OK, so the original plan was to book our trip with a 40% off coupon we recieved, and then my sister dropped the ball, and let it expire. So now, the trip just happens to be planned during the dining promotion. Will it make a big impact for the dining compared to the 40% we would have originally payed since it states must pay full rate?

We will have 4 adults and 4 kids with 2 rooms, for 10 days...9/17-9/27.
Can we use an Annual discount on this promo?

Also when we do the dining plan, do we need to buy our tickets through this promotion also?

Oops, on letting the 40% expire. :(

If you want the 'free dining', you have to purchase a package, which includes a room(s) and park admission. Everyone in the group must purchase the same type of park admission (age appropriate, of course :)) You can not (at this point) get discounts on the room AND get the free dining promotion.

There isn't currently an AP discount available for that time frame, and one does get announced soon, it would not include the free dining (but I wouldn't hold my breath for it - they generally don't have to give AP discounts to fill rooms during 'free dining'). You MIGHT be able to get a AAA discount on the room only, though.

Are you SET on those days? You might want to see if you can get adequate ADRs for your time frame for your group before you commit to the free dining vs AP/AAA discount, and decide which is 'more expensive' for your group, especially depending on the ages of the kids. You can make your ADRs before you book your room, and this is probably the only kind of situation where I'd recommend that! They will ask you if you're on the dining plan - just let them know you haven't decided yet.

There are usually only a set number of rooms at each resort, each night, for the different discount programs, so you might have to be flexible in selecting your resort, too, if you want to take advantage of the free dining (or the AP/AAA discount, if there is one for September).

If I was in your situation, I'd see a huge spreadsheet in my future: What restaurants would we want, when? Can I get them? What would we eat at each location (see the menus here (http://www.mouseplanet.com/misc.php?pg=wdw_dining))? What would they cost if paid out of pocket? What will the cost be if we do the dining plan (if you add appetizers/alcohol and for tip)? If we got an annual pass and the Disney Dining Experience, what would that do to the overall cost? What would we pay for the room, with/without dining plan/other discounts? Do we have to go to a different level of resort because there isn't availability for the discount for us? Repeat as necessary!

(The red questions are ones you need to get on the phone with Disney to answer)

Disney Dining Experience is a card for purchase, available only if you live in Floridia or have an Annual Pass, (cost is $60 for annual pass holders), and gives you 20% off MOST table service restaurants (including alcohol!). Here's a link (http://www.mousesavers.com/diningexperience.html) to Mousesavers (great site, by the way) about the DDE, including a list of participating restaurants

Oh, and you have to book the free dining promotion by June 22nd - so don't let that date slip away!

Hi
Having Recived the Free dining promotion the last time we stayed at WDW in august 2007, i have to say that it made life a lot easier for us. Meaning we did not have to take out to much cash to the parks.

Previously the DDP used to have Gratuity included but not it does not, so be aware. The next time i go will just be the two of us and i can see a meal reaching over $100 so $10 tip is very resonable.

When we went we stayed in the ASMovies and had a group of 11 of us. We just had to keep track of how many points you got left on your DDP. Especially if you have younger children that your trust with the room key you never know when they get hungry they might just have a snack.

But id say with the amount that you will spend on a meal the DDP is well worth a go especially if it is free.

We go in December next time and we have purchased the DDP with workd out at $1000 for 21 nights compared to around $2000 we would spend on just evening meals

Go for it. And make sure you get it before the date runs out. Also have a look to see if you save anything it maybe worth a hotel upgrade too

Have a great Vacation

Oh Yeah Does anyone know why the stopped the DDP from including appitizers? is it to save money or what?

Previously the DDP used to have Gratuity included but not it does not, so be aware. The next time i go will just be the two of us and i can see a meal reaching over $100 so $10 tip is very resonable.

Actually, 15-20% is standard tip, so $10 would NOT be considered reasonable on a $100 meal.

Sorry you are right but dnt think i ever get a meal up to $100 much anyway

Sorry you are right but dnt think i ever get a meal up to $100 much anyway

I just assumed you were including a nice bottle of wine and at least 3 courses for both of you!

(And I worded that way harsher than I meant it to sound - I knew you were from 'across the pond' and that tipping was different, and didn't want you to be shocked that 10% is considered a poor tip. Sorry about that!)

Drince, you're such a cranky ol' biddy!!!

