what's the big deal about free dining????

[rdevine10]

Our favorite times of the year to go are Sept and May anyways. We enjoy the Sept weather (call me crazy).... but its also great pool weather!

This trip we will stay at Pop 8 nights.... Sept 26 to Oct 4 (we booked FD on bounceback). 2 adults, 2 kids (5 & 3), we save about $800 for 8 nights. We would do 1 TS daily anyways. We like the DP, so we would of purchased it, and we would of gone this time of year anyways. To me the late Sept weather is MUCH nicer than the July/Aug weather, and the crowds are less.

There can be good deals with otehr promotions, I totally agree. Depending on a lot of factors, FD isnt always the best deal. If we were staying deluxe it wouldnt be!

 

[auntie]

I was pricing out Sept..last week, vs. May..where the discounts are few(other than AP..and even then the Thurs. before Memorial Day and through out that weekend are blacked out...which would be the only time we could go in May.). There is a HUGE savings going in Septmeber..not only the dining being free X's 5 people..but also the rack rates are less than they are in May. If we went in May we'd only get a discount(if there were any left for four of the seven days..and then pay holiday rates).

As far as weather, I've never been the end of September, but have been in August many times...I don't imagine it could be hotter than the middle of July or August.
I've also never gone during a "free dining" offer, and I'd be somewhat concerned about the crowds. Our last few trips have been in May..weather was great..and crowds were very managable.

 

[Gillian]

8 nights pop, hopper and dining plan 2 adults and 2 kids,6 and 7, standard room, mid november 2007, $2248, this year sept during free dining, $2050 exact same stuff...

If your kids were older, your package would cost more and thus the savings for free dining would be greater. If you estimate that it's $25 more for an "adult" than for a child and figure it out over 8 nights x 2, that's $400 additional you'd save with the free dining. It's actually closer to $450.

The adult rate starts at 11, right? So anyone with teens or tweens will benefit more than those of us with younger kids.

 

[MosMom]

We enjoy going during the Halloween party and the F&WF. We booked Sept. 19th - 28th at ASMusic. This is actually our favorite time of the year to go.

We booked the free dining for 9 nights for: $1780

Booking the same time period for 9 nights with the dining plan and paying full price for it: $2872

$1092 savings. That is pretty substantial IMO.

 

[tmccullough]

We always travel to WDW the week of Labor Day. We've been unable to obtain a PIN for a great discount so free dining is a no brainer for us. We saved over $500 over the course of 4 days.

Hey, we're looking into going Labor Day week and have never gone that time of the year with free dining. How packed is it????

 

[planplan]

If your kids were older, your package would cost more and thus the savings for free dining would be greater. If you estimate that it's $25 more for an "adult" than for a child and figure it out over 8 nights x 2, that's $400 additional you'd save with the free dining. It's actually closer to $450.

The adult rate starts at 11, right? So anyone with teens or tweens will benefit more than those of us with younger kids.

100% correct!! when the kids get older then i will notice more of a savings. i am only paying i think $12 for the dining.

 

[esdras]

that was a visa package discount that i received that rate with last year. i thought it was a great deal for the 2nd week of nov. it was opened to the general public also like every other discount. Going again in 2009 and looking forward to planning another trip!

Okay - that makes FAR more sense now. Yes, that was a very good package deal.

In this case, it makes the comparison somewhat easier.

Effectively, Rack Rate at POP with the package you want (8 nights, dining and hopper tickets) will be higher mid-November than in late August or September.

However, the package discount you got brought the price down significantly. Essentially, the difference between paying rack rate for the identical package you wanted in Regular vs. Value Season for your length of stay is around $160 - the difference of about $20/night more in terms of room cost - tickets and dining price remain the same between both seasons.

Since you know you "save" roughly $770 on Free Dining for your family, any November package deal that discounts about the same amount is a good deal.

Essentially, with your length of stay, you should expect to pay at least $150 more for a package in November vs. a package in Aug-Sep - if a Nov. deal closer in price to a Aug-Sep promo than that - you have made out like a bandit!

