Free dining not so free?

[hollygolitely93]

I am confused. We booked in may in hopes of December free dining. Well it came out and I added it to my ressies...but the price is down only 300 dollars for a family of four in a royal room moderate hotel...clearly our dining plan cost more than 300 for our family so why isn't the whole plan deducted from our price. I feel a bit duped.

 

[KELLY]

I am confused. We booked in may in hopes of December free dining. Well it came out and I added it to my ressies...but the price is down only 300 dollars for a family of four in a royal room moderate hotel...clearly our dining plan cost more than 300 for our family so why isn't the whole plan deducted from our price. I feel a bit duped.

Did you have some sort of discount on the room, trip insurance ? Also don't forget ticket prices have increased since May. Usually the ticket price increase don't effect packaged til the following year but this year they tact it on.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

I am confused. We booked in may in hopes of December free dining. Well it came out and I added it to my ressies...but the price is down only 300 dollars for a family of four in a royal room moderate hotel...clearly our dining plan cost more than 300 for our family so why isn't the whole plan deducted from our price. I feel a bit duped.

Because you pay rack rate for the room when you get "free" dining. If you booked with a room discount code, that discount is gone. You still save some $$ overall, though, so it worked for your family. The % off room rate codes are usually a better savings for two people or for deluxe rooms.

 

[hollygolitely93]

No room rate discount...we went from 2800 TP 2480... Roughly for two adults and one child (my daughter is under three)... So about 100 a person. That us not free dining and a 5% ticket increase doesn't justify it either...it looks like rack rates jumped up considerably the moment free dining was announced or there is an era...I'll call today...how much is free dining usually worth on a package per person?

Yes, a savings...still feel duped though...

 

[HM]

You can try doing a fake reservation for your same dates at regular rates minus the dining plan (just room and tickets) and see what that comes out to be? It should be the same rate as free dining would be for you.

Check to make sure that you are in the same room category and that the tickets are the same as before (no added days or whatever).

 

[marmalade]

No room rate discount...we went from 2800 TP 2480... Roughly for two adults and one child (my daughter is under three)... So about 100 a person. That us not free dining and a 5% ticket increase doesn't justify it either...it looks like rack rates jumped up considerably the moment free dining was announced or there is an era...I'll call today...how much is free dining usually worth on a package per person?

Yes, a savings...still feel duped though...

Did you already have a package booked and then added free dining? I'm confused as to how your package amount changed. Or are you comparing last years prices to this years? You amount shouldn't have changed at all to add free dining.

 

[krismanda]

Did anything change in your room reservation?

I ask because this past January I booked our stay for September/Oct. When the free dining dates came out in the Spring I called to make a 1 day adjustment to our trip so we could get the free dining. When the CM told me the new price is was only a tiny bit lower before and I knew it didn't sound right. I asked and he explained that he had to book me in a more expensive room.

One would think he would have mentioned that was all available before making the reservation?!? Anyways, I told him, I didn't want the more expensive room and asked if he would check other resorts. We did have to change resorts but we were able to get the free dining without having to pay for a more expensive room.

I'm wondering if something similar happened to you? If the price change is not enough for it to be the dining, it seems likely it has happened to you as well.

 

[krismanda]

Did you have a royal room on the original reservation? Maybe that explains the price increase?

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

It def sounds like the increase is from changing room types.

If you had to book a royal room for the free dining, then the room cost ate away your free dining savings.

The regular rack rate for a standard is $244 , a royal room is anywhere from +$40-$70 MORE per night.

 

[tinkerbell313]

You would need to do the actual math yourself.

A room discount works better for our family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids ages 3-9) in a moderate or a deluxe resort.

Free dining works better for us at a value.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

OP has just discovered the myth... it's not free LOL!

It's a discount and if your earlier discount was better it's costing you.

FREE doesn't always mean FREE and you should do the math before BLINDLY trusting Disney

 

[hollygolitely93]

After a bit of investigating the answer is...standard rooms were not eligible for free dining promotion at POR so I was booked into royal rooms with garden view, thus eating up my discount...

Dang marketing...they get you one way or another.

We will enjoy ourselves and at least I have some sort of savings...just not what I was hoping for...(oops or what I estimated out for DH...yikes!)

 

[wahmtexas]

this is one of the reasons I love booking during free dining, you can afford to stay at a nicer room or resort have fun

 

[hsmamato2]

you don't have to do royal rooms, I believe they start at garden view for package and FD...plus you figure this into things your original cost-
now figure what your food would cost for your trip oop
now contrast that with your NEW total,and see if you like your numbers.
the 1st total was with no food.......
or did your original deal come w/ dining? the reality is with one tiny child you might be better waiting for a room only discount...or doing FD at a value resort.....
(in our fam,a mod w/ FD is a good deal)

 

[DizneyDogs]

you should also look to see if you would eat that much food normally - for us we don't and didn't need the extra calories so we save there too by not booking FD

 

[Diz Kids]

You could always look into another moderate resort if you aren't interested in the Royal Rooms, or continue to check at POR to see if anything has become available. I have found a few times that what we wanted opened up between the time we made our original reservation and the time we would have made our final payment. You can easily check by running your dates on their website under the FD promotion. If a cheaper room comes up then you call and try to change to the cheaper room.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

You could always look into another moderate resort if you aren't interested in the Royal Rooms, or continue to check at POR to see if anything has become available. I have found a few times that what we wanted opened up between the time we made our original reservation and the time we would have made our final payment. You can easily check by running your dates on their website under the FD promotion. If a cheaper room comes up then you call and try to change to the cheaper room.

CBR is an amazingly beautiful resort! We stayed in Jamaica, building 45 if I remember correctly. 2-3 minute walk to the quiet pool, 3 minute walk to the bus stop, 5 minute walk to the main building. CBR is my new WDW home!

 

[MickeyP]

How much was the royal room per night with the "free dining"? Ours without was 130.00 We had a 40% off code back in May.

 

[tzeitel]

So you upgraded and your package went down $300 - how is that not a deal?

 

[kaytieeldr]

OP has just discovered the myth... it's not free LOL!

It's a discount and if your earlier discount was better it's costing you.

FREE doesn't always mean FREE and you should do the math before BLINDLY trusting Disney

There's no myth, and your cynicism is showing .

People can call this promotion whatever they want; Disney calls it what it is: Dining Plan Free. They even clarify now to avoid... confusion? criticism? cynicism? The promotion is "... Dining Plan free with your non-discounted room".

Nobody criticizes other promotions - kids stay/play free, buy four (days) get three free, %-off room discounts. Why so much criticism over this one, given that Disney has never misled anyone about the promotion? Beginning in 2005 - the year the Disney Dining Plan began - it's always been advertised as "the Dining Plan free".