frustrated!

[ford family]

I have an idea. Get rid of free dining.

Please, please, please, please!

ford family

 

[sjs314]

I'm hoping they don't offer FD the week we are going. *crossing fingers*

No FD the week I am going Nov 8-13 (it starts 11/12)

Does FD really make all the eating places crazy busy?
I rather get a room discount and pay OOP for meals anyway

 

[Shih-Tzu]

When I booked 1-8 Dec, web sites,etc, etc all indicated that this was an uncrowded time for WDW and a great week to go (in fact on site had it rated as the 2nd best week of the year to visit...)
Me thinks me made a boo-boo. (the only thing I was warned of was to stay clear of the MK the day of the parade taping...)

 

[sjs314]

When I booked 1-8 Dec, web sites,etc, etc all indicated that this was an uncrowded time for WDW and a great week to go (in fact on site had it rated as the 2nd best week of the year to visit...)
Me thinks me made a boo-boo. (the only thing I was warned of was to stay clear of the MK the day of the parade taping...)

When I first started to plan this years vacation, we were looking at going the first week of December and staying at POR, then I read on the DIS about Pop Warner and POR being an overflow resort for Pop Warner

Luckly I then recieved a pin# for room discount so changed my weeks to November and to AKV I have my fingers crossed hopeing for low crowds but since my week was blacked out for the Monster Pin and FD , now I am a little it just might be busy in the parks that week

 

[FergieTCat]

I am tenatively scheduled to visit December 13th through 18th. I didn't want to deal with the parade or Pop Warner. I got a PIN code for a discount on a Value Resort, so that's what I'm going with. I can live without free dining and I don't want to spend the extra $$$ to stay in a moderate resort.

 

[LuvLDM]

I have an idea. Get rid of free dining.

I hate the free dining promotion. We are going early January, right after New Years and I will be hugely disappointed if they offer free dining then.

 

[cheerful chickadee]

from what I understand...pop warner really only affects the value resorts in which they stay, many have said they do not impact park crowds. I'm assuming the reason that week is blacked out is because Disney does not need any help filling the resorts that week.

My question is...if your dates are Dec 1 -8th, does that mean you can get one night of free dining since the blackout is Dec 2-10th? how does that work? Or is it like if you check in during free dining you will get it for the whole stay?

 

[Jennasis]

from what I understand...pop warner really only affects the value resorts in which they stay, many have said they do not impact park crowds. I'm assuming the reason that week is blacked out is because Disney does not need any help filling the resorts that week.

My question is...if your dates are Dec 1 -8th, does that mean you can get one night of free dining since the blackout is Dec 2-10th? how does that work? Or is it like if you check in during free dining you will get it for the whole stay?

As long as you check in on a day the promo is active, you can get the FD for your whole trip even if parts of it extend into a black out time.

I haven't noticed any change in service or food quality since the introduction of Free Dining. YMMV. I'm glad they offer it. We had the trip booked without it, so getting FREE dining (which we were willing to pay OOP for) is a nice bonus.

 

[DisMN]

I have an idea. Get rid of free dining.

Yes indeedy please!

Sorry but get rid of Free Dining!!

You betcha!!

Agreed. FD has changed the atmosphere of WDW. Sub par food, crazed people rushing to ADR's, etc.

Very sad about this. Please bring back the high quality food and varied selections Disney!

p.s. Free Dining isn't really free.

I hate the free dining promotion. We are going early January, right after New Years and I will be hugely disappointed if they offer free dining then.

Hate it too. It's done too much bad things to the restaurant food and the restaurants as a whole. We're hoping to go at the end of Jan and I'm praying they keep free dining away!!

I haven't noticed any change in service or food quality since the introduction of Free Dining. YMMV. I'm glad they offer it. We had the trip booked without it, so getting FREE dining (which we were willing to pay OOP for) is a nice bonus.

