If free dining is offered for October, should I change reservation?

[ibela]

Someone I know called up about 2 weeks ago to book a trip for early April. She was asking about a mod with the free dining and there was no availability but was told she could get Poly at 40% off AND free dining so at the end she was basically paying the same for the Poly as she was going to at CSR.

 

[Deb & Bill]

...What I would like to see is free dining if you book a 1 bdr or larger every once in a while. Come on Disney throw us DVC owners a bone.

There is nothing stopping you from booking a DVC resort with cash to get free dining during those times. If you think they do this because they want to give the guests a cheaper vacation, you need to realize that they just do this to fill up the rooms.

 

[BWV2001]

Thanks, all, for the advice. So it looks like NOBODY on here would do it. I realize all the points that were made, and of course I have lots of details in mind that are just too lengthy to spell out. I guess since the 5 of us did it in 2006 and SO ENJOYED the free dining, and I sold my existing reservation with no problem, it still tempts me. Of course, since it hasn't even been offered yet, this is all just speculation. Of course I love BWV and it's location much more than a moderate, but I suppose we all have our price and mine must be less than everyone else's . I appreciate everyone's 2 cents.

 

[silmarg]

The only room discounts associated with free DDP that I am aware of were offered only to residents of Great Britain and only at Saratoga Springs...maybe you know some that I don't know about but US residents to my knowledge have never been able to combine a room discount with free dining.

Not true exactly true.

Last year (in Aug/Sept) we got the regular free dining plan (for 2A, DD10 and DD8) buying a one day ticket staying at Pop for 8 nites at $80/nite rack rate. We then got the free upgrade to SSR - now that was a deal... $80..SSR... free dining... and mousekeeping.

There was a flyer in the room to get the same deal for the next year - so I booked again at Pop w/ one day tickets and have free regular dining for this Aug/Sept. The cost of the room is approx $80/nite and the value of the dining is $138/day.

In the interim I have bought DVC on the resale market, and while I'd love to use my membership to stay in the spacious DVC rooms, I am likely to stay in Pop for most of this stay... and maybe spend the last day or two in BCV and enjoy stormalong bay.

I think I will save my DVC points for a trip to VGC in Feb '11 as in DL. Since there are not value resorts or super cheap deals in DL (unless you go off property), I dont think you have the same issues you have at WDW where you feel conflicted about the excellent cash deals vs using DVC points.

I purposefully bought less DVC points than I needed for every trip so I can alternate between cash deals vs the DVC splurge. I am glad I did.

 

[silmarg]

Thanks, all, for the advice. So it looks like NOBODY on here would do it. I realize all the points that were made, and of course I have lots of details in mind that are just too lengthy to spell out. I guess since the 5 of us did it in 2006 and SO ENJOYED the free dining, and I sold my existing reservation with no problem, it still tempts me. Of course, since it hasn't even been offered yet, this is all just speculation. Of course I love BWV and it's location much more than a moderate, but I suppose we all have our price and mine must be less than everyone else's . I appreciate everyone's 2 cents.

I know exactly how you feel.

And I am fairly sure free dining is coming for everyone.

I wonder if they will water it down where it will be the counterservice plan for the values and mods... and if they will require you to get length of stay tickets. If I were to have that as a choice vs DVC, I would stay DVC.

But if the free DDP offer is the reg dining plan for values and mods... and only a 1 day pass requirement (this matters if you have an AP)... then I lean away from DVC and take the cash deal and bank or rent points.

 

[SunnieRN]

I know exactly how you feel.

And I am fairly sure free dining is coming for everyone.

I wonder if they will water it down where it will be the counterservice plan for the values and mods... and if they will require you to get length of stay tickets. If I were to have that as a choice vs DVC, I would stay DVC.

But if the free DDP offer is the reg dining plan for values and mods... and only a 1 day pass requirement (this matters if you have an AP)... then I lean away from DVC and take the cash deal and bank or rent points.

We have a trip planned for early December. If they offer free dining (basic) at the moderates, we may bite and rent out our December trip. We can get queen beds and a frig at Coronado Springs.

All but one of us have annual passes, so the other person in the family can use the tickets, along with the military ticket. It would be very difficult to give up a Christmas celebration ay Bay Lake and AKV however!

 

[Anal Annie]

We have a trip planned for early December. If they offer free dining (basic) at the moderates, we may bite and rent out our December trip. We can get queen beds and a frig at Coronado Springs.

