The Death of Free Dining?

[thisismyusername]

My take on this is that they are trying to see how many rooms they can fill with this offer before releasing their normal offers. There is no way that there will not be free dining (or something close to it) in Sept. I think they will expect people to switch to a better offer and since MM is nonrefundable, people will have to pay for it before they can switch deals.

I agree. I think it's a teaser promo to see if free dining is necessary for the fall, or if they can do with a non-FD promo. I think the summer promo is still set to be released late March/early April and fall promos soon thereafter once they determine how many rooms they need to fill.

 

[lisalis]

I wonder if they are doing more free dining with pin codes instead. Last year, we received a pin code for free dining in November or beginning of December. We also received one for this spring.

 

[Networth]

If they take away free dining, perhaps the restaurants will be forced to up their game...

Amen! Free dining/DDP was the death of most quality food at Disney (most I said). I wonder if people who never saw what food used to be like would still care if free dining was remove in exchange for food quality returning to pre FD/DDP days.

 

[Lindaland]

I have gotten FD the last couple times I went and it worked out great for us. However I like this promotion better! My next trip in December is a solo trip so I wont be getting DDP but was thinking about getting the MM. It would be great to get that free!

 

[stasijane]

Apparently this year if you travel in September you get a free Memory Maker. Somehow, I don't think free pictures have the effect as free food.

BUT!!!! If you eat less you will look better in the free pictures right Unless you are way too skinny like this guy ---->

 

[kaytieeldr]

Is this it? ...

Get free Memory Maker when you purchase this room and theme park ticket package!
For just $899, purchase a 3-night, 2-day package for a family of 3 (2 adults, one child ages 3 to 9) that includes 2-day Magic Your Way theme park tickets and 3 nights in a standard room at a select Disney’s All-Star Resort—valid for stays most nights August 15 through September 30, 2014. Plus, you’ll receive free Memory Maker—a photo package that makes it easy for you to capture magical family moments and first-time experiences at Walt Disney World Resort.

Take advantage of this offer and enjoy a getaway that’s just the right size for your family!
Sample Rates
View sample rates for stays most nights during the travel dates that are eligible for this offer:

April 27 through May 29, 2014: $949
May 30 through June 15, 2014: $1,019
August 15 through September 30, 2014: $899
Sample package prices are based on 3 nights in a standard room at a Disney All-Star Resort and
2-day theme park tickets for a family of 3 (2 adults, one child ages 3 to 9).

Rates may vary based on Disney Resort hotel, room type and party size. View complete list of Disney Resort hotels included in this offer.

The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Tickets are valid for one theme park per day and must be used within 14 days of first use. See Important Details.​

Maybe it's just me, but I didn't view that as the "big offer" they usually make for Fall since you have to book by April 20th and it runs April through September. I could be totally wrong, of course, but it just didn't even make a blip on my radar as having replaced a Free Dining offer.

This isn't "the" late summer enticement offer. It's a spring/late summer offer for which the August/September rates are cited in the example simply because they're the lowest during the complete promotional period.

 

[kaytieeldr]

FD was created to attract vacationers during the recession when room occupancies fell all over the US. Now that park attendence is booming, Disney is going to pull back on their offerings until they find the sweet spot.

The "Dining Plan Free" promotion wass first offered the same year this Dining Plan was introduced - 2005 - to introduce more guests to the DDP and fill rooms during a normally slow time of year. It predates the recession by several years.

 

[6loversofdisney]

Could they do away with free dining? Yes, they could - however there will always be something during those off times to lure guests in. Usually a room discount is offered first. If not enough people bite, then they offer the free dining for the same time period (obviously they cannot be used in conjunction with one another). Free dining has worked out very well for our large family who loves character meals but if they didn't have it and I just got some other type of discount, I would still maybe go in the off season but it wouldn't be as appealing. I think the free dining thing is working for them and it is of course working for those who can go when they offer it! Hang tight as you just may see that free dining offered....side note...I got a pin code that was good for free dining for dates into September 2014 so they are offering it at that level at least

 

[Hayley222]

We got free dining last October, it was good

 

[Pinkgirl]

We had the free dining offer over here again for 2014 in the UK. There is much talk about it not coming back for 2015. We normally find out late March if it will be offered.

I would think if the fall offer in the US fails to materialise, then we may not get free dining for 2015 here in the UK.

