FREE DINING OFFER - BOOK BY 8/27 FOR 8/28 - 9/24 (Upgrade costs in post 1)

[TDC Nala]

Under recent general public free dining offers you must check in on a date within a certain range to qualify for free dining. Same general rules have applied as for offers in the past couple of years - minimum 3 night stay, maximum 14 night stay, with the minumum ticket requirement now changed to at least a 2 day base ticket per person, QS plan free at value resorts, basic plan free at moderates and deluxe resorts.

The current active Free Dining offer is for the Memories Vacation Package. All of the above applies; in addition, you must purchase as part of your package a Photo Pass Memory Book, which costs around $90.

This offer is valid as of May 2. Resort availability on the promotion is limited (only a certiain number of rooms at each resort are allocated for the promotion on any given date). You must book by August 27. Check-in date must be between 8/28/11 and 9/24/11.

Your check-in date is the only relevant date. You must check in to your resort on one of the designated dates to qualify for free dining for your full stay. If you check in during a "blackout" period (a date not listed) you will NOT qualify for free dining for any part of your stay, unless you book your stay as two separate room reservations, then check out and check back in on a date listed.

Examples:
My 7 night stay starts 9/24/11. Can I get free dining for the full stay?
Yes, since 9/24 is a promotion date, you can get free dining for up to 14 nights if you check in on 9/24.

My 7 night stay starts on 8/27/11. Can I get free dining?
Not for any stay with a check-in date outside the promotion. You could do two things:
1) Change your stay dates so you arrive on 8/28.
2) Book a room-only stay for 1 night on 8/27. Then book a second package reservation starting 8/28. On 8/28, check out from the 1 night room only stay and check in for the package.

OR, check with your reservation agent when you call and see if you are eligible for a PIN code in your name that will give you free dining on dates that are blacked out for the general public offer.

My 7 night stay starts on 8/25/11. Can I get free dining for the 28th and after?
Only if you book two separate stays, one beginning 8/25 and one beginning 8/28, then check out on the 28th and check back in. You do have to purchase park tickets with the free dining reservation.

UPGRADE COSTS (based on prices reported in August 2010)

Quick service to basic, 2011
Regular season:
$11/night/adult, $0/night/child (In 2011, the quick service and basic plans both cost $11.99 for children)
Peak season: $13/night/adult, $1/night/child

Basic to deluxe, 2011
Regular season: $33/night/adult, $9/night/child
Peak season: $31/night/adult, $8/night/child

Quick service to deluxe, 2011
$44/night/adult, $10/night/child


Peak seasons:
March 11 - April 30, 2011
June 3 - August 13, 2011
December 21-31, 2011

 

[riverbend11]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I want to book a late September trip for 2011 and get the free dining plan (for us it would be a value resort w/ the counter service plan). I had thought I would do that in April/May next year when they usually release the free dining dates, but now they've gone ahead and released them already. It would be much better financially for us to book next Spring--do you think I'll be out of luck to get free dining? I realize no one knows the future, but I wondered what ya'll thought.

SB

 

[TDC Nala]

If you want this free dining offer, you must book by December 20. You can wait if you want, but there's no guarantee another offer will come out or you'll get a PIN code.

 

[jennyleettu]

I just want to make sure I understand the promotion "rules" if the free dining is offered through 9/29/11 and I want to go from 9/28/11 through 10/4/11 the whole stay would be covered for the free dining? Or would I need to change my dates and travel the week before??

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes, if you check in on 9/28 your full stay up to 14 nights should be covered by free dining.

 

[jennyleettu]

Yes, if you check in on 9/28 your full stay up to 14 nights should be covered by free dining.

Great, thanks!

 

[Disneylvr]

The QSDP works best for us but we would like to take advantage of free dining and maybe also stay at a moderate. Can you downgrade a dining plan? Right now we are at POP so we can get the Quick Service but were originally looking at POFQ.

 

[TDC Nala]

Sorry, you can upgrade a free dining plan, but you can't downgrade one.

 

[Disneylvr]

Sorry, you can upgrade a free dining plan, but you can't downgrade one.

Oh darn. In my case it would give Disney more $$ because I don't want my package to cost less. I just don't want the regular dining plan and would be willing to take the Quick Service one at the same price.

