Free dining or 30% discount

[TreslovesWDW]

Hope this belongs on the buget board. Hope someone with better math skills can help or maybe I am right. I am trying to figure if I am saving more with free dining or should I use the 30% discount. I think I am saving just a few bucks with the code like $56. Just not sure I calculated right.
Staying at POP 9/3 -9/12 leaving on the 12th, 6 day passes w/waterpark, standard room, no insurance on yet. 2A 2C age 7 & 12. I booked then used the code for free dining and upgraded to basic from QS. Thanks

 

[Mrs. Charming]

I'm not math-minded enough to figure it out, I usually just call and get a quote.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Hope this belongs on the buget board. Hope someone with better math skills can help or maybe I am right. I am trying to figure if I am saving more with free dining or should I use the 30% discount. I think I am saving just a few bucks with the code like $56. Just not sure I calculated right.
Staying at POP 9/3 -9/12 leaving on the 12th, 6 day passes w/waterpark, standard room, no insurance on yet. 2A 2C age 7 & 12. I booked then used the code for free dining and upgraded to basic from QS. Thanks

You can call/email a travel agent like Dreams Unlimited and they can give you quotes for both scenarios. Their services are free.

 

[TreslovesWDW]

Thanks I am going to just call and ask them to figure it for me. I did look at the chart someone made but then adding for the weekend rates and paying for dining with the code or full price with free dining...I keep getting different figures, maybe it is still to early for me to think..haha

 

[Huff]

Free dining will easily save you FAR more than the 30% off.

Your room cost at POP during your stay will be $778 + taxes ($92 fri/sat, $82 M-F). 30% off that would be $233.

QuickService Dining costs $32 per person per night for those 10 and above and $10 per child age 9 and under per night. For your group thats $106 per night so for 9 nights thats a savings of $954.

You might want to consider booking your 7yr old as a 10yr old. Disney won't care. That would give them the adult dining package. The only extra cost to you would be the MYW ticket cost which would be about $30 for your entire stay. That way they are not restricted to the very limited kids menu of burgers, chicken nuggets etc. If you are eating almost entirely at buffets then this won't be an issue.

The $10 per person per day upgrade from QS to TS dining is well worth it!

If you have not done so already make your dining reservations PRONTO! Many popular places are already filled. If thats the case don't give up. There are cancellations daily. Just check online often until you get the reservations you want.

We will be at POP the same week as you!

 

[Straitlover]

Ignoring the extra you woudl pay to upgrade from QS to Basic DP and taxes, free dining save you way more money. You have 4 nights at the weekend rate ($92) and 5 nights at weekday rate ($82). 30% off of that (room only discount) is $233.40. But free QS for 2A & 2C is worth approximately $702 (I only have 2009 prices handy, 29.99 A & 8.99 C). So going w/ free dining would save you in the neighborhood of $468 (702 - 233).

The cost to upgrade to the basic DP I believe is around $10 for adults and $ for kids, so that would be $ 26 per night for y'all. 26 times 9 nights is $234. However, keep in mind that you won't be spending extra for meals, so personally I wouldn't consider this in a reduction of what you would save (the 4468 above). I bet what you would spend out of poclet for meals if you stay w/ the 30% dicount would be more than what you would pay to upgrade that free QS.

 

[squirrel]

I don't need to do the math.

Your oldest is considered an adult. That's 3 adult dining plans and one child. That should be about $100 right there. I know you can't get $100 off a room at Pop.

You might be better off keeping the CS plan and adding a few TS meals in as your oldest is considered an adult now. The upgrade to DDP is $32 per night.

You can easily add another day or two onto your tickets if you want to later. It will be about $3 more per person per day. Even if you just wanted to go to one of the main parks in the evening after the waterpark it would be worth it.

 

[Oz!]

every family is different and has different plans for WDW, so take that into consideration as well..

we had the the option of free QS dining or 30% off of our room discount. I choose the 30% discount..b/c it is cheaper for us to pay out of pocket for meals than to have a plan.

i did the math...
pay out of pocket
free QS
upgraded to TS

and we liked the pay out of pocket option better...it gives us more freedom of eating and not being tied down to ADR's. don't get me wrong we have ADR's but not for everyday and every meal. For our 8 days at WDW, we have four ADR's. we are very spontaneous people when we are at WDW.

thats my .02

 

[Huff]

every family is different and has different plans for WDW, so take that into consideration as well..

we had the the option of free QS dining or 30% off of our room discount. I choose the 30% discount..b/c it is cheaper for us to pay out of pocket for meals than to have a plan.

Free QS dining is worth $32 per adult per day and $10 per day for kids 9 and under. 30% off a value or moderate will barely equal a couple days worth of the dining plan.

For us there is no way we could eat for the $233 the 30% off would save us during our 8 night stay at POP. I opted for the free dining instead. ADR's have to be made whether you're paying OOP or not if eating at a TS.

If staying at a Deluxe then the 40% off you get there could be equal to or exceed the value of free dining depending on family size.

 

[TreslovesWDW]

Thank you everyone, I will stay with the free dining and upgrade. It is nice to get another opinion of what is better to do.

Huff have fun at POP