Regular Dining Plan or Split Stay

[disneyfav4ever]

Last week I was in Disney, and booked two weeks for next year with free dining. But I checked Disney's website when I got home to find out how much the rack rate for the room was each night of my stay. For the first week of my stay rooms are $92 a night, and free dining is a good deal, but from my first weekend on, the rate varies from $100 - $125 a night, and I feel I could do better with a room discount. I did the math, and it would cost about the same to do either of these scenarios, assuming they have similar discounts next fall as they did this year;

1) Keep my reservation as it is, and just have the regular dining plan the whole time.

Or,

2) Stay the first week, and upgrade to the deluxe dining plan, then rebook the second week when room only discounts are released, and be without a dining plan.

Right now I'm leaning towards the second option, though I won't be changing anything until I know for sure I can get a deal on a room. But the first week is just a "regular" week at Disney, and I know I could easily use up a week's worth of credits on the deluxe plan by just eating at a signature restaurant each night. The second week of my trip should be during the Food and Wine Festival, which I'd want to attend several special events for, and I wouldn't have credits to worry about using. I'm one of those people who always feel I have to use every credit. I figure it will cost between $80 - $90 a night for a room with a discount, instead of the $115 - $140 I'll be paying with free dining. That means I would have to spend between $35 - $50 a day on food for it to be worth it. And I just don't see the value of it my second week.

Thoughts?

 

[Cafeen]

With the room cost, I'm assuming values, so free QSDP means a savings of ~$35 per night per adult. The standard room discounts are about 25%, so it's about the same for a solo adult at the later rate.

Personally, I'd stick with the Free Dining Plan for now, and see what comes up. Since those discounts aren't released yet, and you don't know if one will fall on the 2nd half of the trip, I'd certainly not do anything just yet.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Should've added, I'm paying an extra $15 a night, give or take a few dollars, to upgrade to the regular 1 CS - 1 TS a night plan.