Lots of people say this but in comparing the Teppanyaki menu from our trip in 1995 to the one from 2010 there's a dramatic difference. Many less choices on the later menu as well as lower quality items. One standout example of lower quality is the beef selection on the newer menu....it used to be Kobe beef but now it's just filet. The kobe is far superior in quality, texture and flavor to the plain old filet. I can't get the kobe beef where I live so really looked forward to that treat on our vacations at WDW. They had to go with the lower quality beef because the finest ingredients don't fit into the food budget at WDW any more due in great part to the dining plan. (I'd personally say 100% due to the dining plan)
The actual menu from the old Teppanyaki was a 3 page (double sided no less!) menu and the new/current menu is 1 page. It went from 4 pages (counted both sides) down to 1 page.

Sorry to go on a tangent but that dining plan really ticks me off...back on topic now. LOL

OP, as others have said there really is no slow time at WDW anymore. The time you chose used to be one of the slower times but not these days I guess. We've found the same thing to be true in late Jan. Used to be very slow but Disney seems to have solved that *problem*. LOL

Good luck! Enjoy your planning...that's half the fun!

 

[disykat]

How do I find the dates for free dining plan?

 

[Tess]

Lots of people say this but in comparing the Teppanyaki menu from our trip in 1995 to the one from 2010 there's a dramatic difference. Many less choices on the later menu as well as lower quality items. One standout example of lower quality is the beef selection on the newer menu....it used to be Kobe beef but now it's just filet. The kobe is far superior in quality, texture and flavor to the plain old filet. I can't get the kobe beef where I live so really looked forward to that treat on our vacations at WDW. They had to go with the lower quality beef because the finest ingredients don't fit into the food budget at WDW any more due in great part to the dining plan. (I'd personally say 100% due to the dining plan)
The actual menu from the old Teppanyaki was a 3 page (double sided no less!) menu and the new/current menu is 1 page. It went from 4 pages (counted both sides) down to 1 page.

Sorry to go on a tangent but that dining plan really ticks me off...back on topic now. LOL

Don't forget about the lobster--that has disappeared from menus as well, including Teppanyaki! I was so bummed when it went away--my favorite meal at Teppanyaki was lobster and the huge, luscious scallops. Sadly, no longer. . .

I'm no fan of free dining either and agree, I'd rather have a room discount.

 

[eliza61]

Lots of people say this but in comparing the Teppanyaki menu from our trip in 1995 to the one from 2010 there's a dramatic difference. Many less choices on the later menu as well as lower quality items. One standout example of lower quality is the beef selection on the newer menu....it used to be Kobe beef but now it's just filet. The kobe is far superior in quality, texture and flavor to the plain old filet. I can't get the kobe beef where I live so really looked forward to that treat on our vacations at WDW. They had to go with the lower quality beef because the finest ingredients don't fit into the food budget at WDW any more due in great part to the dining plan. (I'd personally say 100% due to the dining plan)
The actual menu from the old Teppanyaki was a 3 page (double sided no less!) menu and the new/current menu is 1 page. It went from 4 pages (counted both sides) down to 1 page.
!

100% agree. Now I'm not sure if it's entirely because of the DDP but Disney restaurants have been a constant free fall for the last 5 years easy.

My experience is with Olivias at OKW. They use to have a really different menu featuring a few West Indian flavored dishes. Now nothing unusual or different (note to disney: Please, please, please can you think up a different pork dish except pork chops.)

I don't even bother, I pretty much simply rent a car and we eat off site 1/2 the time.

 

[Briarmom]

I have an idea. Get rid of free dining.

I *hate* Free Dining. In fact, the whole dining plan can go away.

Here's an idea, if you can't afford to eat at a restaurant, DON'T eat there.

 

[budbeerlady]

Lots of people say this but in comparing the Teppanyaki menu from our trip in 1995 to the one from 2010 there's a dramatic difference. Many less choices on the later menu as well as lower quality items. One standout example of lower quality is the beef selection on the newer menu....it used to be Kobe beef but now it's just filet. The kobe is far superior in quality, texture and flavor to the plain old filet. I can't get the kobe beef where I live so really looked forward to that treat on our vacations at WDW. They had to go with the lower quality beef because the finest ingredients don't fit into the food budget at WDW any more due in great part to the dining plan. (I'd personally say 100% due to the dining plan)
The actual menu from the old Teppanyaki was a 3 page (double sided no less!) menu and the new/current menu is 1 page. It went from 4 pages (counted both sides) down to 1 page.


Good luck! Enjoy your planning...that's half the fun!

