FREE DINING UPDATE- RUMOR and SPECULATION / Update Page 80 !

[su_A_ve]

Neither me, nor my hubby, nor my father or my mother got the pin (and they've been to Disney 5 times in the past 6 years)....



Then again, the current pin wouldn't work for our mother/daughter trip- we're October 1-4... going with or without FD, but oh, would it be nice...

Pins that came out in January where for August 14 to October 2 for fd

Would have been perfect. Maybe the fall offer will be the same.

 

[Bridge203618]

I know I am getting very repetative, but why oh why is everyone and their brother getting the free dining pin but me? Really I entirely know that it is very random and my chances of getting it are about zero, but it seems like one person after another after another has gotten it. It is so depressing when I could use it. At least I think I could, being we are arriving Aug 13TH. Usually they are good for the length of stay as long as you are checked in by the end date. Free QSDp is much better than the deal I have now and if by some chance regular DDP would become available for free I could always switch, but alas I have no pin.

Okay my pity party is over.

SAME HERE!! I want this PIN SO BAD!!!!!

 

[doccoc2002]

I think that is more than likely too. We leave for our vacation on Sunday. I called my TA to make sure she had my credit card number on file and ask her to make a reservation for me if Free Dining (or some other fabulous fall offer) is released while we are gone. She asked me to fax her the info but that she didn't think she would need it because she wasn't expecting Fall offers anytime soon. She was going in to an appointment and said she would email me tonight to elaborate. I asked when and if she expected something for September. She said she expected something next week, but not for fall. Her other comment was that Fall discounts were a WHEN, not an IF but that it would be "closer to the end of the school year." For the record, the end of the school year for her kids is the same as mine...May 21st.

I am now anxiously waiting for the elaboration email!

No offense against TA's but they know just as much as we do...they are Speculating just like everyone else...I put TA's right up there with CM's, they like to tell you what you want to hear...on some lines anyways. I think they read a lot online...like here for instance.

I think Disney will come out with a deal for Sept and I think it may be a good one...will it be FD?...who knows...I wish but if not hopefully it is something good that I can save money with.
Let's take a look at what Bob Iger said...he wanted to start cutting back in the latter of 2010 "if" the market allowed him too...has it?...I don't think so since they are trying to put offers out for their busiest time of year. Remember Disney's 4th quarter ends in October...So, I think that they are talking about the first quarter which would mean November-January. Not too hard to scale back given 2 big holidays that bring people in.
Now, lets take a look at what they have offered during another slow time late January/February(this year)...
they have offered a bouncebacks, room discount, 7for4deal and a gift card promo.
Now, lets look at historical promos during Jan/Feb...
bouncebacks(last year), room discounts(last year), 7for4(last year), package discounts(which are typical).
Now, lets look at the other slowest season Aug/Sept...
bounceback(so far this is all we know).
Now for the past few years...
bounceback, FD package(offered twice early{March} and later{June-last year only}), room only(last year), package deals(last year).
Now, looking at their slowest time this year and in the past...I think we may be getting the same as usual but maybe a little later.
If you look at last year Disney offered FD again in June for the same dates which leads me to believe not a lot of people went for it last year...mainly my family beacuse I had a baby and they wanted to make sure I really didn't want to go...I should of for one night then I wouldn't be waiting right now.So, they had to offer it again and then they did it again for Oct-Dec but I am focusing on Aug/Sept right now.
I think they may wait and offer it again...say...in June like they did before, maybe that worked better for them
Again just speculating here...I don't knowtrying to make sense of everything right along with you guys.

 

[Looking4themouse]

Well you are all making me feel better now. At least I am in good company. Anyway it is sounding more like no promotion will be coming out for us for a very long time, like May or June, so I guess I need some patience. Wonder if I can get that at Walmart?

Nope sorry patience is on backorder at Walmart....I tried to get some there today myself.....

 

[zamboniman333]

it's so hard not to come back and check every 5mins (or less) Can't stay away!

 

[fivebyfive]

Remember Disney's 4th quarter ends in October...So, I think that they are talking about the first quarter which would mean November-January.

Just to clarify - Disney's Q4 is July - September. Q1 is October - December.

 

[meryll83]

How did people qualify for the FD pins in January?

 

[CanadianGuy]

How did people qualify for the FD pins in January?

PINS are a bit of a mystery.. but if you've ordered the vacation planning DVD, ever stayed at a Disney resort or hotel and potentially 'planned a vacation' or two at the Disney website..

You're at least in the running.

Several more of the people who've been feeding me info, chimed in last night to say don't expect any potential F/D offer in the next 7/10 days.. it will be later than that.

So.. that's the update today. And it jives with the email I got yesterday.

And I'm still still hoping that's ALL wrong because.. this is exhausting!

 

[Luvmepluto]

PINS are a bit of a mystery.. but if you've ordered the vacation planning DVD, ever stayed at a Disney resort or hotel and potentially 'planned a vacation' or two at the Disney website..

You're at least in the running.

Several more of the people who've been feeding me info, chimed in last night to say don't expect any potential F/D offer in the next 7/10 days.. it will be later than that.

