Predicted Dates for Free Dining?

[jszczur5]

We have done our Disney trip the last three years at the end of August/beginning of September. We were fortunate to catch Free Dining for the last 2 - in 2005, our TA did not tell us about Free Dining, even though we booked during the appropriate time and traveled within the right time period (but that's a whole other story!)
Anyway, based on what I remember about the bounce back dates, it would appear that Free Dining is starting on August 30, which is the Labour Day weekend. We have always started our vacation the week before Labour Day, thus getting a 2 week vacation, but only keeping the kids out of school for the first 4 days of the new school year.
Is it me, or does it look like Free Dining is starting a week later this year? Assuming of course that it will be offered to the general public, as we did not book through the bounce back program because of the dates offered.
If Free Dining is not offered until August 30, then we will have to stay off-site for the first week, and add a couple of days at the beach and a couple of days at Universal to the schedule. Not my preferred plan, that's for sure!

[TBY2225]

I was able to take advantage of the bounceback free dining promo that they offered if you booked this year while you were there last year. Yes, the dates were a little later and I think you are correct about it being the very end of August through the end of September. If they do offer free dining to the general public, I would assume that the dates would be the same, but that could change. Unfortuately, you will just have to wait and see. They generally announce it around the end of March or first of April if they are going to do it again!

[sillydisneymommy]

We booked using the bounceback program for next year. I just checked the information in the flyer, and the dates offered were for 8/30 - 9/27. It is possible that they will expand those dates when they offer the free dining to the public though. They usually offer it very early in April. :thumbsup:

[Strmchsr]

It is possible that they will expand those dates when they offer the free dining to the public though. They usually offer it very early in April. :thumbsup:

More than likely those dates would shrink if anything. Look at the trends and there have been fewer available dates each year.

And, actually, no, you wouldn't have to stay off site at the beginning of your vacation. Remember that Disney now does a "per night" pricing instead of whatever your rate is at the beginning of your vacation pricing. You should probably contact Magical Journeys to confirm I'm right on this, but you should be able to start your vacation at whatever rate/discount is available when you begin and if "free" dining (or whatever discount is offered) comes up at some point during your stay then you can take advantage of it for those days.

[Mickey91]

If I remember correctly, they did extend free dining into October in 2005. They have not done so the last two years though. It usually starts the last of Aug and ends the last week of Sept. If the economy continues to go south and it takes a toll on WDW attendance then they may extend it. I wouldn't hold my breath.

[jszczur5]

More than likely those dates would shrink if anything. Look at the trends and there have been fewer available dates each year.

And, actually, no, you wouldn't have to stay off site at the beginning of your vacation. Remember that Disney now does a "per night" pricing instead of whatever your rate is at the beginning of your vacation pricing. You should probably contact Magical Journeys to confirm I'm right on this, but you should be able to start your vacation at whatever rate/discount is available when you begin and if "free" dining (or whatever discount is offered) comes up at some point during your stay then you can take advantage of it for those days.

Unfortunately we don't book with MJ, as we use CAA/AAA so that we can get the Diamond Parking Pass. I thought I read another post somewhere wherein people complained that they had to check out of their room and re-check in later that day because they were on two separate packages ie.- the first half no dining, and then the last half for Free Dining.
We will only stay on site if Free Dining is offered, otherwise we will stay in a hotel along 192, as we have so many other years in the past. With this year's changes to the DDP, it would not be economical to pay for it, and therefore less incentive to stay on site.

[Strmchsr]

Unfortunately we don't book with MJ, as we use CAA/AAA so that we can get the Diamond Parking Pass. I thought I read another post somewhere wherein people complained that they had to check out of their room and re-check in later that day because they were on two separate packages ie.- the first half no dining, and then the last half for Free Dining.


