2018 Free Dining Watch Thread V3

[DrFacilier]

Total FD newbie here. If Disney Visa cardholders end up getting extended dates, how does the transaction work? Is there an email link or something?

 

[laurenpetro]

.

 

[laurenpetro]

The problem with waiting until summer to see what the RO discounts are is that last year, by the time the RO discounts came out, all the rooms were booked & there was nothing left available. Everything seems to get booked up by then, unless you are willing to take something like All Stars suites at $250.

I have 10% discount from another offer. Crossing my fingers for something better

 

[coolingjupiter]

We are staying for four nights but only going to the parks three days...sounds like we may not be able to take advantage of free dining!

 

[GLS]

So I have another question if any of you can remember. Have there been any 30% off rooms only discounts lately? I have booked on BB so I have not paid much attention to the RO. I have always needed to watch for FD.

We got a PIN with a 30% code for delux. Travel through summer.

 

[SPOERLX3]

One more thing sorry!! If its a four day requirement do we know yet whether or not it will be 4 days only or 4 days with park hopper?

all the scuttle has been 4 days with park hopper.
Hopefully @Disney Ron, @black562 & @dirtySteve will come back and give us some more info as their sources provide them.
Here are some of the questions I have seen so far that are hoping for clarification

1) 4 day with Park Hopper required??
2) All Star Movies included or excluded??
3) An approximate time it is rumored to drop?

 

[DisneyLady81]

We got a PIN with a 30% code for delux. Travel through summer.

That's a great discount

 

[amberallen777]

TOTAL Disney Newbie here. We will be arriving at Disney on 8/31 and checking out on 9/7. We are staying in a standard room at Animal Kingdom and have already included the DDP on our reservation, as we scheduled character dining as soon as we could. From everything I am reading, the free dining is supposed to drop tomorrow. Is that correct? Are these eligible dates/resort? We are not currently signed up for park hopper passes, which I know is required. Should we go ahead and change that in our reservations so that we are eligible for the FDP or can that be done at the time the reservation for FD is put in? Just wondering how this all works.

Thanks.

 

[sharonabe]

TOTAL Disney Newbie here. We will be arriving at Disney on 8/31 and checking out on 9/7. We are staying in a standard room at Animal Kingdom and have already included the DDP on our reservation, as we scheduled character dining as soon as we could. From everything I am reading, the free dining is supposed to drop tomorrow. Is that correct? Are these eligible dates/resort? We are not currently signed up for park hopper passes, which I know is required. Should we go ahead and change that in our reservations so that we are eligible for the FDP or can that be done at the time the reservation for FD is put in? Just wondering how this all works.

Thanks.

No reason to do it now. When you go in to change your reservation and click on the FD promo, it will change it for you. If, for some reason, you can't get FD, you're good to go with what you have and won't have to change anything back.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

We are arriving Aug 17th but not sure if we should do the Universal portion of our trip at the beginning or the end? We're canadian so our promo might be okay to start on the 17th... regardless I have a question for the group.

We're planning 5 day park hoppers, family of 5- 4 disney adults and 1 child. Dates Aug 21st-Aug 30th. We love FDing-- not because we're big eaters but my kids are fussy. it's such a treat to go somewhere nice (like Boma) so we can all eat what we like and try to still get our intake of veggies which I find hard with QS meals.

Based on everyone's experience-- would it be more cost effective to book a moderate like CBR and upgrade the dining or spring for a deluxe like Beach Club? When I am costing it out, I found that perhaps it's an extra $100/nite for deluxe compared to CBR + dining upgrade. To me, that is worth it because I am not thrilled with the look of CBR yet.

We have only stayed at moderates... we're not too fussy.. but the idea of something like the Beach club, being close to 2 parks and maybe having a little more room to roam in a studio really sounds appealing. i would even consider dropping a night to save some extra money if that means a deluxe.

What would you do? wrelp!

This is really your call, For this year, I don't think FD makes a whole lot of sense for us unless we stay value or standard deluxe. Moderates would normally be in our choice but the mods that are a part of free dining normally are either under construction right now or not our favorites. CBR is not our favorite and it's under construction. We don't really have any other choices since POR and POFQ are usually not included for later dates. We don't love values but before I shell out big $$, I might consider POP. Not sure on the pricing but I'd also look at Old Key West too, that should be less than BC, ditto on AKL. At this stage in the game where CBR currently is, even giving it time until your trip in August, I would not choose to stay there but if you know you will upgrade to the disney dining plan from the quick service it would make sense to move up in resorts.

 

[12disneybee]

Wasn't the bounce back offer for 2018 only 2 days as well with park hopper?

Yes, 2 day hopper, I have 2 rooms booked BB free dining

 

[G719]

NO, No, NO! You can change a room only to a package online. You don't have to make a completely new reservation.

Well if you're sure I don't see how to change a package to a room only online so I don't think you can change in that direction. In the past, you could not change a room only to a package due to the different deposit amounts required plus the rules are different with a package vs a room only. You would've had to cancel and rebook.

 

[hope59]

OMG! waiting waiting and more waiting! I was holding out for the dates to be closer to BB! Would like to go 8/5 - 8/14 with free dining. Hoping the dates are off. Has any seen anything on resorts?

 

[Craig Brunetti]

We are staying for four nights but only going to the parks three days...sounds like we may not be able to take advantage of free dining!

You would have to do the math, but there is nothing that says you couldn’t buy a 4th day of park tickets and not use the last day. Adding a 4th day shouldn’t be too expensive. If not paying for food but you would also be forgoing any room discounts, but if the savings was enough it might be worth it to get FD. But do the math.

 

[amberallen777]

No reason to do it now. When you go in to change your reservation and click on the FD promo, it will change it for you. If, for some reason, you can't get FD, you're good to go with what you have and won't have to change anything back.

Good to know. Thank you!

 

[scard192]

Total FD newbie here. If Disney Visa cardholders end up getting extended dates, how does the transaction work? Is there an email link or something?

In the past you could book the Visa offer by calling. Last year the e-mail had a link to click and book and a code to reference if you called.

It's likely that someone on this thread will ask when they call and post if there are extra dates for Visa holders

 

[VroomVroomLightning]

.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

For any Disney Visa card holders, just called and still nothing available, I asked if a dining special was coming soon, she couldn't answer but she said I should call back as they have some "exciting specials coming soon". I suppose they cannot say exactly what the specials are or timing. I will keep checking my email and the site tomorrow AM when I get up around 5.

 

[MemphisVanessa]

Can anyone on here confirm that they have been able to use their tickets early? This happened to us last year and we were told we MIGHT be able to get someone to activate our park tickets the day before our package started but that they wouldn't guarantee it - said we'd have to go to the concierge. We were at Yacht club so just ended up doing a pool day and not dealing with it but would possibly have to do this again THIS year and really need the extra park day during our room only this time......

We were able to use our tickets a day before we checked in. We did have to activate them at the park.

 

[h&D3]

We got a PIN with a 30% code for delux. Travel through summer.

We got one of these as well. However, they were not good on AKL CL rooms.

When I called (within 3 minutes of receiving the PIN email) the CM told me that in the 20 years she has been working at Disney, she has NEVER seen it NOT include CL rooms. Great, the one year we get a decent PIN code, then we can't use it.

~D