Please help me!

[Disney1fan2002]

Can someone please help me explain to my sister, why DVC members would not be eligible for the free Disney Dining plan if it is offered this year?

She seems to think that because we are going in August, and Disney has offered the free dining plan two years in a row in that travel time, that we should be able to get it also.

I have tried explaining to her that there is no gaurantee that Disney will even offer it this year, but IF they do, our reservations are through DVC, we would not be eligible. She does not understand that. She thinks that even though we used points for our stay, we are still "paying" for the room. She thinks it would be worth it for me to "look into it."

I don't know how else to explain it to her. I have tried explaining that Disney uses the free dining to get people to stay in their hotels at a rack rate, at a low time of year. Disney does not need to entice us, they already have our money.

Please, how would you explain it? Maybe someone else can put it into words better than me. TIA.

 

[PamOKW]

Maybe this will work --- there's no such thing as a free lunch. People who are staying at WDW hotels have meals included in the price they are paying for their room. It is a promotional incentive Disney is using to get people to come to WDW.

We are not staying at a WDW hotel. We are DVC members and we are staying at our home using our points. We are not paying for a "one time" stay at WDW.

But, I guess that's pretty much what you've already said...

 

[Granny]

I have tried explaining that Disney uses the free dining to get people to stay in their hotels at a rack rate, at a low time of year. Disney does not need to entice us, they already have our money.

Please, how would you explain it? Maybe someone else can put it into words better than me. TIA.

I think you explained it very well. I'd say your sister just isn't getting it!

Let's put it this way. Disney offers the "free" dining plan during certain times of the year to get people to pay rack rate and give up any discounts. So if your sister wants the free meals, all she needs to do is pay rack rate at that time.

As Pam said, there truly is no free lunch. I think your sister doesn't really understand what DVC is and how it works. She is thinking (I suppose) that your annual dues are like paying room rates.

Good luck with this. My guess is she is equating the time of year you are going and the free meal plan, and assumes that everyone staying on-site at WDW will be eating free except DVCers?

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Ask her to look into it for you and get back to you with what she finds out. Then say I told you so over and over again when she does.

I have found that nah, nah, nah, nah, nah also works well.

HBC

 

[lisaviolet]

But just an aside I would say it is pretty darn close to a "free lunch" at the Values especially when it goes into Value season.

I did it with my mom in 2005 and it was under $600 absolute total that I had to pay. And that was for 6 days (nights??) and of course all our food and one day at the parks. Which ended up to be two b/c they allowed us, we asked, to give mine to her b/c I had an AP. A tremendously low total for two people and food.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

But just an aside I would say it is pretty darn close to a "free lunch" at the Values especially when it goes into Value season.

That was a good deal. IMHO staying at the Values is always cheaper than owning DVC.

But we chose DVC for lots of reasons and with that choice comes missing out on things like the food deal. If the food deal is the most important factor to someone, it's good that they have the Value Resort option to take advantage of it. I would still prefer staying at DVC and using my DDE card to eat out rather than having the free food and staying somewhere else.

HBC

 

[MommaX03]

OP: Your explanation was clear.

I would remind your sister that Disney did the free dining in mid August to the end of September in 2005 and 2006 because it is hurricane season, and most people do not want to come in the blazing heat and humidity to WDW. I hung out in my values room when Tropical Storm Ernesto was in town last summer. But I knew that was the "price" of free dining.

Also, Disney already did a promo for free dining for August/September 2007 that was offered only to WDW guests staying in late 2006. (If you were staying at a WDW resort in December 2006, you were offered the opportunity to book a trip back with free dining for late August to September 2007. A deposit was required.) There is debate as to whether Disney later would open the same deal to the general public after making it an incentive plan to their December 2006 guests. Some say that would make for many disgruntled people. But it may be dependent on how many were receptive to that Winter 2006 promo.

I try to think of it as two different pots-DVC points and the rack rates of other WDW hotels. We make our reservations through DVC's member services, but the general public has to use the regular reservations department for their reservations. We can use our points to stay at a non-DVC resort, but we cannot buy into the dining plan when staying there on points. We can buy the dining plan if we stay at a non-DVC on cash. Our DVC money is used differently than money from a cash guest. Plus, there is no incentive to bring us back. We have to use or bank our points or we lose them. Disney knows we are coming back. This is not necessarily true for the cash guest, who, especially in late summer, needs a draw like the free dining plan.

 

[greenban]

Dear OP:

Tell your DSis, Disney was recycling the leftovers from paying guests onto the plates of free food guests.

Since the Fl. Dept. of Health found out, it is not clear if they will be offering the recycled, er free food plan this year.

Enjoy,

-Tony

 

[dianeschlicht]

Dear OP:

Tell your DSis, Disney was recycling the leftovers from paying guests onto the plates of free food guests.

Since the Fl. Dept. of Health found out, it is not clear if they will be offering the recycled, er free food plan this year.

Enjoy,

-Tony

Now THAT'S an explanation ANYONE could understand!! LOL

 

[Erie Islands]

Don't tell her a thing and let her try to leave without paying!

 

[DVC Grammy]

But just an aside I would say it is pretty darn close to a "free lunch" at the Values especially when it goes into Value season.

I did it with my mom in 2005 and it was under $600 absolute total that I had to pay. And that was for 6 days (nights??) and of course all our food and one day at the parks. Which ended up to be two b/c they allowed us, we asked, to give mine to her b/c I had an AP. A tremendously low total for two people and food.

ITA that for the Values, it's a really good deal, especially for a family! I don't know how it breaks down at the mods, but for those folks wanting to go at that time of year, and happy with Values/mods, I think it's a win/win for Disney AND the guests.
We tend to take our trips when it's cooler, but if we want to go one year at that time, and Disney still offers it, I think we'd try it instead of using our points.

 

[loribell]

Tell her you will look in to it, you are right now, and that you were right. There is no option for free dining while staying on points.

Good luck,
Lori