Is free dining worth it for DVC members?

[canadiandisneymommy]

Has anyone ever calculated whether making a free dining reservation and then renting out your DVC points is ever a cost saver? Or is it better to book DVC and add on the dining plan? What are your experiences? I've done some math and it seems like like free dining is not worth it if you're a DVC member.

 

[DebbieB]

Has anyone ever calculated whether making a free dining reservation and then renting out your DVC points is ever a cost saver? Or is it better to book DVC and add on the dining plan? What are your experiences? I've done some math and it seems like like free dining is not worth it if you're a DVC member.

It may work if you downgraded to a value or moderate. I have a December studio at BWV, it's $454 rack rate to get free dining or 15 points a night. If I rented for $10 a point, that's only $150.

 

[disneynutz]

"Free" dining isn't worth it period but you put the word "free" and food or dining together and people will rush to buy.

IMO it's the same thing as using DVC points for things other than staying at a DVC resort. Disney comes up with these things, makes them sound wonderful but do they really save you money? Doesn't seem to matter, some folks love to do it.

Bill

 

[deedisneydream97]

It may work if you downgraded to a value or moderate. I have a December studio at BWV, it's $454 rack rate to get free dining or 15 points a night. If I rented for $10 a point, that's only $150.

DebbieB....I can never go back to a value or moderate!! I'm spoiled. But thanks for figuring out the cost comparison. I tried yesterday but the Disney website was overwhelmed with everyone trying to get free dining.

OP...the only time we get the dining plan is when we do a split stay. Usually we book a studio for one night (saves points) in one resort and then a one bedroom for the rest of the stay. We get the dining plan for the one night and take it to the max. One night/day is enough. Do you really want to eat all of that food three times a day? I had found we were spending more time in restaurants than I wanted to. We also have the tables in wonderland card. It works better for us. We do breakfast in the room and will pack sandwiches and snacks to eat in the parks or have poolside. I think someone once figured out the "break even" mark for the TIW card is $500 spent? Combine that with the DVC discounts at various places.

 

[nalajms]

I did the math this morning! Checking in 9/25 Friday for 4 nights, 2day w hopper tickets (3a & 1c) and regular DDP. $ Package price/$average room cost per night (package - ticket prices - ddp price)

• CR -Tower Bay Lake View (only view available) $3489/$416
• WL - Bunk bed garden view? $3023/$300
• CSR Jr Suite $3036/$304

If I used $12 per point:

• 1bd BLT lake view 4n is 134 points or $402 per night.
• 1bd at VWL would be 120 points, or $360 per night.
• Studio at VWL would be 62pts, or $186 per night.

It's hard to justify moving to CSR and give up the location next to MK. The only way I see us booking "Free Dining" is if we added on a last minute trip and no DVC was available.

 

[deedisneydream97]

I just did a quick comparison for a one bedroom standard view at the BoardWalk. 2 adults and 2 kids under 10 would be $5,918 for 7 nights and would get the regular dining plan and length of stay park hoppers with water park option.

If I got $10/point that would be 154 points for $1,540 for 7 nights.

The Dining plan for 2 adults and 2 under 10s would be a little more than $1,000. Park hopper tickets using my AAA discount would be approximately $826 total for 2 adults and 600 (I am guessing here) for the kids, or $1,426 (we actually use our DVC discount for premium annual passes).

Another thing people tend to forget.....if I remember correctly, tip is NOT included in the price of the dining plan, but tax is.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is using my points to stay at BWV in a 1 BR standard and adding the dining plan and park hopper tickets would cost me 154 points (plus what the maintenance fees are), $1,000 for the dining plan (plus tips) and $1,426 to tickets.

I'm not really good at math....so anyone please feel free to correct me.

 

[nalajms]

The Dining plan for 2 adults and 2 under 10s would be a little more than $1,000.

You're probably looking at the QS plan. Regular DDP would be just under $1600, which is what Deluxe Resorts get for free dining.

Regardless, still not worth (time or $) renting the points to book a free dining room.

 

[DougEMG]

I've done this once a few years ago. The comparison for us was between a BWV studio and a room at the CBR (moderate) for 3 adults. This definitely saves you money if you would be buying the dining plan or spending that amount on food anyway. We haven't done it again since neither my daughter or wife are big fans of the dining plan as it is too much food and they don't like running around for all the reservations, plus they prefer to stay at the BWV.

