Is Free Dining Plan Really That Good Of A Deal??

[disneyfan55]

Nope--the package price with free DDP is exactly the same as the package would be without any DDP. Ticket prices are the same, and the room is just standard rack rate.

For us (2 adults, 1 junior, 1 child at a moderate resort) free DDP is hands down the best discount. We paid ~$160 per night for the room after taxes, and several of our TS meals were more than that. That's just the TS meal alone--we still had the 4 CS and 4 snacks each day. That beats the pants off any 20% AAA or 40% pin code offer!

Yes, I will vouch for that. We booked the all star sports 82 plus tax and 8 day park hoppers with the free dining and it came out to the penny!! We were there Sept 22-29 and paid 593 pp with 2 in the room. Our other room had 3 and the only additional cost was a park hopper and the 10 per day fee for the extra person. It was well worth the cost. We spent about 900-1000 for 2 of us on the dining plan that didn't cost a cent. The biggest problem I found was how structured the trip was because of reservations. The hopper option was almost not worth it. We used it only on 1 day. I think for the Deluxe hotels, maybe a 40% discount might be more than the cost of the dining plan for 2, but not at the lesser costing hotels.

 

[TDC Nala]

In the past it was an okay deal, but only if I stayed at Pop Century and only because it was possible to use the one-day base ticket toward renewal of my annual pass.

I did not sign up for it next year (on bounceback) because it is far better for me to use DVC points and DDE.

Althought that does mean I will avoid places like Tutto Italia because the prices are prohibitive, even with DDE.

 

[twinspluscade]

A co-worker of mine just came back from Disney World. She and her new husband were there from Sept 16 to Sept 23 They stayed at All-Star Sports and had the Free Dining Plan. She said her trip with flights cost just a little over $2000.00 Well I am going to Disney Nov 1 - Nov 8, am staying at Port Orleans French Quarter and have the dining plan (which was not free) and with flights my trip is right around $500.00 more than hers. Since we are staying at a hotel that is a little more costly than hers was, this just doesn't seem like she really saved too much if anything with the free dining plan. Also she flew Air Trans and I think her tickets were only like $200.00 a person round trip.

It depends on so many things. Maybe they did extra stuff that you guys aren't doing, maybe she included soveniers and photopass pictures in that $2000, etc. Maybe they got park hopper tickets,and you dont. Also--are you getting the dining plan? If not, then you'd have to add that extra amount onto your quote to have it be equal. There's just so many variables that can change the cost of things; I think it's hard to do a fair comparison.

 

[TANYABETH]

It depends on so many things. Maybe they did extra stuff that you guys aren't doing, maybe she included soveniers and photopass pictures in that $2000, etc. Maybe they got park hopper tickets,and you dont. Also--are you getting the dining plan? If not, then you'd have to add that extra amount onto your quote to have it be equal. There's just so many variables that can change the cost of things; I think it's hard to do a fair comparison.

We do have the dining plan and also 7 day park hopper with water park fun and more, but was are staying at French Quarter and she stayed at AS Sports. We used a code ZQH when booking which saved us a little, but I was still suprised that her trip was not very much less than ours since she had the free dining plan and less expensive hotel. It is very possible that when she was talking to me she was not correct on her price though.

 

[KKB]

A co-worker of mine just came back from Disney World. She and her new husband were there from Sept 16 to Sept 23 They stayed at All-Star Sports and had the Free Dining Plan. She said her trip with flights cost just a little over $2000.00 Well I am going to Disney Nov 1 - Nov 8, am staying at Port Orleans French Quarter and have the dining plan (which was not free) and with flights my trip is right around $500.00 more than hers. Since we are staying at a hotel that is a little more costly than hers was, this just doesn't seem like she really saved too much if anything with the free dining plan. Also she flew Air Trans and I think her tickets were only like $200.00 a person round trip.

Her hotel would not be more than $700 even with taxes; tickets $400-600 (base vs. hopper vs. water parks add on); airfare $400 (let's say...). That leaves $300-500 spending $..that sounds about right.

Your trip of $2500 doesn't include spending $ yet. That compares to her room/tickets/air of $1500-1700. $800-$1000 is a considerable savings. Dining accounts for about $500 and $300 for room. And that sounds about right. We are at POP and considered bumping up to POR, and it was about $300 more, per room (we need 2) DH said, naw, we just sleep & shower in rooms anyway.