Be sure to run the numbers with the new offers.

[cdoc29]

So with the new deals that dropped with free dining, kids half off, summer promo room rate and 3 park/ 3 day tickets be sure to run the numbers to make sure they work for you

Example: We are staying at Coronado Springs in last week of July for 7 days family of 4 (Both kids over 10 y.o.)

A Discounted room runs $1837
3 Park/ 3 Day ticket plus a MK ticket runs $475 pp or $1900
Total $3773

To get free Quick Service Dining for a 7 night stay and 4 day tickets/ park hopper is $5167.84
That's $1394.84 more than room and ticket discount and makes the QS dining plan 49.82 per person per night.

Upgrading to Reg DP would be $6248.74 or $2475.74 more than room and ticket discount or 88.41 per person

So the question is can we eat more than the cost of dining plan?

For us the when looking at the menus and either having to commit to 7 sit down meals when we were only planing to do 4 and the restaurants we like we cannot spend more than the reg DP and would probably lose out by not using all the QS dining if we went with that plan.

When we costed out all the meals for the QS dining plan we would spend about $1240
for the Reg DP we would spend $2125 so both fall short for us.

Or as another example for a family family of 4 with 2 kids under 10 can save even more.
Discounted Room $1837
3 day/3 Park + MK for adults $950
Kids Half Price tickets $613.72
Total $3400.72

 

[focusondisney]

It’s always advisable to do the math with any discount or offer you’re considering. What’s best for you will vary greatly depending on your party’s make up, resort & plans. Especially with an offer like Free Dining that requires you to book a full price room. We’re a party of 2 adults & stay at deluxe resorts. A room discount is always a better option for us, even tho we eat at table service once or twice a day. There isn’t any 1 size fits all.

 

[Dug720]

Yep. I looked at all my options and I'm still better with the discount that had existed for late August before it got pulled than I would be with ANY of the deals I qualify for (no kids, so the kid ticket one wasn't even an option).

 

[_19disnA]

This has come up in the past on other threads as well. If the Disney 'free' dining requires you to reserve your room at a non-discounted rate, you probably don't gain anything with that type of promotion. Standalone dining plans aren't intended to save money and mostly a way to have a 'not to exceed' number for food which some people enjoy. Disney's main benefit from dining plans is people are less likely to eat off property when they have already pre-paid for their meals.

 

[Pyxie]

This has come up in the past on other threads as well. If the Disney 'free' dining requires you to reserve your room at a non-discounted rate, you probably don't gain anything with that type of promotion. Standalone dining plans aren't intended to save money and mostly a way to have a 'not to exceed' number for food which some people enjoy. Disney's main benefit from dining plans is people are less likely to eat off property when they have already pre-paid for their meals.

If it works out that they are only paying $49 per person per day for the QS plan, then I'd say that is definitely saving money over going with the discounted room. Pretty much anyone is going to easily spend that much per day on food and then some.

 

[fla4fun]

If it works out that they are only paying $49 per person per day for the QS plan, then I'd say that is definitely saving money over going with the discounted room. Pretty much anyone is going to easily spend that much per day on food and then some.

Except since I go solo, if the discount per night on the room is more than the price of the QS plan, then I come out ahead taking the room discount. I may spend $49 on food (I typically spend less), but if the room discount is $55 then going for the room discount is better.

I always do the math on each special offer before deciding which one is the best deal. It’s going to be different for each family based on party size and the ages of the people in the party. A family with two children under ten staying in a value resort is going to get different results than a family with two teens staying in a moderate or deluxe.

 

[cdoc29]

If it works out that they are only paying $49 per person per day for the QS plan, then I'd say that is definitely saving money over going with the discounted room. Pretty much anyone is going to easily spend that much per day on food and then some.

That is why I recommend pricing out everything beforehand unless convenance is your only decision point. The dining plan does provide convenance.

When we priced out for the week eating two quick service meals and getting a snack every day we averaged around $165 a day for 4 people. The most expensive day was Animal Kingdom where we planned to eat at both Su'li canteen and Flame Tree BBQ and that was $190 including Dad getting an alcoholic drink at both meals just because it's included. If my wife also got an alcoholic drink at both meals we would break even for that one day.

 

[Mle8308]

So with the new deals that dropped with free dining, kids half off, summer promo room rate and 3 park/ 3 day tickets be sure to run the numbers to make sure they work for you

Example: We are staying at Coronado Springs in last week of July for 7 days family of 4 (Both kids over 10 y.o.)

A Discounted room runs $1837
3 Park/ 3 Day ticket plus a MK ticket runs $475 pp or $1900
Total $3773

To get free Quick Service Dining for a 7 night stay and 4 day tickets/ park hopper is $5167.84
That's $1394.84 more than room and ticket discount and makes the QS dining plan 49.82 per person per night.

