2016 Free Dining Watch

[donp]

Thank you so much! So, if I am online booking a free dining vacation and I add five people to the reservation, say at Caribbean Beach, it will automatically give me a room with the extra bed?

Yes--as long as over three years old

 

[KearneyFam02]

I apologize in advance for the length of this response/plea for advice or help.

I have been planning on this vacation for nearly a year. For those who have seen my original post, I am sorry for the repetition, but it is my family's first real vacation. My son will be 17, and heading to the military the next summer, so it is probably our last chance for a big family vacation. My daughter has been wishing for this. She is 10, and has been through 3 open-heart surgeries. She will most likely require a transplant at some point. This trip means so much. Because of this, I scoured the history of deals, and chose our dates based on them - 11/12 through 11/19. My husband, a 911 operator, had to put his request for these dates off of work in December. We are not flexible at all.

Now, I am seeing the rumor of 11/11 or 11/15. The 11/15 date scares me, and makes me believe I will not be able to get this deal. I am also seeing this rumor of DVC holders getting the first shot. I do not have a DVC. I am starting to think all of my planning is falling apart, and the promises I made my children will now be broken. I am seriously falling apart right now. I do not think I can do this trip without this deal. Please tell me if you think I am jumping the gun and there is hope. Perhaps there is another magical deal I am not aware of. I really don't want to tell my children I couldn't make this happen.

They don't have to be "sick" to go to MAW! My friends daughter has DiGeorge, has had 3 open heart surgeries and was not sick when they went. She brought it up to her doctor and he put the paperwork in and they went last December. It's worth a shot to at least ask!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Thank you so much! So, if I am online booking a free dining vacation and I add five people to the reservation, say at Caribbean Beach, it will automatically give me a room with the extra bed?

That is right. Disney won't let you book a room if it doesn't have enough beds for everyone over age 3.

I can't believe no information has been leaked yet, where's all the good sources that are in the know?

The dates have been leaked and the release date has been leaked. What other leaks are you looking for?

No one who claims to have credible inside knowledge has come along to change these dates, and we have had some good insiders come along here. So I think you are stuck with those dates. I know people want October to open but the month is booked solid already. Why should Disney offer free dining then? I sincerely hope that everyone gets free dining, because it is such a great deal.

 

[Kshell40]

I had a Disney destination email toady and I was so excited. Sadly it was for spring deals. ......

 

[Disneylover99]

The dates have been leaked and the release date has been leaked. What other leaks are you looking for?

I totally agree. Now we just need to sit back and see what unfolds.

 

[sammi6]

I'm so sorry to ask this but I must be missing it.....what are the dates for the free dining that got leaken? and when is it being released to book?

 

[LisaRay]

I have a quick question. I am hoping for the free dining promo as well and I am wondering if I can book it but add the hopper and upgrade the dining at a later time? I think they charge you to make changes but for some reason I thought that was only if I was lowering the cost but not if I was making my package more expensive.
I thought this way it would give to time with my plans to decide if we NEED the hoppers and can afford/want the dining upgrade.

One last thing is if I book this for 3 people in one room and then my daughter is able to join us after all which she won't know for a few months still can I add her as the 4th person in the room at a later date too?
Thanks!

 

[KearneyFam02]

Asking for a friend who lives in Italy...

What are the free dining dates for this fall at Disneyland Paris? I looked online and couldn't really find anything.

 

[RedWolf95]

It is way too quiet, I am losing hope for tomorrow

I think Joe has given us the answer....

Just an FYI, Disney is doing a three-day media event starting tomorrow.

April 18th: Disney will discuss plans for the "Town Center" neighborhood of Disney Springs. They will also tour the Star Wars Launch Bay at Disney's Hollywood Studios and offer a sneak peak at the new "Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular" fireworks show that begins next month.

April 19th: Disney will discuss new entertainment and attractions, potentially covering things like Frozen Ever After, Soarin' Around the World, Rivers of Light, etc...

April 20th: Disney will talk about the new Avatar, Toy Story and Star Wars lands.

I think that is a hint for saying Disney is not going to release their major fall promotion on the same day they are starting a big 3 day media event.

 

[RigatoniFeline]

Is there any benefit to already having a reservation during the time period? For example, is it easier to just add free dining to an existing reservation or is it the same as booking a whole new reservation?

If I made another reservation on my own but my travel agent is able to get it added to my existing reservation (so I wouldn't need the second reservation) what happens to the deposit? Can it be transferred over?

 

[Wood Nymph]

Is there any benefit to already having a reservation during the time period? For example, is it easier to just add free dining to an existing reservation or is it the same as booking a whole new reservation?

It is much easier to book a new reservation.

Disney won't offer free dining to rooms that are already booked. So if people are booking rooms in hopes of free dining they are shooting themselves in the foot so to speak.

