Big Announcement????

[fla4fun]

someone posted a few pages ago that they had done the maths and it worked out more expensive if they took up the offer. They didnt really explaiin the details though.

So, if that is the case, the negative comments are deserved because Disney is trying to rip off its potential guests. Plus thats before you consider the main issue here - the massive hype for nothing. Again.

OK, so my understanding is that people can enter to win totally free vacations each day through 2/29, correct? As a pp mentioned, that's the one thing that is seldom mentioned when discussing this issue. That alone is deserving of some massive hype!

I can't say Disney is "ripping me off" because I am getting a 35% discount during that time period that saves me more money than this offer. Each family has to do the math every time any offer is released to see if it's a better deal for them. This particular package offer is not a better deal for me, because as a solo a room only discount usually trumps a one day free, especially since I have an AP and don't need tickets. But that doesn't mean that the offer isn't a better deal for someone else. I have booked promotional packages in the past that included tickets, because the overall cost was less than the AP or resident discounts. For all the people that love free dining, that never works out to be a better deal for me than a room only code - ever. But I don't put it down because it is a better deal for someone else. I think Disney has been doing a pretty good job of keeping a selection of offers out there to help everyone save some money. But sometimes you have to be flexible to do it.

I think an announcement where a company is giving away 60 free trips should not be put down like this one has been. Maybe it isn't what YOU wanted, but that doesn't make it worthless (using "you" as in all the people complaining, not specifically the poster I quoted). I think the bigger error was all the speculation and rumor that went around prior to the announcement. I think a lot of people put a lot of info out there that they hoped would be true, and then when it wasn't, they were upset.

 

[MoonFaerie]

IMO, while this discount wouldn't be a good deal for us (1 night free of a 9 night trip is a much smaller % than a free night on a 4 day trip. Instead of 25% savings on the room, it's only 11% savings), it's the limited time frame that makes it such a disappointment.

OK here is my math. See if this makes sense.

If a room is $250 a night and you stay three nights with three day tickets for a family of four the cost is:
$250 x 3 nights
$232 for a three day adult
$214 for a three day child

total of $1642 for room and tickets for a family of four with 2 adults and 2 kids.

Take the 30% room discount and you save $225 for a total cost of $1417.

Ok now loose the room discount and take the free day.
The room is $250 and the park tickets for the third day is $60 Adult and $56 Kid so the free day saves you $482! How is that a ripoff?

Well, not really. First, you'd have to compare 4 nights to 4 nights. Plus an extra day on tickets isn't that much.

Because I already have these numbers in a spreadsheet, let's go with 4 weeknights at a mod during fall season, 2 adults & 2 children. Also, for simplicity, I'm leaving out tax.

With free night promo:
3 nights (+1 free) = $169*3 = $507
3 day adult tix = $232*2 = $464
3 day child tix = $214*2 = $428
TOTAL = $1399

Now a 30% room only promo:
4 nights = $169*4= 676 - 30% = $473
4 day adult tix = $243*2 = $486
4 day child tix = $224*2 = $448
TOTAL = $1407

Wow, I saved a whopping $8. Thanks Disney! And that's if I was only planning on 4 days. With a longer trip, this promo would cost me more than 30% off room only.

 

[ocean134]

I just entered for the sweeptakes! Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Virtucomp]

Ok I give!

Disney is out to take all of our money with tricks. They give away millions of dollars in value to dupe us into visiting their park.

No one will save any money with this promotion so they might as well stop offering it. Most likely the people who win the free trips will loose their job because they went when they had no vacation time anyway. The winnners will all have APs anyway so the prize will not be very good.

Shame on Disney for tricking us.

 

[88golf88]

I am shocked at the number of people complaining about a promotion. Why on earth do you people feel you "deserve" a better promotion. As many PP have said, this promotion isnt geared towards those that vacation in Disney regularly. This is meant to get people who normally vacation elsewhere to look at Disney.

I have an idea, if you don't like the promotion, don't use it. And for those pele who are whining and moaning that they are only saving $8 over there old discount, just be thankful that you have any discount at all!!

 

[bloodonthesaddle]

Yes - we CHOSE to be DVC members and pay handsomely for that choice. That's why it's frustrating if I CHOOSE to use the dining plan, I pay for it when others get it for free. I understand I get to stay at beautiful resorts not 'paying' the full price too. But I do think, as a perk for all we paid for our membership and maintenance, there should at least be a discount offered for dining. Maybe the offer of less points on my 4th night stay? Why should I pay cash for an offer when that was why I bought into DVC?

