Disgusted with Disney marketing and pin codes!!!

[cobbler]

I have been to Disney numerous times.

That could be why too. They don't need to entice you back. They are trying to hit a new market that isn't coming. Yes there is the whole catch-22 of keeping your regulars happy and all that so its kind of a double edged sword.

Also tourism is up and the exchange rate for US currency is really good now. (Good for them, not so much for us).

I know it is frustrating. I would like an AP rate but I do have an AAA rate. This is better than rack rate and I will still have a good time.

 

[LglBlonde]

I received a rate of 124.00 a night (tax not included) for a standard room at AKL. I could of booked the Coronado or a value resort, but chose to go with the AKL.

What are your dates of travel? That's excellant! Amazing. I thought the only "pin" deal right now was the dining plan.

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2 cents: Travel is up, less public codes are necessary. My DH and I have only been to Disney once - last May, first trip. Since that trip, I've gotten at least FIVE email or postcard offers. I think it's because we are "newbies" still. They are trying to entice us to come back. We'd booked WL (rate of about $124/nt) for later this month on an email I'd gotten last winter, but had to cancel. Then, we were planning a new vacation for August, and got a the free Dining Add-On offer via email, and booked it. Clearly, this is a deal that is tempting people to try out that feature, thinking when we come back later, we'll pay full price for it. My thing is, I'd be unlikely to pay full price for the room, tickets and dining plan if I could get a decent Room Only discount.

 

[Dalton5]

I don't understand why Disney only gives select groups of people discount offers. I understand that this is somehow done randomly but it seems alot of people receive these offers multiple times and other people like myself never. I have been to Disney numerous times. I called about the Fall offer and was told there was no pin next to my name. So I guess I should just pay an extra $80 a day for my family to eat at Disney. I probably won't even go this year just in protest. In fact I am a little pixxed at Disney right now and their stupid pin codes. Okay, just had to get that off my chest. If tourism is down, why not offer it to the public like they did with the 7 for 4 offer?

Not really disgusted, more like disappointed...We booked our Sept. stay at the CR almost 9 months ago..We are driving from Ohio to save the airfare cost (so we can enjoy the deluxe)..The dining offer would have been wonderful we are a family of 5. This is only our second visit, the first was in 1999 (the kids were only 9/5/5 and really don't remember much) we figured this was the ideal return time.
I wonder if we did ourselves in by having booked early..Why does Disney need to coerce us to come on down..we already are.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I know exactly how you feel. I got an e-mail from your Disney Travel Planner in my bulk folder. Most of it was garbled but some of the words were there. I KNOW I read these rates are valid for travel from 4/17 - 8/27. I called CRO and they said without the pin they could not give me the rate. I totally feel ripped off. I was told my another CM that the meal plan is available to me but we are traveling 7/12 - 7/21, the meal plan offer is not valid until 8/21. I am so frustrated with this whole situation that I feel like cancelling the whole trip. The magic is certainly being lost when they keep things so secretive yet I know that SOMETHING is available to me through a code.

I know when I recieved a postcard--the pin was attached to my name--so even if I did not have it....it was there. The mailings just let you know that a pin exists. However--I equate the pin codes like winning the lottery. It is the lucky ones--and more often than not, I think it is hugely successful for Disney. I have no reason to believe that even when you vacation "on sale"--that Disney isn't making at least a little bit of profit to at least cover operating costs.

I too am frustrated by all of this--but due to my residency don't feel I have the right to complain. Very interesting though---I think anybody is entitled to complain about anything. Take grocery shopping--there are people who's shopping lists follow what is on sale and/or whether or not they have a coupon. That's how they save money and they enjoy the thrill of the hunt. I don't like putting up with that---so if something is on sale then yeah for me. If it isn't, I'm not likely to change my habits. That is how Disney is for some people. If they save a few bucks--GREAT....if not, no biggie--they are still going.

