Jim Hill's article on free dining

[nbodyhome]

I am a FL resident AP hold who stays mostly at the Pop Century. I also used my base ticket from 2005 (from free dine) towards my AP renewal last year.

For me, with 2 adults in the room, free dining will be a good deal at the Pop if it does become available. I'm too cheap to eat out often (I don't like to spend money on food when I can spend it on other things), but it will be nice to get to some restaurants I've not been to in a while, and try some new ones.

 

[ukcatfan]

I am a FL resident AP hold who stays mostly at the Pop Century. I also used my base ticket from 2005 (from free dine) towards my AP renewal last year.

It does not even matter for me this year b/c we want to go earlier than it seems the free dining will be available, but I may have been given bad info from central reservations(shocker right?). They told me that with the tickets required on the free dining, I would have to purchase the no expiration option in order to apply that $ towards future AP purchases. It was all hypothetical b/c they still do not know if it is going to be available, but that CM thought that was the requirement in the past. That option adds around $600 to an eight day ticket, which she said is a fee and not applicable towards the future purchase. That killed the option for me right there. Was she wrong? Were you required to pay the no expiration fee and not get that $ applied to the AP purchase? Also, with our renewal date, it would be like giving WDW a $1K loan for eight months. If your renewal date is right after your trip, I can see where paying it would work really well.

Kevin

 

[CarolA]

Well, The fact that it came from Jim Hill gives you a 50% chance of it being WRONG! LOL!

 

[nbodyhome]

It does not even matter for me this year b/c we want to go earlier than it seems the free dining will be available, but I may have been given bad info from central reservations(shocker right?). They told me that with the tickets required on the free dining, I would have to purchase the no expiration option in order to apply that $ towards future AP purchases.

Kevin

Kevin -

I purchased just the 1 day base ticket. You never need a NE for that, because it doesn't expire (you just use it and it's done).

All MYW tickets are good for 14 days from 1st use. So if you don't use a ticket, then you don't need to use the NE option. If you use a day, and you wanted to use the ticket in the future, then you'd need to add the NE.

 

[minnie61650]

From a booking standpoint, Sports seems to go last - at least in my experience. But this year, almost everyone is busy. I hope they change more rooms into suites.

The suites are more expensive than 2 rooms, don't include discounts, they are a win-win situation for everyone.

When Disney started building the Family Suites the original plans were to build 192 at All Star Music followed by 192 Family Suits at All Star Sports.

If the occupancy rate of the Family Suites proved good the plans were to build another 192 at All Star Movies.

In April 2006 when the Family Suites at All Star Music were announced and work was progressing on them Jim Hills article about finishing theother half Pop and making it all into Family Suites came out putting the focus on Pop for more family Suites.

All Stars Sports is slated to be refurbished between June 2007 and November of 2007.

I am hoping they will add some Family Suites at All Star Sports.

I think they are a wonderful option for families.

 

[mking624]

Well, The fact that it came from Jim Hill gives you a 50% chance of it being WRONG! LOL!

 

[nbodyhome]

Well, The fact that it came from Jim Hill gives you a 50% chance of it being WRONG! LOL!

I'm not sure on 50%, it might be 55/45, or 57/43. But definitely some of it is opinion, and the discount part is pretty much what has been talked about for a couple of weeks already.

 

[ukcatfan]

Kevin -

I purchased just the 1 day base ticket. You never need a NE for that, because it doesn't expire (you just use it and it's done).

All MYW tickets are good for 14 days from 1st use. So if you don't use a ticket, then you don't need to use the NE option. If you use a day, and you wanted to use the ticket in the future, then you'd need to add the NE.

Thanks for the info. I kinda thought that she was wrong, but seeing as the offer is not even out there yet, I didn't question her. It sounds like the dates will not even work for us this year, but maybe next year.

Kevin

 

[MEK]

All Star Music tends to be less crowded than the other values.

Pop and Movies seem to fill up first, than Sports and lastly Music.

We notice it most when we are at the bus stop waiting to return from the parks.

The line waiting for the All Star Music bus is about 50% shorter than the
other All Star bus lines.

The busline for Pop seems to be the longest.

JMHO

I sooooooo hope this is the case when my DS and I stay at Music in late August. Pop was nice, but it had to be close to capacity when we were there last Aug/LD. I am hoping for a little quieter value resort stay (and the reburbished rooms sure can't hurt).

 

[CarolA]

I'm not sure on 50%, it might be 55/45, or 57/43. But definitely some of it is opinion, and the discount part is pretty much what has been talked about for a couple of weeks already.

Yeah, but don't forget... According to Jim Hill Tarzan was closed because Disney won't have a broadway show and a park show at the same time based on the same movie... (Shh... don't remind Disney about Beauty and the Beast or Lion King, they missed those I guess!)

 

[nbodyhome]

Yeah, but don't forget... According to Jim Hill Tarzan was closed because Disney won't have a broadway show and a park show at the same time based on the same movie... (Shh... don't remind Disney about Beauty and the Beast or Lion King, they missed those I guess!)

I won't breath a word of that to Disney....

 

[jw50]

I'm not sure on 50%, it might be 55/45, or 57/43. But definitely some of it is opinion, and the discount part is pretty much what has been talked about for a couple of weeks already.

It is more than just opinion since there is a rather significant difference in the occupancy rates he is reporting (from some inside source) and the occupancy rates in the Disney annual report (which are audited), amounting to about 2,000 rooms per day.

 

[CanadianGuy]

It is more than just opinion since there is a rather significant difference in the occupancy rates he is reporting (from some inside source) and the occupancy rates in the Disney annual report (which are audited), amounting to about 2,000 rooms per day.

I'm just curious.. which do you think is accurate? The audited numbers or the inside source?

Personally I suspect the truth is actually somewhere between those two.

And yes, I think Jim is exaggerating.

Knox

 

[jw50]

I think the inside source was providing anecdotal information that was probably misinterpreted somewhere along the line. Maybe something like "alot of the time there are 5,000 empty rooms" which is significantly different from averaging 5,000 empty rooms. The Disney annual report numbers are probably pretty close (remembering that they are reporting the percentage of available rooms, not percentage of total inventory). There is some percentage of the rooms that are not available at any given time but I doubt there are 2,000 of them on an average day. Plus you notice that he gives no indication if the "insider" is really in a position to know what he was talking about.

 

[CanadianGuy]

All this chatter makes me want to call someone I know at Disney who I am CONFIDENT would know what the deal is here.. unfortunate, I'm CONFIDENT whatever was told to me I wouldn't be at liberty to post here.

Dag-nabit.

Knox

 

[CarolA]

I'm just curious.. which do you think is accurate? The audited numbers or the inside source?

Personally I suspect the truth is actually somewhere between those two.

And yes, I think Jim is exaggerating.

Knox

In this day and age (and speaking as a Big Four employee) my bets on the audited numbers. Putting inaccuate data in your annual report can lead to unpleasent consequences (like jail!)

I read the Prior Year finanicals in GREAT detail and I would be willing to bet that MOST hotel chains in North America would LOVE to have Disney's occuapancy and rate setting ability.

 

[jw50]

It would be interesting to see a breakdown of the occupancy rates by type of resort (deluxe, mod, value) and by room category at each resort by season. I would be willing to bet that the occupancy rate for the high margin rooms is very high year round.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Has Disney's 2006 report been audited yet? My guess is no, but feel free to correct me if this is not the case. Bausch & Lomb can tell them all about getting audited



Oh.... and 'available' likely refers to those rooms suitable for booking, not those undergoing refurbishment, etc. That can increase the percentage a bit...