Anyone trying for free dining?

[kaycee]

Rumor is that the free dining promotion goes live tomorrow. I've been obsessed with trying to get information and planning. Am I the only crazy one?

[krystee]

We may be booking a fall trip and, if we do, we'll do it around the free dining dates.

[medicmommy]

I plan to try, but I work tomorrow and have a feeling it's not going to be an easy process... especially with no cell service in my office. I have a hard time following the disboards post about it too.

[krystee]

I am not a big trip researcher...I tend to just book. So is the craziness on the phone lines tomorrow for people trying to switch their current vacation to free dining? Or will it be hard to book a new vacation package? I was going to book online.

[medicmommy]

I honestly don't know. We've only been once before and stayed off site. But some of the people were talking about being up at 4 am. No thanks!

[marie3246]

i was thinking about it since we are annual passholders and might just go for a few days during some of the rumored dates. We already have DVC booked for another trip and I won't be changing that, but I don't know if it is worth doing the free dining. I really don't know much about it at all.

[Wines Not Whines]

Do they usually offer the room discounts at the same time as free dining? We may take a room discount instead, because we'd be going during the food and wine festival, and we don't want to have to commit to eating full meals. I think the F&W stands only count as snacks.

[ilikedonuts]

Apr 24, 2016 10:24:52 GMT -5 krystee said:

I am not a big trip researcher...I tend to just book. So is the craziness on the phone lines tomorrow for people trying to switch their current vacation to free dining? Or will it be hard to book a new vacation package? I was going to book online.

Website will probably have lots of issues too. Their website sucks when there is large amounts of traffic. With all their $$$$, you think they would get a better server.

[krystee]

I think we might go for four nights starting 11/28. if DS will be 19 months (so no tickets), would we just pay for his meals but ours would be free?

[marie3246]

Apr 24, 2016 12:24:15 GMT -5 chilerellanos said:

Apr 24, 2016 12:21:40 GMT -5 marie3246 said:

i was thinking about it since we are annual passholders and might just go for a few days during some of the rumored dates. We already have DVC booked for another trip and I won't be changing that, but I don't know if it is worth doing the free dining. I really don't know much about it at all.

You have to get a package with tickets to get free dining (and last year it had to be with park
Hoppers or the water parks option).

ah ok, i thought you just had to book a room at the rack rate. 

[spaghetticat]

I'm booked with a TA but I'm crazy so I'm going to attempt to stay up all night and try to make a new reservation with free dining. I planned the whole trip around a free dining guess so I'm really hoping this works out.

[wesleycrusher]

Free dining is up and I got it!

The website would not let me modify my existing reservation, but did let me book a new trip with exactly the same dates at the same resort. It will not let me cancel my previous reservation, but I'll call in a few days (after the frenzy has died down) to cancel. Free dining saves us over $1500, worth getting up the hour early for sure.

[arch01]

Our original trip dates would've had it but having to add the park hopper and the already increased room rates for later December made it not worth it to us. Holding out for a discounted room rate!

[peggy]

Pretty sure we are priced out. Maybe next year... I don't want to go back for Christmas and Mel wants to see the Halloween stuff so our dates are not super flexible.

[kaycee]

We got POR for free dining. My husband got up for work at 4am and woke me up so I could check. That is when it went live, so I was all reserved in like 5 minutes.

[Amy]

well I've switched over as many clients as I can - free dining day kicks my ass lol - crazy Disney day!

[egishere]

waiting to hear from my TA but I know she is working on it for all her clients. Hopefully we get it and don't have to change resorts!

[Amy]

Apr 25, 2016 8:28:53 GMT -5 egishere said:

waiting to hear from my TA but I know she is working on it for all her clients. Hopefully we get it and don't have to change resorts!

what resort are you booked at now?

[rubysapphire]

Is there a trick for getting through on the phones? I've been trying since the phone lines opened this morning and I either get a busy signal or an all circuits are busy message.

[Amy]

Apr 25, 2016 8:47:10 GMT -5 rubysapphire said:

Is there a trick for getting through on the phones? I've been trying since the phone lines opened this morning and I either get a busy signal or an all circuits are busy message.

no we are having the same issues on the TA lines, just keep trying - there will be a long hold too once you get through

[rubysapphire]

Apr 25, 2016 8:50:08 GMT -5 Amy said:

Apr 25, 2016 8:47:10 GMT -5 rubysapphire said:

Is there a trick for getting through on the phones? I've been trying since the phone lines opened this morning and I either get a busy signal or an all circuits are busy message.

no we are having the same issues on the TA lines, just keep trying - there will be a long hold too once you get through

Thank you! Two more questions

I'm not trying to get free dining, just the discounted room rate. Do I need to be trying as frantically for that or can I wait until the free dining frenzy slows down?

Also, when they list Contemporary as an eligible resort, this includes Bay Lake Tower, right?

[Amy]

Apr 25, 2016 8:57:55 GMT -5 rubysapphire said:

Apr 25, 2016 8:50:08 GMT -5 Amy said:

no we are having the same issues on the TA lines, just keep trying - there will be a long hold too once you get through

Thank you! Two more questions

I'm not trying to get free dining, just the discounted room rate. Do I need to be trying as frantically for that or can I wait until the free dining frenzy slows down?

Also, when they list Contemporary as an eligible resort, this includes Bay Lake Tower, right?

Generally the room discounts have more availability so it's not quite the rush but they will get taken fairly quickly by people who aren't getting free dining like they planned. 

Bay Lake Tower is generally listed separately and is often excluded 

[egishere]

Apr 25, 2016 8:45:01 GMT -5 Amy said:

Apr 25, 2016 8:28:53 GMT -5 egishere said:

waiting to hear from my TA but I know she is working on it for all her clients. Hopefully we get it and don't have to change resorts!

what resort are you booked at now?

AoA we had a nemo suite but she got the FD but in a family suite so we wont know which one until check in

[ssmjlm]

Oh man, this is so tempting for December. I wonder if I could DH on board for a short trip.

[kittycatlove]

Our tentative plan is to go in December and looks like free dining is within out dates. I won't try today. When we're ready to book if it's available great, if not I'll hope for a room discount which is what we got last year.