Free dining or wait for possible room only offer?

[geekbri]

Yeah, Free Dining isn't really free - or even a smart decision in a lot of cases. Some people actually do save a little bit of money, but it's amusing to see everyone go nuts when the dates are released.

Yeah. Funny enough I've never been able to actually get the free dining. Almost every time I've missed out on it I have later got a different type of offer (bounce back or some other savings) that has easily beaten the DDP value anyway.

 

[Regan117]

Ours ended up being cheaper with the room offer. We had an outer building club level room at the GF. We were able to keep that room with free dining for $8000 (with park tickets, memory maker, etc.) or we could keep that room with the room discount and pay for the dining plan and it ended up around $7200. So for us, the room was a better deal and we have the option of dropping the dining plan if we decide we don't want it.

 

[mousefan73]

Cool, thanks for the info. Now I just need to determine how much value to assign to 3 dining plans (2 adult and 1 child).

Sounds like most on here feel I should go with the free dining.

Where out of pocket gets pricey is character/ buffets. Ex we are a family of 4. All disney adults. Boma us around 42,00. A person ( child believe 27??). So with FD we book these expensive places we would never in our right mind book. So an OOP value 42x4 and QS around 15-17 per person. Snacks around 4/day. Over 200 a day!! Now you can go cheaper. Even nicer TS you can get an entree for 25. But nondrink, desert etc.

I would take the DP value if you were to buy it

 

[mousefan73]

Another way for me to calculate is to take the estimated "cost" of dining. Per person/ room. For us its est 65( around dp rate) 260.00.

So the RO saving needs to be more than that. Park tickets are the same. A greater saving is only via the deluxe premium rooms or if less people. For a mod or below. My calculations always showed FD really being "free"'for us. We like to eat.

 

[Huff]

Yeah, Free Dining isn't really free - or even a smart decision in a lot of cases. Some people actually do save a little bit of money, but it's amusing to see everyone go nuts when the dates are released.

What discount for a family of four at a value would be cheaper than FD if the family plans on dining at 1TS and 1CS each day? People go nuts because for them it saves considerable costs. For 2 people at a DLX a 30-40% off could be a better discount.

 

[mousefan73]

Ours ended up being cheaper with the room offer. We had an outer building club level room at the GF. We were able to keep that room with free dining for $8000 (with park tickets, memory maker, etc.) or we could keep that room with the room discount and pay for the dining plan and it ended up around $7200. So for us, the room was a better deal and we have the option of dropping the dining plan if we decide we don't want it.

Formthat room yes. But for most who boom standard deluxes, mod, value. FD is usually the best deal. If you are booking tix anyways.

 

[JaimeK]

If staying at a value...you only get Quick Service free...2 x 44.13 + 19.04 = $107.30 a day

Moderate and above get Regular dining...2 x 63.70 + 22.85 = $150.25 per day

We don't do the dining plan, but I assume the offer is every day of the trip, instead of every night (like the room discount). For instance, a 6-day/5-night trip tip moderate would be $150 per day or $180 savings per night. If you stay more than 6 days, that difference will close (because you'll be divide that one extra day by more nights).

Plus...you really have to make use of the DDP to see all the benefit.

Nope, the dining plan, free or not, is for the # of NIGHTS on your reservation.

 

[Regan117]

Formthat room yes. But for most who boom standard deluxes, mod, value. FD is usually the best deal. If you are booking tix anyways.

Well...yeah. Like I said, FOR US the room was the better deal. We also weren't locked into paying extra for the park hopper, which we don't want or need. So it was the better option.

 

[Huff]

Well...yeah. Like I said, FOR US the room was the better deal. We also weren't locked into paying extra for the park hopper, which we don't want or need. So it was the better option.

Thats why Disney offers different discounts to cater to the different needs of individuals. We love to dine each night of our trip which makes the park hopper essential. Allows us to spend the day at one park and dine at another in the evening.

 

[Regan117]

Thats why Disney offers different discounts to cater to the different needs of individuals. We love to dine each night of our trip which makes the park hopper essential. Allows us to spend the day at one park and dine at another in the evening.

We do TS for lunch and dinner every day. But it generally doesn't require park hopping - we do one resort meal and one park meal and it works for us. Generally we don't head to the parks until after 3pm anyway, so it makes more sense for us.

