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

[Elle23]

I was having the same issue. It took my reservation about 4 hours to update to reflect the free dining plan. If you have the e-mail confirmation then you are good.

Thanks!

I'll keep checking!

Man, I'm getting excited!!!

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

Well, if you can let me/us know, I know we all are in this together. If you don't mind me asking, what resort were you trying to get FD for and the dates? Maybe if someone on the board sees one or is going to cancel one they can give you a heads up

Currently booked at POP but would stay at All Stars if we can get free dining. Dates are firm 8/26-9/5.

 

[Lothlórien]

I haven't followed your posts so this may already be answered. But why allow this woman to make money off your reservation when she is doing basically NOTHING to get you the discount? Go online, book what you want and cancel with her IMO. She rolled in at 9 on the biggest promo day of the year?! She's not doing you a favour.. she's supposed to be working for your business.

I was thinking the same. I do not understand why people use Travel Agents anyhow, unless they are offering you an incentive (like Costco does).
Going through most TAs, the price is the same. Why lose control over your reservation?

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I haven't followed your posts so this may already be answered. But why allow this woman to make money off your reservation when she is doing basically NOTHING to get you the discount? Go online, book what you want and cancel with her IMO. She rolled in at 9 on the biggest promo day of the year?! She's not doing you a favour.. she's supposed to be working for your business.

She actually rolled in at 9:15. I can't book online, I don't have a credit card.

 

[♥ Mandi ♥]

Yay! Email from my TA! Free dining at CBR and the gift card offer still, too!

Can you share the name of your TA? Looking for someone for 2018 trip.

 

[Lothlórien]

Thanks!

I'll keep checking!

Man, I'm getting excited!!!

Unfortunately, the Disney website is not real-time. It can take up to 24 hours to reflect accurate details. As busy as they are right now and as quickly as information is changing in their system with the promo, it extends those times. If you have an email from them, you know the data has been changed.

 

[pigletto]

She actually rolled in at 9:15. I can't book online, I don't have a credit card.

UGH. I'm sorry. That's so frustrating. I am annoyed on your behalf.

I truly think if she doesn't get what you want today, that there is a VERY good chance of finding a room in the next few weeks. I had read that TA's release holds after three days if deposits aren't made and that could help.
You can also make a deposit online with a gift card I believe. Maybe that would work if you decide to book yourself. Fingers crossed for you.

 

[Lothlórien]

She actually rolled in at 9:15. I can't book online, I don't have a credit card.

Can you take the same money you are paying her and slap it onto a Visa giftcard and pay through Disney directly? Or Disney giftcards?

 

[Kiki_pa]

Finally got through!!!! Only 11 minute hold so they say. I need some luck!

Well 11 minutes is turning into 24 minutes and counting but I don't care because at least I got through. I'm not sure if it's because I've been up all night combined with all the coffee but I feel like I am going to throw up from all this stress!!!!

 

[Srbright]

Frankly, I don't think that people who book months in advance counting on the fact that they can modify to FD are doing themselves any favors. Disney will offer resorts and room types that are underbooked and if enough people have certain rooms booked there is no reason for Disney to offer them at a discount.

It's a chap shoot. Do I book in Feb with the dining plan so I can do things like book CRT and the luau without having to pay in advance and get the 180+10 day reservation window?

Or do I book and pay for them upfront and lose the reservations window and MAYBE make a better chance for free dining by not showing Disney that the demand is there?

Stacy

 

[HappilyEverAfter80]

To me Free Dining only made sense when booking a moderate resort before. It was barely worth it when Disney made you add park hoppers last couple of years, but it was still best discount if going in the Fall for parties of 3 or more (if again booking Moderate). But now that Moderate gets quick service only it's so not worth it! I priced out Port Orleans Riverside for our dates Aug 13-19 and upgraded the Dining plan to regular and was at $3325 for 2 adults, 1 child under 10.
It was only $160 more if we did the same resort, same dates with the room discount and added the dining plan. Ok yes free dining still cheaper but barely...

Now at Wilderness Lodge it would cost us $3541 so only $200 more to go to a deluxe now.

I think it depends what your family was going to do anyway... if you usually stay at value and add park hoppers and you like quick service only.. great. We like the regular dining plan and the moderate resorts. There is no way I will pay $500 more for the same thing at Riverside as last year.
We will be staying at a deluxe this year, but most likely with a good room discount we already booked with.

I believe this is Disney trying to phase out the Free Dining promo. The sooner we let go of it the better... By the way I love the Disney Dining Plan so I'm sad about it

 

[Jchoma]

I was having the same issue. Mine to 4 hours to finally update to reflect my changes. If you have the e-mail confirmation you should be good.

Thanks!!

 

[DisneyLifePapioNe]

*sobs*

My Poly standard... I'm booked for a stay, but no FD availability at this time.

So if you're going to cancel between sept 17-23rd and have FD for a Poly standard let me know first.

No way, did you try to modify or book a new one?

