Are we getting close???

[nrpofp]

Yeah, we are on the same wavelength. We stayed 6 nights at the Hard Rock last Christmas after an 8 night Disney stay. We got a club level room for just over $300 a night. They deals for people booking early and staying longer. The HR is as nice as any DW resort if not nicer. The monorail resorts are great, but honestly for $600 a night you can stay in a lot more luxurious hotels. If they would just drop the rack rate 30% the place would already be 75% booked.

We did something similar 6 nights at hrh and 10 nights at the poly. My club level room at hrh was $50 less a night than my gv room at poly. I got 30% off on both. My kids at 7 and 9 already like the thrill rides. This is a good thing because Universal will most likely get our money in the future if disney doesn't do something about their prices. I have no intention of downgrading to a moderate(not my cup of tea) to afford disney. There are other places to vacation.

 

[judaloo]

I agree, really don't like the waiting game and don't plan on paying full price. We have a deposit on our Oct. trip, but if a discount doesn't come in before our paid in full date, we re cancelling and staying on points (for free) at the Hilton Bonnet Creek. I really hate to not be on property, but refuse to pay full price. We're just planning on some off-site dining at night if we have to go without the DDP. I do feel a lil' bit guilty for reserving my spot and contributing to the possibility of messing up a GP discount; however, as the OP mentioned, we wanted to make sure we could get our resort if free dining was released. I've just about convinced myself to call and cancel and get my $200 back as I think alot of our dates will be blacked out anyway because of Columbus Day. (We are going Oct. 5-10) So funny that after I booked, I called back to see if any pins had come up and she told me to call back in a couple of days. When I called back, lo and behold, there was a pin in my name; however, the travel dates started with Oct. 10! So frustrating! We can't change our dates because of school...I'm just gearing up for staying outside the bubble

 

[nicki.momof3]

Please oh pleaes announce FD for Dec. I need pixey dust

 

[Joey7295]

I wish they would release 2012 Free Dining dates again this year like they did last year. We booked 2011's trip in 2010 before we'd even left for our 2010 trip LOL I like doing it that way though...makes leaving Disney on our last day less sad because I know we'll be back and can start planning it when I get home.

When were discounts for January 2011 released?

 

[BigGreen73]

Guess I'll jump on this thread too as I am playing the waiting game as well. My DW and I decided to not take a trip to WDW this year and maybe wait until next, BUT, I would really like to surorise her with a trip in October for her B-day. She really wants to go. I am hoping for any discount FD, % off whatever at this point as either would be fine for me. I would love to see 40% off at a deluxe as I would love to surprise her with a stay at the Poly!

I do agree with everyone above too, that the WDW resorts rates are just to high. But really, WDW is playing a smoke and mirrors game with that anyway. The resort prices are high so that when they do give room discounts, we the people, think were getting a great deal want to go even more. WDW has their hooks in us and they just keep reeling us in.

 

[havoc315]

When were discounts for January 2011 released?

Mid August.

 

[nrpofp]

Guess I'll jump on this thread too as I am playing the waiting game as well. My DW and I decided to not take a trip to WDW this year and maybe wait until next, BUT, I would really like to surorise her with a trip in October for her B-day. She really wants to go. I am hoping for any discount FD, % off whatever at this point as either would be fine for me. I would love to see 40% off at a deluxe as I would love to surprise her with a stay at the Poly!

I do agree with everyone above too, that the WDW resorts rates are just to high. But really, WDW is playing a smoke and mirrors game with that anyway. The resort prices are high so that when they do give room discounts, we the people, think were getting a great deal want to go even more. WDW has their hooks in us and they just keep reeling us in.

I don't think they have given 40% since last year. I got 40% pin last Nov, but the discounts and pins this year have been 30% at most. I'm afraid they will be even less next year.

 

[BigGreen73]

I don't think they have given 40% since last year. I got 40% pin last Nov, but the discounts and pins this year have been 30% at most. I'm afraid they will be even less next year.

Hey, I can still hope can't I?

 

[sjs314]

I don't think they have given 40% since last year. I got 40% pin last Nov, but the discounts and pins this year have been 30% at most. I'm afraid they will be even less next year.

It is very disappointing to see the discounts that Disney is offering off their inflated rack rates. I am booked with a 20% pin would love if they came out with a GP for 35-40% FD would only save us a little over the 20% since there are only two of us, plus with having to purchase the memory book.

