Booking packages -vs- all seperate

[HeidiLowe]

What are your thoughts on this?

Is it better to do hotel/tickets/DDP seperate or get the big plan that Disney offers? I already have a room-only reservation for January 2011 but I don't know if I should wait and do the package.

What are advantages/disadvantages of each?

Thanks! Heidi.

 

[twokids0204]

What are your thoughts on this?

Is it better to do hotel/tickets/DDP seperate or get the big plan that Disney offers? I already have a room-only reservation for January 2011 but I don't know if I should wait and do the package.

What are advantages/disadvantages of each?

Thanks! Heidi.

If you want to be on the DDP you need a package with at least a 1 day ticket (for free dining 2 days)

 

[twokids0204]

Ohhhh and to the DISboards Heidi.

 

[Robo]

What are advantages/disadvantages of each?

It all depends on what kind of "deal" they are offering with the package.

Lest year, when they offered the Buy 4 Get 3 (or similar) we booked a package to get the free nights, the free "days" on the tickets, and the $$ Gift Certificate.

Other times we book room-only and use AP's.

We don't find the Free Dining to be a cost advantage at all.

It's all in what appeals to you, and what you want to do at WDW.

 

[acemartini]

We round & round & round on this issue - we got so dizzy!!! We decided to book separately mainly because of the cancellation policy, which I think is ridiculous. We also decided against the dining package. We are not big appetizer/dessert people & after researching decided it would not benefit us. We are going to buy the tickets when we get to the resort. Really, unless you are getting some really awesome deal for doing the whole package, there is no difference between booking a room & buying tickets later. Also, we found that not ALL restaurants/counter service locations take the dining package.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

We book it all separate because we aren't dining plan kind of people and with military discounts we can get it all cheaper separate.

 

[msmama]

Normally I'm a package girl all the way because it's easier.

For my upcoming trip I decided to price it all out...several ways. Booking a package through Disney, a package through SW vacations, through AAA and everything just the cheapest I could find were all within $50 of each other for this trip (including airfare, hotel, tickets and rental car).

After all that work, I'll just be sticking with the packages again.

 

[KimK2006]

We do separate. We can do it cheaper with discounted room only, buying our food (we eat breakfast in room most mornings to save time and money), and purchasing tickets through Ticketmania or one of the other vendors.

Plus, you can't beat being able to cancel within 5 or 6 days (?) before the trip if an emergency comes up....

 

[HeidiLowe]

Thank you so much for the quick, fantastic replies!!

We are planning on doing the deluxe DDP simply because we are making ADR's at a few signature restaurants and want lots of character meals for our first trip. So for us, I believe the plan will work out best. And I'm not much of a "bring a snack with you" vacationer, would much prefer to just get it there, so again, I think our best bet is the plan. Of course, I could do some more research and realize it's not, but for now I think it's best, lol. IT'S ALL SO COMPLICATED!!

We are getting travel insurance, simply because we will be flying out of Wisconsin in January, so the chances of our flight having some sort of delay is failry good, something we don't want to risk. So the cancellation policy is probably not going to be an issue for us because we'll be insured.

You guys rock, now I'm leaning towards to package. Thanks!!!

 

[camnhan]

We are a family of 5 with 3 kids (12,11,9). We do the package all the way!! Mainly because of what you said. We love doing the character meals with the kids so for us it seems better on the dining plan (even more so after I saw the $$ amount when we were done with some of them
There would have been no way we would have spent $150+ per meal if we had not done the dining plan.

I think for families who are staying on site with no transportation it is so much easier!!

 

[SmallWorld71]

It all depends on what kind of "deal" they are offering with the package.

Lest year, when they offered the Buy 4 Get 3 (or similar) we booked a package to get the free nights, the free "days" on the tickets, and the $$ Gift Certificate.

Other times we book room-only and use AP's.

We don't find the Free Dining to be a cost advantage at all.

