When you get FD, do you then upgrade your resort or room?

[JJsmama]

We're all so thrilled to discover we can save money by getting Free Dining. I am wondering how many of you then decide to use the savings move up a resort category or to upgrade your room to a 'better view", thereby erasing the savings?

I guess it is all part of the WDW planning Addiction. I know I have this sickness.

 

[Sue M]

No, paying rack rate to get free dining, I don't upgrade my room. Paying rack rate is more then enough!!
With a moderate, it isn't worth upgrading room view, I just stick with Garden View.
If we stay Deluxe we don't get free dining, it cost less for us to book with a % discount and buy DDP. This past 2 trips we've gone without DDP, and we find we have saved $, we still eat CS & TS daily, we just don't eat the most expensive thing on the menu, don't like pop, so have water, and don't eat 2 desserts + a snack daily.

 

[MMS1125]

I will do a mod over a value with FD since we would upgrade dining anyways. Maybe even a deluxe if it's worth it to us. We're 5 so usually FD is better than a room discount but it hurts paying rack rate even with FD for a deluxe.

 

[musicmantrs]

I got FD value and then upgraded to Full dining and then I talked myself into upgrading into a mod. My cheap vacation took about a $500 increase.

 

[minnie mum]

Free dining is no bargain for us. We wait until we can get a room only discount. This almost always will save us more money than FD. And we book the room upgrades we want at the time of booking. That way we know we won't be disappointed by lack of availability (FD is usually not available for all room categories).

 

[kddisney502]

When I choose FD it's because it's a better deal than the room discount. I never make it a point to upgrade my room type anytime I get a discount (FD or room discount). But sometimes when the discounts are announced the standard rooms are not offered or already booked. So I have to upgrade to a slightly better view to get the discount. I've lucked out though, each time I haven't paid much more than I was expecting to get the discount and the view/room type has been worth the upcharge.

 

[Mousemommy1]

The one time that we used Free Dining, we did decide to stay moderate instead of value. We were saving a good $1200 for the four of us, so paying a couple hundred more to upgrade to moderate wasnt a big deal, because we were still saving money. Plus, we wanted the regular DDP versus the QS that was offered at values, so that's another reason we chose to upgrade on that trip.

 

[Missytara]

Nope, I always take the savings and do something special on the trip; like a spa day.

 

[CareHeartsDisney]

Last year, I initially booked WL. I stayed there years ago and knew the kids would love it. After getting free dining, I switched to the Poly for about the same price. Since the rooms sleep 5, we decided to bring my mother along. It was her 1st time to WDW. We ended up saving about $230/night with 5 Disney adults.

 

[clanmcculloch]

The first time I tried a moderate over a value was because of free dining. When doing the math comparing value + upgrade to DDP + fridge rental to moderate (DDP and fridge included) for 4 people, there was only a $200 difference for a 12 night stay so it seemed like a no-brainer to us.

These days I typically don't book until there's some kind of deal I can be happy with and I evaluate the overall cost with the discount when choosing my resort. I don't upgrade but I do consider the cost compared to what I'm getting. I don't see the discount as meaning I can now afford more. I see it as bringing my trip into the price range I'm willing to pay for what I'm getting.

 

[Masonmj84]

For our upcoming trip, I originally booked a mod (CSR).

When FD came out, I applied it to our existing reservation but it didn't cover our first two nights. So I had to book a room only for those nights.

Then when AP room discounts came out, I switched our existing reservations to Poly and BC (if free dining had covered all of our nights at CSR, however, I might have stayed put).

So, yes, I ended up upgrading. But I went with AP room discounts instead of free dining.

 

[davedmaine]

Believe me you're not saving with free dining...

 

[Mousemommy1]

Believe me you're not saving with free dining...

Really?

That's kind of an unfair statement. Depending our your situation, free dining may very well be a better savings. For instance, take a family of four and assume they are going to purchase the DDP no matter what. Typical room discounts are about 30% (at most) for values.

I ran numbers for a hypothetical trip in April 2013

A 5 night stay ay POP costs $737 rack rate. A 30% discount yields you a $221.10 discount, but you still have to pay for the DDP which costs $727.50. If you take the rack rate and get DDP free, that's a much bigger savings over a room discount.

And, in considering whether to upgrade (assuming that this family has a set budget they are willing to spend), CBR books for $1114 those same dates, so with free DDP, you are only looking at $337 to "upgrade" resorts and still get the free DDP. Makes it much more attractive of course.

Not every discount works for all people. If it doesn't work for you, great, but someone with different circumstances may find it to be a great savings! I know we did in one situation. We have opted for room discounts the past few years but FD can be a great thing!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

You failed to consider the mark up on the hotel which is worth about half of what Disney charges. So to get FRRE you pay


If you came across a concrete block exterior corridor hotel with the 'service' Pop provides anywhere else it's a $60 a night room. 5 nights is $300.

 

[Mousemommy1]

You failed to consider the mark up on the hotel which is worth about half of what Disney charges. So to get FRRE you pay LOL

Well, there is no way around that if you want to stay onsite.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I agree but acting like free dining is a deal without realizing the 'rack rate' is a ripoff is bizarre

 

[GreenCntryGirl]

I agree but acting like free dining is a deal without realizing the 'rack rate' is a ripoff is bizarre

Bizarre why? I had it wrong and someone explained it me the other day. Nothing bizarre about it.

Now I understand it more clearly. Some of us are still on a learning curve.

 

[TwoAtDisney]

DavedMaine & OrangeCountyCommuter, if your don't mind, please explain how free dining is never a better deal than the Special Offer Room Discount? I'm really interested in knowing how you calculate it, because 3 years in a row that has not been my result. Am I not computing correctly!

We booked POFQ in Aug 2012. We watched for a price drop but didn't get one. We anxiously awaited for the "up to 30%" off special.

Free DDP came along (just like in 2010 & 2011). We added it to our POFQ reservation for the same rate we booked in Aug. We still watched for a room price drop - none came.

Then, "up to 30%" off Special Offer came. I went to Disney online. Clicked onto that "Special Offer". Put in our dates & POFQ. The difference in price from our Aug price was $80. In 2011, the difference was $60. I even called Disney reservations to be sure I had gotten the Special Offer rate - I had.

So, I just don't get the references to the "inflated" rack rates for free DDP? I know we would spend more than $80 for food during a 6 nite stay. Therefore, we kept the free DDP, even though we don't really care about having it - just seemed financially unsound not to get it.

 

[dansdad]

 

[Mousemommy1]

I agree but acting like free dining is a deal without realizing the 'rack rate' is a ripoff is bizarre

I completely realize, and agree, that the Disney rack rates are high...but that is a moot point in this discussion, because we are assuming that the person considering the options has already decided to stay on site.

The other option is to stay off site, at which point, the DDP isn't even an option.

So, again, assuming that the person has already decided to pay to stay onsite at Disney, and wants to get the DDP regardless...my previous argument.

This isn't a thread about why rack rates at Disney aren't fair.