ITS COMING -Nov. 2014 Free Dining - waiting, watching, wishing & worrying thread

[JillianLeigh]

During the fall dining dates, do they usually offer resort discounts you can use instead? My family would only do the dining plan if it was free, and it was the only promotion happening at the time. I'd rather get a resort discount and pay for the few meals we do eat OOP.

Also, for those of you that booked your package already and are waiting for FD, do you make ADRs as if you're on the dining plan if they haven't released the FD dates before 180 days? Are you penalized if you then cancel those ADRs if FD isn't offered and you don't add DDP?

 

[dakotix]

During the fall dining dates, do they usually offer resort discounts you can use instead? My family would only do the dining plan if it was free, and it was the only promotion happening at the time. I'd rather get a resort discount and pay for the few meals we do eat OOP.

Also, for those of you that booked your package already and are waiting for FD, do you make ADRs as if you're on the dining plan if they haven't released the FD dates before 180 days? Are you penalized if you then cancel those ADRs if FD isn't offered and you don't add DDP?

I'm not sure how they did it last fall but in previous years they offered a room only discount or the free dining plan. If you aren't familiar with menu prices take a peak here to do your math before deciding on the room only discount: http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/disneydining.cfm

For us, Free Dining always works out to be the better deal. The cost of food is crazy expensive in the parks and a lot of it is crap food if you do the quick service fast food places. The dining plan gives you the freedom to eat at the more expensive venues as well without feeling like you've been mugged after every meal.

As for ADRs. I added the dining plan to our parents' reservation as well as to ours already but you don't need to be on the dining plan to make an ADR. As a resort guest you are able to book at "180-days plus 10" in advance and you'll need your resort confirmation number to book beyond the 180-day mark. "For dining reservations guaranteed by a credit card, Guests who cancel within 48 hours of their reservation time or fail to show will be charged a $10 per person fee for each Guest on the reservation." In other words if you used a credit card to make the ADR then if you need to cancel, do so 48 hours before. Every restaurant is different though so just read the fine print when you make the reservation. But if you're talking canceling your ADRs a week before you go to compensate for the scenerio that you decide to opt for the room only discount then I wouldn't be concerned. People are constantly cancelling those ADRs before they go.

 

[dismom]

Hopping on here just to follow. On the fence about booking ahead of time...I see both sides just don't know which one is right. Just know that we are going, and came across a great price for plane tickets with no change fees, so went ahead & got those out of the way. Hoping to get free dining starting the weekend before Thanksgiving!

 

[angela0119]

I'm wanting to book another trip, but I'm really holding out for Free Dining. As a single mom with two kids, its the most cost effective way for us to go!

 

[dakotix]

We got a PIN for frre dining this Spring! Hopfully that means we'll get another one for the fall!!!

 

[cmcinc]

Joining in for our Nov. visit!

 

[LucyBC80]

I rather book now and wait for the FD promo than wait to book last minute. Plus I know I'll be going to be there with or without FD and making small payments throughout the year really helps to budget our spendings when you have to pay off a $5K vacation.

But I'm one of those for whom the resort is most important so even if POFQ is excluded again from FD and it only offers a 5% discount I'll not move resorts. Sometimes peace of mind trumps savings and this happens to be one of those occasions.

 

[cheerful chickadee]

We're thinking about a November trip with free dining but we will stay at a value resort this time. I understand that value free dining is the quick service plan. Is there a way to upgrade to the regular dining plan? If so, how much per day per person is the upcharge?

 

[dakotix]

"If you do book a Value Resort Package with Free Dining, you can easily upgrade from the Quick Service Plan to the Dining Plan. The upgrade cost is $16.55 to $18.55 per night for adults (based on season) and $3.03 or $4.04 per night for children (based on season)."

I got this from this article which is a couple years old: http://micechat.com/7804-disney-world-free-dining-2/


You may want to see if it even makes sense to do this. The extra cost may be close enough that you might as well just book a moderate package instead. I ran the numbers for you based on 2x Adults and 2x Children (under 10):

All-Star Movies with the upgrade:
$2,452.46

Coronado Springs
$2,794.52

These don't include the park hopper option and are based on 7 nights. You are talking a difference of roughly $400.

Now you just have to bring out your crystal ball and figure out what you would have spent that $400 on if you stayed at the Value resort.

