How long is the free dining for? WHY was it offered?

[BostonMouse]

Not sure why everyone thinks the "free" dining is so great -- but obviously Disney marketing knows what they are doing! I concur with what an earlier poster said, "Such a deal!"

The amount of the "deal" depends on each individual situation. For example, I bought in for 6 nts at CSR-waterview w/dining, 1 day park pass with plus option that gives us 1 day at DQ and 1 day at TL. Total cost $1447. Rack rate for the room is $154/night. In past years, comparable rooms have been discounted to about $99/night. My question is this, can you get comparable food as offered in the Dining plan for $59/day for a family of 4 or a total of $354 for the entire stay? My boys are 10 and 14 so we're all eating off of the adult menu which works to my advantage.

Also, we're not the types to bring sandwiches/breakfasts or go to Wendys/McDonalds very much. No slight on those who do, but it's not us. Dinners for 4 of us cost a minimum of about $80-100+tip at a mid-scale restaurant.

Also, for my $59/day we pooled 2 days and booked the Spirit of Aloha (approx. value $220 for $108) and still have the CS meals for those days & snacks. Another 2 days were pooled for Narcossee at the GF. In case you haven't checked, the average price per diner for that restaurant is about to $80 per person (value $320 for $108) and we still have the CS meals & snacks for those days too.

I realize that this pooling will leave me short a couple of days for dinner but we had other dinner plans with friends for those days so we wouldn't be dining on-site anyway.

So, while it may not be "exactly free", it still is a good deal.....for me! For those content with Motel 6, Pizza Hut and McDonald's, maybe not such a good deal.

 

[melissa5583]

Personally, I feel that we are getting a deal. When we normally go down to wdw, we always have counter service and my daughter and I usually share (because the meal is pretty large and we don't eat that much and lol, of course we are on such a budget). So this time around we are eating at places that we've never eaten at. We've never done a character dinner before. Its always been pizza, burgers and hot dogs. So for us...this will be a real treat

The hard part is figuring out where you want to eat, lol. We are also choosing out places for atmosphere, not necessarily the food. Like Whispering Canyon--I've heard how fun it can be to go there, and of course the character dinners/breakfasts--you don't know how excited my daughter is just to have a meal and have the characters there. Same goes for 'Ohanas--atmosphere Everything we picked out was pretty much for my daughter's benefit, except for 50s prime time, I won out on that one, lol, but again, its for the atmosphere.

Now, Disney of course is giving us the chance to experience this. I'll probably never go back to disney again w/o making adr's for character dinners. I think it was a smart move on their part!

Have a magical day!!!

Disneynutbsv is exactly right!!! We are just the same. We only eat counter service meals because of the price. We have also never done a character meal...but we definately are this year! We have never stayed at a moderate resort before b/c it is a lot of money for us to go. We do not have AP's or live in Florida (for Florida resident discounts) or have points in the DVC, so we are definately excited about this deal.
I'm very thankful to Disney for this promotion!!! Now I'll be spoiled next time (of course next time will probably be awhile away)!!! But I'll remember this upcoming trip forever!!!

 

[Lizzybee]

It seemed like a great deal to me and everyone I've talked to about my trip. My total for the trip, airfare, room, transpo, food (because I think I'll have to pay OOP for one meal based on the amount of food and the timing of our ressies), park hopper tickets and budgeted spending money is about $1400 for the 3 of us. That's about $116 per person per day. To me, that's a great deal, I couldn't even just a decent hotel room without food in Chicago for that price for a night. We're close to the Wisconsin Dells and right now our favorite resort there would cost me about $300 per night and that's just room and admission, no food, no spending money, no arcade cash.
BTW if you think WDW CS food is expensive, my mom, my 2 kids and I went to the Wilderness Resort in the Dells (winter is cheaper when only the indoor part is open). We got food from the poolside snack bar for lunch one day. We got 2 burgers, 1 chicken strip, 2 fries, 1 onion ring and 3 drinks and I had a $20 to pay. When they rung it up, it was about $35 I asked if she was sure, and she was, I sent my 10 yr old son to my mom to ask her to loan us some money, I told him to get a $20, she sent a $5 because she couldn't IMAGINE it would more than $25. I sent my son back again to get her. The previously mentioned food didn't even include her burger and drink That's just crazy expensive!
Now THAT makes just about ANYTHING look like a deal to me

 

[mom2thomasfans]

We already had our ressies made for a 7 night/8 day stay including the dining plan when the free dining came out. We jumped on it, extended our vacation by 3 nights & days and used the money we saved toward our airfare. So now, were going for a longer time and getting to fly for the same price we were paying originally. It's definitely a great deal for us!

 

[aubriee]

We were already going Sept 17th-24th using an AP room discount and DDE card. When the free dining came out, we ran the numbers and cancelled the AP room, rebooking at rack rate, bought all three of us 7 day MYW tickets with pluses, and went with the free dining.

