Free Dining Oct-Dec Is Here!!

[plutospalforever]

I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but does anyone know the date that the US will get to book free dining?

July 29 for Disney Visa holders and Aug 1 for general public

These are the speculated dates and are pretty confident, but nothing is official until Disney says it is. We will know for sure when the 29th gets here. : )

 

[mommyoftwo85]

Thank you! We are currently booked at All star music for 6 nights starting nov 11 (I'm positive I'm going to add another night) with 7 day base tix, 2 adults, DD4 and an infant. With the free dining, we are going to upgrade to DDP. Would that save us more or would the RO discount? I'm still so new to trying to figure this all out, haha. Thanks!

 

[black562]

Also, a little birdie told me that the CR RO discount may be divided between a 20% and 30% depending on the room category. So I would figure it at both discounts. No word on which category is what, but my guess is the more expensive rooms are at the higher discount. Good luck!!!!

There are some other resorts with rooms split between different discounts as well. That's why I pulled back the list to just the categories, because it can get very confusing trying to list every single discount for every single room type.

 

[Banana22]

Very valid point! You have to decide if that RO savings would cover what you will be eating for your stay. I went through and added up what we would eat each day at each counter service and table service. You can find menu with prices at ****************

Also, a little birdie told me that the CR RO discount may be divided between a 20% and 30% depending on the room category. So I would figure it at both discounts. No word on which category is what, but my guess is the more expensive rooms are at the higher discount. Good luck!!!!

Good point- I think at this point we would be better off with the Free Dining, based on our existing reservations and the cost. Even with Free Dining we will have some out of pocket meal expenses.
How would I find out how much it would be to upgrade from Free Dining to Deluxe for 2 adults for the same time period? Maybe I'll use the savings towards that.

thanks again for all the help on these boards!

 

[plutospalforever]

Good point- I think at this point we would be better off with the Free Dining, based on our existing reservations and the cost. Even with Free Dining we will have some out of pocket meal expenses.
How would I find out how much it would be to upgrade from Free Dining to Deluxe for 2 adults for the same time period? Maybe I'll use the savings towards that.

thanks again for all the help on these boards!

The upgrade to deluxe is more significant at around $45 per adult per night.

 

[plutospalforever]

There are some other resorts with rooms split between different discounts as well. That's why I pulled back the list to just the categories, because it can get very confusing trying to list every single discount for every single room type.

OMGosh! You're making my head spin!!!! Doesn't Disney know we are all not mathematicians????

 

[plutospalforever]

Thank you! We are currently booked at All star music for 6 nights starting nov 11 (I'm positive I'm going to add another night) with 7 day base tix, 2 adults, DD4 and an infant. With the free dining, we are going to upgrade to DDP. Would that save us more or would the RO discount? I'm still so new to trying to figure this all out, haha. Thanks!

Typically the free dining will save you more when staying at a Value. To figure the free dining price, just go to WDW website and price out full price room and tickets for your dates, leave off dining, and that would be the FD price. Room only for Values is probably going to be between 15 and 20%, All-Star Movies might even be 5%. The cost to upgrade to basic (plus) dining plan is around $19 per night per adult and around $4 for kids 9 and under. Good luck and have a magical vacation!!!
Oh, 2 and under are free.

Edit: now they are saying some of the Values may be up to 25% off, if that is the case, I am wondering if it is All-Star Sports because of food court closure????

 

[DavidHobart]

So I've tried to help with the free dining vs room-only question.*

The image shows nightly free dining savings (compared to buying it for cash) by family size and age structure.

Find the number for your family. You'd have to do better than this number per average night on the room-only discount to want the room-only deal.

To figure your room-only potential savings, get your average undiscounted nightly room price and multiply it by the expected room-only discount of .30 for mods and between .25 and .35 for deluxes. (The range is because Black and I suspect that we'll find deluxes at several discount levels.)


http://**************.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/free-dining-savings-from-**************.net_.png



*Only for moderates and deluxes--the "quick service" prices are different, but even so, free dining is always better at the values if you are in a 4-person room...

 

[plutospalforever]

So I've tried to help with the free dining vs room-only question.*

The image shows nightly free dining savings (compared to buying it for cash) by family size and age structure.

Find the number for your family. You'd have to do better than this number per average night on the room-only discount to want the room-only deal.

To figure your room-only potential savings, get your average undiscounted nightly room price and multiply it by the expected room-only discount of .30 for mods and between .25 and .35 for deluxes. (The range is because Black and I suspect that we'll find deluxes at several discount levels.)


http://**************.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/free-dining-savings-from-**************.net_.png



*Only for moderates and deluxes--the "quick service" prices are different, but even so, free dining is always better at the values if you are in a 4-person room...

Thank YOU!!!! Where has this been all my life??

 

[mommy4]

So I've tried to help with the free dining vs room-only question.*

The image shows nightly free dining savings (compared to buying it for cash) by family size and age structure.

Find the number for your family. You'd have to do better than this number per average night on the room-only discount to want the room-only deal.

To figure your room-only potential savings, get your average undiscounted nightly room price and multiply it by the expected room-only discount of .30 for mods and between .25 and .35 for deluxes. (The range is because Black and I suspect that we'll find deluxes at several discount levels.)


http://**************.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/free-dining-savings-from-**************.net_.png



*Only for moderates and deluxes--the "quick service" prices are different, but even so, free dining is always better at the values if you are in a 4-person room...

I love this, but I am so bad at figuring things out What would I need to get a room at POR for to be better than free dining? We have 4 Disney adults, and 1 child. Thanks!

 

[plutospalforever]

I love this, but I am so bad at figuring things out What would I need to get a room at POR for to be better than free dining? We have 4 Disney adults, and 1 child. Thanks!

