Dining free package....worth it??

[vpack05]

We are family of 5 (1 adult, 12 yo, 11 yo, 6 yo, 1yo) and one housemate (adult). I've been trying to figure out if it's worth bumping up our planned late year trip to take advantage of free dining. HELP!

We would only get tickets for one or two days at most. HATE values but could do moderates...

Worth the package plan or not? Your two cents wanted desparately!!

We DO like to eat!

 

[eeyore45]

Have you looked at this site?

http://www.touringplans.com/MYWDining.html

Since we're going during Food and Wine Festival, and I believe there will be a Florida Resident Rate out for then (ok my fingers ARE crossed! based on August etc) I think we'll do better without...

but if not that, we'd be all over the free dining plan!

 

[rkandmjsmommy]

Hi
For us the dining plan is worth it, we are able to eat at all the restaurants that are normally too expensive for us.

 

[nrsldy]

I changed our trip times because I felt the savings would be enough to have more to spend later! We will be having more meals at places we have not ate before.

 

[indigoxtreme]

Sit down and figure out what you would spend per day. Can you eat on 35 per adult a day ( I don't think so unless you eat a lot of sandwiches in the room). And it won't really cost you 35.00 per adult as it is free. Figure the room cost that you have now, the tickets and how much the meals will cost you. Then figure up the room cost with the free dining plan and tickets and see what that will cost, I bet you will find a lot of savings.

 

[Heather Smith]

I so believe it's worth it that we will be officially staying at our timeshare for the week, but I booked three days at a value just to get the free dining to check out some restaurants that would otherwise be too expensive for us.

I added up where we will be eating and without snacks our choices add up to about $145/day. We will be getting this for about ~80/day.

 

[vpack05]

So, do I understand this correctly....you booked the value but are actually planning to stay somewhere else? That's neat thinking.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

remember also that the dining plan covers your tips and tax too.

 

[Heather Smith]

vpak05

Yeah, you understood correctly, we are staying at our timeshare.

My kids have always wanted to eat in the castle and my husband has always wanted to eat at Le Celliar and now we will.

We will probably stay at the hotel at least one night and let the kids do the whole Disney thing. We'll take them over to Fort Wilderness for the movie and sing along. At least this way when we check in and out we can have at least one bag with us.

 

[vpack05]

Well I booked! We'll see how many changes I make between now and then (Oct 1-10). We got POR for 2 adults, 3 children, 1 infant (1 room!), dining plan, MYW 1 day tickets for $1505.00.

Comments?? Advice?

We just returned from a 11 day trip over Memorial Day and I'm worried that the relying upon the dining plan alone isn't going to be enough food. I know, I know, you all say it's plenty, but we're hearty eaters, including my children. Epcot is heaven with all the meals (even for them!). Convince me I did the right thing? Please!!

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

I so believe it's worth it that we will be officially staying at our timeshare for the week, but I booked three days at a value just to get the free dining to check out some restaurants that would otherwise be too expensive for us.

I added up where we will be eating and without snacks our choices add up to about $145/day. We will be getting this for about ~80/day.

Maybe I'm not clearing reading what you wrote.
How much would you spend to dine? Is it more or less than the cost of your resort stay? I guess I don't see that booking a resort stay for room that is not needed is in your best interest, but then again I haven't done the calculations. Is booking the room that you don't need worth the savings on food you would have to buy without the free dining plan when booking on-site?

 

[GinaGrumpyDwarf]

DH and I werent even PLANNING a vaca this year to WDW and POOF just like true Disney magic, they came up with a WONDERFUL offer to PULL you in..lol

8 nights at ASMo 2 adults and 1 child with free dining...PRICELESS

 

[Heather Smith]

It's more than the cost of the resort stay.
DAY 1
Cinderellas Table
4 meals @ ~ 26/each
4 drinks @ ~ 2/each
4 counter svc @ ~ 10/each

DAY 2
Le Cellier
4 meals @ ~30/each
4 drinks @ ~ 2/each
4 counter svc @ ~ 10/each

DAY 3
Whispering Canyon
4 meals @ ~22/each
4 drinks @ ~ 2/each
4 counter svc @ ~ 10/each

This averages out to about ~152 a day and I have not even figured in tax, tip, dessert, appetizer and snack, which would bump up the 152 even more.