All I had to do was buy us each a 1 day base ticket and then upgrade my son and D-I-L's tickets to 7 day tickets when we got there. However, considering the comparatively higher price of the one day tickets it was a better deal to buy us all 7 day with pluses and then save my 7 day ticket to use next year after my AP expires. Basically we get the free dining and I'll have a 7 day MYW ticket with pluses left over, all for less money than I would have spent for the AP room and eating at the places we had already planned to eat at anyway.

 

[DizGeek]

I'm staying at a value and the "rack rate" of $79 per night came with free dining for 4. For us, 2 meals per day is plenty. As a matter of fact, sometimes it will be too much with the apps and dessert. I'm betting we come home with a few "snack vouchers" left over.

Say what you want about the free dining not being a good deal...in some cases, maybe it isnt. We go to Disney every year and the deal I got this year is by far, the best one Ive had.

 

[bamamom]

The dining plan has been huge savings for us. We orginally we coming in on 10/7 but when they offered free dining again we moved our trip up to 10/4. We are paying $110 LESS than we were(without dining) and are getting Free dining!! Plus we get to go 3 days earlier

 

[LiteBrite]

I think the Free Dining Plan offers the greatest savings to those staying at a Value resort, and good savings to the Mods. For the Deluxes, however, if you have access to any kind of discount on the room, you're probably not going to come out on top by using the Dining Plan. Naturally if you have no way of getting any discounts on your room, then the Free Dining Plan is going to save you money.

 

[ElizabethB]

LiteBrite is right. The "free" dining is a good deal if you're staying in a value resort. It's somewhat of a good deal if you're staying in a moderate. If, however, you want to stay in a deluxe, an AP discount is the better deal. For us, with staying at GF, we calculated we would need to spend about $700-800 in 5 days on food before the "free" dining was a better deal than the AP discount plus DDE. Since we don't anticipate spending that much (with two adults and two kids-who, incidentially, eat almost nothing), we're sticking with AP rate and DDE. If I were staying in a value resort, I too, would have jumped on the "free" dining.

 

[kimisabella]

We really had no intention of going to WDW this year, but when the free dining came out, we priced a value resort and felt that we couldn't pass it up. Anyway, long story short, we upgraded to AKL since we are celebrating our anniversary and dd's 2nd birthday. I know that we aren't getting such a great deal anymore like we were with the value resort, but, we have wanted to stay at the AKL, so I'm OK with it. Disney really did reel people in w/this one. Look at us, we had no intention to go, now we are going, and staying deluxe!

 

[minnie61650]

Awesome deal or not, codes for reduced room rates, which have been the standard way in the past to fill rooms during slow periods, were a better deal. With a reduced room rate, you could use the money any way you wanted. With free dining, the money that would have been saved with a code rate is instead already spent on Disney food. The only way to benefit from that money already spent on food is to eat alot of food! Not sure why everyone thinks the "free" dining is so great -- but obviously Disney marketing knows what they are doing! I concur with what an earlier poster said, "Such a deal!"

The Free dining is a VERY GOOD deal for people staying at a value resort.
It is a GOOD deal for those staying at a mod.
But for those who choose to stay deluxe it is Not such a good deal .It betterAP or other type of discount.
As for me I am 55 years old and travel several times a year. I often stay at 4 star hotels.
So the deluxe resorts do not have anything special for me.
Staying at the All Stars is like being in the heart of Disney's Magic .and that is where I want to be.
I chose the free dining over my AAA discount.
It was a no-brainer for me too.
Linda

 

[highlander447]

I stay in the UK and paid for a package holiday this sept for 2 weeks at POFQ, when Disney announced the Dining plan I wanted to pay for it at $35 per head over 14 days thats $120 per day but as I had not booked with Disney they said I couldn't, so when the free dining came out I got 10 nights at all stars, 4 2 day non expiry tix for future visits $1400 now I have 2 rooms and have saved about $400, its def a good deal

 

[Catie'sMama]

We really had no intention of going to WDW this year, but when the free dining came out, we priced a value resort and felt that we couldn't pass it up. Anyway, long story short, we upgraded to AKL since we are celebrating our anniversary and dd's 2nd birthday. I know that we aren't getting such a great deal anymore like we were with the value resort, but, we have wanted to stay at the AKL, so I'm OK with it. Disney really did reel people in w/this one. Look at us, we had no intention to go, now we are going, and staying deluxe!

This is us. I wasn't even thinking Disney, and then my mom showed me the add in the paper. At one point, I had ASMo booked for 5 nights for $680. How in the world could we get a better deal than that? Especially when you think of all the food we are offered. Well, we ended up upgrading and now will be at POR. So here we are 10 days after the thought entered our heads, and we are out $1,400 for 2 adults and our 2.5 year old for 5 nights and this includes flights! That is a deal to me!

I priced out Swan and Dolphin (because we could get a discount rate). The room rate and tickets were the same as ASMo (minus the food). Now, we just get to eat a ton of food, which I would seriously limit if we didn't have the dining plan. And we are having 3 character meals!!

 

[ElizabethB]

Yes, but you can't equate the Swan or Dolphin (truly luxurious) with an All Stars if you care at all about where you are staying! If you care only about food, well then a value resort and "free" dining are a good deal.

 

[lbarton]

Thanks for any information!!!
D.D.

