2013 Free Dining Watch

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

It's how I feel. I'm far from the only one who feels this way and rightfully so. I'm sorry you don't understand. I guess if a ton of people were offered a great deal, but you were randomly excluded from it, you'd be fine with it, but I'm not OK with that.

I understand how you feel. The fact that some could be going on the exact same trip but because one person got a PIN and the other didn't, one is saving say, over $1,000 over the other...not cool

 

[deadheadmamma4]

I must have gotten lucky we got free dinning in sept for pofq so they must have it some times?

 

[suetoo]

POFQ never gets discounts or if it does it's 5%. It so small and very popular so no need to offer a discount.

Not true. I have stayed at POFQ 3 times on free dining. This was in the last couple of years but before I discovered these boards. In no way was I first to call. I probably called weeks into the promo and made an original booking, not a modification.
I honestly think the boards and made it harder to get a discount for these resorts because we anticipate a discount and book ahead and then get ourselves excluded. It can happen. Others have also said, if the resort is already filling up, why offer a discount.
I booked with a AAA discount at BC and when a better one came out for RO I tried to apply that, but no luck

 

[suetoo]

I understand how you feel. The fact that some could be going on the exact same trip but because one person got a PIN and the other didn't, one is saving say, over $1,000 over the other...not cool

I feel the same way!

 

[Srbright]

It's how I feel. I'm far from the only one who feels this way and rightfully so. I'm sorry you don't understand. I guess if a ton of people were offered a great deal, but you were randomly excluded from it, you'd be fine with it, but I'm not OK with that.

Yes, I am absolutely okay with that. Most of those people, at least reading these boards, switched resorts to get the free dining.

The guy next to me has a bigger monitor than I do because I started 3 weeks before the new equipment came in and he started the week after. It happens.

We have free dining for POFQ so discounts do happen there.

Stacy

 

[dfGoofy]

POFQ never gets discounts or if it does it's 5%. It so small and very popular so no need to offer a discount.

Our last 2 stays were at POFQ with Free Dining. November '09 and February '12.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

It's how I feel. I'm far from the only one who feels this way and rightfully so. I'm sorry you don't understand. I guess if a ton of people were offered a great deal, but you were randomly excluded from it, you'd be fine with it, but I'm not OK with that.

You weren't randomly excluded from it. There is nothing random about the choice of resorts to exclude. Things are changing, and they are now choosing with this particular offer to exclude the smallest/newest/most popular resorts. Disney's been working up to this sort of thing for some time. Slim to no discount during peak times, reduced discounts at popular resorts, credit card holds for popular restaurants. No free dining at Art of Animation. Now there are new resorts in the exclusion mix.

If you are inclined to choose POFQ over the free dining, that's your prerogative, as the only way you can get free dining under this offer is to move to another resort. If you want to stay at POFQ to the exclusion of any other alternative, and you have a shot at any other type of discount there, the best thing to do is to call and inquire about having that discount added ASAP before you lose the opportunity to get it.

 

[dfGoofy]

It's how I feel. I'm far from the only one who feels this way and rightfully so. I'm sorry you don't understand. I guess if a ton of people were offered a great deal, but you were randomly excluded from it, you'd be fine with it, but I'm not OK with that.

I am going in October and we WERE booked at CSR. We couldn't get Free Dining for CSR so we had to switch to CBR Pirate rooms. I have 3 daughters and my wife's grandmother and aunt are going with us in a separate room and they also switched. Do you think we really wanted a Pirate Room? But for almost $1000 less we took it. We don't spend that much time in the room anyway. Hey, at least I will feel more manly in the room full of women!!

Someone I work with is going the week before me and during the blackout dates. He had the choice of RO or moving his dates. RO at a value with the price increases actually increased his cost so he left it as is. He made the choice not to move his dates to save $500 or $600. I had already told my wife if we didn't get FD then I was going to look into renting points and book DVC. I calculated it and I could stay there with dining for about the same as a moderate and paying for dining. If DVC rooms are available. You had the choice to try for another resort. I'm sorry you didn't get free dining but part of the problem is you weren't flexible.

 

[gokdog]

Well, we are now booked during the November Free dining window, so all is well.

I think our experiences from 2011, when we really had the full array of choices well into the period made me think that this time the availability would be the same. In 2011, we stayed at POFQ, booked a few weeks into the availability and basically picked the dates we wanted in December.


