Is free dining worth it if you have to pay rack rate for room?

[MarthaJr.]

Just wondering.........I've been wishing and hoping for a FD pin and have not received it. I got to thinking more about it and was wondering if I am just getting caught up in the thrill of the chase for an FD pin.

We will be at WDW Easter week: 4/23 - 4/27. Rack rate for Pop Century for 3 adults and 1 16 yr. old is $164/night! I'm sorry....I love the Disney resorts and all....but that is ridiculous!

If I were to get a pin....Do you think it is even worth it to stay on site for free dining? What do you think?

 

[kat3668]

Easter week is one of those blackout weeks so getting a pin would be like hitting the lottery. Not likely to happen but I'll send some pixie dust along to you just in case!
Good Luck!

 

[kawc1945]

We got a free dining pin good for dates 4/23-8/13/11. This is the first free dining pin we've ever received in the mail but have gotten the room discount pins in the mail before. Keep your fingers crossed. You might get one too!

 

[MarthaJr.]

I know it is a premium/holiday week but people have reported getting the pin for that week. Actually starting the day before Easter! A couple years ago when they had the buy 4 days get 3 free I was able to book it for Easter week, however we had to cancel due to husband's spinal surgery.

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

Just wondering.........I've been wishing and hoping for a FD pin and have not received it. I got to thinking more about it and was wondering if I am just getting caught up in the thrill of the chase for an FD pin.

We will be at WDW Easter week: 4/23 - 4/27. Rack rate for Pop Century for 3 adults and 1 16 yr. old is $164/night! I'm sorry....I love the Disney resorts and all....but that is ridiculous!

If I were to get a pin....Do you think it is even worth it to stay on site for free dining? What do you think?

Well, for four "Disney" adults, the quick service dining plan would cost $140. You would be getting the room for $24 per night. That's pretty good!

Have you factored in the additional adult cost yet? I think it will be an extra $15 per night for your party. Not too bad.

I'll send some pixie dust, too! Hope the pin comes your way!

 

[teacher31]

We got POR for 216 a night, including tax and such. We are 5 adults and got free dining. I believe free dining is about 48 a night per person. In theory, Disney is losing money on us since we'll be getting basically 250 per day for dining.

Now before you start going, "But do you eat that way?" It doesn't matter. We'll still eat the same. I'm getting everything for 3500 and without food the best I can do is 3200. No way I can feed a family of 5 for 300 for 10 nights. It worked for our family. May not for every family.

 

[MarthaJr.]

Oh man!!!! You guys are really making me want that pin even more now!!!

Which, of course, means I will not get it....but thanks everyone for the info and the pixie dust

 

[Aliceacc]

We get the meal plan either way, so any discount is worth it.

For my family of 5, free dining would be the equivalent of a discount of about $170 per night. I mapped it out 3 years ago-- it was within $10 of a 40% PIN code for our stay at the Poly.

 

[Coconuts]

It will be worth it for our family on our next trip, because we will have 5 on the dining plan. The only discount that would come close to free dining is 40% off. This is why I'm also hoping for a pin, and I haven't gotten one yet either!

 

[BigDaddyWill]

Our family just got the PIN for FD yesterday via snail mail.

Our current rez are for June (2 rooms at Pop w/DxDP). We have the Kids Stay & Play offer (there are 6 of us going including our DS9).

If my calculations are correct (I am calling our TA later today) then even with upgrading our FD offer (QS as we are at a Value) to DxDP AND paying Rack Rate we will save over $800 on our trip. We have 5 AD and 1CH.

For us it's a no-brainer.

Will

 

[pineview01]

I had my trip booked for 3 adults & one 9 year old (2 year old is free anyway.) at the AllStars for 5 nights. We had the kids stay and play free which saved $200 over the rack rate. We had the DDP. Thanks to this boards advise I had the TA call. Even paying the rack rate and the upgrade from qsdp to ddp we are saving $400 on my already booked trip. Not bad for making a phone call.

 

[KELLY]

We are booked under the kids free promo
POP
ME, Dh, DD5 and DD 3
9 nights
9/17 to 9/26
8 day MYW base ticket
Added the QSDP
2283.02

If Fd is re released it will be
1928.00 a savings of another 355.00 we pefer the QSDP so we would stick with that.

Just the tickets alone for our famaiy is 1000.00. So if FD comes out we are getting the room and food for 900.00. That is 100.00 a day for food and room. In Disney even doing QS it is very hard to feed a family of 4 on 100.00 a day by the time you purchase snacks and addtional waters ect.

 

[pineview01]

Just talked to the TA and the bottom line is the same deal was $350.41 off for appling the pin
She also said this deal was sent to all that had booked in the past. That is why I didn't get one. The first time I booked my middle DD was listed first. The second time the SIL was listed first. This time the reservation comes up under the middle SIL's name. So even though I have booked and paid three times, I don't show up as every having booked a trip.

 

[nooneshome]

DW just called and we have the FD PIN. It is a great deal for us because we stay at POP and we have four Disney adults. We definitely eat and drink more then any room discount. It is fun spending all those snack credits.

 

[MarthaJr.]

Seems to me that most people that are getting the PIN already have a reservation. Hmmm.... perhaps I should call and book and then I will get a PIN?

 

[larryz]

Look at it this way -- with 4 adults in our party, we would have spent at least $160 per day for food.

The free dining works out like a $80 per room per night discount!

For us, anyway...

 

[Coconuts]

DW just called and we have the FD PIN. It is a great deal for us because we stay at POP and we have four Disney adults. We definitely eat and drink more then any room discount. It is fun spending all those snack credits.

I am still hoping I get a pin because like I said, it is worth it for our family of 5. DH called on Sunday and no pin under either of our names. I have to keep hoping.

 

[always]

There are only 2 of us so a room discount is a better value. I have the PIN but haven't booked yet.

 

[nooneshome]

I am still hoping I get a pin because like I said, it is worth it for our family of 5. DH called on Sunday and no pin under either of our names. I have to keep hoping.

Keep the faith and keep calling. With gas prices still going up I bet bookings will be down. In the last year or so we have started getting PINs so I felt a little confident that we would have the FD PIN.

 

[MarthaJr.]

I Keep calling, but no PIN for me. Good luck to all of those that are hoping to get one!