2014 Free Dining Dates

[coastermom]

Free Dining is not really "FREE" living with a math teacher hubby we did the math and it only saves you very little over paying for dining . Even if Disney offers it they rack rate your rooms ...
With that said I am book in CR for 3 days in Sept and got a "free" Memory Maker which I am sure is costing me rack rate but it must be a busy weekend in Sept because everything is booked for dinner ! I know MNSSHP will be that Friday but it is also Food and Wine as well .. If the rooms are going the dining will not be free !

Just my 2 cents

 

[FutureDis]

Depending on what package you are booking, free dining CAN save you a bunch of money. For instance, my son and I are looking to stay at a value, in September. It is $102 a night. It adds $58 a night ($406 for 7 nights) for us to purchase the dining plan (quick service, 7 nights). If I wanted to make up the difference by getting a % off rack rate, I'd have to find a code for over 50% off rack rate, which I don't think it going to happen. Right now I have a PIN for 30% off + free park hoppers. That is only a savings of $30 a night, $210 for our 7 nights (we wouldn't normally purchase park hoppers). So you can see that free dining ($406 off) is a better deal for us than the 30% off rack rate ($210 off). This would be very different though if we were to stay at one of the more expensive resorts.

 

[Mimi82]

We are going to DW in October. A ferns of mine has received a PIN # for free dining but they will be unable to go. Are these PIN #s transferable?

 

[McKelly]

We are going to DW in October. A ferns of mine has received a PIN # for free dining but they will be unable to go. Are these PIN #s transferable?

What are the dates for her Free Dining pin? Did she get it via E-mail or snail mail? The pins are not transferable, the only way you could use it is if they traveled with you.

 

[pirate]

We are going to DW in October. A ferns of mine has received a PIN # for free dining but they will be unable to go. Are these PIN #s transferable?

No the Pin codes are not transferable. Last year my 19 year old daughter received one, it came to my e-mail address and they weren't going to let us use it, because it was sent to her, and not my husband and I. I put up a bit of a fuss, and we were then able to use it. Hoping to get one again this year, we are booked October 2-11.

 

[Kate and Family]

How are Disney Visa holders notified about pins? snail mail, email?

 

[mom2cinderella]

How are Disney Visa holders notified about pins? snail mail, email?

Disney Visa offers are 3 digit codes (pins are 11 digits). You probably are better off keeping an eye on the disboards for current information. After not getting emails for months, I did finally get an email for the last offer. It came about 8 hours after I had already read about it here.

 

[SPOERLX3]

Actually, the Disney Visa promos will have their own inventory of rooms and the Disney promos will have a separate set of inventory for those discounts.

And, all Free Dining promos for the last 9 years have required a 3 night minimum booking and have a 14 night maximum booking. Sometimes it can take hours before the FD discounts appears on the actual Disney website.

Learn something new everyday!
I had no idea that the Disney Visa promos have their own inventory of rooms vs the Disney Promos. Great info!

 

[tink97]

Following & Hoping!!!

 

[MummyButterfly]

I'm not sure what numbers your husband was using, but we are a family of 7 with all kids, except one, being priced out as Disney adults now. We usually get 2 connecting rooms at a value resort and usually stay for 8 or 9 nights. A room only discount saves us about $250 off full price rack rates. A Free Dining discount saves us about $1700 off full price rack rates.

I'm a stay-at-home mom and I do NOT cook on vacation and I'm not bringing PB&Js to the parks to eat. Eating at our favorite restaurants and character meals is part of the whole magical vacation for us. So, eating at our normal restaurants, if we didn't have the free dining plan, we would be out-of-pocket well over $2500 for meals.

There is no bigger WDW discount for us than Free Dining, it's really a no-brainer.

We are the same way! I am traveling this time with four kids - but two of them are "adults", so the Free Dining is the MUCH better deal. Plus, my older boys actually enjoy food - so the option for them to get more expensive steaks and such, plus appetizers and desserts, is a HUGE benefit for us.

Math degree or not - for some of us, Free Dining is the biggest discount we are normally offered.