 

[robinb]

Yeah, that's how the plan works. You take the rack rate (which you did) and subtracted the cost of the dining plan (QS only, which is correct) and came up with $1334. The RO (no dining plan) cost was $1200. To add the dining plan to the room only you would need to add the cost of the dining plan (the same $96/ night)

Rack rate + QS FD = $1334
RO = 1200
RO + QS = 1200 + 768 = $1968

So for the extra $134 you're paying over the RO discount you get 2 meals and 2 snacks a day. With your quote of Rack rate being 264/night, to save $96/night would be a discount of over 35%.

Stacy

You need to unpack "free" dining and look at it as a discount. In the case of Value and Moderate resorts it's the price of the QSDP. In @ChiCat's case there are two adults so the discount is 48.20 per person per day or $96.40 per day.

Rack rate (8 days, no DDP, no passes, no tax) = $2115
QSDP "free" dining discount = $96.40 x 8 = $771
Discounted "free" dining rate = $1343

Enchanted Escape Room Only discount = $1200

$1343 - 1200 = $144 (I was wrong, it's $144 and not $134)

If you want to go the other way and ADD the QSDP to her existing reservation you get

Enchanted Escape Room Only discount = $1200
ADD QSDP = $771
Total with QSDP = $1971

$2115 - $1971 = $144

ETA: I see where you were confused. The rack rate (which includes the QSDP) is $2115, NOT $1343. $1343 is the the discounted total I came up with by subtracting the cost of the DDP from rack rate.

 

[919Florida]

I was thinking the same. I do not understand why people use Travel Agents anyhow, unless they are offering you an incentive (like Costco does).
Going through most TAs, the price is the same. Why lose control over your reservation?

That's really mean to lump all travel agents into this because its simply not true. If you go with an agent who does this full time and for a living, you should have no problem. And most agents will do all the work for you for free with no charge. Booking your dining reservations, answering questions, rate monitoring and getting you the lowest rate, itinerary planning and more. My agent does all of this for me and some more. I can email her at 5am or 1130 at night and I always get an answer within minutes. I can call her toll free number and get answers within minutes to my questions. I had an email from my agent this morning telling me she got me the free dining and that email came in at 6:15am. I had no worries at all. Not all agents are the same. That's the purpose of my comment here

 

[Srbright]

I think it depends what your family was going to do anyway... if you usually stay at value and add park hoppers and you like quick service only.. great. We like the regular dining plan and the moderate resorts. There is no way I will pay $500 more for the same thing at Riverside as last year.
We will be staying at a deluxe this year, but most likely with a good room discount we already booked with.

I believe this is Disney trying to phase out the Free Dining promo. The sooner we let go of it the better... By the way I love the Disney Dining Plan so I'm sad about it

We booked AKL standard view for only $300 more than we would have paid for POR. The phasing out of it really hurts. We are going to upgrade to annual passes and go a few more times in the year but it won't be deluxe.

Stacy

 

[Srbright]

You need to unpack "free" dining and look at it as a discount. In the case of Value and Moderate resorts it's the price of the QSDP. In @ChiCat's case there are two adults so the discount is 48.20 per person per day or $96.40 per day.

Rack rate (8 days, no DDP, no passes, no tax) = $2115
QSDP "free" dining discount = $96.40 x 8 = $771
Discounted "free" dining rate = $1343

Enchanted Escape Room Only discount = $1200

$1343 - 1200 = $144 (I was wrong, it's $144 and not $134)

If you want to go the other way and ADD the QSDP to her existing reservation you get

Enchanted Escape Room Only discount = $1200
ADD QSDP = $771
Total with QSDP = $1971

$2115 - $1971 = $144

2115 is rack rate without dining (see your note above, no dining, no tickets).
1971 is RO WITH dining.
1343 Is FD at rack rate
1200 is RO no dining.

So again, for $144 you get 2 meals and 2 snacks per day for 8 days.

Stacy

 

[monorailrabbit]

I called the number on the visa link and when I finally got through it told me not a working number. I'm so frustrated. there is no availability for any of the promos for my resort. and I can't get through on the main line. I'm about ready to cry!

 

[black562]

Wish I had been wrong about the quick service at the moderates. That was a low blow this year.

 

[Lothlórien]

That's really mean to lump all travel agents into this because its simply not true. If you go with an agent who does this full time and for a living, you should have no problem. And most agents will do all the work for you for free with no charge. Booking your dining reservations, answering questions, rate monitoring and getting you the lowest rate, itinerary planning and more. My agent does all of this for me and some more. I can email her at 5am or 1130 at night and I always get an answer within minutes. I can call her toll free number and get answers within minutes to my questions. I had an email from my agent this morning telling me she got me the free dining and that email came in at 6:15am. I had no worries at all. Not all agents are the same. That's the purpose of my comment here

NOWHERE in my comment did I throw an insult at TAs. Read again!

I was thinking the same. I do not understand why people use Travel Agents anyhow, unless they are offering you an incentive (like Costco does).
Going through most TAs, the price is the same. Why lose control over your reservation?

Where is the insult to a TA? How is that mean? I don't know if you are a TA and just took offense or you are looking for an argument, but you clearly read something into that comment that does not exist. LOL