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

[X96msm]

I do have a question. We have reservations at Pop for week in a standard. After doing some research and considering we have 70 year olds and a 6 and 8 year old..is it worth $15 a night for our 2 rooms to upgrade to a preferred based on description close to dining and transportation? Can people who have stayed there tell me If the rooms are significantly closer and saves lots of walking for a week stay. It would cost $230 + tax to upgrade the 2 rooms. Thx in advance

Hi, we stayed in a standard room in the 70s section and it was very close to transportation and dining. There are sections that are further away.I would say the furthest is about 8mins.

 

[KimBean]

Guessing that many are planning to spend at least half their week at Universal and just wanted to hit AK for Pandora and one more day at either Epcot F&W or MK?

Then I would say offsite with a pool and hot tub, private bedrooms, and bathrooms and eat in Orlando. Better price and quality food. HEHE.

 

[Susan Doeberl]

I'm surprised so many people asking about this. Are you taking a short trip? I guess I just assume anyone taking a trip would want at least 3-4 days at the parks.

In my case I'm a Florida residence and the Florida residence four day park hopper is almost the same amount of money as the two day park hopper.

 

[mowork48]

I have to agree with your taste buds. I've never thought much of the food at BOG, but we keep going back. We have ADRs for lunch and dinner this fall. I just can't get enough of that castle!! I think I'd eat cardboard there.

Can you suggest the best of the not so good food at BOG for lunch? Got lunch reservations for 7 in September celebrating a 50th anniversary with family. Will be first time there. Thx in advance

 

[Disneylover99]

I'm surprised so many people asking about this. Are you taking a short trip? I guess I just assume anyone taking a trip would want at least 3-4 days at the parks.

Some of us are AP holders that will just hang onto the tickets for another time. With 2 day tickets we'll pay just over $1000 for the four of us. If we have to buy four day tickets, it will cost $1700. Not everyone likes to pay that large of a chunk of money when they know they don't need the tickets now. It may make FD less desirable for some.

 

[Disneylover99]

Can you suggest the best of the not so good food at BOG for lunch? Got lunch reservations for 7 in September celebrating a 50th anniversary with family. Will be first time there. Thx in advance

We love the French onion and potato leek soup!

 

[mowork48]

I also forgot to ask..are the portions..like sandwiches..big enough to share for 2 women who like to get dessert?

 

[X96msm]

Can you suggest the best of the not so good food at BOG for lunch? Got lunch reservations for 7 in September celebrating a 50th anniversary with family. Will be first time there. Thx in advance

The braised pork was great!!!Better than some of our table service meals.

 

[sharonabe]

I'm surprised so many people asking about this. Are you taking a short trip? I guess I just assume anyone taking a trip would want at least 3-4 days at the parks.

There are a lot of people who get the free dining every year, but have APs or the first time they got it they had an AP or non-expiring tickets. So they're caught in a loop of having to buy new tickets, but not needing them, so they hang onto them and use them for their next trip. A 2-day park hopper is still quite a bit cheaper than a 4-day PH or PH+, so less money sitting around in a drawer waiting to be used.

Caribbean now has Murphy beds in all rooms (maybe not Pirate tho?).

Not only do Pirate rooms not have the murphy bed, the pirate beds are still DOUBLES, not queens. A family of five would be in trouble in one of those.

Is it better to have a reservation and modify it once free dining is released or to make a new reservation once it drops. We are going to go regardless just wondering which one gives us a better shot at free dining.

Doesn't really matter except if you are able to modify, you might be able to do it online instead of having to call and wait for a person.

 

[X96msm]

I also forgot to ask..are the portions..like sandwiches..big enough to share for 2 women who like to get dessert?

We did not find the portions big.

 

[trucker den]

Can you suggest the best of the not so good food at BOG for lunch? Got lunch reservations for 7 in September celebrating a 50th anniversary with family. Will be first time there. Thx in advance

Braised pork is pretty good. I didn't like the sandwiches. Didn't try the tuna salad

 

[JoyAhead]

I should have paid attention in computer class in school. I want to make a spreadsheet but my excel skills are terrible!