The check-in/check-out issue was previously a problem because under the old system whatever rate you had when you checked in was the rate you had for the length of stay. As of 2008 that is no longer the case so you wouldn't have to have 2 separate packages. Now, if you only wanted the DDP during the "free" promotion then I would expect you would have to do 2 packages. I don't think you could start without it then add it in later. That said, are you planning on staying at a value? At the value resort the "free" DDP is a good deal. At the moderate and deluxe resorts, however, the room-only discount is often the better deal, especially with the changes this year to the DDP. "Free" dining means you pay rack rate for the room and that can make a big difference.

Staying on site is the diamond parking pass much of an issue? Plus, I could be totally wrong about this, I thought MJ could get that for you. I know they can get the AAA room-only discounts (though not the package discounts). Just wondering for my own knowledge on that one.

[jszczur5]

The check-in/check-out issue was previously a problem because under the old system whatever rate you had when you checked in was the rate you had for the length of stay. As of 2008 that is no longer the case so you wouldn't have to have 2 separate packages. Now, if you only wanted the DDP during the "free" promotion then I would expect you would have to do 2 packages. I don't think you could start without it then add it in later. That said, are you planning on staying at a value? At the value resort the "free" DDP is a good deal. At the moderate and deluxe resorts, however, the room-only discount is often the better deal, especially with the changes this year to the DDP. "Free" dining means you pay rack rate for the room and that can make a big difference.

Staying on site is the diamond parking pass much of an issue? Plus, I could be totally wrong about this, I thought MJ could get that for you. I know they can get the AAA room-only discounts (though not the package discounts). Just wondering for my own knowledge on that one.

We had planned on staying at POR this year, but now we are taking (read - paying for) my brother, his wife and 2 kids, so we will have to settle for POP again this year. I have been told that Diamond Parking Pass is only available through CAA/AAA. It's not a huge deal to us, but a very pleasant perk.
Thank you for the info. about the check-out/check in changes this year. This new system makes a lot more sense. Hubby had said that if we had to check out and then re-check in, we might as well stay off-site for the first week. These changes may tip the balance back in favour to staying on site for the entire stay.

[Strmchsr]

We had planned on staying at POR this year, but now we are taking (read - paying for) my brother, his wife and 2 kids, so we will have to settle for POP again this year. I have been told that Diamond Parking Pass is only available through CAA/AAA. It's not a huge deal to us, but a very pleasant perk.


Glad to provide the help. One thing to consider - in the last few discounts WDW was VERY limited in the rooms it discounted for POP because POP has overwhelmingly become the most popular value resort. We were booked for POP this past November and Wendy with MJ tried the moment it was released to get us the discount so we either a.) had to switch to a moderate or b.) go with another value. The "free" dining has become so highly anticipated, and the availability at POP so limited, that it may be very difficult (especially not being with MJ) to get a POP room with the "free" dining discount (or whatever the discount is they release). So you may need to come up with a plan B in order to be prepared.

[vamaggie]

Staying on site is the diamond parking pass much of an issue? Plus, I could be totally wrong about this, I thought MJ could get that for you. I know they can get the AAA room-only discounts (though not the package discounts). Just wondering for my own knowledge on that one.

I tried to get the AAA diamond parking pass when we went in Nov (was going to get tkts from AAA for my folks) and was told by AAA that the pass is only available when THEY book a AAA package.

I would also recommend using MJ--they will try their hardest to get you any discounts available. I booked once with AAA and not only did they not try to get me discounts when they were first announced(like MJ does), they didn't really even want to try for me when I told them about the discount codes. Especially if you want to try to get free dining, I would use MJ.

[drhama]

We have been able to take advantage of the bounce back free dining 3 times now. In the past, the free dining was available while the Food and Wine Festival was going on. Not really so anymore. If you check in before the Sept 26th cut off, you could have free dining for your whole trip. We were fortunate to be able to move things around so that we could do this and I could celebrate my 50th bday with Mickey. Kind of silly for such an old lady to want to be with a mouse for such a monumental day but, it's what makes me happy and I deserve it.