Dining Plan vs. Special Rate

[DisneyOct05]

Okay, I thought I was getting a great deal when I booked our trip and got free dining plan. I paid $240 for Wilderness Lodge Woods View for Sept. 22-24. I am going with Team in Training (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), and they booked rooms for $150 a night at Wilderness Lodge, although not sure which ones. I'm trying to decide whether to cancel my reservation and just go with the rooms booked by TNT.

We have ADRs at Artist Point and California Grill. There are 2 of us, so we'll be using 2 dinner points at AP and 4 points at CG and will have to pay for one dinner at AP (we only have 6). That's all of our dinners. I'm not sure we will even use all of the lunches or the snacks. We're going to AK on Sat and I'm in the triathlon on Sunday. So, the issue is: we booked rooms for roughly $750 with free dining, or I could get room through TNT for $450 and no free dining.

Is there any way I can justify keeping the reservation and the free dining, or should I cancel and book through TNT?:

 

[Linda 441]

I would check out the menu/prices at Artist Point and CG and see what you would spend and add that to the price for comparision. And then also add in what you would be spending on counter service/snacks without the dining plan. Hard to say since both of those rest. take 2 DP credits. Best way is to do the math, but depending on what you order, you can easily spend $300 on 2 dinners at CG along with the CS and snacks.

 

[indigoxtreme]

Okay, I thought I was getting a great deal when I booked our trip and got free dining plan. I paid $240 for Wilderness Lodge Woods View for Sept. 22-24. I am going with Team in Training (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), and they booked rooms for $150 a night at Wilderness Lodge, although not sure which ones. I'm trying to decide whether to cancel my reservation and just go with the rooms booked by TNT.

We have ADRs at Artist Point and California Grill. There are 2 of us, so we'll be using 2 dinner points at AP and 4 points at CG and will have to pay for one dinner at AP (we only have 6). That's all of our dinners. I'm not sure we will even use all of the lunches or the snacks. We're going to AK on Sat and I'm in the triathlon on Sunday. So, the issue is: we booked rooms for roughly $750 with free dining, or I could get room through TNT for $450 and no free dining.

Is there any way I can justify keeping the reservation and the free dining, or should I cancel and book through TNT?:

Okay add up the meal prices, CS TS and snack credits per night, and include tax and 18% gratiutiy. Also tickets, your package includes these. See which way you will come out better. Go to allearsnet.com to see the menus and prices. I bet you will either break even or still come out ahead with the dining plan

 

[DisneyOct05]

I've checked out all of the menus, and it's really, really close. I was hoping someone would have some personal experience they could share with me. Maybe someone who was in a similar position or who was wondering whether the meal plane made sense and then gave it a try.

 

[hockeybabe]

Why not get the room at the reduced rate and buy the dining plan? It is $37.99 a day, how many are in your party?

 

[sunnyd11]

Does the $150.00 room rate include passes to the parks? That in itself could put you over the $240.00 rate you have already.

 

[DisneyOct05]

I don't think we can buy the dining plan with the reduced rate, but I'm checking on that.

The $150 doesn't include park tickets, but neither does the $240. In both cases, I have to buy park tickets separately.

 

[freediverdude]

This sounds like kind of a toss up. You would be saving $90 a night on the room, but if you're eating in those real expensive restaurants, depending on what you order, you might be saving about that much each time with the dining plan. And then figure in maybe a lunch or snack or two. Ya know what, I still think I would stick with the higher room rate and dining plan, because then you wouldn't have to worry about what you were ordering at the restaurant and what the bill would be each time. But you're right, it's going to come out similar either way.