2016 Free Dining Watch ~ Part 2

[MissRee]

I'm here! So excited for Monday!

Your also gonna be there the same week lol we must be the Sept group LOL

 

[Confederate Scott]

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

Yes, taking the cost of the deluxe plan minus the cost of whatever plan you have now should give you any anticipated refund should you secure free dining.

 

[KearneyFam02]

This weekend is going to draaag by! My daughter has softball tournaments on Sunday so that will at least help take my mind off of FD for a bit.

 

[KT0191]

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

Thank you so much. That is so awesome of y'all. Your girls will have the most magical time! How exciting! You'll have to come back and tell us how it went

 

[MissRee]

OK just to double check are y'all saying that we should be able to get Free Dining on Monday 4/25?
or am I missing something here?

 

[MissRee]

Ok just double checking are y'all saying that Free Dining should be available Monday 4/25
or am I missing something? sorry LONG day

 

[Confederate Scott]

OK just to double check are y'all saying that we should be able to get Free Dining on Monday 4/25?
or am I missing something here?

People are saying that free dining MAY become available on Monday. There is no guarantee that you will get it. The availability is typically limited and seems to be getting less and less with each passing year. Good luck.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Ok just double checking are y'all saying that Free Dining should be available Monday 4/25
or am I missing something? sorry LONG day

Yes, that's the expected date

 

[jblairosu]

I've been seeing conflicting things...are there rumored dates for RO discounts? Specifically I'm wondering about in early November. How exactly do those discounts work? Is it similar to FD with your stay having to begin on one of the days it's offered and you get it for the length of your stay? Is there a limit to the number of nights you can have it? Help!

 

[KT0191]

I've been seeing conflicting things...are there rumored dates for RO discounts? Specifically I'm wondering about in early November. How exactly do those discounts work? Is it similar to FD with your stay having to begin on one of the days it's offered and you get it for the length of your stay? Is there a limit to the number of nights you can have it? Help!

Don't know about the rumored dates but I do know that they don't work like free dining. You only get the discount on the days that are offered..they do not extend on.

 

[Kellbee]

Maybe after Monday I'll be able to sleep through the night without checking for fd.

 

[vcmartin413]

Can someone help me how I figure out if the RO or the FD is a better deal? My group for sure needs tickets as well.

 

[TH0MAS]

Am I figuring this out correctly? Do I just price out our vacation but don't select any dining? We're a family of four and planning 14 days at a moderate resort. This will save us 2700.00US over those 14 days even with adding a park hopper. I am afraid I'm missing something as it seems almost too good to be true.

 

[shortie88]

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.

Thanks! Makes a lot of sense... So if I call in a week or two, do I just need to give the 2 confirmation numbers to link the reservations?

 

[MissRee]

Maybe after Monday I'll be able to sleep through the night without checking for fd.

Hi sorry but where do you keep checking for FD is it on the Dis website? and how do you check? through special offers?

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

I've been seeing conflicting things...are there rumored dates for RO discounts? Specifically I'm wondering about in early November. How exactly do those discounts work? Is it similar to FD with your stay having to begin on one of the days it's offered and you get it for the length of your stay? Is there a limit to the number of nights you can have it? Help!

There are rumors, and there are statements on Air Canada's website. Maximum is 14 days of FD. I can give you what AC says about FD and Room Only discounts you can book starting this Monday:
NOTE: This Dining Special/FD statement is for Value resorts *only*. Mods and Deluxes get DDP instead of QS, and only have to buy a 2-day PH instead of a 3-day. As has happened previously, Canadians are being offered an earlier start time for FD in August than the rumored start date through Disney.
"Dining Special
For a limited time, Guests who purchase a minimum three (3), maximum fourteen (14) night stay with a minimum 3-Day Magic Your Way ticket with Park Hopper and/or Water Park Fun & More options will receive the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan FREE.

