Free Dining..

[minnie56]

I wish I could get my head around it as being the great deal everyone seems to think it is?

I booked 2 pkgs for Aug 17-24- sometime ago.Two triple rooms-3 adults each room-Caribbean Beach Resort..added 8 days of Parkhoppers/with Waterparks. Added Basic dining...not dlx.

Price was $2337 per room/USD
I just priced it with free dining..$2352.75??

What am I missing?

 

[dancin Disney style]

I'm not sure why you are getting a slightly higher price. Really it should be minus the cost of the DDP.

Is FD a great deal? I think so. We did it in 2007 and I looked at it as our meals only costing $75 each for the entire week. We were on an R&R trip so we only bought the one day park ticket and then added the WP&M(3admissions back then) option. So our meals and entertainment for the week cost $490. Really, you have to do the math. If you can get a discount on the room it has to be more than the cost of the DDP per day to be of any advantage. If you have no available discounts then free food is pretty good.

Right now I have a 40% PIN and I'm trying to figure which deal is better for us. I would prefer to go at the end of November to see the Xmas decor but DH would prefer to have the TS meals that the FD will allow us to do.

 

[crazyfordisney2000]

We went Dec 2007 and paid $25??.00 for all star 9 nights , room , magic your way tickets and dining, I just booked the promotion and paid $2874.00 for Port Orleans a Moderate with free dining. $300.00 more, but moderate and it was 1&1/2 years ago, so think it's a good deal.

 

[minnie56]

I am not sure why either...but alas I am..
What can I say? Looks to me on this one anyways-as if they hike the prices to offset the FD.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

No price hike. Either you had a discount for your first package or you weren't getting all of the components you think you were.

I priced it out on the Disney site

August 17-24 3 adults CBR 8 day tix w/hopping & waterparks free dining promotion = $2352.75

August 17-24 3 adults CBR 8 day tix w/hopping & waterparks paying for DDP = $3192.33

 

[minnie56]

I am a TA-trust me I know I have all the components!

This was booked a few months back..those were the prices. Booked directly on the Disney TA site.

 

[mommytodarlings]

Well, what is the breakdown of both prices?

What is the room rate for each and ticket prices for each?

 

[hockeymom3]

Well just for the heck of it (to see what I was missing), I selected 11 nights at AKL with free dining for September. Now, to add dining to my current package for 11 nights is 1100. So you would think that I would save 1100 during free dining - but I don't. If I went for free dining it would only save 400. Thats still great - but its not "free" dining.

BUT the reason being is that they're offering rooms cheaper than they do during free dining.

 

[michelle1]

I booked my package a couple of months ago and added the dining on yesterday and the price stayed exactly the same because we had no DDP in our booking otherwise it would have went down. The room rates ($149 for a moderate) have not changed and I doubt the ticket prices have changed so something had to have been off on the original booking.

 

[FirstTimeDisneyDad]

Free dining is based on the rack rate of rooms...tickets would be the same cost.

Your original package must have had a pretty significant discount on the room portion.

I think the accepted belief is that if you stay on a value resort, then FD is a great deal. If you are paying rack rate at a moderate or above, then a room discount (40% for example) would work our better.

FD is a great deal...for many. We just saved almost $1,100 USD by forgoing our CAA discount on the Family Suite at ASMu and having free dining...but we have 6 people, so that's $150 / day in Disney dining cost.

 

[minnie56]

Well, what is the breakdown of both prices?

What is the room rate for each and ticket prices for each?

Unfortunately, the TA site does not break it down into separate costing. You just select the Resort and keep adding the 'extras'. Perhaps because it was booked a few months back in this instance. Anyways, they're happy.

 

[Hockeychic]

I just booked......yipeeeee

Pop in Sept for 6 nights, only 1 day tickets since we have AP's and free dining for $718.02 for 2 adults!!!!!

Wahooooooo, glad I didn't get rid of my SW flight credit..that was the extra leverage I used on DH to throw in yet another trip to disney....wahooooo

 

[AndyMcV]

Can someone please explain the current deals... 7 for 4, free dining, 40% off code, etc.... What is the best deal and what can go with what?

 

[P&L@WDW]

I also booked yesterday with Free dining. I priced it out two months ago without free dining, and the price was exactly the same when I booked it yesterday, WITH free dining.

Sept 19-27, 2 adults, 1 day park tickets (We already have tickets for the rest) at the ASMu. Total cost for 8 nights, plus the dining and 1 day ticket: 903.34$ US. That's 451.67$ per adult for 8 days, including our food and hotel!

 

[michelle1]

I also booked yesterday with Free dining. I priced it out two months ago without free dining, and the price was exactly the same when I booked it yesterday, WITH free dining.

Sept 19-27, 2 adults, 1 day park tickets (We already have tickets for the rest) at the ASMu. Total cost for 8 nights, plus the dining and 1 day ticket: 903.34$ US. That's 451.67$ per adult for 8 days, including our food and hotel!

That's crazy! Where else can you travel to for that price?!

 

[P&L@WDW]

That's crazy! Where else can you travel to for that price?!

I know! That's what my mom said. In fact, her exact words were, "You'd be crazy not to go!". I can't wait. The people travelling with me haven't been to Disney in over 20 years!

 

[dancin Disney style]

So today I called CAA to get a price (normally I would call WDTC myself) and the price they gave me was $1279.64 US. Thats for 8 nights at ASMu preferred, 1 day park tickets, free dining , 2 adults and 1 10yo.

I thought the price was a little off so when I got home I went online and priced it. The Disney website gave me a price of $1119.89 US.

They also quoted me $1743.96 US for POFQ. The web price was $1581 US.

Figure that one out.

 

[drag n' fly]

Free dining is not free. This nifty litttle comparison was posted on the dvc forum. It would be good to see this done with a value room to see the difference. I believe value room is where you get the best value for your money during free dining even though you pay rack rate.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

lets compare...

Price for AKV Kidani... Savanna View Studio...2 Adults 2 Children...7 day MYW base passes...DDP added...

Current 4/7 deal with DDP added... $3601.68

Free Dining... $3668.90 cost more than 4/7 deal!

DVC...101 points for a week in September...
renting points @ $11 pt. $1111.00
DDP for 2 Adults and 2 Children 7 days...$713.72
Park tickets...base MYW 7 day... $837.80
Grand DVC Total... $2662.52

You can save over $1000 even just renting from DVC !

 

[P&L@WDW]

Free dining is not free. This nifty litttle comparison was posted on the dvc forum. It would be good to see this done with a value room to see the difference. I believe value room is where you get the best value for your money during free dining even though you pay rack rate.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

lets compare...

Price for AKV Kidani... Savanna View Studio...2 Adults 2 Children...7 day MYW base passes...DDP added...

Current 4/7 deal with DDP added... $3601.68

Free Dining... $3668.90 cost more than 4/7 deal!

DVC...101 points for a week in September...
renting points @ $11 pt. $1111.00
DDP for 2 Adults and 2 Children 7 days...$713.72
Park tickets...base MYW 7 day... $837.80
Grand DVC Total... $2662.52

You can save over $1000 even just renting from DVC !

As has been mentioned by previous posters, the value of any given promotion depends on what level of resort you're staying in. If you're in a Value, generally, Free dining is a better savings than if you stay in a Mod or Deluxe. If you're in a mod or deluxe, the 4/7 deal or a 40% off code will generally be a better deal.

It's all relative.

 

[Cruiser1969]

Wouldn't the value also depend on whether a family of 4 consists of 4 "adults" or 2 adults and 2 children?

There is such a huge difference in dining plan prices between a 9 year old and a 1O year old!!