Free Dining Room Exclusion Rationale

[AngiTN]

That makes me feel better! Thanks!

Oh, and one year I was even at Pop (first and last time for that!) and while I hated my stay at Pop it had nothing to do with Pop Warner folks. From what I saw they had their parents with them and they just toured like any other family would.

 

[Kimberly9701]

FD is a way to fill available room inventory. If FD isn't offered for your dates, it means Disney is projecting inventory already full.

But the odd thing is- they are offering it the week of Thanksgiving. So strange to me. The ONLY reason I didn't book that week 2 months ago was bc of crowd calenders predicting high level crowds. I would think a monorail resort..especially CR, wouldn't have trouble filling up on that week.

 

[DisBuckMan]

But the odd thing is- they are offering it the week of Thanksgiving. So strange to me. The ONLY reason I didn't book that week 2 months ago was bc of crowd calenders predicting high level crowds. I would think a monorail resort..especially CR, wouldn't have trouble filling up on that week.

Yeah, offering it the weekend of Thanksgiving is puzzling the heck out of me.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Yeah, offering it the weekend of Thanksgiving is puzzling the heck out of me.

Can any disExpert provide some kind of explanation?lol. Could Disney really predict higher crowd/resort bookings on the first week of December vs the week of thanksgiving? It doesn't make sense to me...and it worries me.

 

[CaliTex]

Could someone more knowledgeable than I weigh in on the odds of a second offering of FD for the late Fall? Two years ago I was able to book free dining at POR for 5, and I didn't make our reservations until July.

We have FD booked at WL this year, but I am asking for some others like GatorDan that are feeling shut-out. I don't want to give false hope but there might still be some left.

 

[HopperFan]

But the odd thing is- they are offering it the week of Thanksgiving. So strange to me. The ONLY reason I didn't book that week 2 months ago was bc of crowd calenders predicting high level crowds. I would think a monorail resort..especially CR, wouldn't have trouble filling up on that week.

Yeah, offering it the weekend of Thanksgiving is puzzling the heck out of me.

Can any disExpert provide some kind of explanation?lol. Could Disney really predict higher crowd/resort bookings on the first week of December vs the week of thanksgiving? It doesn't make sense to me...and it worries me.

Just guessing looking at the dates and calendar.

• November 15 through November 21, 2016
• November 26 through November 28, 2016
• December 10 through December 21, 2016

- Some get off the full week of Thanksgiving and committing a week there, they are getting the bonus of checking in before the 21st. Disney is able to woo you the entire week to their resort with Dining and have you paying full price for "Thanksgiving" peak rates.

- Many do not get off Mon & Tues (we never did until last year or so) and therefore arriving at Disney for the Wed-Sunday holiday weekend. These folks will not qualify for Free Dining and therefore business as usual at peak rates with these dates having been blocked out in the past for discounts.

- Am sure it was a math/logistics determination of guest flows in and out that week, and how to trap them in at peak prices.

- Offering it again for the 26th-28th will again entice guests to book a full week on property since arriving on those dates will get the free dining perk their entire stay. This week will likely be the slowest of the month because come weekend, here come the Pop Warners.

- Not offering Free Dining the first full week of Disney probably has much to do with Pop Warner. It's huge. They stay on property, aka eating on property, and they have no need to offer this package. 72 Football Teams, 400 Dance Teams, high occupancy and busy restaurants.

- Bringing it back the 11th is when the PW should all be gone (they'e already missed enough school) and boost those slow 10 days before the holiday rush.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Just guessing looking at the dates and calendar.

• November 15 through November 21, 2016
• November 26 through November 28, 2016
• December 10 through December 21, 2016

- Some get off the full week of Thanksgiving and committing a week there, they are getting the bonus of checking in before the 21st. Disney is able to woo you the entire week to their resort with Dining and have you paying full price for "Thanksgiving" peak rates.

- Many do not get off Mon & Tues (we never did until last year or so) and therefore arriving at Disney for the Wed-Sunday holiday weekend. These folks will not qualify for Free Dining and therefore business as usual at peak rates with these dates having been blocked out in the past for discounts.

- Am sure it was a math/logistics determination of guest flows in and out that week, and how to trap them in at peak prices.

- Offering it again for the 26th-28th will again entice guests to book a full week on property since arriving on those dates will get the free dining perk their entire stay. This week will likely be the slowest of the month because come weekend, here come the Pop Warners.

- Not offering Free Dining the first full week of Disney probably has much to do with Pop Warner. It's huge. They stay on property, aka eating on property, and they have no need to offer this package. 72 Football Teams, 400 Dance Teams, high occupancy and busy restaurants.

- Bringing it back the 11th is when the PW should all be gone (they'e already missed enough school) and boost those slow 10 days before the holiday rush.

Makes sense!

