40% off versus Free Dining?

[MagicMom of 2]

I booked a 3-night stay at Wilderness Lodge yesterday for my family at the end of September - yea! Got crazy and took the concierge level for $231 per night - yikes! Also added on the Dining Plan and 4-day Park Hopper tickets. Standard room was $165 by comparison. Whole package was right at $2000. We'll be driving in from the Atlanta area.

We stayed three years ago and stayed at POR with free dining and tickets for about $1400.

Wondering if Disney comes out with the Free Dining plan again if I would get a better deal taking the Free Dining? Any experience or opinions to share? Thanks! Also, do you think the Deluxe room and experience will be worth the price difference?

Many thanks!

 

[Allensfan]

I booked a 3-night stay at Wilderness Lodge yesterday for my family at the end of September - yea! Got crazy and took the concierge level for $231 per night - yikes! Also added on the Dining Plan and 4-day Park Hopper tickets. Standard room was $165 by comparison. Whole package was right at $2000. We'll be driving in from the Atlanta area.

We stayed three years ago and stayed at POR with free dining and tickets for about $1400.

Wondering if Disney comes out with the Free Dining plan again if I would get a better deal taking the Free Dining? Any experience or opinions to share? Thanks! Also, do you think the Deluxe room and experience will be worth the price difference?

Many thanks!

I would have to guess that the 40% off code saves you more than the free dining. I would stick with what you have there...sounds like a super deal

I am wondering, and this made me post about it, why I have not gotten or heard anything about a coupon of 40%. We stayed on site last year but I guess it is just luck of the draw.

Does anyone have any insight to share. Thanks.

 

[eliza61]

Does anyone have any insight to share. Thanks.

Allen,
unfortunately it does seem to be luck of the draw. I recieved one one year and then the next 2 years zippo.

Op,
Generally if you stay at a Deluxe the 40% will save you more than the free dining.

 

[ChelleinNC]

Keep in mind you're looking at that POR number from 3 years ago, it's not likely gonna be the same now Rates have gone up significantly over the years.

WL concierge is wonderful and I'm sure your family will enjoy it. My DS practically lived in the concierge lobby playing with the lincoln logs

 

[jamounger]

We stayed Poly GV last Sept on the 40% code. Our price was within a few dollars of what Free Dining would have cost us. At the mods and values the norm seemed to be Free dining was a better deal. It all came down to that the more expensive rooms were a better discount at 40 % and at the values you did much better with free dining when you had more people in your room.We just did the math to decide what was best for us.

 

[skeleton_pirate]

An Example:

I'm currently booked for 7 nights at BWI in September with Free Dining. Total Cost: $3,600 for 3 adults.

If I had gotten the pin (Which I did not. Drat!) This same package would have been $3,000, even with paying for the dining plan. I also would have been able to avoid the hell that is WDW in September.

This same package, with the pin, dining plan, and at WL would have been $2,600.

 

[Allensfan]

Hello, what did you mean by " I also would have been able to avoid the hell that is WDW in September. " ?

Is Sept. a bad time of year to go? We were thinking of going for our son's birthday in that month. Thanks for any advice you can offer

 

[skeleton_pirate]

Hello, what did you mean by " I also would have been able to avoid the hell that is WDW in September. " ?

Is Sept. a bad time of year to go? We were thinking of going for our son's birthday in that month. Thanks for any advice you can offer

I'm just not a big fan of the heat. I was spoiled by going once in January. If you're able to tolerate some heat, September's a great time to go. The crowds will be low, and lines will be short, as long as you make it in there before the food and wine festival. Once the Food and Wine Festival starts, WDW gets pretty packed, or at least that's what we experienced last year.

 

[Allensfan]

The heat we like ...the crowds we hate . Given that my husband is still recovering from cancer, I just do not want him standing in 2 hour lines. Last year he was in a wheel chair and we got a pass to go to the front of the lines. But trust me, I would rather wait in lines and have my husband on his own foot power, than to have him in a wheel chair at the front of the line!

 

[Ella's Mom]

We went in Sept. 2006. It is definitely hot in September. If you don't mind the heat, go and have fun. The crowds were great. Our longest wait (and I think it was for Dumbo) was about 30 minutes. We bought a water bottle fan in the park and that worked great.