It seems that Free Dining isn't the hot commodity it once was.

[mrzrich]

I remember years past that all the values and most of the mod rooms were gleeped up in the first few days (Hours in some cases) that Free Dining was announced.

ADRs during free dining were scarce too.

I just got back from a few days at WDW and immediately got a case of the "gotta plan another trip" flu.

Went into work today, looked at the vacation book and noticed nobody else had taked Labor Day Weekend off. So I promptly put in my request.

Came home, checked the WDW site, compare AP specials, FL resident specials, and just for kicks checked to see if there was any rooms available on the free dining offer. (With plans to pocket the park tickets for future AP upgrade)

I was very surprised to find rooms in every catagory, at just about every resort.

I figured, it wouldn't be worth it if I couldn't get any ADRs, so I check those too. Plenty of ADRs. At prime eating times (Between 8-10 for breakfast, and between 4-7 for dinner) in pretty much any restaurant I wanted. I found some availability everywhere but Le Cellier.

Now I am trying to decide which route to take:

$227 room only at Pop (AP Rate)

$449 room only Dolphin plus resort and parking fees (Nurse Rate)

$1020 Free Dining with DDP upgrade and 3 Adult/1 child 2 day base tickets that will be upgraded when our AP's expire.

Decisions Decisions.

 

[BriarRosie]

Is it cheaper to get the AP rate room only and add-on dining plan? You won't have to get the base tickets, and you might save additional money.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I know exactly what you mean. I am going November 13th, I have been looking at Dining reservations on line for the last week or so and haven't had any problems with anything I wanted. Got the restaurants and the times I wanted no problem. Brown Derby, Tusker House, O'Hana's, I even saw openings at CRT. I am not doing a package, so I wasn't even thinking about free dining, but found out today that there are some black out weeks in early November and it opens up again November 12th the day before we arrive, then I was shocked at the ADR availibility I had been seeing.

 

[Yvet]

What is the price for the dining plan if you would buy it seperate and also the tickets seperate then you can compare....

 

[BriarRosie]

What is the price for the dining plan if you would buy it seperate and also the tickets seperate then you can compare....

Absolutely, Yvette! Since the original poster has an annual pass, they don't really need the park passes, and the cost of the dining plan added to the AP discounted room might be a better savings than "free" dining.

 

[NancyIL]

The value of the dining plan for 3 adults and 1 child is more than the AP discount at Pop Century.

I LOVE the Swan/Dolphin, and that would be my pick.

 

[ADP]

I have a question for the poster. When you travel to Disney World does your family typically eat at a table restaurant each day? Do you do it because you have the dining plan or would you still do it without the plan?

Also, you may want to make your ADRs first before deciding to add the dining plan to your reservation. Making breakfast or lunch ADRs, or booking in restaurants with lower cost entrees may not be worth booking the dining plan.

Just some things to consider before making your decision.

 

[mrzrich]

It comes to $771 for AP rate with DDP and no tickets. The Free dining is actually a good deal for me because the 2 day base tickets have a face value of $156 each that I can use towards my APs in December.

I wasn't really looking for advice, although advice from a DISer is ALWAYS appriciated.

The real point of my post, was that I was shocked to find so much availability for Free Dining Packages and ADR's this late in the game. Years ago if you tried to get a free dining package for a value resort a week or 2 after the promotion was announced, you risked being laughed at. And good luck finding ADR's at any place but Biergarten and Nine Dragons.

Not the case anymore, there's Free dining packages available at pretty much every resort, and ADR's for every restaurant except LeCellier. This is for Labor Day Weekend, YMMV.

 

[NancyIL]

It comes to $771 for AP rate with DDP and no tickets. The Free dining is actually a good deal for me because the 2 day base tickets have a face value of $156 each that I can use towards my APs in December.

I wasn't really looking for advice, although advice from a DISer is ALWAYS appriciated.

The real point of my post, was that I was shocked to find so much availability for Free Dining Packages and ADR's this late in the game. Years ago if you tried to get a free dining package for a value resort a week or 2 after the promotion was announced, you risked being laughed at. And good luck finding ADR's at any place but Biergarten and Nine Dragons.

