Disney cutting back discounts in 2010.

[of the seas]

I think they are scaling back discounts now because they are building on to Fantasyland and wont need as many discounts for people to come when it opens. If they do it now, everyone will be getting used to not as many by its opening and won't be complaining as much.

 

[blanq]

Disney has historically offered discounts, and I do not see that changing. What has been different in the last year or so has been the when the release of discounts occurs. WDW has definately been issuing offers further in advance than they previously have. In the midst of these discounts, WDW has done a marvelous job of raising the prices of other things, such as parking, tickets and food. BTW, I also am not a fan of free dining, just because of the madness it causes with ADRs.

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

we enjoy the free dining plan. made our planning easier and affordable for our family to stay over a week at Disney. I HOPE they keep it because we are planning a trip next year.

 

[GeorgeG]

Free dining has probably hurt business a lot. People who would normally frequent the better restaurants (and spend money) can't get seated and I've seen some of my favorite meals cut fromm the menus. Frustrated people are more likely to give up and not go as often. The result is to raise prices that regular guests pay to help underwrite the free dining plans. Trust me... Disney is not going to offer free anything! Somebody will pay.

 

[klacey1]

I LOVED free dining and the plan in general. I honestly love planning my meals months in advance-- what can I say, I really love planning everything in advance. I agree, though, Disney always has SOME sort of discount. Maybe they just won't offer room % discounts or free dining for as long. I was honestly shocked when free dining lasted into the fall.

 

[java]

Well I think not.
I just got a 40% off deal through June today in the mail just like last year. So I am doubting the "cutting back on discounts"

 

[luv2nascar]

I never been able to take advantage of free dining but was hoping for extension of buy 4 get 3 free for 2010. Oh well. It may mean a non disney vacation for us next summer. Or spending time at universal new harry potter park instead.

 

[smidgy]

we are hoping for an extension of the "but 4, get 3 free" into april. and we love the free dining
I agree, with a previous poster.. we also love the planning aspect. hubby and i sit at the 'puter together , peruse the menus, choose the restaurants, and enjoy the trip months before the trip even starts!!!!
what is so wrong with planning ahead? if you want to see a play, such as Wicked, or Jersey Boys, you have to plan ahead. we look forward to" looking forward" to nice meals.
In this economy, there are many people who will only go if there are discounts. I think disney knows this. esp. with the popularity of "staycations".
one of the biggest sellers for gifts this christmas are "board" or "table" games. why? because people are spending much more time at home (as a waitress, I know this to be true!)
unless people get a great deal on a vacation, they will not go.... or take little sidetrips close to home.

 

[Lintasare]

I for one do NOT want to see Free Dining go away. It's what makes trip to Disney affordable to me. I happen to like the dining plan and I don't mind planning out where I am eating on my trip.

 

[Carl]

Really? I like free dining, but I've used the dining plan when it wasn't free. It helped plan my days. What don't you like about it?

It makes the restaurants too full and difficult to get in. Also, I can't take advantage of it, because I use points to book my lodging.

 

[NC State]

I for one do NOT want to see Free Dining go away. It's what makes trip to Disney affordable to me. I happen to like the dining plan and I don't mind planning out where I am eating on my trip.

I agree with you on that since the free dining offers we are able to go every year now. I love the Dining Plan free or not.

 

[Mrs.Reese]

I'll bet my left foot that those deep discounts we saw last year will go away but the cutbacks in the parks/resorts won't go away. I too am not a fan of the DDP for the all mess it causes with ADR's.

 

[Acklander]

Another one who's not a fan of the dining plan (free or otherwise). I think the food quality has gone downhill since it started since the restaurants are trying to bring each meal in under a certain $$ amount to make it work. I wouldn't have a problem with the dining plan if they had one menu for those on the plan, and a regular menu - where I'd have the option of purchasing something really spectacular if I wanted it.
Back in the 70's & early 80's (I know, I'm aging myself now) eating at Disney wasn't that special - all the menus were very much a like, just the setting changed from restaurant to restaurant. Then the restaurants evolved into different personalities, with a much bigger variety. They seem to be heading back to the bland days and we find ourselves choosing to eat off site instead for a quality meal with variety.

 

[ClareH37]

I hope this doesn't make me sound horrible because I really don't mean it to sound that way, but yes I hope the larger public discounts are scaled back - I'll admit I took advantage of the 4/3 deal this year, I had my club level stay already booked but let's face it who wouldn't turn down that deal (anything for a bargain ), so I applied the discount to my booking. I've also got a 20% discount for my upcoming trip.

I realise this might make me sound a little hypocritical, having experienced these 2 discounts, and I'm all for people going on Disney trips that they might not otherwise have been able to afford and 'sensible' discounts, but my last stay (during the 4/3 promotion) club level was, how can I put this nicely, an insight. The amount of people who had taken advantage of this discount to stay club level, who otherwise might not have done, was very noticable - piling their plates up with the food in the lounge (and I don't just mean one plate!), taking a dozen sodas at a time, etc. The most entertaining was one particular family who complained to the CMs that there should be more food, both quantity and variety, the only reason they were staying CL was due to the discount and they were disappointed they 'didn't get more for their money'.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Another who would like to see the DDP come to an end. We miss being able to make reservations with more flexibility and better menus. The food quality, along with so many other areas, has steadily declined the last few years and although we love WDW, it's just not the same...and probably never will be again.

I'd like to see Disney go with room only discounts available to all, not just those who received a coveted pin code. We've had several pin codes (3 for next yr), but it is not fair for some to have them and not others.

 

[RangerPooh]

I'd like to see the free dining go bye-bye.

Me too. With it ocmes huge crowds that just need to go. Perhaps it'll help to bring back the "seasons" price structure and visitation levels.

 

[bicker]

I'm sure some folks have already made the connection in their own minds between this announcement and the recently-observed increase in the cost of airline travel. In another thread, I had occasion to use the announcement referenced in the OP of this thread in a thread about Verizon FiOS' announcement of their 2010 service bundle prices -- yes, a significant increase is planned. Apparently, in this economy, a lot of suppliers are, and are going to, be increasing prices, and generally more than the rate of inflation. Revenue growth has effectively been put on hold, the last few years, due to the bad economy. Now that the economy is improving, most companies that have deferred revenue growth up until now will not only capitalize on the improving economy, but do their best to make up for what they've deferred.

 

[drag n' fly]

For purely selfish reasons I hope so.

 

[wdw4us2]

Count me in with the others who want to see the Dining Plan go.

The quality of the food in every dining location has gone downhill considerably since the program was first conceived several years ago. Signature dishes disappeared from menus all over the property to be replaced by items you could get in any restaurant.

Free dining made this even worse as guests began making multiple reservations at the same time making it more difficult for cash paying customers to get any reservations. We actually dine off property more now than we ever did in the past.

I don't base my opinions as a WDW newbie as I have been going there several times a year since 1972.

 

[GeorgeG]

For what it's worth, I was talking to someone just yesterday who told me they actually leave the parks and resorts for their meals because the quality of WDW meals has gone down while the prices have gone up. They find better and less expensive off-property, enough to leave in the middle of the day and go back. That worries me that WDW may, in fact, be headed for becoming just another amusement park. I've argued against that notion for years, but it is what it is.