Free dining

[SaraJR]

When im on the dining page it says i can upgrade to DDP for a fee and lets me select it but when i get to the last page it says add on unavailible try later and puts me back to QS ??

 

[FRANKTSJR]

lol. Neither is "free dining" free. Most families have to spend thousands of dollars on a room / ticket / food vacation package in order to get the dining component for "free."

Also, DVC members have had a discount on Premium Annual Passes for more than 10 years now. Granted they have also run periodic discounts with extra deep savings on those passes, but I'm sure Disney and/or DVC has its own methods for deciding when that will happen.

If your line of thinking is "Disney is doing something good for the other people...why not me, too?", I think you will be consistently disappointed. DVC itself is a vehicle for obtaining deep savings on accommodations. And owners also have access to an extensive list of discounts on park admission, dining, shopping and recreation. Disney feels ZERO obligation to heap additional discounts on DVC members just because their cash hotel business is running a sale.

I can't figure out if you are just a Disney apologist or if you are trying to tell me that Disney is just a mega corporation looking to reap obscene profits without concern for customer satisfaction or loyalty.
I'm just hoping for a PAP discount.

 

[MAO]

I can't figure out if you are just a Disney apologist or if you are trying to tell me that Disney is just a mega corporation looking to reap obscene profits without concern for customer satisfaction or loyalty.
I'm just hoping for a PAP discount.

No, we're just trying to tell you that asking us what Disney's going to do is a waste of your time and ours. Disney already gave you discounts galore for buying into DVC. Wanting to know what else they are going to give you, just because you are hoping for it and whining "they are giving away free dining to other people!", is pointless. Previous posters have tried to explain why it's pointless. (Anything further I might say would get me booted from this forum, I'm sure.)

Have a nice day!

 

[FRANKTSJR]

No, we're just trying to tell you that asking us what Disney's going to do is a waste of your time and ours. Disney already gave you discounts galore for buying into DVC. Wanting to know what else they are going to give you, just because you are hoping for it and whining "they are giving away free dining to other people!", is pointless. Previous posters have tried to explain why it's pointless. (Anything further I might say would get me booted from this forum, I'm sure.)
First, I do not agree that we are getting discounts galore as DVC members. Most are available to passholders, FL residents and general public.
Second, I'm not whining and never did. Look back through this thread. I simply said I'm hoping for a discount. If you don't want to waste your time then stay out of the thread. I don't need you or anyone else to explain anything to me. I have the right to post a thread without my words being twisted. BTW- I love the (Anything further I might say would get me booted from this forum, I'm sure.)

 

[tjkraz]

First, I do not agree that we are getting discounts galore as DVC members. Most are available to passholders, FL residents and general public.

Which is meaningless if you aren't a pass holder or a FL resident. And what are these general public discounts? Maybe 15% off tours? The public doesn't get AP discounts, dining, shopping, recreation, etc. You need SOME other Disney credential in order to obtain just about any discount.

Here's the only discount which matters in regard to Disney Vacation Club: 65-75% off accommodations. Period.

I'm a small business owner so perhaps this topic hits closer to home with me than it does many others. DVC is a quid pro quo...something for something. We give Disney a large sum in advance and they provide long-term savings on lodging. Seems pretty clear. But over and over again an entitlement mentality rears its ugly head. Members see "free dining" and treat it as a personal affront. "I'm Disney's best customer so why aren't they giving ME a deal!"

If I offered my customers a long-term contract with savings of 65%, I would be dumbfounded if they came back months or years later and effectively said "I see you're giving away a free iPad with a purchase...I'm your best customer so I want that along with my 65% savings!"

Second, I'm not whining and never did. Look back through this thread. I simply said I'm hoping for a discount.

Well, you did it in a thread that you titled "Free Dining." If your entire purpose was to garner support for a PAP discount, there were probably more effective ways of doing it. There's another thread on the first page of this very forum asking about upcoming ticket specials.

We've been down this road with "free dining" in the past--members expecting (demanding) a similar offer--so perhaps you'll forgive me for making assumptions. But the initial ambiguity in your post threw that door wide open.

 

[Lynne M]

Just to clear up the miscommunication......OP, the other posters are just saying that you are getting a very significant discount on lodging by being a DVC member and using points, and are in fact getting a better deal than those who are getting comparable lodging and getting the free dining plan.

• You get a big discount on lodging, and pay full price for the DDP.
• Cash guests using the free dining promotion get a big discount on the DDP, and pay full price for lodging.

If you run the numbers, you'll see that you come out way ahead of the free dining folks, when using your points on DVC villas.

So that's why people are confused that you feel you should get an additional discount on top of that.

