How to plan on buying tickets when you want free dining?

[blessedwinter]

We have to buy plane tickets for 7-8, depending on the age of my youngest when we decide to go. So that is a big chunk of change (we would be traveling to WDW from WA state, driving is not an option.) I really want to be able to do free dining, so I'm wondering how others plan their trip dates when you want to do free dining? Do you just buy plane tickets for the off season and hope they will offer free dining for those dates, or what?

 

[blessedby3]

We have to buy plane tickets for 7-8, depending on the age of my youngest when we decide to go. So that is a big chunk of change (we would be traveling to WDW from WA state, driving is not an option.) I really want to be able to do free dining, so I'm wondering how others plan their trip dates when you want to do free dining? Do you just buy plane tickets for the off season and hope they will offer free dining for those dates, or what?

When are you looking at going?

 

[hollypoast]

Of course, free dining is never guaranteed however if it were me I would plan for September because it seems to be most often offered then. mousesavers.com has a grid that tracks historical disney deals and also lists when the discounts became available.

Booking with Southwest or a similar airline with no change fees would also provide you with more flexibility. Good luck!

 

[OhMari]

I don't know what is going on with plane tickets, but prices are reallly high right now. It may be that the airlines buy their jet fuel in bulk and they are still realling from high gas prices this summer.

You can go to a few sites and they will help you track prices for you and send you an e-mail for when plane ticket prices go down, if you are not able to watch.

Good luck and Disney is offering Free Dining Right now for the Fall. I think the date is coming up for booking.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Airline gift cards. I've seen Southwest GCs on store displays, and you can buy jetBlue gift cards directly from that company's website.

Buy gift cards whenever you can, as much/many as you can - for a single airline, of course. Use those to pay for the tickets.

 

[sissy_ib]

Airline gift cards. I've seen Southwest GCs on store displays, and you can buy jetBlue gift cards directly from that company's website.

Buy gift cards whenever you can, as much/many as you can - for a single airline, of course. Use those to pay for the tickets.

But this does not help plan when you are going to travel. This also does not affect the price of the ticket.

 

[4GoofyCrew]

I don't book anything until I know when the free dining is. We go off-season though so I am sure that gives us a bit more flexibility airfare-wise.

And yes, the rates are up ALOT from when I have 'stalked' them the past two years at this time. Unless they drop dramatically there may not be a WDW trip this winter for us, free dining or not!

 

[Jenny3]

I wouldn't plan my trip around free dining; just go when it works best for you and your family. Fall is the best time to go, IMO. (and traditionally offers free dining )

Even if they don't offer it when you choose to go, chances are more than likely that you'll get your room at some sort of discount to help offset costs.

 

[maggs1035]

Have you looked into staying off property? We are seasoned Disney vacationers and have always stayed on property (with and without free dining) we have decided to stay off property at Windsor Hills resort (about 5 miles from Disney) We are renting a 4bdrm, 4 bath house with a pool and got tub for only $1300 for a full week! You would have to rent a vehicle, but even then it's so much cheaper than even a value resort at Disney. Now of course you can't get free dining if you stay off property but I saved so much on lodging that I can buy my food out of pocket and come out ahead. Example: AoA family suite (there are 5 of us) room only is $2534 for the same week, our house is only $1300, ticket prices are the same so I can use that savings to buy the food out of pocket. There are also townhouses that are 3 bdrm that are $800, and 3 bdrm condos that are $600 all of which are way bigger than a hotel room, and SO MUCH cheaper!

 

[Marionnette]

We have to buy plane tickets for 7-8, depending on the age of my youngest when we decide to go. So that is a big chunk of change (we would be traveling to WDW from WA state, driving is not an option.) I really want to be able to do free dining, so I'm wondering how others plan their trip dates when you want to do free dining? Do you just buy plane tickets for the off season and hope they will offer free dining for those dates, or what?

Personally, I think that "free" dining is overrated. There are many discounts available throughout the year and some of them are a better value than the free dining offer.

• Now that Disney requires a 2-day ticket for everyone on the package, it makes it much less economical to put the tickets back for another time if you already have unused days on older passes.
• The dining plans themselves are inflated in price, so much so that you often do better yourself by just paying out of pocket. So when you compare your numbers, instead of calculating how much you will save by getting the dining plan for free (based on Disney's numbers), compare how much it will cost you for the package vs. a room-only discount, tickets from UT and paying for your meals out of pocket.

