Free Dining 8/28-9/24

[MeganK123]

I just recieved an email from Disney Visa that they are doing Free Dining plan on packages for travel 8/28-9/24 (we check in on 9/26, darn it). Must be for at least 5 nights.

Free quick service for value and regular dining for moderates, deluxe and deluxe villa.

The package opens to the general public on 5/2, and must book by 8/27.

I just got it and am reading through it, let me know if you have any questions.

Megan

[jilly7896]

I check in on 9/25. I'm playing with numbers to see if it's worth checking in a day ahead. Thanks!

[josh]

Thanks!

[4mickeyfreax]

I understand this is available now for Disney Visa cardholders, as well. Code: I25 for Value resorts and O2M for moderates and above

[MeganK123]

I check in on 9/25. I'm playing with numbers to see if it's worth checking in a day ahead. Thanks!

Would checking in early mean that the discount could be applied to the entire vacation?

[jilly7896]

Would checking in early mean that the discount could be applied to the entire vacation?

As far as I know, as long as you are checking in within the dates listed, it will carry through your whole trip. I need to confirm that though. According to my 'Disney Math'. It would cost me $17 to add an extra night to my check with the free dining! I need to check with the rest of the group to see if they can do that!!

[MeganK123]

Yeah I am going to do some math as well, I check-in to Royal Pacific on 9/24 to do US and check into CSR on 9/26 to 10/1.

[josh]

As far as I know, as long as you are checking in within the dates listed, it will carry through your whole trip. I need to confirm that though. According to my 'Disney Math'. It would cost me $17 to add an extra night to my check with the free dining! I need to check with the rest of the group to see if they can do that!!

Who cares what they can do! BOOK IT!!!

[stevenmilz]

Pardon my ignorance on this "free dining" subject, but I have a question. I've seen the free dining offers before but never really looked into it as it wasn't during our visit timeframes. This one is -- we'll be there 9/10 thru 9/17. So how really does this work? Currently we have a 1BR at BLT using the FL resident "room-only rate" discount. As four out of the five travelers have FL seasonal passes, we only need to get a ticket for my dad joining us from PA. We don't have DDP for this trip (not eligible with the room-only rate unless we add a ticket for each traveler), but will have our TIW subscription by then which will probably be just as good as if we purchased DDP.

Am I to assume that in order to take advantage of the free dining, I'd have to scrap my current reservation and look into a package deal that would include the room (probably at a much higher rate), tickets for everyone, and then the free dining?

[MichaelColey]

You would have to book at rack rate (and add tickets), so it would probably be considerably more than just adding the DDP.

[jilly7896]

Am I to assume that in order to take advantage of the free dining, I'd have to scrap my current reservation and look into a package deal that would include the room (probably at a much higher rate), tickets for everyone, and then the free dining?

I believe that is correct. You can only have 1 discount applied to your reservation, so you would need to remove the room only discount to apply the free dining.

[stevenmilz]

OK, thanks for the info. That what I thought, so it definitely does not make sense for us.

[jilly7896]

OK, thanks for the info. That what I thought, so it definitely does not make sense for us.

no, I'm sure you are getting a much better discount already!

P.S. I went to Penn State... only for 2 semesters, but I did go!

[mousehelper]

Sometimes free dining is a great deal... But...

Consider that Disney exists to make money. So -- they are not sitting around saying--- 'oh, we'll lose a lot of money with this free dining thing, but oh, wouldn't it be lovely of us to offer this to these nice folks?'
Nope. They know they want X from you. They will offer you free dining and you pay rack rate for your room. Or they will offer you a great discount on your room and have you pay for dining. Either way-- they know they are getting about X.
Never fall easily for marketing... especially from a mouse!

[ejs1027]

As long as you arrive on the last day of the promotion you are entitled to it for your entire stay. We have done the with FREE DINING 2 years in a row.

[jilly7896]

Sometimes free dining is a great deal... But...

Consider that Disney exists to make money. So -- they are not sitting around saying--- 'oh, we'll lose a lot of money with this free dining thing, but oh, wouldn't it be lovely of us to offer this to these nice folks?'
Nope. They know they want X from you. They will offer you free dining and you pay rack rate for your room. Or they will offer you a great discount on your room and have you pay for dining. Either way-- they know they are getting about X.
Never fall easily for marketing... especially from a mouse!

