It has never been free, it's just been part of a package, the room is always at rack rate for the package and there is almost always a time you can find a room for a discount. I remember the days when you did get the app, entre, dessert and tip with the package and it included 3 TS meals a day. We actually bought it back then because it was really cheap and less than it would be if you got 3 TS meals out of pocket. We bought it maybe twice. I think we may have gotten the "free" dining once when it first came out because I couldn't find a room at a deluxe resort at a discount. Now we don't eat the way the plan is designed. Rarely do we eat a full breakfast, it's normally a muffin or a breakfast sandwich which we split. We will eat QS for lunch and I normally get a kid's meal because I just don't eat big meals any more. We will eat TS for supper maybe 4 out of 6 nights but again, I'm a light eater so I'll get a salad and appetizer or two appetizers. We rarely order dessert and if we do, we split it. My son can eat a big meal some nights, some nights he just wants bar food so we get a refreshing adult beverage and eat bar food for supper. I never book a room at rack rate any more and I have an AP and get at least 3 trips off it, my son had one last year and he got 3 trips, I got 4. We rarely snack between meals, again I'm just not hungry between meals and my son rarely is either. As far as the cost of the food, we live in a major college town, Athens GA home of University of Georgia. Unless you are eating fast food, most restaurants cost about what you are going to pay at Disney so it's not that big of a deal to us.