 

[Minniesgal]

i wouldnt consider this we hate the dining plan and a big point of DVC for us is the fact we don't have to eat out all the time as it just gets to be too much food. some nights we just want something simple.

 

[ziravan]

I strongly considered this for Oct because we added my MIL to the trip and I'm fairly certain I don't want to share a studio with her. (Or her with her snoring SIL).

I figured between upgrading to the Cabins at WL for the bedroom, free dining, upgrading the tix requirement to replace my AP, and renting my current Oct Poly reservation, it would be a workable deal.

There's a black hole in the middle of Oct for FD that made this unworkable for us.

Plus Disney made four changes to FD this year to make it much less of a deal:

1. You can't shorten your length of stay unless a package with a shorter stay is still avail. This means not only must the room and resort be avail, but the exact length of stay as well.

2. Three night minimum requirement instead of two.

3. You must now add a PH or water parks and more option to your tickets,

4. They included very few standard rooms, rumor is five per resort/per date. Most people now have to pay for upgraded rooms to qualify.

Rumor is that Disney skipped the Disney Visa early release because they put too few rooms into the deal to split them into two releases.

Plus, if anybody is interested in how the FD rollout went yesterday, Google Facebook Disney Professional Travel and read the TA comments about the release. My favorite, "Let's face it, if we all did our jobs to the standard of Disney IT, we'd all be fired."

 

[ldo]

I assume that you can apply the entire ticket amount to a future DVC discounted AP. If so, and you plan get DVc AP anytime in the next few years, then the ticket price is really a wash and it's just the hotel amount to consider. It can be a decent deal in a moderate. We were going anyway to Orlando and the dates worked for us, so we did free dining Christmas of 2013 for 3 or 4 nights and saved our tickets for AP later the next year. We had 5 persons, so would have had to have a 1BR (no studios slept 5 at that time). It was a better deal for us that booking DVC and doing the DP or even just paying OOP for a few meals. We stayed @ Port Orleans in a room with a trundle bed. We also realized it would be one of the last times we want to all be in 1 room together!

 

[canadiandisneymommy]

So I just booked a standard room with free dining at CSR for 5 nights November 14-19 for $2660.84. The 6 day park hoppers are worth about $1600 and I would have to pay that anyway regardless if I booked DVC or free dining. So the cost of the accommodations/food works to be about $1060 for 5 nights ($212 per night). If I booked at my home resort at SSR for the same nights, that would be 73 points and I would have to pay for the dining plan out of pocket (about $800). If I rent out my 73 points for $12pp I could apply that to my free dining trip ( $1060 minus $876 for DVC points) so it would be like paying $184 for accommodations/food for five nights at CSR. Please tell me if you notice something off with my calculations because that seems like it's too good to be true. Maybe my brain isn't working right today.....TIA

 

[ziravan]

So I just booked a standard room with free dining at CSR for 5 nights October 14-19 for $2660.84. The 6 day park hoppers are worth about $1600 and I would have to pay that anyway regardless if I booked DVC or free dining. So the cost of the accommodations/food works to be about $1060 for 5 nights ($212 per night). If I booked at my home resort at SSR for the same nights, that would be 73 points and I would have to pay for the dining plan out of pocket (about $800). If I rent out my 73 points for $12pp I could apply that to my free dining trip ( $1060 minus $876 for DVC points) so it would be like paying $184 for accommodations/food for five nights at CSR. Please tell me if you notice something off with my calculations because that seems like it's too good to be true. Maybe my brain isn't working right today.....TIA

You're Canadian.

They didn't offer those dates stateside or I probably would have done a similar deal.

 

[canadiandisneymommy]

You're Canadian.

They didn't offer those dates stateside or I probably would have done a similar deal.

Sorry I meant to say November 14-19! See? My brain isn't working today. haha.

 

[BEASLYBOO]

It's worth or lack there of, can only be determined by the end user. For us, it's a no, it restricts the spontaneity of the way we like to vacation and eat while on vacation. But I can certainly see why and how it works for others!

