Dining question (free?)

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2004
Dining question (free?)
5
Fri, 09-08-2006 - 8:08am

I've been snooping aroung the site here and saw the free-dining was mentioned several times.

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Avatar for ashleysmomma2003
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Fri, 09-08-2006 - 8:55am
The free dining offer is over. You had to book by July something. We booked 6 nights at the POFQ with 5 day PH tickets for Sept 10 - 16. We got free dining because we booked within a certain window. You had to stay at Disney between Aug () and Sept 30. You could have a difficult time eating at a sit down place in the parks without reservations because many people have the free dining and are eating at the sit down places.
Avatar for carolejd
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-13-1999
Fri, 09-08-2006 - 8:57am

Well yes and no..... Disney are indeed offering free food, however to be eligable for the free dining plan promotion you had to have booked during a certain period which was back in June I believe.

It's to promote travel to WDW during the slower value season, we were lucky enough to be able to make use of it when they offered it last year.

Since you will be at WDW during the free dining plan promotion period though, it will affect you somewhat in terms of the number of people in the restaurants and I would definitely try and make some bookings for places you think you might like to eat, even if you don't end up using them you can always call and cancel, otherwise you might find yourselves with long wait times at some of the restaurants.

Carole

Carole

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-25-2004
Sat, 09-09-2006 - 3:51pm

For future reference: THe "Free" dining plan includes one sit down meal, one counter service meal and one snack pper night per person over 3.

If can be purchased for $38 adults and $12 for kids (Not exat, but close to those numbers!). The plan also includes Appetizers (Sit down meals) entrees, dessert and non alcoholic drinks, tax AND gratutiy. For example: We ate at LeCellier, we each got a smoothie (I plate shared with the baby since he is just 14 months), an appetizer (I had shrimp cocktail, DH had beef barley soup, both girls had salads), our main course (DH and I each have Filet Mignon with potatoes and steamed veggies, DD had Spaghetti with meatballs and the other had a cheeseburger and fries), soda with our meal, dessert (DH had Creme Brulee sampler, I have the blueberry buckle with ice cream, DD had the chocolate "moose" and the other DD just wanted marshmellows and ended up getting 4 skewers with 2 big marshmellows each, lighted toasted and rolled in rainbow sprinkles LOL!) and DH and I each got coffee or tea as well. THe bill came to almost $140 which included 18% tip and taxes, but we just signed a little pice of paper and walked away! It only "cost" us 4 sit down meal "credits" total to eat!

We used our "5" credits at 1900 Park Fare, Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's, Le Cellier, and 50's Prime time Diner. Often times those meal alone totalled over $100, so even if we had to pay for the plan, we would have come out ahead!

Snacks are just about any item under $4 except "meat sides" and Pizza. We maximized out counter service meals by often plate sharing, so we were able to eat 2 counter service meals a day with our sit down meal then using our snacks for ice cream or some breakfast items, even. We eneded up stocking up on rice krispy treats and boxes of cookies our last day!

Some of our counter service meals were: Cosmic Rays: 1/2 chicken with fries, chocolate cake and soda. Flame Tree: 1/2 rack of ribs, fries, baked beans, corn on the cob, frozen lemonade and soda. Wolfgang Puck Express: CHicken lasagne with bread, a giant cookie and a bottle of water. Liberty Inn: Double cheesebuger with topping bar, fries, jello parfait and chocolate milk. Portions were usually HUGE! Each of those meals only "cost' 1 counter service credit!!

The FREE Dining plan, needed to be booked by June 25, for stays at least 3 nights long between Aug 13 and Sept 30, although you could start your trip on the 30 and still get free dining your entire stay! You needed to stay on property and purchase at least a one day ticket for everyone to be eligible.

If you are planning on doing ANY Sit down meals, I'd call TODAY to try to get in, on the plan or not! I called back in April for my August trip and didn't always get my first choice of times, and in the case of LeCellier, got one of one 2 times available our entire 6 day stay!

It is LOTS of food, but if your family does not like to take time out for sit down meals, it may not be worth it, but finacially it made sense for us, even if we have to pay out of pocket for it our next trip!

OH, You can also "double up" on your credit and use 2 sit down credits for some of the signature meal! (Cinderella's Royal table, for example!) THat way the days you are not on property, you don't have to worry about "losing" a credit. THe credits can be used any way you want....My family of 4 (There was 5 of us, but the baby didn't count) stayed 5 nihgts, so we got 20 sit down credits, 20 quick service credits and 20 snack credits. If we had wanted to eat to CRT in the morning, Boma for Lunch, then Chef Mickey's for Dinner all in the same day, then we would have used 16 credits all in one day. (That is a ton of food and just an example, not a reccommendation LOL!) IF we then shared 2 platters at our hotel for breakfast hte next day, tehn we would have used 2 Quick service credits. For lunch if we split a double cheeseburger, then the kids both got the chicken cesear salads with mickey crackers and applesauce, and carrot cate. We would have used just 3 QS credits. We then all stop for Dole WHips, we used 4 Snack credits! The credits do not expire until midnight the day you check out, so you can use credits even after you "leave" your hotel if you are planning on hitting ht eparks before you leave for good.

You know you rfamily best, but we WILL be doing the dining plan again!!

~Elena who managed to not gain any weight on our vacation despite maximizing the plan!!

~Elena Princess Of Everyday Adventures! event.png
Avatar for sphintergirl
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sat, 09-09-2006 - 9:17pm

The previous posters said it well.

And for what it is worth, I have been trying to change around ADR's for when we go 9/24-9/30 and have had full bookings the the times/places I want to change and have been unable to switch.

Good Luck and enjoy your trip.

Oh, and since they were advertising LTT as a pre party meal, I am sure they are booked, but you could always try.

Sarah




Edited 9/9/2006 9:19 pm ET by sphintergirl
Avatar for ashleysmomma2003
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Sat, 09-09-2006 - 9:21pm
I had no problem changing some of my ADR's and we are leaving tomorrow morning. It depends on your schedule. We eat dinner early, so it was easy to get another dinner. Many places are doing dinners earlier for this time frame because of the free dining.