If you go with that philosophy, then just make your plans to vacation at a time when you want to go. Then buy your airfare when the price suits you. When Disney comes out with a discount for your stay, evaluate the package discount vs. the room-only discount rates. Neither one may suit your budget, but there are always other options such as renting points from a DVC member (if you are flexible about your resort) and offsite locations that provide more room and comparable amenities.

However, if having free dining is an absolute *must* in your book, check the historical discounts page on Mousesavers.com. The owner of that website has a log of all of the discounts over the past 3 years, the dates they were announced and the dates that they covered. You can get an idea of what previous free dining dates were from the list and then make your decision for buying your airfare based on that.
http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/

 

[maggs1035]

Have you looked into staying off property? We are seasoned Disney vacationers and have always stayed on property (with and without free dining) we have decided to stay off property at Windsor Hills resort (about 5 miles from Disney) We are renting a 4bdrm, 4 bath house with a pool and got tub for only $1300 for a full week! You would have to rent a vehicle, but even then it's so much cheaper than even a value resort at Disney. Now of course you can't get free dining if you stay off property but I saved so much on lodging that I can buy my food out of pocket and come out ahead. Example: AoA family suite (there are 5 of us) room only is $2534 for the same week, our house is only $1300, ticket prices are the same so I can use that savings to buy the food out of pocket. There are also townhouses that are 3 bdrm that are $800, and 3 bdrm condos that are $600 all of which are way bigger than a hotel room, and SO MUCH cheaper!

 

[maggs1035]

Sorry guys, I have no idea why my phone posted that twice?

 

[kaytieeldr]

But this does not help plan when you are going to travel. This also does not affect the price of the ticket.

Correct.
You eliminate the risk of having flights booked that don't coordinate withthe promotion you hope exists.
You also avoid having to pay $2,500 or more all at once for plane tickets.

I had more advice on minimizing the cost of the tickets, but I'm out of this thread. Don't need to be criticized for offering suggestions. Sheesh.

 

[dhardawa]

I wait for free dining (won't go to Disney World without it), book my trip, then book airfare. I always fly Southwest so I also watch the prices and if they drop, I get the cheaper rate.

 

[blessedwinter]

Thank you all!

Of course, free dining is never guaranteed however if it were me I would plan for September because it seems to be most often offered then. mousesavers.com has a grid that tracks historical disney deals and also lists when the discounts became available.

Booking with Southwest or a similar airline with no change fees would also provide you with more flexibility. Good luck!

Southwest, that's a great idea! We usually fly Southwest but I hadn't thought that I could just change the tickets, thank you!

When are you looking at going?

Sometime in the spring, most likely (2013). I'm just realizing my youngest turns 2 in August so that would be an extra ticket if we waited until after that. I was going to say September or November but that would mean an extra plane ticket for my youngest...?

Have you looked into staying off property? We are seasoned Disney vacationers and have always stayed on property (with and without free dining) we have decided to stay off property at Windsor Hills resort (about 5 miles from Disney) We are renting a 4bdrm, 4 bath house with a pool and got tub for only $1300 for a full week! You would have to rent a vehicle, but even then it's so much cheaper than even a value resort at Disney. Now of course you can't get free dining if you stay off property but I saved so much on lodging that I can buy my food out of pocket and come out ahead. Example: AoA family suite (there are 5 of us) room only is $2534 for the same week, our house is only $1300, ticket prices are the same so I can use that savings to buy the food out of pocket. There are also townhouses that are 3 bdrm that are $800, and 3 bdrm condos that are $600 all of which are way bigger than a hotel room, and SO MUCH cheaper!

yes, we stayed off property for our first family trip. I really think that is probably the way for us to go.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Thank you all!



Southwest, that's a great idea! We usually fly Southwest but I hadn't thought that I could just change the tickets, thank you!



Sometime in the spring, most likely (2013). I'm just realizing my youngest turns 2 in August so that would be an extra ticket if we waited until after that. I was going to say September or November but that would mean an extra plane ticket for my youngest...?



yes, we stayed off property for our first family trip. I really think that is probably the way for us to go.

I'm at Windsor hils now 3 bedroom 3 bath with a pool townhouse $550 I don't know if I could ever go back to one room onsite with the 5 of us. That with tea major savings on park tickets with the y.e.s program paying for a free dinning package was so much more.