If I made another reservation on my own but my travel agent is able to get it added to my existing reservation (so I wouldn't need the second reservation) what happens to the deposit? Can it be transferred over?

Deposits can't be transferred. They will be refunded and your card will be charged again for the new deposit.

 

[RedWolf95]

That is right. Disney won't let you book a room if it doesn't have enough beds for everyone over age 3.

The dates have been leaked and the release date has been leaked. What other leaks are you looking for?

No one who claims to have credible inside knowledge has come along to change these dates, and we have had some good insiders come along here. So I think you are stuck with those dates. I know people want October to open but the month is booked solid already. Why should Disney offer free dining then? I sincerely hope that everyone gets free dining, because it is such a great deal.

True that no insiders have come out with different information but some have questioned those dates and indicated they don't necessarily make sense. One example is this link....

http://www.disneyaddicts.com/will-disney-free-dining-released-2016-6228/

And while the first half of October is definitely busy, there still appears to be lots of availability from October 23 up until November 4th, which is historically the part of October in which they would offer FD. That being said I am not holding out a lot of hope for October but I don't think it's a done deal either.

 

[DebbieB]

I have a quick question. I am hoping for the free dining promo as well and I am wondering if I can book it but add the hopper and upgrade the dining at a later time? I think they charge you to make changes but for some reason I thought that was only if I was lowering the cost but not if I was making my package more expensive.
I thought this way it would give to time with my plans to decide if we NEED the hoppers and can afford/want the dining upgrade.

One last thing is if I book this for 3 people in one room and then my daughter is able to join us after all which she won't know for a few months still can I add her as the 4th person in the room at a later date too?
Thanks!

You would have to add the hopper when you book it, assuming it's a requirement. You can upgrade or add your daughter later.

 

[Wood Nymph]

And while the first half of October is definitely busy, there still appears to be lots of availability from October 23 up until November 4th, which is historically the part of October in which they would offer FD. That being said I am not holding out a lot of hope for October but I don't think it's a done deal either.

We were there last year from Oct 21st to 26th and I have never seen it so crowded in my life - although keep in mind we avoid crowded periods. Epcot was wall to wall people for F&W. They didn't offer a 2016 room only bounce back for October or November, so that was a clue that things might be different in 2016.

 

[RedWolf95]

Asking for a friend who lives in Italy...

What are the free dining dates for this fall at Disneyland Paris? I looked online and couldn't really find anything.

http://parc.disneylandparis.fr/offres/index.html

This looks like the website for finding that info but does not appear to have anything on free dining at paris at this point.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I'm so sorry to ask this but I must be missing it.....what are the dates for the free dining that got leaken? and when is it being released to book?

Rumored FD with possible booking date of 4/25:

• August 23 – October 1
• November 15-21
• November 26-28
• December 10-21

 

[RedWolf95]

We were there last year from Oct 21st to 26th and I have never seen it so crowded in my life - although keep in mind we avoid crowded periods. Epcot was wall to wall people for F&W. They didn't offer a 2016 room only bounce back for October or November, so that was a clue that things might be different in 2016.

Yep, we've been there the last week of October each year since 2010 (except 2014), it has definitely been getting busier each year but with the exception of Epcot I still don't think the parks are that busy during that time. I guess if the leaked add indicated that free dining was only in September I would have less hope but the fact that they are still keeping November/December dates that lead right into some of the busiest periods of the year leave me with some hope that those dates may not have been set in stone.

 

[black562]

Maybe we should lay out the whole rumor:

Rumor says:
April 25 for opening date.

Dates:
8/23 - 10/1
11/15 - 11/21
11/26 - 11/28
12/10 - 12/21

Note: I've also heard booking starts August 14. For purposes of having all the information laid out, I wanted to point out this discrepancy.

3-14 night says, with at least 2-day tickets (no word if there's a add-on requirement, but it's likely), quick service plan at value resorts, and regular plan at the rest.

Exclusions are looking like: Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation, All Star Movies, Port Orleans French Quarter, Campsites, Bay Lake Tower, Bungalows at the Poly, and Grand Floridian Villas.

Note: It isn't unprecedented for the date to change after it's leaked out, or additional excluded resorts to be added.
This is why I always say it's a rumor until it's official.

 

[LisaRay]

You would have to add the hopper when you book it, assuming it's a requirement. You can upgrade or add your daughter later.

Yep! I totally forgot about that part! I knew that from last year but it slipped my mind. Thanks!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Note: It isn't unprecedented for the date to change after it's leaked out, or additional excluded resorts to be added.
This is why I always say it's a rumor until it's official.

Wasn't the restriction of POR to August and Sept only a last minute surprise last year? It seems to me there were some changes to the actual dates from whatever was rumored.