Jennifer:
You are correct that your dates do not fall under Disney's Free Dining Offer for 2014.
October provides one of the best times of the year to visit Disney World. Milder weather brings the end of the hurricane season and summer's school crowds subside. My guess as to why Disney is not offering their
Free Dining Offer during your visit specifically is because it's the week of the Columbus Day holiday. Good deals at Disney typically follow the economic theory of Supply and Demand. When demand for rooms at Disney is low, they offer specials to encourage visitors. Holidays typically mean schools are out for long weekends or fall breaks, and families now see what my family has learned since 2006 when we came for the first time to Disney in the fall: it's a great time to visit. Subsequently, though, our family has seen a rise in fall crowds over the past eight years.
Another contribution possibly to the higher demand for rooms in October is the increasingly-popular
International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot that begins in September. It draws large crowds of visitors and even bigger numbers from local residents.
Although I am not privy to any upcoming specials, in the past, Disney has had some Fall Specials. Keep an eye on the
"specials" page of the
www.disneyworld.com website for possible future deals.
Wishing y'all a magical vacation!
Whitney