New Room Discounts - Should I Drop Free Dining??

[KRCMOM]

To be honest, I didn't read everything so this may well have been pointed out -
With free ddp, you are paying rack rate and having Free dining thrown in. With the 40% off discount, you are paying less than rack rate.

We'll say your room costs $350+tax.
Free dining = 393.75/night
40% code, add DDP (2 adults and 3 kids?) = 354.25
So with a room rate of 350/night the savings would be about $40/night better by doing the 40% code.

Since you aren't terribly concerned about sit down meals, but don't want to be watching the cost the whole time, you could even add on the qsdp instead of the DDP making the it cost another $30 less/night.

Hi there!

I actually posted later in the thread that I ended up switching - it worked out just how you described it above! I saved $350 with the paid dining and the room discount vs. the free dining and rack rates!

 

[meandjojo]

THANK YOU !!!! I was so caught up in the "free dining" craze I didn't realize or even notice the 40% off deal....we were able to save $318.14!!

Me, DH and DS(2)
WL-woods view 9/17-9/25
7 day PH tix
no insurance

with free dining=3086.52
with 40% off room rate and adding regular dining plan=2768.28

Thank you so much for this thread!

 

[KRCMOM]

YES! Keep the savings posts coming!!!!

 

[TheRatPack]

I just want to chime in some advise for any 1st timers with kids- you will be really surprised how hungry ( and if it's hot thirsty) your kids and yourselves will be. There is a lot of walking and you will need more food. That's why we like the DDP. Also, the buffets are so nice for kids because they won't get stuck with a meal they taste and don't like.

I agree....we're not HUGE eaters but all that walking just makes them hungry LOL

To be honest, I didn't read everything so this may well have been pointed out -
With free ddp, you are paying rack rate and having Free dining thrown in. With the 40% off discount, you are paying less than rack rate.

It works out different for each family though...you really have to sit down and run your numbers and see where you come out. With a family staying at a value, with 2 rooms and 5 children, we had to work a couple of promotions in there but we got the best deal by doing that. If we were staying Mod or Deluxe I'm sure the figures would have been in favor of the % off though.

Just remember you only get the mugs on the QSDP and the Deluxe dining plan - not the regular DDP.

Maggie

Right....I went back and added that we were staying at a Value....so we have the free QSDP. We actually ran numbers with paying OOP for the mugs, extra counter service meals, extra snacks...etc and the upgrade fee to regular dining and it came out 200.00 more than just keeping the QSDP and paying OOP for those sit down meals. Really, all these promotions come down to running the numbers for your family size, hotel, eating habits...etc. One promotion isn't going to fit everyone, it's nice that we have choices now that FD came out followed quickly by that room discount....options are good

 

[kristinmajor]

I just want to chime in some advise for any 1st timers with kids- you will be really surprised how hungry ( and if it's hot thirsty) your kids and yourselves will be. There is a lot of walking and you will need more food. That's why we like the DDP. Also, the buffets are so nice for kids because they won't get stuck with a meal they taste and don't like.

Ah, but take in your own snacks and drinks!! No wait.

I have very small kids and, thanks to these boards, had a great trip two years ago to SSR. We did a 2 bedroom villa and ate at home A LOT. All breakfasts except one (Chef Mickey) and either lunch or dinner. The price for the villa with the 40% off and no dining is still probably higher than the value, but we have 4 adults on three very young kids. A room to stay up in and have a glass of wine is great when little ones are sleeping!

We took our own snacks and water bottles/drinks to the parks and saved a TON of money. And we wasted no time in lines for food.

I am going for 8 nights in September, taking 4 adults and three kids again, for a little over $6000 with the 40% off code. I have 6 ADRs for the whole trip. My kids don't want to sit in a restaurant other than for a character meal here or there.

Garden Grocer delivers to Disney if you don't have a car (we drive, but I know lots of fly). Get them to deliver drinks and snacks.

 

[Zim]

We changed from FD to 30% off at CBR

FD would have been $1720
30% off without DP: $1400

For 5 nights, 6-day tickets with water and park hopper at CBR in a pirate room.

It's only myself and my DD12 - so a reduced rate room is definitely a better deal, I doubt we'll spend $64 a day in food considering we're always splitting meals and bringing snacks and we check out pretty early that last day.

We did the free dining two years ago - and it was great for two adults and one 10 year old. But the stress of planning dining and calculating 2 meal credits for nicer restaurant, etc. made it a little less fun and carefree. We also ate WAY more than we would have otherwise.... However, I'll save where I can, so we signed up again until this second deal became available...

 

[2ofUs]

Interestingly, with so many people dropping the free dining in favor of the large discount, perhaps this is Disney's way of finding out just what drives us to visit during the lower attendance dates.

We used free dining the very first year it was offered - back in the day when EVERYTHING was included - tax, tip AND appetizers. Now that was a deal, but as everyone else mentions, we ate way too much.

Disney expanded their dining programs to include the deluxe and the quick service and now cover a wide range of family choices. I am usually full after an appetizer so we would go to Signature places where I ate the appetizer, DH enjoyed the entree, and we shared the dessert. Worked great. But for us, once they removed the appetizers & tips, it became less attractive.

Last year my son and I visited in September BECAUSE of free dining and stayed at POP - but then it was still TS. Since values are now QS, unless we are on a real budget trip and no resort discounts are offered, I doubt we will even consider it again.

Something to think about, though, for Disney. Save us money (BIG money) on our rooms and we will come.....

 

[sersee05]

It definitely depends on your family. We did the 40% the Poly last November..it was a great rate..couldn't ask for more..We decided to do the 40% instead of the fd. I have three kids (12, 8, 5). After our trip, we realized that fd would have been a way better deal. We spent ALOT on food. Because it is sometimes easier to eat in the park that you are at...we had pizza for lunch..just a quick meal and it still cost us alot for a family of 5.

 

[LizEN]

We (well, really I) decided to go with the % off at BC, get tks from Undercover Tourist and do without the dining plan.

We have 2A and 2J. Still not sure if doing the food OOP will work out cheaper in the long run but we can make changes in our dates up to 5 days out with the room-only booking and in prime hurricane season, that seemed like the way to go.

Do you need to book tickets direct with Disney to get the DP?