Free Dining vs. Pin Code Worksheet??

[AlternateEgo]

I recall finding a worksheet on here, earlier this year, that showed the difference in price you could get with the Free Dining vs. a Pin Code.

Does anyone know where I can find this? I have done a search and was only able to find one from 2008 that wouldn't load any longer.

Thanks!

 

[g3pak]

I would love to see this, too.

Also, is the Pin discount just on the room, or is it on the entire package?

 

[Melissa<3Disney]

bump!! I'm curious about this as well!!

 

[marcielm]

I would love to see this, too.

Also, is the Pin discount just on the room, or is it on the entire package?

It depends on what type of PIN you get. The ones that are currently floating around out there for 20/30/40% off are for a discount on the room only. You can add tickets, and then also dining if you'd like... but these are full price.

 

[marcielm]

I recall finding a worksheet on here, earlier this year, that showed the difference in price you could get with the Free Dining vs. a Pin Code.

Does anyone know where I can find this? I have done a search and was only able to find one from 2008 that wouldn't load any longer.

Thanks!

I don't have a comparison spreadsheet, but I do have a spreadsheet set up with the cost of each dining plan (for both value & peak seasons) that you can input the number of adults & kids & nights staying & it will calculate the cost of the dining plan for your trip. Do you have particular dates you are looking at? I can enter in for value or peak season the details for you family, and give you the cost for 1 night of the DDP or QSDP (or DxDDP) and then you can use that number to compare to a discount off 1 night's stay at a resort of your choice.

For example... my family is 3 Disney adults + 2 Disney kids + 1 free infant. Our cost of the DDP is $166.95/night during peak season (when we are going in March). That would be a much better deal than the 30% code I have for our family suite (come on Disney... send me a FD PIN!! ). 1 weekday night in the fam suite is $290 for us, so right now we are only saving $87/night.

 

[ajpa]

(come on Disney... send me a FD PIN!! ).

Do they ever give out FD pins?
Because that's going on my novena petition is they do!

 

[marcielm]

Do they ever give out FD pins?
Because that's going on my novena petition is they do!

They do. I currently have a client in WDW on a free dining pin. She got it BEFORE FD was extended/offered to the general public (which kinda' bites, but at least she got to use it on her Contemporary MK View Club level room -- I'm so jealous. She sent me a picture from her room the first day!)

Last year I had a "kids stay/play/dine for free" pin that saved me more than my 30% is saving me now. I'd love to see the "adults for a kid's price" that some folks got last year, because that would save me more than the "kids free" pin this year (my oldest is an "adult" now... OUCH!).

 

[AlternateEgo]

I don't have a comparison spreadsheet, but I do have a spreadsheet set up with the cost of each dining plan (for both value & peak seasons) that you can input the number of adults & kids & nights staying & it will calculate the cost of the dining plan for your trip. Do you have particular dates you are looking at? I can enter in for value or peak season the details for you family, and give you the cost for 1 night of the DDP or QSDP (or DxDDP) and then you can use that number to compare to a discount off 1 night's stay at a resort of your choice.

For example... my family is 3 Disney adults + 2 Disney kids + 1 free infant. Our cost of the DDP is $166.95/night during peak season (when we are going in March). That would be a much better deal than the 30% code I have for our family suite (come on Disney... send me a FD PIN!! ). 1 weekday night in the fam suite is $290 for us, so right now we are only saving $87/night.

I have done some basic math to find the Deluxe is best with the 40% pin and paying OOP for dining plan... but what I am really trying to figure out is which resort will be the cheapest and if we could economically bring my MIL along with us.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

The discount depends on the type of pin code and the number of people on the dining plan.

One thing I found was that 30% off a mod and 40% off AKL or WL (deluxe) was only a $6 difference for a whole WEEK! So you also have to know what resort you want to stay at because the 'savings' will be different. That 40% at the deluxe is more $ than the 30% off at a moderate.

