For example, in your described scenario, you could do a split stay, from the 23-26, check out the 26 and check back in to get FD from the 26-30.

 

[nemorocks]

We have also had the visa for a long time, and I usually do get the email alert for Free dining....but it's always AFTER the release has already happened. I always get better heads up following the DIS I agree, this is going to be a long week waiting....also I'm wondering if they will release all the dates like last year or if this announcement will only be for like Aug/Sep time frame. My family is waiting to hear about November, so I hope they just let everything out of the bag and let us planners have at it

 

[cduff0908]

Release date announced?? 4/27 for Visa and 5/2 for general public. First rumor

http://www.chipandco.com/disney-free-dining-coming-211299/

 

[Meldev]

Current "RUMOR" is Visa on 4/27, GP on 5/1.

When you say "by the time you got through", what time of the day was this?

Not sure how long they waited, but last year I had CBR booked ahead of time and had to call and get it changed to add Free Dining. I dialed the phone at 7:00 am - I waited 3 hrs on hold (this is during Visa offer), then another while to change my reservation over (and things got messed up as well, went from one res number to two, which made dining credits a big issue while we were down there - total stress until we got all credits switched to just my band and my daughters'). This time I'm not booking ahead, I have a reservation for days that aren't likely to be included and I'll probably cancel them this week. But I hope making a new reservation won't be as complicated. (Of course, if it is Monday morning for Visa offer, I'll be en route to a dr appt an hour away!!! UGH!! And the appt lasts at least 4 hours! Yikes!) So I'll be calling from my mobile and hoping it goes through much faster, because I have to keep a 3 year old entertained and he won't like listening to the hold music for 3 hours of his food challenge appt!! BUT if all goes well - Free Dining will be an exciting way to celebrate him completing his second food challenge! Then in a couple weeks I can book dining reservations without adding any special allergy requests!! He's already passed his peanut challenge...up next is egg!

 

[ELSA711]

Yes, I have the free dining bounceback and the last day for check in was October 2nd... I also had it last year when it was on october 3rd..

Did your bounce back have other dates for FD? Anything later in Oct/Nov?

When I was there in late Oct our bounce back was a percentage offer but I missed that one as we had an emergency on our check out day and when we arrived home the next day it was to late

 

[mjallemand]

This is my first rodeo with this offer--do I need to call or can I realistically expect to get a value resort room by booking via the website?

If it's announced to start on 5/1, what's the earliest I can jump on the website to book? 12am or something closer to 9am?

 

[5kidsmommy]

Those of you who have done this before what is your preferred way of booking if free dining comes out? I have a reservation for CBR 12/13-12/18 with dining. Would I just be better off to get online and book a new reservation if free dining comes out and then canceling my current reservation? Or should I just call and wait on hold? We have never even used the dining plan or stayed at a hotel, we are typically Fort campers so this is all new to me. Thanks for being patient.

 

[ELSA711]

This is my first rodeo with this offer--do I need to call or can I realistically expect to get a value resort room by booking via the website?

If it's announced to start on 5/1, what's the earliest I can jump on the website to book? 12am or something closer to 9am?

The first two times I booked I did it via website not knowing Visa holders could have done it earlier and had no problem. Not until last year when they excluded POR and I already had my res and tickets in place.

 

[bond24seven]

Did your bounce back have other dates for FD? Anything later in Oct/Nov?

When I was there in late Oct our bounce back was a percentage offer but I missed that one as we had an emergency on our check out day and when we arrived home the next day it was to late

the only dates were check in between August20 and October 2..

 

[tinklvsu]

Those of you who have done this before what is your preferred way of booking if free dining comes out? I have a reservation for CBR 12/13-12/18 with dining. Would I just be better off to get online and book a new reservation if free dining comes out and then canceling my current reservation? Or should I just call and wait on hold? We have never even used the dining plan or stayed at a hotel, we are typically Fort campers so this is all new to me. Thanks for being patient.

because I did the Visa release I had to call. I imagine it will be another ballgame now that people can cancel reservations online also. I remember having to CALL to cancel before.

 

[Aubrav]

mjallemand (won't let me quote you)- I checked online and started calling right at 7am the morning it came out. I couldn't get through on the phone so I booked the only Value resort available online which was All Star Sports. I then realized that if I moved my dates by 1 day that Pop was available (which was very weird because the dates were the exact same except I added a day at the beginning) so I booked that too! So at around 10am I think I called Disney again to have my All Star Sports reservation cancelled and the dates on my POP reservation changed to drop the first day.