Kind of makes me feel as a DVC member sometimes like they've got my money and they're done with me.

And as far as the promotion - it's really only a two week event to fill the rooms at a low time. Smart move for Disney but not for regular folks looking for something at other times of the year.

Just saying...

If you feel as though you are "getting screwed" by being a DVC member, why don't you sell your points and call central reservations to book your trips and take advantage of the promotional offers?

Just sayin.........

 

[MoonFaerie]

Ok I give!

Disney is out to take all of our money with tricks. They give away millions of dollars in value to dupe us into visiting their park.

No one will save any money with this promotion so they might as well stop offering it. Most likely the people who win the free trips will loose their job because they went when they had no vacation time anyway. The winnners will all have APs anyway so the prize will not be very good.

Shame on Disney for tricking us.

Not my point. It's just that the promo isn't a better deal than the standard offering, so making a big announcement was silly, IMO. But yes, Disney IS out to take all our money. Does anyone really not realize that? They don't offer promos to help us. They offer promos to help themselves. Even the AP discounts. (They make more $ off me using a 40% AP rate than they would if I stayed offsite. )

Plenty of people will jump on it, thinking it's a great deal. I was just pointing out that the math of it makes it not such a great deal, at least for my family. Just like the dining plan. Great for some families. Epic fail for mine.

FWIW, I'm buying an AP this year, and I would still LOVE to win the trip. I think Disney should have hyped the giveaway over the promo.

 

[mom2rtk]

I am shocked at the number of people complaining about a promotion. Why on earth do you people feel you "deserve" a better promotion. As many PP have said, this promotion isnt geared towards those that vacation in Disney regularly. This is meant to get people who normally vacation elsewhere to look at Disney.

I have an idea, if you don't like the promotion, don't use it. And for those pele who are whining and moaning that they are only saving $8 over there old discount, just be thankful that you have any discount at all!!

Sorry, but Disney blew it with their roll-out of this promotion. If they had just "announced" it one day, the reaction wouldn't be nearly as strong. But they built it up with anticipation then under-delivered. Free dining is a far better deal and comes with absolutely no fanfare (except here on the DIS. But I don't hold Disney responsible for anticipation people build here. I'm only talking about what they do on THEIR end).

 

[nkereina]

I am shocked at the number of people complaining about a promotion. Why on earth do you people feel you "deserve" a better promotion. As many PP have said, this promotion isnt geared towards those that vacation in Disney regularly. This is meant to get people who normally vacation elsewhere to look at Disney.

I have an idea, if you don't like the promotion, don't use it. And for those pele who are whining and moaning that they are only saving $8 over there old discount, just be thankful that you have any discount at all!!

I think you're missing the point. A lot of people have a problem with how Disney hyped this announcement. Sure it's a good promo that some families will be able to take great advantage of, but it certainly doesn't benefit the majority. And I doubt many people who vacation elsewhere will now consider a Disney vacation less than 60 days out, knowing how much a Disney vacation costs and how much planning is involved. So considering this, there was no point in hyping the announcement like they did.

 

[MoonFaerie]

I am shocked at the number of people complaining about a promotion. Why on earth do you people feel you "deserve" a better promotion. As many PP have said, this promotion isnt geared towards those that vacation in Disney regularly. This is meant to get people who normally vacation elsewhere to look at Disney.

I have an idea, if you don't like the promotion, don't use it. And for those pele who are whining and moaning that they are only saving $8 over there old discount, just be thankful that you have any discount at all!!

It's geared at people that can plan and take a vacation on short notice. THAT is the part that I find disappointing. No, this promo wouldn't save us money, but it doesn't matter because I can't vacation during that 2 week window, period. It was offered a bit more widely, we'd look at squeezing in an extra long weekend trip. It is a good deal for short trips. I'd LOVE to make it during the MNNSHP time one year, and according to their seasons, that's a less busy time than this promo. I'd have booked a 4 day trip over my fall break in a heartbeat, and then upgraded our passes to an AP for our big Dec trip.

 

[The_Alice]

I think it's more on par with trying again to ramp up times in the park that are less attended, in this case right before Spring Break season. Either way, the promo doesn't effect us as we aren't going to a Disney Park until Summer, and then we are going to DLR for the first time. I'll sign up for the sweepstakes, but color me underwhelmed.

 

[LovinPooh]

This is dumb.
Maybe if they opened up the time frame... but really?? I will keep my free dining and skip the lame leap year events.