This time, I was really surprised at how many people either pre-booked holding reservations awaiting the free dining announcement or how few free dining reservations they were making available for the moderates. Now the other problem with ours was the 5 person room need, but I would have rather "paid" for a Port Orleans Riverside 5 person room, but we "settled" for Beach Club, which was the least expensive 5 person option we could find, with the free dining.

Now that being said, we are super duper excited, as we have always wanted to stay at Beach Club, but very different experience this time around.

Cheers,

 

[2Tiggies]

Well, we are now booked during the November Free dining window, so all is well.

I think our experiences from 2011, when we really had the full array of choices well into the period made me think that this time the availability would be the same. In 2011, we stayed at POFQ, booked a few weeks into the availability and basically picked the dates we wanted in December.


This time, I was really surprised at how many people either pre-booked holding reservations awaiting the free dining announcement or how few free dining reservations they were making available for the moderates.

There definitely seem to be either fewer discount rooms at POFQ this year or maybe it has just become so much more popular so the demand is high but I was struggling to find standard rooms for some dates months out and that's unusual from my experience. We've stayed there every year since 2010. I don't know what the deal is with the discounts this year but there do seem to be fewer. Either that or others are just quicker than me

 

[lauradis]

Org plan was oct 21-27 deluxe dinning preferred room 3 adults cornodo springs
$4,123

2 hrs 09 mins 28 second hold time and got oct 22-27 reg dinning perfered room 3 adults coronodo springs $2340

thats heck of difference and worth the 2 hrs of hold time

 

[black562]

Org plan was oct 21-27 deluxe dinning preferred room 3 adults cornodo springs
$4,123

2 hrs 09 mins 28 second hold time and got oct 22-27 reg dinning perfered room 3 adults coronodo springs $2340

thats heck of difference and worth the 2 hrs of hold time

That is amazing. Congrats!!!

 

[Srbright]

There definitely seem to be either fewer discount rooms at POFQ this year or maybe it has just become so much more popular so the demand is high but I was struggling to find standard rooms for some dates months out and that's unusual from my experience. We've stayed there every year since 2010. I don't know what the deal is with the discounts this year but there do seem to be fewer. Either that or others are just quicker than me

Google came out with the "ruler" lab for maps.... and everyone measured the distance from the rooms to the amenities (main bldg, pool, boat & busses) at POFQ and decided 500 ft beat 1500 ft especially after a long day in the park.

Stacy

 

[2Tiggies]

Google came out with the "ruler" lab for maps.... and everyone measured the distance from the rooms to the amenities (main bldg, pool, boat & busses) at POFQ and decided 500 ft beat 1500 ft especially after a long day in the park.

Stacy

I missed a trick then!! Mystery solved

 

[jas792]

I have an annual pass it will expire on August 27.. We booked the free dining plan at pop September 2 to September 9th. Can I take the tickets we bought for that package and use them as a credit toward renewing my annual pass. Thanks

 

[FrugalFashionista]

I have an annual pass it will expire on August 27.. We booked the free dining plan at pop September 2 to September 9th. Can I take the tickets we bought for that package and use them as a credit toward renewing my annual pass. Thanks

I've seen many people say you can do this but I'm not sure how it works.

 

[Bama_C]

I have an annual pass it will expire on August 27.. We booked the free dining plan at pop September 2 to September 9th. Can I take the tickets we bought for that package and use them as a credit toward renewing my annual pass. Thanks

I was told by a CM a couple of years ago that we could do that even if the tickets had been used, up until the last day of use. Because we have purchased 10-day PHs every year (with our FD packages) for the past 7 years, I was really thinking that might be a good deal for us. However, the numbers did not work out for us, as we live too far away to get there often enough to make it worth the additional $250/per person per AP for 5 of us... plus each having to purchase tickets to get the Free Dining package each year. But, it's nice to know it's an option.

 

[katherined]

I didn't know that! We also have those coupons!

 

[katherined]

I was told by a CM a couple of years ago that we could do that even if the tickets had been used, up until the last day of use. Because we have purchased 10-day PHs every year (with our FD packages) for the past 7 years, I was really thinking that might be a good deal for us. However, the numbers did not work out for us, as we live too far away to get there often enough to make it worth the additional $250/per person per AP for 5 of us... plus each having to purchase tickets to get the Free Dining package each year. But, it's nice to know it's an option.

I agree! Why get something if you can't use it.

 

[jelliott04]

EDIT: Disregard this post. I didn't realize it was an old post that had been resurrected.

Well, we are now booked during the November Free dining window, so all is well.

I'm late to seeing this. Was Free Dining released for Fall 2014?

Jen