Free Dining - Is the Mouse Playing Games

[Delirium]

I'll preface this by saying that I'm frustrated that we did not get the deal we wanted. The backstory is this. Last year we scheduled a trip starting on October 2nd at Riverside. When we heard the rumor about Free Dining running until October 1st, we anxiously awaited for the opportunity to add a day at the front end to take advantage of the promotion.

Well, as many of you probably know, the Riverside 'opportunities' seem to be very, very limited. Despite trying to make the deal at 6:00 A.M. the day the promotion was announced, we were shut out. Ultimately had to grab the 'not really a good deal' Pirate room at Caribbean Beach.

So, today, in my frustration, I started playing around with some alternate options. While doing so, I found some things that I would consider illogical.

For example, you can check in on 9/4 and check out on 9/12 and get Riverside. However, you can't check in on 9/5 and check out on 9/12. Wouldn't the person checking in on 9/4 use a room on 9/5? Of course. So, why wouldn't 9/5 be available?

Another oddity is that from 8/30 to 9/8, Riverside is $4,041 and Caribbean Beach is $4,052 (a difference of $11). From 8/30 to 9/9. Riverside is $4,756 while Caribbean Beach is only $4,277 (a difference of almost $500). So, did all of the standard rooms in Riverside disappear because of 1 day?

I think Disney clearly has some questionable start and end date availability for certain resorts, even within the supposed window of opportunity.

 

[Kevenswife2]

I've noticed a few things too. I added an extra day to my stay (was Dec 22-Jan 2) so that I would arrive on Dec 21 and be eligable for FD. My reservation is now for 12 nights, a few more than I was planning on, but I figured I could take a night or two off if I need to. When I "play" on the Disney reservation site I'm okay to book a stay 12 nights long, but when I take 1 or 2 days off the end it tells me nothing is available. I thought that was odd.

As long as my arrival day is within the required time, I would think it wouldn't be a problem to take off a couple of days as long as I still have all the requirements for FD.

 

[glitzybabes]

I have seen that before with just trying to book a non-discounted room at a resort, adding days to have availability.. It doesn't make any since. But I wonder if one could book the longer reservation and then call and modify. I don't see how a CM could explain, sorry we can't drop a day off your reservation.

 

[ginny_lynn]

It was like this last year too, I think it always is but people don't notice because they usually only search one length of stay. I always play around to find the price point I want. Not sure how they set it up, but their system is always glitchy.

 

[Delirium]

The Disney consumer would almost certainly benefit for more details about what is available and when. And, I have to think that Disney, the company, would be as well.

Take my situation, for example. There is ZERO chance that EVERY room at Riverside is sold out on October 1st. That's the only date I needed. I had all the others. Either Disney blacked out that day from Riverside all-together, or the number of rooms available for the promotion at Riverside was very limited. I can understand, but still not necessarily like, the fact that Disney only slotted something like 50 rooms at Riverside for the promotion on October 1st. Trust, me, we were on top of this fast enough that we would have been successful if it was much more than that. Instead, Disney simply says it's 'not available'. It's doubtful they sold out the entire resort in the first hour and half of the promotion.

A more likely scenario is this, and it's one I don't care for. Disney is holding back available moderate rooms to up-sell people to the 'premium' rooms at Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs. If they want to do that, it's certainly their right. But, ADVERTISE it that way. Don't imply that Riverside is included on a date and then hold that room back.

 

[ginny_lynn]

A more likely scenario is this, and it's one I don't care for. Disney is holding back available moderate rooms to up-sell people to the 'premium' rooms at Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs. If they want to do that, it's certainly their right. But, ADVERTISE it that way. Don't imply that Riverside is included on a date and then hold that room back.