The room with tax came out to about ~86 to ~87 with tax.

If we did not have this we would probably eat breakfast and dinner in our condo and just do snacks and counter service at Disney. But hey, the opportunity was here so we're going to have a gastronomical extravaganza for 3 days.

No it's not more economical than what we would have to buy in the parks, but every once in awhile ya feel like splurgin. Free dining just made this slurge affordable.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

That's terrific Heather. Thanks for supplying the details. The girl next to me at work boked her trip yesterday. A quick calculation showed meals would cost $450 if she paid for the MYW Dining. There are big eaters so it's worth it to go with the plan. Her trip over an extended Labor Day weekend to ASMovies, including airfare w/Magical Express and free dining is just over $2000 for 2 adults and two children under 9.

 

[purplepixie]

DH and I werent even PLANNING a vaca this year to WDW and POOF just like true Disney magic, they came up with a WONDERFUL offer to PULL you in..lol


We're in the exact same boat. We weren't thinking of going until at least Nov 2006. I saw this and called my DH to just joke we should go. He said yes and I said OK. I called and made reservations before he could change his mind. This trip just seems to be falling into place. The free dining is SO us. We love to eat especially at EPCOT. My husbands bonus is the end of this month so we're splurging and going for a deluxe. The trip falls over my youngest DD birthday and I got AS at CRT on her birthday. Now I just have to control myself. I'm so excited to go and it's still two monthes away. We're planning on surprising the girls when we leave, if I can keep it to myself that is.

 

[Blythep]

Hubby and I weren't planning a trip this year either because our son's band will be going to Disneyland next spring and we are going too. When they released these plans for free dining, we couldn't pass it up. We are able to split meals between the two of us, so we can get a breakfast and a lunch that way. Then we can also have some character meals. Three months from today!!

 

[fac]

Well I booked! We'll see how many changes I make between now and then (Oct 1-10). We got POR for 2 adults, 3 children, 1 infant (1 room!), dining plan, MYW 1 day tickets for $1505.00.

Comments?? Advice?

We just returned from a 11 day trip over Memorial Day and I'm worried that the relying upon the dining plan alone isn't going to be enough food. I know, I know, you all say it's plenty, but we're hearty eaters, including my children. Epcot is heaven with all the meals (even for them!). Convince me I did the right thing? Please!!

Yes, you did the right thing.
You are going to go anyway, you are just going one or two months earlier and save all the money on food. smart move.

 

[twoeeyy]

I just booked oct 4-13;9 nights for 2 adults and a 12yr old for 1632 at the POP witht the dinning plan . We are getting the ticket option that allows you to visit water parks. I think that we got a good deal and even if we did not I am going to convince myself that we did.

 

[TNKBELL]

I so believe it's worth it that we will be officially staying at our timeshare for the week, but I booked three days at a value just to get the free dining to check out some restaurants that would otherwise be too expensive for us.

I added up where we will be eating and without snacks our choices add up to about $145/day. We will be getting this for about ~80/day.

Great Minds Think Alike!! We did the same thing!! CRT here we come!!!

 

[TNKBELL]

It's more than the cost of the resort stay.
DAY 1
Cinderellas Table
4 meals @ ~ 26/each
4 drinks @ ~ 2/each
4 counter svc @ ~ 10/each

DAY 2
Le Cellier
4 meals @ ~30/each
4 drinks @ ~ 2/each
4 counter svc @ ~ 10/each

DAY 3
Whispering Canyon
4 meals @ ~22/each
4 drinks @ ~ 2/each
4 counter svc @ ~ 10/each

This averages out to about ~152 a day and I have not even figured in tax, tip, dessert, appetizer and snack, which would bump up the 152 even more.

The room with tax came out to about ~86 to ~87 with tax.

If we did not have this we would probably eat breakfast and dinner in our condo and just do snacks and counter service at Disney. But hey, the opportunity was here so we're going to have a gastronomical extravaganza for 3 days.

No it's not more economical than what we would have to buy in the parks, but every once in awhile ya feel like splurgin. Free dining just made this slurge affordable.

Great Plan, if you wanted to, you could even carry over credits to the 4th day as long as you use them by midnight, Cinderella!