Can DVC members get Free Dining?

[mkpat]

Before we bought into DVC and we were booking regular, we could call reservations and ask if our ressie had any discounts associated with it. A friend of mine, who does not own and still books the old way got free dining for her stay by calling. Do DVC members have those same "perks" as well? Has anyone tried this?


If there is a thread about this topic that already exists, can one of the mods point me in the right direction and delete this?

 

[CarolA]

Yes, you can get free dining.

Call CRO book a room with the free dining package.

Is DVC going to give you free dining? No, they don't PAY us to come visit. Think about it, you aren't paying them for a room why would they give you free food?

If getting the "discout du jour" is a biggie then DVC is not really the way to go.

 

[stopher1]

Exactly. The "free" dining promo is never really free, since to book it you have to pay rack rate. With DVC our accomodations are pre-paid at the beginning. Free Dining is really only a way to get heads in the beds, a marketing strategy, and at the same time make the turnstiles click at the parks and sell souvenirs and hopefully other stuff while on property. A similar yet totally different strategy works for DVC called the points system... we have our points and we either use them ourselves, rent them out or lose them - and of course since DVC'ers aren't putting out cash to stay each time, they give some discount perks to hopefully get us to put out some additional cash while staying on property from us like the AP discount or some of the others.

The real incentive for DVC is knowing you've paid those accomodations at the then-current rate when you bought in and holding it for the life of your contract. Anything extra in the way of perks is just gravy.

 

[Minnie824]

Yes, you can get free dining.

Call CRO book a room with the free dining package.

Is DVC going to give you free dining? No, they don't PAY us to come visit. Think about it, you aren't paying them for a room why would they give you free food?

If getting the "discout du jour" is a biggie then DVC is not really the way to go.

How exactly does this work? So, say we're going for a week at DVC...would you book a week at pop with free dining, pay for the room, but stay at the DVC resort? This always confused me.

 

[crisi]

People do that. They also book a room at pop and take an additional trip - or rent their points for a non-free dining time of year to someone. Most DVC members just don't take advantage of CRO discounts. In a down economy, when the discounts are plenty like they are right now, this is a disadvantage to DVC, but two years ago when discounts were rarer and promotions like free dining only occurred during times of year when travel was impossible for a lot of us, DVCs relatively affordable cost provides an advantage.

 

[CarolMN]

How exactly does this work? So, say we're going for a week at DVC...would you book a week at pop with free dining, pay for the room, but stay at the DVC resort? This always confused me.

Some people do that, but I think it saves money in only a few, select circumstances.

I think CarolA just meant that free dining is not available to anyone who pays for their room with points. You can get it just like anyone else if you call CRO and pay cash for your stay.

Free dining is just another way that Disney has of discounting a vacation adn enticing people to visit. The "free dining" offer has been successfully filling up on site resorts during some traditionally very slow times. If you do the math, overall, it's probably not a better discount than some of the other discounts offered in the past, just another way of packaging it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The first time they offered the buy four get three free several years ago, we had just come back from a DVC stay and decided to go back for our son's birthday the next month. So we booked GF Sugarloaf for a week and had a great time. But it was an all cash deal.

 

[TDC Nala]

Disney does not need to offer DVC members specials like free dining to entice them to book.

There are several downsides to booking DVC plus a value reservation just to get the free dining. 1) The reservation is a package and you have to keep an eye on your dates for payment. You would never have to do that with a DVC reservation. 2) In most cases, purchasing the dining plan with a DVC reservation would cost pretty much the same outlay of cash as booking a value reservation plus free dining. So in essence if you were booking a DVC reservation IN ADDITION TO the value reservation (which would be used only for the dining), you're spending more money than you would have just buying the dining plan with your DVC reservation - or at least breaking even, but you have to pay attention to the payment rules for the package reservation. AND, you're taking up a value resort room that somebody else might have liked to book for free dining.

 

[mkpat]

Yes, you can get free dining.

Call CRO book a room with the free dining package.

Is DVC going to give you free dining? No, they don't PAY us to come visit. Think about it, you aren't paying them for a room why would they give you free food?