It's not about selling the resort out though. They know people will book later so this promotion isn't to book every room. They look at current occupancy, and decide on room numbers from there. If people did not book a room thinking they were holding it and could automatically add free dining when released, you would see more rooms included because they would be looking and seeing a lot more empty rooms. I have never stayed at POR but people seem to love it and that is one they book ahead of time thinking they can apply free dining when it is released, when in reality when free dining is released the room you currently have booked is released back into the rack rate pool and a new room available under the promo is booked.

It is also why the specialty rooms are the ones included more, because people book a standard room thinking they will "add" free dining, therefore the standard rooms show a good occupancy rate and are not available in the promotion.

 

[Delirium]

It is also why the specialty rooms are the ones included more, because people book a standard room thinking they will "add" free dining, therefore the standard rooms show a good occupancy rate and are not available in the promotion.

And, that's where I'm saying both the Disney Consumer and Disney itself would benefit from transparency. If they aren't going to release Riverside rooms for October 1, say so. Instead of saying Riverside is included in the 8/23-10/1 promotion, say Riverside is included, but blacked out on these dates. Likewise, if all you are going to offer at Caribbean Beach is a Pirate Room, say so. Don't insinuate that the 'Resort' is available when it's only selected rooms. And, there certainly is no harm is saying something along the lines that 'only 100 rooms will be made available for this resort on this date'.

Bottom line is that if Disney was more up front about what they are making available, it would alleviate a lot of the chaos we've seen the last few days.

 

[supersnoop]

So, did all of the standard rooms in Riverside disappear because of 1 day?

Yes. If the standard room isn't available for one day, then it's not available for the entire reservation.

 

[Delirium]

Yes. If the standard room isn't available for one day, then it's not available for the entire reservation.

Do you honestly believe that on September 9th, during the SLOWEST time of the year, that there is not a single standard room available at Riverside.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Actually, you can't just call and drop days any more. The dates you want have to be available in a room other than the one you have booked, and still be eligible for discount.

Basically, people were abusing the system and leaving orphan dates. They are shutting down that abuse.

 

[supersnoop]

Do you honestly believe that on September 9th, during the SLOWEST time of the year, that there is not a single standard room available at Riverside.

There's a room available, but not one they need to fill with any sort of promotion. You can search for the one day on the website and see that a standard room is available if you're paying full price, but not if you select any of the multiple promotions they're running right now.

 

[cassie58]

Deleted

 

[cassie58]

I've noticed a few things too. I added an extra day to my stay (was Dec 22-Jan 2) so that I would arrive on Dec 21 and be eligable for FD. My reservation is now for 12 nights, a few more than I was planning on, but I figured I could take a night or two off if I need to. When I "play" on the Disney reservation site I'm okay to book a stay 12 nights long, but when I take 1 or 2 days off the end it tells me nothing is available. I thought that was odd.

As long as my arrival day is within the required time, I would think it wouldn't be a problem to take off a couple of days as long as I still have all the requirements for FD.

Yes, you can do this before your 45 day mark without a problem. We did this last Dec. since I was able to get a room at AKL through a friend with DVC pts. for our last nt., so I dropped a nt. at POP from our FD reservation.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Not all rooms at any given resort are available for the promotion. Riverside might have about 10% of its rooms available (I don't know if that is the exact number but it's not a huge number). They don't have any obligation to make the exact dates and exact number of rooms available for a discount promotion on any particular resort or room type public. They do indicate which resorts are excluded entirely for the full length of the promotion, but they don't have to tell you how much of each included resort is included, or how many promotion rooms in each room category are available on any given day.

They are not "holding back" rooms. They are making available the type of rooms they most need to fill. For most resorts, that is the more expensive categories.

If any given day is sold out of promotion rooms, then the entire stay will show that it is not available with the promotion.

It's entirely possible that standard rooms are either at very low promotion availability or excluded entirely at certain dates and times. They don't have to tell you which individual days are excluded or at very low availability for certain categories at certain resorts. Standard rooms are the cheapest. They book up fastest. Many of them may have been booked before the promotion was announced - so they didn't need a promotion to fill them.

