Free Dining frustration <tiny vent>

[cavecricket]

Hey guys!

Just wanted to note that all of our ADR's are in place before I begin my rant...

I was just wondering if anyone else feels it is a tad foolish of Disney to practically refuse "paying" customers for those that have free dining?

Our last visit was almost ruined due to no availability at high end restaurants, yet all the tables around us at the Yachtsman were "free diners"....we save money all year to be able to dine like kings and we spent most of our trip dining counter service while others flooded the sit downs w/ their free dining.

I am the first to jump at freebies and I think it is a great marketing scheme, but I feel that it does have some flaws.

There should be more guidelines. Like, not applicable during busy dinner times.
Or heck...seeing as how it is "free" how bout only allowing the free dining to be used at counter service locations? People can't be upset if it is free right...then they may be more likely to spend actual cash in the sit downs...

Sorry to complain but will the free dining ever end? We have to deal with it again on this trip! ack!

Does anyone else feel this program has some flaws?

I wrote to Disney after last year and received a reply that they had received more then a few complaints/concerns about the free dining.

< Incase anyone is wondering why I don't have "free dining" it is because I am a Vacation Club owner, and even though I pay dues all year long, this "perk" does not apply to us>

Again, kudos to anyone having the free dining but what about the rest of us?!

Thanks for the vent!

Jenn

 

[ArielRae]

I heard a few times before that Disney vacation club members can get free dining too. All you have to do is buy a one day ticket and you will be able to get free dining your whole trip.

 

[cavecricket]

I heard a few times before that Disney vacation club members can get free dining too. All you have to do is buy a one day ticket and you will be able to get free dining your whole trip.

Hmmm, maybe they changed something but the CM I spoke to a few weeks ago told me our only option was to do the Dining Plan. I have no problem paying...its the "no availability " that bugs me.

I already made my ADR's for everyday of our trip so hopefully we wont have a problem again this year.

The dining in WDW is my passion, it broke my heart to miss out on so much last year

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I guess the only thing I can say is...even free dining members can get the no availability bit, so its all about planning ahead, regardless of the method.

 

[cmctammyg]

DVC Members never get free dining. We can add the dining plan to our stays at the same price as everyone else. When free dining is offered, we still have to pay for the dining plan.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

you seem to forget that free dining is not free at all, to get it you pay rack rate at the hotel.
Besides there is nothing preventing OOP paying people from making their ADRs you snooze you loose applies here to whom ever it is. if dining plan free or not people do not make ADRs they eat at counters too.

 

[grimley1968]

I'm sorry you feel this way, but the ADR CM's can only reserve ADR's for people, not mete them out to whoever has or has not the free dining plan.

DVC members get a lot of other perks besides free dining that a lot of non-DVC members (including myself) feel takes away from the experience of WDW for us. Please don't begrudge regular, but non-DVC member, WDW guests this free dining plan while it lasts. It likely will not be offered as much as it has been in the last 3 years.

Next time I'd suggest going during a different time of year than value season. It seems the free dining plan has always coincided with value season.

 

[doc428]

Amen....i also was a little aggravated with free dining last year. Vacation should not mean having to make a spreadsheet 6 months in advance, just so we can eat. We also are DVC who do alot more than theme parks. We golf, swim and boat most of our vacation. We try to have as little time restraints as possible. So, the dining plan is out of the question. But last year, we could not find any place to dine onsite. So instead, we had to go offsite to spend our money. Orlando has some great restaurants ( such as Normans, Texas de Brazil and Seasons 52) that we now have tried.

 

[LilGMom]

DVC members get a lot of other perks besides free dining that a lot of non-DVC members (including myself) feel takes away from the experience of WDW for us.

I am curious what perks you feel that DVC members get that take away from the WDW experience for WDW guests?

 

[cavecricket]

I am curious what perks you feel that DVC members get that take away from the WDW experience for WDW guests?

I too, would like to know this.

 

[HUFF590]

It may be crazy but, I love planning my ADRS 180 days in advanced. But I also pack a few weeks in advanced.

 

[cavecricket]

Like I mentioned earlier, perhaps the way to fix this would be to have the free dining only apply to counter service. If it's free anyway, who can complain? But by doing it the current way, anyone who pays for their meals will continue to be frustrated, so upset the guests spending the money?

Again, good marketing tactic but in the long run, the paying customers will be upset by this.

We never had a problem pre-free dining, period. Regardless of the time of year we went.

While I understand the "you snooze, you loose" theory, at the same time I feel the free dining perk is a bit overboard at this point.

happy to see all the feedback! keep the comments coming!

 

[Stacy_C]

What does is matter if the diners are on the free dining plan or if they paid for the dining plan? Either way, the restaurants are filling up quicker due to the dining plan in general --free or not and no matter what time of the year it is.

The way you keep singling out the "free diners" makes them sound as if they are peons and not worthy. JMO.

