Free Dining Offer...

[DougEMG]

Well free dining came out for the Fall and it would actually work for our dates in Dec . Hmm...CSR with free dining or BWV in a 1 bedroom, cost works out to be very similar, what to do?

And the winner is BWV in a 1 bedroom.

 

[paulh]

we have booked with our dvc points this Aug 16 nights in total 4 nights okw/3nights vero/3 nights blt and 6 nights ssr.
We bought in 98 and if you factor in the dues the stay cost around $2400 for that stay( outlay + dues paid over the years divided by the years have held DVC)
How much would that trip cost if paid rack rate and tickets to buy to get "free" DDP
Agree it was good value when they first offered it Tip,starter,main and dessert included and the snack bought a lot more(pack of 12 doughnuts)Now thought its a tool which isn't really good value if you delve deep into it. better options off site than the overpriced meals onsite.the prices increased to make it look like your getting good value to buy it
Paul

 

[missycj96]

I have 5 nights in a studio a vwl for end of nov and am considering trading for free dining. We dont have annual passes so we could use the 2 day ticket and upgrade to the dvc ap which i want for next summer anyway. But then it is still about 600 for a value at rack rate - it does include dining. Then to upgrade to regular dining instead of counter service would be an extra 150 for 3 of us. We wouldnt pay for the dining plan but we would spend on food so its mostly offset. Still i wouldnt spend 750 on food for the 5 days. So theres no real savings there. I could bank those points (only about 77). But then im looking at an all star or pop instead of the vwl decorated for christmas. I started thinking about this when i thought i could get an AoA little mermaid room. But its excluded. At the end of the day dvc is the best deal for the best hotels.

 

[SnowWhite2]

Earlier this year, a friend called me to say she just returned from Disney and got a great deal. She stayed at the Poly and got free dining. I almost fell off of my chair. She had rented points from me before so I was shocked she thought full rack rate at the Poly was a good deal. Throw in free dining with anything and the general population thinks they have a sweet deal.

 

[rdsx28]

Having just returned from WDW on July 1st we were lucky enough to stay in my inlaws DVC at WLV. We chose to buy thedining plan for 3 of us with the DVC discount and it was about 1200,00 for 3 of us. DD(12) very fussy eater so needless to say she is happier getting counter service meals. We found many of our favorite places Boma, Crystal palace (my DD fav) have really gone down hill. A LOT OF restaurants serve exactly the same food. Not worth 35 or 40 dollars per person. Don't get me wrong there are a number of great places that we enjoy as well but we have decided we would pass on the DDP next visit. We have our mugs which we got very little use of as the soda station is a bit of a hike from the villas unless you are at the pool. Plus the fact that we were paying 20-25 dollars each meal for tips. I don't mind tipping at all and usually tip 20% but the service and food are sub par. When I looked into TIW I felt that what it was really covering was the tip and not much more at the sit down restaurants. I guess it all depends what you are looking for and like. But we have chosen not to get it again.

 

[jeankeri]

I get jealous about free dining until I see you have to pay rack rate for the room. No thank you!

 

[k3chantal]

So why is it that DVC members can't use free dining. I understand you have to stay in a Disney hotel, so why don;t we qualify>?

It just does not make sense to me, should we not get free or discounted

Why is it a rule?

I think if you realize that 'nothing is free' than you will realize that people who are getting 'free dining' are not getting 'free dining'; the payment for their food is part of the cost of their accommodations. To qualify you have to pay cash for a room. Technically speaking, if you are using your points, that's not 'cash' and you already got what you paid for with a deluxe resort in a better room than an ordinary hotel room.

We, as DVC members, do get discounted dining. It's called TiW card and it gives us 20% off most of the restaurants.

 

[DebbieB]

I think if you realize that 'nothing is free' than you will realize that people who are getting 'free dining' are not getting 'free dining'; the payment for their food is part of the cost of their accommodations. To qualify you have to pay cash for a room. Technically speaking, if you are using your points, that's not 'cash' and you already got what you paid for with a deluxe resort in a better room than an ordinary hotel room.

We, as DVC members, do get discounted dining. It's called TiW card and it gives us 20% off most of the restaurants.

But you pay $100 for the card, so you have to spend $500 before you actually get the 20% discount.

 

[k3chantal]

But you pay $100 for the card, so you have to spend $500 before you actually get the 20% discount.

My experience is that spending $500 dollars on food is easily done at Disney World even if you make breakfast in your room.

I suppose this might be a challenge for some but I think for most that sum is completely and easily reachable. In one 6 day trip (with no plans to go back to WDW again this year) we easily saw our discount.

It made our meals on the second part of our trip to Universal seems really expensive in fact.

 

[fmer55]

But you pay $100 for the card, so you have to spend $500 before you actually get the 20% discount.

