Can someone explain Free dining for me?!

[loves2plan]

Originally Posted by J&C

Do you know when they usually discount the rooms? I've heard rumours of a December/January "sale" but i've never seen Disney do a sale before!

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For the past 3 years it's been mid December to the end of March. The past 2 years has been a free nights offer, the year before that was a room discount.

[J&C]

Originally Posted by loves2plan

For the past 3 years it's been mid December to the end of March. The past 2 years has been a free nights offer, the year before that was a room discount.

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Thanks for the info, we must've missed it on previous years! We're waiting to book the YC, looks like we'll have to hold out until the new year. Thanks!

[pamela1960]

Originally Posted by sha9

But it is free when the offer is on. You get dining plan free but pay full price for the room. If you don't want to do that you can wait for a room discount.
And it's hardly "basic meals". All dining plans cover enough food for all 3 meals and you don't need to pre-book all meals. You make it sound like Disney allocate you a time to eat!

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No, at a time you book.
By basic I mean in the value for money.
Off site your dollar gets more.
I do eat at Disney from time to time but it does, and always has been, to be on the high side and they try to move people on asap to get the next guests in.
If people stay on site to eat they tend to stay for the entire vacation and by doing so tend not to have a car to venture out. Some will factor that saving into their vacation.So it is, and always has been, a matter of opinion.

[sha9]

Originally Posted by pamela1960

No, at a time you book.
By basic I mean in the value for money.
Off site your dollar gets more.
I do eat at Disney from time to time but it does, and always has been, to be on the high side and they try to move people on asap to get the next guests in.
If people stay on site to eat they tend to stay for the entire vacation and by doing so tend not to have a car to venture out. Some will factor that saving into their vacation.So it is, and always has been, a matter of opinion.

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It's never been a cost saving over an offsite stay for us though. It's about wanting to stay onsite anyway and therefore taking their free food. We could wait for a room discount but we find free dining better value. You're right, it is a matter of opinion but free dining is definitely free if you plan on staying onsite anyway. I would never advise anyone to do it over offsite to save money though.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by pamela1960

No, at a time you book.
By basic I mean in the value for money.

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Considering it's free, then it is very good value for money.

You pay the standard price for the room and tickets and get all your food for nothing. Yes, staying onsite is more expensive - but that's true everywhere.

And if you get the QSDP (which was plenty of food for us) then you don't book anything. Even with the DDP you only book some of the meals, not the majority.

[Brundlemouse]

Thanks everyone! It's 4 adults and one child (infant not counted) but yes I did mean 2017 and forgot it had already lapsed, I was confusing myself with my many many workings out. I'll look at the discounts when they appear.

I actually usually stay offsite and previously always recommended people do so but this November, with just two of us, we spent so much money offsite ($36 for two medium pizzas from Pizza Hut?!), everything seemed more expensive, not even just the exchange rate, the actual prices, even in Walmart... so I was just curious to compare. If the margin is getting smaller then I may as well have the onsite convenience! If we can even afford to go back!

[scoobydooby]

Originally Posted by Brundlemouse

Thanks everyone! It's 4 adults and one child (infant not counted) but yes I did mean 2017 and forgot it had already lapsed, I was confusing myself with my many many workings out. I'll look at the discounts when they appear.

I actually usually stay offsite and previously always recommended people do so but this November, with just two of us, we spent so much money offsite ($36 for two medium pizzas from Pizza Hut?!), everything seemed more expensive, not even just the exchange rate, the actual prices, even in Walmart... so I was just curious to compare. If the margin is getting smaller then I may as well have the onsite convenience! If we can even afford to go back!

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You are quite right. You need to do the maths. On site may remove the need for a car and car parking and petroleum. But the room is more expensive. Again. A room discount may be better value than 'free' dining. Then after the sums are done it's personal preference. Do you prefer onsite or off. Number of people in the room affects the value of any deal as well. Just thinking free dining is a good deal per se is simply not necessarily true. It might me and we have done it many times. Others I've waited for a room discount. Do. The. Maths!

[sha9]

Originally Posted by Brundlemouse

Thanks everyone! It's 4 adults and one child (infant not counted) but yes I did mean 2017 and forgot it had already lapsed, I was confusing myself with my many many workings out. I'll look at the discounts when they appear.

I actually usually stay offsite and previously always recommended people do so but this November, with just two of us, we spent so much money offsite ($36 for two medium pizzas from Pizza Hut?!), everything seemed more expensive, not even just the exchange rate, the actual prices, even in Walmart... so I was just curious to compare. If the margin is getting smaller then I may as well have the onsite convenience! If we can even afford to go back!

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If you've missed free dining the saving may not be that great. Part of the attraction of free dining is that food is taken care of so you're not worrying about what you're eating. The room discount make onsite cheaper but doesn't take away the expense of food.

[Brundlemouse]

Yes I agree... I think I'll wait it out and see what deals are around in the Jan sales and if tickets go down as rumored! :-)

[scoobydooby]

Originally Posted by sha9

If you've missed free dining the saving may not be that great. Part of the attraction of free dining is that food is taken care of so you're not worrying about what you're eating. The room discount make onsite cheaper but doesn't take away the expense of food.

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This depends. My next trip with my DD with free dining at a moderate upgraded to full dining plan has cost slightly more than we spent with a room discount at AKL, a deluxe hotel and buying our food out of pocket eating at a table service and QS daily. If there had been four of us free dining would have been better but as it is we got a better hotel and the same food with a room discount. I would have preferred that this time but it would have meant taking a chance on the room discounts coming out and booking close to travelling which was too big a risk. The trip I did it was a last minute affair but my point is the room discount was of equal value in our scenario to free dining. Must. Do. The. Maths!