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

[mousebit]

We have reservations at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Studios this year from October 1-October 8. If Disney offers free dining then we will switch our trips and go back to Disney this year. If they don't...Universal Studios to see the new Harry Potter park. I am not going to spend twice the money to go to Disney and stay in a value resort when we can go to Universal for half the price and stay in a 4 star hotel. It is easy math. I certainly hope they offer free dining. They offered us a bounceback deal when we checked out last year with free dining. We just didn't have our plans yet. So I hope Disney is listening to us!!!

That's what we're doing too!

I keep saying the Disney marketing folks are really missing the target this year. With Harry Potter coming to US, it's not the time to offer incentives ONLY to families with young children.

 

[CanadianGuy]

And I'll add here.. even under NightMare Scenario -- there is still a possibility of free dining.. just later public announcement and so forth.. and / or possibly for weird combinations of dates.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I am not going to spend twice the money to go to Disney and stay in a value resort when we can go to Universal for half the price and stay in a 4 star hotel. It is easy math.

Is Hard Rock really that cheap? You are really making me think now. My DS has been wanting to go to Universal for years. I prefer Disney, but if I could get Universal much cheaper than Disney, maybe I will rethink my plans.

 

[luvdisney00]

This promo is timed to start as kids go back to school, so kids being free does not effectively meet the target crowd going at that time. It would work great in the summer.
Many people without kids or with preschoolers wait for school to resume and go in this time period. Kids free would not benefit the majority of them.

I agree. This seems like a silly promo to offer at this time of year and most likely wouldn't fill rooms as FD has in the past. If this is offered I'd bet it would be along with another promo that would benefit other demographics.

 

[newdeal]

I think we will go no matter what, however with free dining we would stay at disney and go to the parks or waterparks everyday, without free dining we would stay offsite and use the rest of the three days left on our ticket, probobly do a waterpark and then go to seaworld, bush gardens and maybe aquatica

 

[TheRatPack]

Actually we and many people we know who got big refunds last year owe big this year because Obama decreased payroll withholding on weekly paychecks to stimulate the economy. The matching cut in taxes never came, so we all owe big come April. Yep, that extra money in our paycheck now goes back to Uncle Sam. This is very often a family's "vacation fund" and could prevent many from booking.
Ask around--I don't know of big refunds this year. Rather people are scrambling to pay the tax man.
I could see a sizable drop in bookings because of this, not an increase.

I'm just saying it would be a reason for spending increases in February...... Everyone I know got money back that has before.....with little change in how much. I don't know off hand anyone that had to pay....but maybe 1 or 2 people that I figure they pay since they are single/no kids...etc. No one openly fussed about it though so maybe there are more that paid and I am just not aware of it?

 

[Port Orleans fan]

Thanks Knox for the info.

I'm sitting here with airline tickets and time off work, but I have no where to go......yet, LOL.

I'm waiting for ANY fall discount to be announced before I book at CBR. If there is no free dining, I'll just add dining on to my package. I just hope that the fall discount (whatever it is) is good.


Hurry up fall discount!

 

[maggiew]

Is Hard Rock really that cheap? You are really making me think now. My DS has been wanting to go to Universal for years. I prefer Disney, but if I could get Universal much cheaper than Disney, maybe I will rethink my plans.

I have a reservation at the Royal Pacific for $125 per night for the last week of August. I priced out Hard Rock too and it was just a little more.

Maggie

 

[doccoc2002]

Actually we and many people we know who got big refunds last year owe big this year because Obama decreased payroll withholding on weekly paychecks to stimulate the economy. The matching cut in taxes never came, so we all owe big come April. Yep, that extra money in our paycheck now goes back to Uncle Sam. This is very often a family's "vacation fund" and could prevent many from booking.
Ask around--I don't know of big refunds this year. Rather people are scrambling to pay the tax man.
I could see a sizable drop in bookings because of this, not an increase.

I got a BIG refund!!!! Thanx Prez Obama!!!

 

[MinnieTink]

I have a reservation at the Royal Pacific for $125 per night for the last week of August. I priced out Hard Rock too and it was just a little more.

Maggie

Universal is my plan B as well...and it's looking better by the minute. This waiting game is stinko!

 

[TammiDZ]

Thanks Knox for the info.

I'm sitting here with airline tickets and time off work, but I have no where to go......yet, LOL.

I'm waiting for ANY fall discount to be announced before I book at CBR. If there is no free dining, I'll just add dining on to my package. I just hope that the fall discount (whatever it is) is good.


Hurry up fall discount!

You can book your trip and then add the promotion on when it comes out. If you don't like/want the promotion, you can cancel with no penalties to get your $200 back. This way you can go ahead and make any ADRs.

