32 responses

  1. Sara M
    January 20, 2014

    By check or right back onto our credit card?

    Reply

    • Dave
      January 21, 2014

      Back to the credit card you booked on, Sara

      Reply

  2. Sara M
    January 19, 2014

    I am wondering what happens if our balance is paid in full but Disney offers Free Dining on our dates? How do they reimburse?

    Reply

    • Dave
      January 20, 2014

      Sara, you would re-book into a new reservation, and cancel your old one. They would then refund the old reservation.

      Reply

  3. Kat
    May 8, 2013

    When you say no specials on Art of animation does that include if your booked in the mermaid room there then you cant get the free dining meal special in September as well as room discounts or is it one or the other? Sorry for the confusion.

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 9, 2013

      Kat the deals came out today, and Little Mermaid rooms aren’t eligible for either.

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      Reply

  4. Ken
    May 8, 2013

    By they way Dave, what is your favorite Quick Service meal and your favorite Table Service meal?
    Just wondering?

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 8, 2013

      Ken I dunno! For quick service it’d be a toss-up between Flame Tree Barbecue at AK and Pecos Bills at MK…Table service is a lot harder…but probably Hoop Dee Doo (can you tell i’m an 8-year-old boy at heart??

      Reply

  5. Ken
    May 8, 2013

    Congrats on the victory Dave! Thanks for all the advice! My wife and I have had Sept 21 penciled in since last November, so glad Disney came through. Now the only question is which resort to stay at! ;-?

    Reply

  6. Sam
    May 7, 2013

    Hello Dave,
    With so many people taking advantage of these offers (Riverside Standard view is already booked up the last week of August), will the last week of August still see the low crowds it has in years past?

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 8, 2013

      Sam, the occupancy of the resort hotels is not a crowd calendar. Even if as a result of these deals, they get 20 more points of occupancy, that’s just 6,000 more room nights, or 20,000 more people per day. Divided across 4 parks, the waterparks, Downtown Disney, Harry Potter, off days, etc., that’s just nothing…

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      Reply

  7. Lisa
    May 7, 2013

    Well, thanks for talking me out of a moderate! You make some good points. It was between the French Quarter or Pop Century…I think we’ll go with Pop. Just me and my friend going for a girls trip, first-time visitors. We will probably just upgrade our dining plan from the value plan.

    Thank you for the tips!

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 8, 2013

      You bet, Lisa, and have a great visit!!

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      Reply

  8. tbuff
    May 7, 2013

    Thank you, Dave. If “free dining” is too steep of a discount for them to offer, maybe they should consider giving a discount on the dining plan during the lower crowd times. I hope I can get some kind of deal!! Keeping my fingers crossed!

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 7, 2013

      Yo tbuff. The (stop here if you are easily bored) issues with free or lower-cost dining, compared to discounted room rates, which are more likely, are that an extra meal comes with a lot of incremental food and staff costs, while an incremental room has hardly any; some of the participants in the dining plan are not Disney owned-and operated, especially at Epcot and Downtown Disney, making the internal negotiations complicated, and free dining is a lot more complicated to deal with in the internal accounting….

      Reply

  9. Lisa
    May 7, 2013

    Hi Dave. What is a good time to call Disney the morning of May 9 to secure free dining? We will be staying in a moderate hotel. Do you have any recommendations of which moderate hotel has the most free dining spots available? I plan to book the package today so I just have to call on Thursday. Any recommendations you have would be greatly appreciated. It will be our first WDW trip and I CAN’T WAIT!!

    Reply

  10. Chelli
    May 6, 2013

    Hi Dave! Love this sight!! We have booked for the 1st week of December, but with the discounts offered for September, considering moving our trip. Just want your opinion, would you risk moving it to peak hurricane season?

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 7, 2013

      Hi Chelli! If this will be your only trip ever, I’d stick with December. If you can return (and hence make up later for any weather issues you face this year), then the hurricane risk is pretty small…

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      Reply

  11. Anonymous
    May 6, 2013

    COMPLETELY sick at my stomach about this! My family and I booked a moderate hotel, made character dining reservations etc. with the hopes that free dining would be offered in Oct. (as it has in years past). Any chance they would extend this offer into October or give any other discount for Oct 6-12?
    Bummed in KY

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 7, 2013

      Hey, there’s a reasonable chance of a room rate deal then, but I’m not foreseeing any other 2013 free dining.

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      Reply

  12. Carl
    May 6, 2013

    Hey Dave, about that breakfast …

    I’ll let you know the next time I’m in town.

    What’s your favorite place for breakfast. (Good thing Victoria and Albert’s doesn’t do breakfast.)

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 7, 2013

      Hey Carl, you pick! I’m there 5-6 times a year, and with a few exceptions can schedule around your next visit to have our breakfast!

      Reply

  13. JPate
    May 6, 2013

    Oh yes, also congrats on the dining-wars victory. Nothing against Dad but I am glad you were right.

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 7, 2013

      🙂

      Reply

  14. JPate
    May 6, 2013

    Yes I am interested just like (tbuff – 2 comments up) as to the possibility of free dining for the week after thanksgiving. I know you might not know yet but if they were to offer it when would the likely announcement be made? (June or later?)

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 7, 2013

      Jpate–same basic answer; if there is such an offering, it could be announced anytime from August til November…

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      Reply

  15. Goofy
    May 6, 2013

    Congratulations on your free breakfast 🙂

    Reply

    • Dave
      May 7, 2013

      🙂

      Reply

  16. tbuff
    May 6, 2013

    what do you think the chances of free dining becoming available on or before the Saturday after Thanksgiving are? It has been offered in previous years, but I know the free dining wasn’t offered as much for the 2013 year so far.

    Reply

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