Free Dining 2014 Discussion

[TandEsMommy]

(Hit send too early and the app is so weird with that!!!) Anyway- to PAY for DxDP seems like madness, but to upgrade to it from the regular DDP wasn't terrible (used to be GREAT but not so much even). Still, if you enjoy appetizers and have a breakfast and a signature dinner it's good. I'm still concerned it won't be enough saving over a RO AP discount and adding dining for 2 ppl. What do you guys think?? I know I keep asking but nobody is answering! :-/ And you guys seem way more math savvy than me. I'm just concerned with getting everyone the best deal possible, it's so stressful! You need a PhD to plan a Disney vacation now with the dining reservations, FP+ reservations, discounts...

No one *can* answer that for you, not because of math but because every family is different. You'll need to look at the places you are likely to eat at regardless of whether you have any dining plan. Add up the approximate costs to get a rough idea of what you'll be spending on food. Then price out a room-only rack rate reservation. Then see how much it would cost to upgrade to the various dining plans and add that amount to the rack rate. Then run numbers on several % off room rate scenarios, and add that cost to what you would pay for the respective dining plans, and then to what you would pay for dining out of pocket. Write down all those scenarios as you go, and then see which one works out best mathematically.

It's a lot of work to ask someone else to take on, and it wouldn't be possible for them to do it for you, anyway. Mickey Math is unique to each person's travel party. After a while you start to see it as part of the fun

 

[Misjanuary1]

When FD comes out, if anyone is dropping an ADR at BOG on Sept 29, can you please let me know. Thought I would ask, just in case! thank you.

We MAY be dropping a Sept 30 at 6:10pm...but that will only depend on if we get a lunch FP

 

[kritaft13]

I think this may have been answered already in here somewhere, but I cant seem to find it through the 110 pages so I am going to ask it again so I apologize in advance! I am staying at POP in October and will be upgrading to the Regular Dining Plan from the Quick Serve (hoping for FD!!). If FD is offered, what is the cost per person per day for an adult for the upgrade? I want to make sure if my check in date is not including in the first round of FD offers (I check in October 1st, fingers crossed) that I have a better idea of the cost of my package if I have to wait until July for my FD offer!

 

[smitch425]

I think this may have been answered already in here somewhere, but I cant seem to find it through the 110 pages so I am going to ask it again so I apologize in advance! I am staying at POP in October and will be upgrading to the Regular Dining Plan from the Quick Serve (hoping for FD!!). If FD is offered, what is the cost per person per day for an adult for the upgrade? I want to make sure if my check in date is not including in the first round of FD offers (I check in October 1st, fingers crossed) that I have a better idea of the cost of my package if I have to wait until July for my FD offer!

Upgrade thread...

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2772063

 

[kritaft13]

Thank you so much smitch! I am new to the DIS Boards (but not to WDS!!), but am loving the information I am receiving so far!

 

[BlackPearl695]

If FD is offered for September, will there be another offer along side of it and if FD is extended through October, November and part of December, would the other offer be extended also? We are going in November during a time that is typically excluded from FD and I'm wondering if there will be an offer announced for September that I could expect for November also.

 

[smitch425]

If FD is offered for September, will there be another offer along side of it and if FD is extended through October, November and part of December, would the other offer be extended also? We are going in November during a time that is typically excluded from FD and I'm wondering if there will be an offer announced for September that I could expect for November also.

They run room discounts for late summer and fall, too. Fall deals come out in late July/early August.

 

[Tarheel Mom]

We MAY be dropping a Sept 30 at 6:10pm...but that will only depend on if we get a lunch FP

If you decide to drop (and JamieLM can't use it), I would be interested as long as it's a table for 4 or more. That's my birthday and I was hoping to find an ADR but no luck when I checked

 

[ftomasze]

You would just need to make a $200 payment with the DV. Make sure you keep all of those gift cards in case you have to cancel. They will refund the money back to the original form of payment, so do not throw them away.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I have them stowed away with the application dates on them just in case.

 

[crazymomof4]

Add me to the list of those who've had dreams about FD!!
Last night I dreamt that in the morning, my husband quietly left the bedroom and so, let me sleep-in. Nice of him. But in my dream it was May 1st that he did this and I woke up late in a PANIC!! So I try to go on this thread and DISboards had changed their format overnight and in my sleepy-eyed panic I'm trying to dial WDW and navigate this new disboards format!
It was a nightmare!!

 

[Dawn Dis]

I am new to this board but have been watching the progress for Free Dining. Going in September hoping for free dining. Obsessed with the wait. Thanks everyone for the great info.

 

[smitch425]

I am new to this board but have been watching the progress for Free Dining. Going in September hoping for free dining. Obsessed with the wait. Thanks everyone for the great info.

and good luck!

 

[KNovacovschi]

I think this may have been answered already in here somewhere, but I cant seem to find it through the 110 pages so I am going to ask it again so I apologize in advance! I am staying at POP in October and will be upgrading to the Regular Dining Plan from the Quick Serve (hoping for FD!!). If FD is offered, what is the cost per person per day for an adult for the upgrade? I want to make sure if my check in date is not including in the first round of FD offers (I check in October 1st, fingers crossed) that I have a better idea of the cost of my package if I have to wait until July for my FD offer!

Just over $19 after taxes will be the cost for adults. Plus if you booked your trip prior to ticket increase you will have to pay the difference for that as well.

