What do you think of the 7 for 4 Deal?

[WaltD4Me]

Disney has announced their new 7 for 4 deal (of 7 for 5 for Values)

Don't get me wrong, I think they are great. Not sneezing at 3 free nights, but I so wish they would offer something for less nights. Or maybe...do they?

I just can't go for 7 nights/8 days due to work. Most of my trips are 5 nights, with an occasional 4 nighter. I've been thinking about planning a trip for early Febuary, it'd probaly be for sure if I could get a nice deal.

I wonder why Disney doesn't offer something for less nights. I TOTALLY understand the point is to get people into the parks and to have them stay longer, but I wonder how many people are turned off by the 7 nights? Either cost wise or work/school wise. I know this promotion did well last time, but I think it would do even better if they offered something for shorter lengths of stay too.

If they do and I just don't know about it, please disregard this whole post. :teeth:

[LMO429]

For me my issue now is adding an additional night so I can stay 7 nights. It will now cost me 300 dollars to add the change fee with continental airlines. I am trying to justify if its worth changing my flight again. i would appreciate feedback is it worth it right now we are staying for 6 nights

also if you have the free dining promotion will you still be able to get the 4 for 3 deal.

[timmac]

I've heard from at least one source I'd consider reliable (Len Testa) that 4 days is the median length for onsite guests. You can bet their choice of stay length to get the promotion was anything but coincidental.

It all comes back to the fact that Disney does promotions to get more business in some way or another, not just to give away freebies.

[timmac]

For me my issue now is adding an additional night so I can stay 7 nights. It will now cost me 300 dollars to add the change fee with continental airlines. I am trying to justify if its worth changing my flight again. i would appreciate feedback is it worth it right now we are staying for 6 nights

also if you have the free dining promotion will you still be able to get the 4 for 3 deal.

Personally, the sizable change fee with the airlines I would say doesn't justify one additional night. That said, you can still get the promotion for less than 7 days, just you'd only get two nights free.

You won't be able to stack the free dining on top of the free nights, however. Run the numbers and see which way works better for you. Depending on your resort choice, free dining isn't always the best option.

[LMO429]

Personally, the sizable change fee with the airlines I would say doesn't justify one additional night. That said, you can still get the promotion for less than 7 days, just you'd only get two nights free.

You won't be able to stack the free dining on top of the free nights, however. Run the numbers and see which way works better for you. Depending on your resort choice, free dining isn't always the best option.

ugh so you can not have the dining plan and the 4 for 3 promotion

how much is the dining plan per person per day

we are staying at the grand floridian

[timmac]

ugh so you can not have the dining plan and the 4 for 3 promotion

how much is the dining plan per person per day

we are staying at the grand floridian

I believe it's 37.99/night for adults and 10.99/night for children. I may be off by a buck, but that's pretty close if I'm not dead on.

Staying at the GF, getting two nights free is quite possibly the better deal.

[LMO429]

I believe it's 37.99/night for adults and 10.99/night for children. I may be off by a buck, but that's pretty close if I'm not dead on.

Staying at the GF, getting two nights free is quite possibly the better deal.

thank you for the information so I can make a better decision

[tnkr mom]

I agree; we (as a whole family) RARELY have 7 nights straight that we can ever go! Anywhere let alone Disney. We do lots of short trips 3,4,5 night trips and would LOVE a deal reflecting that style of travel..... hint, hint, nudge execs!!)

[timmac]

thank you for the information so I can make a better decision

If you need more specifics, let us know your travel dates, and your room type, so we can crunch the exact numbers.

[WaltD4Me]

I've heard from at least one source I'd consider reliable (Len Testa) that 4 days is the median length for onsite guests. You can bet their choice of stay length to get the promotion was anything but coincidental.

It all comes back to the fact that Disney does promotions to get more business in some way or another, not just to give away freebies.

Again, I totally understand this, but the fact that they are bringing back this promotion just says to me that they are hurting to fill rooms, how many people blow off the deal because of the seven night thing? I wonder how many more people who aren't planning trips currently might do so with a deal on shorter stays. I'm sure the 7 night deal entices people into staying longer, but they are already going, why not draw in people who weren't even planning a trip?

[LMO429]

If you need more specifics, let us know your travel dates, and your room type, so we can crunch the exact numbers.

wow thanks

garden view room at grand floridian

dec 9th - dec 15th

with 6 day myw park hoppers (no water park and more option)

currently we have the dining plan promotion

[timmac]

Again, I totally understand this, but the fact that they are bringing back this promotion just says to me that they are hurting to fill rooms, how many people blow off the deal because of the seven night thing? I wonder how many more people who aren't planning trips currently might do so with a deal on shorter stays. I'm sure the 7 night deal entices people into staying longer, but they are already going, why not draw in people who weren't even planning a trip?

Totally taking a guess here, but maybe the problem isn't that people "aren't coming", but that everyone has reservations for shorter trips? Or maybe they predict that enough people who would otherwise not come at all will be enticed to come for an entire week based on this deal.