We have the dining plan currently with the kids stay and play free. Free dining is the better discount, so If I get everything I want AND an additional night in Disney for only $17! It's a good deal for me :)

[blyday]

Sometimes free dining is a great deal... But...

Consider that Disney exists to make money. So -- they are not sitting around saying--- 'oh, we'll lose a lot of money with this free dining thing, but oh, wouldn't it be lovely of us to offer this to these nice folks?'
Nope. They know they want X from you. They will offer you free dining and you pay rack rate for your room. Or they will offer you a great discount on your room and have you pay for dining. Either way-- they know they are getting about X.
Never fall easily for marketing... especially from a mouse!

So true!!!! What is amazing to me is that most people see the free dining promo and are certain that it is the best discount ever offered. However, especially with deluxe resorts, a room discount is actually the better deal by a long shot!!!! I've had clients where I've had to prove to them 3 different ways that they are saving more money by using a room discount and paying for their dining then paying rack rate for the room and getting free dining. That word "free" carries so much more power then 35-40% off!!! Just think of how many people who don't have a TA who really knows what they are doing or who don't belong to a website like this one that are so excited to get that "free dining" and end up paying hundreds of dollars more then they would have if they'd understood the discounts!!!!

Oh and Steve......even if you didn't have APs and were getting tickets.....I guarantee that you would be saving more money on a 1-bedroom with your room discount then you ever would with the Free Dining......so you've got the best deal!!!!

[jilly7896]

As long as you arrive on the last day of the promotion you are entitled to it for your entire stay. We have done the with FREE DINING 2 years in a row.

Thats what I thought. Thanks!

[MichaelColey]

The last two or three years, we did 14 day trips that started a few days before the free dining promotion ended. We got "free dining" for the whole trip.

It was a phenomenal deal, when you could get it with Value resorts (and even better when it included appetizers and tips), but now it's just a mediocre deal. As others have pointed out, it's almost always a BAD deal if you stay in a Deluxe.

[yayasue]

We check in on 9/24, does free dining apply to us?

I'm wondering if free dining is better than the kids stay and play free promo? I'm pretty sure that's what we're booked for...

[MichaelColey]

If you check in on 9/24, it does apply for your whole trip.

It's almost definitely a better deal, but it'll depend on the length of your stay, how many kids, how many adults, etc.

[yayasue]

If you check in on 9/24, it does apply for your whole trip.

It's almost definitely a better deal, but it'll depend on the length of your stay, how many kids, how many adults, etc.

Thanks! That is great :) I will have to check everything out. We are staying 7 nights, 2 adults, 3 kids(6,3 and 1, so 2 paying kids)

[blyday]

Thanks! That is great :) I will have to check everything out. We are staying 7 nights, 2 adults, 3 kids(6,3 and 1, so 2 paying kids)

That is the key thing to do.....check it out!!! Whenever a new discount comes out, you should always check to see if it will save you money over what you currently have booked. If it doesn't then stick with what you have, if it does, then book with the new promo.

[MichaelColey]

Thanks! That is great :) I will have to check everything out. We are staying 7 nights, 2 adults, 3 kids(6,3 and 1, so 2 paying kids)

I'm not exactly sure how the "kids stay free" promotion works, but I'm guessing that you pay rack rate on the room and the park passes for the kids are free.

If that's the case, two kid's passes are roughly $240 each, so you're saving $480 (but paying full rack rate on the room).

If you want free dining, you'll have to pay the $480 for the two extra passes, but you'll get meals for all four of you for a week. I think that normally runs about $850.

You might also want to look at room discounts (and paying out of pocket for the dining plan or skipping it altogether) to see how those compare. I don't know that there are any room discounts for September at this time, but there may be as it gets closer (typically 2-4 months out). They'll probably be 20-40% off, depending on the resort. For Deluxe and sometime Moderate, those are usually the best deals.

[Brandie]

You might also want to look at room discounts (and paying out of pocket for the dining plan or skipping it altogether) to see how those compare. I don't know that there are any room discounts for September at this time, but there may be as it gets closer (typically 2-4 months out). They'll probably be 20-40% off, depending on the resort. For Deluxe and sometime Moderate, those are usually the best deals.

Here's the offers for room only discounts that I was able to dig up!

http://www.easywdw.com/forums/showth...m-Only-Savings