Are these new "packages" any good???

[The Great Kazoo]

I am starting to plan for my honeymoon at Disney in April and started to look at these packages that WDW are going to push on Jan 2. I am a former AP but let my pass fizzle. Was planning on a 5 or a 6 night stay. Seems to me the longer you stay the better you are but.........


What are all of your thoughts? Is it worth it?

 

[boucheresq]

you may want to consider it, especially if you add the dining option - for $35 pp you get a really nice sit down dinner each night, plus counter service meal and a snack. it's a steal at that amount b/c my dh and I easily spend $100 just on the sit down meal alone each day.

 

[Stiff]

my wife and I said after the last trip "if you sit to get served for a meal, its over $100"

this $35 a day thing IS a steal

 

[princess lovers mom]

where are you seeing details of this package and pricing...are the rooms at rack ate as if so then the emals aren't so cheap any more if you could get a cheaper room with room only

 

[Rootskate]

I was wondering the same thing....We already have a room-only reservation for May. Will we be able to "add on" the tickets and the meal plan? Or will I have to cancel that whole reservation and start from scratch?

 

[Kaitysmom]

I am curious too - we are going on AP rates this Feb and plan on a Christmas trip next year. Don't know if we should do APs now...

 

[swilphil]

You can find some vague info. about the packages at www.allearsnet.com. They do give specifics about the meal package and tickets. When I talked to CRO yesterday about my reservation in March on the BDP code, she did say that if I upgraded to the new package in Jan. I would pay rack rate and I would have to switch to the package. Even the CM agreed that since we are staying at the Contemporary, it probably wouldn't be worth it to switch from our code rate. I think the dining option is a great deal if you are staying at a value or maybe even a mod during regular or off season. I would say POR would be nice for a honeymoon.

As far as the MYW tickets, if you are going 6 nights you might as well go for the 7 day park hopper 14-day expire pass. It's only ONE MORE DOLLAR than the 6 day and 2 more dollars than the 5 day. You can buy the MYW tickets whether you're staying room only or on a package.

 

[The Great Kazoo]

Yeah I was kinda thinking of the meal add-on as being the big "turn-on" forthis whole thing. it's definitely where they are getting you hooked on trying it. The list of sit downs are almost too good to pass up.



Right now POR is a possiblity mainly for the carriage ride at night(Which is a definite for our stay...).

 

[ptrbryant]

We usually spend about $100 a day for 1 counter service meal and one sit-down meal per day for DH, DS8 and myself (we're not big snack people and usually like a light breakfast in the hotel room before hitting the parks). So, the Dining Plan would save us around $20 per day. HOWEVER, we'd also feel more willing to try some of the more expensive restaurants we haven't gone to yet because of our budget.

THEN word came out that to have the Dining Package, you'd pay rack rate for the resort room. Hmmm. We always stay at WL...rack rate is around $265 (woodsview, reg. season) and when we stay with a code--as we always have--it's about $135.00. So, the Dining Package begins to look like less of a deal for us. It would cost us about $130 more per day for the hotel. It's all going to depend on the room rates that go with the packages.

Karla B.

 

[Cookie Princess]

Where can I find a listing of the restaurants that participate in this program? We too are trying to weigh all of our pricing options. Thank you!

 

[The Great Kazoo]

This should help a little bit.....


http://www.wdwinfo.com/MagicYourWaydining.htm

 

[awatt]

Am considering a stay at the Swan or Dolphin next summer. There is a significant savings with Ent book,AAA or Ap rate, I think half of rack rate. Am I correct in assuming the package with the dining would not be as good a deal as the reduced room rate because the package would be rack rate?

 

[Liz]

Am considering a stay at the Swan or Dolphin next summer. There is a significant savings with Ent book,AAA or Ap rate, I think half of rack rate. Am I correct in assuming the package with the dining would not be as good a deal as the reduced room rate because the package would be rack rate?

I think you are probably right (that you'd be better off with the discounted room and no dining plan rather than rack rate w/dining plan). But I think we're going to just have to wait till people start actually booking these packages and see if discount rooms are available with the package. I'm in the same situation as you, looking to travel next summer, and just anxiously awaiting to see what happens in January! Good luck!

 

[cslittle999]

I also think it depends on how much you spend on food. I'm thinking that the dining plan would save us around $30 per day on average. That's more than a AAA discount on the rooms we're looking but not as much as the codes.

Once the new pricing is out on Jan. 2 I'm not sure what we'll do. I'm leaning towards booking a package with dining and then waiting to see what codes come out. Since we're going in early December I would guess we won't see the codes until mid-summer anyways. If we can save big with a code then we'll switch to a room only reservation and get our tickets separately.

 

[The Great Kazoo]

Yeah I think after January 2 I will be better informed on what is what. Seems thats what i saw too on the package is that you save about 30-40 bucks on meals per day which if you got the code would probably save about 30-40 per night either at a value or moderate anyways. My first attempt to figure out a 6 night/7 day stay was about $1765.00 which after looking at last years budget was about the same as we spent this past spring....