How much better would free dining have been?

[Crazy4Disney06]

At first I was really bumbed out that our vacation dates "just" missed the dates for free dining, but then I got to looking at lots of posts for those who got free dining and many packages don't seem to be as cheap as ours
Here is our details:

Family of 5 - DH(28) Me(27) Grandmana, Nephew (13) and DS (5)
Staying at POR from 8/21 to 8/27
Magic Your way Base Tickets 7 days
Dining Plan
= $2774.80

To me it looks like I got a pretty good deal as is, even if I have to pay for dining.

 

[LoriZH]

Actually, that looks like a great deal!

You have one child that costs only 10 bucks a day on dining, so it definitely works for you. I unfortunately have twins who will be adults on our next vacation, gee that Mickey sure does make your children grow so fast doesn't he? Have a great time!

 

[Miss_Nellie]

In comparison - we're paying $1260 (ouch!) for 7 nights at CBR in early August (too early for Free Dining). By my calculator you're paying $1515 more for 1 less night but you have tickets for 5 and meals.

Are your tickets just the base tickets - 1 park per day / no hopping, no water park options and they expire?

Also, the first year of Free Dining our vacation started before FD did and Disney let us have 2 reservations - 1 for before FD and 1 that started the day of FD. So, we had FD for part of our stay. I don't know if they still allow that but that would save some money.

Have a great trip!!

 

[Crazy4Disney06]

In comparison - we're paying $1260 (ouch!) for 7 nights at CBR in early August (too early for Free Dining). By my calculator you're paying $1515 more for 1 less night but you have tickets for 5 and meals.

Are your tickets just the base tickets - 1 park per day / no hopping, no water park options and they expire?

Also, the first year of Free Dining our vacation started before FD did and Disney let us have 2 reservations - 1 for before FD and 1 that started the day of FD. So, we had FD for part of our stay. I don't know if they still allow that but that would save some money.

Have a great trip!!

Free Dining starts 8/26 we leave 8/27 for me it would not be worth it to get free dining for 1 day.
My tickets do expire and are base tickets, but remember we are a family of 5, the dining alone was $1007, my discount was in the room part of the package.

 

[Miss_Nellie]

Free Dining starts 8/26 we leave 8/27 for me it would not be worth it to get free dining for 1 day.
My tickets do expire and are base tickets, but remember we are a family of 5, the dining alone was $1007, my discount was in the room part of the package.

I remembered that you had tickets and dining for 5 ... that's why I mentioned you were paying $1515 more than me but you had tickets and meals ... basically trying to say, and not doing a good job of it, was that is a good deal even just compared to mine ... all I have to show for our money is a room.

I can see where checking-in (8/21), checking-out (8/26), checking-in (8/26) and checking-out (8/27) could be a pain. Plus then, I wonder if you'd lose the room discount?

Maybe for someone whose trip overlapped FD more days or didn't get a nice room discount it would be more beneficial. When we did it a CM came to our room at a pre-arranged time with the confirmation and new keys so for us, it was really easy and worth it. We were able to have FD the day of final check-out too.

Sounds like you got a good enough room discount to just about equal free dining. Plus, since it's not actually general public FD the restaurants will hopefully not be as crowded. That's really a win-win situation!

 

[Crazy4Disney06]

. Plus, since it's not actually general public FD the restaurants will hopefully not be as crowded. That's really a win-win situation!

That's kind of my idea now too! Looks like it's going to be way too crowded during FD.

 

[kacaju]

I say you got a great deal!!
I booked POR for 8/29-9/5 thru AA and it was 3200 for the week, that was with only a 5 day base ticket and dining.
I had no idea at the time about the possibility of free dining. My AAA agent was able toi get us in for the free dining and now I am paying 2325 (with insurance)

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Well it looks like it would have saved you about 600.00 if I am dong everything correctly.

 

[twinspluscade]

At first I was really bumbed out that our vacation dates "just" missed the dates for free dining, but then I got to looking at lots of posts for those who got free dining and many packages don't seem to be as cheap as ours
Here is our details:

Family of 5 - DH(28) Me(27) Grandmana, Nephew (13) and DS (5)
Staying at POR from 8/21 to 8/27
Magic Your way Base Tickets 7 days
Dining Plan
= $2774.80

To me it looks like I got a pretty good deal as is, even if I have to pay for dining.

We are also a family of 5, staying at POR! We'll be there for 8 nights Sept 8-16.

We got 7 day Park Hopper tickets, and also got in on free dining--our total for the 8 nights at POR--with park hoppers and free dining--was right around $2700. So just a little less than what you're paying--but we've also got two more nights, and park hoppers. If we were staying six nights--and didn't get park hoppers--are total would be around $2185 .

Kelly

 

[twinspluscade]

Well it looks like it would have saved you about 600.00 if I am dong everything correctly.

Well, free dining would've saved them:

$38.99 x 4 (adults)= $155.96 per day. Take that x their 6 night stay.
So $155.96 x 6 (nights)= $935.76

Then for the 5 year old: $11.99 x 6 (nights)= $71.94.

Add totals $71.94 + $935.76= $1007.70 the dining plan is costing them (if my math is right--it's not my strong suit ).

 

[Crazy4Disney06]

Well, free dining would've saved them:

$38.99 x 4 (adults)= $155.96 per day. Take that x their 6 night stay.
So $155.96 x 6 (nights)= $935.76

Then for the 5 year old: $11.99 x 6 (nights)= $71.94.

Add totals $71.94 + $935.76= $1007.70 the dining plan is costing them (if my math is right--it's not my strong suit ).

Yes the dining plan is did cost us $1007 to add, but I was able to get in on the 40% code so savings for us was on the room rate. The dining plan would have saved us a bit more however I'm not as upset about my rate as I first thought until reading what the cost was for some other who did infact get free dining.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Well I just went to disney site and plugged everything in and it came back at 2164.00 for that package.Well I had yo use diffrnet dates becuse POR was not availibe for their time period but stil the same thing

Well, free dining would've saved them:

$38.99 x 4 (adults)= $155.96 per day. Take that x their 6 night stay.
So $155.96 x 6 (nights)= $935.76

Then for the 5 year old: $11.99 x 6 (nights)= $71.94.

Add totals $71.94 + $935.76= $1007.70 the dining plan is costing them (if my math is right--it's not my strong suit ).

 

[LoriZH]

Yes the dining plan is did cost us $1007 to add, but I was able to get in on the 40% code so savings for us was on the room rate. The dining plan would have saved us a bit more however I'm not as upset about my rate as I first thought until reading what the cost was for some other who did infact get free dining.

See I think the 40% discount is better for some people. Remember you are going at a higher rate time also, if free dining were offered during that timeframe instead of the 40% off, then by comparision, you'd only be saving about 1/2 as much.........oh boy, now I'm confused umm...I'm going back to say that you got a good deal! still on my first cup...

 

[twinspluscade]

Well I just went to disney site and plugged everything in and it came back at 2164.00 for that package.Well I had yo use diffrnet dates becuse POR was not availibe for their time period but stil the same thing

Except you need to take into account that the OP's figure of $2774.80 is with a discount (I think the 40%??). Since you can't have more than one discount you'd have to take it from original price quote.

6 nights at POR with 7 day base tickets and dining plan with NO discount: $3172.30

6 nights at POR with 7 day base tickets and dining plan with FREE DINING:
$2165.30==savings of $1007.

6 nights at POR with discount OP got (using OP's quote) $2774.80==savings of $397.50.

So free dining would've been a much bigger savings, but $397.50 is pretty darn good too .