 

[SPOERLX3]

I'm not sure what numbers your husband was using, but we are a family of 7 with all kids, except one, being priced out as Disney adults now. We usually get 2 connecting rooms at a value resort and usually stay for 8 or 9 nights. A room only discount saves us about $250 off full price rack rates. A Free Dining discount saves us about $1700 off full price rack rates.

I'm a stay-at-home mom and I do NOT cook on vacation and I'm not bringing PB&Js to the parks to eat. Eating at our favorite restaurants and character meals is part of the whole magical vacation for us. So, eating at our normal restaurants, if we didn't have the free dining plan, we would be out-of-pocket well over $2500 for meals.

There is no bigger WDW discount for us than Free Dining, it's really a no-brainer.

agree 100%!
I have ran the numbers for our Disney family this year using the MM, the RO and the PIN code I got for a room discount + free park hopper. We also do 2 rooms at a value and FD is hands down the best discount for us, saving us at least $1000 and all our food is free. It's a no brainer for our trip.
I do believe it depends on the size of your family and the resort you want to stay in but for us it is FD all the way!!!

 

[evcollins]

following!!

 

[zippy doo dah]

We just came back from a trip with DDs high school marching band and it was no where near close to being a typical Disney visit for us...for our kids either...so we're planning on going again in the fall (DD is trying to convince me to take her for graduation too lol) and I was told I have a pin code for the 30%+ free PH upgrades. I thought I was too late for FD hopes, but here I am and I see I may not be too late after all....so I'm still hopeful!!

 

[ksianis]

How do we know when the Disney Visa card will offer this, I have been checking the Disney rewards site everyday...nothing has changed. We are hoping for FD, we booked with AAA and were wondering if FD would be available for Oct 2014. Any help would be greatly appreciated !!!

 

[smitch425]

Free Dining has been offered for the entire month of September every year since 2005. It's the height of hurricane season and has very low crowds due to kids going back to school, so September is always included in the FD promo dates.

The late summer offer does not typically include the entire month. There have been days that were not covered. Last year, check in dates of Sept. 1, 26, and 27, were not eligible for FD.

 

[smitch425]

How do we know when the Disney Visa card will offer this, I have been checking the Disney rewards site everyday...nothing has changed. We are hoping for FD, we booked with AAA and were wondering if FD would be available for Oct 2014. Any help would be greatly appreciated !!!

Historically, Visa gets most deals early, but definitely not all of them. People will be reporting on whether or not the deal has gone live very early in the morning on the expected released date. So just keep watching this site.

 

[ksianis]

Yep, me too! I'm scanning the Disney blogosphere, hoping and praying to see some confirmation on the leaked/rumored release date. I've looked at so much this morning, but I think one of the MANY threads on the Codes and Rates boards said the Disney Visa offer might come out by next Thursday or the Monday after that. That would make sense, the dates are usually released in April . . . . . . Anxiously waiting!

What is the Codes and rates board? What is the website, i would love to look at it..... Thank you!!!!!

 

[smitch425]

Here is the link to the Disboards discount codes and rates forum...

http://disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&f=93

And this is the best FD thread to join...

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3185039

We're a chatty bunch, but when FD info starts to get serious, we're all business.

 

[ksianis]

I appreciate your help... I'm new to the site, so I'm trying to figure out where everything is! It's nice to have so many great people helping!!!!

I called Disney Visa (Chase) today and they have no idea what I'm talking about when I ask about offers... I spoke to a supervisor and 3 different people... I keep seeing everyone discuss Disney Visa cardholders and getting offers prior to the public... I have a Disney visa, but don't receive any offers via email/mail. disneyrewards.com doesn't show much.

At a loss...thanks again for your help!
Do you suggest any other websites I can keep an eye for???

 

[ksianis]

hahahaha... I love it! Thanks so much! We love everything Disney.... it's so fun planning our trips and reading this website...I love the knowledge! I'm addicted to the site, just not sure how to navigate everything just yet.
Thanks!!!!!!