Is Free Dining really "free?"

[Disneylover99]

And don't forget to budget the 18% gratuity for table service meals.

I actually think staying at a value resort and sticking with quick service meals can be an even better deal for free dining. That way you avoid gratuity, and it frees up your time and keeps your touring flexible.

 

[scard192]

I actually think staying at a value resort and sticking with quick service meals can be an even better deal for free dining. That way you avoid gratuity, and it frees up your time and keeps your touring flexible.

exactly what we are doing this trip, the kids (mine and sis's) complained that they don't want to "waste time" eating when they could be on rides. Paying OOP for 2 TS meals using DVisa Rewards.
First trip with QSDP (had DDP last 2 trips), looking forward to eating when and where we feel like at the time we are hungry.

 

[Disneylover99]

exactly what we are doing this trip, the kids (mine and sis's) complained that they don't want to "waste time" eating when they could be on rides. Paying OOP for 2 TS meals using DVisa Rewards.
First trip with QSDP (had DDP last 2 trips), looking forward to eating when and where we feel like at the time we are hungry.

We switch it up every year. This year TS and next year only counter service. We love our counter service trips more.

 

[serenitynow]

One thing I like about free dining is that everyone can order whatever they like without worrying about the price. We tend to live a fairly frugal life (gotta save for Disney), so we try to limit restaurant visits to once a week. And I am using the term "restaurant" very loosely. We tend to order off the dollar menu and drink water. Wanna know the cheapest meal in our town? It's the hot dog combo at Sam's Club for $1.70, big Nathan's hot dog and large refillable drink in a styrofoam cup.

But on the Disney Dining Plan we are living large. Funnel cakes for breakfast, steak for lunch, bacon on your cheeseburger, get a huge cupcake, purchase bottled water, whatever you want until we run out of dining and snack credits. It's a true vacation in more ways than one!

 

[SGMCO]

For our Family (3 Adults) we always stay in Moderates and I priced the room only discount and it was only $59.00 per night compared to $191.10 per night with Free Dining. So we took the better bargain Free dining.
I don't really feel that it's to much food to eat, I usually eat Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at home so With Reg. dining Plan: 1 snack, 1 QS and 1 TS it is about the same as I eat everyday. A person can also choose not to get the dessert with any of the meals which I may do for QS and depends on how rich the TS desserts are (if they have Fresh fruit as a choice).

 

[scard192]

We switch it up every year. This year TS and next year only counter service. We love our counter service trips more.

any favorite QS restaurants you really like would be much appreciated. I have to have twice as many on my list this time!
Thanks

 

[Disneylover99]

any favorite QS restaurants you really like would be much appreciated. I have to have twice as many on my list this time!
Thanks

So many.....

Blaze Pizza
Deluxe Burger
WPE in Disney Springs

CHH
BOG in MK

SS
Les Halles
Kringla Bakery
Tangerine Cafe
Yorkshire fish n chips
The Mexican quick service in Epcot

Yak n yeti
Flame Tree
Harambe Market in AK

Plus we stay at Pop - lots of great options between the counter services at Pop and AofA
There are so many choices we never get bored.

 

[buzznina]

Exactly!!!! Totally agree...that irks me too! Its not free because you have to pay the rack rate?? Um, no. Thats called paying the cost of the room. So technically yes the DP is free. As I said in my previous post, i could easily argue that your room technically isn't discounted because you have to pay for food.

That's funny, I do not remember being forced to buy a 2 day ticket plus hopper per person when I buy a meal. As a Florida resident and an AP holder, there are even more intangibles to configure into our decision, FL resident discounts etc. I think it's funny to say that the room costs rack and ignore the fact that with the discount it really costs this much, when comparing to FD.
Every family is different and FD works for some and doesn't for others, there is no clear cut answer.

 

[sharadoc]

It would never be good for us, we don't like to eat out every day. However, on our next trip, the room discount was so minimal that we are getting "free" dining for a couple hundred dollars for the week. We're coming out ahead even if we don't use all the credits. But only because it's a holiday week. Otherwise, we would always choose a room discount.

 

[gmboy95]

I am a DVC member....what is this free stuff you talk about???....I was told I was getting the best vacation value, and it was the best "hidden secret" in Disney

 

[gmboy95]

As another poster stated, the HIDDEN COST that folks often dont factor in, is the tips...you have to add 20% to the dinner part of the meal

 

[goofy4tink]

Exactly!!!! Totally agree...that irks me too! Its not free because you have to pay the rack rate?? Um, no. Thats called paying the cost of the room. So technically yes the DP is free. As I said in my previous post, i could easily argue that your room technically isn't discounted because you have to pay for food.

I think you'll find that there are some of us who just never pay rack rate! I've done the dining plan back in the day when it was about half the cost of today's ddp, and it included the gratuity! The dining was better then too! I've had free dining in the past, but that was when the value resorts were able to get full dining, not just qs for free dining. For my family, we want to eat at least one table service meal a day, otherwise, my dh isn't going to WDW!! So, staying at a value and just doing qs isn't going to work for us.
It's up to each family to run the numbers....and yes, many forget to add in gratuities when talking about the dining plan!
I no longer use the ddp...I have an AP/DVC so I get TiW. That gets me 20% off most table service meals! We find that works out much better for us.