Still going to keep watch, will be great if we hear something next week, if we have to wait until August I think we will all be nuts by then .

 

[FigmentChick]

Still going to keep watch, will be great if we hear something next week, if we have to wait until August I think we will all be nuts by then .

OMG...isn't that the truth?!?! LOL I think I would seriously go insane (not to mention make my poor assistant insane with me) if I had to wait until August. But.....I'm still going to Disney, so it's not that bad. And if they don't offer discounts....we'll change our reservations to off-site and save $$$ that way.

 

[dmoore718]

I agree. If there are no discounts, then there are plenty of other places to stay, and get a deal. You can usually get a deal at the Swan and Dolphin, my husband is a firefighter and they offer a discoutn for that! So, if no deal, we will stay offsite. It's not my first choice, since I LOVE staying on property, but we are driving this time so we can still go out to nice restaurants every night, if we want.

We aren't going back until Nov. 2012 so, I have time to wait (obsess).

 

[SarahD]

I'm a little nervous about the fact that no one has posted anything alluding to a good deal coming out! Usually people are posting what castmembers have let slip or what they've heard on other sites. Sometimes it's castmembers who post something hinting that a deal is coming. And everything else was so early this year!

 

[saskdw]

I'm a little nervous about the fact that no one has posted anything alluding to a good deal coming out! Usually people are posting what castmembers have let slip or what they've heard on other sites. Sometimes it's castmembers who post something hinting that a deal is coming. And everything else was so early this year!

I phoned in last week to do a random check to see if there was a pin attached to my name. I basically explained to the CM what we are discussing here. She was very pleasant to talk to. She hinted that there would promos coming for Dec, but of course couldn't say what they were. I think there will be something, it's just a matter of how attractive it is.

 

[MomRN]

Well, if you want encouragement, when I talked to the CM a couple of weeks ago I mentioned I was waiting for a deal to come out. The typical response... he expected something to come out but didn't know when. Then I said I was afraid my time frame would be blacked out (10-2 to 10-9) and he said "have you ever known October dates to be blacked out?"

Well, honestly I don't know. I'm still kinda new to this, but the way he made it sound... there would be discounts with all of October available, but I didn't come here and mention it because I'm thinking it's his guess.

I know my remaining balance is due 8-18, so I hope for the deal before then, so I really know how much the balance will be.

 

[SarahD]

I AM encouraged! I will keep up the vigil!

 

[nicki.momof3]

Completely true. Which is why I wish so many people wouldn't book now, thinking they will just apply discounts later, lol. Wait for the discounts!

Like many I am only able to travel certain time of the year. I am a teacher so it is Easter, X-Mas, or summer (done it 2x and it is to hot for us - never again).

So many of us wishing for free dining are going no matter what so yes we booked so we could get the room / resort we wanted.

I would love free dining again this x-mas vacation (we enjoyed it last year Dec. 16-25) but I am going without it.

 

[saskdw]

I would love free dining again this x-mas vacation (we enjoyed it last year Dec. 16-25) but I am going without it.

That's what Disney wants to hear! We might end up in the Orlando area regardless, but Disneys promo will determine how much of our money they get. I got home from working late tonight and my family is tired of waiting for Disney to come to their senses and are planning other options. They want to go to the Hard Rock again and possibly stay at the new Bonnet Creek Hilton. We are going to vacation for 15 days and Disney had a chance to get about 90% of our money, right now it's looking like they will get 20%.

 

[chrisw127]

The best information I've ever gotten was from a manager who was working on the phone one day when I called. She was very nice (it turns out she reads a website that I write for and she is more than just an average Disney fan) and she told me that subsequent deals for a covered period would not be as good as the first deals that come out (for example, the deals that came out last August for most of 2011) and that those deals would also have a much shorter covered period. She also told me I would start seeing this in a few weeks. This was right before the limited free dining and room offer came out in May, so she was absolutely correct.

I've heard all sorts of things from CMs, everything from not to expect anything and that "your clients are going to be very disappointed" to "wait a couple of weeks." Honestly, I don't know what I believe! Most CMs will tell you that they don't know about discounts until the morning they come out, but they must hear rumors considering how many of them are willing to share little tidbits of information.

