Free Dining is Back!!! August 13 - September 30

[MarksMom2006]

I NEVER thought they would do this again! I am so excited!! I just want Tuesday to get here so I can change everything over!!!! WOO HOOOOOOO!!!

 

[pandora174]

I usually just book room only since the package never seems like a good deal since you're paying rack rate but now with the free dining it does seem like a good deal even if I'm not getting a room discount. So I know that's there's a $200 deposit, when do you have to pay the balance ? Also what are the usual cancellation policies & does anyone know if you can book your ADR's even if you just paid the deposit or do you have to wait to book your ADR's when the package is paid in full ? I think I may just go through DU since they book all the ADR's for you. I'm still a little nervous about booking during peak hurricane season but before the hurricanes were out of control we went in Sept in 2000 & then 2001 & never had a problem other than some showers in the afternoon so I'm hoping that 2006 is the same

 

[WDWannabe]

Hello!
I have a question, can you buy a 10 day package, with no experation and still take advantage of the free dinning? Like take two trips at diffrent times, say one at the begining and use the rest latter?
Thanks

 

[kizmac]

When I run all the numbers, (I have a AAA package 10 day tickets, dining, and resort discount on split stay BC/CSR, without that pesky 1 day ticket base they say you have to have for a split stay w/dining...) I get just about the exact amount I would pay for the new package with free dining. I guess the AAA discounts at BC and CSR and not buying the 3 base tickets at @201.30 I'd have to buy for the free dining wash out the free dining savings. If I could move our dates, I would.. Thanks for all the input. It did make a difference on the base ticket since I was figuring wrong, but not enough to make it of value to us. It's so nice to have sooooo much great info from everyone here!!!!

Make sure you price it with just the room at rack rate and 1day base for all. Remember that once you get there, you can take that 1 day ticket and upgrade to the 10 day for everyone and you will not be spending so much on just the 3 base tickets.

 

[kizmac]

Hello!
I have a question, can you buy a 10 day package, with no experation and still take advantage of the free dinning? Like take two trips at diffrent times, say one at the begining and use the rest latter?
Thanks

The free dining will expire at midnight the last day you check out .....but your tickets will be good for future use if you purchased the no expiration. So yes you can take two trips....just won't have the free dining for the second one.

 

[BabyFu18]

Can people staying at SOG or Swan/Dolphin take advantage of the dinning package if they have a resort and ticket package (the magic your way base ticket with hopper and water parks) with either of those hotels?

 

[Saphire]

I usually just book room only since the package never seems like a good deal since you're paying rack rate but now with the free dining it does seem like a good deal even if I'm not getting a room discount. So I know that's there's a $200 deposit, when do you have to pay the balance ? Also what are the usual cancellation policies & does anyone know if you can book your ADR's even if you just paid the deposit or do you have to wait to book your ADR's when the package is paid in full ? I think I may just go through DU since they book all the ADR's for you. I'm still a little nervous about booking during peak hurricane season but before the hurricanes were out of control we went in Sept in 2000 & then 2001 & never had a problem other than some showers in the afternoon so I'm hoping that 2006 is the same

Hi...balance is due 45 days before your trip. If you cancel after that 45 day window, there is a $100 fee. There is a $200 fee if you cancel up to 48 hours before your trip. You CAN book all ADR's before you pay fully for package. Hope that helps.

 

[bertalander]

I usually just book room only since the package never seems like a good deal since you're paying rack rate but now with the free dining it does seem like a good deal even if I'm not getting a room discount. So I know that's there's a $200 deposit, when do you have to pay the balance ? Also what are the usual cancellation policies & does anyone know if you can book your ADR's even if you just paid the deposit or do you have to wait to book your ADR's when the package is paid in full ? I think I may just go through DU since they book all the ADR's for you. I'm still a little nervous about booking during peak hurricane season but before the hurricanes were out of control we went in Sept in 2000 & then 2001 & never had a problem other than some showers in the afternoon so I'm hoping that 2006 is the same

Wow! I actually have an answer. I just booked 7:00 a.m this morning. I was the first person to call this CM with the code so she double checked she had it all correct etc. I was able to go ahead and do all my ADR. (Silly me, it was 90 days last time we went and it changed to I could do it now... I had to SCRAMBLE to remember where everyone wanted to go!) Balance is due on mine by July 28th.

Hope that helps!



Berta

 

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

This is just great


Free Dinning was just awsome last year, we really took advantage of it. I was going to go to DL this year in June, but now I am just thinking I can not pass this up. I was planning WDW for January 2007, should I switch this trips.

I am confused but Happy

 

[LiteBrite]

Oh man.

Is this a better deal than getting an AP rate? What about if we use the APs twice?

Ideas??