And the system has been recently changed so that you can no longer "add on" or "take off" a day or two. You have to rebook and that resort and room category AND promotion has to be available for the new length of stay - without taking into account your current reservation.

 

[Nancyg56]

Yes, you can do this before your 45 day mark without a problem. We did this last Dec. since I was able to get a room at AKL through a friend with DVC pts. for our last nt., so I dropped a nt. at POP from our FD reservation.

It is key to remember that while you were able to apply this method, not everyone will. I have read a lot of reports that folks are shut out of their promotion when they do this, you see you are actually making a new reservation, and all new costs increases will apply. You can only do this if the "Block" of nights w=you want are withing the Discoutn category. If not? You cannot.

 

[Delirium]

There's a room available, but not one they need to fill with any sort of promotion. You can search for the one day on the website and see that a standard room is available if you're paying full price, but not if you select any of the multiple promotions they're running right now.

Which circles back to my main point. RIVERSIDE is not offering free dining. A very, very limited number of rooms at Riverside are offering free dining on selected dates during the promotional period. Simply put, Disney should be more transparent about what will be made available.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Riverside is either eligible or not eligible for free dining. If it's eligible, this does not mean that every room in every category must be available for every single night of the promotion. And I don't think they ought to be expected to put out a chart showing how many rooms at each resort in each category are available with free dining on each check-in day.

The OP has run afoul of the new booking rules in that you can no longer just "add a day." You have to book an entire new reservation. And that new reservation must be available at the same resort, in the same category, with the promotion, for the entire length of the new stay. It's no longer a matter of just adding a vacant day to an already booked reservation.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

And, that's where I'm saying both the Disney Consumer and Disney itself would benefit from transparency. If they aren't going to release Riverside rooms for October 1, say so. Instead of saying Riverside is included in the 8/23-10/1 promotion, say Riverside is included, but blacked out on these dates. Likewise, if all you are going to offer at Caribbean Beach is a Pirate Room, say so. Don't insinuate that the 'Resort' is available when it's only selected rooms. And, there certainly is no harm is saying something along the lines that 'only 100 rooms will be made available for this resort on this date'.

Bottom line is that if Disney was more up front about what they are making available, it would alleviate a lot of the chaos we've seen the last few days.

Every offer that Disney makes also says, "selected rooms." In fact, I am pretty sure that Disney never offers all rooms for free dining or for any promotion. And they plainly say so, in their offers.

They offer promotions to help fill rooms. If people book those rooms before the promotion is announced, they have no need to offer anything. People are shooting themselves in the foot when a bunch of them book "in anticipation" of a promotion.

 

[Lisa F]

They are not "holding back" rooms. They are making available the type of rooms they most need to fill. For most resorts, that is the more expensive categories.

Dingdingdingdingding

IMO this is what most people are missing. Disney is not looking to maximize your value in their discounts. Discounting the least expensive rooms is the worse deal for them. If you put 4 disney adults in a standard room at riverside (that is more likely to book anyway) you're getting $260 worth of dining for your $220ish for the room (I am just guessing at the rates). Disney loses out, consumer wins.

putting those 4 adults in a pirate room it's what? about $315? still a great deal for someone maximizing the promo but disney is not taking a bath on it. Plus the more expensive rooms book less quickly than the cheapies.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, even under free dining... not when resorts are running at such high capacity!

 

[Nancyg56]

Which circles back to my main point. RIVERSIDE is not offering free dining. A very, very limited number of rooms at Riverside are offering free dining on selected dates during the promotional period. Simply put, Disney should be more transparent about what will be made available.

Why? No hotel does that. I am attending a wedding out of town. I was able to book a room under the wedding rate for part of my stay. Not the entire stay. Whatever was allocated to the wedding party was filled. There were more rooms but not at that rate. Now had I booked immediately maybe I would have been okay, but still not the entire stay. My room was not added to that inventory available for tmybentire stay.