Free Dining PINS ~ This Changes Everything

Earlier today, many folks began receiving PIN codes via email from Disney.  These PIN codes offered free dining for select dates through December. 

I have been trying to determine if Disney would do any more free dining outside of September.  As you know, they have specifically been cutting back on this particular promotion.  However, after today's PIN release, this truly changes everything.  Unless a certain date range sells really well, I wouldn't be surprised if these dates don't eventually go public.  There may be some tweaks to the date ranges...they could be longer or shorter, but these look historically very accurate. 

Time will tell of course, but in the meantime, here are the details from the PIN Codes:

Free dining with purchase of a non-discounted 5-night/5-day room and ticket package at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels.
 

For arrivals on most nights:

8/25 – 10/2
10/18 – 10/31

11/11 – 11/23
11/30 – 12/4

12/15 – 12/22

Must book by 8/14/13

So have you received one of these PIN offers?

Do any of these dates fall on your planned Disney vacation? 

WDW Room Discounts Extended Though September

WDW room only discounts will continue.  As you know, the current room only promotion ends on August 14.  The new ones will pick up on August 15th and continue until at least September 28.  This has it ending just as Food & Wine begins. 

While this isn't surprising (they have extended the spring into summer already), it will likely make those late-August dwellers somewhat happy, since they are missing out on Free Dining this year.

5% off - All-Star Movies, Port Orleans French Quarter, Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah Club Level (Villas included), Bay Lake Tower, Contemporary theme park/Club Level

15% off - Art of Animation suites

20% off – All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century, Contemporary lake/standard rooms, Grand Floridian, Polynesian Resort

25% off - Port Orleans Riverside, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs

30% off – Animal Kingdom Lodge pool/standard rooms, Yacht Club, Beach Club (Villas included), BoardWalk Inn (Villas included), Old Key West, Wilderness Lodge (Villas included), Saratoga Springs

Little Mermaid rooms (Art of Animation), Ft. Wilderness campsites, and 3-bedroom villas not included in this offer.

Remember guys, when it comes to free dining vs. room discounts, you have to do the math.  It all depends on the level of resort and how many in your party.  Values and, in many cases, moderates usually get the better deal with free dining, while deluxe can sometimes find a better deal with room discounts...but again, you just have to do the math.  Remember...ALWAYS do the math!!!!

24 Hours of Disney Magic!

As I posted back on Monday over at the Dis, the Magic Kingdom will be pulling another all-nighter.  Begginning at 6am on May 24 until 6am on May 25, the Magic Kingdom will remain open all night long.  For those who aren't looking at their calendar, this is also Memorial Day weekend, which is sure to pack in lots of people.

The Magic Kingdom in Florida will feature a “Monsters University” theme where Mike and Sulley will be the Grand Marshals of the “Celebrate a Dream Come True” day parade and make appearances in Tomorrowland. There will be extra entertainment throughout the day and night, including characters in their pajamas in Town Square during the late night and early morning, and late-night dance parties in and around the courtyard of Cinderella Castle.

Over on the West Coast, for the first time, both Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure will also remain open 24 hours as well.  All three parks will also feature limited-edition specialty merchandise for the event as well.

So is anyone going to give this a try?  Do you think you can do the entire 24 hour stretch?

Free Dining is Coming for 2013

Free Dining is coming for late summer 2013!

The offer will be for visitors traveling between September 2-25. The promotion will include quick service for value resorts and the regular dining plan for moderate and deluxe resorts. Keep in mind though that if you stay in a value, you can still upgrade to the regular dining plan for $18 per person per day.

This will open for booking on May 9 and you must stay a minimum of 3 nights and purchase at least a two day ticket.

Oh, and Disney Visa holders can book on May 6, a few days early as always.

Note:  Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation, and campsites at Ft. Wilderness are not eligible.

Prediction Becomes Reality - Cars Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios

 Ok, first thing first...yes I do need to get back to blogging.  That said, I couldn't resist stopping by to make note of a recent development.  It was unofficially announced today that Disney would release details soon about Cars Land coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.  The new land would be located where the backlot tour and Lights Motors Action stunt show are currently.

If this all sounds familiar, have a look back at a blog I did three years ago.  The similarities are crazy....maybe they've been reading this blog, or I'm psychic, or more likely that it was just obvious this would happen. 

Oh, and remember the Little Mermaid Ride that opens this week?  Yea, I kinda predicted that one as well.   Interesting enough, if you look at the park where both of these attractions are located (California Adventure), do you tend to see a pattern?  If not, look no further than Soarin', that was the other ride that moved over to Florida from this park.

I promise to return soon to a semi-regular blogging schedule.

Cheers Everybody!!!!!

Disney to build Princess Suites

In a move that was sure to happen, Disney announced the building of new Princess Suites. These suites will be located at Port Orleans Riverside, with 512 royal Guest Rooms planned to open by March 2012. It seems that Princess tianna has invited some of her royal friends for a getaway; hence, guests will notice special items left behind by various princesses.

As I've pointed out in the past, Pirates and Princesses usually go together at Walt Disney World. With the creation of Pirate Suites at the Caribbean Beach. I've already predicted that, after the completion of the heavily Princess-themed Fantasyland makeover, I would look for a Pirate-themed land to follow in the coming years. For more on that topic, see a prior blog post.

