Imagine ignoring free dining!

[3DisneyBuggs]

One of DH's friends is going to WDW during free dining. He told them to call and add the free dining plan. He explained how it works. They are not interested. I just can't understand it. The wife seemed annoyed he even mentioned it.

 

[bell.of.the.ball]

One of DH's friends is going to WDW during free dining. He told them to call and add the free dining plan. He explained how it works. They are not interested. I just can't understand it. The wife seemed annoyed he even mentioned it.

maybe they believe they have to eat certian times or placle. Do the realize they should make some ADR

 

[LisaNJ25]

LOL some people... when they get back and say food was expensive and no openings at restaurants you can say I told you so

 

[pperfectmom]

They probably have no clue how much food will cost. Boy will they be in for a surprise.

 

[Microcell]

More free dining for the rest of us!!!

 

[DisneyDizzy]

Even if they didn't want to use the whole plan, it's free and would be handy for snacks and CS meals, if nothing else. I mean, they aren't really out anything unless they can't get the resort they want or something.

 

[kelscross]

The CM I spoke to that morning of booking was making conversation while waiting on the computer system. He told me that the first call he took this morning was regarding the Free Dining (of course). The gentleman was already booked a certain view at AKL and wanted to add Free Dining if possible. When they tried to add, that particular view wasn't available, but a different one was. The guy was like ok nevermind. I guess he had his heart set on that particular view/category.

For us, we still would have went if there were no free dining and would have probably still stayed at the Poly. But now that I've saved 1200 bucks on food (which is what we usually pay out of pocket) it scored us justification to stay an extra night at the Poly AND do things like the boutique, Family Magic Tour etc.

These next 5 months are going to DRAG by!!! Come on September!

 

[beth_cam]

Maybe they already have a discount (even the 40% discount...wasnt there a week during free dining time that it was good for?) and think they are going to bring cereal etc with them and not do the restaurants.

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

I don't think they had a discount but I just found out they booked a concierge room. They will be getting their meals from the lounge. i'm not a concierge expert but i think they will wish hey chose the free dining.

 

[StrwLady]

I think concierge is great for breakfast but as any other meal I would say it's lacking. The snacks and hors dourves are great but I wouldn't count on them for 2 meals a day the entire trip. Plus they sure are gonna miss a lot of park time running back to the hotel for lunch and dinner during the open hours of concierge.

You should get the wife's phone number and call her. I bet she would jump on free dining. Most hubbys are clueless! LOL I can see it now. While on the bus to a park the wife over hears someone talking about the fantastic dining plan they got for free. The wife talks to the hubby about it and hubby say "yea my coworker was telling me about that" the wife smacks the hubby for not mentioning it to her!

 

[kstgelais4]

One of DH's friends is going to WDW during free dining. He told them to call and add the free dining plan. He explained how it works. They are not interested. I just can't understand it. The wife seemed annoyed he even mentioned it.

This totally describes my aunt and grandmother. The first year they offered free dining, they were going during those exact dates. I gave them the code (I think that it was a code that year that you just added to your ressie) and they never used it even though I repeatedly reminded them. I mean food for free! Come on! Anyway, when they got home they complained about how expensive the food was especially water (they have been dozens of times, of course they know), and I just said HEY! you could have had it for free.

 

[burberryplaid]

Even if they are doing concierge, it wouldn't hurt to check and see if free dining was available as well. If they are out at the parks, they could easily get a snack or CS meal..and even eat at the hotel without paying anything extra. I bet Free Dining is available since it seems to be the only category available at a lot of places. What a shame! Oh well..as somone else said, more free dining for everyone else.

 

[ms.ojo]

Don't forget...it isn't really *free*. If you already have a room booked w/ a discount (AAA, 40%, whatever) you have to give that discount up. So if you originally saved $300 on your room....*free* dining costs you that $300. kwim? Unless it's 40% off at a value resort I'd still say GO FOR IT! Don't get me wrong. But it isn't *free* for everyone. Only for those people who weren't eligible for any discounts and were paying full rack rate.

 

[CarolA]

One of DH's friends is going to WDW during free dining. He told them to call and add the free dining plan. He explained how it works. They are not interested. I just can't understand it. The wife seemed annoyed he even mentioned it.

Maybe they just don't want to do it. I for example won't do "free dining" even if I plan a trip during that time.

I have done dining once and NEVER AGAIN!!! I don't care if it's free, I don't want or NEED that much food a day.

