Package vs. no package: Here's our experience

[missypie]

Just back from a 10 day trip to the World. I sat down with my receipts last night. We stayed Deluxe and ate whatever we wanted. I bought one AP, three adult 10 day MYW tickets with parkhopper, and one child's 10 day MYW with parkhopper.

The total for food (excluding all the snacks that wouldn't have fit under the dining plan), tickets and room was $1309 less by doing it "a la carte" than if we had purchased a package.

 

[Kapp]

our experiences too. We have two DD that eat like birds so any meal plan would be wasted. Between AAA discounts, Teacher/Nurse discount at the Dolphin and purchasing an AP just for the room discount, we have always come out ahead of any package. It pays (pun intended!) to compare!

 

[missypie]

our experiences too. We have two DD that eat like birds so any meal plan would be wasted. Between AAA discounts, Teacher/Nurse discount at the Dolphin and purchasing an AP just for the room discount, we have always come out ahead of any package. It pays (pun intended!) to compare!

I totally agree. We would have gotten MORE food on the dining plan, but as it was, we ate exactly what we wanted. We could always tell which families were on the dining plan at the CS restaurants, because they were the ones with four slices of cake or four cups of pudding on their trays. We ate what we wanted, then had a Dole Whip or whatever later.

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

doesn't a lot of this depend on the length of your visit? The original post was about a 10 day deluxe trip with an AP. That would figure to be cheaper. However, on a 5 day trip, with the free dining, the package is better this year. Granted, last year I got a great code and the package would have been more - especially, as you say, if your kids eat like birds. Regardless, everyone should do their simple math for their stay. Mousesavers has a good formula. I would dare say that a 10 day AP deluxe trip would always be cheaper with no package but something half that time........probably not this year.

 

[missypie]

doesn't a lot of this depend on the length of your visit? The original post was about a 10 day deluxe trip with an AP. That would figure to be cheaper. However, on a 5 day trip, with the free dining, the package is better this year. Granted, last year I got a great code and the package would have been more - especially, as you say, if your kids eat like birds. Regardless, everyone should do their simple math for their stay. Mousesavers has a good formula. I would dare say that a 10 day AP deluxe trip would always be cheaper with no package but something half that time........probably not this year.

I agree. I think that these boards attract people who are willing to put a bit of work into planning their vacations. Mousesavers and the DIS give us the information to make informed financial choices. I'm no math wiz, but it doesn't take all that much time to get out a pencil, paper and calulator to try to figure out which works best. However, I know so many people who want to just call a travel agent and book a trip.

 

[Brian Noble]

Paying for the dining package is a lose for us when we travel with kids (we only eat 1-2 sit down meals every three days), and is a push or a slightly good deal for us when we travel as a couple (more sit-down meals then, but we don't order nearly as much as the plan includes). However, if Disney is paying, as they are this September, why then we're all for it!

 

[asaj]

Paying for the dining package is a lose for us when we travel with kids (we only eat 1-2 sit down meals every three days), and is a push or a slightly good deal for us when we travel as a couple (more sit-down meals then, but we don't order nearly as much as the plan includes). However, if Disney is paying, as they are this September, why then we're all for it!

Exactly how we felt. We originally had our trip booked with the AAA discount. We had pondered the dining package (before it was free), but decided to use our AAA discount on the room only. When the free dining came out, we cancelled and booked the package. We lost our AAA discount, but for us, it was worth it.

Andy

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Exactly how we felt. We originally had our trip booked with the AAA discount. We had pondered the dining package (before it was free), but decided to use our AAA discount on the room only. When the free dining came out, we cancelled and booked the package. We lost our AAA discount, but for us, it was worth it.

Andy

Ummm, free dining? I'm sorry, I've been off the boards for days, but when are they offering a free dining package?

 

[Gooofy-Blade]

free dining -late Aug to early Oct - don't remember the exact dates - I good to go in Sept.!!!!

 

[disneyjunkie]

My son and I used the dining during our trip in April. I think it was money well spent. There's way we would have eaten so well if I had to pay as we went. We were there for 9 days and I only ate 2 burgers the whole time.

After the first few days I didn't care if we didn't max out the dining plan. We only ordered what we would eat. If we were full after our main course, we didn't bother to order a dessert. One waitress wasn't happy about that, but to bad.

We're using the plan again in October .(free ) I love having everything paid for before leaving home.

If I had to pay for our meals once we're there, I'll start to second guess myself and cancel many of the PS.

 

[Tissa]

I think it depends on what level of resort you stay at. We stayed at a value and saved $200 with the dining plan. If I were staying at a deluxe then the ap discount would have been better.

 

[we6clarks]

I have a question for those of you that book your vacation seperately. Where do you get your park tickets? Do you use ticketmania etc? What experiences have you had good or bad with the discount ticket sellers? TIA

 

[Liz]

I have a question for those of you that book your vacation seperately. Where do you get your park tickets? Do you use ticketmania etc? What experiences have you had good or bad with the discount ticket sellers? TIA

We've purchased tickets from Ticketmania twice. Excellent service both times and excellent prices too!

 

[ms.ojo]

We've purchased tickets from Ticketmania twice. Excellent service both times and excellent prices too!

Us too!

 

[packy]

We are doing the free dining plan in last week of August (we were going then anyway when the offer appeared). We are a family of four with 2 Sons over 10. If we bought the dining package it would have been $140 a day. We booked poly at rack rate with the package, $337 a night with tax, and got dining free so room ends up at $200 with tax. Last year we paid $250 a night for a Poly room for the same week with a discount code. Last year for 5 nights we did three sit downs (2 dinner, one lunch) and the rest counter service. When we did a sit down, and one counter service meal and snacks at parks or hotel, we were probably close to $140 ($80 sit down with tax/tip, $35-$40 for counter service and $10 snacks. We will probably spend a little more than we would have on food this year but we are saving $50 a night over the room rate from last year and we can do 5 sit-downs and eat the better menu items, and appetizers and deserts if we want to. Great deal if you are going in hurricane season.

 

[tiki23]

My DS's are 13 and 15, 6' and 6'1" respectively; free dining is good anytime!!