 

[DougEMG]

So I just booked a standard room with free dining at CSR for 5 nights November 14-19 for $2660.84. The 6 day park hoppers are worth about $1600 and I would have to pay that anyway regardless if I booked DVC or free dining. So the cost of the accommodations/food works to be about $1060 for 5 nights ($212 per night). If I booked at my home resort at SSR for the same nights, that would be 73 points and I would have to pay for the dining plan out of pocket (about $800). If I rent out my 73 points for $12pp I could apply that to my free dining trip ( $1060 minus $876 for DVC points) so it would be like paying $184 for accommodations/food for five nights at CSR. Please tell me if you notice something off with my calculations because that seems like it's too good to be true. Maybe my brain isn't working right today.....TIA

You got the numbers right. FD can be a good deal if you have enough people in the room and don't mind moving to a moderate.

Last night I was checking to see if any FD packages were available at the start of our trip or end of our trip, but no luck. The only options available were all at deluxes only and too expensive. All the moderates were booked.

 

[canadiandisneymommy]

You got the numbers right. FD can be a good deal if you have enough people in the room and don't mind moving to a moderate.

Last night I was checking to see if any FD packages were available at the start of our trip or end of our trip, but no luck. The only options available were all at deluxes only and too expensive. All the moderates were booked.

OK thanks I thought the numbers looked okay. I will definitely miss the deluxe amenities at a DVC resort but at these significant savings I think it's worth it to try it once and try one of the non-DVC resorts for a change. I wasn't able to find a standard room at first but kept trying and finally got one. They will become available as they release more rooms and as people change their reservations so for those of you still hoping, just keep trying!

 

[deedisneydream97]

So I just booked a standard room with free dining at CSR for 5 nights November 14-19 for $2660.84. The 6 day park hoppers are worth about $1600 and I would have to pay that anyway regardless if I booked DVC or free dining. So the cost of the accommodations/food works to be about $1060 for 5 nights ($212 per night). If I booked at my home resort at SSR for the same nights, that would be 73 points and I would have to pay for the dining plan out of pocket (about $800). If I rent out my 73 points for $12pp I could apply that to my free dining trip ( $1060 minus $876 for DVC points) so it would be like paying $184 for accommodations/food for five nights at CSR. Please tell me if you notice something off with my calculations because that seems like it's too good to be true. Maybe my brain isn't working right today.....TIA

Will you be able to rent those Saratoga Points? You did get a great rate, but I could not stay in a studio with other people for more than one night. It was different when our kids were young....but now we usually get a one bedroom for just the two of us. We also get premium annual passes, so the dining offer still would not work for us. I would also miss having the little kitchenette in the DVC studios. It is always good to see what else is out there. If it isn't what you like, go back to your old plan next time. CRS looks like a great resort.....seems like it doesn't get much recognition.

You will have to report back after your trip. I'll be curious as to how you liked a regular room vs. DVC.

 

[nalajms]

I will definitely miss the deluxe amenities at a DVC resort but at these significant savings I think it's worth it to try it once and try one of the non-DVC resorts for a change.

That's exactly my thought! I priced out moderates for late August. The standard rooms are the only ones that make it worthwhile price-wise.

We tried CBR with a JetBlue package 2 years ago. It's the only non-deluxe we've ever stayed at. My kids love the pool and still talk about it. DH refuses to go back. Now I can't even convince him to try AoA.

Have a great trip!

 

[canadiandisneymommy]

Will you be able to rent those Saratoga Points? You did get a great rate, but I could not stay in a studio with other people for more than one night. It was different when our kids were young....but now we usually get a one bedroom for just the two of us. We also get premium annual passes, so the dining offer still would not work for us. I would also miss having the little kitchenette in the DVC studios. It is always good to see what else is out there. If it isn't what you like, go back to your old plan next time. CRS looks like a great resort.....seems like it doesn't get much recognition.

You will have to report back after your trip. I'll be curious as to how you liked a regular room vs. DVC.

Yes I occasionally rent out my SSR points and never have a problem with finding someone who will take them. If the kitchenette and space are important to you, then I would agree that sticking to DVC is the right choice for you. We love our DVC also but wanted to try this out this time to see how it works out. I think it'll be okay because we still have two young children and studios currently still work for us so a standard room size will be fine. We've stayed at POR before and while we didn't love it like DVC, it was still a nice vacation.