Free Dining

[jlpeaches255]

I tried to see if this was being discussed anywhere else but I could not find it so I apologize if I missed it.

It seems to me that about a year ago I was hearing that Disney was going to begin doing away with many of its discounts especially Free dining. Then of course after last year's traditional free dining time they extended the offer and then extended the offer again. Yesterday I got a card in the mail offering free dining throughout the spring and most of the summer. So my question is really this: Is Disney really feeling the pinch from the economy OR is free dining really not a good deal and just a way to make us THINK we are saving money??

[Amy]

I tried to see if this was being discussed anywhere else but I could not find it so I apologize if I missed it.

It seems to me that about a year ago I was hearing that Disney was going to begin doing away with many of its discounts especially Free dining. Then of course after last year's traditional free dining time they extended the offer and then extended the offer again. Yesterday I got a card in the mail offering free dining throughout the spring and most of the summer. So my question is really this: Is Disney really feeling the pinch from the economy OR is free dining really not a good deal and just a way to make us THINK we are saving money??

I would guess the markup on the food is pretty substantial and it is a good way to lure guests to the resort where they will spend money on tickets, rooms and souvenirs. I personally hope they extend it a little further because it really was a great deal for us this past trip. It was very nice not to have to worry about paying as we went as it was already covered!

[Polynesian Princess]

I think it's a clever marketing strategy. People go crazy over it and think it automatically must be the best deal ever all because of that little word free. Obviously because it provides free food for each guest in your party, you're paying the same full price for the room whether you are a party of 1 or 5, making it more of a "deal" the more people (particularly adults) that you have in your party. Also because you're paying the full rate for the room, the cheaper the hotel and room you stay in, the better the deal (though I'm not positive how this plays in with value vs. moderate now that they've changed it to where the values get the quick service plan). Those who come out best are the families with teenagers. I did some rough price checking of the deals last year out of curiosity, and I think for the "traditional" family (2 adults, 2 kids), it comes out roughly equal to the room discounts they offer. For just my husband and I, we've always come out much cheaper by getting a room discount.

[jlpeaches255]

Good points! I know the last time we went we stayed at a value and did the free quick service. 2 adults 2 kids. But I booked our friends (2 adults 2 kids) at the AKL and the room discount was definitely the better way to go and then they added on quick service dining.

[Sleepy90]

We had to go to a Moderate to get the free dining they were not doing it for the values, we were heading to Port Orleans anyway so it didn't really matter to us.
I have to add that I am in the UK and so yes it saved us a bundle as we paid the same package price as normal but just with free food.

[Len90]

Free dining is one of the lower discounts thy Disney offers. The best deals they will offer are the buy 4, get 3 free or the room discount depending on which hotel you are staying. Either way Dismey still makes a profit, just not as much as they originally intended to make. If given the option, I would go for the room discount. It will pretty much always come out as a bigger savings.
Overall, the DDP is great if you are willing to stick to it and live by it throughout your stay. That is something I just can't do.

[Wizzard419]

So my question is really this: Is Disney really feeling the pinch from the economy OR is free dining really not a good deal and just a way to make us THINK we are saving money??

Almost anything that is "Free" in any hotel is actually part of your package price, they just don't itemize it on the bill. Promotions like that generally are there to give you the thought of savings to then get you to spend more. Kind of like the "Cosco effect" where you go in for batteries and leave with caskets for your whole family.


They are feeling the economic times but they are also feeling it in weird ways, such as more frequent overcrowding at DLR.

[theBIGyowski]

DW and I took advantage of the Free Dining for our honeymoon. Why? Because my parents paid for our honeymoon...and having all of our food "paid for" in advance was exactly what we needed. It basically turned our stay into an "all-inclusive resort" minus the alcohol and gratuity. Now...had we been paying for the honeymoon we would have gone with the room discount and eaten less in order to save money. The portions are rather large at most of the counter service restaurants and could feed 2 people...saving a ton of money over the course of a vacation stay...and allowing you to have a nice table service meal every now and then without breaking the bank.

[Amy]

DW and I took advantage of the Free Dining for our honeymoon. Why? Because my parents paid for our honeymoon...and having all of our food "paid for" in advance was exactly what we needed. It basically turned our stay into an "all-inclusive resort" minus the alcohol and gratuity. Now...had we been paying for the honeymoon we would have gone with the room discount and eaten less in order to save money. The portions are rather large at most of the counter service restaurants and could feed 2 people...saving a ton of money over the course of a vacation stay...and allowing you to have a nice table service meal every now and then without breaking the bank.