So...basically..from what you're saying... I should somewhat be in the clear of obnoxious crowd levels..maybe..a chance anyway

 

[VillainFavs]

Didn't see that and as a Disney Visa holder (charter) I have yet to get notified of this offer. No surprise.

Not sure who did or didn't get it, or why or why not, but I did get an email from Disney Rewards (the Visa site) early yesterday morning with all the details. There's no unique PIN code, although there are offer codes, so I'm sure anyone with a Visa card would be eligible for the deals. Not that you're looking for it, but I think anyone with a Disney Visa could call and request the offer.

 

[Lisa F]

We've gone the first week in December 2 out of the last 3 years and Pop Warner had zero impact on us. Unless I had read about it on here I wouldn't have known they were in the parks. That and HS will close early 1 night for their private after party.

Thank you for posting this! I am going the first week of december and it has been stressful enough getting the DVC reservations I want without it being blown up by something else, lol. No free dining during that week either unless someone is booking a 2 week stay and checking in the week before.

You don't happen to remember when they closed early for that party though do you? like, when in the week.

not that it is set in stone but...

edited to add: I googled it and it was Wednesday last year.

 

[Srbright]

My dates are not included in FD.. I am still hoping for a room discount.. But either way- could this possibly mean that my week is less crowded?lol. One can hope right...

No, more crowded. They have enough people going that they didn't need to discount it.

Stacy

 

[HopperFan]

Not sure who did or didn't get it, or why or why not, but I did get an email from Disney Rewards (the Visa site) early yesterday morning with all the details. There's no unique PIN code, although there are offer codes, so I'm sure anyone with a Visa card would be eligible for the deals. Not that you're looking for it, but I think anyone with a Disney Visa could call and request the offer.

Yeah, I don't think we've ever needed codes. The requirement was to use your Visa card for the deposit, so then they know. It's just been frustrating over the years (I've had the card since it came out) that they do such a poor job of communicating perks and when they do it's usually after it's public knowledge anyway. But again, it opened yesterday and am sure those dates have equal limited availability - would have been nice to get email a few days ahead to try to plan before calling.

No I don't need it, I stopped doing the FD a few years ago, the math just didn't work for me when we dropped from 4 to 2 people going.

 

[Kimberly9701]

No, more crowded. They have enough people going that they didn't need to discount it.

Stacy

I'm going to try and remain positive and hope that isn't the case and that history is correct.
It's a big deal to me because we are both missing more work/school with doing December over November. It was a tough decision, but ultimately a more enjoyable (meaning less crowded) vacation was worth the make up work we will have when return.
I just can't imagine that Thanksgiving week is less crowded than December 3rd-7th.

 

[Lisa F]

Just guessing looking at the dates and calendar.

• November 15 through November 21, 2016
• November 26 through November 28, 2016
• December 10 through December 21, 2016

- Some get off the full week of Thanksgiving and committing a week there, they are getting the bonus of checking in before the 21st. Disney is able to woo you the entire week to their resort with Dining and have you paying full price for "Thanksgiving" peak rates.

- Many do not get off Mon & Tues (we never did until last year or so) and therefore arriving at Disney for the Wed-Sunday holiday weekend. These folks will not qualify for Free Dining and therefore business as usual at peak rates with these dates having been blocked out in the past for discounts.

- Am sure it was a math/logistics determination of guest flows in and out that week, and how to trap them in at peak prices.

- Offering it again for the 26th-28th will again entice guests to book a full week on property since arriving on those dates will get the free dining perk their entire stay. This week will likely be the slowest of the month because come weekend, here come the Pop Warners.

- Not offering Free Dining the first full week of Disney probably has much to do with Pop Warner. It's huge. They stay on property, aka eating on property, and they have no need to offer this package. 72 Football Teams, 400 Dance Teams, high occupancy and busy restaurants.

- Bringing it back the 11th is when the PW should all be gone (they'e already missed enough school) and boost those slow 10 days before the holiday rush.

The PW people are not likely to be the 180+10 kind of ADR bookers though, are they? As I only care how this impacts my vacatoin lol

 

[Lisa F]

I'm going to try and remain positive and hope that isn't the case and that history is correct.
It's a big deal to me because we are both missing more work/school with doing December over November. It was a tough decision, but ultimately a more enjoyable (meaning less crowded) vacation was worth the make up work we will have when return.
I just can't imagine that Thanksgiving week is less crowded than December 3rd-7th.

this is what I think, and take it with a grain of salt.

