I did not expect such emotional responses when I started this thread. Ten pages in a single day? There's a lot I want to respond to.
First of all, the PP who stated she and her DH hadn't worked in a while but she was worried about being able to go to Disney is NOT the OP. Somehow, a few of you got confused about that. I am the OP.
Some of you I simply have to respond to. Some of you are downright hostile--where is that coming from? I'd think a community of Mouseketeers would be a more welcoming and tolerant bunch!
Wow...maybe you should pick another place to go. I can understand people saying they can not afford to go without a deal, but your demands of Disney are just plain shocking!
Here is from wikipedia...
"Walt Disney World Resort is the largest and most visited recreational resort in the world[citation needed], containing four theme parks, two water parks, 24 themed hotels, and numerous shopping, dining, entertainment and recreation venues. The resort complex is owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a division of the The Walt Disney Company. It is located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, a tourist area southwest of Orlando. The property is often abbreviated as Disney World or WDW."
It also goes on to say that there are over 20 million visitors to the MK annually. Another 15 Mil + to Epcot and over 10 mil each to AK and DHS.
Disney resorts and theme parks make billions in profit annually, even in hard times. This does not include The Disney Companies other businesses like entire TV networkS. This is only the parks and resorts portion.
Next time you wish to give a shout out to Disney saying you will "NOT" go because they wont feed 8 of you for a week, think about the other 19,999,999 people who will go. I dont think they really care about your $8000, which is not all profit. Another 8 will come along and take your place.
Have fun at Yosemite.
Wow...you're not judgmental at all, are you? I think you spun a little out of control there. Read my original post again and see if your response is even rational--I don't think it is.
Im not knocking anyone. I, too, am waiting for a discount. I have never paid full price for anything, and I dont plan on starting now! Like a PP said, there are options.
AAA, AP pass, Disney Visa..
Im knocking the people who just WONT go because there is no
free dining. Like I said in many many previous posts, for people who are on a budget and need it and are wishing for it..thats me too! BUT..people saying No FD, Disney needs my business and has to offer me something grand or Ill go elsewhere..thats just ridiculous, IMO.
I thought perhaps you were starting to mellow out in that post, but then you hopped back on the crazy train again at the end.
We're choosing to wait until they offer free dining. What's wrong with that? It's not ridiculous. That's our choice, for a variety of reasons. It's just a VACATION! Disney will survive without us, and we'll survive without Disney.
I haven't read other responses but here is my suggestion:
Make your ADRs at 180 days in anticipation of the week you want to go. Then if no FD code comes out and you don't book a trip- cancel them.
Thank you for pointing that out. It's a great idea and I had forgotten that was an option. That may extend our window of opportunity while we wait for a fall promo, and I really appreciate you mentioning it.
One rumor passed along to me was that Disney wasn't very happy with the outcome of 2009 F/D promo... in part because of the reduced guest spending on 'other stuff' -- impulse buys, souvenirs, treats that were not included on the
DDP etc. Easy to figure why that was - because of the economy etc.. And probably in part because of guests being as frugal as possible with their vacation dollars.
Our family of four has been to WDW twice in the last 16 months. One week at the Grand Floridian (our first ever WDW trip), then two weeks at ASMo (which we PREFERRED to the GF), and both times on the free dining. Yes, we love Disney, but Disney is just one of many potential vacation experiences. It was the free dining which got us to take WDW trips when we NEVER would have gone otherwise. It just simply wouldn't have been enticing without that discount.
If I could speculate, I'd imagine reduced guest spending is less related to the free dining promo and more generally a reflection of the economy. But they've got all the data and they aren't stupid. I can only speak for my experience, and I know we spent just as much as usual when we were there on the promo in Oct 2009. We don't cut many corners when we vacation, even in a down economy. We still did the Halloween party, the full "Pirate Makeover" experience, bought tons of lanyard pins, souveniers, etc. That's why getting a promo is so important to us. Money saved by free dining is money we can spend on the "full experience" while we are there. Honestly, it's not worth it to us if we can't afford to do all the "extras" while we're there.
Now a more general response. I have seen the word "entitled" used frequently here, but I've yet to see anyone actually claim to be "entitled" to anything. I certainly never said I was entitled to anything, and the people using that word are mischaracterizing what I and others have stated.
I also never said I couldn't afford WDW if they don't offer free dining. I'm not particularly wealthy, but realisticlly, I could afford whatever vacation I wanted to take, Disney or otherwise. But I try to be a good steward of the money I've been blessed to earn, and here's my decision-making process:
- What's our first choice for a vacation in 2010? (WDW)
- What's the best deal we can get? (not sure yet, but we're running out of time to wait)
- Will patience bring us a better deal in the next 4-5 years? (since there are no 2010 fall promos, it seems likely)
- How does that compare to other vacation options in 2010? (at full price, there are better "values" this year)
I think that same basic logic applies to most situations we all find ourselves in. If I'm buying a new television, I shop around. If I have a discount at
Best Buy or a particular brand has a rebate, they're more likely to earn my business. Someone else whose heart is set on the $2000 Sony Bravia may not care--all they know is they want that Bravia!
Similarly, many people here are complete addicts and are committed to a Disney vacation, no matter the cost. And that's fine! I'm not criticizing you at all. It's your money, it's your life, spend it as you wish.
On the other hand, there are people like my family of four who are NOT Disney-obsessed, and I think Disney hopes to attract people like us with promos. We are on the fence, waiting to see if our best option is a WDW trip this fall. And for us, the biggest part of that equation seems to be free dining. If they offer it, we will come. If they don't, we won't. And that should be fine, too!
Will we be disappointed? Yes, a little. Probably for a few days. Then the excitement of planning for "Vacation 2010" will kick in full-throttle, and we'll bump Disney to the "Potential Vacation 2011" list.
I'm not giving up all hope yet, though--just starting to seriously consider all the other options (and for the record, Universal Studios is NOT one of them).
