I am not commenting on anything related to budgets, affording things, booking 'phantom' things, or any of that stuff. To each his own, none of my concern.
What I am commenting on is the WHY ARE THEY NOT OFFERING IT? topic.
With more than 18 years in the hospitality industry, including the last several in an analyst/consultant position, i am aware that there are background reasons for them not to offer it.
They may be quietly planning a cut in overhead.
Close buildings or sections of resorts = less maintenance/mousekeeping personnel needed. Close or shorten hours of some food service locations = less product needed, less labor needed, 'consolidation' effect where the business shifts to a nearby location (they assume that onsite guests will eat
somewhere). Fewer guests = less transportation personnel needed, less ticketing personnel needed, less front-desk CMs needed, less bell services CMs needed... you see the pattern. Even with specifically
not encouraging TS dining, you can cut a percentage of man hours in your kitchens, cut the number of scheduled servers, and reduce your product purchases to adjust.
Not talking about layoffs, more about working your used-to-be-42-hours-a-week folks at 38. Or 36. Or whatever the upside number is. Reducing or freezing hiring. Encouraging or requiring cross-training for CMs to be able to do more things. Maximizing the amount you do spend on labor while minimizing the amount you need to spend (to maintain standards).
It's a natural thing to do, to maximize profitability in a slower economic climate.
It seems reasonable to me that this is what they are actually working on. I am not privy to any WDW-related information that is not publicly available, but I have worked through similar processes with various organizations myself.
Why are they offering summer discounts? Local traffic.
It's summer. They are expecting/projecting a certain level of attendance with an increase in local patronage over the off-season. (By local, I mean within a relatively narrow radius, not necessarily just people who live in Orlando.) These folks are coming, and their expenditures will be regular and predictable - but they are less likely to stay on-site, if they do spend the night and come for multiple days they are possibly more likely to stay off-site and drive in. So what does WDW need to complement this situation? More people in on-site rooms. They
need to keep the foodservice at full capacity, and they
need to keep the fringe amenities like fireworks and gift shops and things open at full capacity/activity - because the parks are going to have an average/normal attendance. So those costs are pretty much fixed. All they need is to ramp up the amount coming in on the resort rooms. Therefore, discount them.
I am not saying that they will certainly
not offer
free dining. Just that, from my perspective, it seems less likely than in years past, given the economic responsibility of managing such a large enterprise while making a profit. I truly do hope that, for those of y'all who are dependent on getting FD or some other deep package discount for the fall, they do decide to offer it. I travel to WDW for R&R at all times of the year, even during FD sometimes, and I do not have a negative opinion of the program or anyone who waits with their mickey ears crossed to hear about it being offered. I myself have taken advantage of it in the past when it suited my party's needs. So here's hoping that y'all do get what you seek - even if I do so with some trepidation.
I think we'd maybe see some good discounts quicker if people just resisted the urge to book before the discounts that they need come out. JMHO.
