Am I the only one who DOESN'T care about free dining?

[lfwhipp]

For us, a family of 7, with 2 rooms at a value resort this is an amazing deal. We were not offered the 40% off code and jumped on this last year and my family loved the experience. We have 3 small kids who love the character dinners and get tired during the week. we use the TS and ADR's to help the kids rest while meeting some of their favorite characters. Part of the fun for me in planning is mapping out where we will eat what day and where so the kids get to see who they want and we get to eat what we want. Personally, we found the food to be quite delicious!

Eating dessert with a meal twice a day is a lot of food at one time - at least to me.

its all in the way you use it. The deserts at CS or the hotel are a choice, for us we choose the muffins, fruit or something similar and bring it back to the room for breakfast or for a snack at the parks, using your desert this way is not a bad deal. You dont have to eat the desert just because it is offered.

As for the weather in September, for us the low crowds are totally worth the heat and humidity and as for the rain and hurricane season, I am from South Louisiana and its nothing new to us, plus that is what vacation insurance is for...

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

Our family got stuck last year in August during Hurricane Faye. It never stopped raining the entire time we vacationed. Not just small downpour, the entire trip just a flood of rain constantly. It was horrible. This is a great point to make to anyone who thinks this is a good time to go. We go this time every year because we have too and the rain is much heavier this time of the year.

Thanks! We were there last August too for Hurricane/Tropical Storm Faye and it was without a doubt, the most miserable WDW trip we've ever had. The parks were practically deserted so we did lot of things multiple times but that got old *real fast* after the constant rain day after day, after day, after day....

 

[purplebelle]

Thanks DznyLvr and PrincessTiffany. I guess I'll just give FD a try this year and see what works best for me. I'll decide which parks I'll do on what days and then book a restaurant at that park so there won't be too much running around. I guess I'll never know until I try!

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

We love the dining plan and would love it even more if it were free for us. However, I refuse to travel in the hot August/September heat so we just save a bit more money and still do the dining plan.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

We love the dining plan and would love it even more if it were free for us. However, I refuse to travel in the hot August/September heat so we just save a bit more money and still do the dining plan.

But you could book by October 3 and have the free dining for your entire trip. October heat isn't as bad - still hot, but not August/September hot! lol

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

But you could book by October 3 and have the free dining for your entire trip. October heat isn't as bad - still hot, but not August/September hot! lol

What do you mean?? Our trip is schedule for 10/24-10/31. I thought free dining ends 10/3?

 

[pepe of ohio]

42 trips and never done any type of Disney dining plan. We share most meals, picnic lunches at the pool with our own groceries and we prefer the room only discount, no package for us. TS meals to us are not worth the money or time and not that good to boot. Alot of different CS food out there that suits us fine. We don't eat big elaborate emals at home, no sense doing it away.

 

[DznyLvr2005]

Thanks DznyLvr and PrincessTiffany. I guess I'll just give FD a try this year and see what works best for me. I'll decide which parks I'll do on what days and then book a restaurant at that park so there won't be too much running around. I guess I'll never know until I try!

oh...also you can also go to guest counters at each park and also make dining reservations, we did this at MGM in the AM for Morocco one day and got a reservation for that night.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

I wasn't sure it was for me either, but figured I'd give it a try this year since I haven't gotten a 40% off pin. I'd like to see a thread on issues people have had with the Free Dining plan... Anyone know of one?

I'm not concerned with character meals so I figure it'll be easy for me to find table service. I just wonder if I have to book everything in advance which I don't like doing. Part of vacationing is doing everything spur of the moment!

Definitely would not plan on finding TS without a ADR's during free dining! Have read so many guests not being able to get ADR's even waiting to book after the 90 day mark.

Like you, we prefer to enjoy our vacation and not plan around dining, but for TS during free dining, ADR's are a must.

Sorry, if this was already answered - didn't read the entire thread.

 

[talulabelle]

Didn't read the whole thread, but to the OP - No - I don't care either. I think it is amazing magical marketing on Disney's part though.

Last time we went we were on the Dining Plan (paid for it), and it really is nice, but was not worth the money for us, as we don't need that much food (we would never order appetizers and desserts regularly) The kids don't eat much. Toward the end of the week I was practically grocery shopping in the little market at the hotel trying to use up snack credits.

And as far as going when it is free, well, if it was TRULEY free, then I would jump on it. But the difference in the room rate for those weeks and the weeks just before it (which work better for me) on the 4/7 deal was more than what the dining plan would cost us. So when all the math is done, I could do the dining plan, stay when I want, and still save money over the free dining promo. I rather go during 4/7 and NOT have the dining plan, then that is REALLY savings. We will eat way less on our own dime then onwhat the dining plan costs.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

What do you mean?? Our trip is schedule for 10/24-10/31. I thought free dining ends 10/3?

