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

[spider0215]

Count me in on the going crazy part. I will have no nails by time I book.This is my first time going to Disney and wouldn't even know about free dining if not for this site. I've given my self a deadline to book by April 15th. Hopefully we will know by then.

[Tomh]

Thanks DisneyMom5, I believe I will add her now. As for POR, you are correct, not all the rooms have the trundle. The rooms in the Alligator Bayou section all do, but the mansions do not. There is no additional charge for the trundle.

[ZeroToHero]

Originally Posted by Tomh

Wow, it would be so much easier if we knew NOW whether she was going to be able to go or not. If only everyone could see how important it is to plan out trips more than three days in advance.

That's the same problem I'm having with DBF's parents. He's talking to them right now, explaining that airfare is really low (it went down 20$ overnight), and there are only a few seats left, and that I can only afford one round-trip ticket on my debit card right now (I was rejected for my first credit card because of a lack of credit history.. no duh!), and my parents aren't booking it for me because I'm supposed to be self-sufficient.. so they have to buy his ticket for him - but they (his parents) don't get that at all. They think you can just book and plan these vacations in a week.

...These are also the people who decided a month ago that they wanted to go to Mexico next week, during Spring Break, and that it would be "no problem" to get passports a week before.
...
Am I the only one who plans these things out this early, or are they just stupid?
(I know that's a rhetorical question, but.. I just need other people to agree that I'm not crazy wanting to book airfare now while it's low!)

To make this on topic: thank you to everyone who told me that I should book the airfare now, regardless of free dining. I have the 40% off, so I might just apply that and change it if (when!) the time comes.

[Halbleib1]

Originally Posted by spider0215

I was thinking of going through Dreams unlimited, they say if discounts come up after you book they will get them for you.. Does anyone know if this includes free dining? I'm getting impatient and want to get booked but don't want to have to rebook if I do it myself and then free dining comes up. HELP

We booked with AAA last year in January and mentioned we were hoping for free dining and she said no problem if it comes out they can change our booking. That is exactly what she did. I was not taking any chances since they open up later in the morning so I called and booked direct with Disney and once AAA opened up I called my agent and she said she already got it booked. Than I called Disney back and cancelled that booking. I only stayed with AAA for the promotion that they ran back in Jan as well as for the additional benefits. You should not have a problem doing this through Dreams either.

Good luck.

[elizflynn]

How do you go about getting free dining? I'm going Sept 21st-Sept 26th and wondering if this applies then?

[KKB]

Originally Posted by ZeroToHero

That's the same problem I'm having with DBF's parents. He's talking to them right now, explaining that airfare is really low (it went down 20$ overnight), and there are only a few seats left, and that I can only afford one round-trip ticket on my debit card right now (I was rejected for my first credit card because of a lack of credit history.. no duh!), and my parents aren't booking it for me because I'm supposed to be self-sufficient.. so they have to buy his ticket for him - but they (his parents) don't get that at all. They think you can just book and plan these vacations in a week.

...These are also the people who decided a month ago that they wanted to go to Mexico next week, during Spring Break, and that it would be "no problem" to get passports a week before.
...
Am I the only one who plans these things out this early, or are they just stupid?
(I know that's a rhetorical question, but.. I just need other people to agree that I'm not crazy wanting to book airfare now while it's low!)

To make this on topic: thank you to everyone who told me that I should book the airfare now, regardless of free dining. I have the 40% off, so I might just apply that and change it if (when!) the time comes.

You CAN plan trips on very short notice--and you will pay through the nose unless you are entirely flexible w/ plans (in other words, will go anywhere for a good deal on short notice). Even passports can be had on short notice for a VERY premium price.

But you, like many of us here, LIKE to plan ahead--both for the pleasure of the planning as well as knowing the earlier we plan, the more likely we will find the best price. (I had hoped to NOT book our flight until after free dining is (hopefully) announced; but the night we booked prices dropped literally while we booked the resort, so we had to jump. Guess we are going either way!)

I say book your end of the trip; tell BF to book his OWN ticket so you can get the good price.

[KKB]

Originally Posted by elizflynn

How do you go about getting free dining? I'm going Sept 21st-Sept 26th and wondering if this applies then?

within the next month WDW will make an announcement of free dining; it has been for the last week (s) of August through Sept (possibly the first week of Oct) the last 3 years. The announcement has been made in early April, first offered to Disney VISA holders, then about a week later to the general public. There are a limited supply of rooms at each resort for this deal. But most of us go ahead and book, hoping to adjust our reservations if free dining is announced.

Keep your eye here--it WILL show up here as SOON as it is announced!

[mybabesuz]

Originally Posted by elizflynn

How do you go about getting free dining? I'm going Sept 21st-Sept 26th and wondering if this applies then?

Last year free dining ended on September 20th.
You might need to check in a day earlier if the same dates apply.
Bounce Back went into October this year but last years regular free dining
did not extend as far out as Bounce Back.

[aday]

Originally Posted by KKB

AAA isn't officially applying 2 discounts. AAA does get cheaper rates buying in bulk. So that is a discount to AAA that they choose to pass on to their customers. WDW also allows them to apply free dining to their packages. THAT is the Disney discount.
Hmmm...makes me wonder...should go check out the rate AAA could get for me...
(Just checking that I am reading this right...you were charged $1937 for room & park passes, but you did not add dining at this time?)

***Interesting thing to note...2 years ago we booked our value room w/ a 40% off PIN; decided a bit later that we did want to add dining & they balked, saying it was 2 discounts! Now, I spoke to a supervisor, and said, seriously, you DON'T want me to add $180/day to our package??!! Needless to say, they made the change. SO they CAN get fussy. Hopefully w/ the economy the way it is, they should be LESS fussy!

Sears also does the samething here in canada

[Funnyguy]

Saw this article this morning. Wonder if we'll see the free DDP with Disney hurting too in the economy?


http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/o...4.html?s=smc:3

[cajunprincess]

I've been wondering myself how bad Disney is hurting... I mean I know they extended their buy 4, get 3 free deal to March. It was suppose to end at one time at the end of December. Then they extended it to the end of January maybe? AND now it is extended until like the end of March. I wonder if it will be noticeable when we go in May...

[jlewisinsyr]

The deals you are seeing are to generate park attendance and to fill the rooms. The free dining is just another method of doing that.

Although there are no guarantees, I would be shocked if they didn't offer either Free Dining or another generous package type discount in September (remember Free Dining really is just a % discount).

[carolinacubillospc]

Just suscribing to be informed.

[brockash]

Originally Posted by Halbleib1

We booked with AAA last year in January and mentioned we were hoping for free dining and she said no problem if it comes out they can change our booking. That is exactly what she did. I was not taking any chances since they open up later in the morning so I called and booked direct with Disney and once AAA opened up I called my agent and she said she already got it booked. Than I called Disney back and cancelled that booking. I only stayed with AAA for the promotion that they ran back in Jan as well as for the additional benefits. You should not have a problem doing this through Dreams either.

Good luck.

Kinda along the same lines... We have a trip booked through AAA, but I don't want to take any chances either (like making sure we get the resort ect. we want) so I'd like to call myself as soon as FD is available. Can I do this? Can I add it myself by calling Disney to my already existing package, even though it's through AAA, or is the only way to do it, is to make a whole new reservation? TIA!

[rznhal]

subscribing...thanks for all the great info!!!