Free Dining - Had our fun, now we're done

[planitdad]

Anyone else see the writing on the wall? We are going this year for FD, but it will most likely be our last. We hung on after the changes in 08 for one last hurrah, even upgrading to deluxe this year as a splurge. But enduring the heat, risking a hurricane, early park closings, rack rates, are all still there. While the once "free" is now in name only. What say you?

 

[catne]

we'll be back...even if the FD next year is QS, we'd pay the $10 diff & upgrade to the regular plan. We'd probably go back in September or October even if there is NO Free Dining.

Don't mind the heat. Rack rates at values are cheap anyway. Crowds not as bad as summer or holidays.

Love the Mouse, regardless.

 

[angiedora]

This will be out 3rd WDW trip. The free dining has lured us there each time. We have never cruised before. We'll probably take a cruise for next year and maybe try Universal the year after that. Unless the free dinng calls to us again.......

 

[justplaingoofy]

I think it also depends on which resort you stay at...

I see a much bigger savings if you stay at a value or moderate.

If you book a package for a deluxe you might be better off going at another time. Late January into mid Feb. last year Disney offered a promo package of:
reduced room rate, park hopper, and water parks n'more for free when you book a base ticket. Especially now that park hoppers, etc are all higher

 

[Alexander]

Truly the free dining is not a bargain unless you stay at a value or moderate resort. Paying rack rates for the deluxe resort negates any value of the free dining.

 

[asmit4]

I still see value in the free ddp if you pick a value room. I don't see nearly as much value in a mod or a deluxe anymore.

The upgrade is gonna run 10/nt/pp. For this year- we are going during the free DDP and paying 93/nt in a value. We have 2 people in the room. So that's 75.98 'off'. Meaning the room is running 17.02 and the rest is 'free' which is food costs.

Next year if we do the same. The rate will most likely be more like 100/nt in a value. The 'free' ddp will be 59.98 off which = 40.02...BUT we have to pay to get the same 'ddp' so that adds in another 20 bucks per day....so the room cost is now 60 bucks per day....OR 40 for the room plus 20 for the food however you want to look at it. Is it a good value? Sure- but given what we are used to- having a bargain basement DW trip in Sept. isn't what it used to be. My mom and I are doing a 4 night trip this year for 900 bucks including park tickets, hotel and food. Not many places you can get top quality entertainment, good food and a decent place to sleep for 450/pp.

Maybe if you stuff 3 or 4 people in a value you could approach the 'old' 2008 savings but the free DDP is no longer an AMAZING deal like it has been in the past.

At this point I'm with a few others that have said they are going to consider elsewhere and skip DW for free DDP month. We are going to look into Universal and perhaps an all inclusive in Mexico.

I just can't see us dealing with Sept. weather for the 'free' DDP any more. It's not nearly the value as it has been.

 

[LegoMom3]

I don't agree that "free" is now name only - we're a family of 5 so the "free" dining plan goes a loooong way for us! No room discount I've ever managed to find bests the Free Dining for us (I've never been lucky enough to get a 40% code/pin).

This will, though, probably be our last trip there for a while. As our kids get older, the appeal of Universal (and the countless other things to do and see in central Florida!) becomes greater.

.

 

[KatMark]

Since the hot weather doesn't bother us (we are from Chicago and winter here can last FOREVER), we always go to Florida in September to extend our summer. So we will stick with the free dining and stay at CSR again next year.

 

[ShellyLynn3630]

We won't be going back in September anytime soon either. We are glad that we are going to get to experience probably the last free dining as it is now. I want to go back during cooler months, maybe early December. But I know the way the economy is that may not be for another 3 or 4 years!

 

[skater]

I knew that this wonderful free dining wouldn't last forever, but it sure is a bummer that changes are coming. (At least it looks that way). We've enjoyed the free dining promotion every year and its truly the reason we've returned each September. Its easy and it makes sense for our family of 5. And no it won't feel very free with another downgrade. I'm starting to think fondly of the room only codes that used to draw us down there .

 

[Jubilee]

Lots of factors contributing to our decision as well. Not sure yet.

