Free Dining Watch 2009 - Dates Released!! Update post 1

[dmbrez67]

Originally Posted by nezy

I am subscribing to this threwad.
For the last 2yrs we have gone in late Aug and got Free Dining. We have never been offered the bounceback rate. Not a mention of it. Is this only given in Sept?oct or for certain guests?

How was the free dining plan. What did it entail. We have been to Disney many times but never used the dining plan and never been offered the free plan, however this trip will be in sept and we are hoping for the free eats. My 3 kids are pretty big eaters and somewhat picky. We are planning on some of the nicer sit down restaurants that we were to cheap to try on other trips.

[KKB]

And loved the convenience and the ability to order off a menu & not look at prices!! It was a better deal in 2007 as appetizers & tip were included in table service meals, but I still think it is a good value.

For about $36pp/adult & $10pp/child you get one snack (almost any single serving item less than $4 in the World), one counter service meal (including non-alcoholic drink & dessert) and one table service meal (includes non-alc drink, entree & dessert, but NOT tip) per person per day. The best restaurants fill, so making reservations (ADRs) 90 days in advance is essential.

Disney has offered free DDP for Disney resort guests for the last few years, running rougly late August thru early Oct, with a slight variation year to year in exact dates. It has been offered to the general public in early April in the last years, and sells out fairly quickly (a limited number of rooms for the deal at each resort). The nice thing is that even if the free period ends during your stay, you get free DDP for your entire stay as long *** your arrive before the end of the offering.

Many love DDP...many find it too much food or too restraining to have to have daily reservations. We hit the parks at opening daily (DS8 is a human alarm clock--EARLY), go strong all day, then had dining reservations around 5:30 nightly, then headed back to our resort for swimming & early to bed. It is nice to come together as a family to have a wonderful meal, slow daown and visit about the day. I researched restaurants thoroughly--reviews on these boards and menus at allearsnet.com. And we felt our meals were terrific! We have several we want to try again, and we have some others new that we want to try as well, though we would try all of them again!

Clearly I am a BIG fan...it is tempting to upgrade to the Deluxe Dining plan if we get free basic (deluxe is 3 table service meals/day), but we were SO full on basic, and the time for 3 TS/day is daunting.

[Mrs Grumpy]

I just got the free dining in Sept. with the new pin code!!!!!!

[carmie3377]

Originally Posted by Mrs Grumpy

I just got the free dining in Sept. with the new pin code!!!!!!

I got that one too with dates 8/16/09–10/1/09! Just wish I could use it in Dec. Up until 1 week ago, we've never received a pin code and now got 2 in one week. I got the free dining one and Dh got kids eat, sleep and play for free for 3/1 - 4/17. Can't use that one either We need one for Dec to tack on a week before/after our cruise.

[michelle1]

Originally Posted by Mrs Grumpy

I just got the free dining in Sept. with the new pin code!!!!!!

That's a pin code I wish they would send me! I have gotten one with a $500 gift card and one for 40% off but neither includes my dates

[DaveStroem]

I would love to go back down in Sept for my birthday. I wish they would send me a pin.

[pumpkinbuddy]

Ok I just received a free dining promotion. Which free dining are they offering since there a few now

[POOHLUV69]

Originally Posted by pumpkinbuddy

Ok I just received a free dining promotion. Which free dining are they offering since there a few now

I got the email today as well. I believe it is the basic plan that is free, we are staying at a mod, I don't know if that makes a difference or not. Anyway, the new price is exactly $1120.00 less than what I originally booked, and that was the basic DDP price for our family.

[Mrs Grumpy]

It is the basic plan. We are staying at POP and getting it with the pin offer.

[AKLforever]

Whats a Pin offer exactly?

[PrincessBelle39]

Does this pin offer mean that you have to get one to get free dining? Is it not possible to get it without one? We are already booked at AKL within these dates on a package.

[foxlore]

What's the deal with this free dining offer? Is it for Visa holders or is it a PIN? I haven't received an email like this - although I do received offer emails frequently.. Problem is the "offers" aren't much... I have family coming down the end of 09 would love to do free dining with them if possible...

[Tomh]

A PIN offer is an offer you receive from Disney, either by post card, or email, giving you a discount. It includes a "PIN" number that identifies you, and can only be used by the person that Disney sends it to. Apparently, Disney has been sending out some PIN offers for the free dining promotion recently.

Right now, the only way to get the Free Dining is with a PIN offer, it is not available any other way at the moment.

However, for the past few years, Disney has made the Free Dining offer available to everyone. The offer is usually announced sometime around the beginning of April, and is available for people traveling from around the end of August to perhaps the beginning of October.

We don't know for sure that Disney will make free dining available again this year, but we are hoping that they will, and talking about it here.

If / when it is made available, it usually is announced to, and available to Disney Visa card holders first. Then, a few days after it becomes available to the Disney Visa card holders, it is released to the general public. Obviously, if you have the Disney Visa card you will get the best chance at getting the room / resort you want on the package, but if you call as soon as it is opened up to the general public, you should still have a pretty good chance at getting what you want.

The only thing to do for now is wait, and keep checking back here for updates / news. It's a pretty good bet that the news will hit the boards here before you hear anything from Disney.

[silverangel879]

Subscribing!
My 30th B-day is at the end of August. So I'm hoping for the free dinning!!!

[DaParkers]

I just received a pin code for free dining with the exact dates that I wanted. I was reading this very thread and got jealous that I'd never received a pin code. I then decided to register again using my business email address because I've been to WDW twice, but never without free dining. Doesn't look like that streak will end soon. Anyway, I was sitting on the sofa when my Blackberry went off. Before I picked it up, I told my dogs "Please be Disney, Please be Disney" (They proceeded to look at me as if I were crazy, get up and go into another room) But, to my amazement...IT WAS DISNEY! So I got up, ran into the office and checked my email on the computer. I'm waiting for my TA to call me back now so I can apply it to my reservation.