Free dining?

[Myothername]

Any ideas if they will have this again in the winter months like last year?

 

[Missytara]

It is anybody's guess.

Disney says they are cutting back on discounts this year.

They have already announced free dining and you had to book it by December 2010.

I doubt it, but it is anyone's guess at this point.

I wouldn't count on it, but be pleased if it does.

 

[Myothername]

It is anybody's guess.

Disney says they are cutting back on discounts this year.

They have already announced free dining and you had to book it by December 2010.

I doubt it, but it is anyone's guess at this point.

I wouldn't count on it, but be pleased if it does.

We aren't counting on it but when I saw that it had been done last year at the same time we were going I got a little excited. We will just have to wait and see.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

It is anybody's guess.

Disney says they are cutting back on discounts this year.

They have already announced free dining and you had to book it by December 2010.

I doubt it, but it is anyone's guess at this point.

I wouldn't count on it, but be pleased if it does.

Disney hasn't cut back on any discount this year, yet. The FD offer that had to be booked by December only went through October 1, 2011. Also, there has been another FD offer announced since then, which is the current offer for August 28 - September 24, 2011.

Most everyone on the Codes and Rates Board are guessing that select FD dates for October - December will be coming out in July or August.

 

[smidgy]

Disney hasn't cut back on any discount this year, yet. The FD offer that had to be booked by December only went through October 1, 2011. Also, there has been another FD offer announced since then, which is the current offer for August 28 - September 24, 2011.

Most everyone on the Codes and Rates Board are guessing that select FD dates for October - December will be coming out in July or August.

technically, this is not true. the current free dining offer is a cut back from previous free dining offers for the same time of year. you now are required to purchase a $100 photopass book to get the free dining.

 

[havoc315]

technically, this is not true. the current free dining offer is a cut back from previous free dining offers for the same time of year. you now are required to purchase a $100 photopass book to get the free dining.

My thought exactly. They are clearly trying to cut back on the discounts, but no sign of eliminating them entirely.

 

[2Tiggies]

My thought exactly. They are clearly trying to cut back on the discounts, but no sign of eliminating them entirely.

It looks more like they are making guests contribute towards their free dining by making other purchases conditional. Up until last year, you only had to purchase a one day base ticket per person per room to qualify for the promotion. Then they made it a minimum of a 2 day ticket. I don't think the average guest used to feel that as much (I am disregarding those with AP or who have leftover days on previous tickets) as most people are buying tickets anyway. It just forced them to buy them as part of a package instead of searching elsewhere for them. But add on a 2 day base ticket plus a photopass photobook, added to rack rate rooms, it really won't be cost effective for some.

So while they may not be cutting back on discounts obviously, they are definitely raising the stakes for you to qualify for it, making it less of a discount.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

technically, this is not true. the current free dining offer is a cut back from previous free dining offers for the same time of year. you now are required to purchase a $100 photopass book to get the free dining.

No, it is true. This is actually the SECOND free dining offer for the curret FD time frame. The FD offer they put out last fall covered many dates for 2011 that had never been offered before and then gave people a second chance at the end of August -September dates. They have released more free dining dates in 2011 than they have ever released before - since the introduction of of FD in 2005.

Plus, I would bet good money that come July/August there will be additional free dining dates for October - December.

 

[havoc315]

Plus, I would bet good money that come July/August there will be additional free dining dates for October - December.

I suspect you are right about there being additional offers.. But I also suspect those offers to be less generous than in the past. They may again require the purchase of Photopass.. thus reducing the discount by $100. Or, as done with certain PINs, they may only give the QSDP to moderate resort guests.

They have talked about "weaning" the public from the expectation of generous discounts. If they entirely eliminated discounts.. when considering the price difference between onsite and off-site... they would certainly risk losing more and more guests to off site. But, they will do everything they can to push the envelope.. reduce the discounts as much as they can get away with.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I suspect you are right about there being additional offers.. But I also suspect those offers to be less generous than in the past. They may again require the purchase of Photopass.. thus reducing the discount by $100. Or, as done with certain PINs, they may only give the QSDP to moderate resort guests.