 

[cavecricket]

What does is matter if the diners are on the free dining plan or if they paid for the dining plan? Either way, the restaurants are filling up quicker due to the dining plan in general --free or not and no matter what time of the year it is.

The way you keep singling out the "free diners" makes them sound as if they are peons and not worthy. JMO.

Just frustrated is all. Sorry you are taking my post the wrong way. I have actually received letters from Disney regarding the growing concerns of the free dining and its impact on the ADR's. While there are some things that you just should make an ADR for like CRT, character dining etc.. I find it a bit odd that in my 2 week stay, on day 2, I was unable to get ANY ADRs for *anytime* of day at the following locations:

Kona
Whispering Canyon
Artist Pallette
Hollywood Brown Derby
and a few more
Boma
Jiko

Please also understand my frustration in that before the free dining incentive, this was never an issue.

As far as the dining plan goes, I have no issues with that. I do not feel the overcrowded sit downs are a direct result of the Dining Plan.

 

[grimley1968]

Like I mentioned earlier, perhaps the way to fix this would be to have the free dining only apply to counter service. If it's free anyway, who can complain? But by doing it the current way, anyone who pays for their meals will continue to be frustrated, so upset the guests spending the money?

I have to agree with the above poster. You're beginning to make the free dining patrons sound as though they're not worthy of eating at the same places you are, because you are a DVC member. They're still paying to stay at the resort and for their park tickets, and probably with $0 in other discounts. DVC members get plenty of other perks for having paid essentially in advance for their vacations.

If you are so worried about crowds, make your ADR's early enough so you get all the ADR's you want. You should not be frustrated if you do this.

DVC only applies to DVC properties that WDW built for DVC members. It has nothing to do with the restaurants. If you want to make sure there is a place in line for you at the restaurants, make ADR's early enough like everyone else does, or go at a less busy time.

 

[crisi]

I personally wish that year round there were a cap on the number of dining packages sold that was somewhere around 60%- 75% of 1-credit restaurant capacity. I don't think its fair to DDP guests to not be able to use their credits because of capacity issues - whether those credits were "free" or not. And I don't think its fair to cash guests to not have availability in restaurants either. So Disney simply shouldn't oversell the plan.

 

[zaxmom]

It's a special discounted package. It certainly is not free. Counter Service only would not cut it for us. Just remember - we still pay. It is just another way of giving a percentage off. Like buy one get one free really means 50% off??

 

[BankBunny]

you seem to forget that free dining is not free at all, to get it you pay rack rate at the hotel.
Besides there is nothing preventing OOP paying people from making their ADRs you snooze you loose applies here to whom ever it is. if dining plan free or not people do not make ADRs they eat at counters too.

OK this is just a stab in the dark because I have never been when free dining is offered and I'm just trying to think logically here. But, here's my thoughts on why "you snooze you loose" may not infact be true. If that many people are choosing to participate in free dining you have that many more people trying to make ADR's. And then 180+10 days comes into play. Even if you call at 180 days many other people may overlap that day because of 180+10 days (If that makes sense).

 

[cavecricket]

I have to agree with the above poster. You're beginning to make the free dining patrons sound as though they're not worthy of eating at the same places you are, because you are a DVC member. They're still paying to stay at the resort and for their park tickets, and probably with $0 in other discounts. DVC members get plenty of other perks for having paid essentially in advance for their vacations.

If you are so worried about crowds, make your ADR's early enough so you get all the ADR's you want. You should not be frustrated if you do this.

DVC only applies to DVC properties that WDW built for DVC members. It has nothing to do with the restaurants. If you want to make sure there is a place in line for you at the restaurants, make ADR's early enough like everyone else does, or go at a less busy time.

The fact that I am a DVC member has no real relevancy to this post. I only wanted to make it known that I am not on the free dining plan because it is not available to DVC members. Please do not imply that I feel I am any more important because I am a DVC member.

I am now more frustrated then I was when I started this post.

Somehow I have become villainized for speaking my mind as a paying customer. Last time I checked the "Free Dining" is "free" which means those using the "Free Dining" incentive are not paying for meals. Stop me when I am saying something that is false.

I just find it foolish to have to plan my entire 2 week stay 180 days out when this was never an issue before

 

[teslaaunt]

Im on DDP for my trip in 19 days cool1: )and I personally dont think that any of my trip was "free". I have worked for 1 year to pay for everything, made my reservations 180 days in advance and got one everywhere that I wanted. Im sorry that you are inconvienced by us, but we are just as entitled to be there as you are. I would never begrudge someone else the pleasure of a nice, sit down dinner just because I forgot or chose not to make reservations. I dont want to go to WDW and eat counter service meals, and if I did I sure wouldnt pay "rack room" rates. I want the whole Disney experience. Im glad that you are able to go to Disney and pay cash, but really dont understand the difference. My money is just as good as your is, mine is just paid in advance.