Call from Disney today.

[jriae2000]

Two weeks ago I sent an Email to Disney about how unfair it was that we couldnt get the free dinning. I started the email with this "I know whoever reads this wont have the courage to forward it but it will make me feel better". Kind of an I dare ya. Got a call today from Jannel. Caller id said HS. She stated that the email had been passed on up above her but she wanted to let me know it was in the system. If it works like the government its in trouble. She gave me the how do we know theyre staying there at FW and do we tell a family of six they have to pay for two kids. I told her I would be in that situation and would gladly pay for my " extra kids". I also suggested a graduated reduction based on what kind of site your in. Maybe not free but reduced prices for meal plan. I also pointed out it would be cheaper for me to cancel my Oct. res. and move to value resort with free food. It would double my mpg to go without the trailer. She also said the lack of a quick service facility was "confusing" to some people. Not sure about thay one.

P.S. I told her I was dissapointed to here about them doing away with resort spec. merchandise. She said she hadnt been told of that yet. Lets hope its not going to happen. Just thought I would pass this along.

 

[MALE*RN*777]

Way to go...I called and complained to the Grand Gathering Rep. Maybe one day we will be considered for the free food.

 

[esfd243]

I complained about the meal plan as well, in writing. I had a response on the phone in 7 days and they offered me 3 free days at FW and the Florida state resident rate for any more nights we were staying. So leaving Syracuse NY on September 15th and staying 8 nights at FW for a grand total of 186$ !

 

[BradyBz12]

Whoa... maybe it really IS worth us all writing in about this. I just may drop them a line also, as we're there for 3 weeks during FD too.

Thanks for the updates, all!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Bobby says no way. He just laughs and laughs when this topic comes up.

 

[mamaloya]

I don't complain about the lack of free dining for a few reasons:

1) It would be stupid for disney to give me free dining for even 4 ppl when I am only paying $35 a nite for a partial campsite. Now at $99 a nite for a campsite, maybe they should include it for 4 because that is about he price of a value. Now, it would get even more confusing than which loop is what if you then add in which loop is free, and which ppl do I have to pay for dining.

2) It then goes to an even bigger problem then we have now at the fort of people off site booking just to get the perks of EMH and parking and the PAID dining plan. They are taking up sites that true FW fans/campers really want and would use. (You can find lots of topics about this gripe.)

3) Not everyone that goes during free dining gets free dining anyway. Each resort only has a set number of rooms that they can book with free dining. Once that limit is reached at that resort, you can't get free dining there either. I would be willing to bet (but am only guessing) that the value resorts have fewer rooms available with free dining than deluxe resorts. It is simply a bottom line issue.

4) Even getting dining for a reduced price would cause the fort to back log with people abusing the system and simply booking for the perks and not using the site.

That said, it would be nice to get some sort of comparable deal for our loyalty: 3 nites free, 20% off sites during free dining, maybe so many vouchers per site per nite for a meal at Trail's End, take out, or the snack bar. Something to help us NOT feel like the ugly step child. LOL

Now, the gripe that I have that annoys me that we don't get is the free park hopper and/or waterpark option being added to the tix for free when that is offered. Regardless of what we pay per nite, regardless of how many we have on our site, we are still paying the same amt per ticket as everyone else be it deluxe or value resorts. We all pay $xxx.xx for a 5 day base ticket. Why can't we get the free options added to ours. THAT is the one I gripe about and would like a logical answer to.

No, I am not being argumentative, just putting in my $.02.

 

[stacktester]

I totally agree with you Sandra. If you think people will be getting partials now for the perks that will mess things up worse. I'm not saying that partials are low class because I have a pop up and a 5'er and am just as happy in the pup in 1500 loop as I am anywhere. The partials would be badly abused by the dining plan and the people who, the visit in a pup or tent is THE only way they can do Disney would never be able to get partial. Coupons for TE or something is fine. If you want that slop that Disney calls food, then book a value and go for it. I do like some of the food they offer like Crystal Palce and Boma. We usually go there for one special dinner a trip and the rest we eat at the camper.