Upgrading to Reg DP would be $6248.74 or $2475.74 more than room and ticket discount or 88.41 per person

So the question is can we eat more than the cost of dining plan?

For us the when looking at the menus and either having to commit to 7 sit down meals when we were only planing to do 4 and the restaurants we like we cannot spend more than the reg DP and would probably lose out by not using all the QS dining if we went with that plan.

When we costed out all the meals for the QS dining plan we would spend about $1240
for the Reg DP we would spend $2125 so both fall short for us.

Or as another example for a family family of 4 with 2 kids under 10 can save even more.
Discounted Room $1837
3 day/3 Park + MK for adults $950
Kids Half Price tickets $613.72
Total $3400.72

$50 per person for the QS dining per night isn't too bad. Remember you all each get a refillable resort mug (one soda at a resort is about $5) and the ability to park hop. And the adults would get an alcoholic beverage included with meals. Still not sure I'd do it, not if you want to eat at some TS locations, and especially if you won't have an alcoholic beverage. For most, the free DDP is not designed to actually save anyone money, though in some instances, it can work out.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

The times when I have "compared offers" figuring 4 nights resort / 4 tickets with park hopper........it seems as though paying non discounted resort to get "free" dining actually gets you the dining thrown in for what Disney's food cost probably is. I used QS figured full price per person / day - that total value never reflected actual price difference in comparison.

 

[Sadiemae76]

We had room discount packages at POP already booked for our very large family at the end of September. QS plans and 5 days base tickets. The Visa Dining Offer saved us $946 and we now have Parkhoppers! I am thrilled!

 

[loves to dive]

I'm a retired bookkeeper so hazard of the profession, I do the math on everything. Drives hubby crazy when I'm standing in the grocery store looking at the per unit price of things and comparing them. Free dining has never been a good deal for us or me when going solo. I don't eat huge meals, I rarely eat any meat other than chicken, don't snack between meals, maybe once a year drink soft drinks. If I'm eating QS, I tend to get a kid's meal (has nothing to do with cost and everything to do with how much I eat) and even doing that usually have the cutie left over for later in the day. If I eat TS I tend to make a meal out of apps. I do enjoy a refreshing adult beverage.

 

[Dakota731]

Free dining saved us money when we had three teens so it depends on the family!

 

[robinb]

I also encourage everyone to do the math. These days, DDP can be a good deal for a small subset of travellers. Those with small children 9 and under who go to character meals benefit the most.

 

[bluezy]

Another vote for doing the math. The only time "free" dining has been the better discount for our family (we have 5 kids -- all who have been Disney "adults" for more than 12 years now), was when we were traveling with 4 or 5 kids. And even then, I had to kind of keep an eye on which meals we used the dining credits on. We still came out ahead on the 2 trips we had "free" dining on, but only by about $100-150. Now that most of our kids are off on their own and we only travel with 1 or 2 of them, the room discount is always a better deal for us. Maybe if we were doing a trip where we were focusing on dining rather than doing things in the parks, we *might* come out ahead with "free" dining, but dining will never be the focus of a Disney trip for us.

 

[Mouse Tracker]

For the posters that have had success, which plan and why?

 

[CaroM8]

Last year we went for a week on the "free DDP" promo (myself, hubby and 6yr old).
We milked every last bit of those dining credits - went to some heavy hitter TS meals like Ohana, Topolino's breakfast, Crystal Palace, CRT. Got alcoholic beverages at most meals. I think we came out ahead, but it was so much food! We normally would not order a dessert at a TS but we did with the plan just because it's included. I'm glad we got it to do all those expensive TS but not sure we will do it again.

Going next September just my daughter and I but we will not use the DDP. Even just he QS plan is too much for her and I. She is more of a snacker so we will try that strategy instead. Maybe do one TS just paying out of pocket.

 

[Dug720]

For me, even if the dining package came out better I wouldn't have done it since I'm splurging on a Deluxe and in the heat of August I do NOT want to commit to a heavy sit-down meal every day.

 

[andcarro]

Greta tip - thank you!

 

[ScottieD]

We have just changed our booking to take advantage of the quick service bonus. We've got a 10 day trip planned in late September with 2 adults and 2 children (10,8). For us it came in at an extra $700, but over 10 days, that's $70 per day for all of us. I had budgeted us spending significantly more than that on food, and now we have a park hopper ticket too.

 

[Disneylover99]

For the posters that have had success, which plan and why?

We stick to quick service with free dining. It’s a no-brainer for us.

We’ve got 4 Adults heading to standard room at Sports for two weeks over Christmas and New Years with free dining. The two meals and one snack per person is more than enough food for us. We don’t like to be tied down to reservations plus the additional tipping with table service each day can really add up.