I'm still hoping for something for Oct - Dec, although I don't know if I think it will be as good as what was offered last year. My newest worry is that the AP rates that came out weren't that great. They were fine if you travel on short notice, but if you booked months ago, chances are very good that the general public discount you already have is (slightly) better. This worries me because if it's a trend, then does that mean they'll do less for the rest of fall?

 

[havoc315]

The best information I've ever gotten was from a manager who was working on the phone one day when I called. She was very nice (it turns out she reads a website that I write for and she is more than just an average Disney fan) and she told me that subsequent deals for a covered period would not be as good as the first deals that come out (for example, the deals that came out last August for most of 2011) and that those deals would also have a much shorter covered period. She also told me I would start seeing this in a few weeks. This was right before the limited free dining and room offer came out in May, so she was absolutely correct.

I've heard all sorts of things from CMs, everything from not to expect anything and that "your clients are going to be very disappointed" to "wait a couple of weeks." Honestly, I don't know what I believe! Most CMs will tell you that they don't know about discounts until the morning they come out, but they must hear rumors considering how many of them are willing to share little tidbits of information.

I'm still hoping for something for Oct - Dec, although I don't know if I think it will be as good as what was offered last year. My newest worry is that the AP rates that came out weren't that great. They were fine if you travel on short notice, but if you booked months ago, chances are very good that the general public discount you already have is (slightly) better. This worries me because if it's a trend, then does that mean they'll do less for the rest of fall?

Interesting.
Assuming that the "Manager" you spoke with is correct -- That the "first" set of discounts will be the best, then you should take some comfort is knowing that no real discounts for fall have been announced yet. So the "best" set may very well be the first set, which is yet to come.

As to what CMs do or don't know.... I suspect they get a day or 2 notice. Basically, they have to be the first to know that new codes are going into use. Supervisors might get a bit more notice, as they might have to adjust staff if a big new flow of calls is expected.
I doubt anybody gets tons of specific notice -- As I doubt Disney decides specifically on a discount, until shortly before issuing the discount. Since they base on the discount on the current status of bookings, etc... They need to base their decision in the moment.
When CMs give information, I'm sure some of them are just basing it on past history (Expect 2012 discounts announced in the fall). Some may be repeating rumors they have heard themselves, and some may even know something.

I tend to ignore rumors about generalized statements made by CMs. But when someone reports learning something specific from a CM, I take notice. (For example.... right before the current batch of PINs, someone posted a CM saying that 400,000 PINs were about to go into the mail... sure enough, reports of new pins flowed over the next few days).

Though I was hoping new discounts would be announced right after July 4th.... There has been total silence in terms of strong rumors... I'm starting to suspect we won't see anything next week.

 

[havoc315]

Like many I am only able to travel certain time of the year. I am a teacher so it is Easter, X-Mas, or summer (done it 2x and it is to hot for us - never again).

So many of us wishing for free dining are going no matter what so yes we booked so we could get the room / resort we wanted.

I would love free dining again this x-mas vacation (we enjoyed it last year Dec. 16-25) but I am going without it.

I'm not seriously going to criticize you for booking early. I was being somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

If anybody is willing to pay full price, then nobody can fairly criticize them for booking early.

But... if you do book early at full price, you really can't complain about the failure to issue discounts later on. After all, Disney is a commercial enterprise.. if they have lots of guests booking at full price, there is no reason to issue discounts.

If tons of people really truly insist that Disney lower its prices (or issue discounts), the only real way to make yourself heard... is to refrain from booking until you get a price you want. And in this game of chicken... if Disney doesn't offer a discount or lower their prices, you need to be prepared to skip a Disney vacation (or stay offsite).

If *enough* people pass on Disney due to the price, then they will lower their price or offer discounts.

With weaning people off discounts, I think to some degree.. Disney is counting on inertia to keep repeat guests coming.
Take a hypothetical family... Who got a great discount in 2009, the 4/3 discount... and then booked for a week. Then in 2010, they booked at full price while waiting for the discount.... and then applied a 40% discount code. Then for 2011, they booked early again, but later applied a free dining promotion, paying rack rate for the room. Disney may be hoping that this family has made such a habit of booking, that they will book for 2012 again at full price. And while the family may sit around waiting for a Discount, Disney is assuming that most such people won't cancel their reservation, when no significant discounts are forthcoming.