2016 Free Dining Watch ~ Part 2

[Susan Doeberl]

I am so excited. my sleep pattern have changed. now waking up at mid night and 4:30 am.

 

[rere101399]

Checking back in, hi y'all

 

[MissRee]

OH wow we're going about the same time staying in sports as well

 

[Kellett]

Couple of questions...

Can FD be booked online, or is phone the way to go?

To those who are staying up Sunday night, is it simply out of excitement? Or is there really a chance FD would "sell out" on Day 1?

Both!

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

I went to book and AoA Room + DDP through Air Canada during the dates of the Room Only discount AC is rolling out on Monday. (For those who missed the end of the first thread, it is not a rumor. Air Canada clearly states that FD for one set of dates and RO discounts for another set of dates with some overlap can be booked beginning April 25. And that you can have FD *or* RO discount, but not both. AC also wants you to buy at least a 3-day ticket for FD, and the dates are exactly the same as the rumors EXCEPT that the AC dates start sooner in Aug, Aug 14.)
The room rate was way higher than what I can book today at Disney's site. So then I took 30% off of the inflated rate to see what it might be on Monday. The result was that the 30% off came to the precise amount I could book at Disney today. Does that mean I should not expect Disney to lower their rates on Monday? That the rate Disney is offering today for the week of Halloween is already discounted (it is below the rack rate), even if they're not promoting it that way? I am really hoping for a rate below that currently posted to help make up for the lack of FD for that week. *sigh*

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

And so the math begins. It will be just dh and I . We would like a mod but if a deluxe with discount was close in price we could see doing that. The question is will a discount plus paying for the ddp on our own be cheaper then full priced room plus free dining when only 2 people are involved?

I was thinking along those same lines. We are going with moderate and upgrading to DDP. I would love to stay at a Deluxe (GF to be exact)but it seems to me that the price increase to go from mod. to deluxe is BIG $$$$. Also were a party of 4 so FD works out better for us.

Would love to sleep under the Big Red Roof one trip but I just can't bring myself to drop a $tack like that on a vacation that doesn't require a passport.

 

[KT0191]

OH wow we're going about the same time staying in sports as well

Awesome! See you there

 

[Confederate Scott]

And so the math begins. It will be just dh and I . We would like a mod but if a deluxe with discount was close in price we could see doing that. The question is will a discount plus paying for the ddp on our own be cheaper then full priced room plus free dining when only 2 people are involved?

My suggestion would be to go on the Disney website and price out the mod you are interested and assume you get free dining. Then price out the room only at the deluxe with a 30% discount (I believe this is typically what a deluxe discount is) and then add the cost of the meal plan. My guess is that the mod with free dining will be less expensive.

 

[mandis77]

How many rooms can you book on one MDE account online?

 

[MissRee]

Silly question but we already Have deluxe DP booked, IF we get free dining how does that work? I know a have to pay the difference but what happens with the amount i "over paid"

 

[MissRee]

Awesome! See you there

Not to be too nosey how long are you all going to be there for we're going the 10th to the 19th

 

[Confederate Scott]

Silly question but we already Have deluxe DP booked, IF we get free dining how does that work? I know a have to pay the difference but what happens with the amount i "over paid"

So you have paid your trip off already and if you get free DDP Disney would/should send you a refund. Perhaps a credit back to your credit card.

 

[MissRee]

So you have paid your trip off already and if you get free DDP Disney would/should send you a refund. Perhaps a credit back to your credit card.

That is great Thank you do I just subtract the cost of the QS from the Deluxe to figure out what I would be saving? or does Disney have some other formula LOL

 

[KT0191]

Not to be too nosey how long are you all going to be there for we're going the 10th to the 19th

We'll be there 5-12. Wish I could do a 9 day trip!

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

One of the Air Canada quotes sounded like only counter service with an upcharge for other plans.

That's because the Promotions box at AC's site is tailored for each individual resort you click on. When I click on a Value like AoA, the FD promotion states, "Guests may also upgrade to the Disney Dining Plan or Deluxe Dining Plan at a discounted rate," but when I click on CBR and AKL, I get "Guests may also upgrade to the Deluxe Dining Plan at a discounted rate." Also, Values want a minimum of a 3-day ticket, but CBR and AKL state only a 2+ is required. So the Values are being treated differently than Mods and Deluxes.
So, to summarize, at Air Canada, which may or may not match what Disney's policy, Values can get a QS plan or upgrade, but also must buy at least a 3-day ticket with PH or Waterpark. Mods and Deluxes look like what you expect: a DDP and a ticket with add-on of duration 2+ days.

HTH!

 

[xipotec]

Another question since everyone has been so helpful here

I'm booking for 2 families... Each of us has our own account and I know the other family's login and password. I'll be staying up to try to get free dining and will be using a laptop and computer to try and do both at once. Is it better to make the 2 reservations on the same account or to put one on each separate account? I'm going to need to link the reservations afterwards as we will be requesting connecting rooms, so want to ensure I do this in the best and easiest way to do this. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!

Either way. Though trying from 2 computers gives you double the chance of success, so long as you have a stable Internet connection. I work of 4 at the same time, if needed.

 

[Shadowcat70]

Waiting... waiting... waiting!

 

[sommergirl25]

I'm here! So excited for Monday!

 

[MissRee]

We'll be there 5-12. Wish I could do a 9 day trip!

Hope you have a Wonderful time, we're only staying that long because of the little ones,
We just adopted 2 little girls 8 and 7 and they had never even heard of Disney World

 

[Wood Nymph]

And so the math begins. It will be just dh and I . We would like a mod but if a deluxe with discount was close in price we could see doing that. The question is will a discount plus paying for the ddp on our own be cheaper then full priced room plus free dining when only 2 people are involved?

If you are planning to stay at a moderate than it is cheaper to pay rack rate and get free dining than to get a room discount and buy the dining package. Most discounts for moderate resorts are only 20%, so using a garden view room at POR as an example, your room only discount would only be about $42 per day.

But the deluxe resort is different. A typical room only discount at the Yacht Club is 30%. The discount on a garden view room per day would be about $138 per day in September. The dining plan for two people is approximately $127 per day. So a room discount in this instance for two people would be better than paying rack rate and getting free dining. And many people find that paying out of pocket saves more money than buying the dining plan.

I'm booking for 2 families... Each of us has our own account and I know the other family's login and password. I'll be staying up to try to get free dining and will be using a laptop and computer to try and do both at once. Is it better to make the 2 reservations on the same account or to put one on each separate account? I'm going to need to link the reservations afterwards as we will be requesting connecting rooms, so want to ensure I do this in the best and easiest way to do this. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated!

Put each family's room reservation on their own MDE account. You have to think long term and if you use your account for their reservations then their MagicBands will always be connected to your account and they would never be able to use them for future trips unless they used your MDE account again.

You can link the reservations by calling Disney and having it marked. You can ask for connecting rooms, too, but they are never guaranteed.