However, if - as you say - you prefer both the crowds and temps in November (and I definitely agree that the weather will be far better) - perhaps a difference of $150-$200 is well worth it to you.

Thanks for providing the info - it does make a lot more sense now.

 

[Disneylvr]

We enjoy going during the Halloween party and the F&WF. We booked Sept. 19th - 28th at ASMusic. This is actually our favorite time of the year to go.

We booked the free dining for 9 nights for: $1780

Booking the same time period for 9 nights with the dining plan and paying full price for it: $2872

$1092 savings. That is pretty substantial IMO.

I agee, that is quite a savings but 30-40% discount codes, AP rates... are typically available during that time of year. Can a guest save more $$ using the discount codes OR booking the free dining package? I guess it depends on family size, resort choice etc... But to me that time of year is too hot, hours too short and it's hurricane season and not worth it. Just my opinion of course! I am glad so many can take advantage of the free dining.

 

[momatater]

This is how it worked out for us. We made our plans to return to Disney this Sept.... last October....shortly after our return from our yearly Sept. trip. We stay at club level and never get any codes or discounts. I made my normal amount of ADR's at our 180 day mark (6 for an 8 night stay), and when the free dining offer came out, it was a no brainer for us. I don't pay for the dp because we don't eat that many table service/counter service meals because we can snack at the lounge, so free dining is money in my pocket that I would have already been spending. Oh, and I don't feel guilty leaving any credits behind....cuz I didn't pay for them!!!

 

[kimsuenew]

I priced it out and it's only a savings of $200 compared to my last years trip with the dining paid for. I understand if sept was the time of year you wanted to go but to go in nov. when it's cooler for $200 more is well worth the money to me. i guess i hope everyone knows that there are other great deals out there also to be watched for!!!!

We would have to pay for three basic DDP out of pocket daily, which is over $100.00 a day and we are staying 14 days (13 nights), therefore our savings were above $1300.00!

We are staying preferred at Pop, which is $94.00 a night. What we pay to stay there is less than what the cost of our DDP would be!

We will eat TS places we never would have without the free DDP, we have ADR's at CRT, Boma, Coral Reef, Le Cellier, 50's PT, and so on! While we would have to eat regardless, it would have been all CS and no TS, we simply would not have had the money for them!

For us, the September free DDP is a "no brainer"! Yes it is hot and humid but in Ohio we are used to that! We plan ahead and make all ADR's in advance, so the crowds do not impact us much.

 

[rockin_rep]

We did FD last year (labor day week) and did not find the crowds to be
very bad. This year we are going in November and when FD came out I had to think really hard about switching. Yes, we would save quite a bit of money, but I can remember being very happy that I was at Disney, but unhappy because of the constant stream of sweat rolling down my back. I don't do well in the heat! Also, when it is that hot, I really don't feel like eating very much! So I decided to stick with November. We would have saved about $700 dollars with the dining plan, but if I'm miserable, what's the point????

I am glad that they are offering the FD though, so that others can get to experience more on their trips!!

LOL, exactly - we're the same way.

What price do we put on comfort? Alot. I'd rather spend a bit more and go when the temps are nice, not in hurricane season, and not have whining kids - or parents

Bottom line - there's no such thing as a "free lunch". You pay somehow - and disney knows it -they are masters at marketing!

With FD you're paying alright, by simply GOING at that time of year.

Otherwise, attendance would be nothing.

 

[DnB925Art]

I have to agree also with planplan and others about FD vs going in November. I have 2 children (2 YO and infant at the time of travel) and we'll be staying at the WL. The price of the trip in September 3-9 with the FDR vs price of trip going November 30-6 was less than a $100 difference, but if you go with 2 very young kids and the weather is 100+ w/80+% humidity in September (and possibility of Hurricanes) vs less humid and milder temperatures in November/December, I think they'll just not enjoy it too much and my wife would totally hate it as she is very heat and humidity sensitive.