 

[Peapicker]

I do not agree that free dining is not worth it with a deluxe resort. We are staying at AKL and paying rack rate ($225) per night. Now if we were to get free dining then that would be equal to us (3 adults) getting $120 worth of food per day, which we would spend (and more) anyways. So that is like paying $105 for the room and paying for the food. If we were to get a 40% discount we would still pay $135 for the room and have to pay out of pocket for all that food. So I still see it as a real bargin. Or am I missing something?

 

[goofy4tink]

Well, we've been to WDW in August about three times...it's hot, incredibly humid. But, we know what to expect. This year, I had booked POP for my dd and myself so we could have a quick weekend to do Night of Joy. I booked a room only, with AAA. I booked our ADRs at the 180 day window. Then, the free dining came out.....we had our TA make the changed to the free dining plan. We got the one day base tickets. Dh aleady has an unexpire hopper with days left on it, dd had to get a new AP in any case (we'll use her one day ticket towards her new AP) and I always have a current AP.
When I did the math...comparing my room only rate (with AAA discount) and the cost of the meals I had booked, as well as the CS meals I would be eating in addition to my total room costs with free dining...well, for those three nights, it was $330 cheaper to do free dining....and that was even after my dh decided to join us!!!
Will I do it again? Probably not. I don't routinely travel to WDW in Sept...dd is going into high school now, and I don't want her to miss too much school. But, it is nice to take advantage of free dining this year.

 

[Tink3Bell]

This will be out 3rd year for free dining - It's a hard call depending on which dining plan they offer with the bounceback. I would still like to go and my husband likes it too - it only took 3 years to convince him now he is planning for next year and I don't want to change his mind.

 

[justplaingoofy]

I do not agree that free dining is not worth it with a deluxe resort. We are staying at AKL and paying rack rate ($225) per night. Now if we were to get free dining then that would be equal to us (3 adults) getting $120 worth of food per day, which we would spend (and more) anyways. So that is like paying $105 for the room and paying for the food. If we were to get a 40% discount we would still pay $135 for the room and have to pay out of pocket for all that food. So I still see it as a real bargin. Or am I missing something?

I do understand your point, however AKL is the least expensive Deluxe property Disney offers. So I think when you get into the higher priced properties there may be a savings.

 

[DISNEYNY]

I will wait and see what happens. If the FDP is only for counter service I probably won't do it. Maybe the magical 40% off pin code will finally come my way.

 

[christa112]

This is our last Free Dining promo we will be doing for a while. Like most of you, if we do plan on going back during Free Dining and it is the CS plan I will definately have to think long and hard about doing it. I really don't want to eat CS everyday of our trip. I guess we will all have to wait and see what they offer us.

 

[beroh2253]

I think we would push the trip back to October and do more Universal and Sea World. We wouldn't be tied in to Disney restaurants for TS so we could explore restaurants in Orlando. Maybe more shore time also, there are beautiful beaches around Daytona. This could be a good thing maybe we are all in a rut coming to DW every year.

 

[World Bouncer]

The oppinions will definately be different among everyone, because it totally depends on which type of resort you're staying at and how many people are in a room.

For us, we like the value resorts and the rack rate really isn't that bad at all.
With 4 of us in the room, even with the CS plan at $30 p/p, that is $120 worth of free food per day and the room don't even cost that.

There are 3 of us staying this year, and we are doing the deluxe. When it is all said and done, the amount of the cost for the food that we are getting, would actually cost more than the whole trip including air.

Yes, we are eating more expensive locations than we normally would since we are on the deluxe, but if Disney switched it around and said come to our parks and spend a certain amount per day on food and we will fly you here, give you a room, and a park hopper plus pass... would you say you are getting nothing free?

 

[pooch]

2006 - whole family - We ate something like $1900 worth of free food that year - stayed at WL

2007 - DD & Me trip - about $800 this year - Pop Century - ok not so much but the rate was great!

2008 - DD said "OK, one more time!" - POFQ - rate is decent

2009 - promised the family we'd do the cruise thing for a while so I'd appreciate it if Free DDP was less attractive thanks!!!

I so enjoyed it while it lasted though!!!