Not the case anymore, there's Free dining packages available at pretty much every resort, and ADR's for every restaurant except LeCellier. This is for Labor Day Weekend, YMMV.

Since you mentioned your 3 choices - I thought you wanted feedback!

 

[mrzrich]

Since you mentioned your 3 choices - I thought you wanted feedback!

Oh, and I DO appriciate it! I'm still wavering and my fellow DISers always have the best insight.


I totally agree with you about the value of the free dining since DS 10 now counts as an adult. But I also feel you on the S/D! The fact that its only a quickie 3 day weekend makes the S/D more appealing, because the location is so prime. Also the parks close fairly early that weekend, making the proxomity to the Boardwalk a bonus.

Still not sure what I'm gonna do.

 

[grimley1968]

Three possible reasons the "free dining plan" isn't as hot this year:

- The economy really isn't picking up (may be heading into a double-dip recession in fact). People cannot afford to even get to WDW, much less buy resort rooms, tickets, etc. even if there is a discount

- Maybe, just maybe, people are finally beginning to see the light in that "free dining" isn't free. You have to pay rack rate on a resort room to get it. Often it's a better overall savings to get a room-only discount, or some kind of room/ticket package discount, and get food out of pocket, or even pay for the dining plan. This is especially true with the deluxe resorts, and possibly even moderate resorts. Maybe not so much with value resorts. We go with out of pocket options, making only a two or three ADR's all week at places we just can't do without. We have barely two months left until our upcoming trip in early October. It is still "free dining" then, but we went with a room discount of 40% (bounceback offer), which is double the amount of money "free dining" would have "saved" us.

- Past "free dining" guests (I'm one of them) have gotten a little tired of the cattle call treatment when in some of the restaurants when you're on the dining plan, and the necessity of planning every table service meal months in advance to take full advantage of the DP. Barely 2 months away from our trip, I cannot fathom knowing what kind of meal I want at 6:40 PM on October 6. Foreknowledge of our meal preferences at 6 months out is even more ludicrous for us.

I sure would prefer to see more room-only or room/ticket package discounts offered in the future instead of "free dining".

 

[WaltD4Me]

Three possible reasons the "free dining plan" isn't as hot this year:

- The economy really isn't picking up (may be heading into a double-dip recession in fact). People cannot afford to even get to WDW, much less buy resort rooms, tickets, etc. even if there is a discount

- Maybe, just maybe, people are finally beginning to see the light in that "free dining" isn't free. You have to pay rack rate on a resort room to get it. Often it's a better overall savings to get a room-only discount, or some kind of room/ticket package discount, and get food out of pocket, or even pay for the dining plan. This is especially true with the deluxe resorts, and possibly even moderate resorts. Maybe not so much with value resorts. We go with out of pocket options, making only a two or three ADR's all week at places we just can't do without. We have barely two months left until our upcoming trip in early October. It is still "free dining" then, but we went with a room discount of 40% (bounceback offer), which is double the amount of money "free dining" would have "saved" us.

- Past "free dining" guests (I'm one of them) have gotten a little tired of the cattle call treatment when in some of the restaurants when you're on the dining plan, and the necessity of planning every table service meal months in advance to take full advantage of the DP. Barely 2 months away from our trip, I cannot fathom knowing what kind of meal I want at 6:40 PM on October 6. Foreknowledge of our meal preferences at 6 months out is even more ludicrous for us.

I sure would prefer to see more room-only or room/ticket package discounts offered in the future instead of "free dining".

You could be right. I hope people are realizing Free Dining isn't what it's cracked up to be. In the early days of DDP when the tip and appetizer were included and before they dumbed down the menus I would say it definitely was, but now, I'd rather have a good room discount. Especially with the economy the way it still is and especially if you aren't a family of four. How good of a deal is Free Dining just for a couple or a couple with two little kids?

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I've always felt that free dining is really only beneficial if there are more than two people in the party and everyone is considered an adult...and you book the value or moderate resort category. Anything other than that is usually a better deal if they have promos for 30-40% off the room.