Free Dining: pls check my math/info & WWYD

[summerw]

I'm hoping all the WDW vets out there will help me check all my math/planning. I have a MYW package with regular dining booked for an AoA Nemo suite for December 1-11 for 3 adults, 1 child (3). Unfortunately, I booked based on the dates Mousesavers posted and figured I'd be good for Free Dining. Since I will most likely be blacked out, I'm thinking of paying a lot for the airline ticket change so I can leave two days earlier on Nov 29 so as not to fall into the blackout period. This will add two days onto my vacation, but the FD discount should absorb most of my extra expense. Could you all please check my info and let me know if I'm missing anything...

Current Package (Dec 1-11)
10 nights, 8-day MYW tickets $5934.63

Free Dining Package (November 29-Dec 11)
12 nights, 8 day MYW tickets (according to Disney website) $4967.23
I will cancel the first leg of my AA flight which will give me a 60-cent discount per ticket (woo woo) and book a one-way flight on Southwest. The airfare is $610.40 but I will save $100 I was counting on in baggage fees, so the total difference will be $510.40
I will also have to pay the upgrade costs for the dining plan from QS to Reg so for 12 nights, that will be $623.16

If I add all this up, it looks to me like a difference of $175.16 more to make all these changes. Basically, it's really rubbing me the wrong way to be so close to Free Dining and not be able to use it. Also, the money is already set aside for this trip, so if I can use it to get two more days to relax and unwind at the beginning, it just seems like a good plan to me. I had $200 cushion built in anyway, so I can do the $175.

If you all say I'm not missing any costs and it seems I've got everything, how would you all handle this? AA warned me if I don't cancel now, I might still owe to cancel the first leg if the cost of the 2nd leg goes up (hurt my head to hear this, but it's a Tuesday, so I'm hoping it won't). Then there's only one flight on Southwest that day at that price and I need 4 tickets. Waiting until Thursday to book it is going to make me a little anxious. If this were your decision to make, would you feel confident enough in the rumors about the release and blackout dates to just pull the trigger and book Southwest??

Thanks for all your help and PLEASE critique away. This WDW planning is all new to me and I don't want to miss a thing.

 

[mommyof3princess27]

Are you still planning on doing 8 days at parks? not bump it up another or are you doing water park and more option? it looks good though...

If you did the whole trip at a mod, youd be at $3941 with FDing then the airfare and no upgrade to reg dining so you would be LESS then your estimate coming in at only $4451 just a thought!

 

[FourBees]

I agree with the pp who suggested you go with a moderate. You could even add 2 more days to your tickets making it a ten day ticket and you would be at $4536.91 which is still less then what you have already planned for. The $4536.91 is adding in the $510 for the flight without the flight just hotel, 10 day ticket and free regular dining it would be $4026.91. Good luck to you.

 

[Sunnywho]

I wouldn't feel comfortable enough to change the airfare around until after the free dining is booked. The rumor seems solid but you never know.

Another option if you don't want to have the flight change fee for everyone would be to have just you or you and the child go out for the two days early.

An extra cost would be the tips on the two extra meals.
If you were renting a car there's be two extra days to pay for but you don't mention that.

I wouldn't switch to a moderate if you can afford the nemo suite! It looks beautiful.

 

[Sunnywho]

I will cancel the first leg of my AA flight which will give me a 60-cent discount per ticket (woo woo) and book a one-way flight on Southwest. The airfare is $610.40 but I will save $100 I was counting on in baggage fees, so the total difference will be $510.40

crunching numbers if you and a child were to fly out early with everyone else coming as planned...would it be $305 for two tickets? And you can take two bags each so if all the luggage flies with you (and the others bring a carry-on when they come), you'd save the $100 for baggage. So it would only be $205 rather than $510.

 

[summerw]

Are you still planning on doing 8 days at parks? not bump it up another or are you doing water park and more option? it looks good though...

If you did the whole trip at a mod, youd be at $3941 with FDing then the airfare and no upgrade to reg dining so you would be LESS then your estimate coming in at only $4451 just a thought!

Thanks so much for your response. We just have the 8 days planned for now since we will have my mom on the ecv and my son in the stroller and I think we will need lots of breaks. We're spending a day at Universal too, so I don't think it will be too many days off for them, but we definitely might add later once we see how much stamina they have.

I definitely would love to try the mods, especially POFQ. My mom and husband decided they need the space of a suite for that long of a stay, and I know my son will be crazy for AoA. I'm very excited about it too. Honestly, I wish I could stay at them all. Too bad we are not hotel-hopping kind of people.

I wouldn't feel comfortable enough to change the airfare around until after the free dining is booked. The rumor seems solid but you never know.

Another option if you don't want to have the flight change fee for everyone would be to have just you or you and the child go out for the two days early.

An extra cost would be the tips on the two extra meals.
If you were renting a car there's be two extra days to pay for but you don't mention that.

I wouldn't switch to a moderate if you can afford the nemo suite! It looks beautiful.

Thanks for reminding me about the extra tips! I will add that to the tally. We will be renting a car but decided if we're lucky enough to get two more days we will rough it on the bus to any parks we go to.

I'm very nervous about switching on a rumor, no matter how trustworthy this seems. I'm also nervous about waiting to see if I lose the cheap flight too. I'm sure I'll decide to wait rather than risk it, but switching now just sounds so nice.

We also talked about sending just a few of us for the extra few days, but this trip is kind of a reward for a lot of hard work we put into a project together to save the money and it would feel weird for all of us not to get to do it all together. Plus, half the reward will be getting to see my son's face when we get to the resort, and definitely no one can miss that. We have passes to Disneyland and 3yo is a vet there, but AoA will be unique for all of us. None of us have ever been to WDW and I'm more excited for AoA than some of the parks, I think. We live about 10 miles from DL, so we've never had a reason to Stay Disney.

FourBees: Thanks for the response. I agree, if not for space leading to peace between DM and DH. Almost two weeks of scooters, strollers, mom smoke breaks and toddler schedules... I'm thinking space will probably come in handy at some point.

Thanks, everyone for all the great responses. They definitely help. If anyone can think of anything else, please. Thanks!!

 

[mommyof3princess27]

I would seriously ADD the 2 days NOW and then if it doesnt come out, cancel the 2 extra days and if it does, you have them