This is why I'm fearful this year because it seemed like the Value resorts were mostly sold out by the time the offer came out. I'm afraid none will be available when I get online/call this year. We were considering applying for the Disney visa to ensure a better chance, but is it too late to do that? Also, I thought they ended up not giving visa holders advance notice last year, but I could be remembering wrong in the hustle and bustle.

October 2nd it is then, perfect! I wish I had gotten a bounceback offer

 

[tiggore91]

Did your bounce back have other dates for FD? Anything later in Oct/Nov?

When I was there in late Oct our bounce back was a percentage offer but I missed that one as we had an emergency on our check out day and when we arrived home the next day it was to late

The bounce back offer in September is only good for September dates the next year. Even though the free dining promo runs into Oct-Dec, the bounce back offer is only good for September dates the next year. Oct-Dec there are usually room % discount rates for bounce back offers.

 

[tiggore91]

My question is, I booked my original $200 on a Disney Visa. I see now that we can make changes and add promos to our reservation ourselves through the My Disney Experience. I wonder if it will let me add free dining myself on 4/27. I doubt it, but it would be nice! I wouldn't care if I had to pay another $200, I have to pay it sometime!!!

 

[Rivermonster]

I also now wonder if I would be better off booking a new reservation once the offer is opened to the general public, or if should wait on the phone and take my chances? I don't want to lose my existing dining reservations, or even risk it.

 

[ELSA711]

My question is, I booked my original $200 on a Disney Visa. I see now that we can make changes and add promos to our reservation ourselves through the My Disney Experience. I wonder if it will let me add free dining myself on 4/27. I doubt it, but it would be nice! I wouldn't care if I had to pay another $200, I have to pay it sometime!!!

It does allow you to update through MDE? That would be wonderful so I don't have to call on 4/27. I'll be too busy making my dining reservations that morning.

 

[5kidsmommy]

It does allow you to update through MDE? That would be wonderful so I don't have to call on 4/27. I'll be too busy making my dining reservations that morning.

I know I went online and changed my reservation to a different hotel and took a date off my tickets, did it all online, it was so nice not to have to call.

 

[tiggore91]

It does allow you to update through MDE? That would be wonderful so I don't have to call on 4/27. I'll be too busy making my dining reservations that morning.

Well, I am not really sure. I added dining to my package a few weeks back. It was nice to NOT have to call! If you go in and modify your ressie, it says "Select 'Change' to search for other available offers". I would think that would be free dining, no? But I am not sure it will show up on 4/27 or 5/1, if at all.

 

[vrajewski10513]

*My ADR opens 4/27 **
Talk about nail biter...what do we do.
Last time we switched over to free dining from our full package, things got so messed up!!

What got messed up?

So we chose POP last year because the only alternative left by the time I got through online/on the phone was All Star Sports and we are not sports people at all. Long story, but we loved Pop so much that I'm afraid to try an All Stars resort because I don't know if it will be better or worse. I would be tempted to try All Star Movies but they weren't included in the free dining last year.

Also, the October dates have varied from year to year. Last year they ended on October 3, a Friday, for the beginning of the month so we had to drive down a day early for that check in. Do you think this year the date will be October 3 again, or will it be October 2 because that's the Friday?

It must have been your dates. I originally booked CSR the day it was released to the disney visa card holders, and called about a week later after it was released to the GP and had no problem switching it over to Pop.
Theres no way to tell when the black out dates are. I'm pretty sure they probably base the black out dates around attendance for the prior year.

I also now wonder if I would be better off booking a new reservation once the offer is opened to the general public, or if should wait on the phone and take my chances? I don't want to lose my existing dining reservations, or even risk it.

Your dining reservations aren't linked to your resort package. Cancelling or changing your resort pakage doesn't effect your ADRs.

 

[Disney Dynamite]

I'm so excited to finally see a rumored release date! We're taking the in-laws to Disney with us this year and have been keeping our fingers crossed for FD. My MIL has been asking where they're staying almost daily. Hopefully, we'll get to book their trip within the next couple of weeks.

 

[ehoops120912]

Well, I am not really sure. I added dining to my package a few weeks back. It was nice to NOT have to call! If you go in and modify your ressie, it says "Select 'Change' to search for other available offers". I would think that would be free dining, no? But I am not sure it will show up on 4/27 or 5/1, if at all.

That would be awesome if so!