Beth

I just crunched some numbers, comparing 6 nights with free dining at rack rate vs. 6 nights at a reduced AP rate (assuming I would be able to get $25/night off a value and $40/night off a moderate). Only accounting for hotel, tickets, and food, and assuming roughly $35/adult/day for food if I'm paying for it. We already have our APs, so if we did you with the MYW free dining package, we would just buy one day base tickets, and save them to use another time. Here's how it broke down for 2 adults:
MYW Free Dining at a Value: $649.38
AP rate at a Value: $828.60
MYW Free Dining ata Mod: $1157.78
AP rate at a Mod: $1247.00

So for us, it's clear that the Free Dining is going to save us money if we stay at a value or a moderate (didn't break down a deluxe price, but it might not be a savings at all). If you're going to buy the APs just for this trip, I'd say you'd definitely save money by going with the free dining instead, but if you're talking about using them for two trips, I'm not sure.

 

[maui2k5]

I am trying to figure out what to do... My wife and I got married on March 13th and part of the deal was that Disney gave us free annual passes. Since we can go to the Disney again without buying park passes, we booked a deal at the Dolphin from Sept 22-30 for $129 for a Lake View room. A pretty good deal I think.

However, with the free dining option now up again, I am debating if there is any benefit in us looking into it or would there be no financial benefit to getting the free dining option staying at say the Wilderness Lodge? I think it is not worth it for us, but was wondering for those of us that have annual passes, is there any way this deal could help save us money? Especially when I have a deal for $129 at the Dolphin?

 

[tinker&belle]

Hey Mommykids...we are booked at the BC through AAA also in September, but only for 4 nights, MYW Plus passes, no dining. Do you think I will save also, did you just call CRO and cancel the AAA package? Lot of quetions here.....Thanks!

Contact AAA...I went to my agent this morning and they fixed everything for me. I still got the AAA promotions (free dinner at planet hollywood, etc.) and I think I got the AAA rate (not sure)

 

[Perrine]

hello everyone,

when this kind of discount (free dining) is available , do you think its better to have a package (magic your way plus dining ) or a room only reservation with AP discount ?
or a combination of both?(MYW plus dining first , then room only in a second resort for instance, with an AP discount)?

i know , of course , than Ap discounts are more important in deluxe hotel and we usually split our vacation (15nights) in 2 or 3 between riverside and deluxe hotel because we're 5 people.

thank you

christophe /perrine

 

[magsmom]

I'm not going to the Dolphin. Going to POFQ with the dining and I am going to use the base ticket towards my DVC AP renewal. My AP expires the day after checking into POFQ, so this is definitely the way to go!

12 days of Disney Dining! WHOO HOO!

 

[ZPT1022]

I am so excited they decided to do this- we will be there August 18- September 1 so this is perfect! The only bummer is that we can't have a package for our entire stay- they max it out at 10 nights. Has anyone ever heard the WDW logic on why they won't allow packages longer than 10 nights? I don't just mean for the free dining but in general? We would have been willing to pay for the dining plan for our entire stay so it seems silly that they do it this way. Just curious

 

[magsmom]

ZPT,
Don't know why - AP maxes out at 10 nights too. If you want the free dining ,book 2 reservations!

 

[laurabelle]

I got my email last night, told hubby about it early this morning and booked at 7:00a.m.! We're 2 adults, a junior and a child, 7nts POP, 7day based tickets plus dining came to $1564.37. The CM was floored, he said, "Do you know how much money you just saved??? Before I added the discount, the package would have cost $2609.83!" That's a savings of $1045.46!!! Obviously if I had actually been planning this trip, I would have gotten a AAA package to get the room discounted so the savings wouldn't have been this great, but to be sure I saved a ton of money, no finance charge and 6months to pay for it, and an unexpected Disney trip the week before school starts up again!

 

[ciera321]

Make sure you price it with just the room at rack rate and 1day base for all. Remember that once you get there, you can take that 1 day ticket and upgrade to the 10 day for everyone and you will not be spending so much on just the 3 base tickets.

That's true, but we actually get down there August 7, so we'll need our tickets from the 7th....I've tried every angle and just don't think it will be of benefit for us, but boy I wish it started just 1 week earlier ...Thanks!!!

 

[laurabelle]

Contact AAA...I went to my agent this morning and they fixed everything for me. I still got the AAA promotions (free dinner at planet hollywood, etc.) and I think I got the AAA rate (not sure)

Is there anyway you could tell for sure if you got a AAA rate on the room portion of the package? From everything I've read on the boards, you pay rack rate to get this particular package...

 

[dadto1]

Just applied for VISA off Disney Website, booked package and then called WDTC to apply code. I got the following:

Sept 16-23 Wilderness Lodge Woods View
2 Adults, one child
7 day park hopper packages
trip insurance

$2542.00 w/free dining.

The original package price off wdw site was $2712.00 so I got a discount on something, just not sure what!