News Disney Dining Plan Returns in 2024

Vegas Disney Fan

Well-Known Member
"Free dining" equals rack rate room in virtually every scenario. I'm not saying it's necessarily always a rip off, just be sure to compare the "free dining" to any other packages available which may include discounted room and/or tickets.
We always compare offers but it seems lately we haven’t been getting any discounts.

French Quarter is our favorite resort and it’s very hard to get discounts there since they’re often sold out even at rack rate.
 

seabreezept813

Well-Known Member
We did free dining two or free times and used the dining plan once or twice for the ability to pay ahead. We could break even because my husband and SD are big into eating on vaca. Now that we have trained to just buy gift cards ahead and save more money we’re not interested. Unless it’s free dining, then bring it on because we’re at the character meal age so that would actually be a solid deal for us! But I’m thinking maybe people have learned to save more without it and it won’t be as popular.
 

Aries1975

Well-Known Member
Tables in Wonderland, please. Then, it does not matter who orders what or who chooses to imbibe.

On the dining plan, you will not want another cupcake/brownie/cookie, because by day 3, the novelty is completely gone. Many quick service locations will allow a yogurt, a fruit cup, or an actual piece of fruit. It never hurts to ask nicely.
 

Hakunamatata

Le Meh
Premium Member
Don’t fall for it y’all
Its A Trap GIF
 

JD80

Well-Known Member
"Free dining" equals rack rate room in virtually every scenario. I'm not saying it's necessarily always a rip off, just be sure to compare the "free dining" to any other packages available which may include discounted room and/or tickets.
20-30% off a moderate or value resort was always a savings of $40-90 a day and a free Quick Service plan for a family was always a better value.
 

JD80

Well-Known Member
We've always liked the dining plan with our kids. With character meals we always broke even for the trip. When you added beer/wine on top of that we saved maybe a few bucks?

The all inclusive feel for the trip was very valuable to me.
 

Brian

Well-Known Member
20-30% off a moderate or value resort was always a savings of $40-90 a day and a free Quick Service plan for a family was always a better value.
It would really depend on the time of year. Rack rate varies dramatically throughout the year.

You'd also have to factor in tickets, as you generally have to pay retail price for them as part of the "free dining" package as well, whereas some alternative packages may have a discounted ticket component, as well as having a room rate discount, in many cases.
 

JD80

Well-Known Member
It would really depend on the time of year. Rack rate varies dramatically throughout the year.

You'd also have to factor in tickets, as you generally have to pay retail price for them as part of the "free dining" package as well, whereas some alternative packages may have a discounted ticket component, as well as having a room rate discount, in many cases.

It really depended because towards the end of free dining they were forcing you to buy hoppers if I remember correctly.

That being said - a value/moderate resort was going to cost you between $150 to $400 a night. That's anywhere from $30-$100 a night savings if you assume 15-25% off rack rates. The quick service plan for a family of 5 was $176.34 a day. So even the most expensive nights it worked out. Typically for a moderate, I was paying $280-340 rack rate.

Obviously the less people in the room, the better the room discount was, but even then in 2019 the QS Plan was $52 for an adult and with a party of 2, you still made out than a 20% off CBR which was around $60 a night savings maybe.
 

england1

Member
Being from the UK we used to get free DDP on selected dates if you stayed for 14 days, I have checked the week before costs without the free DDP and they were about the same, there used to be 5 of us so did make it worth having but I don't think I would buy it as an add on at full price.
 

dmw

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
"Meals and snacks are nontransferable between party members."

Has this rule always been part of the dining plan? I don't recall seeing that before and when we have ordered food it was never associated with any specific member of our party. All of the credits were lumped into one bucket for the room, IIRC.
 

drizgirl

Well-Known Member
"Meals and snacks are nontransferable between party members."

Has this rule always been part of the dining plan? I don't recall seeing that before and when we have ordered food it was never associated with any specific member of our party. All of the credits were lumped into one bucket for the room, IIRC.
That's odd. Are they asking for ID for each person? Writing up single tickets at a TS meal?
 

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