2011 Free Dining is Extended! New dates as of 8/3

[2Tiggies]

I got one emailed to me today. Mine was offering free QSDP for 5 days or more MYW package stays at Values and Mods. Does this mean they may be testing out offering only QSDP with free dining unless you stay at a Deluxe?

 

[MSLRAC]

I got one emailed to me today. Mine was offering free QSDP for 5 days or more MYW package stays at Values and Mods. Does this mean they may be testing out offering only QSDP with free dining unless you stay at a Deluxe?

The PIN that came out before this one was for the QSDP for values and mods and the DDP for deluxe resorts so I would bet they are changing the FD offer for good.

 

[TDC Nala]

Earlier PIN codes during 2011 have specified that regular dining is available free only at deluxe resorts - it's quick service for values AND moderates. No way to know what they would do with a general public offer if there is one - but they may very well be testing the waters. If they sell enough rooms with this configuration, it may become the regular configuration.

 

[2Tiggies]

I didn't even read the terms of the last pin that came out so I didn't notice that. My trip is already booked, as are my flights which I cannot change, so I didn't read the previous email. It will be interesting to see what the response is. Although there is still the option to upgrade if guests wish to do so.

 

[smiths02]

Earlier PIN codes during 2011 have specified that regular dining is available free only at deluxe resorts - it's quick service for values AND moderates. No way to know what they would do with a general public offer if there is one - but they may very well be testing the waters. If they sell enough rooms with this configuration, it may become the regular configuration.

Hasn't it been this way for people in the UK for a couple of years?

I think with 3 dining plans that Disney should do QSDP for value, DDP for mod, and DxDP for deluxe. But what do I know

When we went 2 years ago and stayed at AKL, we came out much better getting a discount on the room and paying for DDP OOP (even with 4 adults in the Deluxe room!)

The difference between value and moderate for our 5 day trip was around $200 (then I added a pirate room)...the difference between value and deluxe was over $700 (even when you consider that I would get DDP for free and not have to pay for that upgrade)!

 

[2Tiggies]

Hasn't it been this way for people in the UK for a couple of years?

It has. Except that the UK has not and does not offer any free dining with values at all. It is QS with a mod and regular with Deluxe/D.Villas in the UK.

I think with 3 dining plans that Disney should do QSDP for value, DDP for mod, and DxDP for deluxe. But what do I know

I think Disney doesn't have to do anything If they are filling rooms and selling park tickets etc to the levels they hope, they don't have to offer any more than they are.

 

[TDC Nala]

In the UK there is no free dining at value resorts at all, quick service at moderates and regular dining at deluxes.

As it costs nothing to upgrade kids from QS to regular in non-peak season, and only $1 a night in peak season, what guests are really looking at is paying to upgrade the "adults" age 10 and over. So maybe a lot of them are accepting the offer and doing the upgrade. Disney may pay attention to that.

 

[2Tiggies]

Any americans getting PIN Codes?

I am in Scotland and got the PIN today. I don't think the pins are generated based on your location. They seem to just ranomly come out

 

[Diz-Mommy]

subbing

 

[C&AsMommy11]

How do you get these emails? Could these discounts apply if we are renting from DVC? Thanks

 

[TDC Nala]

Sorry, no free dining on a DVC reservation. It's applicable only to package reservations where you pay full price for the room and purchase at least a 2-day park ticket for everyone in your party (age 3 or over) as part of the package.

 

[mom2randj]

Joining the waiting train.

 

[englishrose47]

No PIN for me but I got FD anyway as I booked by December 20th!!But I have a friend going in June so am looking for her , seeing as she is also my Boss imagine the Brownie points I'd get for that!!!

 

[castle1]

I haven't used free dining before...so, my question is, don't you have to pay full price for rooms in order to get free dining? Wouldn't you save more money if you got a good discount on the room....I don't understand how it can actually be "free". Thanks

 

[mjbucks1]

Hoping for free dining this fall!!!!!

 

[catne]

I haven't used free dining before...so, my question is, don't you have to pay full price for rooms in order to get free dining? Wouldn't you save more money if you got a good discount on the room....I don't understand how it can actually be "free". Thanks

Free dining is just one version of discount Disney has offered over the last few years, first just to fill rooms during good economy, but slower seasons (Like end of August through September...back to school AND hurricane season had made that a very empty time for Disney. They originally started Free Dining to entice people then. When economy tanked, the free dining offers were extended to fill hotel rooms.) Now generally Free Dining was offered during off-season anyway, so paying full rates on the rack rate of rooms was not as high (there is a substantial difference in room rates from high season to low season there.)

Regardless of discounts offered, it's always best to do the math and figure out which works best for you. General rule of thumb in the past has been that if you're staying Value, free dining will be the better discount since % off a value room during off-season does not add up to much...might be as little as $20 a night off the room, while free QSDP for a family of 4, 2 adults & 2 under-age-10 kids would cost you over $80 a night...so obviously Free Dining would save you more money than the room discount would.

Moderates may or may not save you money...the math is definitely more important there. And rumor has it IF free dining is offered yet this year, they will only offer QSDP at both Values & Moderates. In which case, IF a room discount is also offered it could very well be that the room discount would save you more at the Mods, especially if you really wanted the regular dining instead of the QSDP.

Rarely does Free Dining work out better on Deluxe & Villas...in the past, the percent off on those has been substantial.

Course, there have also been rumors that there will not be any multiple discount offers out there...or that the percent off discounts will be substantially lower than in the past. You just have to do the math and see if it works

 

[Joolish1313]

I am waiting for it - even if we only get free Quick Service for staying at Pop I'll take it and upgrade to the basic/full dining.

 

[Colleen27]

I haven't used free dining before...so, my question is, don't you have to pay full price for rooms in order to get free dining? Wouldn't you save more money if you got a good discount on the room....I don't understand how it can actually be "free". Thanks

It depends on family size and makeup and resort choice. My family is 4 adults and 1 child, so free dining is a discount of almost $200/night. I always run the numbers with every available option and the results are always the same - free dining is the best possible discount for us.

Using our upcoming trip as an example, right now I'm booked with 30% off our room (cabin @ Ft Wilderness) and planning on enrolling older DD in a YES class which will mean saving a fair bit on tickets. We're driving and the cabins have a full kitchen and backyard grill, so we're planning on all breakfasts and several dinners at the cabin to save money. All of that totals up to about $3000 for the week. If free dining is offered, we'd have to give up the room discount and the ticket discount to take it. Even so, it prices out a couple hundred dollars cheaper than what we currently have AND gives us more meals out/less cooking at the cabin.

 

[castle1]

Thank you all for the helpful info!! Catne....I have just been reading your dining reviews....loved them!! You've convinced me to try Flying Fish for our May trip. I'm checking now to see if there is an ADR available...hope so! Thanks, again.

 

[Sue (mom of 3 boys!)]

We are hoping for free dining in January....have to wait for the rates for 2012, then to see if they offer free dining...I figure the earliest we can expect the rates will be mid-July/August, right? Then it's anybody's guess as to whether the dining will ever come out for our dates??