I have a "free dining" theory

[Applemomma]

We are going to WDW in September and I was thinking today that my 180 days ADR deadline will be coming up in March and it was too bad that I didn't know then if the "free dining plan" would be offered since I could make ADR's for more places. The I wondered about their timing the last two years of announcing it in April.

Do you suppose that part of their concern is not only how many people book in the off season in the resorts but also how many people will book the plan versus how many people will do like we will do and eat on the cheap? With out free dining we'll be having one character meal (Norway Princesses) and one nice sit down (Whispering Canyon). The rest will be out of the park, bring our own or splitting some CS meals.

Now I know that Disney is the main backer behind 90% of the restaurant services there (or at least I'm assuming that) but I've got to think that if the restaurants have a drop in business it has to hurt somehow, even if it is just in the alcohol and "extra" purchases. So if by the end of the initial booking period of the "off" season they see the restaurants are booked maybe that factors into their decision?

Am I grasping at straws?!

 

[Pooh Bear Hugs]

The dining plan works because people become locked in Disney. With free dining you think 'well I've saved on the meal so I'll get a couple of bottles of wine with my meal' or they spend more in gift shops.

 

[Mom2AAA's]

Hi,
We went to Disney last August and booked in Jan. we purchased the dining plan then, when the free dining was offered for our weeks, I called and they refunded the dining money back to us! We would us the dining even if we had to pay for it. It was great!

 

[thunderbird1]

We are going to WDW in September and I was thinking today that my 180 days ADR deadline will be coming up in March and it was too bad that I didn't know then if the "free dining plan" would be offered since I could make ADR's for more places. The I wondered about their timing the last two years of announcing it in April.

Do you suppose that part of their concern is not only how many people book in the off season in the resorts but also how many people will book the plan versus how many people will do like we will do and eat on the cheap? With out free dining we'll be having one character meal (Norway Princesses) and one nice sit down (Whispering Canyon). The rest will be out of the park, bring our own or splitting some CS meals.

Now I know that Disney is the main backer behind 90% of the restaurant services there (or at least I'm assuming that) but I've got to think that if the restaurants have a drop in business it has to hurt somehow, even if it is just in the alcohol and "extra" purchases. So if by the end of the initial booking period of the "off" season they see the restaurants are booked maybe that factors into their decision?

Am I grasping at straws?!

That's an angle I hadn't considered. I know most WDW restaurants overbook, some by as much as 30%, but I never thought about connecting the free DDP offer to existing ADR's. I hope not, since ADR's change so frequently for most people. But since they were so overbooked last year, who knows?

I had another thought about this the other day. 2 years ago, they offered the free DDP in June. Last year, it was April. I was hoping they'd move the opening date of the offer up again, because it would be much easier to make ADR's after I make our package reservations. But I'm not willing to make a reservation until I know whether free DDP will be available, since we won't go at that time unless it is. But if, like you suggested, they want to wait to see how full the restaurants are before opening the offer, I'll just have to sit tight until April.

 

[The Sweetness]

The dining plan works because people become locked in Disney. With free dining you think 'well I've saved on the meal so I'll get a couple of bottles of wine with my meal' or they spend more in gift shops.

Lest us not forget that in order to get the DDp, free or not, you pay rack rate for your resort (unless DVC) and also at least a 1 day park pass per person, with no dicounts allowed at all. This is a major factor in how WDW can offer the DDP year round for $40 pp/p/day. They dont lose a thing. WDW **IS** a business, afterall

 

[Pedler]

We are going to WDW in September and I was thinking today that my 180 days ADR deadline will be coming up in March and it was too bad that I didn't know then if the "free dining plan" would be offered since I could make ADR's for more places. The I wondered about their timing the last two years of announcing it in April.

Do you suppose that part of their concern is not only how many people book in the off season in the resorts but also how many people will book the plan versus how many people will do like we will do and eat on the cheap? With out free dining we'll be having one character meal (Norway Princesses) and one nice sit down (Whispering Canyon). The rest will be out of the park, bring our own or splitting some CS meals.

Now I know that Disney is the main backer behind 90% of the restaurant services there (or at least I'm assuming that) but I've got to think that if the restaurants have a drop in business it has to hurt somehow, even if it is just in the alcohol and "extra" purchases. So if by the end of the initial booking period of the "off" season they see the restaurants are booked maybe that factors into their decision?

Am I grasping at straws?!

While it is probably part of the equation I think it is a relatively minor part. The DDP isn't just about selling food. It along with ME and Ticket pricing is designed to get people on site and spending all of their money on site. My guess is that the single largest component in the decision of what promotions to offer is the occupancy rate of the resorts.

 

[Nancyg56]

While it is probably part of the equation I think it is a relatively minor part. The DDP isn't just about selling food. It along with ME and Ticket pricing is designed to get people on site and spending all of their money on site. My guess is that the single largest component in the decision of what promotions to offer is the occupancy rate of the resorts.

