Has anybody done the math on the Disney offers?

[BigDogDaddy]

Our family of 4 have visited the Magic Kingdom in 2009 and got free dining included. We are trying to plan a return visit in 2011, but I am curious...has anyone done the math on when it is more advantageous to utilize the Room Discount, the Kids Stay and Play free, or the free Dining Plan(if offered)?

Is there a point where one makes more sense than another?

Is there a Holy Grail of offers, ie free dining with room discount, that we should hold out hope for?

I believe that some of my questions can be answered by calling Dreams Unlimited, and we will when the time comes to book, but we are just trying to plan at this stage.

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

Caribbean Beach, May 2009

 

[Macduffy]

I think if you plan on staying in a Value it's cheaper to take the "deal" ie Kids Play Free or Free Dining but if you are staying in a moderate or above it could be cheaper to use the discount depending on the % off offered. I know for the current promotion it was cheaper for us to take the KPF rather than the % room discount offered (for a value).

Free dining is different now than is was in '09 though isn't it? I think if you stay in a Value it's only QSDP (if there is FD offered) and DDP for moderates and above but I'm probably wrong (I've given up on FD being offered this fall)

I'd open a spreadsheet and the Disney vacation site if I were you - the possibilities seem endless sometimes! LOL

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Yes, I've done the math. But it all varies on how many adults and how many kids you have, whether you are staying value, moderate, or deluxe, and if you actually would utilize the dining plan to the best of its ability.

You have to do the numbers for your traveling party, your dates, and run it for the multitude of offers to find out the best deal.

In general, a 35 or 40% room discount offer for deluxe resorts will be a better deal than free dining.

In general, free dining for a lot of adults would be a better offer if you are staying at a moderate resort.

Everything in between can be very close...or not - you have to do the math.

 

[amym2]

Haven't done all the math, but I do know that for our family (2 adults, 2 kids under 10) we have a better deal with the 40% off pin code for a deluxe than if we used Kids Stay and Play Free or Free Dining. I believe rack rate room with Free Dining would have cost us $200 more for our 5nt stay at WL.

 

[mjohnson96]

We have 2A and 2C coming with us in June and between the % of rate and the kids free rate we saved more staying at a moderate with the kids stay and play free rate. Now if BIL was not coming we would have switched over to BCV and then it was less expensive to do the % of discount they have out instead. BIL is doing the % of discount and that is why we have the extra kiddo in our room. We saved him several hundred by keeping niece with us and letting him have the room only discount.

 

[BigDogDaddy]

thanks for the replies, looks like I still have some pencil sharpening to do

 

[sharadoc]

The easiest way to look at it is take a one day room rack rate and figure out what it is after the discount. Then compare that to the cost of the dining plan for one day for your family. If you have kids and they are over 9, then they would pay adult rate. So assuming $43 for each person, on a family of four, you would have to save around $175 off rack rate on the room to be ahead of free dining. Which is easily done on a deluxe room that would run 450 and up a night. If you have kids under 9, then the mods could also come out ahead on a room discount, especially if you can get 35%.

For kids stay and play free, the cost of the ticket is the only savings - they are always free in your room anyway.

As far as a Holy Grail, I think I heard of some offers, might have only been Disney Visa, for kids stay, play and eat free! I have heard of UK visitors receiving a room discount and free dining, but not here.

 

[appleseed1]

Thx. for sharing!

Best,

 

[JAMIESMITH]

When I did the math on Kids Stay and Play Free vs. 40% off a standard room at Wilderness Lodge for two adults and one child, there was a difference of less than $1 between the results!

 

[madisonsmommy7704]

does the kids stay & play include park hoppers?

 

[kinggoofy]

We did the math 2 years ago. For us, its about $400 cheaper to have the AP 40% off room only rate vs. any kind of free dining offer.

 

[jennapens]

I agree with everyone else. It really depends on how many people you have going and where you're staying.

Personally, I hope free dining comes out for November/December. Our family is 2 adults and a 2yr old. We are currently booked at the POP 11/26 thru 12/3 with the 35% room discount and added park hoppers and QSDP. If free dining comes out and we cancel the room discount package, it will save us another $150.00. Just more money to spend in the world!

 

[mhconley]

I agree with other's comments - it's all about number of people, kids & adults, length of stay, desired ticket and dining package, and at which level resort you'll be staying.

I did the math - over and over - and found that for our booking - 7 nights in a deluxe for 2 adults and 1 child, with DDP, PH & WP&M - we were best off using the 40% PIN we had and paying for dining.

Your family and package may point you in a different direction...

Martin

 

[BigDogDaddy]

thanks for the replies, looks like there is no hard and fast rule but generally, Moderate or Deluxe packages save more with the 35-40% discount and Value saves more with Free Dining.

I got more pencil sharpening!

 

[cglaura]

Something to take into account also is what you would actually spend on food if paying. Not the actual cost of the dining plan. We'd never in a million years eat the allotted amount for QS or DDP ($70-90ish a day for two people? I think..I didn't look up the current rates, but I think I remeber $35 pp or $47pp).

For us, it is always less with a room discount and buying our own food (we usually split a big meal or get kid meals).

For example, in January, our nightly room rate was $54 at ASMu with $30 food = $84 per day for two people. That was less than rack rate with free dining. (Tickets not included in that price, we bought those through mouse savers / uct )

 

[amym2]

does the kids stay & play include park hoppers?

No, only base tickets. But you can upgrade to park hoppers.

 

[DLW8]

We are 2A/2C (under 10) that are going in September for 5 nights at AKL. I priced out the Kids stay and play free against the discount off the room rate, and the kids stay and play free was cheaper, by $10.

We added the park hopper at $57.51 per person.

Like the other said, you just have to run the numbers yourself with your specific details.

Good luck!

 

[minuet]

Also helps to check which restaurants you want to eat at. For us, it's not worth the free dining as 4 of the places we would like to go are not on the plan and would have to be paid for out of pocket anyways. The room discount made much more sense.