Passholder vs. Free Dining Plan

Heatherbell

Active Member
Good day all! Looking for a little help and opinions here. I am going to Disney Sept 15-19. Originally (before Free Dining came back) I booked under my passolder discount for $266. When Free Dining came back I emailed Pam and she told me I could get the free dining but I had to book a package and pay for a one day park ticket. The difference ends up being about $207. I have to pay for our park tickets now and now I am paying slightly more for the room. My question is.....is the $207 more worth it? I would love to hear any insight and if anyone has done the dining plan if it works out to be worth it. Also, what the heck do I do with that one day ticket? Can I get a no expiration on it and use it whenever (and if ever!) I decide not to be a passholder?

Thanks in advance!
 

Aurora_25

Well-Known Member
If you are a passholder- why don't you go for the Dinning plan that they have- it's 20% off meals- to me that's a good deal if you already have the passholder. I don't know about the free dining plan since I haven't been yet and I am gettin an annual pass with the dinning plan that they have.
 
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bhg469

Well-Known Member
Aurora_25 said:
If you are a passholder- why don't you go for the Dinning plan that they have- it's 20% off meals- to me that's a good deal if you already have the passholder. I don't know about the free dining plan since I haven't been yet and I am gettin an annual pass with the dinning plan that they have.

free dining is the reason im going in august, i would not have gone if i just got the passholder rate.
 
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Heatherbell

Active Member
Original Poster
bhg469 said:
free dining is the reason im going in august, i would not have gone if i just got the passholder rate.

Are you a passholder?
Sorry if that sounds like a dumb question, I am just confirming....:veryconfu
 
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slappy magoo

Well-Known Member
I'd say if the plan saves you any money, do it.

If I weren't staying at SSR with DVC points, I'd be on that plan in a heartbeat.

As far as what to do with that extra ticket...if you're still saving 200+ dollars, then I'd say donate it to a charity. Maybe you can even deduct it.
 
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Heatherbell

Active Member
Original Poster
slappy magoo said:
I'd say if the plan saves you any money, do it.

If I weren't staying at SSR with DVC points, I'd be on that plan in a heartbeat.

As far as what to do with that extra ticket...if you're still saving 200+ dollars, then I'd say donate it to a charity. Maybe you can even deduct it.

Donate the ticket to a charity?
 
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wannabeBelle

Well-Known Member
or do like I am doing and apply to one day price to your renewal rate for your AP. I was told a few times that I could do this!!! As far as being worth it, What is your normal eating schedule like? Mostly counter service, Mostly sit downs etc?? Figure out if your eating style matches with the dining plan being offered. If it does match the chances are that you would spend more than the $207.00 if you have more than one person going. Belle
 
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poohbear6103

New Member
I agree with Wannabebelle. See if the plan matches your eating style. It did not match ours because we rarely do counter service so instead I got the Disney Dining Experience card which is available to passholders and allows you to save 20% on meals. There are only a few restrictions and they are very easy to get around.
 
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Moustronaut

New Member
slappy magoo said:
I'd say if the plan saves you any money, do it.
I believe the problem is the free dining plan costs an extra $207 dollars with the more expesive room rate and the extra ticket.

If you added the disney dining experience membership to your original AP trip, that will cost you $50. So your difference would be only $157.

If your eating habits sorta match the dining plan, do that. you'll easily spend more than the $207, even the $157, on food over the 5 days you are there.

If you don't like the choices for the disney dining plan (i.e don't eat sit down ever, or really like to eat signature dinners every night) then you might be disappointed with the dining plan. Stay with your original AP trip. You will probably spend more money that the free dining plan, but you'll have an experience that's more enjoyable to you.
 
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wannabeBelle

Well-Known Member
poohbear6103 said:
I agree with Wannabebelle. See if the plan matches your eating style. It did not match ours because we rarely do counter service so instead I got the Disney Dining Experience card which is available to passholders and allows you to save 20% on meals. There are only a few restrictions and they are very easy to get around.
Except Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki Grill!!! :cry: :cry: :cry: Belle
 
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wdwishes2005

New Member
wannabeBelle said:
or do like I am doing and apply to one day price to your renewal rate for your AP. I was told a few times that I could do this!!! As far as being worth it, What is your normal eating schedule like? Mostly counter service, Mostly sit downs etc?? Figure out if your eating style matches with the dining plan being offered. If it does match the chances are that you would spend more than the $207.00 if you have more than one person going. Belle

wait... you can get the dining plan if you only buy one day ticket? or do you have to buy a ticket per day?
 
