something the reservation agent mentioned...

[nkereina]

I'm really mad at myself for not booking the free dining before it ended in September. So now I'm settling for the percentage off that's being offered now. I'm still hoping free dining is offered again but the reservation agent on the phone mentioned several times that they "were told the discounts are only going to get less and less" as the year goes on and that "the early bird gets the worm on these deals". How true do you think that is? Do you think that's a line they feed just to get people to book now? She did say I have the option to change if something better comes along and I noticed she was real adamant about me putting down the deposit now, so I thought maybe it was just a sales tactic. Just made me nervous because I'm still hoping for free dining in September/October again!

Thanks!!!!

 

[ancestry]

What the reservationist told you matches what many people have been posting here on the boards over the course of the past 6 months. The room off discounts that are out now are less than they were last year at this time and there seems to be less rooms available with the discounts (based on people posting here about categories being unavailable with the discount).

Personally I think you should plan on the discounts being less and less and hope for the best. If a better discount comes out you can always apply that to your reservations (subject to availability) rather than stay with the discount your currently have.

 

[Luvmepluto]

Don't feel bad, I want to go in October so the FD was not an option. Well, neither is the room deal at this point. I may have lost the last boat to FD.

They have been talking about doing away with the discounts, but I would assume that everything depends on the state of the economy. If the bookings get lighter, they will probably want to try to lure consumers with an enticing deal. I know several families that will not go this year if the deals do not get better. They are larger families.......


I am waiting and crossing my fingers for a good deal in October. I am sure that I will have to wait until April to see what that may be. Maybe, just maybe, I will receive a pin.

 

[kadesha]

I agree about the early bird getting the worm. The discounts released on Monday are no longer available at some resorts...

 

[Eastern]

They can say whatever they want: if people book at full price they won't have to offer discounts; if people can't afford to book at full price, they will have to offer more discounts, although they may turn up later than expected.

 

[Luvmepluto]

Just curious...which ones are filled up?

I agree....not everyone can afford the regular prices especially when our economic situation is changing daily in certain areas. I go regardless, but if I can have a deal, that is better yet. I think that Disney vacations should be made affordable for everyone. There are families out there that will never make it there. That is a shame!

 

[nkereina]

Thanks everyone for the input! Not sure which ones are filled up, but I booked Port Orleans Riverside for the last week of September in a standard view room with no problem. I did it today and got 30% off.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

They can say whatever they want: if people book at full price they won't have to offer discounts; if people can't afford to book at full price, they will have to offer more discounts, although they may turn up later than expected.

That's exactly what I'm thinking. That said, I don't think people are going to ring Disney's phones off the hook trying to buy vacations at full price, either. If that's what Disney is expecting, well... they might be in for a disappointment. The economy probably won't be back to that state for a looooong while. Times are still tough!

 

[clanmcculloch]

That's what the CMs are being told and that's what the press releases have been saying. I've been chuckling every time I hear it because WDW has been putting out discounts MUCH earlier than usual and they've even had to do away with some blackout periods since they first started announcing this (most of 2010). Being a business, of course they want to do away with discounts, but if they can't fill rooms then they have to do something. An occupied discounted room is better than an empty room.

I will agree that the discounts coming out now are not as deep as they had been. Now that they've got us hooked on WDW by giving the deep discounts that they had been giving, people want to return and will generally accept lesser discounts. People won't necessarily book with NO discount, but I think we're seeing that as long as there IS a discount then people will book. People expect them. What's also interesting is how much some of the rack rates have increased. Some of them have gone up so much that even with the small discounts people are basically paying close last year's rack rate.

The early bird getting the worm is certainly very true if you want a very specific resort and room category. But, this was always true; categories have always sold out or not even been offered for various discounts. This is nothing new.

 

[Mrs. Charming]

That's what the CMs are being told and that's what the press releases have been saying. I've been chuckling every time I hear it because WDW has been putting out discounts MUCH earlier than usual and they've even had to do away with some blackout periods since they first started announcing this (most of 2010). Being a business, of course they want to do away with discounts, but if they can't fill rooms then they have to do something. An occupied discounted room is better than an empty room.

I will agree that the discounts coming out now are not as deep as they had been. Now that they've got us hooked on WDW by giving the deep discounts that they had been giving, people want to return and will generally accept lesser discounts. People won't necessarily book with NO discount, but I think we're seeing that as long as there IS a discount then people will book. People expect them. What's also interesting is how much some of the rack rates have increased. Some of them have gone up so much that even with the small discounts people are basically paying close last year's rack rate.