 

[ReneeA]

If you put 4 adults (especially 2 adults + 2 kids 10 to 17) into a value or moderate room, it's a good deal.

Agreed. I can't feed my family of 4 Disney adults for what we get for a room discount on a value/moderate room. Free dining saves us much, much more. We have gone the last week of August thru Labor Day with the free dining plan ever year starting in 2005. This year we will be skipping WDW and hitting US/IOA instead.

 

[coconutprincess]

It usually is offered. Last year I got a fall discount around this time and booked with it. But then free dining was still released in the normal March/April timeframe.

 

[TDC Nala]

I agree. For selfish reasons, I'd love for free dining not to be offered this fall. I always stay off site and it would mean some ADRs would be easier to get most likely, and perhaps fewer people.

Disney doesn't want fewer people. If they need to offer free dining to get the numbers up, they will. If the occupancy numbers go up without discounts, there won't be discounts.

Someone did say that there's a possibilty attendance will go up even in "slower" times in the second half of 2014 because of the opening of the Mine Train and the ability to run over to Universal to see Diagon Alley.

The "Dining Plan Free" promotion wass first offered the same year this Dining Plan was introduced - 2005 - to introduce more guests to the DDP and fill rooms during a normally slow time of year. It predates the recession by several years.

2005 was the year after 2004, when an unprecedented 3 or 4 hurricanes had an impact on Orlando and WDW. I remember people saying they were scared to book trips for August/September after that. Free dining was a "carrot" to get guests to book a trip when they were leaning against the idea. They're not so scared anymore, I'd guess Disney is trying to decide if that's because of free dining itself or because there hasn't been any meaningful hurricane impact in awhile.

 

[Dustykins]

The free Memory Maker offer is not just for September. I'm researching for a possible trip this year, trying to decide when to go and the free Memory Maker comes up for June as well as September.

 

[TDC Nala]

The free memory maker is for these dates:

April 27 through May 29, 2014
May 30 through June 15, 2014
August 15 through September 30, 2014

Doesn't mean there won't be any free dining, but it does mean they are trying out a new package discount. They probably want to see how much traffic this one gets before they decide on releasing another one.

 

[MrInfinity]

]FD was created to attract vacationers during the recession when room occupancies fell all over the US. Now that park attendence is booming, Disney is going to pull back on their offerings until they find the sweet spot.

The "Dining Plan Free" promotion wass first offered the same year this Dining Plan was introduced - 2005 - to introduce more guests to the DDP and fill rooms during a normally slow time of year. It predates the recession by several years.

I agree more with Liljo. The the travel industry took a beating long before the financial meltdown. After 9/11, tourism and flying for fun took a nose dive. The following summer, River Country did not reopen, and Disney World closed that theme park altogether. Little by little they've built it back...

Introducing the DDP (and "free" dining during slow times) was a brilliant idea that worked to get ppl not just going back to the parks... but going back and going to TS restaurants where Disney makes more profit.

Now that the parks are booming we will def see free Dining and other discounts scaled back.

 

[carmelhp]

Agreed. We can only dream ....

This is a pipe dream.

 

[SEA333]

Agreed. I can't feed my family of 4 Disney adults for what we get for a room discount on a value/moderate room. Free dining saves us much, much more. We have gone the last week of August thru Labor Day with the free dining plan ever year starting in 2005. This year we will be skipping WDW and hitting US/IOA instead.

Same here! 4 Disney adults (one had JUST turned 10 and the other 13) and one Disney kid (age 7), "stuffed" (as one poster told me once LOL) into POR room, with free dining for 4 nights and 3-day park tickets...all for the *non* great deal of $2100.

I've scratched my head over this, too, and have yet to price out a vacation where we can eat whatever we want (I am the queen of sharing and skipping meals) and be on-site for less than $2100.

My DH already said that he LOVED Ohana, but for over $200 for our family to eat there, there is NO WAY we will do it again if we don't have free dining!

 

[carmelhp]

Last year, wasn't Fall "free dining" released in May or something for late summer/early Fall and September for late Fall?

 

[trixiemuffin]

Last year, wasn't Fall "free dining" released in May or something for late summer/early Fall and September for late Fall?

Yes, the late summer offer was released last May. We got a PIN at that time with FD dates starting in late August. The general public FD didn't start until early Sept.