Deluxe resort or free dining?

[megnsamsgracie]

I have 2 rooms at POP booked for FD. I dont use CC for anything so all my payments are cash in my bank account. Right now, I have the full payment in hand for that trip. But we loved Christmas time in the world. If we wait until December, we can stay at the contemporary (MK view.. possible to move up to club level if I can pick up any more OT). We stayed here in December and LOVED it! I can even do 2 rooms at AKL (never stayed there!)

Now, if I did this.. we would be eating OOP and I can tell you, it will be breakfast in the room (from home) and lunch would be food from home too. Then dinner out (CS not all TS.. maybe just 1 or 2). Would you rather go for FD and eat at some great places, or would you hang out and wait til December and upgrade to a nicer resort? I know this is subjective as some of you LOVE the values. I have nothing against the values but when we stayed at CR, DH LOVED it sooo much more than when we stayed at ASMO

 

[goofieslonglostsis]

Why not have a family 'poll'? Talk it over and let's see what the family wants? Maybe it'll be very clear after that?

Otherwise make a list of all the pros and cons of september and one for december. Only your family can decide which cons they find terrible and which pros they could do without.

For instance a pro for the september trip could be the money you eventually safe! You could spent the money you would otherwise safe between september and december to upgrade for a next trip in 2009. An extra trip or doing something great for the anniversary?

 

[minnie61650]

I enjoy the free dining.
We just happened to plan a late Sept.- early Oct. trip in 2005 to take our DD, SIN and grandson to WDW ( booked MNSHP) and lucked out when Free Dining first came out.

Since then we book free dining every year.
The crowds are low, the food is great and the price cannot be beat especialy when booking a value resort!

Have fun at WDW wherever you choose to stay and whenever you choose to go.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

I would go at xmas

 

[dclfun]

Do you already have ADR's for your Sept. trip? Are they TS restaurants you really wanted to try and would they make the trip special for your family as in doing something very different from past trips? Do the kids like sit-down meals or are they more "park people" where dining really doesn't matter? If you do end up booking CL then at least you'd have some snacks and a light breakfast included. Is the weather a factor? Hot/humid/rainy vs. cooler? Are the Christmas decorations and events more important than other factors? I think the suggestion to take a family poll is a great one so you won't be left feeling like your decision has somehow let down your family with whatever you might choose alone. I know...we Mom's tend to think that way! Good luck with your decision and whatever you do...enjoy your hard-earned vacation!---Kathy

 

[BostonRob]

Here's what I don't understand. If you could get extra OT to earn the money to ubgrade to club level, why not just stay at the regular MK view and use the extra money for meals? If you're the kind of person who just doesn't like to pay for meals and only eats out when you get free dining, OK. But since the biggest feature of club level seems to be the food, why would you pay for it that way? I'm confused.
Personally, when I'm on vacation, I don't like to do any food from home or breakfast in the room kind of business. So if I was you, I'd work the OT, get the the regular tower room (MK view or otherwise) and use the money for some nice breakfasts and dinners.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Just so you know if you decided to take the Magic Kingdom View at the Contemporary and wanted to try Club Level on the 12th floor or the 14th floor in a standard room, it does not come with a guaranteed Magic Kingdom View because it has to be requested. So just thought you should know that.

 

[ajk912]

Hands down, without a doubt, would I pick Contemporary at Christmastime.

The only reason we are going in August (with the heat and the more heat ) is because that's the only time DH can get off work, not to mention school schedules. And to get a better hotel, heck YA!!!

 

[shyjade]

I've done both (only stayed at Poly, not CR); Free Dining in 2006 and Poly during the Christmas "season" (November, but the decorations were up, party was going on, etc.) in 2007.

We decided to return again this November to the Poly even though we easily could've gone during Free Dining and saved a lot of money.

That speaks volumes!! But ultimately you need to decide what would make your family happiest. Good luck!

 

[ntsammy5]

We've done both. If you plan on staying at the resort a lot, do Christmas at CR, otherwise do the free dining - you'll get a whole new perspective on WDW. We normally don't eat more than a couple of TS during our normal 10-14 day stay, but the tow FD trips were awesome! The only problem was that we went on a extended diet after the trip. Have fun. You'll enjoy your trip no matter what!

