Free dining in the fall?

[mkymouse40]

I am so cheap with my leave and I don't have anyone to do my work while I am gone, but after this week and not one person (out of over 175) wished me Happy Admin. Professional's Day, I think I will say the heck with it and take as long as I want. Apparently, I am not appreciated for my hard, diligent work anyway!!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I am so cheap with my leave and I don't have anyone to do my work while I am gone, but after this week and not one person (out of over 175) wished me Happy Admin. Professional's Day, I think I will say the heck with it and take as long as I want. Apparently, I am not appreciated for my hard, diligent work anyway!!

I don't have an admin anymore - company reorgs eliminated most of them where I work - but I made sure that my assistant knew how much she was appreciated. That said - never heard of an "Admin Day". IMO, you either appreciate you team or you do not. Having a special day for them isn't changing that, even if they bring you flowers on that day.

I also have a very stressful job, get 5 weeks vacation/year, and am allowed to take it in blocks up to 3 weeks at a time. One week off barely has me mentally unplugged from my work. I also need 10 days, minimum, to return relaxed and recharged. I spend too much of that time at WDW.

 

[Roxyfire]

I don't have an admin anymore - company reorgs eliminated most of them where I work - but I made sure that my assistant knew how much she was appreciated. That said - never heard of an "Admin Day". IMO, you either appreciate you team or you do not. Having a special day for them isn't changing that, even if they bring you flowers on that day.

I also have a very stressful job, get 5 weeks vacation/year, and am allowed to take it in blocks up to 3 weeks at a time. One week off barely has me mentally unplugged from my work. I also need 10 days, minimum, to return relaxed and recharged. I spend too much of that time at WDW.

Very true, most people don't know of these days nor do they have an admin.

 

[Bethislucy]

I have a question, I didn't know this could be done, but I have a coworker who is saying you can take your free dinning package I think they said they had 6 days with free dinning and they were going to upgrade to AP's when they get there and then they get annual passes as well as the free dining. Is that true?

 

[MiDigh]

I don't do free dining anymore. We rent points instead. But years ago the dining plan was a good value and the restaurants were well above typical theme park quality IMO (some still are today, but most have gone mainstream).

i agree FD was offered to get folks hooked on adding it to their packages. Even when it isn't free it is targeted as a % discount off food. I also believe the dining plan has added to the higher prices and decreased quality. And I agree that new guests would not know this.

Disney will only get away with the price hikes as long as the economy holds. They put a ton of $ into overseas parks. Will that add to a decrease in FL and CA attendance? Will the weaker overseas economy (especially South and Central America) cause deceased attendance?

I am concerned as a huge fan and stockholder that they have pushed the market too far. The world economy makes a Disney vacation less in demand. The push for VIP Tours/Cabanas/Hard Ticket Events/After Hours Pricing is targeted to a particular market - will those folks come back year after year?

I saw what happened to WDW after 9/11. September and October were cheap for a reason - it's hurricane season and one storm (God forbid) will make people realize that time can be hit or miss.

History shows that companies that charge top $ for service and products and don't deliver, suffer. As someone said earlier, the DIS is a small % of people that visit.

I firmly believe the reason WDW continues to be magical is because of the CMs that believe in the original vision. If WDW management continues on the path to devalue their employees this will go by the way side too.

Ok, stepping off my soap box (sorry).

No sorries. I believe in a lot of what you said, and as a fan and shareholder as well, I worry about the costs. I had not been to WDW (proper) in decades until last year. I felt the time was right in age and interest for my 2 boys (both 11).

It was funny the questions they asked about the "old days" of going to Disney - staying in Kissimmee, only 2 parks, massive parking lots and stamped tickets - and what it was like now. I was amazed at the technology and mechanics of everything, and we had a wonderful time. We are going back this year, and they are more excited than ever. I am in a way, too, as my "new" WDW experience cherry has been broken.

But still, cost. Middle income families simply would struggle to do a full week at the park / package. You WOULD have to stay outside the park, low cost meal it and limit fun extras. I don't see how people pull off deluxe resort packages; then again, I'm probably being naive about family incomes.

I DO see your point in renting points. I was new to that, and just too late this year. I think for me, the happy middle ground would be a combo of points and dining plan. What stinks is that it seems to take several years of WDW vacations to figure all of that out...

 

[MiDigh]

Aaaaaand Free Dining availability opened up this morning for my Wilderness Lodge reservation, so I'm all set now for September!
Still very frustrating that, in order to take advantage of the "free" offer, you have to be willing to let them take your existing resort reservation, which you've already booked and put a deposit on, and raise the rate by hundreds of dollars just because they want more of your money.

Wait, what? I'm in a similar situation. How did this work? I've currently got 6 nights booked at POP with DDP and 4 day park hoppers...can I get them to scale down to QS and then pay the different to DDP?

 

[Patrick G.]

Wait, what? I'm in a similar situation. How did this work? I've currently got 6 nights booked at POP with DDP and 4 day park hoppers...can I get them to scale down to QS and then pay the different to DDP?