 

[jriae2000]

Didnt mean to get everyone riled up. Im just saying that in Oct were gong to spend over $4,000 for eight nights at the park(with gas down and back) and it would be nice to get SOMETHING free. Even if its two passes to horseback ride. And yes we have the dinning plan. Its vacation and my wife needs a break from cooking for all of us kids. If we could just run down for long weekends a few times a year Im sure we would get tired of the food at Disney. For us and the kids even the dinning is magical. Probably sounds stupid but it is all magical.

 

[stacktester]

Hopefully you didn't take my post as attacking you. Unfortunately there's just people who do the ol get all they can and ruin it for others. I always wondered why they couldn't offer free dining up to 4 as well. I understand it would be tough to do on a partial site but they could have a minimum of what a site would cost to offer free dining.

 

[2goofycampers]

I got a free chocolate chip cookie last year from Disney,
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sorry Denise,,this is Frank posting,

 

[DaveInTN]

I got a free chocolate chip cookie last year from Disney,

On my last trip to the Fort, I really enjoyed the departure gift. I nice man on a golf cart left it on my windshield the morning we checked out.

 

[mikmouse]

I complained about the meal plan as well, in writing. I had a response on the phone in 7 days and they offered me 3 free days at FW and the Florida state resident rate for any more nights we were staying. So leaving Syracuse NY on September 15th and staying 8 nights at FW for a grand total of 186$ !

We're regulars at FW and I would love to express my opinion on this subject to Disney. May I ask who did you write at Disney? Attenton of and address? I'm impressed that you got a response so I would like to direct my inquiry to the same place. Thanks and I hope you have a good time. We'll be there in Oct. at Bay Lake Towers then at FW Dec. 5.

 

[edandcolleen1995]

Free dining is done to drive up occupancy at the resorts.

I run a decent sized hotel for a living. Been in the busiess for 20+ years. You make your money on the rooms. Heads on beds is the saying.

F&B makes money, but no way near the profit that rooms do. So when we want more money in the hotel, we get people in via food. Maybe include b-fast, or a dinner etc. Rate for the room is last thing we give away, but of course we will as needed.

That said, Disney is doing the free dining again because it wants to drive up occupany levels and get profit moving.

The campgrounds (not cabins) don't seem to have as much of an occupancy issue vs the resorts. So giving away food on a already much lower "room" rate (ie almost half values) on a property that is not lagging in occupancy makes no business sense.

I think people forget that Disney is a business. One that cares about profit first and foremost. They should. There are times where profit takes a back seat for long term growth, but nothing is done without money, profit, expenses being the driving factor. Helping out a guest issue is still about money. Happy customer, means repeat customer. Repeat customer means more money, less marketing, better profit. It can be a win/win.

There is really little reason to offer free dining for the camp grounds with the pricing structure currently in place. Be careful how much you complain. You might get free dining in 2010, but you can better your tents that your site fees will double.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Free dining is done to drive up occupancy at the resorts.

I run a decent sized hotel for a living. Been in the busiess for 20+ years. You make your money on the rooms. Heads on beds is the saying.

F&B makes money, but no way near the profit that rooms do. So when we want more money in the hotel, we get people in via food. Maybe include b-fast, or a dinner etc. Rate for the room is last thing we give away, but of course we will as needed.

That said, Disney is doing the free dining again because it wants to drive up occupany levels and get profit moving.

The campgrounds (not cabins) don't seem to have as much of an occupancy issue vs the resorts. So giving away food on a already much lower "room" rate (ie almost half values) on a property that is not lagging in occupancy makes no business sense.

I think people forget that Disney is a business. One that cares about profit first and foremost. They should. There are times where profit takes a back seat for long term growth, but nothing is done without money, profit, expenses being the driving factor. Helping out a guest issue is still about money. Happy customer, means repeat customer. Repeat customer means more money, less marketing, better profit. It can be a win/win.

There is really little reason to offer free dining for the camp grounds with the pricing structure currently in place. Be careful how much you complain. You might get free dining in 2010, but you can better your tents that your site fees will double.