The dining plan is easier to calculate because you just have to know the number of adults and kids in your party. Of course, free dining might mean different plans for different resorts (like quick service at value or regular at deluxe resorts).

So here is what I figured on our last trip - our hotel discount was $2000 and free dining would have been $800 so the hotel discount was better.

I know you are looking for a calculator but the ones I've seen are specific to certain situations. You really have to determine the resort you are staying at AND the specific dates and then weight it against free dining. Also, these discounts are only valid on a certain number of rooms so do your calculations but come up with a back up plan if your resort is not available for the discount you want.

 

[marcielm]

I have done some basic math to find the Deluxe is best with the 40% pin and paying OOP for dining plan... but what I am really trying to figure out is which resort will be the cheapest and if we could economically bring my MIL along with us.

With your MIL you are going to be looking at something that will sleep 6. That gives you the Cabins, the ASMu Fam Suites, and the villas. The Fam Suites are cheaper than the Cabins at rack rate... however on the 4/3 or 5/2 deal the Cabins work out to a better deal. If you are paying OOP for food the cabins would be good because you get a full kitchen and prep meals there as well. Also, remember that the Cabins are a Mod, while the Fam Suites are a value. The great % off a mod sometimes makes them a better deal as well.

Let me know if you have some specific dates & want numbers run... sometimes it's a lot easier to work it that way (just to plug in all the options)!

 

[AlternateEgo]

Thanks Marcie!

Right now its looking like 9/4-9/12, so I am hoping for free dining. I did get the year long PIN, so I am running numbers.

POR looks like my favorite option with just the 5 of us.

ASMu would be if we bring MIL. I am scared of ASMu since we will be using Disney transporatation.

Fort Wilderness seems so... I don't know... Not really my style. Now I hadn't considered the PIN working on Fort Wilderness either...

Those are my economical choices. I wish DH would just say one way or the other, so I don't have to present him with all the info, lol.

With your MIL you are going to be looking at something that will sleep 6. That gives you the Cabins, the ASMu Fam Suites, and the villas. The Fam Suites are cheaper than the Cabins at rack rate... however on the 4/3 or 5/2 deal the Cabins work out to a better deal. If you are paying OOP for food the cabins would be good because you get a full kitchen and prep meals there as well. Also, remember that the Cabins are a Mod, while the Fam Suites are a value. The great % off a mod sometimes makes them a better deal as well.

Let me know if you have some specific dates & want numbers run... sometimes it's a lot easier to work it that way (just to plug in all the options)!

 

[marcielm]

Thanks Marcie!

Right now its looking like 9/4-9/12, so I am hoping for free dining. I did get the year long PIN, so I am running numbers.

POR looks like my favorite option with just the 5 of us.

ASMu would be if we bring MIL. I am scared of ASMu since we will be using Disney transporatation.

Fort Wilderness seems so... I don't know... Not really my style. Now I hadn't considered the PIN working on Fort Wilderness either...

Those are my economical choices. I wish DH would just say one way or the other, so I don't have to present him with all the info, lol.

POR for the 5 of you would be your cheapest option on the PIN. With your MIL, I believe the cabins will work out cheaper than the ASMu. We didn't have ANY problems with transportation, and we go during Spring Break (March). I wouldn't think you'd have to wait too much for the buses in Sept. Now that being said, the Cabins have some other transportation options, like a boat to MK & such. Check them out and see if you think it might be better for you guys!

 

[Irin997]

I created this spreadsheet that you can find here:

http://sites.google.com/site/wdwplanningworksheets/promotion-package-comparison

I haven't fixed the 4/3 package to represent that actual ticket cost....this calculation takes the ticket price and divides it by the correct number of days. I will fix it when I get time. Hope it helps!

 

[PC MOM]

Hi,

Just subbing

 

[PC MOM]

Hi,

Just subbing

 

[gretchenohar@hotmail]

Thank you Irin997! How wonderful of you to share this with us!
Gretchen