******Official 2017 Free Dining Plan Watch, Wait, and Dream

[Princess Merida]

Aside from crystal palace what other character dining would be a worthwhile option?? Two adults no kids - just kids at heart

'Ohana and 1900 Park Fare breakfasts are both awesome.

 

[goldnvalli]

I thought you had to pay a non-discounted rate to get FD. Am I wrong?

No. Not wrong. But sometimes when staying at a deluxe it is better to take the ro discount than fd. When taking fd you have to pay rack rate for the room and with the regular priced room and add ons to tickets the ro discount might be the best discount.

 

[TeacherInNeverland]

Unfortunately you would have to upgrade at least 48 hrs before your check in date.

I replied to the first person actually who stated this.

We'll be in Florida before our check in so we'd upgrade the three days before check in. The GC would just technically cover it since we'd have that $300 to mess with after check in. I think I worded that wrong XD left out some words.

Are you already booked with the gift card because you can't do it now? Was confused by the wording so sorry if misunderstood.

Also, you have to upgrade before you check in so you can't use gift cards to do it. You could use gift cards to pay for some TS OOP if you wish.

I replied about this,

We'll be in Florida before our check in so we'd upgrade the three days before check in. The GC would just technically cover it since we'd have that $300 to mess with after check in. I think I worded that wrong XD left out some words.

We have the GC already just debating how to use it after getting there. Basically, do we keep the GC offer an stay at CBR but upgrade for $300 while we visit friends the few days before and have that money to spend later with the GC or do we switch if we don't get DDP?

Is the $300 worth it when we have the GC to replace it later on, on whatever we want.

 

[Greg36]

When I go in and check for September it does not default to the CDN tickets for me when I choose a package or room only. No one would have been able to use the discount tickets with the FD BB as the FD BB would've ended before the CDN discount tickets, unless they went on sale before the end of October.

It does when you do a package for dates that also have other discounts available. It lets you stack a RO discount with the Canadian ticket offer. As there are no Sept RO discounts out yet it does not seem to automatically default. Good point about the start of the Canadian ticket offer. I don't remember when it was introduced. It would be interesting to see if Disney would let someone modify it now (add the Canadian tickets to a BB FD offer). I am guessing that will be a no go as it would be a pretty significant discount...

 

[KimBean]

I'm going to say this again, because I would hate for someone to be blindsided at the last minute.

If you want to upgrade your dining, you must do it 72 HOURS before arrival. The 48 hrs that keeps being put out there is for DVC only, and none of you will be DVC if you have free dining.

Once again: upgrade dining plan must be done at 72 HOURS before arrival.

I don't think 48 hours is being put out there because of DVC. I think 48 hours - 72 hours was mentioned because it was one or the other and finding out exactly which one made no difference as either meant not being able to use gift cards to upgrade.

 

[goldnvalli]

My "hunch" is FD won't be released early for Disney Visa holders.

It hasn't for the last 2 years. I don't think it will be either.

 

[Meeko5]

I also think GG is overrated - food was just meh, though the characters were a lot of fun.

We had a great meal at H&V for the Christmas "holiday dine" - loved the food which surprised us all. It's where I first tried Brussel sprouts even! And the characters were great too.

We didn't love Tusker house dinner - characters were rushed, food was mediocre and the atmosphere was insane. Though I had a blinding migraine 5 min after we got there and that may have tainted the experience

We will Always do Ohana dinner though - both times we've had amazing meals there. It's the one place we both agree on! Though last war they did dance lessons on place of coconut races so the kids were sad about that. But that bread pudding though ::drool::

 

[kels420]

Aside from crystal palace what other character dining would be a worthwhile option?? Two adults no kids - just kids at heart

We enjoy Crystal Palace and 1900 park fare- Cinderella and friends at dinner and Alice, mad hatter and Mary poppins for breakfast. Also love the Tusker House at breakfast.

 

[Rusty2rules]

Are you already booked with the gift card because you can't do it now? Was confused by the wording so sorry if misunderstood.

