Will free dining increase attendance????

[MayMom]

Do you think that the free dining will make the parks packed??? We were considering changing our vacation to Sept. to do free dining, but if the attendance is going to be HUGE I don't know.....

 

[4mcbjCtr]

I would recommend going in September when everyone is back in school. August is still summer break for a lot of people. We went in mid September last year and walked onto almost everything.

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

We went last fall for 11 days. The first 7 days of the trip the parks were completely empty. The remaining days the crowds increased daily due to the fact it was nearing a holiday weekend. Even though those days were more crowded, it was still alot better than our trips in the spring.

I say go for it and have a great time. By the way, it was hot still.

 

[Ladybugsy]

We were there in September last year. Free dining was going on, though we didn't have it. It wasn't crowded at all, and I we had a great time. Go for it!

 

[LoriZH]

It will definitely increase attendance, but not to the point you would change your plans. The attendance is really low in September as is, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[cdntourguide]

If there were going to be huge crowds in September, Disney would not have to offer free dining to those people booking holidays.
Free Dining is a Marketing tool to entice people to come at a time that they would not normally come, and at a time when the parks have small attendance figures.

Granted Free Dining is going to entice quite a few people to show up in Sept. (It got me to come). But huge crowds, I don't think so.

 

[aubriee]

We were there last year for the free dining Sept 17-24th. It was great! The parks were almost empty. Most rides were a walk on. However the TS restaraunts were packed. People were being turned away everywhere. Without ADRs you weren't eating (at least not at any of the popular restaraunts). We waited about an hour past our ADR time at Le Cellier.

OT: In some ways it worked out to our advantage though. On the day we were going to Chef Mickey's my D-I-L and I also wanted to go to DTD that evening to finish up some shopping. Just as we arrived at DTD my D-I-L realized she had forgotten t-shirts she was having signed by the characters for her niece and nephew, so my son and ex jumped a Disney bus back to the resort to go get them while she and I finished our shopping. Everything that could go wrong for them did (arriving at both the DTD bus stop and the POP bus stop just as their bus was pulling out, caught in traffic, etc). Anyway my D-I-L and I were almost frantic by the time they showed up almost 2 1/2 hours later (and we couldn't call them since both men had our cell phones). Anyway we literally ran to the bus stop to catch a bus to the Contemporary. At the Contemporary my 6'3" son told us to catch up with him as he was running to try to keep our ADR. He literally leaped off the bus as the door opened and ran full speed to Chef Mickey's. You should have seen him running like a madman weaving in and out of people. (But he was determined to keep that ADR for his wife who desperately wanted those autographs for her little niece and nephew.) When the rest of us arrived he was out of breath and had a disgusted look on his face and told us they were about 45 minutes behind schedule. We were seated a few minutes later with no problem. If we had been on time we would have had about a 50 minute wait.

 

[bicker]

I believe the most significant impact of free dining is a movement of guests from off-site resorts into Disney resorts. While there will be some guests who will choose to go at that time because of free dining, that won't be the major impact.

 

[frndofpooh]

We have been to WDW many times in September, including last year during free dining. There was a slightly noticeable difference in the number of people in the parks (especially at the end of the month as MNSSHP and F&W were about to start), but not nearly enough to impact your plans. September remains one of the least crowded times of year. I agree with others who said that the main effect will be on ADR wait times and the percentage of guests staying on WDW property. Just plan your ADRs a little more carefully than usual, but otherwise just have fun!

 

[Ohio State Buckeyes]

We have gone twice in Sept. 2003 and 2004 but I don't think free dining was available then. 2003 parks were empty 2004 a few more people but still empty. This will be our first year going with free dining going on(we won't have it).

I don't mean to get off topic or hijack this thread but we are going Sept 8 through the 19th and we haven't called for adr's. It's just my wife and myself and we like to think we are two easy going people. We don't mind waiting and don't mind going to a different place to eat if we can't get in (that has never happened to us at DW). We like to eat late 8pm or later. Should I call down and get adr's or should we just free wheel it like we have done in the past?

 

[bicker]

Have ADRs. Even in mid-January, one of the least busy times of the year, no free dining promotion, there was a night when every single TS restaurant in the MK was booked solid from 3PM to closing (which was 8PM that night).

 

[3princesses4us]

I don't mean to get off topic or hijack this thread but we are going Sept 8 through the 19th and we haven't called for adr's. It's just my wife and myself and we like to think we are two easy going people. We don't mind waiting and don't mind going to a different place to eat if we can't get in (that has never happened to us at DW). We like to eat late 8pm or later. Should I call down and get adr's or should we just free wheel it like we have done in the past?

DH and I went last year (second week of September) by ourselves for our anniversary and couldn't get in almost anywhere without an ADR. We made the really important ones (Le Cellier, Shula's, 50's Prime Time etc.) but we thought as a party of two we would be able to sneak in places but we actually couldn't.
I would definately make the important ones before you go.

 

[TDC Nala]

I have seen that sign out often at the MK (the one that says there is no table service dining available in the park) but I think that is because there are relatively few table service spots in MK.

If you want to eat table service in MK or at any of the more popular restaurants, I'd suggest an ADR anytime. I have an ADR for Boma on June 3rd. That is a Saturday night and I know without an ADR I'd wait forever to get in there. I don't think I'd worry so much about one for Jiko, though... but if I knew I wanted to go I would have one.