I agree about the huge portions. That was the only downside to our free quick service dining. Mom and I would normally get a meal and split it but with the dining plan we each got to choose our our meal. That was especially great for me since Mom has more dietary restrictions than I do so I usually ended up eating whatever she choose, even if it wasn't my favorite. But with the dining plan there was soooo much food, and then a dessert on top of the huge meal, that we ended up feeling wasteful.

[elizabethswann]

Reading the responses here is making me really think about what my friend and I are going to do for our trip. I've been debating about the dining plan or the quick service dining but I've read reviews on allears.net that say there's a LOT of food offered. Considering that it's just me and my friend, we may settle on splitting food together or at least get our own meal and eat whatever is left on the way or in line.

[Amy]

Reading the responses here is making me really think about what my friend and I are going to do for our trip. I've been debating about the dining plan or the quick service dining but I've read reviews on allears.net that say there's a LOT of food offered. Considering that it's just me and my friend, we may settle on splitting food together or at least get our own meal and eat whatever is left on the way or in line.

You and your friend could easily split most meals...they give you a lot of food! Be aware that most attractions won't let you take any food or beverages inside though. You can take your food and drink a little further into some queues than others, but most times there will be a CM standing at some point requesting you to finish your food or drinks before going any further.

[horizons1]

One thing to consider is that when Disney really started pushing the meal plan was in 2008 when oil prices were around $150/barrel and nobody wanted to travel (high airfares, or high pump prices). Disney found the dining plan to be an effective incentive to get people over the sticker shock of the fuel expense. So as long as there is unrest keeping oil prices high this year, expect to continue seeing promotions with all kinds of discounts to keep the rooms full.

[elizabethswann]

Reading the responses here is making me really think about what my friend and I are going to do for our trip. I've been debating about the dining plan or the quick service dining but I've read reviews on allears.net that say there's a LOT of food offered. Considering that it's just me and my friend, we may settle on splitting food together or at least get our own meal and eat whatever is left on the way or in line.

You and your friend could easily split most meals...they give you a lot of food! Be aware that most attractions won't let you take any food or beverages inside though. You can take your food and drink a little further into some queues than others, but most times there will be a CM standing at some point requesting you to finish your food or drinks before going any further.

Ahh gotcha. I've been diong a lot of homework on the dining plans and I'll have to ask her what she feels like doing more. I know I can always use the snack credits for something in between and at least have something to eat on the plane ride home so I don't waste money on airport food. I spent too much at a Burger King in San Francisco once....never again.

[Amy]

Reading the responses here is making me really think about what my friend and I are going to do for our trip. I've been debating about the dining plan or the quick service dining but I've read reviews on allears.net that say there's a LOT of food offered. Considering that it's just me and my friend, we may settle on splitting food together or at least get our own meal and eat whatever is left on the way or in line.

You and your friend could easily split most meals...they give you a lot of food! Be aware that most attractions won't let you take any food or beverages inside though. You can take your food and drink a little further into some queues than others, but most times there will be a CM standing at some point requesting you to finish your food or drinks before going any further.

Ahh gotcha. I've been diong a lot of homework on the dining plans and I'll have to ask her what she feels like doing more. I know I can always use the snack credits for something in between and at least have something to eat on the plane ride home so I don't waste money on airport food. I spent too much at a Burger King in San Francisco once....never again.

That's what I planned on using the snack credits for, snacks. But with the huge meals, you really didn't want or need a snack! I ended up buying a whole bunch of bottled beverages and giving them to the hotel staff before we left. One thing that is handy to know, which I didn't find out until almost the end of the trip, is that the snack credits are good for anything in the food court ~ candy, snack boxes of cookies, crackers. I used some snack credits to buy bags of Goofy and Co. candy for my nieces and nephews for Christmas! The other thing that is good to know, you can usually get a bottle of water in lieu of the dessert that is included with the quick service. There weren't a lot of dessert options at some quick service stands and it is amazing how fast you tire of having dessert with each meal
I hear you on the overpriced airport food Good idea on having some snack foods for on the plane. Now if only you could take a bottle of water with you

[Polynesian Princess]

There weren't a lot of dessert options at some quick service stands and it is amazing how fast you tire of having dessert with each meal

I don't think I ever want that chocolate cake with the chocolate frosting and sprinkles ever again.