So, is free dining really 'free'? In some cases, yes. Disney offers free dining when it needs to get people in the resorts. It means that people are paying full price for their room, getting 'free' food, but they are also buying park passes, and buying stuff in the parks. A win-win for Disney. Believe me, they aren't losing money! It kind of reminds me of those times I've told my dh that we're going to fly a day earlier because it's about $80 less pp, and then he reminds me that we'll need to book a room, and eat! So where is the saving??? Too funny.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So, is Free Dining really free? I found that offer so misleading. Yes the dining plan is free but you have to pay room at rack rate plus adding options like hopper or waterparks.

So, so many people call the promotion "free dining," but you nailed it. The actual offer is (a) dining plan free. Just as with any other offer, it comes with conditions.

It really depends on your traveling style. For instance we don't always buy park hoppers. So having to buy park hoppers is money we wouldn't have spent in order to get free dinning. I also don't often order dessert and instead get something I want later.

Very long, unnecessary breakdown of this one scenario, however, it shows that FD isn't necessarily free.

These and some other responses seem to be addressing the value of the promotion, not whether it is what Disney says it is. If a promotion or offer doesn't vibe with one's interests, or travel style, or wallet, there's no requirement to engage the offer.

 

[kaytieeldr]

As another poster stated, the HIDDEN COST that folks often dont factor in, is the tips...you have to add 20% to the dinner part of the meal

It's up to each family to run the numbers....and yes, many forget to add in gratuities when talking about the dining plan!

Not factoring in tipping isn't the fault or responsibility of the dining plans or Disney. They do advise the gratuity isn't included, right? Also, Small issue, but basic tipping is still 15% despite so many tipping higher. Disney's own service charge for large parties is "just" 18%, and the suggested percents on the receipts are 15, 18, 20, correct?

 

[HarleenQ]

That's funny, I do not remember being forced to buy a 2 day ticket plus hopper per person when I buy a meal. As a Florida resident and an AP holder, there are even more intangibles to configure into our decision, FL resident discounts etc. I think it's funny to say that the room costs rack and ignore the fact that with the discount it really costs this much, when comparing to FD.
Every family is different and FD works for some and doesn't for others, there is no clear cut answer.

No, but I don't think we are really talking about your type of vacation. AP holders, Florida residents, military, etc all qualify for deeper discounted stuff.

The average guest is what I was under the assumption we were referring to.

 

[wilkeliza]

So, so many people call the promotion "free dining," but you nailed it. The actual offer is (a) dining plan free. Just as with any other offer, it comes with conditions.


These and some other responses seem to be addressing the value of the promotion, not whether it is what Disney says it is. If a promotion or offer doesn't vibe with one's interests, or travel style, or wallet, there's no requirement to engage the offer.

I never said there was a requirement to engage the offer. As I said if it actually saves you money or is indeed free for you then great use it. However, part of being a good consumer is balancing the value of the "Freebie". So take Disney out of the picture and think of other free promos. Think of how many times you are offered a free product but really you have to buy something more to get it. That is what Disney does with Free Dinning. You don't just have to pay rack rate to get it you also have to buy tickets with and add on option to get it. So if you don't normally buy tickets or add ons then free dinning isn't actually free.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

My family likes getting the dining plan every time we go regardless of if its FD or not so to us its a good value!

Had we used the room discount we would have saved $255.
By using the FD discount we ended up saving about $501.

I think with that price difference I'll take FD!

We never do the DxDP because that is way too much food in our opinion and we would definitely have too many credits.

We have never had a problem with wasting credits with the QSDP or the DDP.
We find we have just the right amount of credits with those plans.

Also while we do not care about park hopper most of the time we actually have wanted it the last couple of times during FD so it has not been a big deal since its addition to the requirements.

 

[goofyintoronto]

No, but I don't think we are really talking about your type of vacation. AP holders, Florida residents, military, etc all qualify for deeper discounted stuff.

The average guest is what I was under the assumption we were referring to.

@HarleenQ Exactly. You took the words right out of my mouth. I was going to reply to @buzznina until I saw your post.

 

[dlavender]

Another factor that gets lost is adding in what the preferred room will now cost. If you were looking at a discounted $200 standard view at a mod, and saving 20%, you saved about $40. If you now have to pay rack rate for a preferred room ~$235, you are paying an additional $85 than you would have before. So for a 6 night stay you are paying $510 more for your lodging. If you weren't getting park hoppers, and have a family of 4, but now have to, you are looking at paying an additional ~$400. So again, free dining isn't "free", its discounted. In this scenario you are paying $910 for it. Obviously, if you already were buying park hoppers, you are only paying $510 for it. That's a deep discount on the normal rate. So, what it is at its core is "discounted dining plan" promo. I'm not a marketing major, but "free dining" has a better ring. As someone pointed out, the more people in your party the better the discount becomes.

 

[buzznina]

As another poster stated, the HIDDEN COST that folks often dont factor in, is the tips...you have to add 20% to the dinner part of the meal

Your more generous then me, I usually just do 15 and then 18% if they're very good A PP mentioned that you would still have to tip even without FD, but like most people on FD people will normally pick the more expensive meals and instead of tipping on a $100 bill you are tipping on a $200 bill. So it really does have to factor into the equation. Another factor is like us, we like to stay at Mods but rarely do TS meals, so our option is to either use TS credits on CS or spend park time doing a daily TS meal. Like I said before, it's not clear cut and there can be a lot of variables.