It might also be the case that they prefer longer stays, even if less of them, becuase of various efficiencies and decreased overhead (I'm thinking less people at check-in, calling luggage service, less frequent linen changes, etc?) Again, it's only a guess. Certainly they have insight into the numbers and on some level, they determined this is their best move.

[timmac]

wow thanks

garden view room at grand floridian

dec 9th - dec 15th

with 6 day myw park hoppers (no water park and more option)

currently we have the dining plan promotion

I also forgot to ask, how many people in your party, and what ages?

[LMO429]

I also forgot to ask, how many people in your party, and what ages?

2 adults

[DisneyKevin]

Disney's goal is to keep you on property for as long as possible.

They do everything in their power to make this happen.

They offer Magical Express so that you will not rent a car and visit Universal.

They offer a pre-paid dining plan so that you wont leave and go to Pizzaria Uno.

They offer 3 free nights if you book 4 so that you will stay longer and spend more.

They offer tickets that get less expensive on a per day basis, which makes it seem like a better deal.

They already have you as a 3, 4 or 5 day guest. There is no incentive to offer you a discount as that will hurt the bottom line....BUT....if they can get you to extend from 4 to 7 nights, you will spend more on tickets, meals, snacks and knickknacks.

There is a good chance the hotel room might have sat empty and Disney would rather take a loss on the hotel room and have the peripheral money spent then taking a total loss.

I sincerely doubt you will ever see a discount on a 3, 4 or 5 night stay.....BUT....this is where a good loyalty program would benefit the guests that cant take advantage of a 7 night stay.

[disney*mom*82]

I posted this somewhere else too, but Ill post it here too!
I went ahead and booked us for March 13-20th with the promo. I wasnt impressed with it, I was expecting atleast what they did last year or better. I really wish they were doing the gift card again, it would make DH a little more eager to go ahead with thsi trip. (we already went there 2x this year and orig said we wouldnt go again March 2010.)
We stay at POR and while the reg room rate for our stay is 210 for Fri and Sat and 195 sun-thurs, we were charged 228 and change per night for the room when using this promo. We dont really need the tickets, we have plenty from previous trips and will have to add no expire to these tickets to hold onto someother trip(s). Im glad Disney is offering some promotions, espec over spring break, guess I just shouldnt expect it to be a bigger better deal each time. If they come out with room only discounts we may change to that though.
Oh, and we always stay 7 nights, hope to be able to go over the summer sometime and stay 14 nights. We will see. GL to all and happy booking!

[sau418]

As Kevin said, they are looking to keep guests on property for as long as possible. It worked for us, we otherwise would not have done Disney last year, but with the 4/7 promo and 2 free kids it was pretty much a no-brainer for us to go. Had we had to pay for a full 7 nights we would have probably opted to stay closer home.

We are not taking the offer as of now, for many reasons, but if for some bizarre reason it is back in 2010, we will probably do it as we will be coming then anyway.

[spaddy]

wow thanks

garden view room at grand floridian

dec 9th - dec 15th

with 6 day myw park hoppers (no water park and more option)

currently we have the dining plan promotion

Have you looked at the discount Oct-Dec discount and paying for dining? I think that would be cheaper than the free dining. I could be calculating wrong.

I think the 4 for 7 is a good deal. I also think there are lots of other good deals going on at the same time, like the Oct-Dec discount that you don't have to stay 7 nights to get.

I am hoping this doesn't mean too much over crowding in December. I am really looking forward to our trip.

[timmac]

2 adults

Okay, you're definitely better to switch to the new deal.

Under free dining, you're "saving" roughly $80 per night for the dining plan, or $480 for the trip. Using the new deal, you'd be "saving" two $400 hotel nights, or $800 total. $320 better overall, even paying for the DDP.

[BriarRosie]

Okay, you're definitely better to switch to the new deal.

Under free dining, you're "saving" roughly $80 per night for the dining plan, or $480 for the trip. Using the new deal, you'd be "saving" two $400 hotel nights, or $800 total. $320 better overall, even paying for the DDP.

Deluxe resorts will get three free nights, not two. The Value resorts are doing the 5+2 deal. I think they would save money at the Grand Floridian doing 4+3 adding the dining plan themselves, too.

[timmac]

Deluxe resorts will get three free nights, not two. The Value resorts are doing the 5+2 deal. I think they would save money at the Grand Floridian doing 4+3 adding the dining plan themselves, too.

I know, but in his case, because of the existing airline reservations, they are only staying for 6 days.

[G66]

Kevin summed it up well, they want you captive on property for 7 nights/ 8 days buying food and maybe seeking extra paid entertainment outside your resort (ie Hoop Dee Doo). They prohibit split resort stays under the promo. At least they did over the summer. I suspect at least part of the reason being, that the "newness" of the second resort would give the guest less reason to add extras.