The onsite rooms are only a portion of actual park capacity. There are lots of offsite rooms, timeshares and house rentals where people come in droves and fill up the parking lots to the brim during busy times. Every single room on Disney property could be booked but without a corresponding busy week in the offsite rooms, the parks still won't be crazy busy. According to touring plans there are twice as many offsite rooms as onsite rooms, and that doesn't count all of the house rentals... just actual hotels. So I bet during christmas all of those rooms are filled everywhere and you get 100k people at MK and you can't move. During PW week maybe most of the disney rooms are full but it is still a very quiet week offsite. Plus a lot of those kids are doing their thing at WWoS all day long. The parks won't be EMPTY like first week of January but they shouldn't be crazy like during a holiday week.

So I think there is not necessarily a direct correlation between Disney hotel occupancy and park crowds. They are offering these deals in the off season to capture people who might be more inclined to stay offsite at higher Disney prices but would stay onsite instead at lower prices.

 

[AngiTN]

The PW people are not likely to be the 180+10 kind of ADR bookers though, are they? As I only care how this impacts my vacatoin lol

Not often since they don't know if they'll make the play offs that far out. Maybe if their team goes year after year some will go on and book ahead. Not sure

 

[AngiTN]

Could someone more knowledgeable than I weigh in on the odds of a second offering of FD for the late Fall? Two years ago I was able to book free dining at POR for 5, and I didn't make our reservations until July.

We have FD booked at WL this year, but I am asking for some others like GatorDan that are feeling shut-out. I don't want to give false hope but there might still be some left.

Two years ago they were including at least twice the number of rooms, along with more dates, for Free Dining.

As for if they offer it again, they haven't. They have done some sort of package room/dining/ticket deal with a discounted dining but I can't recall the dates they did that. It may have been at the first of the year. Mousesavers would have it on their list

But plans are cancelled all the time. Just because they are sold out of rooms now doesn't mean they will be here in a week or so. It's worth to continue to check

 

[Kimberly9701]

this is what I think, and take it with a grain of salt.

The onsite rooms are only a portion of actual park capacity. There are lots of offsite rooms, timeshares and house rentals where people come in droves and fill up the parking lots to the brim during busy times. Every single room on Disney property could be booked but without a corresponding busy week in the offsite rooms, the parks still won't be crazy busy. According to touring plans there are twice as many offsite rooms as onsite rooms, and that doesn't count all of the house rentals... just actual hotels. So I bet during christmas all of those rooms are filled everywhere and you get 100k people at MK and you can't move. During PW week maybe most of the disney rooms are full but it is still a very quiet week offsite. The parks won't be EMPTY like first week of January but they shouldn't be crazy like during a holiday week.

So I think there is not necessarily a direct correlation between Disney hotel occupancy and park crowds. They are offering these deals in the off season to capture people who might be more inclined to stay offsite at higher Disney prices but would stay onsite instead at lower prices.

This makes sense.
Worst part about planning a trip this far in advance--- More time to stress.
I have a cruise in June out of Puerto Rico..I haven't obsessed even 1/10th as much over that trip as this WDW/DCL one lol. I just want all of my decisions/rdrs/park days settled so I can relax and enjoy my summer!

 

[Lisa F]

This makes sense.
Worst part about planning a trip this far in advance--- More time to stress.
I have a cruise in June out of Puerto Rico..I haven't obsessed even 1/10th as much over that trip as this WDW/DCL one lol. I just want all of my decisions/rdrs/park days settled so I can relax and enjoy my summer!

Lol i am going dec 3-10 and I only go once every couple of years so EVERY DECISION seems much more important. I'm stressing over the following:
No 6:15 shows showing up last 6 weeks for hoop dee doo
BoG dinners being nearly impossible to book again
PW crowds now (oy!)
what day HS will close for pop warner (wednesday last year, perfect if that is the case this year, but it seems like they don't release dates til sometime in october)
um I'm sure there is more but that is top on my list right now!

 

[Lisa F]

Not often since they don't know if they'll make the play offs that far out. Maybe if their team goes year after year some will go on and book ahead. Not sure

More googling (for anyone who is following along lol) and they don't even release the package info until something like October... so maybe some savvy people will make ADRs at 180 days but they won't get the +10 unless they are REALLY disney savvy enough to make reservations without the group just for the 10 day advantage. but that is probably not the majority I'd guess, if any

 

[Kimberly9701]

Lol i am going dec 3-10 and I only go once every couple of years so EVERY DECISION seems much more important. I'm stressing over the following:
No 6:15 shows showing up last 6 weeks for hoop dee doo
BoG dinners being nearly impossible to book again
PW crowds now (oy!)
what day HS will close for pop warner (wednesday last year, perfect if that is the case this year, but it seems like they don't release dates til sometime in october)
um I'm sure there is more but that is top on my list right now!

Yeah that HS day can be potentially a big deal since all of my RDRs will be scheduled around our park days...including a F! Dinner package at H&V.. If the park was closing early would they even still show that option as available at 180 days?
Both of our MK days will be during MVMCP..one including the party, one not.