Disney with DDP or Free Nights advice needed

[Tracykph]

Hi, we are saving to stay on site in 2020. However having never stayed on site, we always stay in a villa as normally 4 of us; we are going around in circles on deciding what would be our best option. There will just be 2 of us this time and it will definitely be our only time on site. So our dilemma is DDP or not. We are not big eaters. When staying in a villa if we have Breakfast in then we eat out for Dinner, Lunch would be light such as a pastry and a drink. If we have a big breakfast out we may not eat again until about 5pm. DH is keen to try the DDP as there are a lot of places that we would like to eat at. However looking around on the internet there are some very good deals with the free days offer. This could be an option for us if available. We would like to stay at POFQ with DDP but could possibly stay at BC with free days. We would then need a car, as we would eat off site, cheaper if oop, so swings and roundabouts. Have any of you been in the same position as us and what did you decide to do?
Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks.

[disney_daddy]

You might be better off getting the the free rooms seen as they only two of you. We are a family of 4 so the dining works best for us at the moment. If I was you though to make sure I would price up where you want to eat then add that all up and compare the two prices.

[Shooby doo]

For 2020 it may be a moot point as yet again the "demise of free dining" rumour as resurfaced particularly in light of how busy they expect to be for SW land. But the dining rumour has been around since 2008 & is still there.
Looking at what you say your Dining habits are, then you aren't probably suited to DDP but it's a cost analysis exercise, generally the main difference between the 2 deals is the $200 gift card, you need to stay 7 to get 2 & 14 to get 4 & I think you would be saving approx. Ł80/day for QSDP plus whatever the upgrade cost is.
SD

[Tracykph]

Originally Posted by disney_daddy

You might be better off getting the the free rooms seen as they only two of you. We are a family of 4 so the dining works best for us at the moment. If I was you though to make sure I would price up where you want to eat then add that all up and compare the two prices.

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Thank you for your reply, I have got a spreadsheet with the restaurants listed, your advice was very helpful.

[Tracykph]

Originally Posted by Shooby doo

For 2020 it may be a moot point as yet again the "demise of free dining" rumour as resurfaced particularly in light of how busy they expect to be for SW land. But the dining rumour has been around since 2008 & is still there.
Looking at what you say your Dining habits are, then you aren't probably suited to DDP but it's a cost analysis exercise, generally the main difference between the 2 deals is the $200 gift card, you need to stay 7 to get 2 & 14 to get 4 & I think you would be saving approx. Ł80/day for QSDP plus whatever the upgrade cost is.
SD

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Thank you very much, plenty to think about.

[loldis]

All hypothetical because who knows what the 2020 offers will be yet, but basing on this year...

Free nights isn't always a good deal depending which resort, e.g. at the deluxe level I believe only AKL offered 2 free nights. The others were 1 free night, which at around Ł350 is no match for a week of free TS dining for two people. I think this was the same at all resort levels, only the cheapest resort in each category qualified for 2 nights - at least on the dates I was searching.

And as above, free nights only works best if you're staying exactly 7 or 14 nights. I was originally booked for 8 and then shortened to 6 nights. The extra day would have been no benefit and I dropped out of qualifying completely on the shorter trip. Where did still qualify for free dining since its minimum is only 5 nights.

We were booked into YC on free dining, I did a cost comparison (on 7 nights to be fair) once free nights came out and from memory I was at least Ł200 better off on free dining before even factoring in the gift card.

[toots82]

Now I dunno if this would work but... how about 1 week booked with your tickets with the free dining plan then 2nd week bc with free night? Booked separately but both linked to your mde. I'm not sure if you'd get a night free on a weeks stay but it's just a thought xx

Eta I'm not sure if free night have to be booked with tickets too in which case that scunners my idea lol

[magicofflorida]

Originally Posted by Shooby doo

For 2020 it may be a moot point as yet again the "demise of free dining" rumour as resurfaced particularly in light of how busy they expect to be for SW land. But the dining rumour has been around since 2008 & is still there.
Looking at what you say your Dining habits are, then you aren't probably suited to DDP but it's a cost analysis exercise, generally the main difference between the 2 deals is the $200 gift card, you need to stay 7 to get 2 & 14 to get 4 & I think you would be saving approx. Ł80/day for QSDP plus whatever the upgrade cost is.
SD

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I might have to rethink our plans then, I thought you get the $200 gift card for 5 nights stay?

[loldis]

Originally Posted by toots82

Now I dunno if this would work but... how about 1 week booked with your tickets with the free dining plan then 2nd week bc with free night? Booked separately but both linked to your mde. I'm not sure if you'd get a night free on a weeks stay but it's just a thought xx

Eta I'm not sure if free night have to be booked with tickets too in which case that scunners my idea lol

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Yes, you have to purchase tickets for free nights. It's better to split with a DVC points rental if you wanted to save on the resort costs. But either way, you'd have to cover food. Although after a week in the US, I'm always fooded out so could probably last the second one on scraps.

Originally Posted by magicofflorida

I might have to rethink our plans then, I thought you get the $200 gift card for 5 nights stay?

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I think they were two separate points. You get the gift card for early bookings on the free dining offer (5 nights minimum) but the free nights offer must be booked in even week amounts (7 or 14 nights) to gain the best value from it.

[loves2plan]

Originally Posted by loldis

Yes, you have to purchase tickets for free nights. It's better to split with a DVC points rental if you wanted to save on the resort costs. But either way, you'd have to cover food. Although after a week in the US, I'm always fooded out so could probably last the second one on scraps.

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You don't have to purchase tickets for the free nights offer. T&Cs if the offer from the Disney site:
(2)Free nights offer Stay in selected Disney Resort Hotels for between 7 and 13 nights and receive 1 of those nights free or stay for between 14 and 20 nights and receive 2 of those nights free. Stays of 21 nights will receive 3 of those nights free. Offer is available for bookings made between 14 Dec 2017 and 28 Mar 2018 for selected arrivals between 12 Feb - 24 Mar 2018, 06 Apr - 10 Jul 2018 and 23 Jul - 16 Dec 2018 (inclusive) for participating Value Resorts and 12 Feb - 24 Mar 2018 and 06 Apr - 16 Dec 2018 (inclusive) for participating Moderate, Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts. Stays are subject to room availability. Eligibility for the Free Night promotion requires minimum length of stay of seven consecutive nights, and a maximum of 21 consecutive nights at the same participating Disney Resort Hotel. Offer is only available for the booking party in its entirety. For the avoidance of doubt individuals from the booking party are not interchangeable. The number and type of rooms allocated to this offer are limited. This offer can be combined with other available Disney offers. Participating Disney Value Resorts: Disney’s Art of Animations Resort (excluding The Little Mermaid room types), Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Participating Disney Moderate Resorts: Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. Participating Disney Deluxe Resorts: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Contemporary Resort (excluding Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort), Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (excluding Villas and Bungalows), Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (excluding The Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa) and Disney’s Yacht Club. Participating Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas, Disney’s Beach Club Villas, Disney’s Boardwalk Villas, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Double Free Nights in selected Disney Resort Hotels - Stay for between 7 and 13 nights and receive 2 of those nights free or stay for between 14 and 20 nights and receive 4 of those nights free. Stays of 21 nights will receive 6 of those nights free. Applicable in the following Disney Resort Hotels: Disney’s Art of Animations Resort (excluding The Little Mermaid room types), Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. Offer excludes: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (Little Mermaid room types), Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter, Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.