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wannabeBelle

Well-Known Member
wdwishes2005 said:
wait... you can get the dining plan if you only buy one day ticket? or do you have to buy a ticket per day?
You can buy a one day ticket and get the dining plan for the length of your stay. Your resort stay and your dining plan nights will match exactly though. So for example if you are going for 6 nights and you purchase a one day base ticket, and you opt for the dining plan, you will get 6 nights of snack, counter service and Sit down meals. You cant purchase 7 nights or downgrade to 5 nights.
Also all of the people in the same room must be on the same plan including the number of days on a ticket when booking your package. Once you get to the resort, the tickets can be individually upgraded as needed. Belle
 
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wdwishes2005

New Member
wannabeBelle said:
You can buy a one day ticket and get the dining plan for the length of your stay. Your resort stay and your dining plan nights will match exactly though. So for example if you are going for 6 nights and you purchase a one day base ticket, and you opt for the dining plan, you will get 6 nights of snack, counter service and Sit down meals. You cant purchase 7 nights or downgrade to 5 nights.
Also all of the people in the same room must be on the same plan including the number of days on a ticket when booking your package. Once you get to the resort, the tickets can be individually upgraded as needed. Belle

thank you! i thought you had to buy MYW tickets for the lenghth of the stay! we all have APs and i was disappointed that we couldn't get the dining plan, but now (after much math) its an option again.
 
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The value of the dining plan works best if you have four people in your room. They sell the plan for $35.00 per night per person in the room, so if you have four people in the room the cost for the plan would be $140.00 extra per night, I dont' think that right now there are any discounts out that give you that much off in any resort. I had two room booked from Sept. 24th - Oct 3 at the Pop Century under a passholder rate of $59.00 per night for nine nights. I have already recieved my DDE card as well. With all of the ADR I have (nine so far) including Victoria and Alberts I was at over $1000.00 in food without the counter dining or snacks included. I was able to book one room at $77.00 per night for nine nights and buy four one day park passes at $63.64 each, I kept one of the rooms under the passholder rate and when we arrive will get connecting rooms. So for $435.19 more than we had already spent now all of our dining except Victoria and Alberts is included, which is a great deal as far as I am concerned. The only downside is that we spent $50.00 for the DDE card and now will only use it at Victoria and Alberts this trip, but at that we break even at the dinner for two with wine pairing is over $300.00 so the 20% on that alone is more than the cost.
 
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bhg469

Well-Known Member
Heatherbell said:
Are you a passholder?
Sorry if that sounds like a dumb question, I am just confirming....:veryconfu

not this year, im not going enough for it to benefit me, but that dining is a huge bonus.
 
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Heatherbell

Active Member
Original Poster
I have a husband that eats a ton so thats why I was thinking of doing it this way. He wants to do at least one character breakfast, we will definatley want to eat at Prime Time and Le Cellier so there's three of our dinners right there. Usually we grab a quick breakfast and then usually do a counter service at a park and then usually a late dinner at our hotel. Now typically we don't get crazy with the sit down dinners but we ALWAYS go to Prime Time and and we always do a character breakfast. I have been to Le Cellier but my husband hasn't so we were thinking on trying it out....

I don't know, I am torn and I can't make a decision to save my life. Thats why I am bothering you people, LOL!
The issue here is the $207, that and the extra park ticket....can it be donated even though it would be in my/my husbands name? Because I would definately donate it. I thought you couldn't buy them and give them to someone else.
 
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Heatherbell

Active Member
Original Poster
wannabeBelle said:
or do like I am doing and apply to one day price to your renewal rate for your AP. I was told a few times that I could do this!!! As far as being worth it, What is your normal eating schedule like? Mostly counter service, Mostly sit downs etc?? Figure out if your eating style matches with the dining plan being offered. If it does match the chances are that you would spend more than the $207.00 if you have more than one person going. Belle

How would I apply the one day price to my renewal rate? How do I go about doing that? Thanks!
 
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wannabeBelle

Well-Known Member
Heatherbell said:
How would I apply the one day price to my renewal rate? How do I go about doing that? Thanks!
My understanding is that any pass can be upgraded to a pass of higher value. So the dollars that are spent on this pass can be applied towards an AP renewal rate. This has been checked a few times and it is OK to do. VERY IMPORTANT do not use the ticket that comes with the package ever!!! Keep that aside and continue to use the AP. When your renewal time comes around, go to Guest Relations ( yes this must be done in person, it cannot be done through the mail) And ask to upgrade that one day pass towards your renewal of your AP!!! As your pass was never used it is not subject to the 14 day expiration policy, as it is 14 days from the first use, which wont happen! Belle
 
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wdwishes2005

New Member
wannabeBelle said:
My understanding is that any pass can be upgraded to a pass of higher value. So the dollars that are spent on this pass can be applied towards an AP renewal rate. This has been checked a few times and it is OK to do. VERY IMPORTANT do not use the ticket that comes with the package ever!!! Keep that aside and continue to use the AP. When your renewal time comes around, go to Guest Relations ( yes this must be done in person, it cannot be done through the mail) And ask to upgrade that one day pass towards your renewal of your AP!!! As your pass was never used it is not subject to the 14 day expiration policy, as it is 14 days from the first use, which wont happen! Belle
awesome, so in a nutshell we are getting the dining plan for 35 dollars and don't have to waste money on tickets! Score!
 
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