 

[francie57]

Missed the announcement last night but saw it first thing today on-line and am really disappointed. Like the rest was hoping for a discount though Aug. since we are booked for mid-Aug. Will stick with the AAA discount so far. As far as the big announcement it really is stupid to think that people are going to spend big bucks for that two week period so they can stay in a park all night/day. Unfortunately it isn't a time of year that we can even consider since I work in a school and we aren't off.

 

[anthony2k7]

Not my point. It's just that the promo isn't a better deal than the standard offering, so making a big announcement was silly, IMO. But yes, Disney IS out to take all our money. Does anyone really not realize that? They don't offer promos to help us. They offer promos to help themselves. Even the AP discounts. (They make more $ off me using a 40% AP rate than they would if I stayed offsite. )

Plenty of people will jump on it, thinking it's a great deal. I was just pointing out that the math of it makes it not such a great deal, at least for my family. Just like the dining plan. Great for some families. Epic fail for mine.

FWIW, I'm buying an AP this year, and I would still LOVE to win the trip. I think Disney should have hyped the giveaway over the promo.

its kinda scary how some people sound like they think Disney do these offers because they love their "guests" so much!

 

[PyxiiDustt]

I'm pretty sure the hype wasn't for the promotion though. They played that commercial for the promo and then said stay tuned for a big announcement. The promotion wasn't what they were hyping, it was the 24-hour party and the giveaway. So really, complaining about the hype over the promotion based on the hype is irrelevant, IMO, because it's just something they're doing. If you watch the preview stuff from Christmas, it was all about Leap Year. Hence, the party in MK.

Just my two cents though, feel free to disagree.

 

[Love Tink]

Ok I give!

Disney is out to take all of our money with tricks. They give away millions of dollars in value to dupe us into visiting their park.

No one will save any money with this promotion so they might as well stop offering it. Most likely the people who win the free trips will loose their job because they went when they had no vacation time anyway. The winnners will all have APs anyway so the prize will not be very good.

Shame on Disney for tricking us.

You're just mad because you said, "Here's my math" and then someone showed you that your math was completely off. (FYI - the fourth day of tickets costs $11.72 adult and $10.65 child, not your expressed $60 and $56.)

I think this promotion is ridiculous not just because of how skimpy it is, but because it only affects two weeks out of the whole year. For a company that works very, very hard to keep its hotels full 52 weeks out of the year, that is a difficult-to-understand misstep.

And for those who are so nastily concerned about everyone thinking they "deserve" more - I don't think I deserve more, I just expected more and hoped for more from Disney. I'm not used to them completely blowing it like this. Being disappointed in this stupid promotion is a perfectly reasonable response.

 

[Calle&Jakesmom]

I'm excited about the Leap Day 24 hours event. We already have a trip planned during that week. We usually visit during this time and love the low park attendance, but get frustrated with the limited park hours. Having MK open for 24 hours that day will add a lot of excitement for our kids and lots of opportunity for us.

Works out well for us and I'm happy. Sorry to those of you who are dissappointed.

 

[Colleen27]

I think the one thing that almost everyone is missing is that promotions are meant to put people in the resorts/parks during "down" times. This promotion fits with all the talk of reduced discounting. The typical visitor to WDW will think this is wonderful. Those of us spoiled by the recent massive discounting will obviously not like this announcememnt.

What bothers me about it is that it almost borders on deceptive to hype a very UNdesirable promotion to such a degree, presumably on the basis that the intended audience likely isn't going to poke around to see that there's already a better (for most trips) discount available for the exact same time frame. Between this and the reports of Disney incorrectly charging no-show fees and the guest-unfriendly nature of getting those fees reversed, I really question the direction Disney is taking... It seems like they're willing to jeopardize their long standing reputation for short-term increases in revenue, and while I realize that's the modern rule of American business I hate to see a company I still have some respect for jumping on that particular bandwagon.

 

[geenerbell]

According to the contest rules, the total estimated retail value of the trips being given away is $378,000. That is not peanuts. And very few folks here are even discussing the give away aspect of the announcement.

Just saying...

What are the odds of winning?

 

[chartle]

I think the one thing that almost everyone is missing is that promotions are meant to put people in the resorts/parks during "down" times.

But this is only one down time out of the year, announced 2 months in advance so very few can take advantage of it. And as others have posted other deals are better.

Add in a couple weeks of 'hush hush whats the big announcement going to be' teasers and you can see why everyone is like "huh, that's it".

Also factor in the history of A Year, OK 2, of a Million dreams, Free on your birthday and Give a Day Get a Day promos of years past.

They expect more from Disney.