Free dining with park hopper vs dining plan no hopper

Okay so here is without your specifics so I'll change it accordingly to that but here is what is assumed. All Star Music 9/29-10/9, 10 day park tickets:

No discount
$3358 + food out of pocket

20% room discount (if available later)
$3058 + food out of pocket

Free dining - Quick Service (includes park hopper)
$3677

Free dining - Upgrade to DDP (includes park hopper)
$4351.

Of course don't take my word for it but if I'm wrong somewhere someone will point it out. Lots of smart cookies on this board!
You're a rock star!! So according to your calculations, food OOP would have to cost me over $1300 to make it worthwhile?
 
You're a rock star!! So according to your calculations, food OOP would have to cost me over $1300 to make it worthwhile?

did you see about movies? Because if you really want to stay there it most likely won't have free dining.

New numbers based on ASMu and 7 days:

20% room discount:
$2930 plus food

No discount:
$3230 plus food

Free dining quick service:
$3529

Free dining DDP:
$4223
 
Just make sure you know the top two monies there does not include any dining plan and is paying food out of pocket.
 

We are in the same boat. Staying at POP September 16th-22nd. This is our first Disney vacation onsite and I am anxious to
see what will be the best deal for us. (Family of 4. 2 adults 2 kids age 8 & 6) We have already booked and our travel agent is
watching for us to see which deal will be best. But I am still anxious to see what that will end up being! We also aren't really
interested in the park hoppers and I am not sure what the room only discount usually ends up being to even compare.
It seems like it would end up being slightly cheaper for us to do the free dining even when adding the cost of the park hoppers
and upgrading the dining plan to get the table service. We added dining to our package and our reservations were made this past Monday!
 
did you see about movies? Because if you really want to stay there it most likely won't have free dining.

New numbers based on ASMu and 7 days:

20% room discount:
$2930 plus food

No discount:
$3230 plus food

Free dining quick service:
$3529

Free dining DDP:
$4223
Oh my goodness… What?!?! No free dining at ASMo??!?! I think I might just cry little bit… And after a few deep breaths, I think I'll get over my interest in the movies and find a new love in music :-)
 
Oh my goodness… What?!?! No free dining at ASMo??!?! I think I might just cry little bit… And after a few deep breaths, I think I'll get over my interest in the movies and find a new love in music :-)

I wanted Movies to but could save $25 a day to go to Music instead. Then found out Movies doesn't get free dining so then it really was a no brainer.
 
RO discounts are not out for the Fall yet, they should drop around the same time as FD.

your ADRS are not tied to your reservations, you will not lose them. All a ressie at at Disney Resort does is allow you to make ADRS at 180 days for up to 10 days from check in
So I can switch resorts without losing my dining reservations?
 
did you see about movies? Because if you really want to stay there it most likely won't have free dining.

New numbers based on ASMu and 7 days:

20% room discount:
$2930 plus food

No discount:
$3230 plus food

Free dining quick service:
$3529

Free dining DDP:
$4223

I may be wrong but don't values usually only get discounts in the 10%-15% range? Last fall we stayed at POR and took the free dining and my sister stayed at Music insisted her deal was better and got 10% off the hotel room and paid out of pocket for her food, she saw the difference by the end of the week.
 
I read somewhere that it costs almost the same to stay in value resort if you have to upgrade FD to include TS, as it is to stay in moderate resort with FD with TS. But I did some of the math, and that didn't seem to hold true, what has been everyone else's experience?
 
I read somewhere that it costs almost the same to stay in value resort if you have to upgrade FD to include TS, as it is to stay in moderate resort with FD with TS. But I did some of the math, and that didn't seem to hold true, what has been everyone else's experience?

I think it depends on the number of people in your room and how many nights your staying. The cost to upgrade is $21.16 per adult per night and $4.07 per child. If you have 4 Disney adults in your room, that's almost $85/night which will get you close to that moderate level resort price which gives you more room, queen size beds, TS restaurant onsite, better themed pool areas, and covered bus stops.
 
I read somewhere that it costs almost the same to stay in value resort if you have to upgrade FD to include TS, as it is to stay in moderate resort with FD with TS. But I did some of the math, and that didn't seem to hold true, what has been everyone else's experience?
It completely depends on who is in your party. For me it's 4 Disney adults (Me, DH and our kids 13, and 20). Staying value and upgrading to regular DDP saves us something like $300 or less. Totally not worth it for us.
 
At this point you don't know what disney will do. So don't count Movies out. Could be your dates have avail. Or FD is done as each year is rumored to be
 














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