What do you think of Free Dining as a DVC member?

[TDC Nala]

I visit them too, just not on the dining plan.

And I do get a discount...on the annual pass, which allows me to buy a TIW card so I get restaurant discounts.

 

[kim532]

I was orginally annoyed about losing out on FD. I have never had DDP. When I looked into it, I realized that it doesn't fit our style. On vacation we eat a lot less than we do at home. Small Breakfast in room - one other large meal for the day.

I love DVC. I am OK missing out on FD. Not missing much IMO.

 

[MelissathePooh]

At least there's no upcharge for the DDP for DVC like there is for others when seasonal prices hit. Not a discount and certainly not "free", but we didn't join DVC to keep up with resort offers. One of the nice things about it is not having to stake out discounts, codes, offers, etc. Some people love that aspect of planning and if we don't want to use points we can book through DRC like everyone else.

 

[pennst8r]

Here's what I would like:

1. To know when FD will be offered, so I can plan not to be there! We've always gone in Oct and last year FD kept getting extended so the parks were more crowded than usual.

2. A few days jump on ADRs. They can have their meals for free, but give those of us paying for them first dibs. (Altho, I have to admit I don't seem to have much trouble at 180 days, just saying it would be a nice gesture. )

 

[fishermouse]

Before DVC we would go to WDW when it was free dining time. How do you feel about people getting free dining and we do not? Do you still feel like DVC is a better deal? Just wondering what your opinions were. After reading on another thread what people had booked and how many days they are staying it got me thinking

Does anyone seriously think "free dining" is FREE? It's paid for in the package. you pay rack rate for a room that would otherwise be discounted and get the meal plan thrown in. No more FREE than the meals on a cruise ship or an all inclusive trip some where else. As for DVC I'm getting what I paid for with some nice perks thrown in now and then.

 

[Goofy442]

Three years ago we went for the free dining it cost us 1400.00 for the four of us. All my DH keep saying was we are eating again. There was so many people at the value resorts it wasn't funny that's when we bought DVC. We went in Aug. of last year and stayed at AKV there was not as many people there as the value resorts. We had friends who stayed there and oh my there was people everywhere. I'll keep my DVC and not get free dining any day.

 

[Jynohn]

The quality and variety has gone down in the past three to five years. There have been a lot of favorites removed from the menu and in some cases, poorer quality substituted.

Agree 100%. Since the dining plan has come along, 'Ohana's menu has been modified over and over, no more Banana Dustbowl at Whispering Canyon, the taco/enchillada combo plate at San Angel Inn is gone, and prime rib has been replaced by flank steak at Boma. These are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head, but it seems as though every time we return to WDW, another favorite has been taken off the menu.

While I don't resent the discounts offered to non-DVC members because I feel we end up making out better in the end anyway, I do resent that I'm now paying higher prices for lesser quality meals.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Agree 100%. Since the dining plan has come along, 'Ohana's menu has been modified over and over, no more Banana Dustbowl at Whispering Canyon, the taco/enchillada combo plate at San Angel Inn is gone, and prime rib has been replaced by flank steak at Boma. These are just a few that I can think of off the top of my head, but it seems as though every time we return to WDW, another favorite has been taken off the menu.

While I don't resent the discounts offered to non-DVC members because I feel we end up making out better in the end anyway, I do resent that I'm now paying higher prices for lesser quality meals.

Agree. The food has taken serious hits at WdW. Just visit the Pepper Market. They have shut down stations, completely removed the Salad station and Asian Food stations and taken steak and chicken wings off the menu. Capt Jacks no longer serves the Lobster tails and no more Gelato at BC Marketplace was recently reported. I have watched as staff changed prices and menus the day before free dining crowds show up. That means for all those not on FD, they will supplement. Even TIW will pay more when prices increase. After seeing this, I am more than happy to prepare meals in my villa more often as we enjoy good hi quality food and eating low quality meals in a crowded restaurant does nothing to enhance my vacation.

Id rather have Crab legs and tenderloin that is easily prepared by me. I dont mind putting a little effort in when i know my family will enjoy it.

 

[keishashadow]

i cancelled my res @ WL last Dec & enjoyed FDP @ PORFQ.

it was a swell trip & was nice to come home with a bounceback offer in my pocket jik i can get away end of July (if not i'll cancel) but, it wasn't WL @ Xmas time either

as a bonus though, my oldest DS was thrilled to get to use my points for his trip & i banked the rest.

i'd consider doing it again in a heartbeat. one of the reasons i didn't add on last year was because so many resort promos have been recently available. I don't think they'll last, once the economy rebounds, but I like being flexible enough that I can take advantage of an CRO offer without worrying about not using all my points...best of all worlds.

I also enjoy being able to stay onsite Loews @ Universal at least once a year & work a cruise in every year or two (either DCL cash or one of the other lines), which i likely wouldn't do if DVC point heavy.

DVC touts the program's flexibility, although im not sure my patterns are what they had in mind.

 

[needtogomore]

Every year it comes up that DVC members can't stay on points and get free dining.

