Fewer weeks with Free Dining in 2016?

[MlWinans]

I've been hearing that Disney is slowly trying to weed out Free Dining and that there will be a reduced # of weeks with it offered in 2016.

I am hoping this is just a rumor, but honestly I have no idea. Has anyone heard anything about this?

 

[bpadair32]

I haven't heard about it, but it wouldn't surprise me. Attendance is at record levels so they really don't need as many promotions right now.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I've been hearing that Disney is slowly trying to weed out Free Dining and that there will be a reduced # of weeks with it offered in 2016.

I am hoping this is just a rumor, but honestly I have no idea. Has anyone heard anything about this?

1) This is true.
2) It actually started in 2015 and continues in 2016.
. . . There are fewer resorts that include Free Dining.
. . . There are fewer rooms for Free Dining at the resorts that offer it.
3) Ogre (I mean Iger) announced weening the public off discounts three years ago, and it is working.
. . . fewer Free Dining resorts and rooms
. . . fewer restaurant discounts for AP and DVC
. . . fewer room package deals
. . . more ticket price increases
. . . more stepped pricing for holidays.
. . . more trying to keep AP and DVC (annual pass holders) away during prime busy periods at the parks

 

[GrumpyDad1974]

Less and less each year with more restrictions... I couldn't even get what I wanted the day it came out for an all stars stay... years ago i was able to book 3 months into the discount. They will probably do the stay/play/dine... not a fan.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Less and less each year with more restrictions... I couldn't even get what I wanted the day it came out

1) Yep.
2) But, we have become all too accustomed to discounting.
3) Now, we need to break the habit . . . and maybe the household budget.

 

[bpadair32]

Free dining is a promotion used to get more people in the parks during traditionally slow times. Now a lot of people are complaining about crowds during slower times, so it has succeeded, maybe too well. So now you are seeing it being scaled back.

 

[stitchfan75]

But is crowded because of more people willing to pay rack rate or because the discounts allow more people to go?
I think the discounts drive the attendance and if they cut the public off they will see a drop in attendance. How many people can only go because they have 30% off a room rate or free dining? Judging by the budget boards, quite a bit. I can't see Disney totally cutting off free dining but I can see them making it very restrictive. We are considering a December 2016 stay for the purpose of free dining, I have decided not to book with my TA until the night it is released...I will book it and then transfer it to him. If we don't get it then we will push on into June 2017 for a longer summer stay.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

The only FD next year may be the BB offer for fall. That's why I booked while I was there in September.

 

[yankebabie]

I also booked BB free dining when we were there in sept fearing that free dining is soon coming to an end and we are taking our grandson for the first time next year

 

[Shelbizzles]

I'm kinda kicking myself for not doing a bounce back offer when we were there last month we were pretty sure it wasn't gonna be able to work for us so we were gonna wait until May 2017 but looks like we may be going in October 2016 instead.

 

[tflood]

We went for a quick trip last month for the express purpose of booking the free dining bounce back for next September. After seeing what happened with free dining this year, I wanted to be "locked in" for next year.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

The number of check-in days offered for free dining has been steadily declining, if attendance keeps up then it will continue.

There are also more limits on which resorts and which room types are available.

if the resorts are full enough, they don't need the promotions.

 

[vinotinto]

I'm kinda kicking myself for not doing a bounce back offer when we were there last month we were pretty sure it wasn't gonna be able to work for us so we were gonna wait until May 2017 but looks like we may be going in October 2016 instead.

Don't kick yourself. The checking date for the BB offer was only through Oct 1 2016. So, unless you could have checked in by Oct 1 you would not have qualified.

The offers for 2016 will entirely depend how many rooms are booked. If rooms are booked, there is no incentive for discounts to be released.

 

[SonicGuy]

Am I the only one that wouldn't mind seeing free dining go away all together?

 

[Collette]

Am I the only one that wouldn't mind seeing free dining go away all together?

You're not alone. I am hoping to plan our next trip at a time when there is no free dining.

 

[vinotinto]

Am I the only one that wouldn't mind seeing free dining go away all together?

Disney would love to do away with free dining, but I don't think it will ever go away completely for September. September's weather (peak of hurricane season) brings too much rain and humidity, and while some school districts do have a fall break in September, that is not the norm. Most kids are in school (except for Labor Day). But, Disney has been finding ways to increase the cost of FD by limiting the number of standard rooms available, requiring PH or WP&M, increasing room rates, and limiting the dates when it's available.

I think some of the issues with restaurants at Disney (homogenization across restaurants towards higher-margin food, etc.) are caused more by the DDP in general than FD. They get reimbursed a certain amount, whether the guest paid for DDP or whether they got it for "free."

As a family staying deluxe with two kids, FD never worked out to be the better deal for us. But, we just booked our first FD because that was all that was available when we called for a BB, and with two kids who are now "junior" and thinking that we may try a moderate, it wasn't a terrible deal. However, I was still surprised at how high the FD cost is. We have stayed during that same time frame at a deluxe with a 'magical' deal, and the cost for the deluxe room with the deal was much less than the cost of the moderate room with FD. Now, granted, the mod does include FD, but it's not free. I would say FD works out to be about half price DDP. At this point, I don't know if we'll go in September and if we'll use this FD BB, but I booked it in case better options don't come through later (what's that saying about the bird in hand being better than more birds flying?).