You have made some very good points, and I agree with you, why should WDW management offer incentives for the campground, if it stays full without offering incentives.

But, here is something interesting . . .

I just camped at the Fort last weekend, and it was practically empty. It was the emptiest that I have ever seen it in all my years that I have visited the Fort. I think a lot of people who might have stayed at the Fort instead chose the free dining offer, and so, the Fort is empty.

They need "heads in the beds" (figuratively speaking) at the campground, too. So, I would expect that there is going to have to be some kind of tweak to the system somewhere.

I personally hope they never offer free dining at the Fort. This dining is not "free," you are paying for it somehow. And I agree with Stacktester, the food quality has gone down so much that they can keep their "free" food. Just give me a lower price on the campsite, and I will be there.

TCD

 

[ftwildernessguy]

On my last trip to the Fort, I really enjoyed the departure gift. I nice man on a golf cart left it on my windshield the morning we checked out.

Somebody must have taken mine. Maybe Larry.

 

[bama_ed]

You have made some very good points, and I agree with you, why should WDW management offer incentives for the campground, if it stays full without offering incentives.

But, here is something interesting . . .

I just camped at the Fort last weekend, and it was practically empty. It was the emptiest that I have ever seen it in all my years that I have visited the Fort. I think a lot of people who might have stayed at the Fort instead chose the free dining offer, and so, the Fort is empty.

They need "heads in the beds" (figuratively speaking) at the campground, too. So, I would expect that there is going to have to be some kind of tweak to the system somewhere.

I personally hope they never offer free dining at the Fort. This dining is not "free," you are paying for it somehow. And I agree with Stacktester, the food quality has gone down so much that they can keep their "free" food. Just give me a lower price on the campsite, and I will be there.

TCD

I had a dream (nightmare) last night that the Fort jacked the price of the premium sites up even higher than they are now so they could offer the Counter Service/Quick Service Dining Plan availalble on Premiums only and then they could offer free CSDP when it was slow. The demand would be so great that they would be forced to build a food court by paving the entire tennis court/shuffleboard/bike barn/campfire/singalong area and ripping out every tree to sell soggy burgers and stale fries for $10. And the Premium sites would be empty because people would book the site just to get the free dining and early admission. But the bean counters would be happy.

Then I woke up in a cold sweat convinced that it wasn't real and it was only a dream.

It was just a dream, right?

Bama ED

 

[Pirate-Jeff]

The campgrounds (not cabins) don't seem to have as much of an occupancy issue vs the resorts. So giving away food on a already much lower "room" rate (ie almost half values) on a property that is not lagging in occupancy makes no business sense.

I don't know how you are counting but the piece of concrete I rented at Disney is $116.99 plus $ 5.00 for the dog plus tax during the summer per night. No room service. No hotel up keep. No linen's or towels,
That is $30.00 more than a value.

Camping used to be cheep but not anymore 9/11 changed how America vacations. There are more RV's on the road today than ever before.

 

[4mickey2]

I got a free chocolate chip cookie last year from Disney,
.
.
.
.
.
.
sorry Denise,,this is Frank posting,

we got a free hot dog with pork and coleslaw on top from the pool snack bar.. i won't complain either.

 

[edandcolleen1995]

I don't know how you are counting but the piece of concrete I rented at Disney is $116.99 plus $ 5.00 for the dog plus tax during the summer per night. No room service. No hotel up keep. No linen's or towels,
That is $30.00 more than a value.

Camping used to be cheep but not anymore 9/11 changed how America vacations. There are more RV's on the road today than ever before.

That is primetime, with pet add on at top site.

That is like paying rack rate at the values..

The point was that there is little need incentive to offer food with campsites. You paying what you did supports that claim.

 

[shirley 38]

It would not hurt disney in the least to offer the free dining plan. Like posted above you can go to the value resort and pay less.
As to having extra people at the campsite, your passport will read if you have the dining plan.
I would like to also write if you could send me the address.
Right now I feel like a second class citizen.
JUST VENTING DON'T TAKE IT PERSONAL
FORMER CAST MEMBER