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Free DDP?

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Tue, 03/26/2013 - 13:48
crazycatperson's picture
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Free DDP?

I'm starting to tentatively plan an all-WDW trip for later this year. I don't know whether we'll actually be able to make it, but planning is so much fun I figured, what the heck, if we can go the trip's all planned, and if we can't I'll still have the fun of planning.

Does anyone have a rough idea of when WDW offers free DDP? Like, which months are more likely to have free dining offered? We've never done DDP but if my trip happens to coincide with free dining, I think I'd probably sign up for it.

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Tue, 03/26/2013 - 13:56
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I had free dining in October last year, but that was with a PIN code that was mailed to us. From what I'm seeing on other message boards and hearing from friends that are TAs, it's a big mystery so far if it will even be offered on a large scale this year. If I'm not mistaken (and I could be) there were no spring dates offered this year.

Tue, 03/26/2013 - 14:11
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This site lists historical data for free DDP:

http://wdwprepschool.com/about-the-disney-dining-plan-and-how-to-get-it-for-free/

Tue, 03/26/2013 - 15:23
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My Ta said that they haven't opened any of the historical dates yet. September/October was the biggest range due to hurricans season. She did say that the room discount plus ticket discounts that they have offered this year were "good" alternatives. I haven't found fall discounts yet. Latest I found was June.

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Tue, 03/26/2013 - 17:51
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Thanks, this is exactly what I needed. Looks like the time of year I'm planning for has historically been a time when free dining was offered.

I don't think I would ever pay for the DDP - I know I would lose money on the deal, and the convenience of prepaying isn't an incentive for me. If it were free, however, I might try it. But if room/ticket discounts were a better bargain, I'd skip DDP and go for that. So we'll see what's offered this fall and, if the trip goes as planned, I'll get whichever discount is best.

Tue, 03/26/2013 - 20:37
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Go for September! Go on go on go on! Laughing out loud

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Tue, 03/26/2013 - 21:00
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September is great! We went on our honeymoon last september the first week after labor day, and it felt like we were the only people in the parks somedays because it was so slow. The only time we waited for anything was Toy Story Mania, but we still got to do that 3 times in one day because the line wasn't that bad!

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Tue, 03/26/2013 - 21:51
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September isn't out of the question, although it's usually rather hotter than I like. It does have the advantage of being the month in which we got married, so we could parade around in our "Happy Anniversary" buttons.

So, Robyn, what are the dates of your September/October trip?

Tue, 03/26/2013 - 22:33
scrappy
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September is the better month crowd wise. But, it can still be very hot and still be humid. So even though both my birthday and our anniversary are in September we decided on an October trip this year.

Tue, 03/26/2013 - 22:35
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All the best people get married in September Wink (19th for us) we are there from the 11th till 30th Laughing out loud

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Our Very Merry 24 nighter Nov/Dec 15
Watson's go West May 15
The one with all the birthdays Oct 14 4 Big Birthdays and a Vow Renewal thrown in
The OMG trip June 14 30th Birthday present from the hubs
Girly trip March 14 A last min cheapy week
September 13 our first all DVC stay
TR May 2013 the last min bargain trip offsite
Oct 2012 TR with a cruise!big family trip featuring the beach club, AKL, the dream and a villa offsite
TR on a budget May - June 2011offsite condo
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Wed, 03/27/2013 - 00:16
JeffC
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RobynPrincess wrote:
All the best people get married in September Wink (19th for us) we are there from the 11th till 30th Laughing out loud

September 19th is an awesome day!! mickey

Wed, 03/27/2013 - 13:56
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RobynPrincess wrote:
All the best people get married in September Wink (19th for us) we are there from the 11th till 30th Laughing out loud

awesome awesome awesome September 3rd here Smile

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Wed, 03/27/2013 - 15:50
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My parents, and one of my brothers got married in September, and we also have 3 September birthdays in the family. What is it with September?!

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Follow along on our adventure as we make the move for a great life, and move to Orlando!

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1987(sort of)-Fariway Villas (I was not born yet, but could hear all the sounds of WDW)
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2004-Caribbean Beach
2008-Pop Century
2012-Contemporary Resort (Honeymoon)
2015- Caribbean Beach (daughter's first trip)
2017- Cabins at Fort Wilderness

Thu, 03/28/2013 - 12:22
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We've gone in October twice and never got free dining. We did get a room discount though.

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Fri, 04/26/2013 - 15:26
Thehowells
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two of our last 3 trips have been in sept
both had free dining, both times crowds were great like walk on to rides great,
however coming from canada that kind of heat at that time of the year was brutal, we were close to 110 some days with humidity

we had planned a trip for sept trip this year as well
but a new house and a cruise came up instead

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Fri, 04/26/2013 - 15:45
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I don't live in Canada, but I am far enough north (Pennsylvania) that I also think Florida summers are brutal. I was Orlando last week, and even April can be hotter than I like. Fortunately the humidity wasn't all that bad. I think that in the future I'll limit my Florida trips to the late October-early April timeframe.

 
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