ITS COMING -Nov. 2014 Free Dining - waiting, watching, wishing & worrying thread

[tyniknate]

Here is the latest and greatest info on free dining for your viewing pleasure:
The OP is requesting they remain anonymous.

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Booking Dates: May 2 - August 8, 2014

Travel Dates: August 31 and December 23, 2014


August 31 - October 3, 2014
October 26 - November 1, 2014
November 9 - 20, 2014
December 12 - 23, 2014


Block-out Dates:


October 4 - 25, 2014
November 2 - 8, 2014
November 21 - December 11, 2014


Dining upsells are available, with the Guests only paying the difference.


Disney's Art of Animation Resort - The Little Mermaid rooms, Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, The Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter, Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside, The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and 3 Bedroom Villas are not included.


Guests staying at a Value Resorts will start with a Magic Your Way + Quick Service package.


Guests staying at a Moderate, Deluxe, or Disney Deluxe Villa Resort will start with a Magic Your Way + Dining package.

The Disney Visa® Card offer is not bookable online.


Minimum 2-day Magic Your Way ticket required


Minimum 3-night length of stay


Free Dining is coming, looks like May 1st if you hold a Visa. Dates are really tight and sadly, mine aren't included. Good luck to everyone as the lines open up for the crush of callers.
Please continue to join us on this thread as we do the countdown to our trips. The planning is still half the fun....whether you get free dining or not!Free Dining for 2014 is a go.

The promo will likely be released to Disney Visa holders on Thursday, May 1st and to the public on Wednesday, May 7.

The likely dates included are:
August 31 - October 3
October 26 - November 1
November 9 - November 20
December 12 - December 23

Disney Value Resorts ~ Quick Service Dining Plan Included

This can be upgraded to regular plan for $18.65 per person per day ($3.20 for children).

All-Star Music Resort
All-Star Movies
All-Star Sports Resort
Art of Animation (Family Suites)
Pop Century Resort

Moderate Resorts ~ Regular Dining Plan Included

Carribean Beach Resort
Coronado Springs Resort
Port Orleans Resort French Quarter
Port Orleans Resort Riverside

Deluxe Resorts ~ Regular Dining Plan Included

Animal Kingdom Lodge
Yacht & Beach Club Resorts
BoardWalk Inn
Contemporary Resort
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Polynesian Resort
Wilderness Lodge

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts ~ Regular Dining Plan Included

Bay Lake Tower
Animal Kingdom Villas
Beach Club Villas
BoardWalk Villas
Old Key West Resort
Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
The Villas at Disneys Wilderness Lodge
Fort Wilderness Cabins

Some resorts are excluded, such as Mermaid Rooms at Art of Animation, Campsites at Ft. Wilderness, and 3-bedroom villas, and Villas at The Grand Floridian. A 3 night minimum stay (14 night maximum) and two day minimum park ticket is required for each person in the party.


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Here's the latest news:




Didn't see one started, so I'm here to see who wants to join me on the waiting, watching, wishing and worrying about free dining November 2014 thread? (Boy was that a mouthful!)

Fingers are crossed because this is the first year our dates were not included in the free dining public promo. You all know what that means......I will be trying everthing possible to see if I can get a pin. I'm open to suggestions and a little pixie dust.

With only 15 short months until our vacation I figure this thread can keep us company while we wait. Join me for the fun!

 

[spritna]

Ill join ya

 

[TinkPirateMom]

I will join in. We're booked at POFQ from November 8 -16, 2014. I'm not hopeful for FD because my dates and resort were excluded this year. We're going regardless which is why I booked the room already (plus I like to make payments), but if FD or any other decent discount came around I would be ecstatic. We stayed at WL last year but had an excellent 50% off travel industry rate. That's not happening this time around therefore I booked a moderate resort.

 

[sharig5576]

Woo hoo! We're planning on Nov 1st for a week at All Star Sports. I was watching Free dining 2013 like a hawk to "research" for next year.

 

[Kelly528]

I want to go Nov 29 next year. I am also researching free dining like a hawk but I know how hard it is to get a pin. I don't have anything booked yet so I don't know when or if there is a good time to book the trip and then just wait for the free dining?

 

[tyniknate]

We haven't booked the trip yet, but normally we fly down on black friday for a one night reservation. Then we check back in on Saturday to get the free dining. Sadly, I think Disney is onto this way of booking and that is partially why the dates are blacked out.

I've also heard that so many people have booked ahead hoping to just add the free dining that Disney just doesn't need to offer it for that week.

What to do.....what to do..... I really want to book so I can make payments as the extra money comes along. On the other hand, if so many people have this idea there's little chance that dining will be offered that week. My DH has mandated vacations the week of Christmas, Thanksgiving and Fourth of July, so Thanksgiving is really the only time we can go. I hate to lose the free dining. Three very hungry boys really puts a dent in the budget if we have to pay out of pocket.