So.. that's the update today. And it jives with the email I got yesterday.

And I'm still still hoping that's ALL wrong because.. this is exhausting!

It sure is..........

I would like to get some sleep in the near future........I don't know about anyone else.

 

[kparc]

Deals or No Deals?

In the last year Disney's stock price has risen over 15 points (presently over 35 $ per share) about 45%.

The variable - will there be a substantial decrease in attendance that would off-set the ending of FD to effect the overall bottom line?

Or as Lou told Abbott - "I don't even know what I'm talking about!"

 

[CanadianGuy]

Deals or No Deals?

In the last year Disney's stock price has risen over 15 points (presently over 35 $ per share) about 45%.

The variable - will there be a substantial decrease in attendance that would off-set the ending of FD to effect the overall bottom line?

Or as Lou told Abbott - "I don't even know what I'm talking about!"

To re iterate.. (maybe I should close this thread and open an updated one..?)

The latest news is that *if* F/D is to be offered.. (and I have swung back and forth on THAT teeter totter a lot the last few days) ... the offer will be released MUCH later than everyone here on the DIS is used to ..

Remember.. we're a small subset of Disney customers.. DIS members tend to be hard core planners, who watch for the special offers etc.

The bulk of Disney customers see an ad in the paper, online or on TV and say "Hey that sounds good, let's go to Disney" - without much forethought or planning.

I know that sounds crazy to a lot of us here on the boards. But that's the hardcore truth. So we have to remember as much as a delay inconveniences US .. it's not about US.

It's about putting bodies in hotel rooms. Right now.. Disney is still concerned about the summer travel window and while the fall is of concern as well.. they're still focused on that Q3 summer travel window... and getting the bookings up there.

It is in DISNEY'S best interest to delay release of a fall promo to focus on the earlier dates.

It really is that simple.

 

[kparc]

To re iterate.. (maybe I should close this thread and open an updated one..?)

Or as Forest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that."

 

[Victoria'sMom]

Off to the today for some (finally!!) sunshine. Continuing to watch and . Thank you for all you do!

 

[black562]

I've written alot about this topic over in the dining forums, so I won't re-hash all of that.

I will however echo what has been said above. Disney needs to shore up its summer visitation numbers to offset the potential initial blow from Harry Potter. I too have had some tips concerning "some form" of free dining being offered in the near future; however, some of those were right as Universal was announcing opening date of the boy wizzard. August 14 is a key date for alot of things right now. Its the end of the summer season, most of the current promos end on that date, Summer Nightastic also ends August 14 as well.

So, as I've said before...relax everyone and don't panic. Good things will come before you know it.

 

[luvdisney00]

I've written alot about this topic over in the dining forums, so I won't re-hash all of that.

I will however echo what has been said above. Disney needs to shore up its summer visitation numbers to offset the potential initial blow from Harry Potter. I too have had some tips concerning "some form" of free dining being offered in the near future; however, some of those were right as Universal was announcing opening date of the boy wizzard. August 14 is a key date for alot of things right now. Its the end of the summer season, most of the current promos end on that date, Summer Nightastic also ends August 14 as well.

So, as I've said before...relax everyone and don't panic. Good things will come before you know it.

I know this is good advice, it's just so hard!!!!

I have no pins , no discounts at all so my only option for my late Aug trip is to be booked at rack rate. I started planning this trip thinking we would go regardless of FD or not, but now I'm not sure that I want to go during hurricane season (and it's supposed to be a bad one) in the Aug heat at rack rate. it might be a better idea to save the money and go next year, hopefully with a discount. I know pins are random and just sent to a small population, but it seems like so many people here have them, so it's hard to go and know that I am paying more than most of the people around me.

Also, I don't want to tell my kids about this trip until we are positive we are really going because they want to go so bad and would be really disappointed if we said we were going and then cancelled. Right now they think there is no way we can go this year, and I am about ready to BURST with wanting to tell them we can go.

OK as another poster said "pity party over." I just had to get that out. I guess we have no choice but to all wait together!!!

 

[g3pak]

Or as Forest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that."

Or as Tom Hanks said in Apollo 13 "And that, gentlemen, is how we do that."

 

[sjs314]

I have to agree about the Fall promo coming later than sooner. I do think now they will make public the QSDP but only until 8/14 since the room rate % off right now is not as appealing to summer visitors with kids being out of school.
I hope for all who are waiting they do end up extending it thru late Aug till end of Oct at least at some point.

 

[Princess Amy]

Did someone mention that next week another summer promotion might be coming out?

 

[nooneshome]

The bottom line is this, Disney is addicted to special offers like FD. They will tinker with it as they have recently but until I have seen otherwise I expect a pretty good offer to come out.

 

[maggiew]

To re iterate.. (maybe I should close this thread and open an updated one..?)

The latest news is that *if* F/D is to be offered.. (and I have swung back and forth on THAT teeter totter a lot the last few days) ... the offer will be released MUCH later than everyone here on the DIS is used to ..

If the offer comes out later, will it still include the last 2 weeks of Aug? What's the speculation?

Maggie