That being said--I LOVE living in Florida. BUT, I will never benefit from the MYW plan as it is more economical for a Florida Resident to invest in a seasonal or annual pass. It is once in a blue moon that I do have to pay rack rate--but on that token...just like everyone else...Disney doesn't volunteer the information that special rates and codes are available--one must ask for them. The biggest JOKE of a marketing venture--was when they took the Play4 days pass--and it went from being $99 to $109 to $119--then they switched it to a Play 3--buy 2 days get 1 free...and it costs MORE than what the Play 4 days pass last cost. But you are getting one day free--YEAH RIGHT! No thank you!

A tidbit of info:
A CM told me once that Disney doesn't pay for it's soda for example. It is a pure profit barter that in exchange for the promotion of Coca Cola--Disney doens't pay a dime. Not sure if that is true or not---but the point is....that Disney is still making money on the refillable mugs. That one little tidbit of knowledge---gives me no cause for concern that Disney is even close to operating in the red when it offers special deals.

 

[MEK]

I see that some people are upset about not receiving a pin code. I can tell you for a fact that I never get anything, so when I got the code from Disney I could not believe it was really such a great deal. When I called and found out it was free dining, I almost fell out. Honestly, I would never have even seen the code or called about it if I hadn't seen these posts. I am really grateful for everyone who contributes here, because thanks to you I got a great deal!!!!! I am a big skeptic who believes "if it seems like its too good to be true, it probably is". I don't know how I lucked out, but thanks to you all I did

Signed, Crazy from driving in too much traffic!

 

[java]

This reminds me of the time we went to the BC and got a GREAT deal on the room(water view to boot) As we were checking in the guy checking in next to me was looking right at my bill which bugged me(thinking he could be stealing personal info) but no he was looking at my rate. Then proceeded to comnplain as to why his room was costing 3 times as much as mine. The CM smiiled at him and said "we love her more"
He did not find this funny.

 

[bicker]

I don't understand why Disney only gives select groups of people discount offers.

Targeting discounts to specific groups of people is a keystone of world-class product and service marketing. The objective of discounts is to get people to purchase who would not have made the purchase otherwise.

If tourism is down, why not offer it to the public like they did with the 7 for 4 offer?

Tourism is up.

 

[tlbwriter]

This reminds me of the time we went to the BC and got a GREAT deal on the room(water view to boot) As we were checking in the guy checking in next to me was looking right at my bill which bugged me(thinking he could be stealing personal info) but no he was looking at my rate. Then proceeded to comnplain as to why his room was costing 3 times as much as mine. The CM smiiled at him and said "we love her more"
He did not find this funny.

I find it *very* funny! That was rude of him, so he deserved it.

 

[ANTSS2001]

we have been going to DIsney since '82 and I never heard my father saying we got a pin or maybe he just didn not discuss finances with the kids... the 1st time i saw a discount offer was when I open my Disney Charge and everytime I get my bill there would be added flyers for discount but never with the email but recently after we got back from our trip this past April. Also when I joined the Visa bank 1 I would occasionally get flyers for Vero beach and WDW discount promo prices.... but we still go... we work.. we save.. we go...

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

OT ANTSS2001--but what happend on the March 2003 trip that deserved 4 of these: ? Looks like all your other trips were satisfactory.

 

[OhMari]

we have been going to DIsney since '82 and I never heard my father saying we got a pin or maybe he just didn not discuss finances with the kids... the 1st time i saw a discount offer was when I open my Disney Charge and everytime I get my bill there would be added flyers for discount but never with the email but recently after we got back from our trip this past April. Also when I joined the Visa bank 1 I would occasionally get flyers for Vero beach and WDW discount promo prices.... but we still go... we work.. we save.. we go...

How many Disney charge cards are there. Last month I received the VISA one with free financing for 1 year.

Today I receieved a Chase Manhattan Card for Disney with only 6 months of 0%. So which one is the legit one.