It's all in what appeals to you, and what you want to do at WDW.

What Robo said! Seriously, it depends on your families needs and the special being offered. We have found free dining to be a huge savings for us because of the make-up of our family. We have 3 kids, but 2 are "Disney adults" so the free plan for us is a savings of approx. $170 a day. Stay in one room at POR, and that's a great savings.

Since you are not going until next year. I would keep your room only and then change your reservation as things get closer and discounts/ packages are released.

 

[mrodgers]

I see at least one post stating "we are not appetizer or dessert people..." about the dining plan.

When I researched, I looked up each restaurant we wanted to go to and estimated what we would order, which wouldn't include appetizer or dessert, only entree. I was only 4 restaurants into the 5 I had chosen (6 meals, but one of them would be a 2 ticket deal) and the estimated cost was way beyond what the dining plan cost me for 6 nights. That was just 4 restaurants and didn't include eating lunch at counter service areas or snack tickets. I look at it as we are saving about $150 on dinner meals and getting free appetizer, dessert, lunch, and snacks to boot.

That is all of course based on we would eat at those Disney restaurants for sure. We probably wouldn't, but it seems it would be a great hassle to leave the parks for dinner every day and come back.

I think the convenience of only needing the cash for the trip to and from Orlando and having the entire week trip in Disney will be worth the dining plan as well. All I need is gas money and hotel money for the travel to and from.

 

[MareSINY]

I usually find the room only offers to be a better deal than say the free dining offers. I tend to book the room only and then upgrade it, adding on tickets and the dining plan as needed/wanted.

 

[deerhart]

we book packages because booking separately would cost us more.

Like other posters have stated, I look at each restaurant, what we are likely to order and start adding. Further, without the dining plan (and paying in cash that day), both DH and I would be way more tempted to order something because it's cheaper versus what we really want and that's not how we want to spend our vacation!

 

[tzolkin]

You really have to price everything out as each deal comes along.

Last year, we wound up doing a split stay and were able to take advantage of two different deals. We did a package for 7 nights at Pop Century with the Buy4Get3 and then did 4 nights at CSR with a room-only % off ($100/night).

We never bought the dining plan before because it would not have been a savings for our family. We had no intention of doing all those TS meals our first few trips and we drove so we also saved money by bringing our own groceries for breakfast and snacks in the room.

This year, we are doing free dining. We are taking my parents and they must do at least one TS meal per day. I did the math and with 5 adults, we wind up saving a ton of money with the free dining over a 30%off room offer.

 

[BrettS]

One thing to note that hasn't been made really clear here is that if you want the dining plan (either paid or free) then you need to get a package... the dining plan isn't offered as a seperate item. So if you know you want the dining plan then your decision is made for you

 

[jacksg@l]

After much research, my DH and I decided to go with booking room, tickets and DDPQS all together. However, he reminded me that when I booked over the phone the last time we went, it was cheaper than online. Sure enough, booking over the phone was around $200 cheaper.

 

[seals]

although we use Undercover Tourist

We do separate. We can do it cheaper with discounted room only, buying our food (we eat breakfast in room most mornings to save time and money), and purchasing tickets through Ticketmania or one of the other vendors.

Plus, you can't beat being able to cancel within 5 or 6 days (?) before the trip if an emergency comes up....

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

It all depends on what kind of "deal" they are offering with the package.

Lest year, when they offered the Buy 4 Get 3 (or similar) we booked a package to get the free nights, the free "days" on the tickets, and the $$ Gift Certificate.

Other times we book room-only and use AP's.

We don't find the Free Dining to be a cost advantage at all.

It's all in what appeals to you, and what you want to do at WDW.

Robo makes an excellent point. Figure out "what you want to do at WDW" and go from there. Last September we paid full price for a room in a deluxe resort to get the free dining. When we left WDW after spending 10 days, we had lots of extra meals we didn't use. This year we have 45% off our room and will pay for dining. It's what works best for us.