Is FREE Dining, Really FREE?

[englishrose47]

Can you book thru AAA and still get Free Dining or do you have to go thru Disney!!

 

[imthatgirl]

Can you book thru AAA and still get Free Dining or do you have to go thru Disney!!

you can go through a TA, but AAA will give you a discount, so no, only one discount per package.

 

[ptcbass]

We were thinking about going to Myrtle Beach for vacation ($200+ a night rooms) until we seen the free dining plan. It really made the difference to us. The discount they are offering right now on the value hotels really isn't all that much. Were else is there to look for discounts? I have always just went to the Disney Travel site for everything. Is that what everyone else does for their discounts?

 

[catne]

we're saving money with free DDP because we're staying at a value hotel. Sure you're paying "rack" rate, but it's the cheapie season rate so it's a reasonable rate for us to stay onsite.

Wouldn't work if we'd chosen to stay at a Mod or Deluxe, cuz we'd save more with a discount on the room rate.

This is an experiment for us, this Fall...first time ever going as just a couple (kids grown) and first time in a value hotel. So we'll see...could be we hate it & immediately try to upgrade. In which case, Free Dining is going to be very expensive!

 

[wezee]

We always stay at the mods, have never, ever rec'd a pin code, live in Ohio and only visit once a year ( so AP is not really an option). So yes, free dining is free to us. At least our rack rate is the value season rack rate.

 

[englishrose47]

you can go through a TA, but AAA will give you a discount, so no, only one discount per package.

So we can't book our vacation thru AAA? I have always used them! How hard isit to book thru Disney !! I really am hoping for Free Dining, so will book however I can !!

 

[Jenvenza]

We got the regular room rates we would have gotten if the free DDP was offered or not. So, yes, the DDP was free for us!

 

[Aliceacc]

So we can't book our vacation thru AAA? I have always used them! How hard isit to book thru Disney !! I really am hoping for Free Dining, so will book however I can !!

Your AAA agent can book during free dining. But Disney will allow only discount, so you would forfeit your AAA discount if free dining turns out to be the better deal-- and it almost always will.

 

[Disney_Angel]

I think as long as your staying at a value resort the free DDP is a bonus. But if your staying at a deluxe or moderate resort you may save more on a room discount. Last year we had the free basic DDP plan (before the DxDDP) and we stayed at All Star Sports from September 12-22 we would have spent around $938 dollars on food. We loved our experience so much that we decided to come back. We again got the free DDP but upgraded to the DxDDP for the cost of the basic DDP. This will allow us to try more 2TS restaraunts. We are already planning next year and will be purchasing the APs (seaonally passes) we are considering the Poly and will gladly pay for the DDP OPP in order to get a discount on our room. Or we may bypass the DDP and get the DDE.

 

[Brer Shay]

I think it depends on where you stay and how many are going. We're going this fall, staying at a moderate with a 40% code on the room. When they announced free dining, I called and was told I could get it if I booked a new room at the regular rate. There are two adults on this trip, so the between them was almost nothing. Now if my kids had been going along as well, the free dining would have been a much bigger savings. That's why I always suggest that people do their own math based on how they'll travel rather than just assuming a particular discount offer is best for them. Sometimes it isn't.

 

[Tricia1972]

Robinb - a true spreadsheet queen has not only all of the best value places figured out, she has a graph that shows when the DDP is really free.

http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW Dining/Free2008DDPBreakEven.htm

Hope this helps!

 

[copperbrick]

I found out about free dining while in the middle of investigating prices on Disney.com. I had printed out the page with the final price, which included paying for the basic dining plan. At the time, I was looking into booking Port Orleans Riverside.

A Disney Travel Agent gave me a link to free dining, and when I went through the booking options again, the price came back cheaper -- I'm sorry I do not remember how much, though -- I wish I had saved it.

The savings inspired me to upgrade to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, so Disney still got my money! They're very smart . . . and I'm happy. A win/win.

