Free Dining 2014 Discussion

[spandulina]

We went online last night to look at dining reservations for BOG etc and those places have no availability what so ever It's our first time back in 10 years and a time when there was limited internet and ADRs! Had no idea things fill up so quick. Ah well...roll on 21st

 

[ifjf414]

There is a decent chance something will open up week of since peoples plans change. Also you can still do Be Our Guest for Lunch.

 

[stephyamber]

Pin codes covering September have been out for several months.

When did they go out? Last free dining codes I was aware of where for the ones thst ended March 31st?

 

[smitch425]

When did they go out? Last free dining codes I was aware of where for the ones thst ended March 31st?

They were for room discounts only. The FD pin ran through March 5.

 

[LoveSplashMountain]

We went online last night to look at dining reservations for BOG etc and those places have no availability what so ever It's our first time back in 10 years and a time when there was limited internet and ADRs! Had no idea things fill up so quick. Ah well...roll on 21st

I got started a little late with ADR because our plans changed. Up until the last couple of days everything was still available for Sept 20-27 except for BOG - even cinderellas royal table (we don't go there - kids are older than that phase and I can't bring myself to use 2 credits for 1 meal). But I always eat in the parks, go to 1 credit places, and don't prioritize character dinners. You don't have to have a room reservation to making dining reservations - just has to be 180 or less days out.

So I made dinig res faithfully anticipating the FD promotion!! Hurry up and get here so I can make those room reservations.

 

[wdw4rfam]

Love this, so I guess a room only discount isn't really a discount since your paying full price for your tickets and dining

FD is one of the only promotions that is not discounted but added to your package for free

Thank you. I really hate the argument that free dining isn't really free I agree with you, good point!!! I know that FD saves us almost $3000 for our trip. Even if we ate CS and shared meals, the 5 of us couldn't eat for the $400 that a room discount would give us. The dining plan for 5 of us costs more than the resort and tickets together for our 10 day trip!!!!So yes free dining is FREE.

 

[juliehoey]

Sorry if I have missed this-- but since we know it could be released 4/21, any speculation of dates covered? Haven't heard any chatter on a RO discount dropping around same time for mid to late summer into fall. Any info on that Joe?

 

[scard192]

Thank you. I really hate the argument that free dining isn't really free I agree with you, good point!!! I know that FD saves us almost $3000 for our trip. Even if we ate CS and shared meals, the 5 of us couldn't eat for the $400 that a room discount would give us. The dining plan for 5 of us costs more than the resort and tickets together for our 10 day trip!!!!So yes free dining is FREE.

so true. Next trip my family will be staying at a Value. Best RO would save us no more than $30/day. The 3 of us can't eat for $30/day. I will take FD any day!

 

[SPOERLX3]

When did they go out? Last free dining codes I was aware of where for the ones thst ended March 31st?

Yes, there have been some 2 Pin codes this year.
1 RO early in the year for multiple dates
Save up to 35%*
on stays at select
Walt Disney World Resort hotels!
For stays most nights
now–3/5/14, 3/14–3/22/14, 3/30–4/12/14,
4/21–5/31/14 and 8/17–9/27/14.
Book by 2/15/14.

And one in March, also a RO + free Park Hopper limited to the summer months.
SAVE UP TO 30%
ON ROOMS AT SELECT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT HOTELS!
Plus, when you upgrade to a package that includes a minimum 5-Day Magic Your Way® Theme Park Ticket you get the PARK HOPPER® OPTION added to your ticket FREE!
For stays most nights 6/1-8/28/14.
Book by 6/26/14.

 

[crazymomof4]

Thank you. I really hate the argument that free dining isn't really free I agree with you, good point!!! I know that FD saves us almost $3000 for our trip. Even if we ate CS and shared meals, the 5 of us couldn't eat for the $400 that a room discount would give us. The dining plan for 5 of us costs more than the resort and tickets together for our 10 day trip!!!!So yes free dining is FREE.

FD saves us a ton! Way more than a RO disc. even at a deluxe. We are fam of 5 (with adult and teen kids) and DH likes to do at least 1 TS each day bc at WDW he really gets into the dining aspect. So w/o FD, we'd be paying for all this food out of pocket.... with FD, we don't! I'd call that FREE!

OK.... I find myself addicted to this and other threads here that are about FD. I need to STEP AWAY FROM THE DISBOARDS!!! FREE DINING WILL NOT BE RELEASED SOONER BECAUSE YOU ARE READING EVERY POST, MONICA!!!!

 

[Glennie5]

Joining in the waiting game. We had a trip planned for the end of August with a pin code but decided to wait for FD and go in September instead.

 

[tpsh007]

Thank you. I really hate the argument that free dining isn't really free I agree with you, good point!!! I know that FD saves us almost $3000 for our trip. Even if we ate CS and shared meals, the 5 of us couldn't eat for the $400 that a room discount would give us. The dining plan for 5 of us costs more than the resort and tickets together for our 10 day trip!!!!So yes free dining is FREE.

I still don't understand how it is free. Unless you are staying at a resort where there are no room only discounts, but which is included in the free dining offer. More like discounted dining. OR in your case, sharply discounted dining
I personally only stay at the DVC resorts, so maybe that's why I can never pay rack rate.