DisDarling... was that sig picture taken at the Maryland Renaissance Festival?? Looks familiar...

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

Not sure why everyone thinks the "free" dining is so great -- but obviously Disney marketing knows what they are doing! I concur with what an earlier poster said, "Such a deal!"

Why is it so great? Allow me to explain how it's going to be great for my family.

We had a room at Pop Century with the AP discount. By cancelling that discount ($20/day) and paying rack rate, we got FREE dining. We are staying for 7 nights, so losing that $20/day discount amounts to $140 bucks total.

For losing that $140 discount, we will get over a thousand bucks worth of food that we would have paid cash for anyway, will get to experience dining without worrying about budget (people can order off the menu by what they want, not worrying about price), and two meals plus a snack will be plenty for us most days.

Now, if you are staying at the GF and lost a bigger discount, yes, I can see where it wouldn't work for you. But for some of us, we aren't being taken in by some marketing scheme - we are getting a phenominal deal. We already had ressies and were going anyway - and for them to effectively charge us $140 for a weeks worth of meals has us laughing all the way to the ATM.

At this point, I'm sure someone will say, "but you will end up spending the money anyway!" which is assuredly accurate. BUT we will get more for our money - much more. Instead of dumping a thousand bucks eating during the week, we'll have extra cash to go to La Nouba, or for extra souvineers, etc.

Talk about win, win, win...for some of us, it's going to increase the magic of the trip by a large margin.

N.E.D.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Awesome deal or not, codes for reduced room rates, which have been the standard way in the past to fill rooms during slow periods, were a better deal. With a reduced room rate, you could use the money any way you wanted. With free dining, the money that would have been saved with a code rate is instead already spent on Disney food. The only way to benefit from that money already spent on food is to eat alot of food! Not sure why everyone thinks the "free" dining is so great -- but obviously Disney marketing knows what they are doing! I concur with what an earlier poster said, "Such a deal!"

I was completely unaware I couldn't buy a computer with the $850 I would have paid for food that I no longer have to pay thanks to the free dining. I shall cancel immediately and only save $144 on my hotel room and insist on paying that $850 for the food because I'll be able to spend it on whatever I want.







.

 

[Tiffany]

Thanks for any information!!!
D.D.

Let's see, why was it offered? My guess is that it was to get people to travel to WDW durning the peak hurricane time of Sept since this is normally a low attendance time of year the bookings must have been way down so marketing pulled a rabbit out of the hat to try and getting bookings at least back to where they usually are for Sept.

 

[kidangel]

Regardless of whether or not the Free Dining can be equated to the codes and discounts of the past, the fact of the matter is that this year, those codes have been hard to come by, especially for non-AP holders.

What I'm finding is that each "offer" that Disney has come out with has allowed us (and by us, I mean my family, not the universal "us") to enjoy a different facet of WDW in a different way. (and get hooked on it, which I'm sure is part of what Disney intended)

A couple of years ago, we lucked into a Canadian at par deal on room + tickets. This brought us "on site" for the first time. Hooked.

Last year, we lucked into the last minute Bronze package for Canadians (similar to the "dog days of summer package" for everyone else) and we used our wishes for things we might not have paid OOP for - like La Nouba and Spirit of Aloha. Hooked.

With Free Dining, we'll be visiting far more TS restaurants than we otherwise would have. We'll also use some of the money we would otherwise have spent on food for things like the Wonderland Tea party and golf.

Obviously, there's a method to Disney's madness. Get people to stay on site. Get people to eat on-site. Get people to do the "extras" like dinner shows, tours, etc.

Each of these times, our trip was already booked when the special offer came out. I'd be willing to bet that we'll continue to see some kind of special offers for Value season, especially hurricane season. For those without APs, these offers usually offset the difference in paying rack rate.

In our case, here's the math: We were booked room-only at POR with a AAA discount. By giving up the discount and paying another $27 a night - the price of ONE adult buffet meal - our family of five will eat like kings. And from past experience with Disney portions, I wouldn't be surprised to see us with CS credits left over.

I think it's a deal if you've done your own math, have some idea of what to expect, and are going in with your eyes open. Unfortunately, I think a lot of first-time visitors hopped on the Free Dining plan without doing a lot of research, especially when it comes to ADRs. They'll be the ones feeling gypped because they'll be wandering around looking for somewhere to walk in and eat that doesn't have a two-hour wait.

And maybe that's the big difference between this and previous offers - to make the most of it you need to do a lot more pre-planning than you would if you were just getting a room discount or something like the 7 for 5.

Shelley

Read my Disney blog!
http://www.movershakerbirthdaycakebaker.blogs.com/remember_the_magic

 

[fsu]

For us it was a no-brainer as well. We are booked at All Star Sports with the passholder rate. We changed to the free dining and we had to buy a 1 day ticket to get the dining even though we have passes. Even with us never using the 1 day ticket it ended up costing about $22 a day ea to add the free dining. I am positive we would have spent that anyway. Now we get to experience Hoop De Doo, Le Cellier, San Angel, and Donald's Breakfast which we have never tried and get counter service and snacks. Great Deal!!!!