HELP!!! Free dining, military room only discount or DVC???

[4mcbjCtr]

I am really hoping you all can help. I wasn't sure where to post this, but you all are so helpful usually. I am wanting to plan a last minute and unexpected vacation for my kids to Disney. They really want the DDP this trip. We are DVC members and a military family. I am wanting to see what the least expensive route would be (this isn't in our travel budget, but we are doing it anyway ).

These are our options:

1. Use a military room only discount (30% - 40% discount) and pay to add the DDP
2. Use DVC points and pay to add the DDP to our reservation
3. Use DVC points and buy the Tables in Wonderland Card which gives 20% off dining and use this instead of adding DDP (we don't drink alcohol, so that negates some of the benefit of this card)
4. Book a moderate room using the free dining promotion

Thanks for your help. I have tried to run the numbers myself, but don't think I am able to access all the information I need.

 

[patty57]

What is it that you can't access?

 

[4mcbjCtr]

I am not sure if I am calculating the military discounts and then adding the dining plan on correctly. If you put this in the online booking, can you take the rack rate price, deduct the discount and then figure out the difference once you add on the dining plan? Does that make sense? Really I just need to know if it if more cost productive to use a room only discount or use the free dining promo? After I figure that out, I will have to make the decision about whether or not we want a regular room or to stick with DVC.

 

[patty57]

I could be wrong about this, but whenever I've tried to figure out room discount vs. free dining, it came down to the level of resort. I think room discounts work out better for deluxe resorts and free dining works out better for moderate and value resorts. I have no information about military discounts or DVC, but it looks like you are able to access that. If you already own DVC how could that not be the most cost effective?

 

[Mousemommy1]

To look up the military discount, get a room only rack rate quote for the room of your choice on the Disney website and then calculate the discount (30% values, 35% moderates, and 40% deluxes).

Not sure when you are planning on traveling but it looks like the 2014 DDP costs are $58.66/adult per night and $18.88/child per night....I didn't look up 2013 costs...again, not sure when you are traveling.... So figure that out for the amount of nights you'll be there and then add them together and total.

I don't do DVC, but I'm sure you must have the resources to figure that out.

To figure out your mod option, just get a rack rate quote online for the mod of your choice, and if it's free dining, than that's your cost (though you'd have to add at least a 2 day ticket for each person, I believe)

Hope this helps. Not quite sure what you are exactly looking for so just threw that all out.

 

[davedmaine]

This is the only one that makes sense:

3. Use DVC points and buy the Tables in Wonderland Card which gives 20% off dining and use this instead of adding DDP (we don't drink alcohol, so that negates some of the benefit of this card)

Free dining and/or the paid dining plan are for suckers.

 

[4mcbjCtr]

Thanks everyone for your help. This information is exactly what I needed.

@Davedmaine - Just out of curiousity, why do you think the DDP is for suckers?