 

[seadd67]

Great! answerd my question with out asking LOL. I was wondring about the cut off date,and It being the 20th of Sept. The only bad thing about that Is I have to make up my mind about what resort I have to pick yikes!!. we are looking at sept the 21st to the 28th

 

[Minnie J]

on the site it says you have to get a 5 MYW ticket and stay for 4 nights and 5 days to get on the FD!!

Haha Im a dork it says for example!! Gosh me skipping over things

 

[killendino]

I reserved a room from 11-28-10 to 12-3-10. Free dining dates, for sure.

We decided this morning to add 11-27-10 onto the reservation. This, according to everything I've seen, is not a blackout date. The CSR on the phone said that this was not a free dining date! We went ahead and booked room only, but want to figure out how we can get them to count this as free dining.

Did we get a CSR that is missing something, or did something change for free dining status for 11-27-10?

I went to Disney's site to try and book a new package with the new dates, just to see what comes up for dining, but their package booking system is down.

I could use some advice here if anyone can think of anything.

Thanks, in advance!

 

[Minnie J]

I am getting the same thing with the system being down I hope it comes back up soon

 

[Minnie J]

Heres what I asked the people on the chat live option


you: Can you only book the free dining dates during that time frame? For example I want to go June 1st-6th. Will it still give me free dining?
Sophie: Hello, welcome to Disney! The Free Dining Promotion is only available for the select night dates.
you: I see. thank you very much for your response=)

So I can't book June 1st-6th due to free dining not extending past June 2nd!! So I can only have free dining on May 27th-June 2nd

System is updating Heres that conversation

you: is the system down at the moment? I plug the dates of May 27th-June 2nd but it says no resorts available? I do this for every resort and nothing is available
Sophie: The booking engine may be updating at this time, you will want to try your request again in about an hour.
Sophie: We apologize for any inconvenience.
you: Thank you so much!! Once again you have helped

 

[free2div]

Heres what I asked the people on the chat live option


you: Can you only book the free dining dates during that time frame? For example I want to go June 1st-6th. Will it still give me free dining?
Sophie: Hello, welcome to Disney! The Free Dining Promotion is only available for the select night dates.
you: I see. thank you very much for your response=)

So I can't book June 1st-6th due to free dining not extending past June 2nd!! So I can only have free dining on May 27th-June 2nd

System is updating Heres that conversation

you: is the system down at the moment? I plug the dates of May 27th-June 2nd but it says no resorts available? I do this for every resort and nothing is available
Sophie: The booking engine may be updating at this time, you will want to try your request again in about an hour.
Sophie: We apologize for any inconvenience.
you: Thank you so much!! Once again you have helped

FD runs to Oct 7th for our upcoming trip. We are checking in on 10-7 whihc is the last day for FD and we are getting FD for our entire stay thru 10/17. It was my understanding that if you book while FD is going on you get it for your entire stay, even if FD is not going on for some of your days as long as you check in while it is still available.

 

[Minnie J]

FD runs to Oct 7th for our upcoming trip. We are checking in on 10-7 whihc is the last day for FD and we are getting FD for our entire stay thru 10/17. It was my understanding that if you book while FD is going on you get it for your entire stay, even if FD is not going on for some of your days as long as you check in while it is still available.

Im trying to see if I book June 1st-June 6th but the system keeps saying no resorts available which I know cant be true. How many people are really staying in the GF? I'll try when the system comes back up

 

[killendino]

Update on my situation: I recalled that I used a PIN offer for free dining. Turns out that November 27th IS a blackout date! (for my PIN offer, only!)

Ahh well. I think I will just cancel and re-book!

Also, wanted to point out to the user with the question about extending free dining...check the FAQ thread. Its pretty clear about things, particularly that the 1st day of your reservation is the key. If that day has free dining, then your entire stay does. If it doesn't, then none of your stay has free dining.

Hope that helps!

 

[seadd67]

So with the free dinning offer, if you want to get a up grade to the three meal plan(sorry i forgot the name) if your staying at a Mod do you have to pay thr normal diffrence?, or is there a special rate there?

 

[pinkxray]

I am just wondering about the upgrade cost for my stay.

We would be going 2/25-3/2. Peak season ends 2/26. Will the upgrade charge by the same for all the days or just peak price for the first two days?

 

[daraddg]

I am booked the end of aug 2011 for 7 days,depending on how much I am able to budget and save if it turns out I can afford to add days to my trip later I would like to but would the days added on still qualify for free ddp if I add them after dec 20 or can I not change anything about the reservation after that date?