Originally Posted By BlazesOfFire I know they dont have this now, but since they introduced the dining plan for DVC'ers, ever think that there would be a chance for AP'ers to get in on this deal? We already get discounts on the hotels and have the tickets, but maybe if you stay for somany nights, they can offer it for ya? I dont know...wishful thinking I guess lol
Originally Posted By RoadTrip The Disney Dining Experience is ALREADY available to Annual Passholders and Florida Residents. Although I've heard it talked about, I'm not sure if it is available to DVC'ers yet or not. I really encourage you to take advantage of it. For an annual fee of $60 you get 20% off all of your meals at participating Disney restaurants (which is virtually all of them), including alcohol. Doing the math you can see that the break-even on this is $300 worth of dining. If you are at WDW for any length of time at all you undoubtedly spend WAY more than that. Disney Dining saved us about $150 on our last trip, and that is after taking the cost of the card into account.
Originally Posted By Labuda Trippy is correct. It became available to both APers & DVCers at the same time - early 2005. And, dang, Trippy - I BY MYSELF saved at least $100 on a 5-day trip with the card when I first got it! lol Then gain, I was eating VERY well on that trip. And being an adventurous drinker, too! lol
Originally Posted By BlazesOfFire Im not talking about the DDE though. I already know about that (and I cant get it until I turn 21 in December). I do plan on getting it but Im talking about the free dining plan that is offered when you book packages.
Originally Posted By Labuda Oh, youhave to buy a package for that. Has to be at least a one-day ticket (one day, non parkhopper is about $65) as part of the package. Sooo, you could save that tikcet and see if you could apply it to the price of your renewal next year, OR give it to a good friend as a gift.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<And, dang, Trippy - I BY MYSELF saved at least $100 on a 5-day trip with the card when I first got it! lol Then gain, I was eating VERY well on that trip. And being an adventurous drinker, too! lol>> Yea... you're right. I checked my vacation expense spreadsheet and found I was thinking what our net expense was, not the amount before the discount. We had net expense of about $950 for food and $450 for booze which totals $1,400. The amount prior to discount would have been $1,750; so including the $60 cost of the card we saved $290. Of course that was for two people on a 10 day trip, so on a per person per day basis you still saved more. Dang... you MUST eat very well!! ;-)
Originally Posted By Labuda I dined at V&As & Cali Grill, among other places. And spared NO expense. hehe BTW< you hve to be a hardcore drinker to do th wine pairins at V&A! I got schnockered and only "finished" one glass, and most of them Ionly had max a half a glass of! WOW!
Originally Posted By BlazesOfFire I know you have to buy a package for that, was just having wishful thinking that AP'ers could somehow get it I already know they cant, but I was hoping there was a way Disney could come up with a plan to let AP'ers in the deal since DVC'ers were in on it too
Originally Posted By Labuda Well, I i it last year as an APer, BBlzaes. And I still have our two one-day tickets waiting for future usage at some point.
Originally Posted By Labuda I *did* it last year. BTW, pelasenoe this is NOT my new keyboard dropping letters - this is my friend's keyboard! lol Plus, it's ergonomic, meaning I don't like it! lol
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 There's nothing wrong with buying the package and getting only one-day tickets and using them as gifts (which I am thinking of doing) or using them toward my AP renewal. It's only what ??? $65 now???
Originally Posted By Labuda Something like that, yeah. Oh, and btw, I love this topic - the abbreviatation I get on the left here for it is "Dining Plan for Ann..." - as if we're all discussing *me* and my eating habits! lol
Originally Posted By BlazesOfFire LOL Labuda Glad I picked the right words for the topic then! I thought about the package thing, but I can get my AP room discounts using them (at least I dont think so). Sometimes Its not worth doing that and I should just buy my own darn food. I dont eat that much at Disney anyways. I wish I had more time (and money) to enjoy more sit down restaurants though! Im dying to go back to San Angel Inn!
Originally Posted By Labuda You are correct regarding the package and your AP discount, I do believe... ok, I just checked Mary Waring's site, and looks like we're both right. BUT, do keep in mind that $20 or $25 a day off a value resort isn't as good as $40 a day in free dining.
Originally Posted By BlazesOfFire yea but i just dont eat $40 of food while at disney, unless I went to a sit down restaurant. I usually just have a counter service lunch ($7-8 including drink), snack ($3) and dinner, which is probably counter service again. Wish i could get the DDE application stuff done now and have them send it to me like the day after my birthday, so my alcohol will be discounted. It'll be my 21st birthday, im going to be enjoying those margaritas!! lol
Originally Posted By Labuda Well, you could just order it the morning of your birthday and have them fax or email the proof of membership to you at your resort.
Originally Posted By XandersMom I also have consider this. In October I had AP rates for two rooms. But the dining plan was free for the time that I was there. So I got the room reservation and the package with free food for one room, and kept the additional room at the AP rate. Since I had my husband, my two children, and my mom this worked out well. We spent about 1150.00 on food and it was free! It was definitely worth the little bit more money for the room rate and I had to buy tickets for everyone else anyway!
