Free Dining in January?

[have2getaway]

Do you think they will offer the free dining in January. I would LOVE free dining, but I don't want to go this fall. OTOH, I don't want the park to be crowded. I guess I can't have everything!

 

[wendypooh]

While we've already booked our trip for Jan - Feb ......... with the dining plan, it wouldn't make me too sad if they extended the "free" dining!!!! Just more for me to spend somewhere else....... heee heee

 

[disneymom727]

We are going in Jan. and wanted to wait and book the Dining plan just in case they offered it free. On a whim (already knowing the answer) I email WDW and they said there were no plans for it right now. Our TA at AAA said there is really no rhyme or reason to when Disney offers any kind of deals and she wouldn't plan on it. So we went ahead and added it on to our package but we're keeping our fingers crossed for another "freebie" offer. What a nice treat that would be.

 

[riu girl]

I highly doubt free dining will be offered in January, but I HOPE I am wrong!! If you look at the free dining dates right now, it is not simply fall check-ins, but more like potential hurricane check-in dates. After the 4 hurricanes that went through Florida during the hurricane season last year, I think this is simply Disney doing what they have to do to attract people during prime hurricane season.

 

[wendypooh]

Disneymom ~ Exactly!!!! I won't complain if they do offer the "free" dining ~ it would be great. Like I said in my earlier post, we've already booked our package with it. If they do great, if they don't, that's ok, it's already paid for!!!!

 

[pooch]

if you don't book the dining plan and they later offer it free, can you still add it to your package?

 

[nutsforgolf]

Any guesses if they don't offer free dining, what other types of discounts could they offer in January, due to that it is a typically very slow month?

 

[MiniMe]

That's the same question I had. I would love to get the dining plan if it was free or discounted, but I'm sure it all just depends. But I would like to know what they have offered as discounts in Jan in the past???

 

[aunt2brant]

I went early Feb. 2004, the specials were (not sure what they were called)-value restorts $55/night...PC had just opened in Dec. prior, so we got to stay in a brand new resort for next to nothing!!!!!!!!!!

 

[minnie61650]

if you don't book the dining plan and they later offer it free, can you still add it to your package?

I actually changed my dates to get the free dining.
I was booked Oct.6 to the 13.
We changed our dates to Oct.3-11 to take advandage of the free dining.
Linda
61 more days

 

[wendypooh]

Normally all of our trips are in Jan. Feb. due to the light crowds, and the lower prices. We are able to do a lot more with the money we've allotted to spend. I was calculating the dining plan and what we'd spend without and, and it's a "bargain" even if we do ""Pay"" for it. It's a wonderful deal. In my opinion, the "free dining" is in lue of discounted rooms, I haven't seen or heard of any discounted rooms so far, unless you use AAA of course, I believe even AP holders aren't being quoted "real discounts". I did read that it's just been released in the Mickey Monitor that room rates are out for AP holders for Jan. 06, not sure what they are though. So, while I don't disagree with anyone's opinions on why the "free dining" is in effect, that is just my opinion.


For us ~ we'll do the dining plan regardless, like I said, I've already paid for it, but should they extend the "free" dining, I will just use that amount somewhere else in the parks!!! I don't think you can go wrong by getting the plan, crunching the numbers, it's going to save us almost $300 dollars on dining!!!!

 

[have2getaway]

Please explain to me how the dining plan works. I know it's $35/person per day. Are 3 year olds less? Also, what meals does this include. For some reason, I was under the impression that you still have to pay for one meal on your own. Is this correct? There will be two adults & one child in our travel party. It's been several years since we have been to disney so I'm not sure what to expect for food prices.

Thanks,

have2getaway

 

[cobbler]

It is 35/day for each adult and 10/day for children 3-9. Under 3 are free.

You get one snack, one counter service (entree, dessert and drink), and one table service (appitizer, entree, dessert and drink) per person per day.

 

[have2getaway]

Thanks for the info! Will we still be able to get our AAA rate with the dining plan? This definintely sounds like a deal.

 

[riu girl]

From what I have read, you get either the AAA discount or the free dining, not both.

 

[wendypooh]

Riu girl is right, you do NOT get a discount on the MYW package using AAA. You will pay the exact same price quoted by disney. You CANNOT get the dining plan using ANY discount. You must pay rack rate for the room, and your tickets, to qualify for the dining. You CANNOT book things seperately.

 

[dreamalittledream]

Also, from what I understand, under 3 does not get the plan for free. You do not pay for under 3 to eat at buffets, they do not get a plate at the pre plated meals and are expected to share of others meals. If you want something for them, you pay OOP.
I will have an under 3 on my next visit so I'm planning carefully to best utilize my TS credits so she can eat for "free" at the buffets. Otherwise I'll pay OOP for her to have a kids meal to avoid any sister sharing issues.

 

[HLAuburn]

Thanks for the info! Will we still be able to get our AAA rate with the dining plan? This definintely sounds like a deal.

Just to clarify...
You can get the AAA room discount and add on (i.e. pay for) the dining package. If you book your complete package through AAA (room, tix, dining), the AAA discount for the room would be factored into the package price, and you'd pay regular rates for tickets and the dining packsge. But if you decided to take advantage of the free dining, you pay full rack rate for the room, so you don't get the AAA discount.

 

[wendypooh]

Just to clarify...
You can get the AAA room discount and add on (i.e. pay for) the dining package. If you book your complete package through AAA (room, tix, dining), the AAA discount for the room would be factored into the package price, and you'd pay regular rates for tickets and the dining packsge. But if you decided to take advantage of the free dining, you pay full rack rate for the room, so you don't get the AAA discount.

NOT to argue the point, but what I was quoted by AAA is the EXACT same price I got from Disney for the package.

I was told that you CANNOT get a room discount, then add the dining plan, free or not. You can ONLY get one or the other, NOT both. IF you book through AAA, they may "say" you are getting the room discount, but if you then check it against booking through Disney, you'll see that you are NOT getting a discount. This has also been reported here numerous times. Here is a link to just one of the many threads on this topic..........

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=875865


In a nutshell........... You can either get a room discount through AAA, OR in order to get the dining,book a package, meaning you DO NOT get a room discount. I was told by Disney on at least 2 occassions that you CANNOT add the dining plan on to a disounted room reservation.

For us, it was an easy choice, we'll save a lot more by getting the dining package, instead of AAA. Good Luck

 

[disneymom727]

We are going for a week in Jan. with the MYW dining plan (paying of course) AND a AAA room discount. I just went to disney's website worked up the whole deal and then subtracted what I am paying through AAA. It is a $217 difference. So it CAN be done, the MYW w/dining and AAA room discount. I was quoted the same price through AAA when I originally asked for just a quote and when we actually booked the dining. Maybe it is another case of who you talk to!!!