FREE dining plan OR room discount, which would you choose?

[jenlw]

My husband is an airline pilot, so we get a great room discount at the Disney Hotels. Of course, by getting a discount, we are not allowed to purchase the meal plans. We have always just paid for our individual meals on our past Disney trips. Well, I just found out that Disney is offering the FREE meal plan during our stay in November. Right now we are getting $1,110 OFF our room at the Wilderness Lodge (woods view, bunk bed room). That is for 7 nights. If I do the math on the FREE meal plan, that would be a savings of $1,187.48 for 7 nights for me, my husband and our 2 boys ages 10 and 7.

If you had the choice, would you forego your room discount so that you could take advantage of the meal plan? We have never used the meal plan, so I'm not sure if we would even like it?

To save money, I could downgrade to a standard room at the Wilderness Lodge, pay full price and then take advantage of the meal plan. Then I would owe $700 more for my room, but get the $1,187.48 savings of the meals?

Just can't decide what to do. What is your opinion of the meal plan? Is it more trouble than it's worth? Should I just enjoy our room discount and then pay for our meals individually? Or will I be happier paying more for my room and then not having to shell out money every time we want to eat?

Thanks in advance for your advice

 

[sharonabe]

It really depends on how you like to eat. Will everyone drink soda and get dessert at every meal? Will your 10 yr old want kids meals? Is your 7 yr old happy with just kids meals? Can the four of you eat happily (not skimping) for less than your room discount?

 

[msmith07101]

As the PP said, it all depends on how your family likes to dine at WDW. I have only used the DP once and it was quick service. It was "free". I could have spent $100.00 less and used a room only discount, but my four day stay for 2 people would have cost me more than $100.00 in food, so I tried the plan. I really liked it, but I do not care to dine at sit down places, where I may need to make advance reservations...that is too much planning and coordinating where I am going to be...and for me on a WDW trip...that's a little much. So quick service dining is more my style, and I really enjoyed using it. I suggest thinking about how and where your family likes to dine, and then going to the WDW site and looking at the dining plan info for the plan you would be on to see all the details...I think some sit down meals are more than 1 credit??? But I am not too sure on this. Best of luck!

 

[beroh2253]

Those 2 savings are pretty close with the slight saving going to the free DDP. But lets say you would happen to miss just 1 ts then the saving would be better for the Room discount. With 2 young boys would they want all the sit downs or do more rides and then you are trying to make sure you use all the CS which are easier to use up. In your case i would keep the room discount. Also if you haven't made all your ADRS yet maybe all of the good TS places booked go on line and check reataurants for availability.
Either way though nice savings.