No UK Free Dining for 2020?!

[saintrob]

Thanks a lot for the really detailed response.

Excuse my ignorance but how would i go about accessing the US sites - it seems to only go to UK one when i try.

Do i need to use a VPN? or is there something similar i am missing?

Go onto the UK site as per normal and click on the globe at the top right of the page. Change the language to US English and it should take you to the US site. It might kick you out at first but try again and you should be fine.

Sorry to jump on someone else’s post, but where are you likely to get the best room discounts? On the UK site or US offers?

Room discounts are better on the US site but can be offered at various times through the year. The best discounts tend to be for annual pass holders but general public discounts can be offered for up to 30% on certain rooms. The deluxe hotels usually have the larger discounts but not all hotels are offered. It's rare to get a discount for POFQ and the Little Mermaid suites at Art of Animation. We've usually had a summer discount of 30% for the last few years.

 

[MichelinMan]

I think if I was staying on site in the future, I would actually prefer not to be tied into free dining, and have a better discount on the room instead.

I found being tied to the dining package incredibly inflexible last trip we made. Because we needed to make reservations and keep to those reservations to get best benefit from the meal plan, it wasn't as enjoyable. We also missed being able to just go eating out and about elsewhere in Orlando, like we did on our first trip.

 

[gismo1554]

I found being tied to the dining package incredibly inflexible last trip we made. Because we needed to make reservations and keep to those reservations to get best benefit from the meal plan, it wasn't as enjoyable. We also missed being able to just go eating out and about elsewhere in Orlando, like we did on our first trip.

This is my exact reason for only doing Quick Service dining plan now. I found the full package was just way too planned and I love planning!

 

[dtm316]

Free dining offer is available to book from 25th April

 

[Cornish Lad]

As usual free dining has been announced for bookings made after late April - 25th this year - usual gap for the US Spring Break in March and ends at end of October - also includes the $200/booking gift card if booked by end of June ($100 thereafter) as well as Photo Pass etc. Not able to get prices yet so guess we shall have to wait for the 25th before they are released - current quotes Do Not include the free dining offers. Not sure if the prices in the Virgin preview brochure will stay the same or if there will be lots of changes when the full brochure prices are released with the free dining offers. The preview brochure does however show that the free infant place for Disney resorts is now 3 where it also shows that it remains at 2 for all other destinations.

 

[wilma-bride]

As usual free dining has been announced for bookings made after late April - 25th this year - usual gap for the US Spring Break in March and ends at end of October - also includes the $200/booking gift card if booked by end of June ($100 thereafter) as well as Photo Pass etc. Not able to get prices yet so guess we shall have to wait for the 25th before they are released - current quotes Do Not include the free dining offers. Not sure if the prices in the Virgin preview brochure will stay the same or if there will be lots of changes when the full brochure prices are released with the free dining offers. The preview brochure does however show that the free infant place for Disney resorts is now 3 where it also shows that it remains at 2 for all other destinations.

See bolded above - the offer for free dining is actually only valid for check-ins up to, and including, 3rd October 2020.

 

[Cornish Lad]

See bolded above - the offer for free dining is actually only valid for check-ins up to, and including, 3rd October 2020.

Sorry about that - did not have the dates with me when writing and memory was a little fuzzy - thought it was 23rd not 3rd - oops

 

[Cornish Lad]

Went to Virgin store today with my step-daughter and she was able to pre-book with free dining and get a $300 gift certificate - actual confirmation of rooms will be made on the 25th when Virgin feeds them into the Disney system - the $300 reverts back to the normal $200 on that date.

 

[alanandline]

Went to Virgin store today with my step-daughter and she was able to pre-book with free dining and get a $300 gift certificate - actual confirmation of rooms will be made on the 25th when Virgin feeds them into the Disney system - the $300 reverts back to the normal $200 on that date.

From what I’ve read on their website you are making a provisional booking and they’ll confirm on the day if you can have it. As for the extra 100$ this is basically what Disney are offering, it is not specifically Virgin giving you anything.

 

[Jon84]

From what I’ve read on their website you are making a provisional booking and they’ll confirm on the day if you can have it. As for the extra 100$ this is basically what Disney are offering, it is not specifically Virgin giving you anything.

Yeah it's provisional, as Virgin don't know what resorts or rooms types they'll be allocated.

Last year many people had their resorts changed by Virgin, because Disney didn't allocate them enough rooms. Happened to people who booked Deluxe resorts.

 

[Derek Smith]

OK, so there's a girl who works for TUI or Thomas Cook (can't remember which), who is a wannabe vlogger, and does some shady travel agency/planning on her own.

On her IG yesterday, she 'announced' that Disney would no longer be doing the Free Dining offer for UK Guests.

Anyone heard anything? or have any thoughts?

