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

[pooch]

And how long will the boards be down?

 

[bizeemom4]

Oh... Dang that's genius.

Nope. The dining plan has to be reserved in advance. You won't be able to make that kind of a change at checkin.

 

[DiaryofaDisneyKid]

I know, me too! Now that I know our arrival date is rumored to be included, I took the kids out shopping this weekend for a few things for our trip (even saw Brad Paisley at the mall). If I can just get a room booked on the 24th, I can finally get started on our Halloween party costumes!

You saw Brad Paisley! I love "The Father of the Bride" movies his wife is in.

 

[Ariel853]

Yes you can book an entirely new reservation first, then cancel your existing one. Only caveat is you will have to pay a new deposit for the second reservation when you book it. Then when you cancel your first reservation Disney will refund the deposit you made for that one. It can a few days for the credit to post back to your bank account, credit card, or whatever method you used to pay it. So if having a second deposit tied up for a few days doesn't bother you it's all good and will work fine.

Awesome. Thank you everyone very much. I love this site and get so much information from everyone.

 

[Lesley Wake]

If I'm understanding you correctly, that Pop is your backup plan in case you DON'T get FD at POR, then yes it makes sense to book Pop now.

Especially since last year FD wasn't offered at POR during December. Considering how Disney is cutting back on things it's unlikely they'll add it back on for late fall.

At this point I think not booking a room is a disadvantage. Yes, it doesn't help you get FD automatically, but gives you a room. For example-say there are 100 rooms total at a resort; Disney decides 10 of those will be able to get FD if they choose. But Monday morning, all 100 of those are already booked. So you have no shot at getting a room, with or without FD, unless someone cancels their booking.

And you can absolutely have 2 reservations under the same MDE for the same people for the same nights. It hurts other people because it means you are holding multiple rooms when you will only use one. But you can do it.

 

[Jerzetta]

Hi everyone,

It doesn't look like there is an official thread yet, and it was suggested that I could begin one myself. Please point me in the direction to the thread if there already is one.

If there is not one, and this is the start then go ahead and feel free to dream, speculate, watch, and wait with the rest of us hoping for a release in the Spring for dates that we are all planning for

What are you all hearing, if anything yet?

What are you hoping for in terms of release and promo dates?

Will you plan the trip regardless of release or not?

Questions are endless, and the sky is the limit. Just please be respectful of others and be kind to one another

Thanks for starting the thread.. Going in Nov weeks before Thanksgiving.. hoping for FD

 

[Lesley Wake]

Reposting this to help people who will need to change reservations:

So, because I always have to be super prepared (it's a serious issue ), I tested changing a reservation by making a single-night, confirming it, then switching to a different offer (then cancelled the res entirely). Here were the steps (with photos, because I am crazy, and procrastinating actually doing my work):

1) Go to "Change Reservation" in My Disney Experience. Hopefully it's fixed and everyone has it back by the time FD drops.
2) Select "Change" next to Vacation offer
3) Select the offer. If necessary, change dates/room type/resort. Click "Select"
4) Review reservation and click "Check Out"
5) Review again and click "Purchase". Be careful at this point. My computer had issues and the script stopped working; this was in the middle of a day without special offers, and my browser crashed, losing the offer. If I had been doing it for real, I would have had to go back to Step 1.
6) (optional) pass out with relief!

Note: the offer I put in didn't have any stipulations about purchasing park tickets or park hoppers. I do not know how complicated it gets if you have a room only or MYW without PH, and that is one of the requirements. I.e. I don't know if it will let you add the FD offer, then change the ticket type or if you need the correct ticket type then can add the offer. I also did not attempt to change resort or dates.

 

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

Some posts say boardwalk bakery has one and to check the food trucks at Disney springs.

Thanks, I love these, just the right amount of toffee on them........

 

[Lesley Wake]

Also, I kept hearing about TeppanEdo and my family hadn't decided what to do about Easter dinner. So I'm like, well, how about [Restaurant similar to TeppanEdo and Benihana]. Everyone is like, sure! So now we have a traditional Japanese Easter dinner

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I have a question...I have a res under my name with a TA, but I'm gonna try for FD myself. My dates are within FD; will it be possible for me to make a new res for the same dates under my name when I already have a res under my name for these dates? This has been worrying me. TIA!

 

[stitchfan75]

I have a question...I have a res under my name with a TA, but I'm gonna try for FD myself. My dates are within FD; will it be possible for me to make a new res for the same dates under my name when I already have a res under my name for these dates? This has been worrying me. TIA!

Yes, you can. I had a similar experience the year we went on FD. My TA has a day job and couldn't start trying until lunch. I was also looking, I found a room at Pop and put a deposit on it to hold it. In the end I decided to keep the AKL room he got us and just canceled the reservation through the Disney website, money was refunded to my CC rather quickly. Usually you have to fill out the paperwork to cancel your trip you made through the TA and then transfer the new reservation you made.

 

[agassizsmile]

4am Florida time?

Yes.Eastern time.
Im In Chicago so 3am central for me!

 

[Neeky78]

Was about to say what do you do..... trucker den... lol!!!!

I keep reading his name as Turducken!!

 

[smwalw]

Reposting this to help people who will need to change reservations:

Thanks for the detailed information. I, too, am a super-planner, so I want to make sure I know exactly how to do this when it drops. Here's hoping I can take advantage of it!

 

[pooh'smate]

I keep reading his name as Turducken!!

You're not the only one.

 

[fsupharm77]

This TA will be up that early for her clients. Not all of us are bad ones. LOL.

So will my wife. She does the same for her clients. She has 3 families that will be in that time frame.

 

[RedWolf95]

Especially since last year FD wasn't offered at POR during December. Considering how Disney is cutting back on things it's unlikely they'll add it back on for late fall.

At this point I think not booking a room is a disadvantage. Yes, it doesn't help you get FD automatically, but gives you a room. For example-say there are 100 rooms total at a resort; Disney decides 10 of those will be able to get FD if they choose. But Monday morning, all 100 of those are already booked. So you have no shot at getting a room, with or without FD, unless someone cancels their booking.

And you can absolutely have 2 reservations under the same MDE for the same people for the same nights. It hurts other people because it means you are holding multiple rooms when you will only use one. But you can do it.

My understanding from what experts have said on here in past years is that is not how it works. That in order to be able to change a reservation there has to be the exact same room type available to book outright.

p.s. I may have misunderstood you, initially thought you were saying if you had a room booked and Disney allocated 10 rooms then you could do the change even if all the rooms of that category at the resort were already booked.

 

[anitsa123]

MY TA said she will be up and ready at 4 that day for her clients.

 

[lok1sgrl]

Shout out to the TA's through the coming week. This offer each year must be challenging. If the rumors are true, this year will be even more so. Good luck and thank you for all of your efforts.

 

[TexasCruisers]

Last year it was a 2 day park ticket with a PH or water parks and more. This year if the rumor is correct it is 4 day park ticket with a PH or PH+.

We had FD in December 2016 and there was a 4 day hopper stipulation.