Free Dining Question

[jfelcie]

If resort guests receive free didnig during the month of September why can't DVC members get free dining too? There are very few perks for DVC members. Soooo. . . every one will be eating free except DVC members and others who stay off the property. We will also have trouble getting reservations. This does not sound very fair to me. Does any one else feel left out?

 

[Caskbill]

This has been brought up in a number of threads. The answer is simple: You can get free dining while staying in a DVC resort. Simply reserve the room through CRO, paying the full rack rate in cash (that will vary from a low of $269/night to over $1000/night.) But, then you would get 'free' dining!

Now the real answer: Free dining is not a perk, it is a promotion by Disney to rent out regular hotel rooms at full price. If anyone books any type of room using any kind of discount (such as an AP discount), they do not get 'free' dining.

Putting it another way, 'free' dining is simply a type of room discount. One could take the full cost of the room, subtract the amount that the 'free' dining is worth, and the remainder is the true cost of the room.

Now, when you use DVC points to get a villa, you're already getting the very best WDW discount available to anyone. Period. For example, you can get a studio at BWV for $305/night cash (with tax it's $341/night). Or you could use 9 points which cost less than $40 in maintenance fees, and use the $300/night you save and pay for your own meals.


You can check Disney's rack rates here.

 

[bicker]

In addition, keep in mind that DVC members aren't promised every option made available to Disney resort guests. For two years we were ineligible even to pay for the Dining Plan.

 

[DebbieB]

I usually stay in a 1 bedroom. To get the "free" dining I would have to pay over $400 per night for the room. Using points and paying for the dining plan is a better deal.

The promotion is not just "free dining". It's free dining with the purchase of a rack rate (full price) room.

 

[rantnnravin]

For two years we were ineligible even to pay for the Dining Plan

wasn't the DDP only introduced in 2005?

 

[Granny]

There are very few perks for DVC members.

While more is always better, I think now that DVC gets a substantial AP discount, we have a pretty good perk list.

We get all the perks of on-site guests like EMH and transportation. DVC has it's own list of discounts, but to me the biggest one is the AP. With the AP, you get even more discounts and access to the DDE, for example.

I'm sorry, but I can't agree with the premise that Disney "owes" us a lot of perks. If we get them, great. And I think it makes good business sense for Disney to offer us many of them. Probably doesn't hurt their sales pitch to prospective new buyers either.

But really....you want Disney to give us free food with no additional revenue coming to them? I don't see why Disney would ever think that's a good idea.

 

[phorsenuf]

If you want free dining rent out your points and use that cash to book a room at a resort. That's what we did. Through all kinds of funky math we ended up with 6 nights at All Satrs Sports, free dining for 4 and 2 annual passes for $400. OOP. My DH and I already had AP's but the kids didn't have theirs.
We weren't planning a trip but this was too good of a deal to pass up!

 

[BCV23]

wasn't the DDP only introduced in 2005?

My favorite perk in all the World is being able to buy the DDE card if you are an AP holder.

My second favorite is the great discount that DVC owners get on APs.

Both of these perks became available just as the DDP was introduced in January of 2005.

When the DDP was opened up this January to DVC owners for trips starting in April, I thought that was yet another huge perk for DVC and especially those who don't go often enough to justify APs.

 

[jfelcie]

Thanks for all of the "education". My understanding is now a little better and I am a little less bitter! I use my points only once a year for a weeks stay in a two bedroom with my dh,children and grand children. I love my villa and would not trade it for a single room just to get free food. I love seeing the "Welcome Home" sign. What perks do you get with and annual pass? Is it worth getting for just one week?

 

[Chuck S]

What perks do you get with and annual pass? Is it worth getting for just one week?

If you are sure you will only use 7 days, I would not recommend an annual pass. The real savings usually kick in with 10 days usage or more. There are some dining discounts, but the best AP perk, in my opinion, is the ability to purchase the Disney Dining Experience Card. Rather than being a pre-paid dining plan, the DIning Experience card (currently $60) is good for the card holder and his /her party (up to 10 people total). It gives you 20% off virtually all table service and buffet meals at Disney operated venues, and it includes "adult" beverages. The nice thing is, rather than having to order a large mount of food to "get your $$ worth", like on the pre-paid plan, you can order whatever you wish if you aren't a huge eater, and still get a discount.

One thing you may consider...you say you go one week per year. Could you stagger that week? For example, go the 2nd week of August one year, then the 1st week of August the second year, actually using the Annual Pass for two weeks...then wait a year, and buy a new pass for your third vist, then again stagger your 4th visit...getting 4 weeks out of two annual passes, and so on.

There are also cash room discount (based on availability) if you want to squeeze in another trip as a cash customer at a regular Disney resort (the AP room discount is a "room only" ressie, you can not add the dining plan to a discounted room ressie). Since we drive to WDW, we often use the AP discount on rooms if we arrive a day early and stay at a value resort the first night. We do this because we drive from Texas, and allot an extra day to make the drive in case of problems on the road, luckily so far, we've always just arrived at WDW early

 

[Granny]

Chuck makes the same suggestions I have, and that's to make your one week trips within one year...for example, the second week of August in year 1 and the first week in year 2. Get two trips out of your AP's and it's well worth it.

Another thing you can do is purchase just one AP to get the discounts. As Chuck said, if you're going to pay cash for a room, or do A LOT of shopping at World of Disney, etc it might be worthwhile. You can look at the difference between the types of tickets you buy now and see if the discounts would make it worth upgrading one ticket to an AP.

The DDE plan alone makes it work for us (plus we get at least two trips from every AP).