Why Free Dining is such a massive saving.

[sgtmgd]

For those of you who are fans of free dining. Do you really think it's "free"? Sure, the plan itself has no upfront cost at the time you dine. And I'll even ignore the whole quality issue (although anyone going for the last 15-20 years will agree with this). But if you don't think a variety of other prices have been raised to offset any potential losses thereby making your whole vacation more expensive, you need to start thinking in terms of corporate economics. I can control how much and what I eat; I can't control the fact that I need a hotel room each night or that I may enjoy purchasing some merchandise. Note that it's not always higher prices but the outright loss of certain features and functions where the company may have also accrued some savings to be able to drag people in by dangling this offer out there.

Seems like I'm the voice of dissent..here but I do appreciate.and respect folks opinions

You say you can control what you eat and how much but can't control that you need a hotel room...ok point conceded..however there are loads of inexpensive hotels that dot Orlando...the DDP is not always about how much you save as it allows some folks to program a budget and pay it off in installments so while enjoying the place we all love they have one less expense...

 

[jlevis]

It is irrelevent for us. We stay off site and typically eat brakfast in our villa, a TS lunch and then . We have AP ad get TIW. Normally there are 2 of us

 

[mikelynn91]

We are spoiled to fall free dining and take advantage of a school fall break each year. I have known that free dining was certainly a wonderful added bonus for our family in that we wouldn't have had some of the dining and character dining experiences any other way (due to $$$ constraints). But it became painfully obvious how wonderful free dining is when we visited Disneyland last January for my daughter's 16th birthday. It costs a FORTUNE to eat on property and we simply didn't take enough cash. DL is nice (compared with WDW) in that you can get to off-site restaurants (without a car) very easily but if you're in a park mid-day you are pretty much at their mercy. We ordered three turkey sandwiches with fries and drinks and shared ONE cupcake between us and the bill was $40! Thankful for free dining at WDW and looking forward to it this September!!

 

[crosswagon]

We done the free dining plan for the first time last year and it was a hit with our son in laws. They are in their 20's and have a hollow leg so the QS meals definitley filled them up. We have always brought quick breakfast foods(cereal bars, pop tarts) and sandwich fixings for lunch then had a quick service for dinner. Doing the free dining is a great plus for us and even paying rack rate for the rooms (we get 2) and getting the free dining ups the value of our trip. We don't stay still long enough for table service and do not want reservations to hinder our time in the parks. Eating is just a way to keep our legs a moving and if it is free that is even better!

 

[CaptainShortty]

The dining plan pretty much forces over-eating. I can't really imagine anyone eating the same amount if they were paying out of pocket, so direct price comparisons are difficult.

The dining plan has also led to a reduction in food quality at the restaurants, less availability, and on the whole a devaluation of food.

As you can tell, I'm not a fan LOL.

I think it really depends. If you do some signature restaurants/dinner shows then that's not always true. I think the only part where that is true is with the QS desserts. I think that's the only thing we probably wouldn't order without the dining plan. And even if we wouldn't order a TS dessert, we'd probably then order and appetizer so it evens itself out. We almost always do it that way and it winds up being a great savings and we still don't feel completely stuffed. I'm a firm believer in the dining plan savings.

 

[dreamfinder]

No AP for us, my sister is a CM. The $86 is about what we will save on meals using TiW for our trip in December when my sister is not available to join us. We will be almost at break even (we paid $100). We will be taking another trip before TiW would expire, but right now the length of that trip is uncertain that is why i was asking about days. Perhaps number of TS meals would be a better question. We general do 2 TS meals for 2 or 3 days each trip.

So then I take it you are FL residents then. Otherwise you can't get the TiW, just in case you didn't already know that. I'd say a party of 4 will break even on about 5 table service meals for a $100 TiW card. Your break even point will be right around $500 if you normally tip 18%, closer to like $588 if you normally tip 15%. Figuring $25 or so per head per meal. However, since it likes you are a party of 1 adults + 1 child, you may be closer to 10 TS meals. Not really sure how much child meals run at TS locations, but you have already done some math. If you consume alcohol, or do apps/dessert, that $25 per head will obviously go up.

 

[Doombuggy13]

It was paramount for us this year! No free dining, no WDW!!

This has been our situation the past couple of years.We don't go to Disney without free dining, times are too tight. I understand everyone else's arguements but the convenience of knowing you've got the meals covered to us is priceless. We don't eat desserts everyday either, we take them back to our room for snacks later.

 

[Sunshineglow68]

It definitely played a big part in me booking our WDW vacation when I did and also choosing to take my DD out of school for a week.

As far as overeatting, as someone else stated, I think there are plenty of choices on the menus that you don't have to overeat. Just make smart choices.

 

[JillC LI]

It is Me, DH DS 3 And DD 8, We do stay at pop but always upgrade to the table service.

Have you looked into the price differential to stay at a Mod resort without having to upgrade? We just did that for our December trip, and the price difference between Pop plus upgrade to regular DDP versus CBR without the upgrade was $43 for a 5 day trip! No brainer there - we upgraded!

