Surely it makes more sense to have free dining just in September?

[Tinker74]

If the dates are correct and free dining starts 26th August...i really can't understand why??
I was at disney last late August through to early sept...there was LOTS of crowds in late August it was far from light...yet as soon as as labour day arrived it was DEAD....September is always really quiet....the only way i can see to rectify this would be to have free dining in SEptember only...it would be the third year running so people are more aware and if it was confinded to september ...the crowds would pick up quite a lot in that month which is surely the purpose to the promotion.
By offering it in August ...the vast magority of takers will go then...but August simply doesn't need help anymore...especially with schools going back later.
August also has the pirate and princess parties to draw even more crowds.
IMO it makes sense to just offer free dining for those few weeks in September that really need help.....from a buisness perspective.

 

[Allison]

Who knows really? I'm sure Disney has lots of data they use to make the decision and would have lots of facts to back up why they choose the dates they do. They just don't share it with all of us who want all the details.

 

[Tinker74]

Your right Allison.. ..I'll be interested to see the dates that do come out for free dining IF it happens.. ...I won't be surprised if its after labor day though. As thats also when the P&PPs finish.

 

[Allison]

Your right Allison.. ..I'll be interested to see the dates that do come out for free dining IF it happens.. ...I won't be surprised if its after labor day though. As thats also when the P&PPs finish.

Good point. I am also interested to see if it happens, if there may be additional restrictions.

Doesn't the free dining for people in the UK and for the bounceback program start in mid-August? I wonder what kind of numbers Disney got from that.

I'm interested in all of this and it won't even effect me because I won't be going during this time anyway.

 

[n2mm]

If you check the disney website they even list most of August as the "quiet weeks".

 

[kaytieeldr]

The week of August 26 contains/includes September 1 - just barely, but it does.
Rather than start a promotion mid-week, or only run it for 21 or 28 days, IF Disney even offers free dining to the general public this year, it only makes sense to start it on a Sunday and end it on a Saturday.

 

[Tinker74]

The week of August 26 contains/includes September 1 - just barely, but it does.
Rather than start a promotion mid-week, or only run it for 21 or 28 days, IF Disney even offers free dining to the general public this year, it only makes sense to start it on a Sunday and end it on a Saturday.

Maybe thats it....But couldn't they start the promotion on Labor day ...A monday...I just think most of the free dining bookings will be for the first week it is available...leaving September still Dead....and sort of defeating the purpose of the promotion.
Whereas restricting it to after labor day forces people to go in September.

Only time will tell I suppose.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Whereas restricting it to after labor day forces people to go in September.

The may decide not go at all.

Here school starts back after Labor Day. As much as I'd love to take advantage of free dining, I wouldn't pull my son out of school early in the year to do so.

The August dates allow us to get in one last vacation before school starts back.

Now, if I lived in an area where school started mid August, then I might consider a mid-late September trip.