Families of 5 and Free Dining.............................

[JohnDaleswife]

Just for fun, I did a mock up Free Dining gander for 2 adults and 3 kids for the week of 11/15-11/21. The only moderate available was CSR and that was a junior suite, so essentially 2 rooms. There were no moderate resorts that would let a family of 5 in one room.

Don't know if this is the case for other weeks, but it sure seems to me that Disney does not want parties of 5 in one moderate room for Free Dining, or perhaps they got booked with the bounceback from last year.

 

[Glennie5]

Just for fun, I did a mock up Free Dining gander for 2 adults and 3 kids for the week of 11/15-11/21. The only moderate available was CSR and that was a junior suite, so essentially 2 rooms. There were no moderate resorts that would let a family of 5 in one room.

Don't know if this is the case for other weeks, but it sure seems to me that Disney does not want parties of 5 in one moderate room for Free Dining, or perhaps they got booked with the bounceback from last year.

We are also a family of five. I was able to book CBR standard view room with free dining (different dates). POR was also available for booking. We only need one room at both of those resorts.

 

[michellev]

I was able to get CBR for 5 over Christmas, so perhaps your dates are the problem. Can you try a different date?

 

[Jadyreen1282]

POR is great for five people. That trundle fits a kid comfortably.

 

[Lehuaann]

Just for fun, I did a mock up Free Dining gander for 2 adults and 3 kids for the week of 11/15-11/21. The only moderate available was CSR and that was a junior suite, so essentially 2 rooms. There were no moderate resorts that would let a family of 5 in one room.

Don't know if this is the case for other weeks, but it sure seems to me that Disney does not want parties of 5 in one moderate room for Free Dining, or perhaps they got booked with the bounceback from last year.

You can't base such an opinion off of one week in November.

The rooms are either: booked; available in the rack-rate inventory; out of inventory for upcoming promotions/PINs; being scaled back to scale back FD (which we see to be true); etc., etc. To be fair, for FD, it's limited across the board. Hardly any standard view rooms. And there was nothing available at CS during my dates.

Either way, this is what they choose to offer, so we have to take it or leave it. Sure, it's possible that BB/etc. may have filled several of the rooms, after all, there's not a lot of the trundle rooms to go around. However, there's no conspiracy against families of 5 here.

...I'm curious though, since you say you did this for fun, as to why you didn't post this in your open/active FD thread, which was started for the purpose of discussion? Just my opinion, but opening additional threads of the same dialogue can come across as dismissive to those participating there.

 

[Amanda999]

POR is only available Aug 28 to Oct 2, under the free dining offer.

So, for 5 people in a standard room at the moderate resort level, you are already limited for your dates to certain CBR rooms.

(Pretty slim availability for 5 in November!)

 

[Hitchhiking Ghost]

My understanding is that Port Orleans (Riverside and French Quarter) are both currently excluded from the free dining offer that was just released. Caribbean Beach is the only other moderate that can accommodate a family of 5, so if you are checking for free dining dates, at the moderate level, for a family of 5, that would be the only resort to come up.

 

[uccats97]

POR is included this year.

 

[diskev]

POR is included this year.

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside (Valid only for arrivals August 28 through October 2, 2015)

 

[uccats97]

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside (Valid only for arrivals August 28 through October 2, 2015)

That is considered included.

 

[Snow White 77]

The cabins are moderate and sleep 6

 

[lovehoney]

I got CBR from 12/19 to 12/25. I had to get a preferred room and park hoppers to get the free dining. I really wanted through 12/26 but wasn't able to find a room with that date. I am just excited they offered the dining for a family of 5!

It ended up being about $700 more with preferred room, dining and 6-day park hoppers than with room only with 5-day base tickets.

 

[jacksgirl]

Are the cabins included in FD?

 

[LilyStar]

Are the cabins included in FD?

Yes they are.

 

[darrengs]

That is considered included.

True, except the OP was looking for November dates.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Not entirely true that POR is fully excluded...but it is not included in November.

Riverside is included for check-ins between August 28 and October 2 only.

There are rooms that sleep 5 available at CBR and at the Fort Wilderness Cabins. Both may be included for this offer.

So for the OP to make the blanket statement that "Disney doesn't want families of 5 in one moderate room for free dining" isn't fully true, but they have definitely been adjusting their parameters for this promotion to give the greatest possible benefit to Disney itself (meaning families of 5 are more likely to have to look at deluxes or family suites).

 

[darrengs]

.... but they have definitely been adjusting their parameters for this promotion to give the greatest possible benefit to Disney itself (meaning families of 5 are more likely to have to look at deluxes or family suites).

Or, it could mean that moderate rooms that can accommodate 5 do not need discounts in order to be filled.

 

[Hitchhiking Ghost]

Or, it could mean that moderate rooms that can accommodate 5 do not need discounts in order to be filled.

Same thing last year. As a family of 5 we were hoping to do a post Thanksgiving trip and stay at POR, which we were able to do in 2010 & 2012. However, not only were the dates excluded last year, but also POR (and CBR was not yet allowing families of 5). I believe Disney did start releasing some pin code offers last year that included POR, but the GP offer made it extremely difficult for a family of 5 to stay there, unless you could pony up for deluxe accommodations.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Right, they could already be filled up. But if you are a family of five, Disney most certainly wants you to pony up more for a Deluxe no doubt. It is kinda interesting how they do seem to be phasing this discount out little by little. What is the dining plan, the regular one up to now in price?

 

[dansdad]

Right, they could already be filled up. But if you are a family of five, Disney most certainly wants you to pony up more for a Deluxe no doubt. It is kinda interesting how they do seem to be phasing this discount out little by little. What is the dining plan, the regular one up to now in price?

Quick Service Dining Plan Per Night
Adult - $41.99
Child - $16.03

Regular Dining Plan Per Night
Adult - $60.64
Child - $19.23

Deluxe Dining Plan Per Night
Adult - $109.53
Child - $29.86