What is no free dining? What's your dining Plan-B?

What would you do if they don't offer free dining this year?

  • I wouldn't go that time of year.

    Votes: 8 3.9%

  • I would go and just purchase the dining plan.

    Votes: 31 15.3%

  • I would go but not purchase the dining plan and I would eat at the same resturants.

    Votes: 36 17.7%

  • I would go but not purchase the dining plan and I would pick different dining because of my budget.

    Votes: 60 29.6%

  • I would go another time of year and purchase the dining plan.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I would go another time of year and not purchase the dining plan.

    Votes: 4 2.0%

  • I have never considered free dining.

    Votes: 64 31.5%
  • Total voters
    203
Julylady said:
Free dining not free if you have to pay rack rate for hotel.
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This argument is so ridiculous and I never get anyone to respond to my question about it. We're a family four with DS14 and DS12. We stay moderate. If the moderate room rack rate is about $200 a night and the room only discount is 20% (both are about average; maybe a little more or less, but good for an example). That saves me $40 a day. Wow!!! Huge savings! Now explain to me just how I'm supposed to feed four people for a whole day at Disney on $40, including one TS meal because we consider those to be part of the experience. Please explain to me how the room only discount is a better deal! I'd love to hear it!

Yes, I'll gladly pay full price for the room, if we get to eat for free--and I do consider it free!--for the week.
 


mom2AidanAndEli said:
This argument is so ridiculous and I never get anyone to respond to my question about it. We're a family four with DS14 and DS12. We stay moderate. If the moderate room rack rate is about $200 a night and the room only discount is 20% (both are about average; maybe a little more or less, but good for an example). That saves me $40 a day. Wow!!! Huge savings! Now explain to me just how I'm supposed to feed four people for a whole day at Disney on $40, including one TS meal because we consider those to be part of the experience. Please explain to me how the room only discount is a better deal! I'd love to hear it!

Yes, I'll gladly pay full price for the room, if we get to eat for free--and I do consider it free!--for the week.
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Well, I understand the argument, but it gets exaggerated. For most people, I do think free dining will be the best discount. If you're 1 adult and 1 child staying Deluxe, then maybe you can do better with 35% off the room (and maybe more with Orbitz or a TA).

I would probably do FD (I've done it before). But I don't like booking Packages, and I don't like extreme ADR planning, so I don't love FD.
 
msb578 said:
Well, I understand the argument, but it gets exaggerated. For most people, I do think free dining will be the best discount. If you're 1 adult and 1 child staying Deluxe, then maybe you can do better with 35% off the room (and maybe more with Orbitz or a TA).

I would probably do FD (I've done it before). But I don't like booking Packages, and I don't like extreme ADR planning, so I don't love FD.
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The general rule of thumb is, if you are a family of four, staying either in a value or moderate, free dining is always going to be your best discount. That is a no-brainer.
 
Would like it but don't depend it. When we plan Disney we plan to pay rack for everything. Then when discounts come we do the happy dance.
 


msb578 said:
Well, I understand the argument, but it gets exaggerated. For most people, I do think free dining will be the best discount. If you're 1 adult and 1 child staying Deluxe, then maybe you can do better with 35% off the room (and maybe more with Orbitz or a TA).

I would probably do FD (I've done it before). But I don't like booking Packages, and I don't like extreme ADR planning, so I don't love FD.
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Right... It depends on the family.

But the phrase 'free dining isn't free because you pay full on the room' is still hogwash. Doesn't mean FD will be best.

People just throw it around all the time now because they think it sounds clever and one or two people will agree with them.
 
We are able to get the military discount so free dining would end up costing us more than the discounted room with paying for dining.
When I looked at the numbers, the fact we stay in a deluxe with 2 adults and 1 infant, the room discount was the bigger savings. I agree with everyone though, it's a numbers game to see what works best for your individual needs.
 
We've never gone during free dining and probably never will. This next trip is the first time we're going to buy the dining plan...it's the kids first trip and we want to do a bunch of character meals.
 
For us FD always worked best. For a family that stays value it has always been the best deal. Even for 2 it was more to upgrade to moderate. I agree if you are a couple staying deluxe the room only discount is best. DH and I are going in the fall regardless.


Even the anticipation of FD has made it impossible to get the 2 reservations I wanted for the time that we are planning on going.
 
I love the fact that Disney marks their hotels up to an unreasonable price point and then say's "free dining" and folks fall over themselves to throw money at Disney. It's not "free" and IMHO the overpricing is such that I can't justify Disney hotels any longer. So for me it's either the Swan/Dolphin or offsite if I have to pay for a hotel room.
 
