Dining Plan vs. points strategy

[carlos1117]

Dear friends,

Has anyone either sold or bank their point and taken advantage of the free dining plan? I wondering if it's worth the hassle?

Mike

 

[phorsenuf]

That's what we are planning to do. Some people may not agree because of the whole accomadations thing but It think it's individual preference. I am able to book 6 nights with free dining for approx. 71 points (that's what I had left). So for our family of 4 it's a good deal. Yes, we are staying at ASSP but we don't mind. When we go we go to have fun and it doesn't matter where we are staying as long as we are enjoying ourselves.

 

[Muushka]

After reading some of these 'renting nightmare' threads, I would not bother. I am going for the free dining also and staying at ASMu in a family reunion type of thing. But not renting points to do it! If I ever needed to get rid of points, I would probably try to do a transfer to another member.

 

[jjohnson]

Did you already make reservations? The booking deadline for the promotion has already ended.

 

[dtndfamily]

We are doing a similar thing. I rented out my points and booked the GF for 3 nights and POR for 5 nights. I want to experience every resort at Disney and the free dining is a great way to do it. It will actually end up costing me about the same as using my points and buying the DP, but even if it was more, I am getting an opportunity to stay at the GF, if only for 3 nights.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

We were going to do free dining, as we had already booked it when we bought in. We wanted to stay at AKL and it would just be me, DH, and our little guy, who is 1. DD3 is going to Sea World with her aunt and my other 2 were given the choice of 5 days in September or 2 weeks in Feb, so guess what they picked??

Anyhow, I sat down one day and figured it out. For 5 nights on free dining at AKL savannah view it was something like 1700. Then we would have bought our AP's (630-126 credit for the 1-day base tix I bought with the package=504. So....$2200-ish.

I booked those 5 nights in a studio at BWV for 70 points, which we had, but even renting them, figure $11/point is $770+630 for AP's+380 for me+DH to buy the dining plan= $1780. We are saving over $400 bucks (actually alot more since we had the points to use).

And now we plan on doing AKL another trip when all the kids can go, since they want to do it, too. Now, next fall if they offer free dining?? That could be worth it for the 5 of us, since the dining plan for me, DH, DD14, DS11, and DD3 would be over 800 bucks and we would need a 2BR rather than a studio.

So for a larger family, I could see it being worth it, definitely. Or at a value resort.

But for just me and DH??? I just couldn't do it.

So we are staying at BWV...can't wait!!

 

[kimberh]

When I priced the Value, mod and Deluxe resorts the value on the free dining came on the cheaper resorts. Even with free dining the deluxe resorts were very expensive. What the previous poster did was smart. I decided to stay at Coronado Springs and use the one day ticket toward the Annual pass that will expire on Aug 30th. We have only stayed at Deluxe's for years so I hope I am not going to be disappointed with my choice.

 

[NYMomof4]

We added a week at POR w/free dining and kept our DVC reservations. It basically just extended our trip, but we really enjoyed the free dining last year before we bought DVC. It makes sense with my mother traveling w/us and 2 kids considered adults on the plan.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

See, I agree with NYmom of 4 (BTW I am also a NY mom of 4!! Right near Buffalo!). For 3 adults and 2 kids who are over 10, I think the free dining probably would work out even or possibly cheaper. But with just 2 adults, it didn't for us. Now I am crunching the DDP versus DDE numbers!