Better Deal...Buy 4 Get 3 or Free Dining Plan?

[dale88fan]

Help! I am having a hard time trying to figure out what would be the better deal. The buy 4 get 3 free or the free dining plan (if they offer it). I know that it is not being offered and may not be, but maybe it will (some people got post card offers). So just right now trying to figure out financially what is the better deal. It's me and my 15 year old. Possibly maybe another adult/child. And I have never ever gotten those e-mail pin codes/post card offers (if I got the buy 4 get 3 and a $500 gift card I'd go in a second...the gift card could pay for my dining!). So hoping you can help me figure out what is the better deal financially. I am a single parent and need to save all I can. Thanks!!!

[vicster]

I've been trying to figure that out myself. If they don't change anything on the dining (like making free dining counter service only) I think it will work out about the same. Last September my husband and I saved about $600.00 on the free dining for two of us.

[scoot241]

This is not an exact comparison, but it's close.

Our original plan before the buy 4/get 3 was to spend 6 nights in WDW. When the buy 4/get 3 came out, we thought about going in May (2 adults, 1 child) with the buy 4/get 3 deal with dining and park hoppers at Pop. That would have cost us $1,937.03. 6 nights with the free dining PIN and park hoppers in September is costing us $1,410.35. So we're saving about $500.00.

Again, it's not an exact comparison, but I do think the free dining is the better deal.

[DestinationWDW]

Like in the above post you need to work out the cost of the 6 night /7 day stay. Now with that said my wife and i went in Feb and we ate at the California Grill, that was approx 150 with tip. So it will really depend on what restaurants you eat at. Decide where you want to eat figure the approx cost and go from there. You can also call or email MJ which should be able you decide.

[Strmchsr]

The amount of discount is pretty much identical. One is not really a better deal than the other. However, September with "free" dining is going to be cheaper for 2 reason - 1.) It's value season and the buy 4/3 free is regular season which makes about a $200 difference for a family of 4. Also, If you only stay 6 nights you're only getting 2 free. If you stay 7 nights you get the one more night free, but you're paying extra park tickets and dining.

Then there's the level resort you stay at. "Free" dining is a good deal at the values, but if you stay at the moderate or deluxe because you're paying "rack" rate for the rooms it actually is not a very good deal. So the 4/3 might save you more money.

So, breaking it all down, I think the "free" dining in September would come out cheaper with a value resort, but possibly not at the upper levels. That said, I'm hearing a good many rumors that the "free" dining may not be offered to the general public. Only in the pin codes that were released last month. Personally, I don't think that makes much sense. With the current economic situation I would think WDW would pull out every stop to get people and "free" dining has become extremely popular. We'll see in about 6 weeks (which is when "free" dining promotion has been released the last 3 or so years).

[moe513]

I hope they offer 4/3 in Aug instead of free dining. I think that is better for us because we like the deluxe resorts.