If it's available, yes. I can't speak to the details because my travel agent handled for me - she was monitoring for availability every day since free dining opened.

 

[MiDigh]

If it's available, yes. I can't speak to the details because my travel agent handled for me - she was monitoring for availability every day since free dining opened.

Wow. That's awesome. Thank you! I have a note in to my travel agent about this..at least I know I'm on the right track.

 

[greentea]

I have a question, I didn't know this could be done, but I have a coworker who is saying you can take your free dinning package I think they said they had 6 days with free dinning and they were going to upgrade to AP's when they get there and then they get annual passes as well as the free dining. Is that true?

Yes, you can upgrade your tickets to annual passes. Free dining is just a package discount, it doesn't affect the tickets at all. We are also upgrading our tickets once there.

 

[Bethislucy]

Yes, you can upgrade your tickets to annual passes. Free dining is just a package discount, it doesn't affect the tickets at all. We are also upgrading our tickets once there.

Really? Wow learn something new everyday. So they get to keep the free dinning and have AP's. Cool deal.

 

[Madonna3]

Really? Wow learn something new everyday. So they get to keep the free dinning and have AP's. Cool deal.

Well you got to remember, it's not like they're getting the AP's for free. They have to pay the difference when they upgrade. So, that's hundreds of dollars being shelled out at the ticket window when you get there.

 

[JaiProut]

I'm booking for this offer in the next couple of weeks, for the Food and Wine festival.

 

[MiDigh]

My thanks to everyone who weighed in with thoughts and advice on my free dining / booked plans "problem" (please note the quotes in honor of the current state of the world). My Disney specialist was able to rebook my kiddos and I at the All Star Sports, issue FD, and I paid the difference to upgrade to DDP. A savings over almost $700. Huzzah!

 

[Rusty2rules]

My thanks to everyone who weighed in with thoughts and advice on my free dining / booked plans "problem" (please note the quotes in honor of the current state of the world). My Disney specialist was able to rebook my kiddos and I at the All Star Sports, issue FD, and I paid the difference to upgrade to DDP. A savings over almost $700. Huzzah!

Wait! How can that be?! According to some in this thread there can't possibly be any savings with FD! (insert sarcasm here) Congrats! That's really awesome!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Wait! How can that be?! According to some in this thread there can't possibly be any savings with FD!

Not sure where you read that. Folks seem to be trying to help.

 

[Roxyfire]

Not sure where you read that. Folks seem to be trying to help.

Agreed, critical thinking, buyer beware and all that. The expectations of "free dining" have far outpaced the reality. Glad to see it did work out for someone, though.

 

[mercydisney]

I have been doing FD for over 11yrs. It has been a tradition for my girls and I. They would go to year around school and would have off the last week in Sept. DH could not get off work so being a stay at home Mom I wanted an inexpensive vacation for the girls and I. Living in FL we did not have to pay for airfare and we would upgrade our tickets to AP.
Their use to be no crowds at that time! We would go on Splash Mountain and not have to get off the ride!

Now it is 2017 no more appetizers, tips are not included, no dessert with CS, and worse of all, the CROWDS!!!

Every year I hear the same thing they will not offer free dining. Every year they have free dining. The fine print has changed but it has always worked out for us.

I have mentioned on Disdoards before that this year it will my youngest DD and I. I was already planning on staying in a value because this works out best for us. Fl resident discount was only about $27. less a day. Why not pay $27. more a day and get free dining? We had 2 TS already planned that will cost $300. We figured why not pay $100. more and get 3 more table services.

I have done the math and I will take FD..If it is free it is for me. LOL

Will I still go next year if the myth becomes real and their is no free dining? Yes I will. I will find other deals.

Disney is not obligated to give me free dining. But I feel obligated to take a yearly trip with my girls!!! It's a tradition!!

 

[Tiggergirly]

Free dining is a tradition in my house too! We usually book the bounce back that offers free dining but even if we don't there is no problem adding it to our reservation as long as it falls in the dates. This year though I will say is the most difficult year I've found to get the FD deal. We will continue to try and get those Disney deals but it for sure is getting harder with every passing year. I imagine by the time Star Wars land and Toy Story land are complete FD will be reduced to a fairytale.

 

[mercydisney]

Free dining is a tradition in my house too! We usually book the bounce back that offers free dining but even if we don't there is no problem adding it to our reservation as long as it falls in the dates. This year though I will say is the most difficult year I've found to get the FD deal. We will continue to try and get those Disney deals but it for sure is getting harder with every passing year. I imagine by the time Star Wars land and Toy Story land are complete FD will be reduced to a fairytale.

It was definitely harder to come by this year. I believed their would be a change in the dining plans and figured Values might be hard to come by so I was one of the many who woke up at 5AM to book. In the past I have booked moderate and have never had to wake up at dawn. In fact I have been able to change reservation to a different resort up to the last minute.