OrangeCountyCommuter said:
I love the fact that Disney marks their hotels up to an unreasonable price point and then say's "free dining" and folks fall over themselves to throw money at Disney. It's not "free" and IMHO the overpricing is such that I can't justify Disney hotels any longer. So for me it's either the Swan/Dolphin or offsite if I have to pay for a hotel room.
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Yes, the hotels are overpriced. I think that's a given with Disney. But adding in the free dining is what helps justify that cost! For $200 a night, I can stay at a moderate level resort, which I LOVE! AND feed my family of four, including a teenage boy that can eat me out of house and home! $200 for a family of four, including meals and resort accommodations, is actually very reasonable. For us, a TS meal every evening is part of the experience. That alone is going to be well into the $100 range for four of us.

I think your offsite option, if you added in Disney meals for the day, isn't going to come out a whole lot cheaper.
 
mileshuff said:
It's a matter of overall cost for tickets, hotel, dining and airfare. Generally we would not be able to afford a week long trip without significant reductions to cost such as free dining. Simply put, we could not afford to go and would vacation elsewhere. A large part of our enjoyment at DW is nice dining every night. Disney World regular rates for tickets, dining and hotel are absurdly high...we can't afford that!
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I'd like to second your response. My daughter and her family of five, 3 teens, could not afford to go if free dining is not offered. Because of their number, they either need two rooms or a more expensive resort that can accommodate five people. If free dinning is not offered for the fall, they will not be going to Disney. Whether they will ever go again, is another question. They may have to save longer and have far fewer trips to be able to go.
 
Here's another question. For people who stay off site....do you just buy your food as you go, bring some meals, eat both at Disney and off? I'm curious as to whether there would be substantial cost savings to stay off site and what about transportation, do you rent a car?
 
ThistleMae said:
Here's another question. For people who stay off site....do you just buy your food as you go, bring some meals, eat both at Disney and off? I'm curious as to whether there would be substantial cost savings to stay off site and what about transportation, do you rent a car?
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I've never stayed offsite. But I know a lot of people who do mention the fact that they get a large place with a kitchen as an advantage. That they can cook meals there and save money. To me, that's not a vacation! I'm not cooking one thing while at Disney--and that's part of the experience for me. Yes, we'll have stuff in the room to have a quick breakfast and out the door--cereal/milk, granola bars, donuts, Pop-tarts (I know, I know real healthy, but it's vacation!). There's no way I'm leaving the park to go back to the condo and whip up dinner!

For us, yes, we'd have to rent a car. And pay for parking each day. And gas. Just not seeing the huge advantage.
 
OrangeCountyCommuter said:
I love the fact that Disney marks their hotels up to an unreasonable price point and then say's "free dining" and folks fall over themselves to throw money at Disney. It's not "free" and IMHO the overpricing is such that I can't justify Disney hotels any longer. So for me it's either the Swan/Dolphin or offsite if I have to pay for a hotel room.
Click to expand...
I do like the Swan/Dolphin option. But Disney does build airport transportation and resort parking into the room rate, while it's a la carte at S/D. Plus there's a resort fee.

Besides that, and maybe the other hotels located "inside the walls", you're paying less because it's a completely different experience. Some people prefer to pay that markup for a unique experience. Others view it as a ripoff.
 
mom2AidanAndEli said:
I've never stayed offsite. But I know a lot of people who do mention the fact that they get a large place with a kitchen as an advantage. That they can cook meals there and save money. To me, that's not a vacation! I'm not cooking one thing while at Disney--and that's part of the experience for me. Yes, we'll have stuff in the room to have a quick breakfast and out the door--cereal/milk, granola bars, donuts, Pop-tarts (I know, I know real healthy, but it's vacation!). There's no way I'm leaving the park to go back to the condo and whip up dinner!

For us, yes, we'd have to rent a car. And pay for parking each day. And gas. Just not seeing the huge advantage.
Click to expand...

I do agree that I would not want to stay off site or deal with cooking any meals but....for folks with limited income, it may be a more affordable option. Has anyone in here actually done a cost comparison they could share?
 
msb578 said:
I do like the Swan/Dolphin option. But Disney does build airport transportation and resort parking into the room rate, while it's a la carte at S/D. Plus there's a resort fee.

Besides that, and maybe the other hotels located "inside the walls", you're paying less because it's a completely different experience. Some people prefer to pay that markup for a unique experience. Others view it as a ripoff.
Click to expand...

Meh, now that there's no young kids in our group and we're never at the resort, we just go with All-Stars.
$122/night + discounted deluxe dining = worth it.
I'm intending on finally just putting the money out for a 250-300 point DVC probably in 2016 or 2017.
 
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