Free Dining Plan ?

[jennapens]

Just when I thought I had my plans set, Disney throws out the free dining. My brain hurts.

We are staying at CSR from 11/28 to 12/5. We are currently booked on a 40% pin code (paying full price for 11/28 and starting the package on 11/29). Now we're trying to figure out if the free dining is a better option.

Now to the question... I know that at the moderate resorts you get the regular dining plan. Honestly, we won't eat a table service every day. We are going for our DD 1st b-day, and we have to go by her schedule, so I will never know what time we are eating in advance. Is it possible to get the quick service dining plan with a moderate. I would hate to have to get the regular plan and have it go to waste. DH will absolutely in no way shape or form stay at a value (why is beyond me), so that's not an option either.

TIA!! Jenn

 

[LindyN]

There is more than one discount. Sounds like you need to take the pin and see about adding the QS Dining Plan to it, unless it is a FD pin in which case you can not.

Or you change your existing trip to the discounted room with QSD.

On the other hand you can always keep what you have and use your TS credits for nicer meals, such as the Yachtsman, Artist Point and Narcoosee's. Just book an earlier meal period in case baby is fussy.

A TS meal allows you to have a planned break each day, and you don't have to do dinners. You can do a character b'fast or lunch (Crystal Palace is a good start for a baby) which might work better than a dinner every night.

HTH

 

[rt2dz]

If you aren't going to utilize the dining plan to it's maximum, it probably won't save you any money. What you save with free dining is what you would normally spend on dining out of pocket. But then you have to add in the extra cost for your room and the need to buy tickets at full price v. from a discount broker. Even though your bottom line might look like less, it probably won't save you any money.

It sounds like you would be better off either 1) keeping your 40% off the room and making it into a package adding QS dining or 2) keeping your 40% off the room, buying discount tickets, and paying for dining out of pocket.

Check THIS and THIS. They might help you make a decision. They're articles from a travel website. One looks at free dining and one looks at the dining plans in general.

 

[BabyRN]

I can't get my cheapo husband to stay at a deluxe, so for us the free dining is always a better option. I wonder though if you ask if you can have the QS plan at a moderate if they will let you. After all, it's saving them money too.

 

[snykymom]

I can't get my cheapo husband to stay at a deluxe, so for us the free dining is always a better option. I wonder though if you ask if you can have the QS plan at a moderate if they will let you. After all, it's saving them money too.

No, you can't. Just like the dining plan, for FD, there are no substitutions (unless you pay for them).

 

[summerlady]

I can't get my cheapo husband to stay at a deluxe, so for us the free dining is always a better option. I wonder though if you ask if you can have the QS plan at a moderate if they will let you. After all, it's saving them money too.

I've heard a few people say that they've been able to trade a table service credit for a counter service + two snacks. Silly me can't remember if it was just in resort food courts though. (I changed my reservation from free dining to the room only discount last week and added the QSDP, just better for us this time)

 

[momtobrynncess]

IMHO, the only reason to entertain the FD discount, is if you think you will realistically use it. Having done Disney with a 1 year old, I know it can be challenging at times as far as dining goes.

I had the same question myself. We currently have 40% off booked, and I did the math to see if FD would be a better discount. We are staying at Poly, so with the large ticket price for the rooms there, for us, the 40% off saved us more money than the FD would have. We saved about $500 more with 40% than we would have saved with FD.

I would check the rack rates for your resort, on your dates, and see how much you are saving off the per night rate. That would obviously be your answer as far as the money saving question. Good luck!

 

[clanwilson]

The room discount versus free dining is a tough one to decide. Generally, a nice room discount will be a better deal at a deluxe resort than free dining. Of course, the number in your party makes a big difference as well when you consider free dining.