We just booked .....

[j71]

Trip #4 for our 14yr old and #2 for our 5 (will be 6) yr old....yay!

And...I.....Have some questions, hoping you can help.

Last year we stayed POR ....had no idea about free meal (Dining Plus?) plan but was offered it when my wife called in for some questions a few months after we booked....great offer, huge surprise...

We just booked All Star Resorts for Dec 2nd arrival. I also (not sure if this was mistake here or not) included the dining plus with our package. (over budget!)

Should i cancel the plan off and wait for codes or free offer? What would be our best chances to get the free dining plan....how...? and we hope for the plus dining like last time....we ate great!

Should i aslso consider going back to POR over the Value resort for better chances with the dining plus plan?

Thanks all....Appreciat the support!

j71
New Jersey

 

[Tomh]

Congrats on the upcoming trip!

Let's see if I can help some.

The free dining plan that was offered at POR was the "normal" DDP. That consist of one quick service, one table service, and one snack for each person in your room, for each NIGHT you stay.

POR is a MODERATE resort. When free dining is offered, MODERATES generally get the DDP.

All Stars is a VALUE resort. VALUE resorts typically receive the Quick Service Dining Plan (QSP), which gives TWO quick service meals per person, per night.

I don't think you'll have any better chance at getting the free dining at POR than you will at All Stars. However, POR will likely be the DDP, and All Stars will be the QSP.

If you stay at All Stars, and get free dining, you can pay the difference between the price of the QSP and the DSP and get upgraded to the DSP. If you prefer POR though, then perhaps it wouldn't cost a whole lot more to stay there and get the DDP free as opposed to staying at All Stars, and upgrading from QSP to DDP. You would have to look into the prices to see what the actual difference is.

Watch here for an announcement if / when the Free Dining is available, and call to get it as soon as possible, and you should have no problem getting it at either resort.

 

[DisGirl1971]

Last year we stayed POR ....had no idea about free meal (Dining Plus?) plan but was offered it when my wife called in for some questions a few months after we booked....great offer, huge surprise...

We just booked All Star Resorts for Dec 2nd arrival. I also (not sure if this was mistake here or not) included the dining plus with our package. (over budget!)

Should i cancel the plan off and wait for codes or free offer? What would be our best chances to get the free dining plan....how...? and we hope for the plus dining like last time....we ate great!

Should i aslso consider going back to POR over the Value resort for better chances with the dining plus plan?

Disney has been offering various weeks for Free Dining discounts/promos for the last 8 years. These FD promos are, generally, offered across the board for all the resort, though some room categories at certain resort may be blacked out. The Free Dining promo for August/September are usually announced in late March or early April. The October through December free dining dates are usuaully announced by Disney around mid-summer, usually July. If you are trying to save the most money with a Free Dining offer, it will save you more money to stay at the All-Star value resort and pay the difference to upgrade to the Basis/Plus Dining Plan over the Quick Service Dining Plan that comes free with the values. The Port Orleans rooms are still so much more expensive per night, so financially speaking, the value resort is still cheaper, even with the upgrade amount factored in.

Here is a link to a thread here on the Disboards that has all of Free Dining booking information, past Free Dining dates and release dates:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2771101

Also, you will be cutting it close with the December check-in date, but I think you will be okay. In 2010 December 2 - 9 were blacked out for Free Dining and in 20122 December 3 - 9 was blacked out for Free Dining dates. As long as you check in by the last day of a Free Dining promo you can have the discount applied to your entire stay, up to 14 nights. But, if you read that entire thread that I linked, it will tell you all of your Free Dining options.