Free Dining and YOUR trip plans

[draybook]

I hope this is the right sub-forum, since it actually had to do with planning. If Disney were NOT to offer Free Dining, how would it affect your trip plans?

Personally speaking, we would either have to switch to offsite lodging or cancel Disney and go to Uni/Sea World instead.

 

[stefan74]

I would still go to Disney but most likely stay at a Value Resort and bring more food with me in the parks to snack on.

 

[Zipadeelady]

We are going to have to change hotels and plan on staying less days. There is a possibility that we will have to go from 2 rooms to one room at Riverside since we are a family of 5. I don't want that to happen because it will be a tight squeeze which of course will make our trip not so magical. Definitely will have to eat less in the parks and only plan on maybe 2 sit down dinners.

In the long run if this does happen we will actually spend less at the parks. I have done the math and with room discounts and us going to 1 room and watching our food budget we will spend about $500.00 less. Plus I'll be so money conscious that I will probably spent less on souvenirs too.

With all that said I would rather have free dining than save my $500.00 so i can have 2 rooms and not feel I have to watch the money in my pocket.

 

[RandomPrincess]

We have been planning as if Free Dining doesn't exist. It's one of the reasons we are taking 18 months between trips.

 

[eddiemcgarrigle]

Been there, done that. No free dining? No problem, I'll pay for my own food.

I see free dining as a bonus and not a requirement.

 

[mickey2008.1]

we would have to switch resorts as well. A familybof six with two rooms. Definitely would spend less money in the parks. Comparing to uni as well. When do they usually announce free dining for sept anyway?

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

We have been planning as if Free Dining doesn't exist. It's one of the reasons we are taking 18 months between trips.

Exactly this ^^^^ When we book, it doesnt matter if free dining or room discounts are given, its more the time my DH can get off of work for more than a few days. In all the times we have gone to Disney, I think we were able to get free dining once, and a room discount once. If free dining IS available after we book, we just consider that our dose of pixie dust

 

[Stellajack]

We also are not affected since we do not do any of the dining plans.

 

[draybook]

Yeah, we don't look at FD as a requirement, it just helps a lot not having to bring our own snacks and we darn sure aren't paying their prices for the food.

 

[Raven66]

We unfortunately have never gone when there is free dining. It just doesn't work out. But we try to save wherever we're able. My daughter and I share when possible. I also pack snacks and bring them in.

 

[mickey2008.1]

If there food was better pricedI wouldnt care, but $12 for burger and fries of that quality, even the quality atTS is that of an applebees, and that is the price i would expect to pay. So free dining does matter to me when I cant justify the $$$ they charge for meh food

 

[dave&di]

The free dining makes no difference to the way we plan, it wasn't offered to us on our 2008 and 2010 trips but we were luckily to get it last year and again this year. All it does is take a bit of pressure off of saving up. We will always go in Sept and to the resort we feel we want to visit, if free dining is not included so be it.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

We got free dining last year and for us it was too confusing trying to keep track of what credits we had left and what we didn't have left. We usually have TIW card but we decided to give free dining a go. We always plan out where we're going to eat for TS meals before we go and make ADRs for those but QS meals we usually pick when we're hungry and what we're hungry for (just a small snack or an actual meal) we felt like we had to make sure we used all the QS meals. And it was a lot of food. We're not big dessert people but we ordered it anyway cause it came with the meals. I personally think with free dining more food goes to waste because people don't care because its free.

 

[draybook]

Well, I know I'm not guilty of wasting any food. Anything that isn't eaten by the kids or wife gets devoured by me. Anyone that's been a grunt knows better than to waste food.

 

[luv]

Free dining always ended up being more expensive, so I never used it.

 

[jmcdougall]

Well, I know I'm not guilty of wasting any food. Anything that isn't eaten by the kids or wife gets devoured by me. Anyone that's been a grunt knows better than to waste food.

were you in the service?

 

[draybook]

were you in the service?

Just 3 years in the Army. Basic training was the only time in my life in which I ate liver and pork chops.

 

[littleroo]

Been there, done that. No free dining? No problem, I'll pay for my own food.

I see free dining as a bonus and not a requirement.

This is what we do too!

 

[disneycouple07]

We've always been when there has been free dining or room discount. Hoping for something for our December trip. If not, we won't stay in a MK view room at the Contemporary. I think we save $1,000 with free dining!

 

[bethymouse]

We always book when there are discounts of any kind: free dining or 30% off room rate. It is a deal, and that's the only way I can justify our trips to my hubby.