They were the same plans with Dining , 7 day park hopper tix, etc. The only dfference was one was priced with the FD, and the other was priced with AAA discount plus lower rates for that season. For that much of a rate difference I'll take the milder weather. Plus Disney looks great during Xmas time esp. the WL and how they decorate it for Xmas. My kids would get a kick out of that! I think the ambience of Xmas time plus the milder weather is what sold me to go in November/December vs going in September.

Oh yeah and one more thing to mention is the possibility of even deeper discounts that may come out in August which would discount the November/December trip even more than the AAA rate as well!

 

[disneychick0412]

LOL, exactly - we're the same way.

What price do we put on comfort? Alot. I'd rather spend a bit more and go when the temps are nice, not in hurricane season, and not have whining kids - or parents

Bottom line - there's no such thing as a "free lunch". You pay somehow - and disney knows it -they are masters at marketing!

With FD you're paying alright, by simply GOING at that time of year.

Otherwise, attendance would be nothing.

Comfort=priceless

Besides that, by going in November we are going to MVMCP!!

 

[brenalexacamp]

me and my sis went last year with 3 teens
stayed at POR ,hopper passes in AUGUST! right befere the kids went back to school.-only time we could go-kids activities and work-gets impossible to take them out of school when they are teens-we knew it would be hot

bonus-free dining

we eat! we took breakfast stuff-had a counter service usually at night-10ish-to eat in the room
we used table service for 2,3-4 o'clock times

my kids loved the calamari, all the apps, fish, steaks, we saved about 1500.00

to go to a table service and order whatever we wanted without looking at the price was a vacation.




I am lucky to be going with my friend and her family in may-they don't eat like that so it would stress them out knowing they had to get to a table service when they would be perfectly happy with a turkey leg

 

[tkitty]

I wish I was doing the FD this year. We really felt it was a good deal, because we tried resterants that we would never had done otherwise.
There was no "Where do you want to eat?" every night, and worrying if we could get in. Of course, with ADRs, we could plan out that part, but I wouldn't be able to eat out each night. We felt special, going to all the themed places and never looking at prices. It was like being a celebrity!
It added to the Disney magic!

I don't think I would pay for FD because I'm kind of cheap. So I love free dining.

 

[DisneyGuess]

If we were going this year, (which we aren't, please, please FD next Sept!), We would be saving $1665.51 over 7 nights for 6 adults and 1 child.
Definately worth it for our family. Much better than a 40% code for us, which on 3 rooms would save us $778.34. FD is more than double that saving and not having to spend much money on food is a huge plus.

 

[Maliki2]

I saved roughly $450 with free dining. Last year we did the same thing, and although it was a ton a food, its nice knowing we will have plenty to eat!!

 

[WithFaith50]

The big deal is that it is an excellent excuse for an additional trip to Disney World, !! The weather does not matter to us as we don’t do the parks hard core anymore. As a matter of fact we have trips planned for the last week of July and the second week of December (my favorite vacation time!)

BTW…It would be nice if I could get some of those 20%-40% pin codes, but unfortunately, I have NEVER gotten one.

 

[DnB925Art]

For me the price difference is negligible since my kids are both under 3 so they eat "free" with us (actually my 2 YO does as our infant will still be nursing/bottle feeding) if we pay out of pocket for the DDP. That's how it's only less than $100 difference for me with the same exact plans (both have dining for November and for September) but the discounts are applied differently (September would be FD and November/December would be out of pocket DDP but AAA discount applied). If we had gone with older kids or other adults in our party, then I bet the FD promo would net us bigger price differences. I was there during those hot humid months and it was hard enough on me.

To me, the confort of my young children and heat sesitive wife and having that Xmasy ambience during that time of year is worth the extra ~$100, plus I still get to eat using the DDP!

 

[minnie61650]

Free Dining is a big saving when Families are staying at a value resort.


Rack rate for a value room during value season is $82 a night.
We have 2 adults in 1 room and 3 adults in another room.

Total Price of 2 rooms= $164
Tolal price of DDP if we paiid for it would be about be $40 per adult
$40x 5= $200

So our free dining really is FREE!