They have talked about "weaning" the public from the expectation of generous discounts. If they entirely eliminated discounts.. when considering the price difference between onsite and off-site... they would certainly risk losing more and more guests to off site. But, they will do everything they can to push the envelope.. reduce the discounts as much as they can get away with.

Well, Free Dining saves us almost $1,500.00, so I don't have any issue with the whole $90.00 photobook option.

I think the Disney machine is going to keep putting info out there that they are cutting back on discounts, but, personally, I think it's just all part of the Disney marketing ploy and game. Discounts like Free Dining have made them a fortune and have turned formally empty park and resort weeks into moderately crowd-filled parks and resort weeks. Also, with these new price hikes, they can't afford to "wean" the public off these discounts. Of course, it's all speculation, buy I don't really see the status quo changing too much when it comes to Disney discounts.

 

[aubriee]

Well, Free Dining saves us almost $1,500.00, so I don't have any issue with the whole $90.00 photobook option.

I think the Disney machine is going to keep putting info out there that they are cutting back on discounts, but, personally, I think it's just all part of the Disney marketing ploy and game.

Even with the required two day park tickets and $99.00 photobook free dining is a good deal for large families. However, for solos or couples who have an AP it's pretty worthless. We used to do free dining every year, but now a room discount easily beats free dining. I currently have a bounceback deal booked for my Sept trip. When the free dining offer came out I compared the two and couldn't believe how much more free dining would cost me. Rack rate moderate room, two day tickets I don't need, plus that $99.00 photobook, not only wiped out any discount from the free DDP, but round up costing several hundred dollars more than more current deal. Also the AP discounts that have come out for the last several months are significantly less than they've been in the past percentage wise. So for solos and couples the discounts this year are not near as good as they've been in the past.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Even with the required two day park tickets and $99.00 photobook free dining is a good deal for large families. However, for solos or couples who have an AP it's pretty worthless. We used to do free dining every year, but now a room discount easily beats free dining. I currently have a bounceback deal booked for my Sept trip. When the free dining offer came out I compared the two and couldn't believe how much more free dining would cost me. Rack rate moderate room, two day tickets I don't need, plus that $99.00 photobook, not only wiped out any discount from the free DDP, but round up costing several hundred dollars more than more current deal. Also the AP discounts that have come out for the last several months are significantly less than they've been in the past percentage wise. So for solos and couples the discounts this year are not near as good as they've been in the past.

I think free dining is still a huge money saver for any family of 3 or over that is staying value or moderate. FD has never been as a big a savings for solos or couples - usually just slightly more than the room discount if you are staying value or moderate. Unfortunately, I think the AP crowd now falls into that category that the DVCers are in - Disney's gotcha anyway and they aren't worried about giving any discounts. I mean I think they view it as, APers have purchased the ticket, so you are coming anyway, maybe not quite as much, but you are still coming.

 

[havoc315]

Well, Free Dining saves us almost $1,500.00, so I don't have any issue with the whole $90.00 photobook option.

I think the Disney machine is going to keep putting info out there that they are cutting back on discounts, but, personally, I think it's just all part of the Disney marketing ploy and game. Discounts like Free Dining have made them a fortune and have turned formally empty park and resort weeks into moderately crowd-filled parks and resort weeks. Also, with these new price hikes, they can't afford to "wean" the public off these discounts. Of course, it's all speculation, buy I don't really see the status quo changing too much when it comes to Disney discounts.

It's not marketing.. They are telling their investors that they are weaning discounts. If you lie to your investors... that can lead to a lawsuit.

I doubt we will see discounts disappear entirely, in the near future. But you will see discounts becoming less and less generous..... being offered for fewer and fewer days of the year.

They were quite proud of themselves in the last quarter, where bookings were up, even with less discounts than the prior comparable quarters.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

It's not marketing.. They are telling their investors that they are weaning discounts. If you lie to your investors... that can lead to a lawsuit.