Also, you have to upgrade before you check in so you can't use gift cards to do it. You could use gift cards to pay for some TS OOP if you wish.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

I think I have my resort preference order down now, both with QS at mods vs. DDP at mods. I figured we would go value, then mod and upgrade the dining plan either way. DH surprised me last night though when he said he would rather pay the $300+ for queen beds and a little more space. I even threw a deluxe in my order just in case too. Now I will probably rehash it all weekend and change my mind 100 times.

Depending on when you are going, if your thinking PoP. Don't forget the room upgrade might include a queen bed.

 

[SKYYCAMEL]

I'm gonna quit stressing about FD and have faith in my TA at Dreams Unlimited. Well.............. I'm gonna try to quit stressing.

 

[agassizsmile]

Not the case for us. We would save a TON more with FD than a RO. We're staying at CR.

I really think it depends on so many different variables each family is different. Depends on number of nights, tickets and eating preferences, and ages of people.Its not one size fits all.For some RO saves more, for others FD.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

Also, free dining comes with the condition of buying park hopper tickets. For people with annual passes or who don't plan on hopping, this is an added expense to offset the free dining. And some people (Canadians) are entitled to ticket discounts they couldn't use if getting free dining. Also, a reservation with 5 people in a room will get 5 dining plans, but the same room with only 2 people will only get 2 dining plans. Room discount is for the whole room, so its value is higher when there are only 2 in the room compared to a discount shared between 5 people in the room.

I agree, this might work for a family of three or more, but with two people with the added cost of the park hopper and the full price of the room. Might not make a whole lot of sense. If say a couple was staying at a deluxe and getting a room discount of that cost can sometimes be upwards of 120 a day and then the extra cost to add on park hoppers for each ticket would out weigh the cost of free dining.

 

[DisKaren]

Thank you. No one on the board or ******* seemed to know what I was talking about. I was seriously just thinking I might have dreamed the whole thing.

No, it wasn't a dream. I'm just getting caught up on all the reading on this thread. . . it's moving so fast! I know what you're talking about, and Dad is 100% wrong. He needs a new day job.

 

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

If only one meal is important to you I would keep the QS. The problem with DDP is that its three meals and you will probably want reservations for two of them a day, but if you are going down to enjoy the F&W and MNSSHP, then you will be missing out because you will have lets just say two hours for ever meal, that's 16 hours dedicated to just meals, then you have to make sure you are there, so that will dictate you make a schedule and pretty much try to keep it. You lose any freedom you really have with the QS meal plan.

^This is good advice^
DxDP definitely takes some planning to utilize properly without feeling like you are running from meal to meal. We enjoyed it very much but without a plan it could quickly turn into a big waste of time and money.

 

[KimBean]

3 days
10 hours
9 minutes
2 seconds

 

[tilir]

Aside from crystal palace what other character dining would be a worthwhile option?? Two adults no kids - just kids at heart

We did 1900 Park Fare for the first time last time and me and family loved the interaction with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Step sisters and Step mother.

 

[Disneylover99]

Hmmm...I have the FD BB booked from last year and am Canadian. I hadn't thought of calling Disney to see if they would let me change the tickets to the discounted Canadian tickets. Probably worth a call. All they can say is no....which is what I expect the answer will be.

Can't call from work but will try this from home tonight and report back.

Great! Thanks! Please let us know!

 

[Mbuksa]

Aside from crystal palace what other character dining would be a worthwhile option?? Two adults no kids - just kids at heart

1900 park fair. Great for kids st heart. Love the step sisters. So much fun

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

So my sister and I are not sure if we are going but... I decided I'd rather be safe instead of scrambling later so I went ahead and made our ADR's for Labor Day weekend. I figure it doesn't hurt to be prepared and then if FD drops and we decide we aren't going to go or at least are not going to upgrade our dining plan then I can just cancel them.

 

[Elsaalltheway]

So my sister and I are not sure if we are going but... I decided I'd rather be safe instead of scrambling later so I went ahead and made our ADR's for Labor Day weekend. I figure it doesn't hurt to be prepared and then if FD drops and we decide we aren't going to go or at least are not going to upgrade our dining plan then I can just cancel them.

We will be there the weekend after, and hopefully with the early release of F&W and MNSSHP im hoping the crowds will have thinned out.