 

[Lehuaann]

I too had a Christmas trip planned for Nov/Dec 08 but switched to Sep FD since it gave me a reason to move our trip up and save $800 (call me cheap and impatient, ha)!!!!!!!

However, next year I am planning to do Christmas @ WL, whoo hoo!

 

[mmmears]

I'd wait for the better weather and nicer resorts and do Xmas. The free dining doesn't appeal to me since we dont eat that much anyway. We always pay for food OOP, but we dont have drinks, appetizers, entrees and desserts at each meal -- who can eat that much anyway? We ususally do one sit down a day, and then split a CS meal or have a small meal by the pool at our resort for lunch.

Dining isn't the reason we go to WDW. If it is, then I think the free dining would be great! We're there for the rides, shows, and family fun.

 

[BostonRob]

Dining isn't the reason we go to WDW. If it is, then I think the free dining would be great! We're there for the rides, shows, and family fun.

This is a great point, and gets to the question I had. Everybody is looking for different things in a vacation. Some people just like rides. Some people just like deluxe resorts. Some people like pool time. Some people like to eat a lot of fancy meals. Obviously you chose what's best for you. But what I didn't undrestand from the OP was, what was best for HER? Because if food isn't important to you, then you're wasting a lot on a club level room for what, some concierge assitance? But if food is important to you, then wouldn't you be better off in a standard room with a dining plan?

 

[FINFAN]

CR. We did the free dining thing in '06, stayed at the Poly as we , for one trip, could do both deluxe digs and deluxe grub. Tried a lot of TS places we had never eaten at, but also used up a TON of time getting to our ADR's, waiting to be seated at them, time eating...we did less in that 10 day trip ( spent first 3 nights at POP) than a previous 7 day trip over the 4th of July!
Book the tower MK view..I gotta tell ya, if youcan go tosleep Christmas eve looking at that view ant then wake up to it Christmas morning? Sweet!
The mere fact that you can just stroll on over to MK at your liesure is awesome. We stayed in the N. Wing years ago ( so sad to see it gone) LOVED it. We had done a ASMU/CR split that year.
Free dining let us experience some really cool restaurants that we would never have spent the $$$ on, but to be honest, we missed the park time more than we enjoyed eating at those places. We are pretty much commando tho, and we LIKE breakfast in the room, saves time!

Pam

 

[mmmears]

This is a great point, and gets to the question I had. Everybody is looking for different things in a vacation. Some people just like rides. Some people just like deluxe resorts. Some people like pool time. Some people like to eat a lot of fancy meals. Obviously you chose what's best for you. But what I didn't undrestand from the OP was, what was best for HER? Because if food isn't important to you, then you're wasting a lot on a club level room for what, some concierge assitance? But if food is important to you, then wouldn't you be better off in a standard room with a dining plan?

Actually, we sometimes stay CL because we can just grab a quick bite when we are hungry or early in the morning before we head out to the parks. That way we dont waste our time with a full-blown breakfast. I agree it's not always the best value, but it is very convenient to just grab something when we leave our room and when we return from the parks.

I also agree with you that if the dining really mattered to us, we'd skip club level and go for the dining plan (prob the DDP) and eat fancier sit-down meals more often. I'd rather have an excellent meal when I am well-rested, dressed-up, and my feet aren't aching from running around all day!

 

[megnsamsgracie]

Honestly, we are not HUGE sit down and eat people. Would rather be out and just grab something. I did put a hold on CL at CR. This way we would grab something for breakfast. We can swim at the pool in the afternoon and relax and grab sandwiches and then head BACK out to the parks and just grab dinner. My husband isnt very structured so having set dining times would probably bother him. There are 2 places I HAVE to eat at and I can easily just pick up enough OT before Dec to pay OOP for it (WL family buffet meal and the Ohana dinner show). I would rather pay to upgrade to CL (LOVED IT in December for 2n!!!) and just grab a quick bite here and there. And we are DEFINITELY MK people so it is nice to just walk back to the resort and relax for a bit.

I do like the idea of a family poll as this is the kids vacation, DH and I are taking a cruise sans kids in August so this is totally their call.