Any downside to Free Dining?

[Dano13]

i have never been at WDW for free dining and always buy the dining plan. Having stated that we have already booked our full stay for the time we want and at our favorite resort, the BWI. We currently have a waterview and all of our ADR's have booked.

Now there is speculation that during our stay free dining will be offered. If that is the case I assume it is more involved than simply keeping everything as is and just getting substantial money back. Does anyone what else would be involved such as changing views, resorts, or dates? I would be annoyed if I lost ADR's too I have all nine we wanted and on the days we wanted. I am trying to see what the downside is to "free money" back.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

1. It has to be available for your room type and dates. Your room, being booked, will not be part of the free dining "inventory." You may be required to change view, room type, resort or dates.

2. You may need to upgrade your park tickets.

You won't lose ADRs. ADRs are not actually tied to resort reservation. But if you have to change dates... well, that will impact your ADRs, obviously.

 

[revdon64]

We were told in the past that if we had a package booked and free dining became available for our resort and timeframe that we'd have to cancel our current reservation and rebook with the free dining package. It's sort of an iffy thing if you ask me. As _auroraborealis_ said, your ADRs are different so no changes would be required there, but if you're inside the 60 day window you may lose FP+ that you've already booked.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Free dining requires that you pay full rack rate on your room. So if you currently have a room discount or any other type of promotion, you would lose that if you switch to FD. Typically there are also ticket (park hopper) and length of stay requirements as well. So you need to do the math to determine how much savings you'll truly get, IF it's offered. The availability has been decreasing over the past few years.

 

[FelisLachesis]

Also remember that there may be a room discount for the same reservation period. Discounts don't stack. Taking free dining means rooms are at full rack rate.

It may be possible that the percentage room discount may be available during the same time, and it might be a bigger discount.

 

[tobikaye]

Also, do the math, you might save more with a room discount than Free Dining. I have been to WDW 2-3 times during free dining, but the room discounts were always more savings than the FD.

EDITED: Looks like a lot of us had the same thought. Usually the moderates and deluxe resorts are the ones you have to check to see which discount works best. The one time I was at a value during Free Dining, I had an AP and that discount saved at least $100 over the dining plan and since I had TiW it was even more savings on food paying out of pocket.

 

[Disneylover99]

We were told in the past that if we had a package booked and free dining became available for our resort and timeframe that we'd have to cancel our current reservation and rebook with the free dining package. It's sort of an iffy thing if you ask me. As _auroraborealis_ said, your ADRs are different so no changes would be required there, but if you're inside the 60 day window you may lose FP+ that you've already booked.

You will not lose your fp's if you switch to FD. If you cannot modify your current reservation, book a new reservation, then cancel your old one.

 

[jknc]

#1 issue for me is too much food. after a couple days, it may less enjoyable knowing how much food you will be consuming.

 

[sharonabe]

Also if you booked your current package before the ticket price increase, the price of your tickets will go to the current one.

 

[Arden01]

I don't think you would lose your ADRs. We had FD on a BB offer two summers ago, but stayed at a moderate. So, we paid rack rate, but moderate rates aren't nearly as expensive as deluxe. So, in our experience, it worked out to be a good deal. We did enjoy trying restaurants we normally would have thought too expensive. That being said, I'm not sure I would try hard for FD again. It was A LOT of food. 1 TS a day was fine, but it was the additional 1 CS meal per person, per day, and snack credit, that made us all feel overly stuffed. By the end of our trip, we were splitting CS meals or forgoing them all together and using the extra credits to buy snacks to bring home. Also, we like to occasionally order appetizers as entrees and skip dessert. Paying OOP makes more sense for us.

 

[Marthasor]

You wouldn't lose your ADR's as they aren't tied to your resort reservation. My advice, IF free dining is released (or if a room-only discount is released), simply re-price your package and see if there is a cost benefit for you. It is true your current resort and room category may not be available under the discount (if it is, bonus!). If it isn't, you then have the option of either keeping what you have or changing resorts and/or room categories. You won't lose FP+ either as long as you have tickets attached to MDE, so if you modify your package and tickets are still in the package, you're good to go.

 

[OasterP]

I agree with the above. I switched a reservation a couple of years ago to get free dining and they canceled what I had, rebooked another one (since it was available), and I kept all ADR's. Thankfully it was before FP time - I'm not sure how those would have worked.

 

[Missyrose]

We were told in the past that if we had a package booked and free dining became available for our resort and timeframe that we'd have to cancel our current reservation and rebook with the free dining package.

This is untrue. If you have a package booked, then the discount can be applied to your current package (but as others have said, you might need to change dates/resorts/room type to be eligible for the discount).

If you have a room-only reservation booked, then you would have to cancel and re-book as a package to add free dining.

 

[DWillowBay]

The biggest downside to Free Dining for me is my WAISTLINE after the trip! It tends to ...grow... with such an abundance of good food options, snacks, etc. that I usually don't eat in such quantity any other time. NOT COMPLAINING!! Oh, well...back to the gym!