The early bird getting the worm is certainly very true if you want a very specific resort and room category. But, this was always true; categories have always sold out or not even been offered for various discounts. This is nothing new.

I think that's a very valid point about the rack rates. And there will always be those folks that get a quote and just pay it, undiscounted. (I don't personally understand, but they do it!)

The other side of it is that regardless of discounts, Disney is still making money on discounted rooms because a good chunk of WDW visitors are buying heavily marked up souvenirs. Ka-ching!

And if there could be a 3rd side of it, it might be this-- they're planning on people not calling their bluff. That's not unreasonable, right?

 

[clanmcculloch]

I think that's a very valid point about the rack rates. And there will always be those folks that get a quote and just pay it, undiscounted. (I don't personally understand, but they do it!)

Last year I knew a family heading down near Thanksgiving. I couldn't help but ask which offer she was taking advantage of because I knew she wasn't the type to do research (I really wanted to ask how much $$ she was spending but that would have been rude). She was paying full price for her family of 5 for a deluxe resort (she thought that's the only place they could fit). I couldn't believe it. I explained free dining and I explained about POR's trundle rooms (I also explained the family suites and FW cabins but POR was cheaper). I saved them a few thousand dollars with that one simple conversation.

Moral of this story is that yes there are insane people who WILL pay rack rate and never question it.

 

[avw1295]

I agree that rack rates have gone up significantly. We stayed at deluxe resorts the last two years because of the deep discounts that were offered. This year, we are staying at a moderate. The discounts that are available this year are not nearly as good as the offers of the last two years. I priced all of the deluxe resorts with the discount and it was a lot more than what I paid the past two years. I will continue to go to WDW as long as I can afford to stay at a moderate resort, but I have to say it is getting close to being out of reach for me.

 

[KELLY]

I missed FD booking also. Just s stupid mistake on my part. Anyway I booked the kids deal on Monday. But if FD does come out for Ocotber we will just move our trip up a month. Dh would pefer to go at the end of October instead of September again. But we also like to keep the cost of our trip with a certain figure beacuse we go every year.

I think our big expense will be airfare this year. The past 2 years we have paid around 800.00 for 4 not sure on that this year.

 

[Luvmepluto]

We have a large family and most of my siblings and their family are planning a trip for October. Many of them will fly from various areas. None of my family members care to stay in a Deluxe because we are NEVER in our rooms. The percentage discount does not seem to be a great discount. We are crossing our fingers for FD. If not, my immediate clan maybe the only ones attending.

You guys are correct on the rack room rates. They have gone up and the discounts are lower which almost equals to a minimal discount from last year. I just can not see how they will fill the parks and rooms without some sort of discount (good discount). Not to mention that they are going to open the Animation Resort next year......I think I am just rambling.

 

[HWKI2]

Yeah the discounts seemingly get less each year

 

[LaurieN]

:

Last year I knew a family heading down near Thanksgiving. I couldn't help but ask which offer she was taking advantage of because I knew she wasn't the type to do research (I really wanted to ask how much $$ she was spending but that would have been rude). She was paying full price for her family of 5 for a deluxe resort (she thought that's the only place they could fit). I couldn't believe it. I explained free dining and I explained about POR's trundle rooms (I also explained the family suites and FW cabins but POR was cheaper). I saved them a few thousand dollars with that one simple conversation.

Moral of this story is that yes there are insane people who WILL pay rack rate and never question it.

Crazy person here In 2008 I paid rack rate because I didn't know any better. By the time I booked my 2009 trip I had found the Dis and ended up with free dinning for my Thanksgiving trip
All that being said; we are going back for Thanksgiving again this year and if we don't get a pin or discount of some sort we will still be going and we still be staying at the Beach Club club level. I know it sounds crazy and maybe it is, but it's what we want and we worked and saved hard for it. It sure would be nice to get a discount though.
Laurie

 

[Rachaelt]

It's kind of already in practice. No discounts right now, until 2/17. Except for AP, FL Res, and PINS. And I still had tons of people booking for this month and early Feb tonight.

 

[SarahD]

We wanted to go back in November this year (haven't been since Jan of 09) but without free dining, it's a no go. Starting to price some cruises...I'm hearing fantastic things about Norwegian's new Epic.

 

[Rachaelt]

I still think there will be a mid summer and a discount to cover the rest of the year. They do it in quarters, and October is the start of the new fiscal year.

 

[Luvmepluto]

Yes, there is no doubt they will come out with something. It may even be FD. I wished I had booked with the bounce back prior to our leaving the resort last year.