'Free' Disney Dining

[loves2plan]

Originally Posted by MrsMoney

Whilst I wish that was the case, I was comparing standard rooms only as that's all you need at Beach Club. It's well known that you pay rack rate for rooms when free dining is running. I shall compare again next year as I have personally never seen a cheaper price when free dining is running than when it isn't (bar blackout dates for obvious reasons).

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I can't explain it then. All I know is that I've been tracking pre, during and post prices since 2012 and have never seen the sort of price increase you have mentioned. If anything, prices seem to reduce a bit.

[HEMANCLOFTY]

We always keep an eye on prices in the run up to Free Dining, and find they are pretty much the same before and after Free Dining is released.

For us, we also consider the cost of Disey with Free Dining Vs offsite hotels and paying OOP for food and drinks. By the time we factor in food costs, transport costs, the value of the free memory maker and Gift Card, then usually our onsite nights (CBR with QSDP) end up coming in at between £40-£45 a night (Vs £50 at the Rosen Inn) so actually a little bit cheaper 😀

[MrsMoney]

Originally Posted by loves2plan

I can't explain it then. All I know is that I've been tracking pre, during and post prices since 2012 and have never seen the sort of price increase you have mentioned. If anything, prices seem to reduce a bit.

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I hope that happens next year then! Admittedly I still wouldn't go without the free dining plan though as I don't think any other offer can beat it. I was just a bit gutted when I saw that price difference. The dates I was comparing were 15th-29th August 2018. I keep racking my brains for whether any other offer was running at the time which might have affected the pre free dining release price as I was comparing total price (so hotel and park tickets) but I'm sure there wasn't.

[macadoo]

Yes it's free. We've been booking free dining for a few years now and always check prices before and after and, comparing like for like rooms, the price has never increased. On some occasions the price goes down as they also offer a discount along side (okw,ssr and in 2016 for 2017 holidays cbr was also discounted).

They offer a room discount after free dining finishes (nights free) but with 4 of us in a room free dining is always the better deal.

[Shani]

Originally Posted by loves2plan

I can't explain it then. All I know is that I've been tracking pre, during and post prices since 2012 and have never seen the sort of price increase you have mentioned. If anything, prices seem to reduce a bit.

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Wholeheartedly agree with this.

Although I haven't kept anywhere near as much detail a loves2plan, I've also been tracking prices for years, and I think only once (last year or the year before) I saw the price go up. That was POR, and it was a few £s. All other resorts have stayed the same or reduced.

We've booked the Beach Club for the end of October '18 and it was around £500 cheaper after free dining was released.

[Bobbins]

Certainly OKW and SSR have discounted 30% during the initial part of the free DDP offer, making them around the same price as POFQ but including table service rather than the now downgraded offer at POFQ of QS only.

However I do wonder what the “real” price is - Brits are a pretty tiny number of visitors and I think there are a lot of special deals done to keep American visitor numbers up.

[Ridersmom]

I have never paid rack rate to stay on site. You can get discounts of as high as 45% on room only. We tend not to be heavy eaters in the Florida heat so could never eat as much as the DDP provides. DD and I usually share a meal and our food costs are quite low.

"Free" dining is no additional cost after paying rack rate. If you routinely eat enough to make up the difference between rack rate and a discount, it may be worth it fo your party.

[sprocket]

'Free' Dining is free against the rake rate, but its not really free, but it can work out good for some and not for others. Its a very grey area. Its like a supermarket doing a BOGOF and then the following week its 50% off, then the following week its 3 for 2, then the following week its £1.10 for 1 or 2 for £1.
We personally find 'Free' dining doesn't work for us as we book on the Disney US site and get the discounted offers.
Also, any dining plan with sit down isn't free, as you still have to tip.
The only time we did free dining was many years ago when tips were included. Still hated it as you felt you had to get your moneys worth from the dining plan and not just eat what and when you felt like it. In the heat, I prefer smaller meals more often, and usually don't want a huge meal and desert at the same time, and I'm a big eater.

[MrsMoney]

Originally Posted by Shani

Wholeheartedly agree with this.

Although I haven't kept anywhere near as much detail a loves2plan, I've also been tracking prices for years, and I think only once (last year or the year before) I saw the price go up. That was POR, and it was a few £s. All other resorts have stayed the same or reduced.

We've booked the Beach Club for the end of October '18 and it was around £500 cheaper after free dining was released.

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This is what I don't understand - free dining equals rack rate prices (which at BC during the height of summer is £400 a night) thus why it baffles me that your like for like quote was £500 cheaper (albeit for October) after free dining was released...

[Bobbins]

Originally Posted by sprocket

Also, any dining plan with sit down isn't free, as you still have to tip.

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I always wonder if that's just a rip-off for gullible visitors - an American couple on the table next to us at Narcoosee's left $10.

Originally Posted by sprocket

I prefer smaller meals more often, and usually don't want a huge meal and desert at the same time, and I'm a big eater.

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The inclusion of desert rather than starter is just annoying.