Free dining is coming back

[Fourfun]

This would be so wonderful for me if it was a few weeks earlier as we are going the last week in July, if I could push the trip back to 8/13 I would but with school starting back I can't.

We are coming back on the 20th and my kids start on the 21st.. I amost thought about not sending them the first day because our trip starts on the 12th.... (I didnt want to loose one minute of the magic)
However.... I changed my mind... we are just going to have to loose a park day on the beginning and play at DTD and the pool instead... But it will still be GREAT !!

 

[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?

 

[Docsknotinn]

We are going in Aug but I doubt it would be worth it for us to change since you probably can not get the AAA discount and book Disney direct. Plus we dine at signature restaurants most evenings. I'm very glad to see others get a great deal.

 

[BabyFu18]

I was thinking about changing our reservations to August just for the free dining, but can you book before the free dining plan begins? Like check in on the 11th and then free dining will kick in on the 13th? Cause school here starts back on 8/17, if we traveled from 8/11 - 8/20 then we'd only have to miss 2 days of school.

It is really pushed though... I just don't know if it is worth it to get a kid really excited to be at Disney then bring them back and send them right to school.

Also, I've already got a stay at SOG booked with tickets and all, if I cannot add the dining to that or at least to the Swan/Dolphin (where we can get good military rates), then I don't think it would be worth it to change all my plans.

Anyone know if the dining plan is available for SOG?

 

[tinkerrn]

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?

Sounds very similar to us last year. We had booked the CBR for 8 nights w/ free dining. Then the Dolphin came out with the $99 nurses rate. We could only get it for 5 nights and then we went to WL for 2 nights. Well, I wished we had kept our original plans. We ended up spending way more money on food than we thought. We ate at TS every night, no appetizers or desserts...and our bill typically came out to $60 to $75 each night. We didn't eat steak or lobster either. We did not have alcohol either. That did not include the breakfasts, lunches, or snacks we ate. I looked over our bill in dismay....I thought for sure it would have been cheaper and less stress. We bought APs and are going with the free dining. We are going to be able to use the one day park pass....our APs end on 9/29 and we leave on 10/01.
I would SERIOUSLY think about staying at the Dolphin. We were not impressed at all. It is a convention hotel...it really was unmagical. We will not be staying there again. Good luck!!!

 

[mseg16222]

I had booked WL for 8/13-8/19 standard room Magic Your Way Plus Dining Package and 7 day tickets with park hopping for a total of $3221.20!!! Now I have WL standard view for 6 nights, 8/13 - 8/19, on the
Magic Your Way package with free dining and 7 day tickets with park hopping
for a total of $2306.90!!! And I have a woods view room for the 12th with AAA discount (day we are arriving and hanging out at the pool)for 227! Total of $2533.90! SAVED $687.30!!!!!!! Yeah......can't beat that!!!!

 

[lucas]

Is this an April's Fools Joke? I can't find any information on this anywhere but here.

No, it is true! I am the OP but I didn't even remember it was April Fool's Day - that would have been a really mean joke to play!

 

[Shagley]

isn't that convenient- right around when school is back in session- probably why they do it then.

I believe it is more to do with the fact that August and September at at the height of the hurricane season. And since last year it was a rough hurricane season, they needed another great deal to try to draw in people who otherwise would avoid these months.

 

[bettybeth]

So does this work out to be better than an AP room only discount? That's what I was hoping for in September but I may book this now.

Can anyone tell me more details on the dining plan, i.e. appetizers, entree, and dessert?

Thank you!

 

[Shagley]

I just booked for 2 Adults - no kids, and got...

6 nights at Pop Century (Sept 24 - 30)
6 day park hopper tickets
and free dining

$1030.00

 

[Amyrlin]

So does this work out to be better than an AP room only discount? That's what I was hoping for in September but I may book this now.

Can anyone tell me more details on the dining plan, i.e. appetizers, entree, and dessert?

Thank you!

it depends on how many of you there are and which resort. I have an AP so have been doing the calcualtions. We worled out is is worthwhile at the values, it has a relativlty high vlaue, the AP discount is usually only about $25 - $30 for the room and free dining is worth much more, but by the time you get tho the delixesm AP dicounts can be $100 so AP is better

 

[cobbler]

So does this work out to be better than an AP room only discount? That's what I was hoping for in September but I may book this now.

Can anyone tell me more details on the dining plan, i.e. appetizers, entree, and dessert?

Thank you!

For the dining plan go to the restaurants board and then go to the sub forum that says Disney dining plan. It will give you more detail there.

But basically you will receive one sit down meal, one counter service meal and one snack per person per night.

 

[EWL]

I don't remember all the details from last year... can you get a AAA rate on a room and get the free dining? Which I guess would mean booking a MYW package through AAA? I was about to call Disney direct and book a room-only AAA rate and buy tix separately, but if a package could get me the AAA rate plus free dining then that'd be worth it!