Cutting back on Specials?

[CanadianGuy]

Did you really just insinuate that if someone can't go to Disney without a good discount then they shouldn't be going at all? Because that's what it sounds like. We are fortunate to be very financially stable, and that is partly due to the fact of being cautious and conservative with our money. Free Dining saves our family about $1,200.00 on a 8 night trip.

We go to Disney a lot and I'm perfectly aware, as are most of the other Disers that take advantage of the free dining discount, that you are paying rack rate for your room. If you read my post previous to this one, you will see that Free Dining saves us double the amount of a room discount - $600.00 more. Free Dining is not the best discount for everyone, but just like every other thing Disney on this boards, that's just something you have to reseach for yourself. Insisting that most people aren't really getting a good discount with Free Dining is ridiculous.

40% Room Discount saves us $650.00

4/3 Deal saves us $780

Free Dining Discount saves us $1,200.00

Your post is borderline insulting.

Before this blows up.. she was talking about a specific thread where a poster was convinced they were getting FD & 30 % off the room rate (they were not) and when they realized they couldn't have both.. they said that wasn't fair cause they couldn't afford to go.

It was at that point that some very conservative posters pointed out maybe the original poster couldn't afford to go at all. And then it just went DOWNHILL FAST FROM THERE. Then some got all kinds of insulted and other folks had a different take.

It was a very particular situation.... please don't make that out to be the point of this thread. I beg of you.

I got enough work to do now!

Knox

PS> It is an understatement to say that we all have different thresholds for deciding what 'we' can afford and not afford and whatever works for one family or group may not be the best datapoints to decide 'affordability' for another. Let's leave it at that. If we don't, this thread will end up closed just like that one.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Before this blows up.. she was talking about a specific thread where a poster was convinced they were getting FD & 30 % off the room rate (they were not) and when they realized they couldn't have both.. they said that wasn't fair cause they couldn't afford to go.

It was a very particular situation.... please don't make it out to be something else. I beg of you.

I got enough work to do now!

Knox

Sorry, didn't mean to BLOW UP!

But, the free dining bashing does tends to get me a little heated!

 

[CanadianGuy]

Sorry, didn't mean to BLOW UP!

But, the free dining bashing does tends to get me a little heated!

Ah but think of it.. We cranky types can complain all we want.. F/D is still likely to be offered. So go - partake - enjoy!

As I noted in another thread, I can never EVER go to Disney in the Aug/Sept/Oct timeframe because of work obligations..

So, I don't really have a dog in this fight.

 

[RachaelRol]

Knox,

You crack me up. Just wanted to let you know I think you are a terrific moderator. you tend to get right and are able to diffuse the angriest of disers.

Rachael

 

[Port Orleans fan]

Free Dining Discount saves us $1,200.00

This is so true, and then some. We had free dining last year and loved it.

We held on to all of our restaurant receipts and added them up at the end of the trip. Our family of 5 food bill was almost equal to the amount we paid to stay at POR for 7 nights/8days.

This is one of the main reasons why we are returning again this year. Our plane tickets are purchased and the time off work has been pencilled in, but we are waiting for the free dining to be announced before we book at POR again.


Free dining is the best way to go!

 

[PrincessTiffany]

This is so true, and then some. We had free dining last year and loved it.

We held on to all of our restaurant receipts and added them up at the end of the trip. Our family of 5 food bill was almost equal to the amount we paid to stay at POR for 7 nights/8days.

This is one of the main reasons why we are returning again this year. Our plane tickets are purchased and the time off work has been pencilled in, but we are waiting for the free dining to be announced before we book at POR again.


Free dining is the best way to go!

$1,200.00 is just the cost of the dining plan.

We actually ate about $1,500.00 worth of food, maybe more - All for free!

 

[focusondisney]

I am also one of those people that will be thrilled to see free dining go away - except for the usual August/September time frame. It makes it very difficult to get adr's, it forces you to make adr's, and I have seen the food quality dip a bit, in order to appeal more to the masses of people that are now using TS. Just my thoughts....

AND I completely agree with you. I know it's not a popular opinion.. but I too wish FREE DINING wasn't one of the offers.

I know. I'm a bad person for even thinking that.

Just want to say I'm another person who would like a year without free dining. I agree with Missytara about the quality of the menus & adr's during free dining. I know this has all been discussed repeatedly & I'm really not trying to start an uproar.

