Free dining or Room Discount for CR?

[hcompton]

We typically stay at CR in the tower with a theme park view but skipped going this year. Last time we went, we used the 30% off Room Rate and it saved us more money than the free dining. Is that still the case with the discounts? Haven't been able to price the trip online since we go in late January and they haven't released the 2015 rates yet.

Also, it seems from reading the message boards, that availability has been a big issue. Should I go ahead and book a CR theme park view room instead of waiting until the discounts are released like I have done in the past then try to get a discount applied when the discounts are released?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Henlady]

I called 2 days ago to see if I could book a room at CR before the new rates come out for May 2015. The CM told me the rates are to come out the 2nd or 3rd week of July. I asked if I could still book, understanding that the rates would be different. She told me that if I booked now, when the new rates come out, I'd have to cancel the ressie I made now, get a refund on the current deposit, then re-book and place a new deposit. she stated "you'd be better off just waiting until next week and make your reservation then." So, hopefully the new rates will be out in the coming few days.

 

[Aliceacc]

It really, really depends on your party, where you're staying, how old your kids are.. a lot of factors.

You have to do the math.

When my kids were younger, a 30% room discount would have been the better deal (We stay Deluxe as a family of 5.) Now that all 3 of the kids are Disney Adults, free dining would be the equivalent of 43% discount.

Of course, we're both teachers, so we go over the summer... free dining isn't an option for us.

We booked our trip when the prices came out last summer. When the summer special was released for Disney Visa card holders, our travel agent moved us from the Beach Club to the Yacht Club, saving us just over $1000. (Thank you, Tracey!!!!)

 

[canadiandisneymommy]

I agree with the previous post that it depends on how old your kids. I just wrote a blog post about this and how it's not worth it to get the dining plan for my family of 4 including a 2 and 3 year old and that the room discount is better. If you're interested check it out at
www.canadiandisneymommy.com

 

[hcompton]

Thanks for the input. My daughter is 6 and we normally stay at Contemporary in late January. The first year, we used the free dining and the years after, the room discount was better than the free dining or the stay, play, save discount. We skipped going this past January, so feeling out of the loop on discounts. ��

 

[ratdog9]

I always find that the room discount is better. We pay for the free dining

 

[UrsulaTheSeaWitch]

Hi,

You said you didn't go this year. You might not realize then that the discounts released for Contemporary this year were less than the year before.
The summer rates were 20% and 25% if you stayed 6 + nights.
Early fall rates were only 20% no matter how long you stay.

With the Polynesian being under construction this fall/winter and now people abandoning Wilderness because of their pool construction, I fear the discount rates will be even lower when they are released next month. Maybe even 15%.
Everyone is trying to get into the Contemporary it seems. For them to release a 30% discount would then seem HIGHLY unlikely.

Just something you might want to think about when you run the numbers. Contemporary is so expensive that the 10% really makes a difference.

 

[hcompton]

Thanks! That makes sense as to why the Contemporary is so booked right now. I keep trying to enter dates for the fall just to give me an idea on pricing and it seems like every room, every night is booked so I can't look at the rates online.

 

[Aliceacc]

Thanks for the input. My daughter is 6 and we normally stay at Contemporary in late January. The first year, we used the free dining and the years after, the room discount was better than the free dining or the stay, play, save discount. We skipped going this past January, so feeling out of the loop on discounts. ��

OK, the math teacher is me is compelled to spring into action I'm using this year's prices, since I haven't seen next year's. And all this is based on the presumption that you would be paying for the DDP if it weren't free.

Two adults and one 6 year old would run $140.43 per night on the DDP ($60.64 per adult, and $19.23 for your daughter)

If you stay at a Garden Wing room, ($378), that's equivalent to a discount of 37%.

If you stay at a Tower Room, Bay Lake View, ($533), that's equivalent to a discount of 26%.

If you stay at a Tower Room, Theme Park View ($580), that's equivalent to a discount of 24%.

If you find a discount that beats those percentages, it's a better deal than free dining.

(For us: rack rate at the YC is $477.
We're 5 Disney Adults, so the DDP runs $303.05 per night. Free dining would be the equivalent of a discount of almost 64% for my family. Pity that it's never going to happen when we can get to WDW. )

 

[hcompton]

OK, the math teacher is me is compelled to spring into action I'm using this year's prices, since I haven't seen next year's. And all this is based on the presumption that you would be paying for the DDP if it weren't free.

Two adults and one 6 year old would run $140.43 per night on the DDP ($60.64 per adult, and $19.23 for your daughter)

If you stay at a Garden Wing room, ($378), that's equivalent to a discount of 37%.

If you stay at a Tower Room, Bay Lake View, ($533), that's equivalent to a discount of 26%.

If you stay at a Tower Room, Theme Park View ($580), that's equivalent to a discount of 24%.

If you find a discount that beats those percentages, it's a better deal than free dining.

(For us: rack rate at the YC is $477.
We're 5 Disney Adults, so the DDP runs $303.05 per night. Free dining would be the equivalent of a discount of almost 64% for my family. Pity that it's never going to happen when we can get to WDW. )

Thanks for the break down!