 

[bicker]

we have been going to DIsney since '82 and I never heard my father saying we got a pin

The PIN code protected discounts are relatively new -- a reflection of the growth of the Internet. Previously, companies would be able to target discounts very effectively by using either local media or direct mail. The growth of the Internet resulted in recipients publishing this information that the company had intended to remain unpublished. It took a while for some companies to detect the failure of their targeted marketing efforts, determine the source of the failure, and then come up with an effective strategy to for successfully targeting discounts in the Information Age. Disney, for some reason, took longer to do this that most other major companies -- a rare case where they were not on the leading edge of world-class management. Regardless, they eventually got back on track, but again, that was relatively recently, about six or seven years ago, I think.

 

[threeboysmom]

Hi all! I am fascinated with all the posts about pin codes, emails, direct mail, etc. I have never received anything from Disney regarding any sort of discount. Someone mentioned Disney using her maiden name which was only available on the Verizon phone listing. Makes me wonder if that's why I've never received anything - I have an unlisted phone number....... Anybody with an unlisted number received any sort of discount code from Disney? Just a thought.... We all are grasping at straws trying to figure out the "strategy" that WDW offers....

I'm curious about the PIN codes. Are these different that ones sent via email or mail? Is the only way to find out if you have one is to call CRO? Am I understanding this correctly? If that's so, then we would need to be calling every day to check??? Someone said they called 4 days in a row and the 4th time they called, they had one attached to their name? What if they didn't call that day - would they have missed the discount because they didn't call?

Sorry for all the questions. Just trying to understand it all.......

 

[UrsulasMyHero]

I have to sit here and laugh, the person speculating that she got a Pin because she bugged CRO.. sorry hon, that's not what happened. CRO has NO controll over what is issued, they just take your call, and book the reservation.

It's all about targeted marketing. With tourisim on the rise, and disney being back in the drivers seat of Central Florida they're finding that the rooms are booking WITHOUT the discounts.

It honestly irks me at the sense of entitlement some people have. Wether it be a discount at Disney or AARP, people think that they are entitled to money off, why? It's a business just like any other... the bottom line is $$$$, pure and simple. If business is good, don't expect the same amount of discounts.

 

[MKLvr]

I have to sit here and laugh, the person speculating that she got a Pin because she bugged CRO.. sorry hon, that's not what happened. CRO has NO controll over what is issued, they just take your call, and book the reservation.

It's all about targeted marketing. With tourisim on the rise, and disney being back in the drivers seat of Central Florida they're finding that the rooms are booking WITHOUT the discounts.

It honestly irks me at the sense of entitlement some people have. Wether it be a discount at Disney or AARP, people think that they are entitled to money off, why? It's a business just like any other... the bottom line is $$$$, pure and simple. If business is good, don't expect the same amount of discounts.

DITTO!!!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: I still would love to see a general discount now and then LOL

 

[bunny]

I don't know why people have to be rude on these boards. I see this all too often. If you don't agree with the posts, just move on. BTW, I don't have a sense of entitlement. But I do own a small business and believe me I give my better customers discounts. Disney isn't the only game in town. Frankly I think what they charge for their resorts is too much. I know it is due to the location but the value resorts are tiny for the money. I love Disney but I find it hard justifying the price of a vacation there. My husband and I talked and decided since there are no discounts we will vacation somewhere else (and buy a cedar play center for our kids, and a new shed, and a new washer and dryer, and donate to our church) all for the same price we paid Disney last year!

 

[UrsulasMyHero]

So in essence, what you are saying is that any opinion that dosen't dovetail with yours is unwelcome? I'm sorry sweet, but I am entitled to my opinion. I am allowed to post it if I disagree with yours.

If you felt it was rude, I felt the opening post was rude... no one "Deserves" a discount. If you get one you're lucky, but don't cry Foul if you don't get one. If you think Disney isn't worth Rack Rate, then don't vacation there. As you said in your post you can't justify it, and are doing something different next year. I applaude your choice.

As an entrepreneur, a small business owner, you know that it pays to award loyalty. Again, another smart business decision, but you don't HAVE to do it. It's a decision you've made because it makes financial sense to do it. Your Customers appreciate it, but it eats at your profit line, you can't Just give away the store.

I'm truly sorry that our opinions clash, but they are that, Opinions, and I'm voicing mine.