Do you think Disney is moving toward "all year" free dining?

[eliza61]

Are they any weeks in November or December (not christmas or thanksgiving) when it's not free dining?

Do you think Disney is moving toward "all year" free dining?

[TDC Nala]

No. Doubt they will have free dining during spring break or high summer. Any other time is wide open for them to put out an offer if they need to fill rooms.

[gigi1313]

my best guess is that they will continue to "mix it up" when it comes to specials... the 7 for 4 deal... free dining... resort discounts... because not every deal appeals to every demographic... our family *loves* free dining, but i have friends for whom food is just not that important, they make no adrs, are happy w/pop tarts in the room and casey's every day... for those staying deluxe, free dining is not that great a deal compared to a resort discount...

[Missytara]

I think they will just be doing this until the economy bounces back; then you will see different types of discounts to mix it up a bit.

[ExtinctDino]

When the recession ends you won't see buy 4 get 3 nights free anymore, and free dining will be cut back.

[Missytara]

Is anything in life truly free? It is just a discount that is provided.... like others.

As the economy bounces back, there will be less and less discounts - and you will see things like the 4/3 and free dining disappears.

[Colleen27]

If anything, I think Disney is going to be moving away from free dining in favor of discounts that do a better job of filling the expensive rooms, be it the tiered dining offer that they're using for fall/winter, or 4/3, or percentage-off room discounts. I'm sure that overselling free dining at the values and moving people paying <$100/night to DVC villas isn't what they were hoping for from a discount offer!

[bangzoom6877]

If anything, I think Disney is going to be moving away from free dining in favor of discounts that do a better job of filling the expensive rooms, be it the tiered dining offer that they're using for fall/winter, or 4/3, or percentage-off room discounts. I'm sure that overselling free dining at the values and moving people paying <$100/night to DVC villas isn't what they were hoping for from a discount offer!

Excellent points. With the new tiered free dining, who knows what they will do in the future.

Do you think they choose to move people to a DVC villa so that they can try to sell the DVC to those people? I think this is definitely partially true. I have read reports of people being sent to SSR when they were booked for Pop Century. Aren't DVC's sales offices located at SSR? Hmm...how convenient for them to try to sell a membership! Definitely a smart business strategy on their part...send people to stay in a DVC resort which has bigger rooms and beds than a value, more elaborate pools, etc., and maybe they will want to continue vacationing that way. I know that SSR is also a very large resort, but it makes sense looking at it from the business perspective for them to do it that way.

[Colleen27]

Excellent points. With the new tiered free dining, who knows what they will do in the future.

Do you think they choose to move people to a DVC villa so that they can try to sell the DVC to those people? I think this is definitely partially true. I have read reports of people being sent to SSR when they were booked for Pop Century. Aren't DVC's sales offices located at SSR? Hmm...how convenient for them to try to sell a membership! Definitely a smart business strategy on their part...send people to stay in a DVC resort which has bigger rooms and beds than a value, more elaborate pools, etc., and maybe they will want to continue vacationing that way. I know that SSR is also a very large resort, but it makes sense looking at it from the business perspective for them to do it that way.

I really don't think that was the motivation at all. They simply moved people from a very, very popular resort to the resort they have the hardest time filling. If they were looking to sell DVC memberships, I don't think they'd target the bargain-hunter demographic - at value resort rates, a DVC membership would take just short of forever to break even! That part of the sales pitch would really fall flat... "In just 165 vacation nights, your DVC membership will have paid for itself (based on value resort rack rate)" :rotfl:

[bangzoom6877]

I really don't think that was the motivation at all. They simply moved people from a very, very popular resort to the resort they have the hardest time filling. If they were looking to sell DVC memberships, I don't think they'd target the bargain-hunter demographic - at value resort rates, a DVC membership would take just short of forever to break even! That part of the sales pitch would really fall flat... "In just 165 vacation nights, your DVC membership will have paid for itself (based on value resort rack rate)" :rotfl:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

This made me laugh! You have a good point there. LOL, when DH and I were first considering a DVC membership, we first thought about how we would like to vacation at WDW and how often. DH and I liked the theming of Pop ad everything, but we hated the double beds. We are used to a queen bed at home, and after touring the parks we didn't like collapsing on a smaller bed. DH asked me where we would have to stay in order to be on property, get the dining plan and have a queen bed (we have 2 kids so we can't opt for a king room at a value). I told him a deluxe resort, and when I told him how much it costs to stay per night, he started asking about DVC. This was when he also informed me that he would like to stay 10 nights from now on so we have a couple of non-park days to relax by the pool and go to DTD, etc. So for us it was worth it. If we had planned to stay in Value Resorts fir the remainder of my sons' childhoods, it would not have been the best move financially!

[Colleen27]

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

This made me laugh! You have a good point there. LOL, when DH and I were first considering a DVC membership, we first thought about how we would like to vacation at WDW and how often. DH and I liked the theming of Pop ad everything, but we hated the double beds. We are used to a queen bed at home, and after touring the parks we didn't like collapsing on a smaller bed. DH asked me where we would have to stay in order to be on property, get the dining plan and have a queen bed (we have 2 kids so we can't opt for a king room at a value). I told him a deluxe resort, and when I told him how much it costs to stay per night, he started asking about DVC. This was when he also informed me that he would like to stay 10 nights from now on so we have a couple of non-park days to relax by the pool and go to DTD, etc. So for us it was worth it. If we had planned to stay in Value Resorts fir the remainder of my sons' childhoods, it would not have been the best move financially!