I don't know your vacation style but if it were us, I'd get pretty tired of counter service after a while and decide to have a table service a couple times while we were there. Hey it's vacation right? Oh and don't forget, "Mommy, mommy!" That's right, those little guys want to have the character breakfast experience. So there's where that $400 gets spent.

Instead of upgrading the free dining plan, upgrade to a moderate.

 

[cheerful chickadee]

wow Thanks so much dakotix! We were going back and forth between upgrading to a mod vs. upgrading just the dining plan and staying at a value. We did the basic dining plan on our last trip and preferred that over the quick service plan. Like you said, we get pretty tired of the quick service meals pretty quickly but I do like the quickness of it rather than spending so much time at a table service restaurant.

I priced it out this morning using prices listed on allears. Dining plan prices for 2014 are 58.66 per adult for basic dining and 18.88 per child. QS dining costs 39.64 per adult and 15.75 per child. That's a difference of 19.02 per adult, per day and 3.13 per child per day. So for our family it would be an additional 41.17 per day to upgrade to basic dining but still staying at a value. We'd be saving $274 by staying at a value and upgrading to basic dining vs staying at a moderate hopefully with free basic dining included obviously. That buys a lot of souvenirs/pays for tips/etc. Still going back and forth!

 

[Samaya]

Hi and hopefully some of you November followers might find the following option comparable to waiting until a free dining offer comes along; you might well have already noticed this on the Budget Board thread, it regards discounted Disney rooms on the UK-Expedia web site.

It's for room only reservations and here's a comparison between booking directly with US-Walt Disney and the British UK-Expedia web site.

7-nights checking in on Saturday 22th and departing on Saturday 29th November for 2-adults.

Disney's Beach Club Resort in a Standard View Room at Club Level.
WDW: $4,974.78 current rate.
UK-Expedia: £1,449.35, approx $2,390.
Potentially saving up to $2,584 on Disney's current rate.

With the saving of $2,584 you could purchase two Premium Annual Pass for $1,552.78, leaving you $1,030 to spend on meals.

Also, if you do buy the annual passes why not consider a Tables in Wonderland card at $125, that leaves you with $900 to spend on meals and as the TIW card saves you 20%, it could save you a few dollars more than the card cost for this November and maybe a little more in 2015.........

Therefore, for a similar cost to the currently advertised price on WDW for 7-nights, you could buy two premium annual passes, a Tables in Wonderland card, a club level room at the Beach through UK-Expedia and $900 towards dining, well worth checking out especially if you already have an annual pass.

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And here's a few more resort options for those looking for a November vacation, they're all over the same 7-nights and prices also covers 2-children in the room and most dates in November are the same price on Expedia.co.uk with some discounted by as much as 52%. (Sorry haven't had time to recheck all those figures)

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Outer Lodge/Building in a Standard Room - Club Level.
WDW: $5,844.38
UK-Expedia: £1,938.86, approx $3,195
Potentially saving up to $2,645 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Contemporary Resort. Tower - Bay Lake View.
WDW: $4,524.70
UK-Expedia: £1,453.34, approx $2,391
Potentially saving up to $2,130 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Wilderness Lodge in a Standard Room - Club Level.
WDW: $4,515.76
UK-Expedia: £1,516.55, approx $2,500
Potentially saving up to $2,015 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge in a Savannah View.
WDW: $3,705.76
UK-Expedia: £1,109.08, approx $1,825
Potentially saving up to $1,880 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Yacht Club Resort in a Standard Room.
WDW: $3,460.50.
UK-Expedia: £993.93, approx $1,635.
Potentially saving up to $1,825 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. Pirate - Standard Room.
WDW: $2,039.66
UK-Expedia: £609.56, approx $1,005
Potentially saving up to $1,030 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Finding Nemo, Lion King or Cars Family Suite.
WDW: $ 2,921.66
UK-Expedia: £1,273.30, approx $2,095
Potentially saving up to $820 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's All-Star Music Resort in a Preferred Room.
WDW: $1,249.78
UK-Expedia: £421.61, approx $694
Potentially saving over $550 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's All-Star Music Resort in a Family Suite for 2-adults and 4-children.
WDW: $2,425.50.
UK-Expedia: £769.30, approx $1,266.
Potentially saving over $1,159 on Disney's current rate.

Not all rooms are discounted to the same level but hopefully you might find a reasonable priced room, which could be especially tempting for those already with an annual pass and/or Tables in Wonderland card.