Having taken advantage of the promo over the summer, I'm kind of (GASP!:scared1:) Disneyed out for a while. I know, this is kind of crazy talk. We ended up maximizing our stay, getting in almost 8 full days. Did all the major attractions multiple times. I would like to have split the stay among two resorts for some added variety.

I received some promo codes a few weeks ago and I think one of them amounted to 40% off a Deluxe resort stay, which is equivalent to 4/7. I don't remember if there were minimum stays. In any case, we got more than our fix in this summer. With no new attractions on the immediate horizon, I think the promo is going to loose it's effectiveness. Maybe I'll be singing another tune come the spring, but for now I'm not interested in another 7 night stay and all those chicken nuggets.

[AnneR]

When I first saw the promotion, I thought great but then I looked at the dates. With kids in school no way can I do a seven day vacation during that time period. The best we can do is 4 nights until June.

[NancyIL]

I'll be at WDW for 7 nights...in mid-April! Guess I'll wait for AP rates to come out.

[dizneedoll]

I did the 4/3 earlier this year but had only 6 nts. booked. It would have cost more then the room savings to rebook the airfare so we only took 2 nts free which was better then nothing of course. I'm not booking this 4/3 since I wasn't planning the next trip until December of 2010 but now I'm wondering if they continue to extend the offer as they have done this year if maybe I shouldn't go ahead and book 7 nts. in hopes that they offer this again or just go with the 6 I usually do. I'd hate to miss out on a possible free night yet again but I don't want to stress over discounts either. It's better to book what you want and be ok with the price and if there is a discount well then I see it as just icing on the cake. So I don't know what I'm doing yet in terms of making ressies.

I think a loyalty program for WDW would be awesome! I hope someone over there (at Disney that is) is listening.

[wishspirit]

A few questions:

I am booked (flights, not hotels yet, I need to get round to getting my Dreams quote) for June 2010. We want to stay for 14 nights, 7 in a value at Disney, 4 at Universal (to by pass those lines, but again its dependant on price) and then 3 renting DVC points. I am (now) an Annual Pass holder, however my partner isn't.

So, if in the very unlikely event that they extended this though June, would it work with only one person in the room buying at least a 5 day ticket? Or would it have to be both of us? How likely is it that they will extend it into June (or have any other promotions)? When would be the best time to book hotel rooms for June?

Thanks for any help guys!

[AnninIowa]

For us (my dad and I travel together), we are looking into this promotion for a January trip. We had to cancel last year's trip when my dad broke his hip, and we've been saying we will only book another trip if we can get a great deal. Since I like to do at least one day off property, usually at SeaWorld, the "free" days are an incentive to us as I won't view it as "wasting" a day at Disney that we paid for. If we are able to book this trip, I may take another day and go to the local mall or perhaps do Busch Gardens again. Again, I won't feel like I'm wasting my Disney ticket money since the ticket will be "free".

I have a gift business, so right after Christmas and before the Valentine's Day rush is perfect for us. Without kids and having to worry about school schedules, this kind of deal appeals to us. We have been in February before, and it was mostly older couples, people with toddlers, and international visitors. Cooler weather, low crowds....sounds like heaven!!!

[BriarRosie]

I know, but in his case, because of the existing airline reservations, they are only staying for 6 days.

Dang, I missed that.

A few questions:

I am booked (flights, not hotels yet, I need to get round to getting my Dreams quote) for June 2010. We want to stay for 14 nights, 7 in a value at Disney, 4 at Universal (to by pass those lines, but again its dependant on price) and then 3 renting DVC points. I am (now) an Annual Pass holder, however my partner isn't.

So, if in the very unlikely event that they extended this though June, would it work with only one person in the room buying at least a 5 day ticket? Or would it have to be both of us? How likely is it that they will extend it into June (or have any other promotions)? When would be the best time to book hotel rooms for June?

Thanks for any help guys!

Everyone in the room must get tickets. Annual passholders often get a 1 day ticket option on these room packages. But I don't know if your partner can upgrade at a ticket window or not to get a multi-day ticket.

[UrsulasShadow]

I believe it's 37.99/night for adults and 10.99/night for children. I may be off by a buck, but that's pretty close if I'm not dead on.

Staying at the GF, getting two nights free is quite possibly the better deal.

It's $39.99 adults, $10.99 children ages 3-9 for the MYW plus Dining Plan for 2009.

[stitchlover]

We used the 4 for 3 deal this past March and have applied it to our trip for March 2010. We saved $1550 for the upcoming trip and right at $1600 for the last trip.

When we go we stay 9 nights so we don't have to lengthy our stay it just happens to fit nicely with what we already have planned. So we love the deal and were very happy when it was released again for Spring 2010.

I usually have our trip completely paid off by this time of year but this past summer we took a trip to San Antonio and a trip to Chicago. All of that is vacation money that would have gone toward the 2010 Disney trip. It's nice to know that I have $1550 less to come up with by January 25th!

[shopn24seven]

the FD is the best deal for us...at the values.
This 5/2 doesn't really save that MUCH, IMHO.