We're planning on buying in as soon as our finances allow a cash purchase for pretty much the same reason. There are two things we look for in a Disney resort - queen sized beds and a pool with a slide. The values don't fit the bill and only one of the mods (CSR) does, plus we're a family of 5 so once DD1 counts CSR and the cheaper deluxes are out. DVC just makes sense for us, but if we were happy with value accommodations, it wouldn't look nearly so good.

[bangzoom6877]

We're planning on buying in as soon as our finances allow a cash purchase for pretty much the same reason. There are two things we look for in a Disney resort - queen sized beds and a pool with a slide. The values don't fit the bill and only one of the mods (CSR) does, plus we're a family of 5 so once DD1 counts CSR and the cheaper deluxes are out. DVC just makes sense for us, but if we were happy with value accommodations, it wouldn't look nearly so good.

Sounds like a great decision! I know that the 1-bedroom villas at Bay Lake can sleep up to 5 people over the age of 3, so that would cover your family!

We did not finance the DVC. We put it on a 0% credit card and paid it off before the 0% expired, so we didn't pay any interest. That was the only way we would do it.

The pool was not as important to us, as long as the hotel has a pool it is fine with us. However, as my children get older they might be interested in a water slide so that is a bonus.

We bought enough points (at BWV) so we can stay for 10 nights every other year in a 1-bedroom standard view. The amount of space in the 1-bedroom is an added bonus too, because DH and I can relax at night when the kids are sleeping, and when they get older and go to bed later than we do they can stay up and watch TV if they want to while we sleep!! If we ever decide to go every year we can still stay 10 nights, but in a studio. But I doubt we will decide to do that. The idea is to go every other year and do a different type of vacation in the years in between. It just made sense for us since we decided to go every other summer for 10 nights as our sons grow up, and they are only 2 and 4 right now, so that means many trips ahead!

[Colleen27]

Sounds like a great decision! I know that the 1-bedroom villas at Bay Lake can sleep up to 5 people over the age of 3, so that would cover your family!

We did not finance the DVC. We put it on a 0% credit card and paid it off before the 0% expired, so we didn't pay any interest. That was the only way we would do it.

The pool was not as important to us, as long as the hotel has a pool it is fine with us. However, as my children get older they might be interested in a water slide so that is a bonus.

We bought enough points (at BWV) so we can stay for 10 nights every other year in a 1-bedroom standard view. The amount of space in the 1-bedroom is an added bonus too, because DH and I can relax at night when the kids are sleeping, and when they get older and go to bed later than we do they can stay up and watch TV if they want to while we sleep!! If we ever decide to go every year we can still stay 10 nights, but in a studio. But I doubt we will decide to do that. The idea is to go every other year and do a different type of vacation in the years in between. It just made sense for us since we decided to go every other summer for 10 nights as our sons grow up, and they are only 2 and 4 right now, so that means many trips ahead!

AKV sleeps 5 in a 1 bedroom too and its one of my kids' favorite resorts, so that's where we're planning on buying.

Since my DH is self-employed, we don't finance anything, not even at 0% interest. We just don't want any payments hanging over our heads if business gets slow, so buying DVC will wait until we have the cash saved.

We're planning to start with enough points for a week in a 2 bedroom every other year, because right now my mother joins us on a lot of our trips. If she doesn't, we can always take more or longer trips in a 1 bedroom. Our kids are 11, 8, and 1, so we've got a lot of years of Disney travels as a family ahead of us, to say nothing of the adult trips DH & I would like to take someday without them. ;)

[laceemouse]

Back to the original question, I think it is entirely possible that we WILL see free dining come into play almost year round, with maybe just black-outs for the most crowded times of year. Not really "free" but offered as a great deal. Dh and I were talking about this the other day, it makes Disney more able to compete with the all inclusive vacation resorts. People are shocked when they see the price of a one day ticket, but when they see a complete package with "free" elements they bite!

[TiaMaria]

Do you think Disney is moving toward "all year" free dining?

Perish. the. thought!! :scared1::scared1::scared1:

I am SO looking forward to the day, once again, when I can get the ADR's I want (without having to get up at 4AM duing the new moon, odd months only, even days only, that start with a "T", stand on my head and pat my tummy) , the menus not being cut (or dumbed down), and the service level back up (not run down and exhausted by the screaming masses). :headache: :sad2: :confused:

[Don Disney]

IF they offered "free-dining" year-round,we would'nt have to take our kids out of school anymore!!!!!!;)

[bangzoom6877]

IF they offered "free-dining" year-round,we would'nt have to take our kids out of school anymore!!!!!!;)

This year they started offering it in the middle of August. When do your kids go back to school? We live in NYC and the kids go back right after Labor Day so for people here they can go later during the summer break and their kids wouldn't miss school.

If you get a good room discount code, you may get a better deal with that and actually paying for the dining plan (some people have said this once they did the math), without taking your kids out of school. Remember, you still have to pay rack rate for your room and get a park ticket through Disney in order to qualify for free dining. I've seen several people complain on the DVC boards that it's not fair that DVC members staying on points cannot get free dining during the period Disney offers it. As a DVC member, I see nothing wrong with Disney not offering this to me. I am already paying a lot less for my room in the long-run, and I have no problem paying for the dining plan because the DVC membership is saving me a lot more money than free dining would while paying rack rate for a deluxe resort!

Anyway, I hope they don't have all-year "free" dining because we prefer not to go during free dining. From my understanding, it was very difficult to get certain ADRs during free dining this year because the promotion was announced before the 90-day ADR windows opened. Now with the return of the 180-day window things may be different, and I think that is a good thing. I am anticipating having an easier time getting July 2010 ADRs this coming January than if I had to wait until April.