 

[peterssm]

I'm in! I've been reading the free dining thread throughout all 3 parts, so of course I'm anxious to see what this next year will bring to our trip! I haven't booked yet because we don't make payments. We will use my national board teacher stipend I receive in march to pay in full, so...Our trip is a definite and not dependent on any type of discount, but who doesn't like to save $$?!? Plans are to stay at FW cabins arriving the Friday before thanksgiving and leaving thanksgiving day. Historically our days were exclude from FD, but are not this year! Probably means everybody will book for this week next year and it will be excluded again Oh well, we don't care because we're going to DISNEY!

 

[Broncobilly83]

I will join you, though I would prefer room discount over Free Dining. I am shooting for a 11/12 thru 11/18 trip down to Wilderness Lodge, and will hopefully have the "bulk" of the trip paid off before Christmas this year. This is my Christmas Gift to Betsy, as she thinks we have to wait until at least 2015

 

[scard192]

Didn't see one started, so I'm here to see who wants to join me on the waiting, watching, wishing and worrying about free dining November 2014 thread? (Boy was that a mouthful!)

Fingers are crossed because this is the first year our dates were not included in the free dining public promo. You all know what that means......I will be trying everthing possible to see if I can get a pin. I'm open to suggestions and a little pixie dust.

With only 15 short months until our vacation I figure this thread can keep us company while we wait. Join me for the fun!

My brother in law got the FD PIN in the snail mail and the only account he has related in anyway to Disney is an account with ESPN.

 

[Catrinabeach]

I'm in Hope they offer one !

 

[Mayhem1976]

We are going this November, but the one thing that I've been reading a lot is that people are thinking that so many people book in hopes of free dining or room discount, then Disney says hey looks like we don't need to give discounts.

For future trips, I was thinking about setting up a savings account and putting money into that instead of making payments to Disney. That way the money will be set aside! GL!!

 

[reneaterry]

I'm in. We're going November 29. Not making a reservation until we get a pin or discounts come out, although we're going regardless.

 

[tinkerbella16]

I will also join in! We are going this November and our dates were also excluded (6-12th) it was a bummer but we are still thankful to be going! We already know that we are going November 2014, most likely the week after Jersey Week which is when we typically go but we are bringing my niece this year and she won't be missing school the week that we are going. I am hopeful that we will score FD next year, if it is offered again!

 

[tyniknate]

I'm in. We're going November 29. Not making a reservation until we get a pin or discounts come out, although we're going regardless.

This is what we will be doing also. If Disney offers free dining we will be booking our rooms. If not, we will be saving a ton of money by staying in a beautiful 3 bedroom 3 bath townhouse at Wyndham's Bonnet Creek.

 

[tyniknate]

We are going this November, but the one thing that I've been reading a lot is that people are thinking that so many people book in hopes of free dining or room discount, then Disney says hey looks like we don't need to give discounts.

For future trips, I was thinking about setting up a savings account and putting money into that instead of making payments to Disney. That way the money will be set aside! GL!!

This is precisely the problem. Then people cancel and book to when free dining will be offered and suddenly there are open rooms again. Makes it a problem for everyone.

When we started going the week after Thanksgiving in 2003, it was a ghost town. Fast forward to 2011....crowds were at least triple over what they used to be. If we had another choice for weeks I would be moving our vacation to October. But my DH has mandated vacation and our only other choices are: 1: Go without him (not gonna happen) 2: week of Christmas (not gonna happen) 3: July 4th week (Um, no!)

 

[Kelly528]

See and I thought the last week of November (right after thanksgiving) was a good time to go. I thought I read that on a few websites but I guess everyone has the same idea.

 

[new york 1]

I am looking to go 11/16/2014-11/22/2014 POFQ,any discount would be Nice

 

[chrystalc77]

Count me in! We are booked November 15-22, 2014 at Art of Animation for a Cars suite. I seriously doubt free dining will happen since the entire AOA was excluded from this year's promotion. We are going regardless but any kind of discount would be great. Those suites are not cheap! Which is why I had to book July 10th so I would have LOTS of time to keep making my payments.

 

[TACK]

Like a lot of you, I booked after Thanksgiving this year (November 30th), hoping for Free dining. I booked my airline so I'm going anyways but switching up my plans to include more than just Disney World. However, next year I am planning to go before Thanksgiving - I am SO hoping that free dining is happening again. I have flexibility on dates so I'm going to wait until summer before booking.

 

[Kelly528]

I just want to be there when the Christmas decorations are up and the place is decorated. I originally wanted the 30th but now I'm considering maybe the week before thanksgiving. I don't even mind if its free dining or not, I just want any kind of discount.