Room discount vs. Free dining discount

[Goofy Pluto]

Hi everyone.

I was just wondering if anyone has done the math to figure out which deal is the better one if you were going during the mid-August through Sept period where you can get a cheaper room or free food? Which is the better deal? The cheaper room or the free food? You would think the food. Right?

Thanks.

[DizneyRox]

I think it depends on how many people you stuff into each room.

Values tend to be a better deal with free dining since the rooms are cheap. Deluxe would tend to be a better room discount option. I think moderates have always been a wash.

[MidnTPK]

And 'free' dining is a waste if you can't get into the sit-downs you want to go to.

I'm not on free dining but will be there during it, and I have been calling the past few days to get my ADRs. All the places I wanted to go to are fully booked at the times I need to eat (with a toddler).

[WishingStar2006]

It really does depende on the number of people in the room. I am going in mid September with my daughter and her husband and their two children. The discount was a better deal for me because I'm just one. The free dining was better for my daughter (by $200ish dollars) because there are 4 of them. We are staying at WL, for your frame of reference.

[BMan62]

Figure $40 per adult/$10 per child (under 10) for 'Free DDP' vs. whatever amount off for the room per night.

2 adults, no children = $80 for 'Free DDP'

A "Typical Family" (by Disney standards) = 2 adults, 1 'tween and 1 under 10. The 'tween is treated as an adult under the DDP, so that comes to $130/night to make up.

To make that much up, you almost NEED to stay in a Deluxe resort or Villas and get 30% or more off rack rate.

Rack rate per night - Value Season:
(from WDW Online site)
Value resort $82
Mod $149 - $265 (WL Cabins)
Deluxe $240 - $399
Villas $295 - $375

[mshomeschoolmom]

Last year we went in Oct. and had the room discount offer. This year we are on the free dining offer. And we are also staying 1 day more this year than last year. I have pulled out my receipts from last year and added the amount we paid for our MYW plus park hopping and Value Resort with all of our food receipts and paid more than what we are going to pay this year with free dining. Last year we ate at 1 TS meal per day,1 CS per day and we did not even get a snack everyday like we will be getting this year.

[wire0monkey]

I asked my travel agent to compare a room discount pin that I got last week and the free dining that I'm currently booked for. (We're booked at the Pop, 2 adults and 2 children. Both children are ticketed and on the dining plan.)

The pin code offer was around $750 more for an 8 night stay.

[Strmchsr]

The pin code offer was around $750 more for an 8 night stay.

That sounds like a mistake. I've never heard of the deals being that far apart. Somehow I don't think apples were compared to apples. $100-200 I could believe, but not $750 for a stay at Pop.

As others have noted, on the "free" it's about a $40/adult discount, but you pay rack rate on the room. Your discount for children is $10/day so not much. So, on values the "free" DDP tends to be a good discount, less so on the moderates and usually not at all on the deluxes.

[tinksmom02]

We had a pin code that we used when we booked the Poly, and we saved over $1300 (me, DH, DD7). The free dining plan would've been a savings of about $550, I think.

This trip is still costing us much more than our previous Moderate trips, but substantially less than when we originally booked, without any discounts. :mickey:

[BIGDOG]

wanted to let you all know disney can look up to see if you have been sent any special pin code. If you may have missed the email or did not receive the mail they can look up your info and see if you were sent anything it would not hurt to check. I called the normal resi line and they checked for me,,,hope this helps

[Goofy Pluto]

OK, so people have been saying the number of people matters. There would be 5 of us going: Myself and wife, and three kids (7, 5, and 3).

Is anyone able (or willing) to do the math for me on a 5 night/6 day stay?

Thanks.

[Strmchsr]

Is anyone able (or willing) to do the math for me on a 5 night/6 day stay?

If you really want to know the best deal I'd suggest going with Magical Journeys. They're the experts at figuring all these various offers out and getting you the best deal. Sounds like it would save you a few headaches.

[Goofy Pluto]

If you really want to know the best deal I'd suggest going with Magical Journeys. They're the experts at figuring all these various offers out and getting you the best deal. Sounds like it would save you a few headaches.

True and I've thought about that but I figured they wouldn't be able to give me numbers for next year. But maybe they can give me an idea. I might try that. Thanks.

[DizneyRox]

I don't believe there are any 'free' dining or room discounts for next year. Nobody would be able to tell you anything, not MJ, not any of us.

Your best best is to book now what you can afford, and apply the best discount available as your trip approaches. You can do this, or MJ can do this.

Future discounts are not a guarantee and I certainly wouldn't plan a trip around the possibility. Many folks were burned in the past when AP discounts never materialized. It was the largest mutany you've seen this side of the Atlantic.

[wire0monkey]

That sounds like a mistake. I've never heard of the deals being that far apart. Somehow I don't think apples were compared to apples. $100-200 I could believe, but not $750 for a stay at Pop.

As others have noted, on the "free" it's about a $40/adult discount, but you pay rack rate on the room. Your discount for children is $10/day so not much. So, on values the "free" DDP tends to be a good discount, less so on the moderates and usually not at all on the deluxes.

I was curious, and I don't know how the travel agent compared the plans, so I just did the math for myself. I got a difference of around $500.

I only compared the two things that change (room prices and meal plan prices), because the ticket prices will be the same no matter what we do.

Free Dining Plan offer -- 1 room at Pop at a rack rate of $94 for 8 nights = $752; Disney meal plan for 2 adults and 2 children for 8 nights = $0 --- Total for room and dining plan is $752

Pin code offer = 1 room at Pop at $59 per night for 8 nights = $472; Disney meal plan for 2 adults for 8 nights (2 X $37.99 X 8) = $607.84; Disney meal plan for 2 children for 8 nights (2 X $10.99 X 8) = $175.84 -- Total for room and dining plan is $1254.84

The Free Dining Plan offer is the winner. I'm pretty convinced that Free Dining is always the best deal, if you're staying at a value. It's more of a wash at a moderate, and a room discount can often be a better deal at a deluxe.

The difference that I get with my math(as opposed to what the travel agent told me) is $502.84

[Checkers]

:mickey:Just canceled a bounce-back offer with FD in Sept. at the BWI. Before I canceled, I had MJ check out what a room-only rate would be (for the same time) at the BWI using the Disney Visa discount that came out yesterday. Without having to purchase the 1-day tickets (we have APs) and the DP is not all that important to us and well, we saved over $650 and know that we will not be spending that much on dining so it worked out for us.:party:

When I called to cancel, the CM told me how many times I have stayed there (minus our DVC stays) and I thought that was interesting!

Great question!

[maxrebo77]

Mine is really simple. I have 5 nights in Sept. The discount will save me about $185. I have had free dining and wasted a lot of it. I would rather put my savings into a food budget. Plus I have more time to pay and decide about tickets.

It really does depend on the number of people. For a single, this works out well.