******Official 2017 Free Dining Plan Watch, Wait, and Dream

[Disneylover99]

I priced out 2 rooms at a value resort. It was $1000 more for our family of 5

Don't you have the $75 GC's from CBR?
If you're pricing out 2 values against CBR, minus $75 per night, then yeah, it's definitely going to cost a lot more.

Sadly, there's not as many options with families of 5. CSR only sleeps 4 in standard/preferred categories, but I wonder if this will change as they are currently undergoing room renovations?

 

[battynanny]

We are already booked on a FD BB at Pop in September but I will be trying for FD for a friend who is hoping to join us. Now that it looks like a 4 day PH ticket will be required this changes things a bit. My friend was planning to upgrade her tickets to a Florida resident mid-week annual pass (if I am able to get her FD), but the cost of that pass will be quite a bit less than the 4 day PH ticket. Would she be able to get a credit for the difference?

Good luck everyone! April 24 will be here before we know it!

Last October my grandma had a 10 day park hopper that she turned into a Florida silver pass and they gave her the difference in a gift card

 

[ThistleMae]

What's everyone thinking about park hopper vs park hopper plus?

Is it either one or do we have to have park hopper plus?

The park hopper plus includes 2 visits to the water parks, so it would make no sense to read it as you need both.

 

[ThistleMae]

I think it makes sense because some people might want that option (I'd consider it because my kids want to go to a water park), and they're saying that either ticket type is eligible for free dining.

Then it should say "or" not and. It's a confusing detail.

 

[ThistleMae]

Summer isn't awful. Middle of June to Middle of Aug. After that you can feel the chill in the evening. We have a good few sunny days though. We usually go to Disney in Oct and we usually have a snow fall when away lol. It does not stay buy Snowsuits under Halloween costumes is pretty norm hah

Very short summer for sure. But, you must love it...because you haven't moved!

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Remember, you can go to a Water Park and it won't use one of the days on your pass (included as a + perk). For example, you can buy a 6 day PH+ instead of a 7 day PH, and actually save a few dollars (just don't go to a park the same day as a water park).

Sorry, I'm confused by your statement. A 7 day PH would not allow you water park entrance. A regular PH only includes admission to the 4 main parks. With PH+ you can definitely visit a park and a WP on the same day, since the WP visits are completely separate from the park day visits.

 

[ThistleMae]

So let's start a big wager for all! Will it be Park Hopper OR Park Hopper Plus? Or will it be Park Hopper AND Park Hopper Plus?

Which side do you want to bet on? And which meal are you willing to wager?

I truly think it's going to be an "OR" situation and I guess I've already committed to Prime Rib at Boatwrights!

I vote for "OR" and I chose Boma for our meal.

 

[tomeaine]

We're booked at CBR with the gift cards. Trying to crunch numbers and work out the best scenario. We will be getting Park Hopper no matter what and will be doing TS meals (already booked!) because it's our first time at WDW and we like long days!

Options are -

1. Keep CBR and gift cards and modify for free dining, adding on our 4 day park hopper tickets as per requirement and what we want. Pay for dining plan upgrade ($63 total for 3 of us).

2. Keep CBR and gift cards but buy our 4 day park hopper ticket elsewhere to save some money, then use the money saved plus gift cards to pay for food OOP. Possibly save more with a RO discount if that becomes available.

The issue I have is I don't know what the potential saving is when buying park tickets elsewhere. We are 3 Disney adults.
Where is the cheapest place to buy the 4 day park hopper tickets? Will the savings offset the cost of buying the tickets through Disney with the free QS dinnderco

Undercover tourist is a great start..Typically you save some $$ on standard and hopper tickets..If you have an amex card they currently have a promo for $30 cash back when you spend 250 on undercover tourist..
Also sometimes Orbitz run great promo on tickets..Sometimes you can compound the deal thru portals like ebates

 

[ThistleMae]

Here is another off topic question. I see a bunch of people stay off site. What are good places to stay and what ones aren't so good? Can you still get the DDP staying offsite?

Can't buy into the DDP when staying off site, I checked, because we are staying off site in July.