In addition, Disney also announced the addition of Health and Wellness Suites, which will be located at the Contemporary Resort. More on these suites will follow in a future posting.

So, what do you think of this announcement? Will you stay at a Princess Suite? Do you think its a good idea? Share your thoughts and comments below.

Fantasyland Expansion Changes, and Goodbye to an Old Friend?

As the Fantasyland expansion continues, we always knew that changes to the master plan were possible. We also know that the parks are always changing, with new things coming and, sadly, a few old things leaving. Back in August, Disney announced that changes were being made to the original Fantasyland expansion plans.

The latest word is somewhat sad to say the least, that Snow White's Scary Adventures will be closing forever...possibly as early as February 2011. It seems like only yesterday we were saying goodbye to an old friend, Mr. Toad. I for one am always sad to see the loss of classic attractions, even when its in favor of newer ones.

Add that to the word that Disney is scrapping Pixie Hollow, as well as the Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty areas, and it seems to change the direction of the expansion altogether. While some things appear to be on the chopping block, there is also word of at least one new addition...the Seven Dwarfs Mine coaster that has been rumored off and on. If true, this would put Snow White somewhat back into the mix, but (in my opinion) not replace the classic attraction that may close. Word is that Snow White will become a princess meet & greet area for the foreseeable future.

Of course, all of this is somewhat speculation; however, it has been mentioned by several sources at this point...so we all know what that tends to mean. The Fantasyland expansion plans were probably the worst kept secret ever, even though that may have been on purpose. So what would cause a change of plans mid-stream? Could it be the continued Harry Potter effect? Rumors are also swirling that Universal is set to start on phase II of the Wizarding World, taking up the remainder of the Lost Continent land. Could it be the latest announcements from Sea World's Discovery Cove or even Busch Gardens?

While the reasons are hard to say, I do think its safe to assume there will be many more changes before the expansion is finally complete. To top it all, there have also been mumblings of changes in Adventureland, but that's another blog altogether (or perhaps a past blog from long ago).

A Few of My Favorite Things ~ The Last Week

First, many apologies for my lengthy absence. All work and no play has made Joe a lazy boy. Now you're probably wondering what I mean by "The Last Week", and it's a good question. I'm talking about that last week before your Disney vacation, the excitement, anticipation and how it all comes boiling over as the days and hours draw near. First comes the final planning, gathering things together, getting together everything to pack, and all of it makes the anticipation all the greater.

In case you're wondering, its my final week before I return to Walt Disney World for two weeks of fun and excitement. I prefer to drive, which takes me on a 14 hour journey through 6 states. Each time I cross a state line, the excitement gathers, until I cross the gate that welcomes me to the Walt Disney World Resort...then I'm home.
Just a little something to think about as your trip draws near. Nothing matches the exhilaration of seeing this for the first time!!!

Free Dining Offer Extended

Walt Disney World's free dining offer has now been extended and is available all the way into late-December. If you book a five night/six day stay at a WDW Resort, with a six day ticket, the dining plan is free. Just as the previous offer, the value resorts get the quick service plan, while moderate and deluxe resorts will get the regular dining plan.

The offer is available for the following dates: August 15-October 7, October 22-28, November 12-18, November 27-December 2, and December 10-21, 2010. You can book by calling Disney at 407-WDISNEY.

So start making those holiday plans to visit Walt Disney World in all its splendor.

Free Dining for 2010 Released

Free dining has been officially released as of this morning. The dates are for August 15 - October 2 and will offer the quick service plan for value resorts and the regular plan for moderate and deluxe resorts. Disney Visa holders can book now, while the general public can book beginning on Monday, May 3.

Free Dining in 2010? -- Update

I've been waiting to pull the trigger and actually post this, as I wanted to wait for any further details to possibly emerge.

Just a quick update on the latest rumors. My sources are now indicating that May 3 is looking strong for the release of free dining. As I mentioned before, the dates would begin on August 15 and go through the first few days of October. Also, its a good bet that it will be quick service for Values and the regular dining plan for moderate and deluxe resorts. Keep in mind though that if you stay in a value, you can still upgrade to the regular dining plan for $10 per person per day. Also, as before, we should expect Disney Visa holders to be able to book on or around May 1.

Free Dining 2010?

I thought I would post some historic dates of when the free dining promotion first opened for Disney Visa bookings. As you can see, only one out of the past five actually started bookings prior to April 1.

2005 - Booking started June 2
2006 - Booking started April 1
2007 - Booking started April 9
2008 - Booking started April 7
2009 - Booking started March 30

Also, try an experiment, go to Disney's dining reservations and try to book Cinderella's Royal Table(CRT) for....lets say....August 20 (well inside the 180 days). You'll find that you can get pretty much any time you like. In fact, the only place that's booking fast is Le Cellier (which is also one of the smallest dining establishments in all of Disney). Given the popularity of CRT and the speculation of free dining, why would it still be wide open, especially with the potential of being free?

When I booked my ADRs for the first two weeks of September, I got everything I wanted, including Le Cellier on two nights, as well as CRT.

So does these low bookings give insight into the booking levels for the fall? I think it very well might. If that's the case, it certainly makes sense to do a promo of some kind, wouldn't you think?

More to come...