So, who believes there will be a public offer for free dining?

[DISNEYNY]

we were going to hold off to see if the Free dining happened
but Southwest offered 89 air so I jumped on that for Mid August :
i did not want to take a chance to miss that air fair
Do you think they will let you use the pin code and free dining
I had the 40% off !!

You can not use FDP with a 40% off room code. They only allow one per person.

 

[VickiVM]

Ouch - Gas prices reached $4/gallon in some areas - this has got to hurt anticipated travel this summer.

We're planning on driving which means that we just have to tighten our budget in dining. I would love if they offered free dining earlier in the month - we can't go beyond the 2nd week of August because of school.

 

[esdras]

Just to re-post some info I put in another thread on Free Dining Predictions:

2005:

General Public From: 8/21/05-10/04/05 (45 Days)
Florida Res. From: 8/21/05-10/04/05 (45 Days)
General Public From: 8/21/05-10/04/05 (45 Days)


2006:

Disney Visa From: 8/13/06-9/30/06 (49 Days)
General Public From: 8/13/06-9/30/06 (49 Days) - Announced in April
General Public From: 8/20/06-9/30/06 (42 Days) - Announced in June


2007:

Bounceback From: 8/5/07-9/29/07 (56 Days)
United Kingdom From: 8/12/07-9/29/07 (49 Days)
Disney Visa From: 8/26/07-9/22/07 (28 Days)
General Public From: 8/26/07-9/22/07 (28 Days)


2008:

Bounceback From: 8/30/08-9/27/08 (29 Days)
United Kingdom From: 8/10/08-9/27/08 (49 Days)

This is mainly for the purpose of considering the following, since a lot of people think that if Public Free Dining happens, it might not start until very late August or even only during September.

Consider the total number of days available for each offer - while there have been reductions (for the Public in '07 and Bounceback in '08), the UK offer was about the same length. Does a shorter Bounceback in '08 mean that Public gets a longer window this year - sort of a reverse of '07?

Will they "stagger" the start times? In '07, Bounceback was first, then UK then Public. This year, UK is very early and Bounceback is very late - is it possible that a Public offer will fall somewhere in the middle of August - such as the weekend before or after August 18, the date (if I remember correctly) when a lot of the schools in the U.S. go back in session?

As I mentioned in that other thread, EVERY year is hurricane season, and whether or not there have been any bad ones recently, mid-August through September (after schools start) is traditionally slow at Disney. There will be offers during that time - either Free Dining, or something else to entice people to book.

IF it is Free Dining, I really don't think that there is a way to predict the dates that will be offered to the General Public.

One final theory - since in '07 the Bounceback and UK offers started so early, perhaps a lot was booked in August, preventing Disney from offering the deal until the end of the month. In '08 they didn't start the Bounceback until the end of August - perhaps this year they are planning on giving the Public the chance to book earlier.

Who knows? It's all guess work on our part!

 

[Lewisc]

esdras--Thanks for the summary of past years. Disney has already offered free dining to UK residents and "bounce back. I'd expect free dining but I'd expect the dates to be limited. I wouldn't be surprised if availability is much more limited. Guests may not be able to get their first choice of resorts.

All bets are off if increasing gas prices dramatically reduces demand.

 

[esdras]

esdras--Thanks for the summary of past years. Disney has already offered free dining to UK residents and "bounce back. I'd expect free dining but I'd expect the dates to be limited. I wouldn't be surprised if availability is much more limited. Guests may not be able to get their first choice of resorts.

All bets are off if increasing gas prices dramatically reduces demand.

Once again, I don't think we can be certain of limited dates, even knowing what the bounceback and UK dates are. The UK offer was limited to Moderate and Deluxe resorts - so there is no way to tell if this had the effect of reducing the numbers who would book - additionally, this leaves Value rooms open for Disney to use for the promotion - and as most have pointed out - Free Dining really is one of the best discounts for those staying at a Value level resort.

In terms of the Bounceback - while we have seen a number of people on the DIS boards indicate that they took advantage of the offer, we can only reasonably expect this to be a small number of people who were actually on site at the time it was available. While there are those who go to Disney yearly (or more!), the reality is that for many, Disney is a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, or (at best) a vacation the family can manage only every two or three years.

Further, with the Bounceback this year being for such a limited time-frame (well after U.S. schools have started and only a few days before Canadian kids go back), there is the possibility that the demand was less. Remember that Disney actually offered two Bouncebacks in '07 for '08 dates - both end on September 27, but the room-discount bounceback started three weeks earlier (stays starting on Aug. 10 rather than Aug. 30) than Free Dining. If they were pushing THAT hard, we can only hope for good discounts (either Free Dining or a really good room discount) for the same timeframe.

While many of us (admittedly, myself included) fret over this topic, we simply can't know what will happen without full knowledge of occupancy rates. Disney won't give us that info. And even if we knew about how many ressies have been booked, a package for the end of August can still be cancelled without penalty up to the second week of July - well after all discounts for the August-September window are generally announced. We've all heard of people who book, hoping for a discount, who cancel if they can't get one - and Disney knows this happens. It only makes sense for Disney to have offers in place to keep cancellations to a minimum - better to lose a few hundred dollars on a discount than a couple of thousand on a full cancellation.