October 3 is the last day of the promotion, but if you check in by October 3 you can still have the free dining discount for up to 14 days. So, say you booked a trip from October 3 - 17 you would have free dining for your entire stay (or however many days you decide for your package starting on the 3rd).

You have always been able to check in on the last day of free dining and get the discount for your entire stay.

 

[phyllis1966]

No, OP, you're not alone, but we do seem to be in the minority! We have 1 child, stay at the GF (often with my DMIL and DFIL), and don't do CS...we like to have a substantial breakfast (DD still likes character breakfasts), skip lunch because we're not really hungry yet, then have an early-ish TS dinner. It just doesn't add up for us, esp. with 2 TS/day and no CS. We've been to WDW with DD 7 times since 2002, so we don't mind taking some time from our favorite park activities to relax and have a TS meal twice a day. Those special breakfasts and dinners are part of the whole experience for our family.

I'm happy, though, that the DP is an option that works well for so many families...every child should visit WDW at least once!

 

[Hallowishes]

i dont understand how some people arent all about free dining! i understand that a 40% off pincode for the room only is a good deal as well... but its all relative. its not a huge savings if you stay at a value hotel. saving $39.99 a day on food is awesome to me! and the people who say .."were not big eaters" WHATEVER youre on VACATION! LIVE IT UP! EAT ALOT (LOL) Youre going to burn off all the extra calories walking around the parks anyways!!

 

[landshark]

It's not for everybody so I can understand--I wasn't too keen on the idea last year when I heard about it. It just seemed so limiting to do. But now that I've been reading more and more about it, I really like the idea--especially when it's free.

Being free, it's a huge savings for us. Just paying for an entree/dessert/drink at one TS place out of pocket would be close to, if not more, than what the plan typically costs for one person per day. With this I can actually eat at restaurants like these and not have to worry about the cost. It makes things more possible.

 

[5boyz]

I'm thinkin.....NO cuz my dh does not want to change our dates from July to Aug and save $1365.

 

[fridayfun]

We don't use the free dining either. We sat down last night, went thru all the menus for the restaurants we would want to eat at - not enough TS for the dinners (couple of 2 credit places we want to try) and we would still need a few more TS for some sit down breakfast meals, DH has to have a good sized breakfast to keep him moving through out the day. So we would still be paying OOP for quite a few meals. When you factor in the sweet deal on a room at the Dolphin, both cost about the same. And this way I am not keeping track of which meals need cash, which are on FD. It is just DH and I (who are still hopeing for a good deal for room only onsite - Dolphin looks nice, but want to breathe more pixie dust!)

Added - we also do not eat desserts in the sit down restaurants. So those would be wasted and we would end up paying OOP for appetizers, if I read the dining plan info right! Plus, DH likes to stay Deluxe, for the atmosphere and the proximity to resort area, so room discounts are better for us!

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

i dont understand how some people arent all about free dining! i understand that a 40% off pincode for the room only is a good deal as well... but its all relative. its not a huge savings if you stay at a value hotel. saving $39.99 a day on food is awesome to me! and the people who say .."were not big eaters" WHATEVER youre on VACATION! LIVE IT UP! EAT ALOT (LOL) Youre going to burn off all the extra calories walking around the parks anyways!!

I agree. And while the 40% pincode is only available to a small group of people, FD is available for EVERYONE if you go on the appropriate dates. Personally, I've never gotten a 40% code and will not be holding my breath for one either.

 

[talulabelle]

I agree. And while the 40% pincode is only available to a small group of people, FD is available for EVERYONE if you go on the appropriate dates. Personally, I've never gotten a 40% code and will not be holding my breath for one either.

But the 4/7 deal was available to everyone and provided more savings for months, rather than just a couple of weeks after school starts. Even more savings if staying mod or deluxe.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

But the 4/7 deal was available to everyone and provided more savings for months, rather than just a couple of weeks after school starts. Even more savings if staying mod or deluxe.

The 40% off code saves us $637.00

The 4/3 deal saves us $750.00

The Free Dining promo saves us almost $1,600.00

Also, the Free Dining is available for bookings between August 16 - October 3 (actually October 17, as you can book up to 14 days past the last day and receive free dining for your entire trip). So that's about two months.

 

[styron]

It only saves you money if you eat that much to begin with.

I would be worried about booking during free dining and trying to get good ADRs.