How many people do you usually travel with? $500 is nothing for a family of four even over 3-4 days. And if you are an AP holder the break even point is around 375. And then there is this part when i realize that perhaps i drink more than most people, but alcohol is also included in the TIW discount. Not to mention the TIW card is good for virtually 13 months, it expires the last day of the month after you bought it, the next year. Even if you travel as just a couple, if you spend 6 days or more I would have to imagine you would see value. I have 4 trips in the next 13 months, 4 people on each trip, TIW savings will be enormous

 

[TDC Nala]

Free dining is offered strictly to fill rooms that would otherwise go empty. DVC doesn't have that problem.

 

[DebbieB]

How many people do you usually travel with? $500 is nothing for a family of four even over 3-4 days. And if you are an AP holder the break even point is around 375. And then there is this part when i realize that perhaps i drink more than most people, but alcohol is also included in the TIW discount. Not to mention the TIW card is good for virtually 13 months, it expires the last day of the month after you bought it, the next year. Even if you travel as just a couple, if you spend 6 days or more I would have to imagine you would see value. I have 4 trips in the next 13 months, 4 people on each trip, TIW savings will be enormous

I made the comment in response to "We, as DVC members, do get discounted dining. It's called TiW card and it gives us 20% off most of the restaurants.".

It sounded like the TIW was free for members, which is not the case. You pay for it so you are not getting 20% right off the bat. It is a great deal for a family, I'm not disputing that. I typically travel with 1 or 2 others and we don't do alot of table service so it isn't worth it. I wish it also covered counter service.

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm one person and I get more than my money's worth out of TIW. (for reference, one dinner at Victoria & Alberts with wine pairings will take care of the cost of the membership for annual passholders. I haven't done V&A this year and I'm still getting discounts.)

TIW is accepted at ten counter service restaurants (the five value resorts, POFQ, SSR and three at Animal Kingdom Park)

 

[k3chantal]

I made the comment in response to "We, as DVC members, do get discounted dining. It's called TiW card and it gives us 20% off most of the restaurants.".

It sounded like the TIW was free for members, which is not the case. You pay for it so you are not getting 20% right off the bat. It is a great deal for a family, I'm not disputing that. I typically travel with 1 or 2 others and we don't do alot of table service so it isn't worth it. I wish it also covered counter service.

Disney's save money 'programs' are always about spending more first and then being rewarded. AP holders have to cough up hundreds of dollars per person to save, the dining plans/ pay full price on your accommodations, the TiW card /pay for the card and then get the discount, and you can even use DVC as an example. Spend thousands to get an opportunity to save on accommodations way in the future.

This all makes sense. Disney is 'rewarding' those who spend more and encouraging those who may not have originally decided to spend that amount to feel okay about it. If you are a mainly counter service person, that's great, but you are already 'saving' money by choosing their 'less expensive' options. It is in Disney's best interest to encourage you to go to a table service option. In addition to the extra money it brings in, if they have people spending more time with their meals, there are not so many people waiting to go on rides.

With my original comment about DVC members getting discounts, yes, certainly, I should have clarified by explaining you have to pay for the TiW card. Honestly, I thought that part had already been explained with the comment that nothing is free.

 

[greengeen]

But you pay $100 for the card, so you have to spend $500 before you actually get the 20% discount.

We live in Florida and go to WDW to dine whenever we can, and the TIW is good for a 13-month period, so it saves us a tremendous amount of money. If we only went once a year or if it was only two of us, it wouldn't be a deal, though.

 

[crisi]

We live in Florida and go to WDW to dine whenever we can, and the TIW is good for a 13-month period, so it saves us a tremendous amount of money. If we only went once a year or if it was only two of us, it wouldn't be a deal, though.

Its a deal for us and we only go every other year. Family of four never there more than six days.

1) We eat at signature restuarants - the quality and price of food at Disney drives us to Jiko.

2) We drink alcohol. A bottle of wine with dinner over six nights and you are well on your way to breaking even with a TIW before you've bought food.

3) We tip well - with a TIW we don't add any additional tip and the waiter gets 18% (we'll add more for exceptional service), saving us 2% on the tip.

 

[supersuperwendy]

We are DVCers about to go for free dining for the first time. We had an amazing DVC 9 day visit in June so I'm out of points till 2013 and we are planning August 2013.... but we are in the mood for a WDW visit. My husband has been working like crazy opening a new restaurant and we agree a WDW visit could make everyone happy! So we are going to pack in like SARDINES! 2 Adults 4 kids ages 14, 12, 10 & 2 in one room at Port Orleans Riverside!!! I know everyone says free dining isn't actually "free" but man it feels good not to pay $1288.50 for DDP! Plus I booked Hoop Dee Doo with the free DDP - category 1 seats at the new 8:30 show time a $339 value for us!!! So I'm excited!!!