the "free" $400 dining plan

[Cafeen]

How are you pricing "free dining" ? that offer expired in December?

He (judging by user name, don't shoot if I'm mistaken ) is pricing potential free dining. Since it has been historically offered some time in the Spring for late summer/fall dates. This year was different in that it was offered for Spring and Late Summer/Early Fall already, but there's always possibility for more offers. It's essentially a hypothetical "if it were offered" scenario.

And, for a family of 3, $50/day shouldn't be that horrible. Can budget in cereal and milk and other grocery type items for several meals (heck, can even bring a lot of that from home if driving) with a few of the larger/less pricey chains that were mentioned, so long as they don't go all out. It may be rough to keep under that estimate, but it's theoretically possible (or maybe more like plausible). (Would I like to do it? No, but that's just me).

Now, to be totally honest, if budget concerns will make or break the trip, there are other places to cut first (room category, resort, length of stay, even the actual dates you travel, some offsite meals, some grocery-based meals/snacks, etc) and see how that fits.

Granted, you didn't seem to be actually looking for advice, but rather "proof" that free dining isn't free (which it is... comparing apples to monkeys doesn't work too well). It is certainly not a deal that suits everyone, that's for sure (heck, I didn't use it last year as my resort had no more rooms on that offer, and the savings was less than $1 per night compared to room discount), and I think we can all agree on that .

In the end, do what best suits you and yours, and everyone around here will be more than happy to offer guidance, assistance, and advice should you need it (even if you don't! I think I can point to myself for that one )

 

[bumbershoot]

If we are NOT on the meal plan we normally eat quick service breakfasts & outside the park chains for dinner (Uno's, Outback, House of Blues, McD....) We would spend about $600 total.

About a $400 difference. Is it worth it? I dont know. On the dining plan we definately would be eating at nicers places, more fun places, places we normally would not eat, places that we could not afford to eat if paying our self.
Just something to think about.

We're a family of 3 as well. Except the child is only 6. We are vegetarian (so, apart from Victoria and Albert's, where we have NO interest in dining, we're getting lower cost entrees than if we were ominvores and ordering steaks etc), the adults tend to share food when at Disney, and we don't get many dessert-type foods at disney b/c they have ingredients that hubby and son cannot have. We're not "big" eaters.

I budgeted $100 per day plus $20 per day in tips. Which is about what the DDP would have cost us.

We didn't spend all of that, but we also bought the Tables in Wonderland card (we were upgrading to APs anyway, which is one of the two ways you qualify to buy that (the other way is being a FL resident) so we were getting 20% off our table service meals, which helped us come in below budget.

We went to Publix twice and had snacks for the villa and desserts and coffee etc. Used budgeted food money for those trips.

So $50 per day is super-low IMO. If you've done it, then you know yourselves...but if it's what you're hoping for...I'd put the budget up higher, especially with a teenager!



And I agree...no reason to have that no-expiration ticket if you're using the ticket entirely in this trip!

 

[markpenske]

Wow, lots of good feedback here. Thanks.
A couple things that I left off on my original post:
Our child is handicapped and is tube-feed, we bring all of his formula from home. So, when we eat out we are only paying for two, thats how we keep stay within our $50 per day amount ($15 coffee & bake goods for breakfast & $35 average for lupper)
So, it looks like the dining plan would cost us a little more but we would be eating better.

As for tickets: This is our 12th trip to WDW. Typically we stay 12 nights & only go to the parks 3 times per trip. 3 days is all my son can handle. We like to do a few other things and hang out at the resort and swim all day (my son's favorite part of the trip).
So, for us the 10 day non-exiring tickets makes sense.
I guess we could stay at a value resort but the Coronado is our favorite.
Lots to think about. Either way we'll have fun.
Life is good.

 

[Cafeen]

Wow, lots of good feedback here. Thanks.
A couple things that I left off on my original post:
Our child is handicapped and is tube-feed, we bring all of his formula from home. So, when we eat out we are only paying for two, thats how we keep stay within our $50 per day amount ($15 coffee & bake goods for breakfast & $35 average for lupper)
So, it looks like the dining plan would cost us a little more but we would be eating better.

As for tickets: This is our 12th trip to WDW. Typically we stay 12 nights & only go to the parks 3 times per trip. 3 days is all my son can handle. We like to do a few other things and hang out at the resort and swim all day (my son's favorite part of the trip).
So, for us the 10 day non-exiring tickets makes sense.
I guess we could stay at a value resort but the Coronado is our favorite.
Lots to think about. Either way we'll have fun.
Life is good.

Well then . That changes a ton. Looks like your plan is well suited to your family. Hope you all have a great time .

 

[lesabrowning]

It sounds as if you do know what you are talking about : )
If you would like to experiment with Disney restaurants, free dining is a good way to do it. I agree, either way you will have fun!

 

[DaParkers]

Don't forget the cost of gas. Driving to all of those places to eat for 12 days will not be free.

 

[kmedina]

With that extra bit of information, I would say do not get the dining plan. You would need to have your son on the plan, which he would not use at all. If you and your wife only eat a couple times a day, you will have a hard time using his credits. Even when dining is free, it is still wasteful to leave a lot of credits behind (especially of you passed on another discount to accept it). Since you rarely go into the parks, eating offsite will not cost as much in gas or time as I originally thought. You can still eat some meals inside the park on the few days you are there and just pay OOP.

Three days at a time will give you three trips, so keep the no expiration date option. Sounds like you have it all figured out. Have a good trip.

 

[mwatson011]

If you do add the dining plan, and your teenager won't use the credits, you and your wife are still entitled to use the credits, so maybe you could make it an all-out luxury trip with signature dining for the two of you. That would justify the extra cost if it seems like something you would not ordinarily do, but might enjoy. There are a lot of signature restaurants at the resorts, so you wouldn't have to go into the parks. Flying fish was our favorite, and it is right on the boardwalk, so that would be fun for everyone!

 

[DaParkers]

If you do add the dining plan, and your teenager won't use the credits, you and your wife are still entitled to use the credits, so maybe you could make it an all-out luxury trip with signature dining for the two of you. That would justify the extra cost if it seems like something you would not ordinarily do, but might enjoy. There are a lot of signature restaurants at the resorts, so you wouldn't have to go into the parks. Flying fish was our favorite, and it is right on the boardwalk, so that would be fun for everyone!

Good idea.