Free Disney dining plan and renting DVC BLT

[jfondulas]

I just saw that Disney is offering free dining on the dates we will be staying there. However, I rented DVC points at BLT and do not need to purchase a ticket package because we are pass holders. Will I not be able to take advantage of the free Disney dining?

 

[erionm]

Free dining is not available on point stays. It requires a package stay that meets Disney's requirements.

 

[chalee94]

if you are not paying rack rate for your hotel room (i.e. more than people who take the hotel discount), then you don't get the "free" dining.

DVC points are a discounted rate - not eligible for free dining. ever.

 

[hakepb]

Yep, same thing as trying to book free dining now, (at full room rate) then try to get your room reduced to an AP rate...not going to happen

 

[JWG]

It looked like, for a similar time period, they're offering 30% off room rates, which wouldn't be eligible for free dining either.

You're getting the "room discount" equivalent. Free dining isn't free, it's just a shift in where the money is being spent. Instead of a room discount and paying for food, no room discount and no paying for food.

Disney really found a promotion that seems to work with this free dining thing. People really buy into its value. I think a good 30-40% room discount can be a better value in many cases, but it feels like adding "free" sells people the dining deal is better.

 

[RobDoc]

I just saw that Disney is offering free dining on the dates we will be staying there. However, I rented DVC points at BLT and do not need to purchase a ticket package because we are pass holders. Will I not be able to take advantage of the free Disney dining?

The only way to get "free" dining when renting from a DVC member is if that member is offering it with their rentals as a rental incentive ... and you should negotiate that before agreeing to the rental.

The "free" dining option that became available today from Disney can only be reserved for certain resorts/room types and only for dates in September. There are other restrictions too - like length of stay and the purchase of a minimum of 2 base park passes. There are some of these reservations available at DVC resorts, but you would need to pay full rack rate for the villa and also for the base tickets.

DVC members staying on points have never been offered "free" dining by Disney as that is only available as described above.

Disney has always used the "free" dining offer as an incentive to rent available rooms at WDW. DVC members could offer the same thing if they feel that is the only way to rent their points - but most have found that the great price break is incentive enough.

You might want to check with Disney to see the cost of their current "free" dining offer for your dates and resort and then figure out what paying to add the dining option to your existing DVC rental will compare to the "free" dining option from Disney. I suspect you can add the Dining Plan to your current reservation and still come out ahead of the "free" dining offer - if it is even available for your current reservation.

 

[jfondulas]

Got ya! Staying at a DVC and free dining would be to good to be true. Lol thanks for the info.

 

[DebbieB]

Someone just posted on the discount board that they have a reservation at BLT for cash but when they called for free dining it was not available. There is also a room discount promo but it is only 5% off for BLT. They don't need promos to fill those rooms.

For the heck of it I checked, a BLT 2 bedroom for September is $853 a night.