Keep the faith folks!

 

[Goofy22]

I'm sitting here waiting along with everyone!! I have high hopes it would be so nice for free dining!

 

[CampbellScot]

Due to the "rate changes" for weekends and such being charged different rates for different days...as opposed to the same rate from the day your trip starts...I'm wondering if it will be the same for free dining...as in Free Dining is offered from say 8/18-9/10...and your trip is from 8/30-9/12...will you NOT have free dining those last two days of the trip?

it's not a very magical thought...

Did this make any sense?! I'm STARVING...sitting here thinking off free dining and Disney food...and Dole Whips...and my brain is muddled!

 

[DISNEYNY]

Due to the "rate changes" for weekends and such being charged different rates for different days...as opposed to the same rate from the day your trip starts...I'm wondering if it will be the same for free dining...as in Free Dining is offered from say 8/18-9/10...and your trip is from 8/30-9/12...will you NOT have free dining those last two days of the trip?

According to the chart I'm looking at the room prices don't change on the weekend during value season. I believe it stays at 82 per night at the values, 149 at mods. I doubt that your theory would apply...I sure hope not.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Unless, there are a lot of hurricanes being reported for the time period I don't believe there will a public offer for free dining.

I think our economy is not affecting Disney World enough during that time. The British love Sepetember to come here.

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't feel it this year.

Please. . . . I have no doubt that Disney will offer Free Dining again this year. Free Dining has been a brilliant plan on the part of Disney to fill the crowds during what was previously their slowest season, and hurrican season to boot. And then having the bounceback for free food while the free diners are there in the parks, on their Disney high, well I would call that pure marketing genius. We love Disney World and for us it is the happiest place on earth, but first and foremost Disney is a large corporation that will always do what is best for their bottomline and Free Dining as been very, very good for Disney's bottomline. They are making money hand over fist with this promotion.

We were there for Free Dining last year, and yes we did have fun, but we went for low crowds and there was definetly NOT low crowds during the week of Sept. 14 - 22. I personally don't see it Free Dining ending anytime in the near future.

 

[cdrn1]

We all bailed them out on the free dining during the huricane years , and this is the thanks we get, smaller free dining windows, Thats gratitude.

I didn't book it to bail WDW out!!!

 

[esdras]

Due to the "rate changes" for weekends and such being charged different rates for different days...as opposed to the same rate from the day your trip starts...I'm wondering if it will be the same for free dining...as in Free Dining is offered from say 8/18-9/10...and your trip is from 8/30-9/12...will you NOT have free dining those last two days of the trip?

According to the chart I'm looking at the room prices don't change on the weekend during value season. I believe it stays at 82 per night at the values, 149 at mods. I doubt that your theory would apply...I sure hope not.

Even if Value Season had higher Fri-Sat room rates, this likely wouldn't affect Dining Plans and/or Free Dining Promotions.

Disney, in implementing the Fri-Sat room rate policy is actually now more in line with the hotel industry in general - where they differ (surprisingly) is that they still have Value Seasons where the rates don't change. Most hotel chains have the Fri-Sat price difference year round.

The reason that would never affect dining is this - if you are in a hotel that has its own restaurant and charges different room rates on Fri-Sat nights, I don't think your dinner would cost more if you were in the restaurant on a Wednesday night vs. a Saturday night (assuming same dish, no "specials", etc.)

Disney charges the same amount for food each day of the week, and the Dining Plan is also a fixed rate. The only location I can think of where dining costs vary is at Vic&Albert - but that is because the cost is based upon the chef's menu for the evening.

So, even if Value Season eventually changes to the new room-rate policy in place for all the other seasons, it should never affect the DDP - whether it was purchased or offered as a promotion.

Okay - I know - never say never, but I just don't see how even Disney could manage to pull something like that.

 

[CampbellScot]

Even if Value Season had higher Fri-Sat room rates, this likely wouldn't affect Dining Plans and/or Free Dining Promotions.

Disney, in implementing the Fri-Sat room rate policy is actually now more in line with the hotel industry in general - where they differ (surprisingly) is that they still have Value Seasons where the rates don't change. Most hotel chains have the Fri-Sat price difference year round.

The reason that would never affect dining is this - if you are in a hotel that has its own restaurant and charges different room rates on Fri-Sat nights, I don't think your dinner would cost more if you were in the restaurant on a Wednesday night vs. a Saturday night (assuming same dish, no "specials", etc.)

Disney charges the same amount for food each day of the week, and the Dining Plan is also a fixed rate. The only location I can think of where dining costs vary is at Vic&Albert - but that is because the cost is based upon the chef's menu for the evening.

So, even if Value Season eventually changes to the new room-rate policy in place for all the other seasons, it should never affect the DDP - whether it was purchased or offered as a promotion.

Okay - I know - never say never, but I just don't see how even Disney could manage to pull something like that.

THANKS!! My brain was just not able to wrap around all this! I appreciate the explanation!!!