Free Dining??

[dumbo33]

Can someone briefly explain to me the free dining?

 

[Ardenne]

It's a promotion Disney offered last year, then again this year: you pay full rate for your room, but for each night of your stay, each member of your party over age 3 gets one table service credit, one counter service credit, and one snack credit. The promotional period is going on right now -- ie, people on the free dining promotion are at Disney right now, and it'll be continuing through early October -- but the time period to reserve a room to *get* the free dining is over, so you can't get it now if you haven't signed up for it already. I don't know whether they'll do it again next year or not; some people love it, but some really hate how full it makes the restaurants.

I hope that helps

 

[dumbo33]

Thank you. We are in the DVC so we won't be using it. I can see how it would certainly increase the population of the resturants.

 

[toocooltobeMom]

We didn't really pay for a full room rate. Like any other special promotion outthere, you have to choose which discounts work out better for you. If we were to choose deep discounted room rather than the "free promo", we simply can't imagine that how much that will compare with eating for nothing. It just doesn't add up. We checked for room rate for the weeks leading up to the Free DDP promo. It was actually more expensive for the room alone (without the Freebies.) Maybe different Disney resorts have different periods between value or peak seasons. Has anyone put that into account?
We are set for 08/07 @WDW already. We are booked into a Value resort. The value season starts 08/05/07 for ASresorts. Finger crossed for another year's free DDP.

 

[Seahunt]

DVC can now add the dining plan to their stays and even though you have to pay for it, you might run the figures to see if it would be worth it to you to have the convenience of the DDP.

Per mousesavers:As of April 1, 2006, DVC members and their guests may choose to purchase the Dining Plan when staying on "points" at a DVC resort. The Dining Plan is available to the general public only as part of a vacation package, so this is a nice benefit for those DVC members who enjoy the convenience and value of the Dining Plan.

Adults (10 and older) $37.99 per person per night - Children $10.99 per person, per night - must purchase for everyone in your party, for every night of your stay - 1 TS meal, 1 counter meal and one snack per person per night.

http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/packages06a.htm

Or, as a FL Res, you can check out the DDE (Disney Dining Experience) card:

http://www.mousesavers.com/diningexperience.html