Is Free Dining really Free?

[CajunBug]

Does FREE mean FREE? When I book via the disney site, it adds several hundred dollars to the rack and pass rates. Do I need to call them with the code or what is the deal?

 

[mom23boys]

You are right. Free dining is not really free. You pay rack rate for your hotel and do not get a discount on your tickets. You may be better off with a AAA discount or if a code comes out.

 

[disgirl]

Hi! I may be wrong, but I thought the last day to order the free dining was August 8th. I am not positive on the exact date but I think it passed. Sorry! I know that when my brother did it he clicked on the stay play and dine logo on Disney's main site and then it took him through the process of selecting the room and tickets to the parks and the food was free. Maybe others can confirm if the date of ordering it has in fact passed. Good Luck!

 

[CajunBug]

I thought that the last day to book was August 20th. But I am pretty sure its not FREE!!!!


I am book at the Dolphin for me and DW for Labor Day weekend and she is a nurse so we got the discount @129.00. I upgraded it to the Resort View Deluxe with a King and Balcony for 174.00.

But we were trying to figure out if it would be better to switch to the Dining plan and stay at a Disney Resort???????????

 

[disgirl]

Oh, I am sorry. I went on the site and saw that I was wrong, it is good until Aug. 20th. Sorry! Yes, you are paying rackrate, but I still felt my brother who usually will stay offsite when he goes to disney, is saving on the food and the convenience of being onsite. We crunched some numbers for him and felt it was a good deal. I am sure it is an even better deal for a family of 4. Good Luck to you!!

 

[shaycamp21]

I guess it depends on how you look at it regarding the free dining. We are newbies our 1st trip (single digit dance leaving in 7 days
). I had no idea about AP's or discounts so when I booked in Jan through DU we were paying full price for the room, tickets and dining (we were going to pay for the plan). So we were thrilled in June when we were told we did not have to pay for the plan (which has saved us over $1000 CND--going for nine nights), so it did come free from our standpoint.
However I have learned so much on these boards and my research I won't pay rack rates again.

 

[NCombs]

Does FREE mean FREE? When I book via the disney site, it adds several hundred dollars to the rack and pass rates. Do I need to call them with the code or what is the deal?

I think you must be ending up with the plan that you pay a certain amount for each day. $36 or so for adults, $11 or so for kids.

I think you actually have to click on the special offer area to get this to work properly.

 

[WDWBetsy]

Does FREE mean FREE? When I book via the disney site, it adds several hundred dollars to the rack and pass rates. Do I need to call them with the code or what is the deal?

When you go to www.disneyworld.com, scroll down and there's a Stay, Play & Dine icon:

Click on this and you can book the special deal for free dining. If you don't go through that link, the regular booking can add on the dining, but it won't be free.

 

[csw531]

I am heading to Disney for the 1st time in 13 years. I made my reservations a few weeks ago for September, and I paid what I guess is called a rack rate. Anyway, I was on the disney site last week and saw the Stay, play and dine logo. I clicked and priced out the same exact trip that I had booked and the price was pretty much the same, but this included food. So I called guest services and she was able to change my reservation to this promotion without changing my hotel or park ticket reservations. It cost me a mere eight-eight cents to get the dining package added. Not too bad!

 

[Jodi]

I'm staying @ a DVC resort in Jan. Can you buy a meal plan w/o a package thingie? And, is it worth it? Any helpfull advice would be greatly appreciated! We're trying to save $, not spend more.

Jodi

 

[msmayor]

I had originally reserved through AAA, 8 nights at the WL standard with 7-day MYW plus/hoppers. There was a AAA discount of about $240.

When the free dining became available, I gave up the $240 to gain $1300 in dining (both my kids are counted as adults, so to pay for the plan would have cost $140/day.

Free in the pure sense? No, in my mind I 'paid' $240 to get all our food for the trip. In my mind, that is a HUGE bargain and one well worth losing the discount over.

 

[msmayor]

I'm staying @ a DVC resort in Jan. Can you buy a meal plan w/o a package thingie? And, is it worth it? Any helpfull advice would be greatly appreciated! We're trying to save $, not spend more.

Jodi

I believe you must have a package to qualify. I'm not entirely sure about the DVC part, but I have read posts that folks staying DVC are not eligible for the free dining.

 

[bonnielynn]

Ok.. I am new to this and wonder beside rack rates.. what are AP and other rates that you can get?

 

[Rhonda]

Ok.. I am new to this and wonder beside rack rates.. what are AP and other rates that you can get?

AP=Annual Passholder. If you have Annual Passes to WDW, you can get special discounts on room rates.

If you're a FL resident, you can also get special discounts.

AAA will get you discounts too!

That's about it -- unless Disney releases discounts available to the general public for your dates!

 

[bonnielynn]

AP=Annual Passholder. If you have Annual Passes to WDW, you can get special discounts on room rates.

If you're a FL resident, you can also get special discounts.

AAA will get you discounts too!

That's about it -- unless Disney releases discounts available to the general public for your dates!

A girl could only hope!!

 

[melissa5583]

The free dining plan is definately free to me!! We had booked the MYW dining anyways. We had booked the trip in Feb for our Sept trip. When the promotion came out, we save $850.00. I would say that's free!