And if you do find a tempting price then best to first check out the Budget Board and the posts by those who've already booked as it's not everyone's cup of tea; one of the reasons, you can't buy park tickets or annual passes on the UK-Expedia site.

For those of you who pay for their vacation with Disney Gift cards purchased through the Target/Pharmacy Red Card offer. Obviously you've lost the discount on the room cost as that's paid by CC, but with the savings you make over the current rack rate you can still buy GC's to that amount to spend as you like on tickets, meals, etc.
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[iluvdoombuggies]

Joining thread...and waiting

 

[skysmom99]

Joining in! Hubby is finally onboard with another Nov. trip!!!! Let the planning commence. Hoping for free dining but I'm going to see Mickey this fall!!!

 

[jenwillis212]

Joining in the wait! We are planning a Nov. 13-22 trip. Really hoping for free dining along with everyone else but worried it won't be offered much this year. I have read several blogs that think FD will be phased out. I sure hope they are wrong. We were there in Sept of 2011 and had FD. I am spoiled now. I will be happy with any kind of discount and willing to change dates some and also location. We really wanted to stay at AoA but since they are excluded from discounts we are now thinking of Pop.
Have not booked anything and now I can't decide if I should do it or just wait. Do I run the risk of not getting a ressie if I wait too long? I totally understand the theory of waiting so there aren't so many reservations but I don't want to miss out.
Just learned about pin codes too and am trying to figure all that out. I've never received one but may have missed it b/c I didn't know what I was looking for.
Also, what is the 180+ deal? I thought you could only book ADRs 180 days out. I will definitely have to book by then in order to get our ADRs.
So glad I can actually say I am going to Disney this year instead of next year!!

 

[Perruchon]

Joining in
We are going to POR from nov 10th to nov 20th. We didn't book yet. First time at this hotel... We went CSR in 2013 and 2012 and loved it. Just wanted to try something new this time... I sure agree with the fact that booking too early can impact on promotion like FD. But, in the same time, I don't think these promotions are last minute planned either. Last year, on May 11th I received a PIN code for FD in November 2013. This time, I planned to book just in time to make ADR on 180+10 days wich would be around early May. Hoping for the best )

 

[BuckeyeMickey]

Joining in too! We are hoping to visit Nov 4-11, and stay at AoA in a cars suite. We are open to other resorts but have decided we need more space this time around for everyone's sanity (ok really just mine) now that we have 3 kiddos. We had FD on our trip over spring break a couple years ago and we're hooked! It introduced us to character meals (would never pay oop for those before). But a room discount would be fine too! We haven't booked yet but I'm really tempted to...I like making weekly payments on my trip so it doesn't hurt so much. I will definitely book by the 180 mark though cause I want to try some new things this time around. We've been YouTube watching all of the rides that we haven't done before so the kids will be a little more brave this time around. Happy trip planning everyone! That's the best part isn't it!?!

 

[Hiry99]

Plane and cruise have already been booked, so WDW November 2014 is set in stone. We are doing the resort/DDP for the first time ever!!! so FD would be icing on the cake!

 

[dakotix]

Hi and hopefully some of you November followers might find the following option comparable to waiting until a free dining offer comes along; you might well have already noticed this on the Budget Board thread, it regards discounted Disney rooms on the UK-Expedia web site.

It's for room only reservations and here's a comparison between booking directly with US-Walt Disney and the British UK-Expedia web site.

7-nights checking in on Saturday 22th and departing on Saturday 29th November for 2-adults.

Disney's Beach Club Resort in a Standard View Room at Club Level.
WDW: $4,974.78 current rate.
UK-Expedia: £1,449.35, approx $2,390.
Potentially saving up to $2,584 on Disney's current rate.

With the saving of $2,584 you could purchase two Premium Annual Pass for $1,552.78, leaving you $1,030 to spend on meals.

Also, if you do buy the annual passes why not consider a Tables in Wonderland card at $125, that leaves you with $900 to spend on meals and as the TIW card saves you 20%, it could save you a few dollars more than the card cost for this November and maybe a little more in 2015.........