 

[G&J's Mom]

I have a reservation at the Royal Pacific for $125 per night for the last week of August. I priced out Hard Rock too and it was just a little more.

Maggie

OMG!!! That is an AWESOME rate!!! LOVE RPR.

 

[MinnieTink]

You can book your trip and then add the promotion on when it comes out. If you don't like/want the promotion, you can cancel with no penalties to get your $200 back. This way you can go ahead and make any ADRs.

My ADRs are made and I do not have my Vacation booked yet. You just can't do the 180 plus 10...just 180 out.... right??

 

[LuccaDrake]

If FD (or promo with equivalent savings) isn't offered we'll have to give serious thought to doing Universal this year. We planned on visiting one day regardless, but now they may be getting all of our business.

 

[Melanie230]

I know this was claimed in the beginning when the withholdings went into effect. I was worried about this because we are a 2 income family and they said that those were the ones who would get hit because the total withholdings would be subtracted from BOTH. So I was afraid that we would have to pay back half come tax time. Luckily we didn't!

I personally know of NO ONE who got hit with this and owe Uncle Sam back from the withholdings.

This was the first year since we have been married (19 years!) that we got a refund! It was mainly because I bought an eco-car eligible for the tax credit. And we hadn't figured that into our tax plan. So it was a nice surprise in the end. Normally we owe just a little and we plan it that way.

To stay on topic, since this quick August trip that I am planning on taking is just DH & I to celebrate our anniversary, I think a % off or a 4/3 will fit us better than free dining.

Maggie

Almost everyone we know either paid the IRS OR their refund was greatly reduced because of the withholding. Thank goodness we got a refund, but it was reduced due to the withholding reduction. We have neighbors that just did their taxes and have to pay in $2000.

 

[KTJAY]

Originally Posted by

Oh, I just remembered another discount they've offered. Last year one of the Alice PIN codes was adults at kid prices. While that's not much of a savings on the tickets, it is a HUGE savings on the dining. This deal is great for families like mine where we're all paying adult prices right now. It becomes a very similar price to free dining with my particular family configuration and I bet people could easily upgrade their children to 10 on their reservations to get adult dining for no extra cost (you pay kid prices either way so why wouldn't you?).

I like the sounds of this one. It would be great with our group of 5 disney adults.

 

[Kelly in NY]

I am currently booked at POR with a 30% off moderate pin code for late august but hoping for FD. changing to FD would save us almost $400 over using the pin code for our family of 5 (2 adults 3 kids ages 8,8 and 5). Here's hoping for something really good for late august/fall dates (not wanting to sound greedy or anything, I am pretty happy with the 30%, but FD would be great since this is our "budget vacation" year and shouldn't even be going to WDW, we usually go every other year!)

 

[Melanie230]

That's what we're doing too!

I keep saying the Disney marketing folks are really missing the target this year. With Harry Potter coming to US, it's not the time to offer incentives ONLY to families with young children.

We absolutely LOVE Universal Studios. Last year was our first trip to Disney. I was lucky enough to get tickets to Universal from my AAA office so I have the 7 day unlimited tickets for $99. The onsite hotels at Universal ALSO has a great offer now. Stay more save more. We are staying 7 nights/8 days for $131 a night. So our hotel is just over $1000. When I checked the current rates for Disney tickets and Pop Century it was over $2000. So it is a no brainer for us to just go to Universal for $1400 and stay at the Hard Rock Hotel with unlimited Front of the Line passes. But if Disney decides to give us Free Dining...we will book at Pop again, and purchase Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween tickets again. We will see!!!!

 

[2BOYMOM]

Thank you Knox, for the post.

We are currently booked at CBR August 14-21 using a 30% PIN code and we have dining booked (have made all my ADRs). IF FD is offered, I will change my package (change arrival to 8-15) to the free dining (assuming it's even offered for this week). If not, then I will probably just drop the dining from my package and get rid of some ADRs. We love eating TS but are just as happy with CS. We are going either way, but would love FD.

 

[TammiDZ]

My ADRs are made and I do not have my Vacation booked yet. You just can't do the 180 plus 10...just 180 out.... right??

I could be TOTALLY wrong here, but this is the impression I was under. If you make dining reservations without your resort/disney reservation, the dining reservations cannot be applied to your trip as part of free dining - if free dining does come out. They would have to be cancelled and re-booked. Like I said, I'm not sure if this is accurate - it's just what I had heard.

Off the subject - I'm not here to talk politics, but I got a huge refund and everyone that was willing to discuss their taxes, all told me that they got a refund too. I haven't heard of anyone saying they owed taxes. Okay - I'm done with that - now back on to more important issues - fall promotions!!!!!