AP Room Rates or Free Dining?

[mouseaddicts]

Plus, other posts here on the DIS said you can use the cost of that 1 day ticket towards the purchase or renewal of an AP.

Okay, so 1 day tickets automatically have "no expiration"??? If that's the case, the free dining, even having to purchase a 1 day ticket per person, seems like a pretty sweet deal even for APs who can take advantage.

DH & I figure the dates they're pushing the free dining is an effort to ramp up park attendance between kids going back to school & Oct. 1st (35th B-Day of WDW ...... new celebration kicking off???).

I'm seriously feeling the love of the DIS!!! Everyone here is AWESOME!!! I really wish I had been on here posting a year ago ......... oh well ....... we're here now ......... thanks to everyone!!!

 

[planning06]

Remember your figure incudes a base ticket for each member in your party. That can be saved and used to upgrade at a later date or renew your AP.
So deduct that (which you won't use now ) and it is $2,458 with Free dining!

You are right. I forgot about that. Now that puts a new spin on things. I believe the AP discount for deluxes August of 2005 was about $70 or $75 dollars. In that case, free dining may be the better bet. If the discounts are steeper, AP room rates will be the better bet. I guess we should go ahead and book with free dining and then wait and see if AP discounts will offer a better deal.

Thanks all! This has been a great help.

 

[tnkrbell]

Thanks to everyone for their replies and help. I have noticed that many of you are quoting $100 off deluxes with the AP. Is that exact? We bought our AP for our first visit in January and I think our discount was only $70 per night at AKL. Is the discount different depending on the resort?

The discount changes depending on the time of year.

You will save a bundle with the DDE card also!!

 

[Disney Fool]

The AP discount last summer was at least $100 off; I stayed last August at the Yacht Club. I paid $219 for a standard room per night. I also had the DDE card--saved a bundle. For those of you who are trying to figure out the numbers: remember, "sometimes you feel like a nut, ...sometimes you don't"
I don't always feel like a full course meal, or a big breakfast, just coffee and a muffin will suffice sometimes. I played with the numbers, and for me, it was far cheaper to go with the discounted room with the AP. Remember you are paying a higher price for the room on the free dining plan. It was such a discount on the room with the AP that I chose that route. For some of you, the dining plan may be ideal--it just didn't work for me.

 

[NYRN]

This is a great thread because we were wondering the same- is free dining worth it? At least with the deluxes, rack rate is SO expensive, and there are deals to be had between AP's , AAA, and we did find this:
http://www.wdwforless.com/FAAP.htm

We were thinking the BC and AKL rates were better then free dining, and we can stay concierge too...

 

[Di-Dis]

DH & I stayed at the WL, Dec. 18 to Dec. 25th, 2005 and I used my AP for a great disc. on the room. I can't remember when the AP Room disc. rates were announced. Does anyone have any idea when the AP Disc. would be announced for a late Nov., begining of Dec. stay? We had such a great time last year, that DH & I plan to spend the week before X-Mas at the World every year now, especially since all the kids live on the West Coast, being at WDW, makes the Holidays alot more fun for DH & I. We don't get lonely when we are there. Thanks

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Another thing for you guys to factor in who aren't getting the dining plan.

If you are planning on doing any of the "special" restaurants like Jiko, California Grill, or especially the Hoop de Doo or Aloha show, the free dining plan saves you some money. We are doing Hoop de Doo and it would have cost us $226.31 for our family of 5. Now we are doing it for free!

I'm sure not all of the 2 credit restaurants are worth it, but the HDD is definately worth it for us.

We have AP's also, so we won't use our tickets until next year.

 

[DJNOWICK]

Does anyone have any idea when the AP Disc. would be announced for a late Nov., begining of Dec. stay?

Usually mid-late August (at least for the past 4-5 years - I wasn't watching before then.)

jackie

 

[planning06]

Another thing for you guys to factor in who aren't getting the dining plan.

If you are planning on doing any of the "special" restaurants like Jiko, California Grill, or especially the Hoop de Doo or Aloha show, the free dining plan saves you some money. We are doing Hoop de Doo and it would have cost us $226.31 for our family of 5. Now we are doing it for free!

I'm sure not all of the 2 credit restaurants are worth it, but the HDD is definately worth it for us.

We have AP's also, so we won't use our tickets until next year.

I was thinking just the opposite if I go with the dining plan. We were thinking about Hoop De Doo or CRT which are both 2 table service credits. Since we have the DDE already, I was thinking of using the DDE for that and saving the TS credits for other meals.

 

[lark]

This is what I found on Mousesavers:

Dates valid Who is eligible Date released

7/5/05-8/27/05 Annual Passholder room-only rates 5/4/05, exp 8/27/05
8/21/05-10/4/05 package discounts for general public ("free dining") 6/2/05, exp 7/3/05
8/21/05-10/4/05 package discounts for Florida residents ("free dining") 6/2/05, exp 7/19/05
8/28/05-10/4/05 Annual Passholder room-only rates 6/1/05, exp 10/4/05
8/28/05-10/4/05 Florida resident room-only code 7/17/05, exp 10/4/05
8/21/05-10/4/05 package discounts for general public ("free dining") 7/21/05, exp 8/20/05

Could someone please post a link to where this historical information is available on mousesavers, or explain to me how to get there. I always hear about it but never can find it.

 

[EEyorelover22]

Could someone please post a link to where this historical information is available on mousesavers, or explain to me how to get there. I always hear about it but never can find it.

It's sort of buried and I always had troubles finding it so I book marked that page and the mousesavers home page.

http://www.mousesavers.com/faq.html#codetrends

 

[lark]

It's sort of buried and I always had troubles finding it so I book marked that page and the mousesavers home page.

http://www.mousesavers.com/faq.html#codetrends

Excellent! Thanks.

 

[tinkerrn]

Wow....I am having buyers remorse right now. Impulsively last night without my DH knowing I upgraded from POFQ king bed to WL concierge. It was a huge difference in price also. We have APs also. I am thinking that I should have just kept the Mod, the price of the Deluxe is too much paying rack rate. The concierge level with the snacks and breakfast items and the dining is way too much food for us. Ther is no way that we can eat all that food, it would be better served to just get an AP rate or AAA rate for concierge level. Any one else have any thoughts to this??? It will just be the 2 of us.

POFQ 7 nights
one day base ticket
free dining.....$1342.00

WL Concierge 7 nights
one day base ticket
free dining....$3024.00

HUMMMMMMM..........

 

[tripplanner2]

Wow....I am having buyers remorse right now. Impulsively last night without my DH knowing I upgraded from POFQ king bed to WL concierge. It was a huge difference in price also. We have APs also. I am thinking that I should have just kept the Mod, the price of the Deluxe is too much paying rack rate. The concierge level with the snacks and breakfast items and the dining is way too much food for us. Ther is no way that we can eat all that food, it would be better served to just get an AP rate or AAA rate for concierge level. Any one else have any thoughts to this??? It will just be the 2 of us.

POFQ 7 nights
one day base ticket
free dining.....$1342.00

WL Concierge 7 nights
one day base ticket
free dining....$3024.00

HUMMMMMMM..........

I say it is a no brainer. What about a different room at WL so you don't pay for conceirge. Or use the AP discount for conceirge but the price difference is really crazy.