That is a 15 year span! I would wager 75% of the restaurants in the tourist areas have hacked their menus in 15 years. I don't see it as a free dining thing, its a we need more profit issue. Lobster is long gone from most menus in our area, people were not willing to pay the high price for it. Why have 35 items on the menu if 15 are selling consistently? It would be nice but most places do not operate that way anymore. Without the dining plan or free dining I think Disney would have dumbed down the menus.

Your correct, free dining is NOT free. You are paying rack room rate. But for many it is a savings IF they chose to go that way.

 

[DebbieB]

Pop Warner takes up alot of the value and moderate rooms so they don't have alot of rooms to fill that week. 40% off deals are usually better at the deluxes. I've gone that week many times and the resorts are usually soldout. It doesn't translate into big park crowds because PW spends their days at their competitions. I also think less people stay offsite during this time and it isn't a big time for the locals to come.

 

[Jennasis]

I *hate* Free Dining. In fact, the whole dining plan can go away.

Here's an idea, if you can't afford to eat at a restaurant, DON'T eat there.

Wow...rude. It's postings like this that have gotten threads closed on the restaurant board.

We absolutely 100% CAN AFFORD to pay OOP for everything. However, if Disney wants to offer the same to us for free, we'll be happy to take it.

 

[sjs314]

Yes indeedy please!





You betcha!!






Very sad about this. Please bring back the high quality food and varied selections Disney!

p.s. Free Dining isn't really free.






Hate it too. It's done too much bad things to the restaurant food and the restaurants as a whole. We're hoping to go at the end of Jan and I'm praying they keep free dining away!!






Lots of people say this but in comparing the Teppanyaki menu from our trip in 1995 to the one from 2010 there's a dramatic difference. Many less choices on the later menu as well as lower quality items. One standout example of lower quality is the beef selection on the newer menu....it used to be Kobe beef but now it's just filet. The kobe is far superior in quality, texture and flavor to the plain old filet. I can't get the kobe beef where I live so really looked forward to that treat on our vacations at WDW. They had to go with the lower quality beef because the finest ingredients don't fit into the food budget at WDW any more due in great part to the dining plan. (I'd personally say 100% due to the dining plan)
The actual menu from the old Teppanyaki was a 3 page (double sided no less!) menu and the new/current menu is 1 page. It went from 4 pages (counted both sides) down to 1 page.

Sorry to go on a tangent but that dining plan really ticks me off...back on topic now. LOL

OP, as others have said there really is no slow time at WDW anymore. The time you chose used to be one of the slower times but not these days I guess. We've found the same thing to be true in late Jan. Used to be very slow but Disney seems to have solved that *problem*. LOL

Good luck! Enjoy your planning...that's half the fun!

It is too bad they did not keep the extended menu and just made a section for DP Options

When the Dining plan first started wasn't it on those lines???

It seems to me I remember looking the DP over and deciding it was not for us since we did not want to have to figure out where and what we could eat being on the DP as opposed to ordering anything we wanted and paying OOP

 

[Kimberle]

No FD the week I am going Nov 8-13 (it starts 11/12)

Does FD really make all the eating places crazy busy?
I rather get a room discount and pay OOP for meals anyway

It sure did the week we were there last Aug. You needed ADR's for all sit-downs. The counter services' were crazy busy. You could easily stand in line for 20-30 minutes to order & get your food. When people don't have "free" dining, they tend not to eat as many meals at WDW. Many make sandwiches, etc in their rooms, or go off-site for cheaper options.

 

[msjprincess]

I *hate* Free Dining. In fact, the whole dining plan can go away.

Here's an idea, if you can't afford to eat at a restaurant, DON'T eat there.

I can easily afford to eat at any WDW restaurant. We never get the DDP but if FD happens to become available for my dates I would book it because it would save me a lot more than a room discount since we are a family of 5 staying at a mod.

A 30% room discount would save me $459, FD would save me $1008.

I agree that the menus were better years ago but unfortunately I don't see that changing anytime soon.

 

[sscassel]

problem solved! Adding 1 day to get free dining for entire vacation. Saving myself over $1200 to add 1 day...go figure. All these years I have done the free dining. Have you ever added your receipts?! Why would you want to get rid of this?