How many people get free dining?

[tfoster]

I wouldn't expect anyone to know exact numbers, but I'm curious as to how many people actually get the free dining. Do you think it's generally a small percentage of people who are at WDW or do you think it's generally a pretty high percentage?

 

[catne]

I wouldn't expect anyone to know exact numbers, but I'm curious as to how many people actually get the free dining. Do you think it's generally a small percentage of people who are at WDW or do you think it's generally a pretty high percentage?

I would think it's a small percentage. There's an amazing number of people who have no idea there are any special deals available at all. The majority of people I talk to don't even realize they can get a AAA room discount, much less any of the more amazing offers like free dining or 30-40% off room discount promotions. Most people I know have always just called Disney and booked--didn't ask for any specials because they didn't know there was any available.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

Also many people stay off-site so no free dining for them. Then there are the late planners that miss out on all deals.

 

[RMulieri]

My guess is it is not that high.Many people don't know they even offer it, or any deals for that matter.Plus many people decide to stay offsite. Even with free dining, for larger groups Disney onsite can be cost prohibitive

 

[TDC Nala]

WDW does not make every resort room available as part of the free dining promotion - it's a limited number of rooms (no one knows how many) at each resort. Consider that in conjunction with the fact that locals, offsite guests and DVC members staying on points are not getting free dining, plus that there will be a number of onsite guests who either couldn't get it, didn't know about it, didn't want it, or opted for a different type of discount, and you probably have less than half the population of a Disney park on any given day.

When booking with Disney, they do not inform call-ins of discounts. If you don't know about the discount in advance and ask for it, you don't get one.

 

[tony67]

I was actually surprised at the number of people on my recent visit that did not even know about the DDP. Not everyone over plans like us.

In line it did seem most had the DDP, but that is totally unscientific.
I did have several people ask me about the "credits" I was using for my meals as CS places.
Most of them were on property.

Also if I recall correctly, even on the website unless you select the promotion they quote you a price without the promotion.

Finally for me it was cheaper to book the room with discount and pay for the DDP.

 

[ajpa]

Not everyone over plans like us.

Shocking, I say.

 

[tiredsigh]

Shocking, I say.

I love my DH, but that is how he would plan a trip to WDW. We went once with no real plans other than the touring plan in the Unofficial Guide. We waited a long time for CS and didn't even get close to a TS restaurant.

DH started making fun of me for already planning this one. DD (11) broke in and told him that mom made it the best trip ever last time That's my girl! But with a child who was 18 months during our last trip, I wanted to have everything planned.

I just can't fathom not planning for a trip that costs this much

 

[Luv2Roam]

DH and I stayed at SSR in September. One time while riding a bus, the conversation came up about booking future stays. I mentioned bouncebacks and no one near me had ever heard of it. And I think the bb at that time was free dining. They seemed to be in awe.
So I suspect some staying at DVC resorts may be even be more out of the loop on WDTC packages.
I know in the past just striking up conversations with guests during FD periods, no one has ever heard anything about it, not bb.
Sure there are a lot of FD-ers. But as others have said, I think there are a lot with no DDP, or paying for it.

 

[aubriee]

While I agree that the percentage of people with free dining may be fairly small, they are growing every year. I've been down there every Sept/early Oct since the very first year free dining was offered. That first year, the parks were almost empty, but every year has been getting more and more crowded. I was there Sept 26th-Oct 4th this year and was really shocked at how much more crowded it was than in previous years. Yes, that was the first weekend of the Food & Wine Festival, but I've been down there with free dining before during that weekend and it wasn't near as crowded as it was this year.

 

[TDC Nala]

This year there were plenty of other discounts (35 - 40% on room only, 40% for military, AP, Florida resident, major discounts offered to cast members, etc) in addition to free dining. So, not all those crowds were there because of free dining.

 

[irishdadx4]

We were in WDW AUg 16-22, first week of free dining. As I was standing in line at the CS places I would observe how others were paying for their meals. Out of the 4-5 other customers I would see each time at the CS lines, and we had 7 CS meals, I think I only observed one or maybe two other people using the dining plan to pay. Just about everyone I saw was paying cash/credit. I would have figured it would have been much higher numbers using the DP. That's my anecdotal evidence, and I'm stickin' to it.

 

[beroh2253]

We were in WDW AUg 16-22, first week of free dining. As I was standing in line at the CS places I would observe how others were paying for their meals. Out of the 4-5 other customers I would see each time at the CS lines, and we had 7 CS meals, I think I only observed one or maybe two other people using the dining plan to pay. Just about everyone I saw was paying cash/credit. I would have figured it would have been much higher numbers using the DP. That's my anecdotal evidence, and I'm stickin' to it.

And some of those poeple could have paid for the plan, you can't tell if they got the DDp for free of paid for it all use the same light blue card. They may not have known it was free or chose to use the room discount and pay for the DDP. I do not even think the CM servers know if you got it free or paid for the DDP.

 

[TDC Nala]

They don't. There is no way to distinguish between guests on the free dining plan and guests who paid for the dining plan. Those who paid likely got a substantial room discount or are DVC members, so it's not like they need to distinguish between types of discounted reservations for any reason.

 

[mom2val]

Our first family trip in 2005 I had no clue about discounts. I made our reservations on the Disney website. It wasn't until I was booking dining reservations that i had a CM point out to me how much cheaper it would be to add the dining plan. We were doing at least 1 sit down each day. Back then the dining plan was like heaven... tips included & apps with TS.

Lat year in 2008 I still had no clue...we had been booked for 5 months when my SIL calls bragging about how cheap they were going and I found out about the Oct- Dec Magic your Way discount----- 1 call and I saved over $700!


This trip I was like a junkie looking for discount or deal. We got a pin code for free dining, so we are at POP but on the regular dining plan and not the Quick Service.

 

[aubriee]

This trip I was like a junkie looking for discount or deal. We got a pin code for free dining, so we are at POP but on the regular dining plan and not the Quick Service.

Addictive isn't it! As soon as I book one trip, it seems like I'm booking and planning another one, always on the look out for whatever dicounts I can apply. I currently have free dining for my Dec trip, am looking for a discount for my May 2010 trip, and already have the bounceback free dining for my Sept/Oct 2010 trip. I'm also already thinking about my Dec 2010 trip and am hoping for another bounce back offer for it when I go back this Dec. Sometimes I think the planning and searching is more fun than the trips themselves.

 

[tfoster]

Sometimes I think the planning and searching is more fun than the trips themselves.

My husband said he doesn't think we ever even have to go, that I'll be satisfied just always plannings!

 

[btcrane]

They don't. There is no way to distinguish between guests on the free dining plan and guests who paid for the dining plan. Those who paid likely got a substantial room discount or are DVC members, so it's not like they need to distinguish between types of discounted reservations for any reason.

40% military room discount was definitely a better deal than free DP for DD and myself. Perhaps if I had my whole family with me it would be different, but we took the 40% deal and paid for the dining plan--the first time we've used it. We've known about it in the past, but have either stayed at SoG or off-site most of the time...and when we stayed at a cabin at FW, we cooked many of our meals or ate in other places in Orlando.