I am with you. If I am reading this correctly, I think RO only would have to be more than $253 discount per night for RO to be better deal. Otherwise FD is better???

 

[DavidHobart]

Find the number for your family. You'd have to do better than this number per average night on the room-only discount to want the room-only deal.

To figure your room-only potential savings, get your average undiscounted nightly room price and multiply it by the expected room-only discount of .30 for mods and between .25 and .35 for deluxes. (The range is because Black and I suspect that we'll find deluxes at several discount levels.)

Now that I think of it, to account for possible different deal rates either overall or by resort or by room type on the room-only side, here's another way to do this.

Divide the free dining savings you find by your average un-discounted nightly room rate, then multiply by 100.

That gives you the percentage of the room rate that free dining covers. The room-only deal rate then has to be a higher discount rate than that to be better for you.

For example, a 5 night standard room visit at the Poly in the fall season with two weekend nights averages $526.20 per night. With a two adults and two kids 4 and 5 years old each, free dining would save $155.08. Doing the math, 155.08/526.20 x100= 29.5%. So the room rate discount would have to be 30% or higher to be worth more to you than free dining...

 

[ALD85]

I love this, but I am so bad at figuring things out What would I need to get a room at POR for to be better than free dining? We have 4 Disney adults, and 1 child. Thanks!

You'd have to do better than 253.52 per night on a RO discount.

 

[plutospalforever]

Now that I think of it, to account for possible different deal rates either overall or by resort or by room type on the room-only side, here's another way to do this.

Divide the free dining savings you find by your average un-discounted nightly room rate, then multiply by 100.

That gives you the percentage of the room rate that free dining covers. The room-only deal rate then has to be a higher discount rate than that to be better for you.

For example, a 5 night standard room visit at the Poly in the fall season with two weekend nights averages $526.20 per night. With a two adults and two kids 4 and 5 years old each, free dining would save $155.08. Doing the math, 155.08/526.20 x100= 29.5%. So the room rate discount would have to be 30% or higher to be worth more to you than free dining...

Speak slowly...How did you get the $155.08???

Never mind...Got it. From the chart, duh!

 

[WDW1979]

I love this, but I am so bad at figuring things out What would I need to get a room at POR for to be better than free dining? We have 4 Disney adults, and 1 child. Thanks!

Probably you would need a room only discount in excess of 100%.

 

[JLKennedy]

I have priced 4 different RO options for when I'm going and NONE of them at 35% OFF will beat FD....once you add in your park tix.

10/18 thru 10/26
CBR 3 'adults' 1 child
8 day MYW base ticket
FD
$2890

Just the tix alone for my group is $1389....so I'd need a hotel and food to come up at $1500 just to break even.

The only viable option was WL...RO is $2246 but I still have to add $1389 for tix .....right there I'm at $3635....without food....FD is the best deal.....unless you have unused tickets that you can use or AP's

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[ldoogie]

Yep If that is the rack rate for those dates. Does that $202 include tax??? If not just add 12.5%

Thanks, FD is definitely a bigger savings. Come on Monday!

 

[HBGdancermom]

So I've tried to help with the free dining vs room-only question.*

The image shows nightly free dining savings (compared to buying it for cash) by family size and age structure.

Find the number for your family. You'd have to do better than this number per average night on the room-only discount to want the room-only deal.

To figure your room-only potential savings, get your average undiscounted nightly room price and multiply it by the expected room-only discount of .30 for mods and between .25 and .35 for deluxes. (The range is because Black and I suspect that we'll find deluxes at several discount levels.)


http://**************.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/free-dining-savings-from-**************.net_.png



*Only for moderates and deluxes--the "quick service" prices are different, but even so, free dining is always better at the values if you are in a 4-person room...

Impressive!!! Thanks again to you and Joe for the info....Hey that rhymes....

For us, the RO is definitely a better deal but mainly because of how our family operates....DDP is around $1000 for our family of 5 for 5 days. The RO dsct is around $780. We are staying at BC CL. We are not huge eaters and end up sharing lots of entrees when we go out. We also don't order soda usually or dessert. This year we are only doing 1 character meal and a couple of TS. Lastly, I don't want to have to figure it out while we are there....

My plan is to put $1000 on a DGC for food/tips and souvenirs and strive to come home with $$. We will see how that works...

I am just so excited they have 2 different kinds of dcsts so you can figure out what works best for you individually.

As far as a PP asking about how to figure it out, I actually went to Allears and looked at the menus, pretended we were there and looked at what we would order....Just a thought!

 

[4CanadianMice]

Now that I think of it, to account for possible different deal rates either overall or by resort or by room type on the room-only side, here's another way to do this.

Divide the free dining savings you find by your average un-discounted nightly room rate, then multiply by 100.

That gives you the percentage of the room rate that free dining covers. The room-only deal rate then has to be a higher discount rate than that to be better for you.

For example, a 5 night standard room visit at the Poly in the fall season with two weekend nights averages $526.20 per night. With a two adults and two kids 4 and 5 years old each, free dining would save $155.08. Doing the math, 155.08/526.20 x100= 29.5%. So the room rate discount would have to be 30% or higher to be worth more to you than free dining...

Thanks Dave for this information. To verify, I have 4 adults so our savings with free dining would be $261.15 therefore if we stayed at the Poly the room only discount would have to be 261.15/526.20x100=45%, correct?

I have been reading your site since last December when we started planning our trip and love all the information ... thanks for doing an awesome job keeping everyone informed. You and Joe are the best

 

[jenseib]

So if someone is staying at a deluxe resort in a 1 bedroom with 3 adults and 1 child, the 35% resort discount would be better than the free dining plan? I also want to upgrade to the Deluxe dining plan. Confusing

it depends on what the room discount for the villa is. I would think free dining would be better for 3 adults and 1 child.