Cancelling Dining Plan - In Protest

[tiki23]

I'm the OP. This isn't about whether I can afford a vacation or not, or that I feel entitled to a discount, it's about the fact that I'm tired of the frustration and confusion of trying to get a good price on my vacation.

For me and my family, this is enough of an issue that we are going to change the way we "do" Disney. If it's not an issue for you, great!

 

[tiki23]

So if you want to take a vacation above your means its Disney fault if you cant afford it?

No need to be rude.

 

[mama2ella]

I agree with OP. It is also knowing that someone else is taking the exact same trip at the exact same time and paying less simply b/c the Disney "gods" decided to send them a PIN.

 

[Missytara]

That is really the best way to handle it. Many businesses give out discounts to a select group of people at random times of the year. Not just Disney. There is no figuring it out ahead of time, you will only make yourself crazy.

As far as a trip to WDW goes it is less stressful to book the trip you can afford without discounts, and if one happens to come along, upgrade if you can. They stated a while back that discounts would be few and far between, so you simply can't bank one getting one.

Ditto. Book what you can afford and then a discount is icing on the cake.

Quite frankly, I didn't even know discounts existed a few years ago when I joined the disboards.

 

[SteelerCountry]

vacations are not a necessity...I don't get the haters either..........it's a luxury in life to get to go on vacation...............you go where you can comfortly afford to go, being angry on disboards about a company "not giving you a good enough discount" is ridiculous. If you can afford it, then go, if you get a discount, BONUS!!!!!!!!! If you are relying on a discount to go, you will drive yourself nuts and unfortunately you gotta "play the pin game" if you want the pin...............Some people get a pin, some don't, that is life.............
Disney's rhyme or reason is unknown. If I want filet mignon and it's just too expensive, I wait until it's on sale and go for it then!! I wait for the sale, I don't complain to the grocery store and protest because it's not the price I want it to be at the time I need it.................

 

[SteelerCountry]

oh brother, now it's getting ridiculous
it's marketing people..........there are not people sitting in a room plotting against certain people choosing not to give them a discount.............if you don't like the way the pin game works, DON'T GO!!!

 

[Havana]

I used to always be on the lookout for the next discount and if I had a pin attached to my name. It was frustrating. We have purchased DVC in the past few years and that sure does take that stress and pressure off of hoping to get a pin/discountl! I hope you can still enjoy your trip

 

[PolyAddict]

I believe the only year we didn't get ANY discount was 2008, it was the year we discovered the Swan and LOVED it! We do not like staying offsite, so we liked having that option.

We have NEVER purchased the dining plan because i find we can eat cheaper our way. We share some meals and don't always eat dessert. Also, we usually eat a granola bar for breakfast and make coffee in the room.

That said, we had the free dining booked for last year the last week of May/first week of June. we had to cancel due to we were still playing catchup after my DH was let go from his job in November 2010 and didn't find another until January 2011.

I for one am happy with what we have booked for this year, Coronado Springs with the 20-25% discount. It will be the 3rd mod we try. I am hoping we love it, as so far CBR is our favorite. i could switch to the Swan for approx $400 more but i'll probably save that for food.

If the free QS comes out, i will take it and upgrade it. i have made 7 ADR's just in case. If not, we will cancel some of them and keep our favorites. no biggie, we will still be happy to be there after missing out last year.

So, i have learned to book what we can afford and hope for the best. we are POLY lovers at heart but i just can't stomach paying $2000 more for our resort anymore, even if we can afford it. The years we fell in love were buy 4 get 3 free years.

Good Luck to everyone.

 

[DisneyDiana]

Hi Polyaddict,

I love CSR!!! We also love POLY but I don't love it enough to pay the high prices any more. If CSR was on the monorail I'd prefer it to POLY any day. We love Pepper Market and the Dig Site. I think you will love CSR. I had a hard time deciding between CSR and AKL for our 2013 trip. We're going with AKL because we have never stayed there before but I will be sure to stop by CSR to visit.

 

[PolyAddict]

Hi Polyaddict,

I love CSR!!! We also love POLY but I don't love it enough to pay the high prices any more. If CSR was on the monorail I'd prefer it to POLY any day. We love Pepper Market and the Dig Site. I think you will love CSR. I had a hard time deciding between CSR and AKL for our 2013 trip. We're going with AKL because we have never stayed there before but I will be sure to stop by CSR to visit.

Hi-

We loved AKL in 2007, thought about the extra $1000 to upgrade this trip but still come back to CSR. One thing we have learned about the mods is we don't spend as much time at the resort, so it's not even important to be close to the pool/food court. i am hoping we change our minds about that at CSR. Have fun at AKL!

 

[CanadianGuy]

I've cleaned this thread up.. argumentative and off-topic posts have been removed.

I think what everyone has issues with ... is the CSR roulette game that can garner a PIN discount whether or not a given person has actually received that offer via their account.

While others can call and call and call and get nothing but no's and rude CM's on the phone annoyed with all the people calling repeatedly. Why do folks do that? Because Disney has taught us that if we do.. occasionally we get rewarded.. just like a slot machine ... or roulette.

Disney can develop a better system. They can and they should.