 

[SPOERLX3]

Just over $19 after taxes will be the cost for adults. Plus if you booked your trip prior to ticket increase you will have to pay the difference for that as well.

I found this: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2772063

These charges are per person per day

Quick Service to Regular

Adult: $19.02 per night
Child: $3.13 per night

Quick Service to Deluxe

Adult: $65.30 per night
Child: $13.76 per night

Regular to Deluxe

Adult: $46.28 per night
Child: $10.63 per night

 

[momof2n1k9]

Yes, this thread got long and it's quite possible some or all of these questions were answered at some point, so I will start by apologizing and asking for pity!

Here they are...

-Does the free dining ever happen over late October (like the 24th on)? I know with the F&W they probably don't need it to attract visitors.

-I am a DVCer, but this trip is a cash trip. If I rebook with the FD, would you think I'd have to forego the DVC discount on the room? It's not a lot, but it helps some.

-Ok, this one is a bit more complicated. We will be a party of 4. Two of us have annual passes and I bought park hoppers for the other two. Would I then have to repurchase park tickets for the deal? What happens with the annual passes?

I guess if there's no FD during our time there, its all moot, but love picking the great disney minds here. As we're normally on points, we've never had FD and it seems like a great deal since we do spend so much on the sit down meals.

Thanks!!

 

[smitch425]

Yes, this thread got long and it's quite possible some or all of these questions were answered at some point, so I will start by apologizing and asking for pity!

Here they are...

-Does the free dining ever happen over late October (like the 24th on)? I know with the F&W they probably don't need it to attract visitors.

-I am a DVCer, but this trip is a cash trip. If I rebook with the FD, would you think I'd have to forego the DVC discount on the room? It's not a lot, but it helps some.

-Ok, this one is a bit more complicated. We will be a party of 4. Two of us have annual passes and I bought park hoppers for the other two. Would I then have to repurchase park tickets for the deal? What happens with the annual passes?

I guess if there's no FD during our time there, its all moot, but love picking the great disney minds here. As we're normally on points, we've never had FD and it seems like a great deal since we do spend so much on the sit down meals.

Thanks!!

Free dining is normally offered for that timeframe. However, free dining requires you to pay full price for your resort, and every person on the reservation must purchase a minimum 2 day base tickets as part of the package. You can save the 2 day tickets for a future trip, or to use towards your renewal of your annual pass. You would have to run the numbers to see if taking advantage of free dining would be your best option.

 

[andeesings]

No one *can* answer that for you, not because of math but because every family is different. You'll need to look at the places you are likely to eat at regardless of whether you have any dining plan. Add up the approximate costs to get a rough idea of what you'll be spending on food. Then price out a room-only rack rate reservation. Then see how much it would cost to upgrade to the various dining plans and add that amount to the rack rate. Then run numbers on several % off room rate scenarios, and add that cost to what you would pay for the respective dining plans, and then to what you would pay for dining out of pocket. Write down all those scenarios as you go, and then see which one works out best mathematically. It's a lot of work to ask someone else to take on, and it wouldn't be possible for them to do it for you, anyway. Mickey Math is unique to each person's travel party. After a while you start to see it as part of the fun

I just don't understand which numbers to calculate. Why would I add dining to a RO reservation at rack rate? Historically does anyone know what the percentage off has been for deluxe resorts in the fall? Would I add dining to THAT? Is there an AP price for dining? Is it the same? Wouldn't rack rate only apply to FD?

I'm sorry. I just feel like a disaster!!!

 

[donp]

I just don't understand which numbers to calculate. Why would I add dining to a RO reservation at rack rate? Historically does anyone know what the percentage off has been for deluxe resorts in the fall? Would I add dining to THAT? Is there an AP price for dining? Is it the same? Wouldn't rack rate only apply to FD?

I'm sorry. I just feel like a disaster!!!

Yes, this is very personal and difficult thing to calculate, and you need to do many different scenarios to figure out what is best for you. Let me just give you my budget for an example: If we stay at a Moderate for say, 10 days, in September for my family of 7 (we have to get 2 rooms), rack rate for those rooms is roughly 200 a night. So, 400 (for the 2 rooms) times 10 days is 4000 for the room only. There will likely be a 25% discount for that time of year if I choose a RO discount--so, 1000 off. But, my family has 5 disney "adults" and 2 children. The DDP (now, we get the non-deluxe) would be about $65 times 5 plus 2 times about $20 for the kids if we were to purchase it ourselves. So, that would be about roughly $350 a night to BUY the DDP. Ten days of that is $3500. So, for my family, in moderate accomodations, FD is a much better benefit--3500 off vs 1000 off. Granted, we would not eat as much and spend as much if we were paying for food ourselves--we would make different choices--but, that is a no-brainer for us. Now, if your room cost at a deluxe is much more (which it is) and the percent off a RO is much more ( which it is, and sometimes is 35%), those numbers look different. There are many other scenarios to calculate, but here is one scenario . . .

 

[JamieLM]

We MAY be dropping a Sept 30 at 6:10pm...but that will only depend on if we get a lunch FP[/QUOTE

Thank you

 

[pippi1972]

For the disney visa deal next week, our card is in my husbands name with me in as a user. He will be at work so can I call and get the free dinimg added. Also we booked back in feb and have aost all of it paid for, hotel and tickets. We used our visa for what we paid for so far. Do I have to make a payment with it again to get the special?