But other promotions Disney offers don't affect other paying customers the same way free dining does. Example : Despite many people saying otherwise, I have seen many restaurants drop certain entrees during free dining. Even if I'm paying OOP, I still can't order a fillet at Brown Derby, for example. But the fillet is back on the menu after free dining ends. Thus free dining has negatively affected my vacation. ( yes I know I 'm not guaranteed a specific entree will be on the menu, this is just an example! )

Now if someone is booked with a % off or kids free promo, that doesn't have any effect on someone else's vacation, as far as I can tell. Free dining has been offered for what, about 5 years now? I'd like to see it go away for a bit & see what else they can offer. And to those for whom it is a better discount, sorry but JMHO.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Now if someone is booked with a % off or kids free promo, that doesn't have any effect on someone else's vacation, as far as I can tell. Free dining has been offered for what, about 5 years now? I'd like to see it go away for a bit & see what else they can offer. And to those for whom it is a better discount, sorry but JMHO.

You're bringing kids to MY resort at WDW?!!? Ewwww.

My vacation is ruined. (big laugh here)

Kidding of course.

 

[Don Disney]

Free Dining makes it possible for us to visit Disney each year. There is not better discount for our family.

40% Room Discount saves us $650.00

4/3 Deal saves us $780

Free Dining Discount saves us $1,200.00

Us too!!!!

 

[Port Orleans fan]

$1,200.00 is just the cost of the dining plan.

We actually ate about $1,500.00 worth of food, maybe more - All for free!

I just notice that your ticker says you leave in 1 day. Enjoy and have fun.

 

[brighteyes]

I have always missed free dining by a day or two. That said I still go without free dining.

However, after two trips of paying for the reg dining. I have decided I will only do QSD or FREE DINING (reg plan). This is because my 14 yo DS eats like a bird. Whenever I have paid for the DP I have just barely broke even because as an adult, he usually chooses to eat from the kids menu. So I have been peeved that he does not eat his share. lol

Now that I am considering not doing the DP so we can be reservation free except for maybe a character breakfast, my DS tells me he likes going to the restaurants.

So the FD would not benefit me in a cash way except that I would not have a care in the world because I would not be paying adult prices for him to eat off the child's menu. That would make me do a lil of this and maybe a lil of this

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I just notice that your ticker says you leave in 1 day. Enjoy and have fun.

Thanks! I'm packing right now! Well, in between ranting free dining post, that is! lol!

 

[aubriee]

Just want to say I'm another person who would like a year without free dining. I agree with Missytara about the quality of the menus & adr's during free dining. I know this has all been discussed repeatedly & I'm really not trying to start an uproar.

But other promotions Disney offers don't affect other paying customers the same way free dining does. Example : Despite many people saying otherwise, I have seen many restaurants drop certain entrees during free dining. Even if I'm paying OOP, I still can't order a fillet at Brown Derby, for example. But the fillet is back on the menu after free dining ends. Thus free dining has negatively affected my vacation. ( yes I know I 'm not guaranteed a specific entree will be on the menu, this is just an example! )

I'd like to see it go away for a bit & see what else they can offer. And to those for whom it is a better discount, sorry but JMHO.

Even though I currently have a bounce back ressie for free dining the last week of Sept/first week of Oct, I agree. I usually go to WDW every Sept/Oct, Dec, and May. The main draw for Sept/Oct has always been the very low crowd levels. However, ever since free dining started the crowd levels have gone up some every year and last year crowds went up drastically. It was just as crowded (if not more so) during my Sept/Oct trip as it was during my May trip. Back four or five years ago rides were a walk on in Sept. That is no longer true, thanks to free dining. I'm another like Tara and Focusondisney that would like to see them do away with free dining. I was also there last Dec during the free dining time. I couldn't believe how much more crowded the parks were than they were the exact same week the Dec before, when free dining was not offered to the general public. The parks are now more crowded, the menus are dumbed down, and ADRs are harder to get. I travel solo frequently (or maybe with just another adult). I can get better discounts with my AP, so couldn't really care less about free dining. In fact, I'll probably be canceling my current free dining ressie to go with a discount that works better for me. However, I'll still be stuck trying to make ADRS and fighting the crowds with the people who choose to go with free dining. I know last fall, waiters just assumed everyone was on free dining. Not so, I paid for my DxDDP. When someone comes on here and complains about the food not being as good during free dining as it normally is, I usually disagree with them. However, this last fall I noticed it too. Menus were dumbed down, service was not as good as usual, TS restaurants were packed, and the food just wasn't as good as it normally is.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

We have gone to WDW many times during free dining. This last trip in 9/2009I noticed a big change in the food being offered - especially at CSR. As much as I have loved FD in the past, I'm hoping for a room discount or better yet the gift card promotion that's running now in December.