if free dining plan is offered..

[pixxi]

This is kind of a last minute trip so we want to save as much $ as we can, since we didn't have a lot of time to save for it.

We are a family of 6 (2 adults,11,8,4,infant) and are looking at Disney in late Aug. I am hoping they will offer the free dining. So before book my hotel I want to ask for advice.

I know that Port Orleans is smaller than the value family suite but we won't be in the rooms much. If we stay at Port Orleans it will save us $350 for our trip. I personally think the $350 is worth craming into a room. My kids won't complain since they are at Disney! If we would book 2 rooms at a value we would still want to get a fridge (which at $10 a day would be $70 added).

Just so I understand the value meal plan is 2 quick service meals, 2 snacks and a refillable mug? With the regular it's 1 quick service and 1 table meal?

Someone mentioned they may not have free dining for the family suite? Is that right?

If we go with the regular plan for the fall, should we make advanced reservations for all the days we are there? Is it hard to get walk up seating?

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We stayed at POR with 5 plus an infant and we were just fine. Like you, our kids were happy to be there and didn't complain about the lack of space because we weren't in the room much at all.

The ASMU Family Suites are sometimes excluded from free dining. When they are offered, the available rooms fill up quick.

The regular dining plan includes 1 CS meal, 1 TS meal and 1 snack per person per night. You definitely should make your TS meal reservations ASAP, especially for a party of 6.

 

[VAN]

As far as dining reservations, you'd better do it now if you think you "might" go. There are many folks who got PINS or bounce-back offers during their 2009 stay, so I think some of the restaurants are already pretty booked.

We have FD for late September that we booked as bounceback from our 2009 visit ... the more popular times/restaurants were booked almost immediately for our party of 2.

I think you will be fine at POR ... as you say, you won't be in the room that much anyway so I think you'll be fine.

 

[Kitikat]

I just have to add we are also a family of 6. On our trips last yr we stayed in 2 rooms at POP & a family suite at ASMu. My kids never complained because we were at Disney. We also did both the regular & quick service dining plans. I liked both but prefered the quick service. No advanced planning and if you eat at "off" times there was no wait. Enjoy your trip!
We are also going in Aug & waiting to see if FD is offered.

 

[LisaNJ25]

We are a family of 6 also and did por with the 6 of us. It went fine. No problems at all.

We are booked for POR the last 2 weeks of August but only 5 of us are going. (leaving the teenager home). Waiting for FD hopefully to apply it. We already have all of our dinning booked since 180 days out.

yes, get advance reservations.. you will have a hard time with walk ups.

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Not to hijack the thread but I have a question. If free dining is offered abd family suites can be excluded..are other kinds of rooms excluded as well? We are staying in a deluxe room at WL.