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

[Haneyman]

When I booked last year all pop rooms were gone at 4:30. I booked a ASM room as a backup. THEN, pop rooms were released to disney visa holders and I was able to get that. Just a reminder in case you don't get your #1 option.

 

[ThistleMae]

I have been following all 68 pages....Do we have any idea on the possible dates? Did I miss something?

No one knows, it's all just speculation. Waiting for some secret reliable sources to post...someone named Dirty Steve and Black?

 

[memma05]

The art of animation suites normally receive the quick service dining plan correct? As a family of 5 it seems if I cant get the MOD I want I would have to take a suite at a value and upgrade dining. In the past we have been lucky and were able to get standard rooms at POR and CBR but worried this year!

 

[allysetraskos]

I wasn't able to get POP! until 3 days after because TA are allowed to hold resorts for 3 days without payment. So TA's were hogging alot... So if you can't get what you want KEEP checking ESPECIALLY at the 3 day after mark.

 

[allysetraskos]

The art of animation suites normally receive the quick service dining plan correct? As a family of 5 it seems if I cant get the MOD I want I would have to take a suite at a value and upgrade dining. In the past we have been lucky and were able to get standard rooms at POR and CBR but worried this year!

Correct they are still considered a "Value" resort even though its a suite.. So QS.

 

[ThistleMae]

That's exactly it for me. There's a fixed number that I can't/won't go above. So it has to be one of the less expensive moderate rooms and it pretty much has to be a moderate room as well. I can't do a deluxe and we don't fit well into a value room, so I am hoping we won't have to move offsite this trip too.

I know offsite would be less expensive, even if food has to be bought, but my daughter will not stay offsite. So when we go next year for grandson's graduation, we absolutely need free dining. I'm staying offsite this year and gave myself a generous food budget, $ 100.00 a day. I don't know how my daughter will afford it, so just seeing how this year goes as a reference.

 

[ThistleMae]

I recall that it has always been under "offers". However, this thread & others on the Boards are the best first source of info for any FD offer. In the past few years, followers knew that the offer was going to go up within 48 hrs or so. Some pulled all nighters waiting to book. Last year, I woke up late at 4am and booked at AS Sports. POP reg rooms were already gone at that time. The FD resorts went quickly (the mods even more so than the values & many of the mod rooms were the more $ garden & water view) but another quiet release occurred a week or so later so all may not be lost. Possibly TAs were giving up their holds for clients who opted to cancel, etc. If possible, have a backup choice in place so if your desired resort is already gone, you have a safety net choice that you can pull the trigger on since you have already vetted it with family or friends. Of course, there is no guarantee that what happened last year will happen this year. At best it's only a bit of guidance.

So it seems to me, from what I've been reading, that there is no advantage to having something already booked because anyone who happens to be staying in those rooms already, still have to call, right? Or does it make things extra complicated because those rooms would already be unavailable because someone is already booked in them, making the # of rooms less available? Ugh!

 

[jods]

I already have a FD BB booked for august. I'm stalking because I couldn't get my arrival day in the BB. No rooms were available under the promo even though the dates are covered under the promo. I plan to stalk and only book if I can get the whole ressie covered under FD. I'm staying BC and only willing to switch to YC. My kids want the pool. I know more then likely I won't get what I need/want but it is fun playing and stalking.

 

[Lesley Wake]

So if all of the few available FD packages are going to be booked up within hours or days, mostly by those of us who are already planning to go or even already have vacations booked why is Disney offering this deal at all? It doesn't seem like it's enticing people who wouldn't other wise be going.

Am I missing something? Why don't they offer more rooms in the deal to attract more people? Or why don't they just stop this deal all together if we'd go without it any way?

Sorry if I'm bringing the mood down. I just want to understand.

I think it goes to show how much extra profit Disney is making on the regular rooms on dining that they can afford to do FD or room discounts. Even if you have a room of 4 adults all getting FD, they will all pay for park tickets. In the park they will probably still get souvenirs and some food or drinks not on the plan. If they are first-timers then they may come back again and again without discounts. If it wasn't for FD then they may not have come in the first place, so that room would have remained empty.

 

[ThistleMae]

I'm thinking, on my next FD trip, which is who knows when that QS would be just fine. I love eating in the countries and most of them stay open late enough to just grab something for dinner. I'm going to spend a lot of money on food this year because "the cousins" enjoy eating at the character meals. I enjoy them too and just have to look at the $ spent as part of the overall vacation, instead of looking at it as a waste of money. Spending $ 60.00 + tip is a lot for a meal, especially because I don't eat much, and when I do, I usually get a stomach ache. So if I change the way I view the money spend, I can justify the expense. I do understand the need for families to get the FD, it's a tremendous help, and sometimes the only way folks can afford to go. I just thought I'd share how I can look at it to make it go down without choking...LOL!