Also, if I was staying someplace like AK and the "deal of the day" was not avaialble for Savannah view I would NOT change under any circumstances. To me being at AK and not having that view would not be worth it!

Just because someone chooses NOT to vacation as you would does NOT make them wrong or that you and I know what is best for them....

 

[afcgirl]

OMG, they are turning down free dining? We did it last August and it was the best thing ever! If we weren't hungry, we just didn't eat everything, no big deal. I too am dumbfounded

 

[WDWVillain]

I would not do the *free* dining....so what of it? I do not eat in resturants and it has no interest for me at all. I do not eat most foods at the world...I plan my own things and eat very little.

personally I think all the freaking out over it is pretty funny!

 

[beth_cam]

I would not do the *free* dining....so what of it? I do not eat in resturants and it has no interest for me at all. I do not eat most foods at the world...I plan my own things and eat very little.

personally I think all the freaking out over it is pretty funny!

I totally get if you have another discount then it isn't free. As a matter of fact that's what I was trying to say in an earlier post. Also not free if you are getting discounted tickets or using left over tickets.
And I get what you are saying that you dont eat in restaurants -

But assuming you have no other discounts, and are buying tickets from disney, so free dining changes nothing but adds a few letters onto your reservation and gives you these credits when you get there (of course how many people have absolutely no discount not even on tickets)-

Even if you were never going to ge 1 meal from disney - what about the fact that you could get 2 drinks a day for free with those credits (1 by ordering a cs 'meal' but only getting a drink and the other with your snack credit) then just ignore the rest. Do you ever grab a bottle water at the parks? Even if you would be taking your water with you - it's still free that way for nothing more than a call to add 3 letters to your reservation.

You know what, nevermind all that. For people who want the room they want, and plan to not eat frequently at the parks/hotels I can definitely see that trying to get free dining would be a hassle not worth doing. You'd have to give up your discounts, and have to make your reservations on property when maybe you were planning on eating in your room or off property. Yeah it'd be cheaper cause its 'free' even when you consider the loss of discounts in most cases, yet it would be an awful lot of trouble for some people.

 

[stepdisney]

Maybe they just don't want to do it. I for example won't do "free dining" even if I plan a trip during that time.

I have done dining once and NEVER AGAIN!!! I don't care if it's free, I don't want or NEED that much food a day.

Also, if I was staying someplace like AK and the "deal of the day" was not avaialble for Savannah view I would NOT change under any circumstances. To me being at AK and not having that view would not be worth it!

Just because someone chooses NOT to vacation as you would does NOT make them wrong or that you and I know what is best for them....

Are you saying that you did not dine at all while on vacation? They don't actually tell you how much food you have to eat during the day, just that whatever food you decide to eat, you don't have to pay for.

If the rationale is exchanging one discount for another, we had the 40% discount with a purchased dining plan. Even if we eat breakfast and dinner, $38 per person per day is a lot less expensive than the out of pocket price for two meals, no matter how light they are. The free dining plan saved us $300 over the cost of 40% plus purchased dining so we relinquished the 40% and switched to free dining. We have the same room, same view, same days. and $300 plus in our pockets. And our room is in a deluxe resort with standard view.

 

[fivefordisney]

Don't forget...it isn't really *free*. If you already have a room booked w/ a discount (AAA, 40%, whatever) you have to give that discount up. So if you originally saved $300 on your room....*free* dining costs you that $300. kwim? Unless it's 40% off at a value resort I'd still say GO FOR IT! Don't get me wrong. But it isn't *free* for everyone. Only for those people who weren't eligible for any discounts and were paying full rack rate.

40% off a concierge room would be quite a savings...probably more than $200/day. If that's the case, they're better off with the pin code and paying OOP for meals (or purchasing the DP).

 

[beth_cam]

Yes free dining would be cheaper for values, mods for my family. But even standard rooms in value season at AKL and WL would come very close to breaking even for us saving us 96.75 per night compared to the 99.96 that free dining saves us.

I believe some of those weeks were in regular season meaning that even at mods, my family would only save an extra $16/night with the free dining.

It all depends on your family and your resort. Free dining for 2 adults saves 77.98/night. 40% savings would save more than that if your room rate was above 173.30 pre tax.

The 40% discount did have codes that could be combined with the dining plan, (which I used) so it would be very easy for people staying delux (and as shown above, lower categories in some cases) to save more, even much more, by getting the 40% discount and adding the dining plan. Just like for you it was much more of a savings to go the free ddp route.