If getting the "discout du jour" is a biggie then DVC is not really the way to go.

Huh? In one sentence you say yes, and in another you say no. I have paid for a room, that is what I thought that initial cost for the DVC was for. I was just curious anyways, I didn't know I was going to get flamed for asking a simple question.

 

[mkpat]

Disney does not need to offer DVC members specials like free dining to entice them to book.

There are several downsides to booking DVC plus a value reservation just to get the free dining. 1) The reservation is a package and you have to keep an eye on your dates for payment. You would never have to do that with a DVC reservation. 2) In most cases, purchasing the dining plan with a DVC reservation would cost pretty much the same outlay of cash as booking a value reservation plus free dining. So in essence if you were booking a DVC reservation IN ADDITION TO the value reservation (which would be used only for the dining), you're spending more money than you would have just buying the dining plan with your DVC reservation - or at least breaking even, but you have to pay attention to the payment rules for the package reservation. AND, you're taking up a value resort room that somebody else might have liked to book for free dining.

Who would want to do that? Isn't that like paying twice for a reservation?

 

[DebbieB]

Who would want to do that? Isn't that like paying twice for a reservation?

There have been reports that some people have done it. If you have 2 adults and 2 children over 10, the dining plan would cost around $160 a night. The room at a value with free dining is less than that, probably around $100 (plus a ticket purchase). If you are going for several nights and have to buy tickets anyway, it could be worth it. I'd be worried about housekeeping come in during the day and reporting it as unoccupied. They may also say something if they see the "do not disturb" for several days.

 

[MagicalPins]

Huh? In one sentence you say yes, and in another you say no. I have paid for a room, that is what I thought that initial cost for the DVC was for. I was just curious anyways, I didn't know I was going to get flamed for asking a simple question.

The Free dining promotion is for booking a room at regular rack rates. Anyone can book a room with that offer and promotion, it does not matter if they are a DVC member or not, just as long as they are willing to pay full price at the rack rates per night.

What you paid for with DVC is points and you can use them anyway Disney will allow you. For DVC stays, you are exchanging the points you bought for the room, you are not paying cash for the room so no free dining. But you are more than welcome to pay cash for a reservation and get any promotions that are offered.

 

[cocoaguy]

??????

 

[DebbieB]

Huh? In one sentence you say yes, and in another you say no. I have paid for a room, that is what I thought that initial cost for the DVC was for. I was just curious anyways, I didn't know I was going to get flamed for asking a simple question.

You're not being flamed, it's just that this question is probably asked once a week on this board. Then some people feel members are neglected because DVC members are not offered these special deals (because we are not paying full price for the room) and it turns into a sore subject..........

 

[dgaston]

When this question is asked, I often post about the December Visa free Dining trip I took with my DS20, and DD25. We stayed at AllStar Sports, bought 1 day tickets I intend to apply to our next AP purchase. I bought my DD's ticket trough undercover tourist, DS and I used the last week on our APs. We ate at great places -- LeCellier for CP, Boma, Crystal Palace, Grand Floridian Cafe, and Mama Melrose.

This was an EXTRA trip -- no points to spend on it. For us it was wonderful. We went to MVMCP, the CP, and played mini-golf.

Whenever I called CRO to make arrangements, CMs commented on the great deal I was getting for the $82 rack rate. We used ME, had our Owners Locker delivered and missed the free laundry at DVC.

Would I do it again? Absolutely, even though it did cost me money for accomodations.

So you can take advantage of CRO deals even though you're a DVC member.

 

[CarolA]

Whenever I called CRO to make arrangements, CMs commented on the great deal I was getting for the $82 rack rate. We used ME, had our Owners Locker delivered and missed the free laundry at DVC.

Would I do it again? Absolutely, even though it did cost me money for accomodations.

So you can take advantage of CRO deals even though you're a DVC member.

Well, your great deal on rack is now more like $120 or so. Seriously the increase in rack it was no longer makes these deals "good" IMHO. Disney has marked hotels up so they can give a deal. If your local store took a $100 item, marked it up to $200 and then had a 50% off sale you would be MAD. At Disney it's a "Deal"