Curious about free dining offer

[Poohluv85]

Planning our second trip for this September!! I know there's no guarantee that they will offer the free dining plan, but I am curious how does it work if your an annual passholder? Do you still have to purchase the MYW base ticket? We're so excited, and to save that much on our trip would make it even better. TIA!!!!

[faline]

If you are an annual passholder, you would still need to purchase a package that would include the required number of admission tickets. Before deciding that free dining is a good deal, do the math.

As an annual passholder, you qualify for the Tables in Wonderland discount dining card. You would not need to purchase tickets you don't need and, likely, you would be able to find a discount on a room. With the package, you are paying rack rate for the room.

[Poohluv85]

Ok that does make sense. I've heard of tables in wonderland, but the discount didn't seem worth the price. We were planning on staying at AoA in the little mermaid rooms and it doesn't look like they're offering discounts for those rooms this year. Im definitely going to do the math, thanks faline!!

[Poohluv85]

Ohhh another question...We're also considering DVC, is the free dining plan available to DVC members?

[Strmchsr]

Ohhh another question...We're also considering DVC, is the free dining plan available to DVC members?

"Free" dining can be gotten by DVC members, but it's similar to the AP where you have to buy extra stuff that makes it not worth it. As Linda Said, the "free" DDP most definitely isn't worth it for an AP holder (and, honestly, I don't think it's worth it no matter what unless you're at a value level resort). Use your AP to get a great room discount (if offered - AoA often isn't discounted) and pay OOP for your food. Especially if you have the TiW card it'll safe you a significant amount. 20% off your food bill is huge. We save $20ish every meal so it pays for itself within 4-5 meals and if you have an AP you'll be eating a lot more than that at WDW. Check with Magical Journeys. They can get you the best deal. They'll do all the math for you so you'll know the right choice to make.

[Poohluv85]

Awesome, thanks for the info!!

[faline]

If you're a Disney Vacation Club member staying on points, you can add on the dining plan for a cost - I'm not aware of it having been offered for "free" for members.

[CanadianWDWFan]

If you're a Disney Vacation Club member staying on points, you can add on the dining plan for a cost - I'm not aware of it having been offered for "free" for members.

I have never seen free dining offered for members in the years I have been a member. Sure they will offer it to you at the going rate.

We have never used the DP while staying on points. For us it is the Tables in Wonderland all the way. As noted, it wil pay for its self in just a few sittings. Plus you also get the 20% discount on adult beverages. Your TiW card is good for 13 months and for parties up to 10 people. At resorts with no sit down dining option, the TiW discount will apply at the food courts. So basically you can use it at the Value resorts and POFQ.

On another note, DVC members do get a pretty good discount on AP's.

[Strmchsr]

I have never seen free dining offered for members in the years I have been a member. Sure they will offer it to you at the going rate.

I'm not a DVC member, so I don't know for sure, but I thought we had some members discussing that they could get the "free" DDP as DVC members but they had to buy a 2 day (or 3) package or something like that. Which totally wouldn't be worth it, but that's what I was thinking I remembered seeing.

[1DisneyNut]

Why would they offer free dining to a DVC or AP member? They already have you locked in, especially with DVC. Any free dining offer they put out is not going to be economically beneficial to DVC or AP.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

As Linda Said, the "free" DDP most definitely isn't worth it for an AP holder (and, honestly, I don't think it's worth it no matter what unless you're at a value level resort).

I think you could make a solid argument that depending on your family situation, "free" dining at the moderate level is worth it as well. We are a family of 5, three of which are considered adults for the dining (11 yr old) and 2 children. Right now I'm pricing out several options at moderate levels, deluxe and dvc villas. I'm doing the comparison with average room discounts vs. free dining. When I lay out the costs for POR-AB, which is the only moderate available to us, using room discount vs. free dining, I come up with a savings of $1,600 using free dining over the room discount. Now, granted I am assuming we'd spend the $2,150 on food that the ddp costs in my room discount scenario. So even if we spend say $60 less a day on food, that's $600 less, so the savings drops to $1000 instead of $1600, that's still extremely sizable which is why we've never been able to walk away from it in our last two visits (2010 & 2012).

My estimates are based on 10 night stays, which is what our last two trips were.

When I did this same analysis but at a deluxe (Beach Club) then yes the savings is essentially a wash between free dining and room discount.

[spoiledraf]

The OP plans to stay at a value which I believe means counter service free dining. That's much less savings as well over regular dining.

[CaptSmee]

Not sure how something "free" could not be worth it, we go every every yr in Sept with 4 adults at a deluxe & it saves us a bundle!
However, if you have an AP it makes sense to get tables in wonderland. I've done this in the past as well...gotten the AP discount & used that, it pays for itself quickly with the savings you get

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

Not sure how something "free" could not be worth it, we go every every yr in Sept with 4 adults at a deluxe & it saves us a bundle!
However, if you have an AP it makes sense to get tables in wonderland. I've done this in the past as well...gotten the AP discount & used that, it pays for itself quickly with the savings you get

You have to really take an all inclusive view of the "free" dining. The single biggest comment, and its a valid one, is that you aren't simply getting free dining, in pretty much all scenarios you are choosing between a) getting a room discount or b) paying full rack rates and then getting free dining.

If they were simply offering free dining with no room discount, then yes, its a no-brainer.

In our scenario that I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm doing an analysis for a potential upcoming 10 night stay. 3 of our 5 family members are deemed adults for the dining plan, so the associated cost of the plan to us is $2,150.

Generally, and this is what I'm assuming for my analysis, is that with a deluxe level resort you generally get the choice of a 30% room discount or free DDP. For the 10 nights we would go, at the Beach Club a 30% discount would say us almost $1,400, which on the surface makes it look like we'd save $750 by going with the free dining.

Here is where the all-inclusive view comes in. From past experience, every "free" TS meal we go to, I'm generally dropping a $20+ tip on the table, so there goes at least $200 of that savings. In addition, I don't need 5 key lime pies or other desserts every lunch. The DDP costs out at $215 p/day for us. Granted we wouldn't be eating TS but I know I can feed my family for a lot less than that, and without having to schedule my reservations 6 months in advance to boot. I know that I could save at least $60 p/day off of what the per day cost the meal plan would be, so in my mind I'm knocking at least $600 off of the savings, plus saving $200+ in tips, which totally negates the savings between "free" dining and a room discount.

If I get a 35% room discount, it makes it even more worthwhile to dump the free dining.

If you can get the free DDP at the value level (which is rare - usually CS) or at the moderate level, then by comparison the free dining often makes more financial sense, depending on your family size. However, at the deluxe level, I think at best, when you look at all factors, the weighing of the two is at best a wash. In my situation, with our family and what we want to do, I think I'm better served with the room discount. Others that really want to experience more dining options probably would go with free dining.

My personal experience, and with kids that would be 12-9-7 on our next visit, and having done free dining on our last two trips, I don't want it. I don't really enjoy six months out having to plan all of our park days (which now means fast passes too) and planning our parks around where we eat. If our budget forces us t go moderate level, I'll gladly take it, because it saves us more, but its not my first desire.

So there are definitely reasons, both financial and non-financial where something "free" might not be worth it.