Free Dining a thing of the past?

[Hunclemarco]

Hello....
I have a friend that has talked with a travel agent. The agent had said that after the promotion going on in May concerning free dining, Disney doesn't have any promotion for Free Dining.
If this is true, Disney is holding to their word in reducing the discounts they've been offering for a while now...thus making DVC a good purchase decision.

ps. not saying they won't bring it back, but the discounts of various sorts are dwindling.

 

[Sammie]

Time will tell, if bookings drop off, they will offer it again.

 

[Dizny Dad]

We can only hope so . .

I am not concerned that it makes any perception of DVC improve; just the food.

 

[Sandisw]

Someone else posted on the resorts board that the CM told them that they will not be offering the deal again.

Disney came out with the free dining deal, even for the fall, this year early and allowed people to book it through December.

I think that if they got the bookings they wanted by offering it so early, it won't come back. If they didn't, it will be released again--but that is JMO.

 

[bpmorley]

I understand that free dining is a great offer to get more people to visit the world, but I would love to see it go. On our last 2 trips we had such a hard time getting a decent reservation. But if you like breakfast at 11am or dinner at 4pm you were in luck. What we did do was write a letter to a number of bigwigs. Surprisingly they called us within days of writing and were able to fit us into some restaurants that were previously all booked up.

 

[bgraham34]

Iger said they wanted to start eliminating discounts. So this is the start.

 

[shelby101301]

I wonder where they make more $? Filling the rooms or filling the restaurants with non free dining patrons?

We used to eat TS all the time, but now, due to the crowds, difficulty booking and the much lower quality, we rarely go.

Just curious if they are losing too much from families like us, or filling rooms is more profitable.

 

[disneynutz]

Hard to say but I bet that Free Dining will be a common incentive. It has proven to be very successful and all of Disney's restaurants have been modified to support the DDP.

Bill

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

Hard to say but I bet that Free Dining will be a common incentive. It has proven to be very successful and all of Disney's restaurants have been modified to support the DDP.

Bill

Especially since free dining isn't really free anyway (paying higher rate for the room).

 

[maciec]

I really hope it goes away!!!

 

[vicki_c]

I don't see how free dining being offered earlier for the same traditional time frame + more = lessening discounts. Chances are they will extend it further into the year as well if they feel that's what they need to do to fill rooms. And they're doing the kids play free thing, and room discounts.

Doesn't seem much different to me than the past few years, although not as good as things like the 4/3 offer.

 

[bpmorley]

I wonder where they make more $? Filling the rooms or filling the restaurants with non free dining patrons?

We used to eat TS all the time, but now, due to the crowds, difficulty booking and the much lower quality, we rarely go.

Just curious if they are losing too much from families like us, or filling rooms is more profitable.

That's a good question. I've wondered that myself. We used to eat at all WDW restaurants on our visits, but now we get a car and go offsite for at least 80% of our meals.

 

[JWG]

I thought free dining through most of the year was just announced incredibly early in 2010?

I'm hopeful these discounts start disappearing. Frankly, %-off rack is more appealing to me because I can then determine if I will spend that on the DDP or elsewhere.

And, it also will mean that restaurant patrons are actual paying restaurant patrons. I wonder how much money resorts had to transfer to dining to cover the cost of "free dining" on the restaurants behalf.

Ther servers were just stresed and unfriendly during our visit last month. Turning tables was their only goal. I really think free dining impacts service levels at Disney whereas discounts don't (to the same degree).

 

[DisneySJB]

I just hope that the TS quality is returned to pre free dining standards. Even without free dining, there is no guarantee that the quality and variety of food will return since that would be cutting into profit margins.

 

[Hunclemarco]

I just know that many felt that because of the "free dining", discounts and such, that many DVC'er have questioned the savings in joining DVC. These discounts being taken away do begin to show that savings that can be had by being a DVC member.

 

[bpmorley]

I just know that many felt that because of the "free dining", discounts and such, that many DVC'er have questioned the savings in joining DVC. These discounts being taken away do begin to show that savings that can be had by being a DVC member.

I agree. I wonder if renting points has gotten harder, being that you can only offer the room and nothing else

 

[Cyndibear]

This would be nice. I sure hope this will improve the quality of the food and improve the service too. I miss the days of being able to call that day for an ADR at a restaurant we wanted to go to. I don't know if it will change it to that extreme but it's worth wishing for.

Cyndi

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't see how free dining being offered earlier for the same traditional time frame + more = lessening discounts.

I have the same thought. They made FD longer this year and offered it earlier.

Just because the time for booking ended before this year (what, 11 days before the year end?) doesn't mean there won't be FD this year. There will, because it's already been booked!

 

[hakepb]

I just know that many felt that because of the "free dining", discounts and such, that many DVC'er have questioned the savings in joining DVC. These discounts being taken away do begin to show that savings that can be had by being a DVC member.

It would be interesting if Jim Lewis successfully convinced Disney resorts to not sell 'free dining' this year. (As a technicality because we already know they sold the packages).
Of course it could just be a typical Disney timing delay ploy, don't offer it this year and when they offer it next time more people jump...

 

[dianeschlicht]

I wonder where they make more $? Filling the rooms or filling the restaurants with non free dining patrons?

We used to eat TS all the time, but now, due to the crowds, difficulty booking and the much lower quality, we rarely go.

Just curious if they are losing too much from families like us, or filling rooms is more profitable.

I wonder the same thing, and we definitely don't dine with Disney as much as we used to. For us, it isn't worth the hassle to book 180 days out and not get what we want. The last two trips we have taken our chances, and we have had no problem getting in to most places we wanted.

Our list of places we want is dwindling though with the reduced menu offerings and the reduced quality of food.