Book budget now or wait for free dining?

[Shooby doo]

Allyfe
We seldom eat onsite unless we are in one of the parks, the last 2 trips have tied in with 2 1 week cash FD bookings but really there aren't any Disney owned Restaurants that are on our must visit list! We like Chef Art's & a couple of the counter service locations at Disney Springs, have a Landry's card if we can't think of anywhere. The Crossroads is a short 20-25 min walk from SSR - Manny's, Millers, Steakn Shake, Olive Garden,Chevy's, Perkins, Ihop, Denny, Carrabas, Uno's, Fuddruckers, Kobe, Black Angus... & all of them at least half the price of Disney!
SD

[MrsSevSpaghetti]

I’m so fearful of their being no free dining. My husband won’t go without it. Urgh.

[Donaldfan]

Originally Posted by MrsSevSpaghetti

I’m so fearful of their being no free dining. My husband won’t go without it. Urgh.

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There are no paid for dining plans next year so I can't see there being free ones. If your husband won't go without free ones you could go on your own. I love my solo trips.

[sha9]

I don’t think dining plan is gone forever and I don’t think we can say free dining is either as none of us can see the future. Would we ever have predicted this year? Dining plans keep people on Disney property and have been around for a long time with various layers introduced so I don’t think Disney have been looking for an excuse to get rid. They only just introduced a new one. As soon as restaurants can go back to normal I think we’ll see them back. I think Disney are announcing changes far into the future because they have no idea how this will pan out and need to manage expectations. As things change for the better they can gradually introduce changes in reverse.

[Shooby doo]

I think a lot will depend on the Reservation system, certainly that's around till the end of 2021. Now I like a good plan but with the reservation system I'd rather have my eyes poked out with a blunt spoon! eg.
You want to eat at Teppon Edo in epcot = 1 chance of success + 2 chances to fail! Get park reservation but no TE or TE reservation but can't get in the park.
So before we would look at where we were going to be then choose somewhere to eat & all that you had to worry about was eating now you need a back up plan for park & then a back up plan for that...
Planning Hell for me
SD

[sha9]

Originally Posted by Shooby doo

I think a lot will depend on the Reservation system, certainly that's around till the end of 2021. Now I like a good plan but with the reservation system I'd rather have my eyes poked out with a blunt spoon! eg.
You want to eat at Teppon Edo in epcot = 1 chance of success + 2 chances to fail! Get park reservation but no TE or TE reservation but can't get in the park.
So before we would look at where we were going to be then choose somewhere to eat & all that you had to worry about was eating now you need a back up plan for park & then a back up plan for that...
Planning Hell for me
SD

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I’m not even convinced the reservation system will be around all through 2021 although I admit it will make the 50th celebrations easier.

[BaconAndAvocado]

Feeling very positive today, I think that by August 2021 things will be back to the old normal.

It's 14 months away.

[Shooby doo]

Well Lisa don't know about you but modified our DVC stay this morning so have a Disney reservation currently with no passes, Universal are extending our UAP & worst case we'll buy SW/BG 14 day passes.
There's so much contradictory info out there, just saw someone post that a CM told them that reservation system is only 60 days in advance yet that's not how I read it ? ! What they have created is the ADR system but 100 times worse! How many guests will book 14 days admissions & then cancel at the last minute?
Is holiday planning supposed to be like this !
SD

[sha9]

Originally Posted by Shooby doo

Well Lisa don't know about you but modified our DVC stay this morning so have a Disney reservation currently with no passes, Universal are extending our UAP & worst case we'll buy SW/BG 14 day passes.
There's so much contradictory info out there, just saw someone post that a CM told them that reservation system is only 60 days in advance yet that's not how I read it ? ! What they have created is the ADR system but 100 times worse! How many guests will book 14 days admissions & then cancel at the last minute?
Is holiday planning supposed to be like this !
SD

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All these changes panicked me a bit and we now have 2 reservations, one for the Dolphin and one for POFQ having moved this years. My thinking was that at least we technically have tickets now and I was a bit worried that we’d need an actual Disney hotel. The Dolphin is free cancellation anyway but we might do a split stay.

I can’t do anything just now as the POFQ booking isn’t linked so I’ll just need to wait and see. If I have to book all my park days I will but not really happy about it.

[bronny]

Originally Posted by BaconAndAvocado

Feeling very positive today, I think that by August 2021 things will be back to the old normal.

It's 14 months away.

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No they won’t. The reservation system won’t get any better from September - I can see if being even more restrictive if it changes in any way as they are expecting monumental crowds. The reservation system is in place until September regardless so it definitely won’t be back to normal by then. My hope
Is that it will be by 2022