Chit Chat Thread - November ADRs...

[MomtoDisneytrips]

We went that week a couple of years ago and it was low crowds until the day free dining started and it got crowded fast! We wanted to stay another night but every room on the resort booked up that day! It was wild!

 

[loveshak22]

Same boat for me! Also wondering if FP are worth it for parades/nighttime. I've read conflicting things.

From the little I read they said no. But, if it's important to your day I would think they would be??? I was going to use FP for Fantasmic. With all my trips to WDW I've never done Fantasmic. But then I ended up doing the Fantasmic dining package instead. At DHS I know it's a tiered system but there are only like 5 rides and we are only there in the afternoon so I hope I can get Toy Story in the afternoon! I just have no clue what to even expect!!!

 

[loveshak22]

We went that week a couple of years ago and it was low crowds until the day free dining started and it got crowded fast! We wanted to stay another night but every room on the resort booked up that day! It was wild!

Ugh!! I think it's free dining the whole week I'm there!!

 

[loveshak22]

Same boat here too. I only have a couple of other ADRs I want but it's now time to read up on the fastpass. I have no clue where to even begin there.

I bought a subscription to Touring Plans this year. I think I can put the times for all my ADRs in their system and the times I will be at the parks and it will give me suggestions for FPs. Maybe I need to play around with their tools this weekend and do some reading on here about FP strategies...maybe then I'll be a little more comfortable with my plan for FP!

 

[22Tink]

Ugh!! I think it's free dining the whole week I'm there!!

Me too! Starts the day before I get there and ends the day after I leave. At least I'm eating for free!! We'll see if it's worth battling the crowds!

 

[jani3]

I bought a subscription to Touring Plans this year. I think I can put the times for all my ADRs in their system and the times I will be at the parks and it will give me suggestions for FPs. Maybe I need to play around with their tools this weekend and do some reading on here about FP strategies...maybe then I'll be a little more comfortable with my plan for FP!

That sounds like a very helpful tool. I'll go check it out. Thanks!
Now my DH is going to keep complaining about the amount of time I'm putting into this trip. First the resort choices, then ADRs, and now the fast pass. But the planning is actually fun for me...most of the time.

 

[loveshak22]

Me too! Starts the day before I get there and ends the day after I leave. At least I'm eating for free!! We'll see if it's worth battling the crowds!

Eating for free helps!! I didn't take advantage of the free dining and waited for the RO offer. But then the RO offer was so limited this year that, even though I saved, I think the FD might have been the better option! I didn't go back and do the math but I think they were either close in savings or FD was better. Next time I'll add FD until the RO is announced or just not even book until RO discounts are out to see if the offer is good enough to plan a trip!

 

[loveshak22]

That sounds like a very helpful tool. I'll go check it out. Thanks!
Now my DH is going to keep complaining about the amount of time I'm putting into this trip. First the resort choices, then ADRs, and now the fast pass. But the planning is actually fun for me...most of the time.

Haha - I complain about the planning, bu secretly love it sometimes! Although I do hate planning around discounts that I hope to get that I don't actually end up getting. I think I learned my lesson this year with that one!

 

[MomtoDisneytrips]

It actually wasn't a better deal unless you had 4-6 person package because it required you to purchase a $300-400 fast pass or waterpark a and more pass to get the dining

 

[loveshak22]

It actually wasn't a better deal unless you had 4-6 person package because it required you to purchase a $300-400 fast pass or waterpark a and more pass to get the dining

Oh - good reminder! I forgot they added that to get FD this year!

 

[MomtoDisneytrips]

You may saved $100-$200 dollars for smaller groups and some larger depending on the hotel and dates but for the most part it wasn't the big savings if you aren't park hopping or water parking!

 

[LaurenDisneyMom]

Has anyone done San Angel Inn Restaurante for dinner to see Illuminations? Is it kid friendly? What time reservation is optimal if Illuminations starts at 9? And what time would we need to leave MK to get 2 adults and 2 kids there? Also, do we all have to be there to check in or could my Husband or me go and wait for a window table and then the other bring the kids? Sorry for so many questions.

 

[22Tink]

QUOTE="MomtoDisneytrips, post: 54173236, member: 557232"]It actually wasn't a better deal unless you had 4-6 person package because it required you to purchase a $300-400 fast pass or waterpark a and more pass to get the dining[/QUOTE]
It was a huge savings for us staying at Pop Century. I'm not sure what the $300 fast pass is you're referring to? We had to purchase a hopper ticket which we were going to do anyway so it didn't cost us any more than it would have anyway. We are eating 100% for free!

 

[MomtoDisneytrips]

The difference is last year you just got free dining with your hotel ticket package. This year the price of park hopper or water park was added into the deal. So unless you wanted that it wasn't as good of a deal as last year and somewhat equal to the % discounts for better hotels.

 

[loveshak22]

QUOTE="MomtoDisneytrips, post: 54173236, member: 557232"]It actually wasn't a better deal unless you had 4-6 person package because it required you to purchase a $300-400 fast pass or waterpark a and more pass to get the dining

It was a huge savings for us staying at Pop Century. I'm not sure what the $300 fast pass is you're referring to? We had to purchase a hopper ticket which we were going to do anyway so it didn't cost us any more than it would have anyway. We are eating 100% for free! [/QUOTE]

Definitely the savings depends on resorts, number in your party, dates, and eating styles!

But, the addition of having to add park hopper/water parks makes it less of a savings for people not wanting those tickets. It's definitely a way to reduce the value of the discount as a whole. For those getting one of those options, it wouldn't impact saving for sure.

 

[22Tink]

True for those who don't park hop but for a that do, it was a great deal! I had already booked a RO at Pop before the FD came out. I'd never even heard of free dining but the difference in price when I added the FD was only the cost of the tickets. I can definitely see where the RO discount is better at the pricier resorts but we were planning to stay at Pop anyway so the FD was a nice bonus for us!

 

[MomtoDisneytrips]

Yes if you stay at all star and want to park hop good deal!

 

[loveshak22]

For our plans it's just my DH and me and we are staying deluxe so the RO should have been the best option. But, then when the RO offer came out it was less than I expected and it didn't apply to our room category. So we had to downgrade rooms and got less of a discount than expected. I think FD might have been the better option still, but I forgot the addition of the PH/water parks add-on, which we aren't planning on buying. I was kicking myself for not getting the FD to at least hold it until I found out the RO offer so @MomtoDisneytrips post made me feel better that the add-on probably would not have made FD the better option for us.

Although I wish I would have added it to our package so I could have compared it to the savings for the RO that was finally released - just to make me feel better! Oh well - next time!

 

[dpswift]

We went that week a couple of years ago and it was low crowds until the day free dining started and it got crowded fast! We wanted to stay another night but every room on the resort booked up that day! It was wild!

That is what happened to us several years ago. For some reason there was FD at the end of Presidents week. It was quiet until the day it started and then it was packed.

 

[rmm8127]

Eating for free helps!! I didn't take advantage of the free dining and waited for the RO offer. But then the RO offer was so limited this year that, even though I saved, I think the FD might have been the better option! I didn't go back and do the math but I think they were either close in savings or FD was better. Next time I'll add FD until the RO is announced or just not even book until RO discounts are out to see if the offer is good enough to plan a trip!

I saved a LOT more with free dining then the RO offer, even with having to pay $128 extra for the park hopper. It worked out to be a way better deal for the 3 of us.