 

[PaulaSB12]

All this talk about if its better to use discounts or free dining assumes you can get a discount code! If you are paying rack rates anyway for a room it is free if you can get a better deal if you eligable for a code maybe not.

 

[blondemom]

Hi, all. How do you find out about the "free dining" promotion? I know that it is sometime during the late winter/early spring, right? It typically runs the last few weeks in August through September? I'm just curious. We were thinking of going to WDW next year during that timeframe. So, you basically have to wait until it's offered to book? (You can't book a year in advance and then just end up with the free dining?)

Thanks.

Lisa

 

[ptcbass]

I think the first I heard about it was the beginning of June but I know they announced it before then. I think I got an email and they might have even been running commercials. We stay at the value resorts so for us it is a really good deal!

 

[lurkernj]

Definitely free for us! We have two disney adults (10 and 13yo), plus hubby and self, that's four adults totaling $152 per day. We are staying in a mod for $149/nt. Pretty happy about even the ten year old getting to order filet mignon and no one picking off my plate cause they don't wanna eat chicken nuggets again !

 

[ptcbass]

Mine still has to order off the kids menu's. I hate that and really wish Disney would mix it up a little for the kids. He gets so tired of eating chicken nuggets (he doesn't like cheeseburgers) and hot dogs aren't even on the kids menu (or at least they weren't our last trip). Sometimes I ended up ordering him something off the adult menu under my credit and then I would order a kids meal for myself under his credit. Good thing is that there always seemed to be plenty of food.

 

[Disney_Angel]

Hi, all. How do you find out about the "free dining" promotion? I know that it is sometime during the late winter/early spring, right? It typically runs the last few weeks in August through September? I'm just curious. We were thinking of going to WDW next year during that timeframe. So, you basically have to wait until it's offered to book? (You can't book a year in advance and then just end up with the free dining?)

Thanks.

Lisa

Start calling Disney and watching the DisBoards for this in April of next year.
They usually offer it to Disney Visa card holders and the Europeans first.

We were lucky to get it free last September....12 days.
And we were offered free DDP on a "bounceback" after booking for this September while still on property. We loved it so much that we upgraded to the DxDDP for the cost of the basic DDP.
On our receipts I wrote the amount of each meal and snack....the three of us would have spent $938.00 on food while in the World. And we ONLY ordered the food we wanted.

Of course we spent around that with the BBB, Perfectly Princess Tea Party, MNSSHP and souviners. (Spell Check not working)

 

[Disney_Angel]

I found out about free dining while in the middle of investigating prices on Disney.com. I had printed out the page with the final price, which included paying for the basic dining plan. At the time, I was looking into booking Port Orleans Riverside.

A Disney Travel Agent gave me a link to free dining, and when I went through the booking options again, the price came back cheaper -- I'm sorry I do not remember how much, though -- I wish I had saved it.

The savings inspired me to upgrade to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, so Disney still got my money! They're very smart . . . and I'm happy. A win/win.

Agreed.....They will make it back and they know that people may upgrade or feel free to spend more $s in the parks....win/win

 

[tasha99]

Now...the rub for me is that the free dining is only in August/September....frankly a totally miserable time to be in Florida's dripping heat. And let's not forget about the crowds too.....read the boards a while and you'll realize that getting an ADR for even the unpopular restaurants is about as easy as winning the Lottery. And let's not forget that all those ADRs which equal capacity filled restaurants also mean very long lines for the rides and shows and just standing around.

I'll give you the heat--it is really and truly hot in September. The crowds, though are non existent. I've gone during free dining for the last two years (though I actually paid for dining in 2006) and most rides ranged from walk on to 5 minutes wait. I planned well (TGM and Touringplans). It may also have helped that my kids are school-aged---we saw longer lines in Fantasyland where the younger kids tended to be. People say it's hard to get into restaurants, but I didn't have a problem even with the more popular places. We eat in the off hours (early or late to avoid the rush), so maybe that helped. All in all, I think September is a great time to go and I plan to be there for a couple weeks next year if they do free dining again.