 

[Longhairbear]

Why anyone would want the dining plan is beyond me. We bought a vacation home folks, not a hotel room! You have a kitchen, or a kitchenette.
You are supposed to be cooking your own meals at home, when you are not going out to dine. That's what a timeshare/ DVC is all about. Didn't you know that when you bought???

 

[FRANKTSJR]

I surrender. I promise to never hope for a discount again. I now realize, thanks to the posters on this thread, that I have already been heaped with generous DVC discounts and hoping for any further discount is very greedy.

 

[disneynutz]

I'll take any discount that I can get but experience shows that Disney discounts are targeted and while a guest may realize a savings in one area, the discount actually causes additional spending in another.

Bill

 

[nalajms]

Why anyone would want the dining plan is beyond me. We bought a vacation home folks, not a hotel room! You have a kitchen, or a kitchenette.
You are supposed to be cooking your own meals at home, when you are not going out to dine. That's what a timeshare/ DVC is all about. Didn't you know that when you bought???

What? There's a kitchen? We bought for the bigger space, w/d, and big fridge. My 2yo is the only that ever opens the drawers and cabinets to hide stuff.

We frequently buy DDP. I just priced out a CR-Tower-Bay Lake View room with free dining. If I take out the price of the tickets and DDP, the room comes out to $416 per night, which is cheaper than the summer room discount. Assuming $12 per point, my 1bedroom at BLT is about $100 less for the trip. Switching from a 1 bedroom to a hotel room? I'm pretty sure DH would throw a fit.

 

[LisaS]

I surrender. I promise to never hope for a discount again. I now realize, thanks to the posters on this thread, that I have already been heaped with generous DVC discounts and hoping for any further discount is very greedy.

I don't see it as greedy -- who wouldn't want all the discounts they can get? But I do have a question for you. It's always the free dining promotion that causes someone to post here asking why DVC members booking on points don't get free dining or some other discount to compensate for not getting free dining. As far as I can recall, no DVCer has ever asked why DVC points reservations aren't included in the "Pay for 4 nights, stay for 7" promotion or why, when Disney is offering 25% off room rates at deluxe hotels we don't get 25% off the point rates at DVC resorts. Somehow, everyone understands that those other offers are promotions to fill hotel rooms at slow times but they don't see that free dining is exactly the same thing except that instead of a room discount Disney offers free food. What is it about free food that makes some DVC members feel slighted when those other discount offers do not? Just curious.

ETA: While I did pose the question to the OP, if anyone else would like to weigh in (and you might want to do that before taking advantage of free dining) I've been curious for a long time why it's just the free dining promo that gets some DVC members upset. Is it because a 25% room rate discount is a fixed number but you can maximize your discount with free dining by always purchasing the most expensive item on the menu?

 

[hakepb]

I wouldn't mind if Disney tried to "lock in" my dining $ by upselling my DVC points stay with an occasional discounted DDP offer.

 

[nkosiek]

I wouldn't mind if Disney tried to "lock in" my dining $ by upselling my DVC points stay with an occasional discounted DDP offer.

They typically do this by providing a $3-5/per day price differential between DVC pricing and regular pricing. Not a lot, but a small difference. Also, I gather plenty of people buy the dining plan regardless of having access to kitchens/kitchenettes, so as others have asked, why would Disney do it (this is rhetorical, not an actual question)?

 

[hakepb]

I realize it wasn't an actual question

In my situation, I know OOP is cheaper than the DDP. I kinda enjoyed aspects of the DDP as I took more "risks" which resulted in the discovery of some of our favorites.

When I go OOP to save money...I spend less than projected and Disney gets less.

If Disney wanted to "meet me in the middle" with an upsell, discounted DDP, (way back in my cash room days, we were up sold when calling back about our room-only reservation) I would give Disney more $. More $$$ is what's in it for Disney.

 

[DougEMG]

I once rented my points out and booked the free dining package. Worked out fine. We haven't bothered doing it since because the rest of the family would rather stay at BWV and pay cash for food than staying at CBR with free dining.

I certainly wouldn't mind another discounted PAP.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I realize it wasn't an actual question

In my situation, I know OOP is cheaper than the DDP. I kinda enjoyed aspects of the DDP as I took more "risks" which resulted in the discovery of some of our favorites.

When I go OOP to save money...I spend less than projected and Disney gets less.

If Disney wanted to "meet me in the middle" with an upsell, discounted DDP, (way back in my cash room days, we were up sold when calling back about our room-only reservation) I would give Disney more $. More $$$ is what's in it for Disney.

I'm not sure I understand how Disney gets more money. You're not spending any more on dining and probably spending less. Unless you eat as much when you are not on the dining plan as when you are on the dining plan. DP doesn't pay for appetizers or better beverages. And we usually get those with our entrée and dessert OOP. We don't do the dining plan because that's just too much eating.