 

[MITCH 112198]

Yes, for jan. my husband said the same thing and when I did it He wanted Pirate room for DS or Princess for DD it was 500.00 more on top of the add on charge from value resort. Thanks though.

 

[jlsHouston]

never booked a WDW trip that had the free dining option going when I was going. But always bought the dining plan and I feel that it does save me money because I plan our meals and kind of our snacks and I think considering our grazing ways that actually helps us to not go too far out of pocket on food. Especially since we really like the TS character dining which is expensive if you are paying cash with no discount for 2 adults and 2 kids, or sometimes I have 3 adults and 2 kids in our group

 

[Lucky]

The regular DDP just gives you 2 meals per day and a snack, so it doesn't cause us to over-eat. If you end up paying for a 3rd meal OOP, maybe. But then don't do that - split some meals instead.

 

[Stellajack]

I will "ditto" @DonaldDoleWhip - it really does depend. Everybody needs to do the math based on where they stay, how many they are and how they eat. If the pattern of credits the plan gives you works for your eating routine and you'll actually use the credits they give you, you have enough people to negate the savings of room-only discounts at the resort level you'll be staying at, then "free" dining might be for you.

For myself and my son, even at a Value resort, "free" dining is barely a break-even proposal and we have to eat a lot more QS meals than we would normally consider. AP and TiW are a much more palatable choice for us.

Totally agree----In deciding which, we have found that, for us, the free dining savings is not>resort discount because we would not use all the meal options. We would rather have the resort discounts and freedom of doing 2-3 special ADR's and more frequent 'on the move CS,QS, and resort food court.

 

[minnielaw]

I've said it before and I'll say it again....whether or not the DDP is right for you and whether or not you save money with a Free DDP offer depends on your particular circumstances. There is no blanket answer that either the DDP is perfect OR the DDP is evil.

Many people on here are comparing the savings of using a TiW card to free dining with rack rate room or paying for the DDP. That's comparing apples and oranges for most of us. The TiW card is only available for purchase if you have an AP, are a FL resident or a DVC member....not a category most of us fall in.

Each family needs to work the numbers on whether or not the DDP makes sense for them and whether or not the Free DDP offer gives them greater savings then other offers available to them during their time of travel. I, for one, do not receive many 40% off Deluxe Resort offers, but I do receive Free DDP offers. Additionally, for family looking to stay at a Value or Moderate Resort the Free DDP offers them greater savings then 20% off of a Deluxe Resort. They can budget for their entire vacation and meals are taken care of "free".

I also respectfully disagree with those who say the food quality has decreased over the years and attribute this decline to the DDP. I think the food quality and restaurant choices have increased and I see Disney making some improvements/renovations to many restaurants currently. I challenge you to find a theme park anywhere else in the world that has as many dining options and as high quality of food. Most theme parks adhere to the formula that the guest is "stuck" in their park and therefore, food quality/choice doesn't matter because you HAVE to eat there. My sons just got back from a day at Kings' Island in OH and they spent over $60 on Chik-fil-A and soft pretzels!!

I guess what I want to say is that this issue has been debated and debated and while I think that it is good for people to see the advantages and disadvantages discussed and make an informed decision....I get frustrated at the anti-DDP crowd who refuse to see its value to anyone. For a family of four coming to WDW one time every other year, the free dining offer can be a huge savings and make the difference between planning a trip or foregoing WDW.

Sorry for the rant!

 

[Stellajack]

The dining plan pretty much forces over-eating. I can't really imagine anyone eating the same amount if they were paying out of pocket, so direct price comparisons are difficult.

The dining plan has also led to a reduction in food quality at the restaurants, less availability, and on the whole a devaluation of food.

As you can tell, I'm not a fan LOL.

Steve, I feel the same way and I am always reminded of the phrase, "live to eat or eat to live"? Still, DDP is a good thing for anyone who does save $$$, although this plan is not necessarily "free". As has been previously stated, one must "do the math".

 

[Monty]

Many people on here are comparing the savings of using a TiW card to free dining with rack rate room or paying for the DDP. That's comparing apples and oranges for most of us. The TiW card is only available for purchase if you have an AP, are a FL resident or a DVC member....not a category most of us fall in.

Sorry for the rant!

Rants are OK!

Just for info: The first time I got the TiW card was an 8-day trip where we stayed at Beach Club. I got a 42% room-only AP discount on the room. The savings on the room paid for:

• The AP for me that qualified us for the discount,
• A 9-day Hopper for my son,
• The TiW card that the AP qualified us for, and
• Every TS and QS meal, every snack we ate and all the alcohol I consumed on that trip using the TiW discount.

The entire trip cost less than the "free" dining offer would have cost at the same resort. It's worth considering getting an AP even when a Hopper ticket would suffice for your plans... Of course, the down-side was that I ended up going back three more times because of having an AP [which negated all of the "savings" from that trip! ].

 

[PhilharMagician]

Rants are OK!