 

[martinmont]

I wish they would release the dec dates too, I'm so impatient! And so I can finalize flight plans when southwest release the tickets in May!

 

[stephyamber]

They were for room discounts only. The FD pin ran through March 5.

So does that mean we should not expect free dining pins for September?

 

[stephyamber]

Yes, there have been some 2 Pin codes this year. 1 RO early in the year for multiple dates Save up to 35%* on stays at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels! For stays most nights now–3/5/14, 3/14–3/22/14, 3/30–4/12/14, 4/21–5/31/14 and 8/17–9/27/14. Book by 2/15/14. And one in March, also a RO + free Park Hopper limited to the summer months. SAVE UP TO 30% ON ROOMS AT SELECT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT HOTELS! Plus, when you upgrade to a package that includes a minimum 5-Day Magic Your Way® Theme Park Ticket you get the PARK HOPPER® OPTION added to your ticket FREE! For stays most nights 6/1-8/28/14. Book by 6/26/14.

I got the first pin code for free dining or room discount and hook advantage of the 30% off moderate! I thought smitch was saying that pin codes for free dining for September went out though.

 

[Later_Mater2009]

Ok family of 5'ers!
1st Resort Option- POR with the murphy bed.
2nd- ?? Joining rooms at a value, if so which one? Then I would have to pay for the upgrade from Quick service to table... but im ok with that..
What say you?? suggestions? and what are your plans ?

Waiting is agonizing LOL might as well chatter till Monday?

 

[Azjenn]

Ok family of 5'ers!
1st Resort Option- POR with the murphy bed.
2nd- ?? Joining rooms at a value, if so which one? Then I would have to pay for the upgrade from Quick service to table... but im ok with that..
What say you?? suggestions? and what are your plans ?

Waiting is agonizing LOL might as well chatter till Monday?

Ok I think I have run numbers on every resort I would say POP or ASmo or ASmu are your best bets with two connected rooms. For our 7 night trip they ran roughly $300 more than POR and then you have to figure in the cost of upgrading the dining plan also. I agree the wait is agonizing. I swear I check these boards every half hour hoping something amazing will have shown up

 

[wdwmaw]

I still don't understand how it is free. Unless you are staying at a resort where there are no room only discounts, but which is included in the free dining offer. More like discounted dining. OR in your case, sharply discounted dining
I personally only stay at the DVC resorts, so maybe that's why I can never pay rack rate.

Simple, rack rate on a package is full price for room, tickets, and dining. On a free dining package then the dining portion of package is free It really is that simple.
Your right, your not getting anything free when you go with discounted rooms or tickets when part of a package but I am getting DDP free when part of the package as the full cost of the DDP is taken off of my package, not a percentage.

For my family we use to find the value in renting DVC, purchasing AP's, getting a TIW card but for us the value just isn't there since FD came out. With our kids older and in HS and college we can really only travel once per year now but we like to spend 12-14 nights per trip and choose to stay at a value or moderate and not deluxe to find the savings. As our kids move on with their lives and it is just DH and me we may not find the value in FD anymore and may look toward other options.

My trip @ mod resort, DDP, and tix @ rack rate= $8661.48
My trip @ mod resort, FD, and tix = $5023.08
My trip @ DVC renting points, DDP, tix= $9176.35
This is getting 2 studios since that is cheaper than getting a 1 bed
My trip @ DVC (as owner), DVC AP's, DDP = $ 8536.35

Took my mom off since I won't be paying her part, she was messing my figues up since I counted her and then didn't count her, sorry

 

[jhaig]

Is it possible that anything gets announced on Thursday, such as that the DV will start Monday with GP next Thursday? Or do we think that DV will start on Monday?

 

[EAWildman]

I still don't understand how it is free. Unless you are staying at a resort where there are no room only discounts, but which is included in the free dining offer. More like discounted dining. OR in your case, sharply discounted dining
I personally only stay at the DVC resorts, so maybe that's why I can never pay rack rate.

The Free Dining promotion isn't really providing you with "Free Dining." It IS offering a significant discount off a package that includes a dining plan. You have to do the math to see which discount (free dining or room only) is right for you.

Last year this was a no brainer! The room only discount for the value resorts in September was a whopping 10% off. Wow! With rack rates in September for a standard room right around $100, that was a grand total of about $10 off a night. Now, my family of three has got to eat, and we are not gonna be able to each eat two meals a day plus a snack for about $10 a day. Thus, the free dining plan was, by far, the better discount. Not to mention having a dining plan is more fun.

The way I look at it, we normally eat two counter service meals at Disney plus sacks. 2 adults and 1 child at a counter sevice would probably cost me about $25 (depends on the kid meal options and if someone orders a drink). For lunch and dinner, it would cost me about $50 a day. Snacks add up too. Let's be conservative and say we only spend $10 a day on snacks. That's $60 a day on food. If I get the free dining plan, regardless of what I actually end up eating, I figure I have saved myself $60 a day. That's a pretty good discount off the rack rate of a value room.

Things get a bit more complicated if you decide to upgrade to the regular dining plan at a value resort. We did this last September. I all I know is that it STILL came out better than the pathetically low room only discount. And I got to eat some great meals I never would have paid out of pocket for.

Again, you have to do the math for your situation. But, depending upon the room only discounts and if your family can stay in a value resort, free dining is about the last really good deal for families.