 

[Dean]

First, I do not agree that we are getting discounts galore as DVC members. Most are available to passholders, FL residents and general public.
Second, I'm not whining and never did. Look back through this thread. I simply said I'm hoping for a discount. If you don't want to waste your time then stay out of the thread. I don't need you or anyone else to explain anything to me. I have the right to post a thread without my words being twisted. BTW- I love the (Anything further I might say would get me booted from this forum, I'm sure.)

IMO it's OK to ask or desire discounts, perks, etc. The problems arise when people feel they are owed them and/or upset that they don't have them. Your title and OP suggested that was your mindset whether it was intended or not, further posts are less clear. IMO there are quite a few discounts for DVC members, that many are available to other groups is irrelevant IMO. One of my mantras is that someone else's gain is not necessarily my loss. Hopefully it doesn't apply to you but in general and here on DIS, there is quite a bit of entitlement mentality, even worse than the general population IMO. Basically that people have paid a huge fee in their minds means DVC should continue to court them. It's like Marrying a princess, one can't out earn that situation.

 

[Dean]

I realize it wasn't an actual question

In my situation, I know OOP is cheaper than the DDP. I kinda enjoyed aspects of the DDP as I took more "risks" which resulted in the discovery of some of our favorites.

When I go OOP to save money...I spend less than projected and Disney gets less.

If Disney wanted to "meet me in the middle" with an upsell, discounted DDP, (way back in my cash room days, we were up sold when calling back about our room-only reservation) I would give Disney more $. More $$$ is what's in it for Disney.

You'd have to spend less than half as much to swing the pendulum to the other side since the food costs to Disney are about 50% of what the register price (unless the formula has changed). Disney has a habit of selling things at around break even and making you think it's a great deal, the DDP certainly qualifies. They also have a strong habit of offering something that is a deal initially with the intent of establishing habits that remain after the deal is long gone, the DDP fits that for most people as well.

 

[gdrj]

Crankiness aside on this thread.

I'm a DVC member, and enjoy DVC and think that for our family it is well worth it. Also I'm not a fan of the Dining Plan, having only used once. If the DDP had an appetizer option and you didn't need to choose the most expensive dish to break even, we might use it.

1- I am not getting "discounts" on vacations. I purchased DVC and for that price, and paying my annual fees I get to use DVC for vacations that I've paid for. While it may be marketed as receiving a discount Disney is charging the max they can for DVC ownership. They also are capturing my future vacations (of course I could trade out, but I dont believe most people do) If I did not own DVC I would not visit Disney as often, I would most likely use my vacation budget outside of Disney more often.

2-Not speaking of anyone on this post, sometimes newer DVC members don't understand that DVC operates separate form the hotels, and the "Free" Dining is used to fill rooms.

3-The "free" dining which is popular, is offered at times (at least I believe it is) when there are no room discounts and require park passes. It probably saves you more money than a 30% Summer discount on a room, so in that regard it is a good deal.

4- Offering DVC discounts or "perks" is something that once you have, you do not want to be taken away. Be it tour discounts, boating, mini-golf etc. Most companies provide discounts or incentives to generate revenue. By offering discounts to DVC members it encourages members to use or purchase items etc. It is not done out of the goodness of Disney, and that is NOT a criticism. When I see people complain that Disney is all about money- of course they are, aren't most companies? We can all reminisce about the way it use to be or Walt would not let xyz happen, of course the cost of gas was 30 cents, and you didn't pump it yourself.

Disney will offer DVC discounts that make sense for them. Will there be mgt that try to save a few bucks and don't understand DVC member loyalty and repetition of business, absolutely. For us being able to purchase TIW as a DVC member is something that is important to us, and because of that discount we have 3 trips planned this year with multiple dining reservations. Without that TIW DVC "discount" we would make fewer dining reservations, and purchase fewer or less expensive meals and drink less alcohol.

 

[hakepb]

I'm not sure I understand how Disney gets more money. You're not spending any more on dining and probably spending less. Unless you eat as much when you are not on the dining plan as when you are on the dining plan. DP doesn't pay for appetizers or better beverages. And we usually get those with our entrée and dessert OOP. We don't do the dining plan because that's just too much eating.

Theoretically, if the DDP is $60/night but I typically spend $45/night (on items the DDP covers).
I might be willing to buy the DDP at a discounted $50/night so Disney would get an extra $5-$10/night from me.
I might pay a little more due to the convenience aspect of it.

A discounted DDP is a great thing for Disney in the long run. My first DDP was $25/night (back when it was $30/night in the good days when it included appetizer and gratuity )
But the DDP opened me up to more TS dining, and I now plan to spend more on dining per trip.