Therefore, for a similar cost to the currently advertised price on WDW for 7-nights, you could buy two premium annual passes, a Tables in Wonderland card, a club level room at the Beach through UK-Expedia and $900 towards dining, well worth checking out especially if you already have an annual pass.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And here's a few more resort options for those looking for a November vacation, they're all over the same 7-nights and prices also covers 2-children in the room and most dates in November are the same price on Expedia.co.uk with some discounted by as much as 52%. (Sorry haven't had time to recheck all those figures)

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Outer Lodge/Building in a Standard Room - Club Level.
WDW: $5,844.38
UK-Expedia: £1,938.86, approx $3,195
Potentially saving up to $2,645 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Contemporary Resort. Tower - Bay Lake View.
WDW: $4,524.70
UK-Expedia: £1,453.34, approx $2,391
Potentially saving up to $2,130 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Wilderness Lodge in a Standard Room - Club Level.
WDW: $4,515.76
UK-Expedia: £1,516.55, approx $2,500
Potentially saving up to $2,015 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge in a Savannah View.
WDW: $3,705.76
UK-Expedia: £1,109.08, approx $1,825
Potentially saving up to $1,880 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Yacht Club Resort in a Standard Room.
WDW: $3,460.50.
UK-Expedia: £993.93, approx $1,635.
Potentially saving up to $1,825 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. Pirate - Standard Room.
WDW: $2,039.66
UK-Expedia: £609.56, approx $1,005
Potentially saving up to $1,030 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Finding Nemo, Lion King or Cars Family Suite.
WDW: $ 2,921.66
UK-Expedia: £1,273.30, approx $2,095
Potentially saving up to $820 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's All-Star Music Resort in a Preferred Room.
WDW: $1,249.78
UK-Expedia: £421.61, approx $694
Potentially saving over $550 on Disney's current rate.

Disney's All-Star Music Resort in a Family Suite for 2-adults and 4-children.
WDW: $2,425.50.
UK-Expedia: £769.30, approx $1,266.
Potentially saving over $1,159 on Disney's current rate.

Not all rooms are discounted to the same level but hopefully you might find a reasonable priced room, which could be especially tempting for those already with an annual pass and/or Tables in Wonderland card.

And if you do find a tempting price then best to first check out the Budget Board and the posts by those who've already booked as it's not everyone's cup of tea; one of the reasons, you can't buy park tickets or annual passes on the UK-Expedia site.

For those of you who pay for their vacation with Disney Gift cards purchased through the Target/Pharmacy Red Card offer. Obviously you've lost the discount on the room cost as that's paid by CC, but with the savings you make over the current rack rate you can still buy GC's to that amount to spend as you like on tickets, meals, etc.
__________________

Hmm I went and compared and I didn't see the huge savings you did. The site wouldn't let be book past September and when I went to see the difference between the UK site vs the US site, the savings were about 500. Thats a nice chunk of change but when you consider tickets on top of that plus the cost of food in the parks, I don't see the hassle of booking everything separate being worth it. Plus, a week for two will grant you $700-800 of a value with free dining. I don't know, definitely worth keeping on your radar though.

 

[Samaya]

Hmm I went and compared and I didn't see the huge savings you did. The site wouldn't let be book past September and when I went to see the difference between the UK site vs the US site, the savings were about 500. Thats a nice chunk of change but when you consider tickets on top of that plus the cost of food in the parks, I don't see the hassle of booking everything separate being worth it. Plus, a week for two will grant you $700-800 of a value with free dining. I don't know, definitely worth keeping on your radar though.

Sorry you couldn't find those rates, just done a recheck for those same dates and resort rooms and they're still showing at exactly the same prices.

And as I'd shown in the Beach Club example with a $2,584 saving on current rack rate over 7-nights for two adults, it's a great saving and very comparable to any pin or free dining offer that possibly requires paying the full rack rate.

 

[dakotix]

I was able to grab the dates I wanted for November for two people. This is what is showing up for me:

If you take into account the room-only discount (I couldn't remember if it was 20 or 25 for CSR) usually offered in the fall this is what you get.

Add $682 for basic park tix
Add (approx) $80 pp/ per day expenses for food= $1280

Grand total:

UK Expedia = $2,877.26
Disney Room Only discount = $3,064.76
Disney w/ Free Dining = $2,152.00

While the UK is a much better discount than usual (around 40%!) I can't get it to rival free dining. Even if you restrict your dining budget to $50 pp/ per day (bagel for breakfast and quick service for lunch + dinner and no desserts!) Using the UK offer would cost you $2,397.26.

Remember eating at Disney is super expensive. Its like dining out at the movies every day for a solid week.

I'm not trying to burst anyone's bubble. There are a lot of people doing this for the first time and the number one thing people are shocked to find their first time at WDW is the cost of food.