My DH made this observation on our last trip. We had no reason to go off site for meals or Orlando attractions because we had "locked" ourselves into Disney. No rental car, most meals paid for, we spent our vacation dollars on Disney property in Disney stores and restaurants. He though that the market strategy was amazing.

 

[laceemouse]

My DH made this observation on our last trip. We had no reason to go off site for meals or Orlando attractions because we had "locked" ourselves into Disney. No rental car, most meals paid for, we spent our vacation dollars on Disney property in Disney stores and restaurants. He though that the market strategy was amazing.

Yep. You can shuffle from the plane to the ME, and then your little tootsies never have to even touch the ground outside of Disney property!

 

[mirthmaiden]

I'm sure my questions have been answered a hundred times on this forum, so please forgive my redundancy.

1) If I add DDP to my existing package, do I have to pay for it in full now or is it just tacked on to the total price due later?

2) If I have DDP on my package and I call for ADR's for Cinderella's Royal Table and Hoop Dee Do, do I still pay for them in full right then?

3) If I do pay for these things and then free dining is offered later, do I get my $ back?

Thanks

 

[Nancyg56]

Yep. You can shuffle from the plane to the ME, and then your little tootsies never have to even touch the ground outside of Disney property!

I know, we were a "captive" audience. I went so far as to tell my DH that we were spending all this money to stay on site with all that it included that if he wanted us to visit his relative in Lakeland we needed to schedule another trip. We could not leave the property. Poor guy was positive that the Disney Marketing Team had targeted me and got a real bulls eye.

Between the gift shops that the attractions empty into, the wine that goes so well with dinner and the extras that we "needed" for our DGD he is still dizzy from the "great deal" I got for us .

 

[Nancyg56]

I'm sure my questions have been answered a hundred times on this forum, so please forgive my redundancy.

1) If I add DDP to my existing package, do I have to pay for it in full now or is it just tacked on to the total price due later?

2) If I have DDP on my package and I call for ADR's for Cinderella's Royal Table and Hoop Dee Do, do I still pay for them in full right then?

3) If I do pay for these things and then free dining is offered later, do I get my $ back?

Thanks

I can only answer how it worked for me but I paid for the DDP when I paid for the package. It was all together.

I paid for the Spirit of Aloha and CRT when I made the ADR's but I was asked if I was on the plan. I would have had to give a CC# as a guarantee, but would not have had to pay at the time. These were extra for me so I paid upfront to get it out of the way. I also wanted teir 1 seating and that was not offered on the DDP for SOA.

I would imagine that you would be issued a credit on your CC if you used the DDP.

 

[ELLE-TN]

question for anyone - WHEN IS THE FREE DINING THIS YEAR??????

 

[bicker]

question for anyone - WHEN IS THE FREE DINING THIS YEAR??????

This is covered in the FAQ:
http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=16079998&postcount=1

 

[ruthma]

question for anyone - WHEN IS THE FREE DINING THIS YEAR??????

Last year it was announced the beginning of April.. I'm waiting too.

 

[mkross]

With all the info, I'm just a little confused. I booked our trip paying full rack rate w/ the DDP. I read that if you already had the DDP on your reservation, they would not change it to free DDP. So, I cancelled the DDP on my package. I'm hoping it's offered, of course, but....should I already have it attached to my ressy or not? Thanks for your help!

 

[scrapperjill]

If they don't offer it you can always add it onto your reservation before you actually go (I think it's like up to 3 days before).

 

[klj27]

I'm sure my questions have been answered a hundred times on this forum, so please forgive my redundancy.

1) If I add DDP to my existing package, do I have to pay for it in full now or is it just tacked on to the total price due later?

2) If I have DDP on my package and I call for ADR's for Cinderella's Royal Table and Hoop Dee Do, do I still pay for them in full right then?

3) If I do pay for these things and then free dining is offered later, do I get my $ back?

Thanks

I booked HDDR and we are on the dining plan. I was charged over $200 but was told that it would be refunded when we arrived for our adr.

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

I booked HDDR and we are on the dining plan. I was charged over $200 but was told that it would be refunded when we arrived for our adr.

When we did HDDR in the fall of 2005, we were also on the DDP and we did not have to leave a deposit when it was booked.

 

[middleofamerica]

I read the FAQ and still have a question...I'm trying to plan whether or not I should go in Sept or Oct, but the free dining plan could sway me to the hotter September time. (i've done that month before...not too bad)

Anyway, is this offer extended (if it is done this year) to anyone booking? Just special groups? What did it mean by bounce-back offer in the FAQ?

Thanks for any help. I've got some cheap flights spotted and wanted to make a decision soon.

 

[bicker]

This year, the offer has been extended twice, both times to specific target groups. In past years, the offer was only extended once, and in that case to the general public (with a very minor [four? day] advantage for Disney VISA cardholders). That's all we know for sure. We don't know if they're going to make any additional offerings of the free dining promotion this year, and if they do, we don't know whether they're make the offer to specific target groups or to the general public.

BTW: The "bounce-back" offer was an offer made to folks who were Disney resort guests in December, providing them incentive to return for another Disney resort stay just nine months later.