OK, so there's a girl who works for TUI or Thomas Cook (can't remember which), who is a wannabe vlogger, and does some shady travel agency/planning on her own.

On her IG yesterday, she 'announced' that Disney would no longer be doing the Free Dining offer for UK Guests.

Anyone heard anything? or have any thoughts?

Not heard anything as confirmed but saw this recently. Can't see them not doing it as so popular with UK residents.

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/2020-free-dining-disney-world-uk/

 

[alanandline]

Not heard anything as confirmed but saw this recently. Can't see them not doing it as so popular with UK residents.

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/2020-free-dining-disney-world-uk/

Bit late to the party Derek, it is most definitely confirmed by Disney as starting on 25th.

 

[jf256]

So I have booked through Ocean Florida.

Was a bit worried about the provisional booking and asked him about the virign thing from a couple of years ago. He stated that if there were any problems getting the room we get a full refund anyway so i'll know on the 25th and if they are not availalbe will just cancel and book direct with WDW or they will give us a different deluxe resort (Which are all a premium cost to AKL anyway) - to make it work.

We are having a slightly complicated holiday.

17th September: Fly Out and Stay in Hyatt Place. (economy)
18th - 21st September- Cruise booked direct with Disney.
21st - 23rd - Universal Loews Royal Pacific (No Tickets)
23rd - 3rd October - WDW AKL SR +DXDP + Tickets.
3rd - 4th (Fly Back) (p.economy)
+ all the perks that you normally get.

I costed it all out with 2019 pricing and it was accurate to £200.

We decided that the money we were going to spend - i am willing to pay a little extra (not sure how much yet -but as prices have increased well it is likely to be roughly the same anyway) to have someone handle all the bookings etc for us. They dont do the dining / fast passes like they do in the US but thats the fun bit of planning - panicking about flights 9months in advance is something i don't need.

If we were booking just wdw we would book direct with disney.


Does anyone know a good travel insurance company that has a large amount of cancellation cover -anyone used anyone particularly good lately?

 

[alanandline]

JF what one person says is a good travel insurance is not what another would. To some extent this is because a reasonable number of people but insurance, travel included, by price alone rather than look to see what level of cover is provided or how reliable the company is at paying out.

It is an area where to some extent you get what you pay for.

My advice is to look for a 5 star Defacto policy, it’s a good early indication of it having a good balance of cover and being a reliable company.

Do you have a packaged bank account? Many of these have pretty good included policies, often 5 star. I’ve a colleague that was in Florida when the ash cloud problems happened. He was covered for all the extra days needed including accommodation food and car hire. All the parks also just opened their doors so they had an amazing time

 

[pigby]

Don't listen to her. My experience of TUI (Thomson, as was) is that the staff know nothing, I wanted to get info on Disneyland in my local store, they were clueless, they didn't even know where it was.
It's just a case of keeping an eye on places like Disboards and people who actually know what they are talking about.

Ouch - I am a TUI employee and in my store, that is not the case. I personally have been to Disney parks in various places multiple times - I suppose you made it clear which 'Disneyland' you meant, I have found that if you use the word 'Disneyland' most people assume you mean Paris (or maybe California) and not Disney World?

 

[alanandline]

Ouch - I am a TUI employee and in my store, that is not the case. I personally have been to Disney parks in various places multiple times - I suppose you made it clear which 'Disneyland' you meant, I have found that if you use the word 'Disneyland' most people assume you mean Paris (or maybe California) and not Disney World?

Well anybody who means WDW when they say Disneyland is also getting it wrong aren’t they? Could mean Paris or California but not Florida.

 

[Minniesgal]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if this were true. Disney is so busy now they have no need of free dining promotion

 

[alanandline]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if this were true. Disney is so busy now they have no need of free dining promotion

If only you had read the whole post it was released last month

 

[Jon84]

Ouch - I am a TUI employee and in my store, that is not the case. I personally have been to Disney parks in various places multiple times - I suppose you made it clear which 'Disneyland' you meant, I have found that if you use the word 'Disneyland' most people assume you mean Paris (or maybe California) and not Disney World?

You're in the minority then! But going by your Signature, it looks like you've been alot of times in the past 10+ years

The majority of TUI employees both online and instore know very little about WDW and DLP and nothing about DLR. But that's not specific to TUI, Thomas Cook and BA are terrible, and Virgin are a little better.

There is far more information on sites like this.

As per my first post in this thread, a Instagrammer who also works for TUI told all her followers that there would be no Free Dining, and 'book now before the SWGE prices kick in' - What rubbish that was, she's be silent on the subject since!

 

[gismo1554]

To be fair a lot of companies were claiming that there was going to be no free dining this year - not just TUI. The fact there is proves that even Travel Agents don't get the most accurate information.