This one clearly engenders bad feelings and ill-will among their customers ... who can and do communicate this through this and many other message boards on the internet.

If the customer's couldn't communicate on a grand scale, something like this PIN system would work fine. But they can and it doesn't.

Knox

 

[TACK]

Like so many others, I have been trying to get the FD pin for May. So far nothing and I am not expecting anything, but I still will be calling. I have a room discount and already know that I can easily eat for less outside of the parks. However, I do like the dining plan and my family likes it even better when I am not nattering at them to keep the choices to my budgetted amount. I don't understand the random pin system. Doesn't seem fair. But if I got one, I would be very happy so it is a catch-22.

 

[tiki23]

Thanks, Knox.

My whole point wasn't that I couldn't afford to go to Disney, or wasn't ever going to go again but that I just was not going to play roulette with a dining discount anymore.

We're going, we'll have fun, we're just not going to do the dining plan this trip because it is not a good value.

 

[sharadoc]

We got multiple pins in 2009 that covered ALL of 2010. We booked two trips and added a third all in one year. Then never got another one.

The GP or AP discounts have been fine until they reduced the percentages and waited to release AP discounts.

The result for us - one trip in 2011, let our APs expire without renewing and not sure when the next trip will be. I don't think Disney cares - they can get top dollar from new visitors. Those of us who know what could be, want to pay as little as possible and visit frequently probably net spend less money. They'd rather have the unsuspecting visitor who pays rack rate, buys the dining plan and spends hundreds on souvenirs and snacks. You know - the people who spend $10,000 on a week's vacation for 4 at a moderate resort in peak time. We all work so hard to get the best price and spend as little as possible so why should Disney care? Bottom line - they don't.

I don't hold it against them, I just adjust my vacation plans accordingly. They MUST make money. They have shareholders who expect it and are not there for the "good" of the visitors. And many of us are Disney shareholders through a retirement or savings plan anyway, so we'll suffer either way. Lower profits/cheaper vacations mean lower returns in my retirement plan or higher profits mean I pay more for my vacation.

We've decided Disney has priced us out of deluxe for now. We loved our OKW and BWV vacations, but we think we're Fort Wilderness cabins and All-Star Family Suite for the foreseeable future. We won't stop going, we'll just cut back. We drank the kool-aid YEARS ago LOL

 

[Eastern]

Disney can develop a better system. They can and they should.

This one clearly engenders bad feelings and ill-will among their customers ... who can and do communicate this through this and many other message boards on the internet.

If the customer's couldn't communicate on a grand scale, something like this PIN system would work fine. But they can and it doesn't.

Knox

Excellent point.

 

[Eliza32]

it's quite simple really....if we can't afford it without a discount, we don't go. If we pay the full rate then get offered a discount or FD after we book, then it's a bonus.

We don't expect anything from Disney other than having a magical time once we get there!!!!

 

[Eastern]

it's quite simple really....if we can't afford it without a discount, we don't go. If we pay the full rate then get offered a discount or FD after we book, then it's a bonus.

We don't expect anything from Disney other than having a magical time once we get there!!!!

To me, the PIN system makes me feel like I am one of many loyal shoppers at a certain store, but some of the shoppers get discounts and incentives, some repeatedly, while I get nothing. I have never gotten a PIN. It doesn't inspire any goodwill here.

 

[DisDayz]

While I get where you're coming from and agree that a better system could be implemented, my thought is that a vast majority of Disney visitors have no clue what a Pin Code is our that multiple Pin Codes are floating around. I would dare say that most people, even most travel agents, book at rack rate while a small portion book using general codes as they are made aware of them. When these people get an e-mail or post card with a special rate they decide if they can use it and if so, great; if not, too bad.

The fact is we fanatics that watch for codes religiously are in a great minority. Disney averages something like 16M visitors annually. How many of those 16M do you think are even aware that Pin Codes exist, let alone are upset over the ones they are or aren't receiving?

 

[Eastern]

I would dare say that most people, even most travel agents, book at rack rate while a small portion book using general codes as they are made aware of them. When these people get an e-mail or post card with a special rate they decide if they can use it and if so, great; if not, too bad.

People aren't booking rack rate for Easter; lots of rooms still open, 6 weeks before.

 

[loganpaulsmom]

I am going to throw my 2 cents into this ring ..
I have said this before and I will say it again.. Disney doesn't care about us.. U know the ones that continue to go back year after year cause we are already addicted.. They want new blood. They want the non-disers who have no idea what a pin code or fd is.. I think Disney will continue to offer discounts, but as long as they are fillings rooms and parks without them then I believe the discounts will become less and less..
I have been going since I was 7 but it wasn't until I had my son in 2006 and subsequently booked my trip in 2008 that I became aware of Disney boards/ discounts.. I was receiving pins every 3 months or so.. But haven't received 1 in about 8 months..
I booked my April trip without a discount but was lucky enough to get the public one and apply it to my ressies..
I will redially admit this.. We go on vacation not because we can afford it, but because life is too short and we choose to spend our money on a week of Disney as opposed to spending it on upgrading something in our house etc.. We are probably in the minority but cancer at 38 puts things into perspective for you.