I doubt we will see discounts disappear entirely, in the near future. But you will see discounts becoming less and less generous..... being offered for fewer and fewer days of the year.

They were quite proud of themselves in the last quarter, where bookings were up, even with less discounts than the prior comparable quarters.

It's not marketing? Please. They have said for the last 3 or 4 year, in the middle of a recession, mind you, that they are going to be cutting back on discounts. Hasn't really happened yet. They offered more free dining dates in 2011 than ever before - irregarless of the measley photobook offer. They aren't "lying" to their investors. The Disney Machine is out there doing what they do, spinning their spin, doing anything they can to fill up their resorts and parks and guess what? It's working! I don't think any investors are going to be suing them anytime soon.

 

[havoc315]

It's not marketing? Please. They have said for the last 3 or 4 year, in the middle of a recession, mind you, that they are going to be cutting back on discounts. Hasn't really happened yet. They offered more free dining dates in 2011 than ever before - irregarless of the measley photobook offer. They aren't "lying" to their investors. The Disney Machine is out there doing what they do, spinning their spin, doing anything they can to fill up their resorts and parks and guess what? It's working! I don't think any investors are going to be suing them anytime soon.

As a Disney stock holder, I feel that Disney has been up front in their quarterly reports. It is only very recent that they have discuss major efforts to reduce discounts. And in the last quarter, they broke down the stats very specifically, of how they have in fact reduced the use of discounts in the last quarter.
To the general public, of course there is spin and marketing. And investors get a different type of spin... But the facts are that they are reducing use of discounts.

That said, free dining is one of the best discounts as far as Disney's bottom line. A family of 4 may feel lime they are saving $120 per day or more... But the discount actually costs Disney far less than that. On the other hand, to discount a $400 room by 40%... actually takes $160 away from Disney.

Discounts aren't dead.. But they will get smaller and smaller. Just as the current fd offer is about $100 smaller than prior fd offers.

Disney may also start waiting until 45 days out to announce Discounts, so that it is too late for old bookings to apply the discount.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

As a Disney stock holder, I feel that Disney has been up front in their quarterly reports. It is only very recent that they have discuss major efforts to reduce discounts. And in the last quarter, they broke down the stats very specifically, of how they have in fact reduced the use of discounts in the last quarter.
To the general public, of course there is spin and marketing. And investors get a different type of spin... But the facts are that they are reducing use of discounts.

That said, free dining is one of the best discounts as far as Disney's bottom line. A family of 4 may feel lime they are saving $120 per day or more... But the discount actually costs Disney far less than that. On the other hand, to discount a $400 room by 40%... actually takes $160 away from Disney.

Discounts aren't dead.. But they will get smaller and smaller. Just as the current fd offer is about $100 smaller than prior fd offers.

Disney may also start waiting until 45 days out to announce Discounts, so that it is too late for old bookings to apply the discount.

You are making it sound like you have the inside track on Disney Discounts because you are a stock holder. Those reports are public and the links have been shared here on the Dis for years - we've all read them too. And really, they pretty much give the same line every year about discounts. But, it's really here nor there, you nor I know exactly what Disney will do next in regard to discounts - it's ALL speculation.

Also, you can still apply a discount after the 45 day mark, you can apply one up to 48 hours before arrival. There may or may not be a $50.00 fee, but you can most definitely add a discount inside the 45 window.

 

[havoc315]

You are making it sound like you have the inside track on Disney Discounts because you are a stock holder. Those reports are public and the links have been shared here on the Dis for years - we've all read them too. And really, they pretty much give the same line every year about discounts. But, it's really here nor there, you nor I know exactly what Disney will do next in regard to discounts - it's ALL speculation.

Also, you can still apply a discount after the 45 day mark, you can apply one up to 48 hours before arrival. There may or may not be a $50.00 fee, but you can most definitely add a discount inside the 45 window.