All but one of us have annual passes, so the other person in the family can use the tickets, along with the military ticket. It would be very difficult to give up a Christmas celebration ay Bay Lake and AKV however!

Our last stay in a Moderate was at CSR...that's what prompted us to buy into DVC!

 

[christa112]

I understand people LOVE free dining (I have used it 3 times before we became DVC owners) but I just can't justify spending more $ to get free dining when you own the DVC. Yes, you could bank your points or rent them. We just got back from AKV in Jan and I think we spent right around the same that we would have spent if we would have gone during Free Dining. We are a family of 5 so we cannot fit into a Value room unless it is a suite.

Our Jan Trip-- Family of 5 -- 8 day base tickets from AAA $1,200 and 8 day DDP $1,200 (estimated I think it was closer to $1,100). Plus airfare that we would have to spend either way.

 

[BWV2001]

Okay. OP here. Just would like to clarify one point. Staying in a value is not an option for us. I am only interested in trading down to a moderate. We are a party of 5 or 6 (supposed to be 6, but I'm not 100% positive that sil will be able to join us.) We will be getting 2 rooms regardless if sil comes or not. And the only way I'm interested is if the offer is for the regular dining plan. If it were the QS version, all bets are off and we will be staying at BWV for sure. Also, renting out our points will need to be done, too, which will offset the cost of our 2 rooms. When we did this 4 years ago, we rented our points for more than the cost of our 1 room plus tickets (we were able to buy 1-day passes). Plus we increased our stay from 5 nights to 6. It was very enjoyable, otherwise I wouldn't be considering it again. The thought of staying on points and paying for the dining plan for us all sort of kills me (especially when it's during the "free dining" promotion), but the thought of paying for ds 16 to eat in WDW kills me, too!!! So...back to one of my original questions. What mod would my family like best?

 

[BWV2001]

Not true exactly true.

Last year (in Aug/Sept) we got the regular free dining plan (for 2A, DD10 and DD8) buying a one day ticket staying at Pop for 8 nites at $80/nite rack rate. We then got the free upgrade to SSR - now that was a deal... $80..SSR... free dining... and mousekeeping.

There was a flyer in the room to get the same deal for the next year - so I booked again at Pop w/ one day tickets and have free regular dining for this Aug/Sept. The cost of the room is approx $80/nite and the value of the dining is $138/day.

In the interim I have bought DVC on the resale market, and while I'd love to use my membership to stay in the spacious DVC rooms, I am likely to stay in Pop for most of this stay... and maybe spend the last day or two in BCV and enjoy stormalong bay.

I think I will save my DVC points for a trip to VGC in Feb '11 as in DL. Since there are not value resorts or super cheap deals in DL (unless you go off property), I dont think you have the same issues you have at WDW where you feel conflicted about the excellent cash deals vs using DVC points.

I purposefully bought less DVC points than I needed for every trip so I can alternate between cash deals vs the DVC splurge. I am glad I did.

Any idea how you got that free upgrade initially? I doubt they'd offer it to us since we are already DVC members, but just had to ask.

 

[silmarg]

Okay. OP here. Just would like to clarify one point. Staying in a value is not an option for us. I am only interested in trading down to a moderate. We are a party of 5 or 6 (supposed to be 6, but I'm not 100% positive that sil will be able to join us.) We will be getting 2 rooms regardless if sil comes or not. And the only way I'm interested is if the offer is for the regular dining plan. If it were the QS version, all bets are off and we will be staying at BWV for sure. Also, renting out our points will need to be done, too, which will offset the cost of our 2 rooms. When we did this 4 years ago, we rented our points for more than the cost of our 1 room plus tickets (we were able to buy 1-day passes). Plus we increased our stay from 5 nights to 6. It was very enjoyable, otherwise I wouldn't be considering it again. The thought of staying on points and paying for the dining plan for us all sort of kills me (especially when it's during the "free dining" promotion), but the thought of paying for ds 16 to eat in WDW kills me, too!!! So...back to one of my original questions. What mod would my family like best?

I like Coronado - it gets a bad rap, but I like that it does not share its busses with other resorts (sometimes the Port Orleans Resorts share). It has a great pool and I like the Pepper Market (but people usually love it or hate it).

If you stay at Port Orleans, you MUST see Yehaa Bob at Riverside - he plays most nites (Wed-Sun) and is very very entertaining.

In full disclosure, I have never stayed at Carribean Beach.

 

[TDC Nala]

Not true exactly true.

