Is it better to go when there is free dining OR get 30% off your room?

[MAPOrocks]

I am trying to decide how to get the best deal. We want to go in November of 2013. If I go ahead and make the room reservations with the 30% bounceback deal, can I get free dining IF they offer it on the days I am going to be there. Or because I already have reservation, am I not eligible for the free dining.

Do I ultimately save more money if I get the discount on the room rather than the free dining? There are 2 adults and 2 kids in my party, so that can get expensive when it comes to meals.

Need help from you veterans out there!
Thanks!

 

[klawso@att.net]

Free dining for me. typically we stay at a moderate...30% over a week may save $400. The value of the free regular dining is much more valuable IMHO (over $1K for same period).

 

[Earstou]

The only way for you to know this for your family, is to look at the menus of where you would eat and estimate how much you would spend. Then figure out which is the better value, the amount you would spend on dining or the 30% off your room.
Some people don't spend enough on dining to equal the 30%.

 

[Chaoster]

Depends on how old the kids are. If they are older and eat a lot, then free dinning otherwise 30% off.

 

[ilovemk76]

It also depends IF you would have actually done a TS each day. There is a lot of park and vacation time getting to, from and waiting for your TS meal.

 

[mommy2twingles]

It also depends on where you are staying. Last May it was 2 adults and 3 kids. The room discount we got at Deluxe Club level was more than the free dinning discount.

 

[bettymae1121]

Yes, you need to figure out what you'd likely spend on meals and compare it to what the hotel savings would be.

DH and I got the free DP when we went last year but while we usually eat one QS and one TS each day anyway, we normally get one ap to split, our own entre, and then either pass on desert or split one. On dinning we would either have to pay for an ap OOP or skip it, and then we both "had" to eat desert (ya twist my arm, right?). So for us, even if the DP came out to be a slightly better deal, I might just take the room discount so we aren't locked in to meals and can order what we want. The dining plan was okay, don't get me wrong, especiall since it was the only real discount available for when we were traveling. But I'd rather have more flexability, even if it's a few dollars more. But YMMV.

 

[Aliceacc]

Assuming that you would have eaten the exact same thing either way, you still have to do the math.

Free dining is a set discount, depending on the particulars of your group. For my family of 5, the DDP would cost 4(51.54) + 1(15.02) or a total of $221.18 per day. (For the DDP. The other plans will have different numbers)

For that to be 30% off the price of a room, the room would have to cost $737.67 per night. So for us, Free Dining would be the far better deal. (should it be offered during the time we can go-- it isn't, as we're both teachers and need to be back.)

If, on the other hand, you're a family of 3 with a child between 3 and 9, then Free dining is saving you $118.04 per day. That's 30% of a room costing $393.47

Here's how to do the math:
1. Multiply the number of people in your party 10 or over by $51.54.
2. Multiply the number of kids ages 3-9 by $15.02
3. Add the answers to steps 1 and 2. This is the cost per day of the DDP

4. Find the rack rate of your resort room, listed with a decimal between the dollars and cents.
5. Multiply that by 30
6. Divide that by 100. (Yes, I know there are much easier ways. But this is the explanation most likely to look like the way you learned it in school)
7. Your answer to Step 6 is what 30% off your room would look like-- you're seeing the amount saved.

If Step 3 is the higher number, then go for free dining. If Step 7 is higher, then take the 30% off.

 

[momto2inKC]

You have to just price it out and see which discount is best. It all depends on ages of the kids, which hotel, how many nights, etc... For our family, nothing can beat free dining. We are saving over $200 a night with it

 

[janatmovies]

I think the free dining is a better deal because even though you are paying rack rate, the dates they usually include are dates where they are trying to fill rooms and they won't be at their absolute highest.
Also, I like the feeling of having my tickets, hotel accommodations, and dining all taken care of in one package. And the price I got for our next trip with the free dining is more than decent!

 

[qzar33]

Assuming that you would have eaten the exact same thing either way, you still have to do the math.

Free dining is a set discount, depending on the particulars of your group. For my family of 5, the DDP would cost 4(51.54) + 1(15.02) or a total of $221.18 per day. (For the DDP. The other plans will have different numbers)

For that to be 30% off the price of a room, the room would have to cost $737.67 per night. So for us, Free Dining would be the far better deal. (should it be offered during the time we can go-- it isn't, as we're both teachers and need to be back.)

If, on the other hand, you're a family of 3 with a child between 3 and 9, then Free dining is saving you $118.04 per day. That's 30% of a room costing $393.47

Here's how to do the math:
1. Multiply the number of people in your party 10 or over by $51.54.
2. Multiply the number of kids ages 3-9 by $15.02
3. Add the answers to steps 1 and 2. This is the cost per day of the DDP

4. Find the rack rate of your resort room, listed with a decimal between the dollars and cents.
5. Multiply that by 70
6. Divide that by 100. (Yes, I know there are much easier ways. But this is the explanation most likely to look like the way you learned it in school)
7. Your answer to Step 6 is what 30% off your room would cost you per night.

