free dinning plan an annual thing?

[allaboutmm]

Not sure if this is where I should post this but I have a question I wanted to throw out there. Does anyone think that next end of Aug-Sept2007 WDW will be offering the free dinning plan again?

 

[Sarangel]

It depends entirely on their business model. I don't think they've made any announcement yet.

In my personal opinion, they'll do whatever they have to to book up that late August/early September period that is traditionally low attendance.

 

[Andrew2005]

It is already available for people in the UK, I know quite a few holiday companies are offering it, and it's also available via disneyworld.co.uk.

Me and my family have booked for 18th August - 1st September next year to take advantage of it.

So I wouldn't be suprised if they do announce it everywhere.

 

[allaboutmm]

 

[tjkraz]

I admit I'll be a little surprised if they do the free dining again on roughly the same dates with the same terms.

The purpose of a good promotion is to generate additional business, not to siphon it off of other times of the year. If it reaches a point where the free dining becomes an expected feature for trips from mid-August through September, suddenly you'll have people changing their trip dates to coincide with the promotion. The value of the promotion is clearly diminished if a large number of guests simply defer their normal trips in July, early-August or even October in favor of the free dining period. Then suddenly it's not generating as much new business--it's just shifting existing business from one period to the next.

Ideally Disney wants people who discovered WDW via the free dining to continue returning at higher prices (and profit margins.) At the same time, creating a different incentive program may help lure new guests who weren't swayed by the free food.

Earlier this decade they ran a "buy 4 nights get 7" program two years in a row. It didn't return for a third year as Disney opted to try something different. I guess only time will tell whether the same thing happens with the dining promotion.

 

[lgaston]

I'd like to see the free dining plan moved to the april-may period.

 

[MJMcBride]

It depends entirely on their business model. I don't think they've made any announcement yet.

In my personal opinion, they'll do whatever they have to to book up that late August/early September period that is traditionally low attendance.

What she said. If they can't get people to the parks during hurricane season, they will do what they have to to spice things up.