The future is speculation. I have no inside track, I simply have been listening to the publicly disclosed investor information for several years. They do not give the same line every year about discounts. At times in the past, they have said they were going to increase use of discounts --- and then they did so. Now, they say they are reducing use of discounts, and they are telling the truth.
At the last quarterly disclosure, they broke down dollar by dollar, how they have reduced dependence on discounts so far in 2011.
The future is speculation... But the present is fact. And in the present, they are reducing discounts.
The discounts being offered exactly 1 year ago, were bigger and offered for a longer period, than the discounts being offered now.
You can say, "its still a discount." Which is true. But it is a smaller discount, than seen in the last few years.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

The future is speculation. I have no inside track, I simply have been listening to the publicly disclosed investor information for several years. They do not give the same line every year about discounts. At times in the past, they have said they were going to increase use of discounts --- and then they did so. Now, they say they are reducing use of discounts, and they are telling the truth.
At the last quarterly disclosure, they broke down dollar by dollar, how they have reduced dependence on discounts so far in 2011.
The future is speculation... But the present is fact. And in the present, they are reducing discounts.
The discounts being offered exactly 1 year ago, were bigger and offered for a longer period, than the discounts being offered now.
You can say, "its still a discount." Which is true. But it is a smaller discount, than seen in the last few years.

They offered more Free Dining Dates in 2011 than EVER before, in any other previous year. Even if you take into account this little photobook fd option that is attached to the current fd promo, it's still more discounts than 2010 - they even had a free dining promo that cover Memorial Day Weekend - they never give deep discount like FD over polular holiday weekends, but they did this year. I don't need to re-read the stock holders report to see that they have/will offered more FD weeks in 2011 than 2010, and they haven't even released FD for October - December yet.

 

[havoc315]

They offered more Free Dining Dates in 2011 than EVER before, in any other previous year. Even if you take into account this little photobook fd option that is attached to the current fd promo, it's still more discounts than 2010 - they even had a free dining promo that cover Memorial Day Weekend - they never give deep discount like FD over polular holiday weekends, but they did this year. I don't need to re-read the stock holders report to see that they have/will offered more FD weeks in 2011 than 2010, and they haven't even released FD for October - December yet.

You are missing the point. About 1 year ago... in May of 2010, they announced future bookings were down, as they had less discounts than in 2009. Bookings were down by 10%. They openly told investors they might need to roll out more discounts to make up for the gap in bookings. Then, just as they told investors... three months later, in August of 2010.. they rolled out a huge amount of free dining dates, to cover much of late 2010 and much of 2011.
All those bookings had to be made by December. And that discount was still far less generous than many 2008-2009 discounts. Free dining is a much smaller discount than the buy 4, get 3.. that they used to run. It is smaller than a 40% room discount.
So yes... just as they told investors... in 2010, future bookings were down, and they rolled out a discount to push up bookings.
Once bookings have been at a good clip, they stopped rolling out many new discounts in 2011. In mid June 2010, you could still get a room discount for July 2010. No such offers around now. Now they are telling investors that the higher price points are sticking, and they are telling investors they will not use discounts as much as in the past.

Might they still roll out some pretty significant free dining dates? Yes, they might. In fact, I do expect some sort of discount to be rolled out for fall/winter. But just as the FD discount for September 2011 is smaller than the FD discount for September 2010... future discounts will mostly be smaller than past discounts.

You keep saying "free dining" as if it is the biggest discount, and unchanged from the past. In fact, free dining is really a lesser Disney discount... and it has been reduced from prior offers. (Reduced by $100 with the mandatory photo book purchase). For a family lf 4, staying 5 nights... that's nearly a 20% reduction in the value of the discount.

 

[havoc315]

Not going to continue discussing in circles. So I'll just end with a quote from the Disney President, November 2010, with the quarterly earning report:

“We’ve always had promotions in the marketplace for Parks and Resorts, primarily for what we call shoulder periods or the times of the year that you don’t have peak travel, and we’re going to continue to do that. But what we’re seeing in the marketplace today is that even those promotions are of slightly shorter duration than they had been and slightly better pricing than they had been, and we hope that we continue to trend more in that direction.”