 

[scrappinginontario]

The giraffe is giving birth!!

Exciting weekend between FD Rumor's and the giraffe!

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I don't think this is right. The way I understand it, you can't have both. Park Hopper Plus includes Park Hopper with the add on of water parks. So to have Park Hopper AND Park Hopper Plus would mean you had double Park Hopper.
The Plus is not an add on to the Park Hopper, it is considered a separate add on to your base ticket.
It means you can purchase EITHER the Park Hopper or the Park Hopper Plus ticket to get the free dining, OR Disney may be really naughty and require Park Hopper Plus as the minimum add on. But if both are mentioned, I would assume either is sufficient. If they just said Park Hopper was a requirement, then people who bought Park Hopper Plus would think they weren't included in the offer because it's a different add on.

100% this!

 

[Neeky78]

Out side tickets savings or not that much compared to free dining.. u might be looking at max of 50 dollar per ticket.
As per the history room only discount will max 25 percent for mods. If u r trip is 4 than it might work out.. if it's more than 4 days than free dining is better option.

Yeah, I can't seem to get better than what I currently have, even if I have to pay to upgrade dining. Taking into consideration the $75 a day gift cards, it works out to be $225 average a night in a moderate with full dining plan for 8 nights. Add on 4 day park hopper for 3 and we're done. I can't seem to save more than $10 a ticket buying park hopper elsewhere. That's $30 total saving over the whole trip. Not going to cancel out free dining, even QS!

 

[ThistleMae]

Gosh you are scaring me! We are planning for the week before thanksgiving. We are planning to move our dates to November 14th to get free dining. I know the weekends will be busy but hopefully the week days won't.

I wouldn't worry about it...Disney is pretty much crowded all the time now. You'll have a blast no matter what if you are a true Disney Fanatic...like the rest of us!

 

[Neeky78]

Undercover tourist is a great start..Typically you save some $$ on standard and hopper tickets..If you have an amex card they currently have a promo for $30 cash back when you spend 250 on undercover tourist..
Also sometimes Orbitz run great promo on tickets..Sometimes you can compound the deal thru portals like ebates

None of that will work for me in Australia, I'm afraid!!

I priced it compared to Disney and for the 4 day park hopper, Undercover Tourist only saved $10 per ticket. Which I'm happy to pay for the ease of booking here in Australia and knowing it's all sorted through MDE.

 

[ThistleMae]

I know it will be buried somewhere in the pages, but much quicker to ask again - what is the cost per day to upgrade to TS if it is QS at the mod when FD comes out?

$ 21 adults, $ 4.00 kids.

 

[ThistleMae]

Whisperer's Guide to Orlando

Oh, so he is a Disney Whisperer...how cool is that! I do want a pic and autograph....he needs a T-shirt so we can pick him out in a crowd.

 

[ThistleMae]

Don't cancel until you have booked a new one. (I learned this in school, don't quit one class and then sign up for the next class. It may be gone before you get it booked.) Just my own FYI.

I thought you couldn't book a second reservation without cancelling the first. Does MDE let you do this? After all this reading, I'm still confused!

 

[tillman4]

Ok crazy question- my brain isn't working correctly. I've never priced room only. I know we don't know exact discount yet but going off past years 20-30%. With a room discount can you still add the tickets and dining? Do you calculate the room discount, then figure the cost for tickets and dining? I apologize if this is a really dumb question... I just can't wrap my brain around it right now. Thanks!!

 

[Disneylover99]

I thought you couldn't book a second reservation without cancelling the first. Does MDE let you do this? After all this reading, I'm still confused!

No. You don't need to cancel first. MDE will allow you to hold multiple reservations.

 

[anorman]

I think you still do. I got my booklet from my Savory Summer Offer (1 CS meal per person per night) and it says you get mini golf.

Booklet???

Very short summer for sure. But, you must love it...because you haven't moved!

I don't know about LauraJean but I stay for the people and extended family. We had planned to move away when we were young and first married but family support when you have small children is invaluable. Now that they are older, it's hard to move away from our pensions.

My plan is to spend winters in FL after retirement to avoid all that snow that we have every year.