Just for info: The first time I got the TiW card was an 8-day trip where we stayed at Beach Club. I got a 42% room-only AP discount on the room. The savings on the room paid for:

• The AP for me that qualified us for the discount,
• A 9-day Hopper for my son,
• The TiW card that the AP qualified us for, and
• Every TS and QS meal, every snack we ate and all the alcohol I consumed on that trip using the TiW discount.

The entire trip cost less than the "free" dining offer would have cost at the same resort. It's worth considering getting an AP even when a Hopper ticket would suffice for your plans... Of course, the down-side was that I ended up going back three more times because of having an AP [which negated all of the "savings" from that trip! ].

That is terrible that you had to go back 3 more times.

 

[Lucky]

Rants are OK!

Just for info: The first time I got the TiW card was an 8-day trip where we stayed at Beach Club. I got a 42% room-only AP discount on the room. The savings on the room paid for:

• The AP for me that qualified us for the discount,
• A 9-day Hopper for my son,
• The TiW card that the AP qualified us for, and
• Every TS and QS meal, every snack we ate and all the alcohol I consumed on that trip using the TiW discount.

The entire trip cost less than the "free" dining offer would have cost at the same resort. It's worth considering getting an AP even when a Hopper ticket would suffice for your plans... Of course, the down-side was that I ended up going back three more times because of having an AP [which negated all of the "savings" from that trip! ].

So I could buy 1 AP and that would get my family the same room discounts and TiW discounts as if I bought APs for all 4 of us?

 

[dreamfinder]

So I could buy 1 AP and that would get my family the same room discounts and TiW discounts as if I bought APs for all 4 of us?

Only one AP is needed for discounts. Now of course, that AP needs to be present to receive the discounts (IE Mom can't try to use Dad's AP to get a merchandise discount). I do believe that they also changed it so that an adult AP was needed for TiW purchase.

 

[PhilharMagician]

I've said it before and I'll say it again....whether or not the DDP is right for you and whether or not you save money with a Free DDP offer depends on your particular circumstances. There is no blanket answer that either the DDP is perfect OR the DDP is evil.

Many people on here are comparing the savings of using a TiW card to free dining with rack rate room or paying for the DDP. That's comparing apples and oranges for most of us. The TiW card is only available for purchase if you have an AP, are a FL resident or a DVC member....not a category most of us fall in.

Neither did many of the people telling you that this is a good way of saving money.

Each family needs to work the numbers on whether or not the DDP makes sense for them and whether or not the Free DDP offer gives them greater savings then other offers available to them during their time of travel. I, for one, do not receive many 40% off Deluxe Resort offers, but I do receive Free DDP offers. Additionally, for family looking to stay at a Value or Moderate Resort the Free DDP offers them greater savings then 20% off of a Deluxe Resort. They can budget for their entire vacation and meals are taken care of "free". .

Absolutely! The free dining work best for guests that book 2 adults and 2 juniors per room since the price is based on the room rate. If you only have 2 people in your party and one is a child, then it may not make any sense to take the fre DDP offer.

I also respectfully disagree with those who say the food quality has decreased over the years and attribute this decline to the DDP. I think the food quality and restaurant choices have increased and I see Disney making some improvements/renovations to many restaurants currently. I challenge you to find a theme park anywhere else in the world that has as many dining options and as high quality of food. Most theme parks adhere to the formula that the guest is "stuck" in their park and therefore, food quality/choice doesn't matter because you HAVE to eat there. My sons just got back from a day at Kings' Island in OH and they spent over $60 on Chik-fil-A and soft pretzels!! .

Sorry, but the food quality has been greatly compromised in more ways than one. Nearly every restaurant on WDW property is running @ 100% capacity every day from opening until closing. This has removed the option to be able to go to WDW and in the afternoon going to Crystal Palace and having a late lunch or going back to you hotel (Polynesian) and going down to your hotel's restaurant and having dinner. In reality you better have booked those meals 6 months earlier of you can just forget eating.

The food itself has become less original and creative. Menu's have become simplified and streamlined to be able to cater to the increased volume of diners that has come from the DDP and moreso the times of the year that the free DDP is offered. For example, look at the history of when the free DDP is offered. You will see locations like Tomorrowland Terrace and Diamond Horseshoe serving meals and this is during the slower times of the years. At other times of the years when the parks are busier those place are closed. This simply shows the demand on food service that the free DDP has.

I am not sure why he would have over $60.00 for that. That is just silly. You can buy a meal card @ King's Island for $45.99 and have the same thing. It is still expensive, but like you are saying you need to find the most cost effective way to eat.

I guess what I want to say is that this issue has been debated and debated and while I think that it is good for people to see the advantages and disadvantages discussed and make an informed decision....I get frustrated at the anti-DDP crowd who refuse to see its value to anyone. For a family of four coming to WDW one time every other year, the free dining offer can be a huge savings and make the difference between planning a trip or foregoing WDW.

Sorry for the rant!

I agree with @wdwmagic about the DDP. It has given a waist growing society another reason to eat way more than one needs to consume and has driven away the ability to be spontaneous with your dining options.