 

[maltdizzy]

Nope, the dining plan, free or not, is for the # of NIGHTS on your reservation.

It's the the case then, FD would have cost me $150 more than RO+PH+DDP.

 

[loves to dive]

Another possibility if you are willing to risk paying a $25 cancellation fee, look at Orbitz, they are doing the 15% off so you would at least get that. Then go to parksavers and look at their ticket prices, last I looked they were still offering the 7 days park hoppers for the price of a 4 day. I'm not sure if you could add the dining plan to the Orbitz ressie or not, I don't use it but it's a thought.

 

[Huff]

We do TS for lunch and dinner every day. But it generally doesn't require park hopping - we do one resort meal and one park meal and it works for us. Generally we don't head to the parks until after 3pm anyway, so it makes more sense for us.

That means dining in the same park you are visiting for the day which does make sense for many. We tend to plan out our week based on crowd expectations, night show times and ADR availability. Don't care for any of the dining inside HS which means we go elsewhere on that day anyways. AK closes early and many of the best restaurants are inside Epcot. So for us hopping becomes essential in order to do all we want and dine at all our favorites.

 

[Regan117]

That means dining in the same park you are visiting for the day which does make sense for many. We tend to plan out our week based on crowd expectations, night show times and ADR availability. Don't care for any of the dining inside HS which means we go elsewhere on that day anyways. AK closes early and many of the best restaurants are inside Epcot. So for us hopping becomes essential in order to do all we want and dine at all our favorites.

We don't look at crowds or shows. We're traveling with 3 small children, and we spend the majority of our time at the resort and do parks in the evenings. I never said what WE DO has to make sense for YOU. I am just telling you how we decided which offer was better. We eat breakfast in the club lounge, have lunch at one of the monorail resorts (we are staying at GF), take a nap, and then hit the parks later. So yes, whichever park we are in that night is where we eat. I don't see how that is so odd? We get to the park between 3 and 5pm, have dinner there around 6 or 7 and then spend the rest of the night in the park. Works for us. Never said I was telling anyone else what to do.

Also, we have our ADR's already, regardless of any free dining or other offers. We are eating where we are eating no matter what. We make those first and plan our days around wherever we decide to have dinner.

As for the Epcot restaurants - they're good, but I actually think most of the deluxe resort restaurants are better. And those don't require a park ticket We all like different things. Some people are all about the parks and there at rope drop...we like to sleep until 10am and go to the spa. Everybody likes to vacation differently. This was just a better fit for our family. You do whatever you like.

Ultimately, to the OP: I say book the free dining just to make sure you can even get it, and then if something better comes along, switch offers.

 

[Donald Duck888]

One other question if I may? I know the tip is not included in the free dining but is the tax? Thanks

 

[Huff]

One other question if I may? I know the tip is not included in the free dining but is the tax? Thanks

Yes, tax is included. Just need to leave a tip as you would if paying OOP.

 

[Donald Duck888]

I keep going back and forth on the FD in my mind. I am prety sure if a RO discount comes out for our time period (Dec) then we would do better with that for a few reasons. One we usually like to have an alcohol containing drink or 2 with meals so that leaves out the benefit of the meal drink. Also we are not really big single sitting eaters, i.e when we goo OOP we pretty much never get an appetizer or desert. Tough decision, on top of still deciding where to stay. Might just do as many on here have said and reserve with the option to cancel of a RO comes along. Who knows by the time i get home tonight and talk with the wife about it anything we may want may be gone for FD and my decision will then be already made for me.

 

[Donald Duck888]

Yes, tax is included. Just need to leave a tip as you would if paying OOP.

Cool, thanks

 

[mommyrosa2]

Cool, thanks

I agree with others who say book what you can now, if a better deal comes out later, switch.

 

[mickey1968]

Another possibility if you are willing to risk paying a $25 cancellation fee, look at Orbitz, they are doing the 15% off so you would at least get that. Then go to parksavers and look at their ticket prices, last I looked they were still offering the 7 days park hoppers for the price of a 4 day. I'm not sure if you could add the dining plan to the Orbitz ressie or not, I don't use it but it's a thought.

You cannot add the dining plan unless you book directly with Disney.