• Valid for Booking made between April 25, 2016 through August 31, 2016
• Valid for arrivals dates August 14 – October 1, 2016, November 15 – November 21, 2016, November 26 – November 28, 2016 and December 10 – December 21, 2016

Restrictions

• Minimum three (3), maximum fourteen (14) night stay required
• Must be booked with a minimum 3-Day Magic Your Way ticket that includes the Park Hopper and/or Water Park Fun & More options
• This offer cannot be booked with a Magic Your Way Base Ticket
• Guests may also upgrade to the Disney Dining Plan or Deluxe Dining Plan at a discounted rate
• Offer discount is on the Disney Dining Plans only. There is no discount on the room rate or Magic Your Way tickets
• To be eligible for this promotion, please select the Free Dine Room Category.
• Discounted is reflected in the rates

NOTE: Disney’s All Star Movies Resort and The Little Mermaid Standard Room category at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort are not valid with the Offer."

Under Promotions, there is also an RO offer (Again, this is for a Value. The discount goes "up to 30%" for Mod/Dxe.):
"Save up to 25% off your hotel stay

• Valid for travel August 26 – November 5, 2016
• Book Between April 25, 2016 and August 31, 2016

Restrictions

• Minimum 2, maximum 14 night stay
• This offer can be booked as ‘Room Only’
• This offer can also be booked as a ‘Magic Your Way”
• This offer can also be booked as a ‘Room and Dine Only Package’ (no ticket required)
• The Disney Dining Plan, Quick Service Dining plan and Deluxe Dining Plan may be added at regular rates
• Discounted offer room rates are not applicable to any nights after November 5, 2016
• The room rate discount is a tiered discount which varies by resort and room type
• Magic Your Way Tickets are not discounted
• To be eligible to receive this offer, please select the room only offer category

NOTE for each hotel: The “Special Offer” is not applicable to 3-bedroom villas, the Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian, Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows (Category MV), Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – The Little Mermaid Standard View Room (Room Type VA) Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter is at regular net rates form August 1 - 25, 2016"

 

[Ptaylor81]

Could someone please give me the necessary steps to modify your reservation? Do you do it on the MDE website? We are booked and going regardless, but the free dining will be a huge help if we can get it. We are booked with everything including the PH. How do I modify to just add FD. We already have the dining plan on our reservation.

 

[Gaston's #1fan]

Ive been lurking on this thread for a while and now that the rumor seems to be a bit more solid I need some advice. We are a family of 5. me, husband, DD10, DS7, DD4
I have a few options. I have nothing booked at this time.

Option #1 I can get a CM to use friends and family to book ASMu for us 11/13-11/19. This is a great discount, she can also get 3/5 into park free if she is with us. Only problem, she doesn't know work schedule until 2 weeks prior to trip and FastPass+ would not be able to be used. As a planner this makes me nervous..

Option #2 I was hoping for free dining to start 11/11 so our original dates are included, since I can do CBR or POR (which probably not included). With free dining the cost would only be slightly more than CMs discount with PH and tickets included. This is worth the price dif since I can then actually plan ADRs and FastPasses. Problem now if FD starts on 11/15 and we move our dates, I just checked for CBR and there are no rooms available 11/15-11/21 . As a family of 5 where else can we stay and still keep us in our budget of $200/night for room. I really was hoping to avoid the Thanksgiving crowds and not be in the parks that weekend also.

I don't know what to do...

 

[Confederate Scott]

Could someone please give me the necessary steps to modify your reservation? Do you do it on the MDE website? We are booked and going regardless, but the free dining will be a huge help if we can get it. We are booked with everything including the PH. How do I modify to just add FD. We already have the dining plan on our reservation.

Well I was going to explain this step by step but apparently the site is having down issues

 

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

Can someone help me how I figure out if the RO or the FD is a better deal? My group for sure needs tickets as well.

It depends on a few different factors. IMO what tier resort you are planning to stay at and how many people will be in the room are the biggest factors in deciding which is best. I have found that Deluxe resorts are better off with RO discounts especially if you are less than 4 people. Other things like how much/where you want to eat also play a role.

Best way is to play around with the DW website. Plug on your dates and people and start fiddling around with different resort prices vs. different dining options.

Of course I'm not an aficionado by any means so take that for what it's worth.