Last year (in Aug/Sept) we got the regular free dining plan (for 2A, DD10 and DD8) buying a one day ticket staying at Pop for 8 nites at $80/nite rack rate. We then got the free upgrade to SSR - now that was a deal... $80..SSR... free dining... and mousekeeping.

An upgrade is not the same as a room discount offered at booking. Those are done to free up rooms in more popular resorts and sell further rooms (or accommodate a group, or alleviate an oversell situation). One can't book a value with free dining and expect to be upgraded to a villa.

Selection for upgrades appears to be random, but could also be based on who's staying and for how long at the time they need to free up the rooms.

 

[silmarg]

Any idea how you got that free upgrade initially? I doubt they'd offer it to us since we are already DVC members, but just had to ask.

In some respects we got lucky.

3 families booked 3 rooms at Pop... Linked with a grand gathering.

One of the 3 of us (the one who has been to WDW least) gets an email for a free upgrade to OKW or SSR. This email went out to many.. as the DISboards were smokin' when the emails went out. Presumably they overbooked the values during free dining last year... and to keep the bookings coming in, they upgraded some to OKW/SSR.

We were able to get all 3 families moved to SSR (as they admitted all 3 families shouldve gotten the email).

Staying at SSR was great - and it cemented my wanting to buy SSR via resale.

 

[SFD998]

There is nothing stopping you from booking a DVC resort with cash to get free dining during those times. If you think they do this because they want to give the guests a cheaper vacation, you need to realize that they just do this to fill up the rooms.

I am aware the intended goal is to bring in more people. My point was it would be nice to get the benefit. I understand that since they already have our commitment that they don't need to, but it would be nice. If I'm down there I am obviously spending money.

 

[TDC Nala]

I am aware the intended goal is to bring in more people. My point was it would be nice to get the benefit. I understand that since they already have our commitment that they don't need to, but it would be nice. If I'm down there I am obviously spending money.

The free dining isn't being offered as a benefit. It's being offered as a carrot on a stick to get people to come to WDW who wouldn't otherwise come (or to get them to come during a time that they ordinarily wouldn't want to come, like peak hurricane season).

A benefit is different. We can buy the dining plan without also having to buy park tickets. We don't have to pay the upcharge on the basic plan in peak seasons. Those are benefits.

 

[charligirl]

why do you think it might be offered ?

 

[dmoore22]

If you go with two rooms at a moderate, you might request connecting rooms, but you might not get them. So how do you split up the family if they can't come and go between the two rooms so easily? Do you really want to sleep in double beds?

We lived that experience with our 6 kids before we bought into DVC. Never, never, never again. I don't care what so-called "free" deals are offered, I'm not a masochist.

 

[silmarg]

why do you think it might be offered ?

seems to me that while Disney Corporate says they are trying to wean its customers off of discounts, what there actions have shown thus far is that they are offering similar discounts as in past years but requiring length of stay (as opposed to 1 day) passes... and they seem to give a sweetened deal to deluxe stays vs value (which seems fair).

So I can see a general public free dining offered where u have to buy length of stay passes and get free quick service dining at the values and regular dining at the deluxe.

If that is the offer, i think its very much watered down than past offers (and the bounce back I have booked).

This is my speculation... but with current offers ending this weekend, I think we will know the answer in just a few days.

 

[TDC Nala]

Current speculation is that general public free dining will be released sometime within the week for booking, with check-in dates possibly starting August 15 and ending either September 30 or October 2. It's still up in the air about whether there will be quick service or basic dining for value resorts. Usually the public offer doesn't require purchase of length of stay tickets but that doesn't mean Disney won't change things.

 

[Starr W.]

seems to me that while Disney Corporate says they are trying to wean its customers off of discounts, what there actions have shown thus far is that they are offering similar discounts as in past years but requiring length of stay (as opposed to 1 day) passes... and they seem to give a sweetened deal to deluxe stays vs value (which seems fair).

So I can see a general public free dining offered where u have to buy length of stay passes and get free quick service dining at the values and regular dining at the deluxe.

If that is the offer, i think its very much watered down than past offers (and the bounce back I have booked).

This is my speculation... but with current offers ending this weekend, I think we will know the answer in just a few days.

Saw Bob Iger on CNBC after the last earnings report, saying they are going to cut back on the discounting. Still doing it, plus I'm seeing more tv ads specifically mentioning the special prices and the deal includes "some" summer travel dates.

I think we'll need to see the next earnings report to see how this spring season went, to see what they do going forward past traditional FD discounts.