 

[kimyinpink]

I am at a loss for what to even try for this year! 2 years ago we did 6 nights ASMusic and last year we did 8 nights POP. We did enjoy POP more but the price difference is $20 a night for a standard room and then with the upgrade for DDP we're not far from Moderate price level. So my plan all along had been to try CBR if we could this year. We plan on taking a resort day this year (which we have never done before) and I thought my boys (2 and 4) might like the pool there. However, now with all the construction I don't really know if that's for me. I hate to pay rack rate for that inconvenience, even if we are getting free dining. Looking at our prospective dates there are still standards available. Dunno whether to go ahead and book before they discontinue GC's (although I find it highly unlikely they will let you double dip) or just wait and see. I am really open to suggestions... sorry for hijacking the thread. Also as a side note our dates 11/25 - 12/2 (but not set in stone... could go in Dec). There seems to be 0 availability at CSR? At this point I'm considering doing Sports and going the cheapest possible! Opinions?

 

[JackieO]

So it seems to me, from what I've been reading, that there is no advantage to having something already booked because anyone who happens to be staying in those rooms already, still have to call, right? Or does it make things extra complicated because those rooms would already be unavailable because someone is already booked in them, making the # of rooms less available? Ugh!

See I'm wondering about this too. I wonder if I've made it worse for myself by already being booked. If I'll be making a new reservation anyway, I've just made it less likely that a room will be available. I've looked and, as of now, there's no room like mine on my dates available right now. Seems like there's going to be no way to book what I'm looking for if I'm really making am entirely new reservation.

I can't figure out why I've booked already. That was the advice, but why? Haven't I just made Disney more likely to think they don't need to offer FD on rooms that are already currently booked, AND reserved the room I'm hoping to reserve later? I feel like I'm stealing from myself....

 

[ThistleMae]

See I'm wondering about this too. I wonder if I've made it worse for myself by already being booked. If I'll be making a new reservation anyway, I've just made it less likely that a room will be available. I've looked and, as of now, there's no room like mine on my dates available right now. Seems like there's going to be no way to book what I'm looking for if I'm really making am entirely new reservation.

I can't figure out why I've booked already. That was the advice, but why? Haven't I just made Disney more likely to think they don't need to offer FD on rooms that are already currently booked, AND reserved the room I'm hoping to reserve later? I feel like I'm stealing from myself....

You conclusion gave me a chuckle, thank you...but it seems to be true. I think the only way it makes sense, is if you are going to stay in that resort, for those dates, in that exact room, no matter what...otherwise we are taking away from the possibility of more rooms being available...therefore reducing the number of rooms Disney makes available. I don't know how much of an impact, the Disney Board people, make on overall reservations? Are we influencing the decisions? Do we have the numbers? Not everyone is as much of a fanatic as we all are. I don't know if it makes any difference.

 

[Wojodis]

WOW!!?!

 

[Taylor F.]

You conclusion gave me a chuckle, thank you...but it seems to be true. I think the only way it makes sense, is if you are going to stay in that resort, for those dates, in that exact room, no matter what...otherwise we are taking away from the possibility of more rooms being available...therefore reducing the number of rooms Disney makes available. I don't know how much of an impact, the Disney Board people, make on overall reservations? Are we influencing the decisions? Do we have the numbers? Not everyone is as much of a fanatic as we all are. I don't know if it makes any difference.

I feel like considering the amount of rooms Disney has on resort this may not make as much of a difference as we may think.

Just my two cents.

 

[JackieO]

You conclusion gave me a chuckle, thank you...but it seems to be true. I think the only way it makes sense, is if you are going to stay in that resort, for those dates, in that exact room, no matter what...otherwise we are taking away from the possibility of more rooms being available...therefore reducing the number of rooms Disney makes available. I don't know how much of an impact, the Disney Board people, make on overall reservations? Are we influencing the decisions? Do we have the numbers? Not everyone is as much of a fanatic as we all are. I don't know if it makes any difference.

WHAT??? We make all the difference. Are you telling me Disney isn't refreshing this board every 10 minutes like I am???

Seriously though, if I look for the room I want it isn't available to book any more. I'm already booked in exactly what I want. Once this FD becomes available (notice I've switched from saying "if"... Speaking this into reality) is there honestly no way I'm going to get what I want? My reservation really isn't doing me any good?

 

[ThistleMae]

No matter what...it's all good fun...in spite of the stress! And when folks get what they want and need...I love reading all the yahoo's!

 

[Elsaalltheway]

I'm still kicking myself that we didn't book our BB when we were there last year. We couldn't decided where we wanted to stay and I now realize that I might have been able to change the resort. We had the money to book so we should have just done it. Lesson learned.

Can you change the resort on a bounce back.

 

[Wojodis]

I swear I'm not ignoring everyone--I just have no clue what the hell is going on in here--I gotta take a few classes everyone. Sorry

 

[Disneylover99]

I swear I'm not ignoring everyone--I just have no clue what the hell is going on in here--I gotta take a few classes everyone. Sorry