Oh Yeah Does anyone know why the stopped the DDP from including appitizers? is it to save money or what?

My guess is that it was for a variety of reasons including cost, to give the restaurants some control over their menu (and incentive to join the plan since they can plan getting extra money for the appetizers), and from customer's reactions. With the appetizers and dessert, there is way too much food (and my family can eat!). There was probably a lot of wasted food.

Even though I'd much rather have the appetizer than the dessert included, from a business standpoint I can understand their reasoning.

Yes, the restaurants can make a bit of extra money by selling me (and several others) appetizers. About half the time we order one to split, and we both get our Cheddar Cheese soup at Le Cellier whether it's included or not. Too much food on the deluxe dining plan for us, so we take the basic plan and pay for the appetizers when we get them. I would not be as inclined to order a non-included dessert since I'd be full already from dinner and some desserts just don't appeal to me.

My guess is that it was for a variety of reasons including cost, to give the restaurants some control over their menu (and incentive to join the plan since they can plan getting extra money for the appetizers), and from customer's reactions. With the appetizers and dessert, there is way too much food (and my family can eat!). There was probably a lot of wasted food.

Yet if i have read this right with the childs 3-9 dining plan you still get appetizers, entree and dessert. where as i feel the more food goes to waste. I do get full pretty quick when i eat at WDW i just wanted to know why they decided to stop the apetizers, i wish we could pick either them or desserts, i am a savory person myself and dont eat many sweet things.

I do get full pretty quick when i eat at WDW i just wanted to know why they decided to stop the apetizers, i wish we could pick either them or desserts, i am a savory person myself and dont eat many sweet things.

I feel the same. On our recent trip, I would have much rather have had a nice green salad instead of one of the desserts (generous and yummy as they were!). I think my boys would have chosen salad if given the chance, too.

Oh BTW, I do think the Dining Plan is worth it because if I were paying for dinner on the spot, I would likely have chosen less expensive entrees than I did at the time.....knowing that it was already paid for made it easier to enjoy the better foods. Hope that makes sense.

Yet if i have read this right with the childs 3-9 dining plan you still get appetizers, entree and dessert.
When I first read your post, I was thinking - "What sort of special plan do they have in the UK?" And so I went to look at the official pdf (http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/media/wdw/images2003/languagespecific/eng/nontheme/tickets/08Dining.pdf) for the dining plan for 2008.

WOW, it looks like 3-9 year olds DO get an appetizer! I wonder if that was instituted to help 'keep them occupied' while they were waiting for their entrees!

Has anyone experienced this with the kids table service?

WOW, it looks like 3-9 year olds DO get an appetizer! I wonder if that was instituted to help 'keep them occupied' while they were waiting for their entrees!


I noticed that too, and found it really odd that kids can get an appetizer, but not adults. Are the kid appetizers off the adult menu, or children's?

I noticed that too, and found it really odd that kids can get an appetizer, but not adults. Are the kid appetizers off the adult menu, or children's?

They are off the Children's menus.

PS... moved this thread to the Good Eats forum.

i could have sworn that i read somewhere that the DDP is now available to purchase as a stand alone for those booking ap room only w/o ticket package. any details? also is there an easy way to estimate the approximate cost per night for the DDP or DDDP?

DizMagic, check out this page on mousesavers (http://www.mousesavers.com/packages.html). I think it answers all your questions (at least as far as the 2008 costs go, 2009 costs/details haven't been published yet).

One thing to be aware of, though, if adding the dining plan for an AP-based rate, is that makes it 'a package' and packages have different deposit/balance due requirements then the room only you'd normally get if you have an AP.

Even though I'd much rather have the appetizer than the dessert included, from a business standpoint I can understand their reasoning.

Yes, the restaurants can make a bit of extra money by selling me (and several others) appetizers. About half the time we order one to split, and we both get our Cheddar Cheese soup at Le Cellier whether it's included or not. Too much food on the deluxe dining plan for us, so we take the basic plan and pay for the appetizers when we get them. I would not be as inclined to order a non-included dessert since I'd be full already from dinner and some desserts just don't appeal to me.

Yeah, I wish you could choose which you wanted at each meal, an appetizer or a dessert; it'd be a tough choice, but at least you'd have the option. I still like the plan, even with the changes; we'll be using it next year! Can't wait, slurp, slurp, yum!