If members want the free dining they CAN ALWAYS book a package with the free dining and save up the points for a cruise, or to trade for a resort elsewhere, or for a larger room if they want to travel sometime when there isn't free dining.

I highlighted the can always part of your post, as reading it I assume you do realize that some people can only take one vacation per year, so how can they always do this, it winds me up when people post do this or do that with no knowledge of others vacation habbits.

 

[Tara]

I highlighted the can always part of your post, as reading it I assume you do realize that some people can only take one vacation per year, so how can they always do this, it winds me up when people post do this or do that with no knowledge of others vacation habbits.

Perhaps you overlooked the part where TDCNala said that people who book for free dining can save (bank) their points. They could also rent them to offset costs. Neither of these requires vacationing more than once a year and doesn't make any undue assumptions about people's vacationing styles given that we're talking about Disney Vacation Club members - the assumption being that they are going to vacation and use their points at some time within the rules of use.

 

[dmoore22]

I visit them too, just not on the dining plan.

And I do get a discount...on the annual pass, which allows me to buy a TIW card so I get restaurant discounts.

Which, for us, is more cost effective (AP+ TIW + DVC) since we do multiple trips and prefer the discounts on

 

[dzorn]

not at all bothered by the free dining, what wound us was the upgrades from values to 1 bedrooms in DVC properties ( including FD ).

Well the upgrades have started again, with the gift card promo.

Denise in MI

 

[mvc1997]

I HATE free dining...both for us and for "them". I hate it for them, because it makes the restaraunts too busy for us, and there is no way I feel we are "owed" anything like free dining, so not an issue there.

I hate it too!! I believe it made the menus at a lot of places sort of standard fare......... too much of the same stuff over and over again.

The food just doesn't even taste as good! I wish they would get rid of it and then maybe there would be more varation in the menus from place to place.

 

[acourtwdw]

I think a lot of people are quick to blame the DDP on the fact that Disney has changed a lot of our favorite foods for those of lesser quaility. I blame the ecomony and the cost of food rising. Disney is after all a business and their job is to make money for their shareholders (me included). I have found that the quality of food everywhere has gone down not just at WDW. Just my 2 cents....

 

[TDC Nala]

I highlighted the can always part of your post, as reading it I assume you do realize that some people can only take one vacation per year, so how can they always do this, it winds me up when people post do this or do that with no knowledge of others vacation habbits.

And what part of that is incorrect? They can bank the points and use them the next year on a bigger room, or buy a cruise instead. The assumption being made is that they want to travel every year to WDW and they wouldn't want to do that without the free dining. It's also being assumed that DVC members who prefer free dining have no options.

Once they have hit the banking limit they can take one year in a 2 bedroom or a treehouse villa or MK view at BLT and forsake the free dining, then start over again. Yes, there are always ways to plan this way, even if they only take one vacation per year.

If a group is going to be so rigid that they decide they don't want to go to WDW without the free dining, they might consider selling their DVC points, or renting them out yearly, which is yet another option. Renting the points out would certainly help them pay for that rack rate free dining package.

 

[dmoore22]

I highlighted the can always part of your post, as reading it I assume you do realize that some people can only take one vacation per year, so how can they always do this, it winds me up when people post do this or do that with no knowledge of others vacation habits.

Perhaps they should visit the Psychic Friends DVC DISboards for answers to their questions and advice. No need to spill intimate details. Just concentrate . . . concentrate . . . concentrate . . .

 

[vellamint]

I LOVE free dining....hehe - but not for the free dining. My family has had the Free Dining promotion three times....but since we are a family of 6 we stayed in 2 rooms at ASMO, 2 rooms at Pop, and last year 3 rooms at ASSP...

After those trips I made the decision that I never want to stay in a standard room again OR be tied down to being in a certain place at a certain time every day.....so, I finally bought into DVC.

 

[dclfun]

This year we'll be returning from the transatlantic Magic cruise on the last day of the fall FD promo. We booked a stay at Pop and are really happy to have just the QSDP as we'll use those snack credits at the F&W Fest stands. I don't find the value in the TS restaurants with the DDP anymore since the appy and esp. the grats were removed. We could care less about dessert. As others have mentioned what chapped my hide was the free upgrades to the one bedroom villas for those who paid for a value resort with FD, and esp. people who posted on the resort codes thread that they lied to get them. I'll save my points for another time though since in this instance it will be best for us just to pay cash at a value resort and we'll save the 2 day tickets to upgrade to AP's.----Kathy

 

[curiouslittleoyster]

not at all bothered by the free dining, what wound us was the upgrades from values to 1 bedrooms in DVC properties ( including FD ).

That's not fair. I was told when I signed up that only DVC members can stay in the DVC properties. I tried to do some research on the boards about this, but didn't find very much information. I saw some posts about Disney upgrading people from values if the value resorts were overbooked. Is this the only case, but then wouldn't that limit the number of DVC rooms available for members? I also saw some posts about non members getting Pins for discounts off of DVC villas. I thought non members had to pay rack rate. Ok, now I'm confused.