If Step 3 is the higher number, then go for free dining. If Step 7 is higher, then take the 30% off.

The big assumption, as you say, is that you would've bought the dining plan anyway. For many people the value is well under $50/day for an adult based on their actual eating habits.

 

[Aliceacc]

The big assumption, as you say, is that you would've bought the dining plan anyway. For many people the value is well under $50/day for an adult based on their actual eating habits.

OOPs-- just noticed an error in my phrasing. I've corrected it in the original post.

 

[ilovemk76]

The big assumption, as you say, is that you would've bought the dining plan anyway. For many people the value is well under $50/day for an adult based on their actual eating habits.

They also need to add in the cost of the tip for the DDP for all the food they get. You each get a dessert and only eat a bite of each you still have to tip on that taste.

If you pay OOP and eat TS, you could spend less on the same meal by not ordering any dessert and paying the tip on those desserts.

Some people order an appetizer as their meal. If they let you do this on the DDP, you would not get the full value of the DDP.

 

[Poohforyou]

Personally I think a room discount is a better value. The only one in our family that eats enough to make free dining worth while is DH and he shouldn't really eat that much .

 

[wallawallakids]

You would also need to figure in the price of tickets. If you would be getting discount tickets elsewhere and a 30% off room rate, sometimes that is better than doing the free dining. The room discount for our trip in AUG for our family of 6 was a better deal because we were able to get YES tickets at a discount, then 35% off on the room. We are staying Club Level, so I plan on eating at the club quite a bit and then having dinner out. All this was a bigger savings than me just booking at rack rate and having free dining. So do the math both ways including the ticket prices and then you should be able to see which one is less for your family.

 

[Ruthie5671]

I have wondered about this also. My DH and I have decided that we want to do a Disney vacation like no other. We love the holiday season at WDW and actually enjoy staying at value resorts (I just love the theming), so we're shooting for early December, 2013. We plan on five nights but only needing park tickets for four days. We want a day to roam the different hotels to see the decorations and for Downtown Disney. Based upon the pins I've been getting, both room discounts and free dining may be options for us. Now, we have done free dining in the past and enjoyed the 1 TS, 1 CS and 1 snack option. I'm a self-admitted math dummy - can anyone help with some budget options?

 

[jagafen]

It also depends on where you are staying. Last May it was 2 adults and 3 kids. The room discount we got at Deluxe Club level was more than the free dinning discount.

Yes, this exactly. For us, the 30% discount at the delux resorts ends up being $1000 in room savings over our 8 nights. For our family of 3 (one child) free dining doesn't ever work out to be a better deal.

 

[Ragnrok23]

I have wondered about this also. My DH and I have decided that we want to do a Disney vacation like no other. We love the holiday season at WDW and actually enjoy staying at value resorts (I just love the theming), so we're shooting for early December, 2013. We plan on five nights but only needing park tickets for four days. We want a day to roam the different hotels to see the decorations and for Downtown Disney. Based upon the pins I've been getting, both room discounts and free dining may be options for us. Now, we have done free dining in the past and enjoyed the 1 TS, 1 CS and 1 snack option. I'm a self-admitted math dummy - can anyone help with some budget options?

Free dinning is definatly going to be cheaper for you

enjoy xmas time- it's my favorite time to go!

 

[monarchsfan16]

It's an individual choice.

For me, free dining is NEVER the better deal. I travel solo, and I just don't eat that much. I may have dessert as a snack at some point during the day (think pineapple float or ice cream sandwich), but I don't typically get a dessert with every meal. That's a lot of wasted food, and food I don't spend money on OOP. I also don't really do buffets or character meals. I generally eat for under $30/day. Usually closer to $15-20/day. I rarely do more than 1 TS per trip. Even when my bf comes with me next spring, free dining won't be the better deal. He can outeat me by a LOT, but with me in tow, it really decreases the value of free dining.

 

[Maggie Lizer]

You really just have to do the math and think about how you and your family eat.

Do you order appetizers? They are not covered on the regular DP and you'd be paying OOP.

Do you get a dessert at lunch and dinner? If not, that "perk" of the dining plan may be a waste inthe calculations.

Do you get adult beverages? They are not covered, so you are paying OOP.

Do you do one TS a day? If not, the DP may not be for you. I suspect the signature TS places (the 2 credit ones) may not actually cost double what a nicer 1 credit place does, if you would be trying for more signature dining.

Do you do a lot of buffets? Then maybe the plan may save you money.

I sometimes get soup and salad or salad & an appy for dinner, and never get a dessert with a CS meal, and in Epcot I graze more than eat a couple of set meals - we share a few CS meals and/or snacks over the course of the day - so the DP isn't a good fit for my family. Plus, with a toddler, I am not sure how many TS meals we will be able to sit through, anyway. I am using Disney GCs to budget for my meals and am hoping for a room only discount (got tickets from UT before the rate increase). This is what works out best for my family, but YMMV.