 

[samsteele]

Can you suggest the best of the not so good food at BOG for lunch? Got lunch reservations for 7 in September celebrating a 50th anniversary with family. Will be first time there. Thx in advance

I really enjoy the braised pork and also the roast beef sandwich. The sandwich uses chewy/crusty bread and that plus the horseradish spread might not be for everyone. The Tuna Nicoise is decent. My tuna was a bit fishy tasting but could have just been my portion or possibly the food grade being used. The strawberry cupcake is better than the Master's cupcake IMO.

I also forgot to ask..are the portions..like sandwiches..big enough to share for 2 women who like to get dessert?

Possibly . . . depends on your appetite. Would def be enough for an adult & small child to share.

 

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

Here is the Braised Pork at BOG, I posted it a few days ago also, but here it is again for everyone's viewing pleasure!!!

Also we have come to like the QS lunch the best out of any BOG meals!!!!!

 

[momto4obkids]

The cupcake at lunch is so much better then the grey stuff desert at dinner. Keep the grey stuff! I enjoy the strawberry cupcake.

Yes!! The strawberry cupcake is Yummy!! The grey stuff looks totally unappealing to me.

 

[FinnsMom7]

It's disappointing as is most food in BOG - just my taste buds opinions obviously. We've done dinner and lunch. Probably won't be back. I've done CRT twice, once for both kids. Won't be back. Makes getting my ADR's a lot easier. lol.

I agree aside from the look inside BOG is not special at all - I don't bother dealing with the ADR stress for it rather eat at any country in Epcot

 

[JackieO]

Can you suggest the best of the not so good food at BOG for lunch? Got lunch reservations for 7 in September celebrating a 50th anniversary with family. Will be first time there. Thx in advance

For lunch I recommend the Croque Monsieur or Vegetable Quiche. Also, I think the best food in the whole restaurant is the Lemon Meringue Cupcake. Don't get the idea that the food is bad. It's just not great and the portions are pretty skimpy. The experience is well worth it IMHO.

 

[mousefan73]

I do have a question. We have reservations at Pop for week in a standard. After doing some research and considering we have 70 year olds and a 6 and 8 year old..is it worth $15 a night for our 2 rooms to upgrade to a preferred based on description close to dining and transportation? Can people who have stayed there tell me If the rooms are significantly closer and saves lots of walking for a week stay. It would cost $230 + tax to upgrade the 2 rooms. Thx in advance

It can save alot of walking. I am pretty sure the everything POP thread has specifics/ tips. Some of those outer 90s and 50s rooms are out there. For some types a long hike others not. In 100 degree heat can be far. If I were to pay for preferred then go all the way and get preferrwd pool view of you want to be at the center of it all

 

[Elsaalltheway]

It can save alot of walking. I am pretty sure the everything POP thread has specifics/ tips. Some of those outer 90s and 50s rooms are out there. For some types a long hike others not. In 100 degree heat can be far.

Best standard PoP room is the 60's Lake view. But you want it to be facing the fifties, on the fourth floor. Stayed there last year and we have fireworks view every night, not noisy due to the pools, Walk was not bad at all, wait for elevator wasn't too bad either. We would walk down the stairs and take the elevator up, or if we were frisky race the elevator on the stairs, the screen for the night movie is just a few steps away, very close to Art Of Animation too, just over the bridge.

 

[stitchfan75]

Is it better to have a reservation and modify it once free dining is released or to make a new reservation once it drops. We are going to go regardless just wondering which one gives us a better shot at free dining.

This is just my opinion but having an existing reservation was a huge PIA for us when we booked. Mostly, just because you have a room reservation doesn't mean it will be included in the promotion. Our original reservation was for CBR in November, there was absolutely nothing for those dates or that resort. We had to be flexible with our dates and where we wanted to stay. We moved our dates to September but still no CBR. In fact, people we know who went in November never did get their FD, because they HAD to stay at that resort on those days...period.
Our final reservation was so far off the mark of our original, we decided it wasn't even worth booking in the first place except for making payments on the vacation. If I pull the trigger in 6 days, it will be by myself and then I will transfer the booking to my TA.