Should I Extend My Stay To Get Free Dining

[Jess_S]

I couldn't decide where I should post this. I decided on the budget board because I'm hoping this is the best place to weigh the value of free dining versus the additional cost.

I currently have a 5 night stay at AKL with 5 day park hoppers booked. The total cost is $2000. There's no dining included, so it would all be out of pocket.

Today, I looked into the cost if I extend by 1 night so that I can take advantage of free dining. A 6 night stay at AKL with park hoppers and the dining plan is $2400. So for $400 more, I get an extra night at the resort plus the dining. If we don't extend our stay, we'll be staying at a hotel in the Fort Lauderdale area for the 6th night, at a cost of about $150. So the total "extra" cost for our vacation is really $350.

Is the dining plan for 6 days worth $350 for two adults and 1 toddler (who will eat next to nothing)? (It's the "Disney Dining Plan").

{I realized my math was wrong. $500 minus $150 equals $350, not $250}.

 

[HM]

Is the 6th night you are adding the first night of your trip?
If it's the last night of your trip, then you don't qualify for Free Dining for your whole trip.

 

[nalajms]

Is the dining plan for 6 days worth $250 for two adults and 1 toddler (who will eat next to nothing)? (It's the "Disney Dining Plan").

I think a better question is how much do you have budgeted for food for the current 5 day trip? The regular plan includes a TS. Were you planning any TS? That means extra money for tip as well.

Let's say you just do QS lunch and dinner for 2 adults. If we use $12 per meal per person (on the low side), that's $48 per day or $240 for 5 days for the 2 adults. You'd also have 3 snacks a day to use and your child's credits plus the 6th day of credits for $10 more. I'd say it's worth it.

 

[usd2bmd]

When you book, the first night of your stay has to be on a date that Free dining is offered in order for your whole trip to be included in the offer. Ex. say free dining ends on 10/15 (hypothetical) and you start your trip on the 15th, then your stay would be entitled to Free Dining. But if your trip ends on a day that free dining starts, your stay does not qualify. Does that make sense?

 

[Jess_S]

The extra night would be tacked on the end of our stay to get to 6 nights. (I think I would have to do the reservation change by phone because I would have to give up the 30% resort discount on our original booking in order to get the free dining promotion.) usd2bmd, your post definitely clarifies why this is an issue. Our whole stay is in the free dining period whether or not I add a day at the beginning or the end. We're going in mid September.

I was budgeting $500 for our food, but our alcohol purchases come out of the "food" budget too. We currently have reservations for Crystal Palace and Beach Club (if I'm getting the name right) character breakfasts, Sanaa and Coral Reef. We were thinking mostly counter service for our other meals, but that's primarily because the ADRs during our visit are booked up pretty solid right now. (We're vegetarians, so a counter service meal with good veggie options is sometimes more appealing that the available table service places).

 

[Marionnette]

The extra night would be tacked on the end of our stay to get to 6 nights. (I think I would have to do the reservation change by phone because I would have to give up the 30% resort discount on our original booking in order to get the free dining promotion.) usd2bmd, your post definitely clarifies why this is an issue. Our whole stay is in the free dining period whether or not I add a day at the beginning or the end. We're going in mid September.

I was budgeting $500 for our food, but that includes alcohol. We currently have reservations for Crystal Palace and Beach Club (if I'm getting the name right) character breakfasts, Sanaa and Coral Reef. We were thinking mostly counter service for our other meals, but that's primarily because the ADRs during our visit are booked up pretty solid right now. (We're vegetarians, so a counter service meal with good veggie options is sometimes more appealing that the available table service places).

So, you'd already budgeted $500 for food in addition to the package cost you mentioned in your OP? Sounds like a no-brainer. One extra day in Disney. Approximately the same OOP cost. Go with the *free* dining.

 

[supersnoop]

The extra night would be tacked on the end of our stay to get to 6 nights. (I think I would have to do the reservation change by phone because I would have to give up the 30% resort discount on our original booking in order to get the free dining promotion.) usd2bmd, your post definitely clarifies why this is an issue. Our whole stay is in the free dining period whether or not I add a day at the beginning or the end.

So, adding the night has nothing to do with qualifying for free dining? Why do you think you need to add the night?

 

[Jess_S]

The free dining package I'm looking at is for stays of 6 nights or longer with no other discounts. I currently have a 5 night stay booked, so I don't qualify for the free dining without adding a night. Here's the offer I'm looking at: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/stay-dine/

 

[nalajms]

So, adding the night has nothing to do with qualifying for free dining? Why do you think you need to add the night?

