Free CS Dining and ADR's, Ect......

[WaltD4Me]

I totally agree with John that if Disney offers free dining again that it will be the CS Package in the future, but at least at first, I don't see how it will help the pre-booking up of all the TS restaurants. People are still going to pre-book those ADR's not knowing if free dining will be announced or what it will be...CS or TS plan...so the pre-booking in anticipation will continue and if it does turn out to be the CS plan I can see alot of those ADR's not being cancelled, so once again, no tables to be had and worse empty tables. At least with free TS dining plan, people mostly show up.

And I'm curious....would free CS really entice anyone to book a trip when they weren't planning one? It's great if you are going at that time anyway, but the current free dining brings in people who weren't planning on going, I can't see free CS having anywhere near the same response. Free TS dining has always tempted me, but free CS? Not even a little bit.

 

[lugnut33]

What, you're not tempted by the thought of a greasy bacon double cheeseburger with soggy fries at the Electric Umbrella?

 

[disneyholic family]

I totally agree with John that if Disney offers free dining again that it will be the CS Package in the future, but at least at first, I don't see how it will help the pre-booking up of all the TS restaurants. People are still going to pre-book those ADR's not knowing if free dining will be announced or what it will be...CS or TS plan...so the pre-booking in anticipation will continue and if it does turn out to be the CS plan I can see alot of those ADR's not being cancelled, so once again, no tables to be had and worse empty tables. At least with free TS dining plan, people mostly show up.

And I'm curious....would free CS really entice anyone to book a trip when they weren't planning one? It's great if you are going at that time anyway, but the current free dining brings in people who weren't planning on going, I can't see free CS having anywhere near the same response. Free TS dining has always tempted me, but free CS? Not even a little bit.

the prebooking at 180 days will continue, but when the free dining plan is actually offered (in may?) people will start to cancel their reservations....
or is that just wishful thinking on my part?

if people don't cancel reservations, and then don't show up, it will mean lots of walk-in availability....good for us, bad for disney....

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I agree...I think booking ADRs will be a problem for the months of Aug/Sep '09 as people will still be anticipating some kind of promo involving free DDP and a good percentage of them will just upgrade to whichever plan they need for TS restaurants.

However, I hope everyone does the math as having the new QS Plan will certainly change the numbers a bit when trying to decide between paying rack rate to qualify for Free DDP vs. using any codes that provide a decent percentage off the room. We'll all have to wait and see which way the scales tip!

 

[disneyholic family]

I agree...I think booking ADRs will be a problem for the months of Aug/Sep '09 as people will still be anticipating some kind of promo involving free DDP and a good percentage of them will just upgrade to whichever plan they need for TS restaurants.

However, I hope everyone does the math as having the new QS Plan will certainly change the numbers a bit when trying to decide between paying rack rate to qualify for Free DDP vs. using any codes that provide a decent percentage off the room. We'll all have to wait and see which way the scales tip!

DD will be on the free dining plan next month...
had it been quick service this year, it wouldn't have paid for her to take free dining...
the annual pass discount that was offered for the same period was much larger than the value of the quick service plan....i did the math this year, and it still paid for her to have the current free dining plan, but not had it been the quick service plan...

 

[burberryplaid]

The only advantage I can think of is if you're already planning to go during this time and you can't get any other kind of discount. For me, I enjoy going in September because the crowds are much more bearable. If I couldn't get a discount on my room, but I was able to get the regular dining plan for a fee of $5-$10 per night, I'd do it.

 

[ADP]

Could it possibly be a tiered system for free dining in 2009? (if it's even offered).

Book at a Value Resort = No free dining
Book at a Moderate = Free QS DDP
Book at a Deluxe = Free Basic DDP

You can upgrade to any plan beyond what you are offered for free.

 

[LilGMom]

I think that if the free dining offered is the CS DDP it will still pull people into the parks. Disney can say "Free Water", meaning the water fountains, and some people will jump on it just because the word "Free" is used.

 

[disneyholic family]

Could it possibly be a tiered system for free dining in 2009? (if it's even offered).

Book at a Value Resort = No free dining
Book at a Moderate = Free QS DDP
Book at a Deluxe = Free Basic DDP

You can upgrade to any plan beyond what you are offered for free.

they currently offer free dining at the values, so i would assume that if they're offering free dining at all next year, they'll also offer it at the values...
so maybe if they do a tiered approach, they'll offer the QS at the values and maybe the moderate and the basic at the deluxes....

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Could it possibly be a tiered system for free dining in 2009? (if it's even offered).

Book at a Value Resort = No free dining
Book at a Moderate = Free QS DDP
Book at a Deluxe = Free Basic DDP

You can upgrade to any plan beyond what you are offered for free.

Someone posted that the Virgin Atlantic website is already offering free DDP in 2009 to UKers with it structured the way you've got it listed Aaron -- I went to the site and couldn't find it though.

 

[disneyjunkie99]

One thing that I haven't noticed anyone addressing is the new online system that they are working on. I wonder if they are going to start limiting people to a number of reservations that they can make in a day/time period. Also, if they wanted to make people more accountable for the reservations that they make, the online system would be an easier way to track it. Just a thought...

 

[LilGMom]

One thing that I haven't noticed anyone addressing is the new online system that they are working on. I wonder if they are going to start limiting people to a number of reservations that they can make in a day/time period. Also, if they wanted to make people more accountable for the reservations that they make, the online system would be an easier way to track it. Just a thought...

Hmmmm.... wonder if when they go to online booking for ADRs that you'll only be able to book ADRs based on how many TS's you have credits for and have to give a CC deposit/hold for those that you are paying OOP for. So if you have the Basic DDP for 4 nights you can make ADRs for 4 TS meals and if you want more than you have to give a CC to get that ADR with a monetary penalty if you don't cancel and don't show up. Hmmmmmm......

 

[timmac]

A thought about the new QSP, that I haven't seen listed elsewhere. Whether it's free or not, it's been pointed out (John alluded to this on yesterday's show) that some people prefer not to take the time out of their park touring to have to sit down for a meal.

Along a similar line of thought, I can also see a QS plan making a lot of sense for some people, particularly at value resorts, where there isn't a sit-down restaurant at the resort, and getting to one might be a little more difficult than it's worth.

 

[glitzybabes]

Someone posted that the Virgin Atlantic website is already offering free DDP in 2009 to UKers with it structured the way you've got it listed Aaron -- I went to the site and couldn't find it though.

I look too on virgin, disney world uk, and a UK board like this one and found nothing about free dining for the uk for 2009.

Just a side note about no free dining at Value...I believe this year(2008 free dining), disney did not offer free dining at value resort to the people in the uk.


LOL after rereading what I just wrote....I said free dining 4 times in like 3 sentences.