It's probably what's available for free dining. Nothing's left for a 5 day, but there's a package left for 6 days.

It is a no brainer. For $250 more you cover most of your dining. You can spend the other $250 from you food budget on drinks

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Go for it.

 

[supersnoop]

The free dining package I'm looking at is for stays of 6 nights or longer with no other discounts. I currently have a 5 night stay booked, so I don't qualify for the free dining without adding a night. Here's the offer I'm looking at: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/stay-dine/

That's not how it works:

Length of Stay Requirements

• Minimum – 3 nights
• Maximum – 14 nights

 

[msb578]

That's not how it works:

Length of Stay Requirements

• Minimum – 3 nights
• Maximum – 14 nights

Thanks- I just looked that up again, to make sure it hadn't changed! It's always "fine print" material. OP, I don't think you need to add a night.

 

[Jess_S]

Thank you supersnoop! I was reading the top of the page and not the fine print. It actually looks like it would be $400 more for the same stay if I add the dining plan, so I'm thinking it's not worth it.

 

[HM]

Generally if there are just two adults staying at a Deluxe resort, then a 30% off code would be a lot better than the Free Dining code.

 

[supersnoop]

Thank you supersnoop! I was reading the top of the page and not the fine print. It actually looks like it would be $400 more for the same stay if I add the dining plan, so I'm thinking it's not worth it.

How many people are in your room? $400 for five days of dining is a pretty good deal for two or three people.

 

[Jess_S]

There are 3 of us, but my son is just under 3 so he doesn't get a plan. That's a long way of saying that the $400 covers the dining plan for 2 people for 5 days.

I'm mad at myself for snoozing and losing because it seems like both the free dining and 30% off prices have gone up in the past week or so. (I'm assuming because some of the lower price rooms are filling up). I do have my 30% deal locked in, fortunately.

 

[LovesTimone]

If its 400.00 more, it would be worth it for us.

Are you planning character meals? for 2 adults you are going to be between 75 and 100 dollars for a character meal ( dinner), that can depend on time of year or holiday weekend, or hard ticket events.

Other table services options also are for 2 again depending on what you order are going to be in the 75 to 100 price range.

With counter service you get a meal, drink and dessert. Which is nice and easier for sharing with the little one. For DH and I to eat QS its about 30.00 give or take depending on where and what you order. That's only getting a meal each and drink.

We love the dining plan, and are big fans for DDXDP, but when our DD's were younger DDP was a great value for us, and we could go to character meals, and when dining at other TS we did not worry about what they wanted to order.

My DH loves the idea that everything is paid for up front, except for tips, cocktails, and souvenirs.

 

[hsmamato2]

not sure what I'm missing here....if OP adds a day, oop is $400 more overall, but it now includes the extra night plus all that food? So subtract the cost of that other hotel,subtract the cost of all that food -I'd do it! (I'd also book a lot of great character buffets on FD plan so my 2 yo eats whatever and we get to max out that deal....)Buffets are expensive and I can think of a few I'd love to visit....

 

[msb578]

not sure what I'm missing here....if OP adds a day, oop is $400 more overall, but it now includes the extra night plus all that food? So subtract the cost of that other hotel,subtract the cost of all that food -I'd do it! (I'd also book a lot of great character buffets on FD plan so my 2 yo eats whatever and we get to max out that deal....)Buffets are expensive and I can think of a few I'd love to visit....

My brain hurts too much to figure it out, but I was wondering why 6 nights on the plan was a good deal, while 5 nights wasn't. I think I missed out on a detail somewhere, but buffets on the DDP are actually a very good deal!

 

[Jess_S]

Sorry. Part of the confusion was because I didn't understand that the deal didn't require a 6th night. The other confusion is because I waited too long and the price went up. When I originally looked, it was $2400 for 6 nights with dining. Now its coming up at roughly that amount for 5 nights. $400 more for an extra day at Disney plus food seemed like possibly a good deal. $400 more just for food probably isn't. I did what was suggested here and priced out my meals based upon what we would order if we didn't have dining. I come to about $70 in food costs per day that would actually be on the plan. (Plus tips and alcohol, which are out of pocket either way). The dining plan adds $80 per day to our cost, so I think we actually lose money adding the dining. I think the fact that we don't drink soda and don't eat meat are the big factors that make it not worth it because we would generally be ordering the cheapest item on the menu by default at any TS restaurant.