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

[dianeschlicht]

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.

Not true. Whenever a DVC member trades into the Disney Collection or the Disney cruise line, those points(think DVC rooms) become available to CRO to book in any way they see fit. If they have lots of inventory left close to booking time and it looks like they aren't going to get those rooms/villas booked, then it makes perfect sense to "upgrade" a few people. It keeps the resorts full, and leaves the cheaper inventory available for those last minute planers who are more likely to book less expensive digs. It also isn't a bad thing to give some of those folks their own little personal look at "Disney's best kept secret".

 

[Inkmahm]

The British are currently recieving free dining offers for 2011...more than one British travel company has released information that in 2011 none of the dining plans will include dessert. Not sure how prices of the plans will be affected, or how the plans will look when they are released for package reservations in August. It appears from the British info they are adding an extra snack per night to the basic plan and removing the refillable mug from the QS plan.

So it's possible that unless you do the deluxe plan (with which it appears you would still get an appetizer) or a lot of buffets, you may not want the plan so much next year. It will depend on how much they charge if indeed they do remove the desserts from the plans.

We never eat CS meals, only TS meals. We have tried the DDP but it is just too much food for us with both appetizer and dessert included. TheDDP might actually be MORE appealing to us without the dessert included. We'll have to see what happens to the pricing.

 

[Cmbar]

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

Denise in MI

Denise, what are you refering to here? Have they started giving away upgrades for summer or something?? I looked on the resort thread but didn't see anything? Just curious since we are booked at POP for July Fourth week.

 

[jarrdisney]

Wow, we ate at Yachtsman in February for the first time and our steak must have been cut from the same cow. Worst steak ever.

Bill

Just an FYI, Yachtsmen uses choice beef for all their cuts. $44 for a choice NY strip? No thanks. And yes...the DDP sucks. I have no idea where/what I want to eat tonight, let alone 6 months from now.

 

[dmoore22]

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.

We can totally relate, we're a family of eight. I'll take our DVC Villa without free dining over multiple rooms at AS with free DDP any day. Comfort is the priority here. We eat to live, not live to eat.

 

[Tara]

Denise, what are you refering to here? Have they started giving away upgrades for summer or something?? I looked on the resort thread but didn't see anything? Just curious since we are booked at POP for July Fourth week.

I've seen a couple of references to upgrades to a DVC (OKW? I don't remember now) from Pop for this summer. I thought it had more to do with the Pop renovation, though?

 

[Tara]

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.

I can't imagine any guide ever saying that DVC resorts were only for DVC members. And if you thought that was true, why would you also think non members had to pay rack rate at DVC resorts if you believed they couldn't even stay there in the first place?

 

[dopeyone]

I like FD and partake every August, that leaves me more points for my Dec. and Feb. stays...and gives me more oppurtunity to use my AP's

 

[Pignanny]

I'm sure the free dining sounds like a great option (and for some it probably is). However, IMO the sacrifices you make to not use DVC to get free dining are simply not worth it. You give up a lot more than you gain.

 

[curiouslittleoyster]

I can't imagine any guide ever saying that DVC resorts were only for DVC members. And if you thought that was true, why would you also think non members had to pay rack rate at DVC resorts if you believed they couldn't even stay there in the first place?

Maybe I misunderstood him, but that was what I thought was true. So, I did a search here after I read one of the previous poster's post about non DVC member guests getting upgraded to those rooms and the info I found was that they could stay at the DVC villas, but they had to pay rack rate. Hence, my confusion.

 

[PrincessDuck]

Our first stay at a DVC resort was with a bounce back offer in a 1 bedroom!!! Loved it and we bought in during that trip. We had been talking about it and that just sealed the deal for us.

I have never done free dining because I can get better deals for the way that our family vacations. I think that for some it is an awesome deal and I say go for it!

 

[blondietink]

I like FD and partake every August, that leaves me more points for my Dec. and Feb. stays...and gives me more oppurtunity to use my AP's

We have done this the last 2 years and love it!

 

[Pignanny]

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.

Anyone can stay anywhere as long as their is availability. That's sounds obvious however DVC members get first priority at DVC properties. IE, if a "non DVC" family makes a reservation at Old Key West (because there happens to be availability) but then a "DVC member" calls in wanting to make a reservation for that same timeframe the non DVC family will get bumped. This rule exists at any resort which has DVC rooms, Boardwalk, Saratoga Springs, Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Villas, Bay Lake Villas & Old key West...I think that is all of them at WDW.

WDW will sell any room to anyone but one of the perks of DVC is getting first priority at DVC properties.

 

[PrincessDuck]

None of that is true........

Anyone can stay anywhere as long as their is aEvailability. That's sounds obvious however DVC members get first priority at DVC properties. IE, if a "non DVC" family makes a reservation at Old Key West (because there happens to be availability) but then a "DVC member" calls in wanting to make a reservation for that same timeframe the non DVC family will get bumped. This rule exists at any resort which has DVC rooms, Boardwalk, Saratoga Springs, Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Villas, Bay Lake Villas & Old key West...I think that is all of them at WDW.

WDW will sell any room to anyone but one of the perks of DVC is getting first priority at DVC properties.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Anyone can stay anywhere as long as their is availability. That's sounds obvious however DVC members get first priority at DVC properties. IE, if a "non DVC" family makes a reservation at Old Key West (because there happens to be availability) but then a "DVC member" calls in wanting to make a reservation for that same timeframe the non DVC family will get bumped. This rule exists at any resort which has DVC rooms, Boardwalk, Saratoga Springs, Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Villas, Bay Lake Villas & Old key West...I think that is all of them at WDW.

WDW will sell any room to anyone but one of the perks of DVC is getting first priority at DVC properties.

Not true. The inventory used for DVC points stays is completely different from the cash inventory used for Disney Reservation Center stays. So a non-DVC member will not get bumped out of a villa should a DVC member decide they want to stay there.

And if the DVC inventory is booked up solid, but the DRC inventory is not, a member probably can't get a points reservation for that time, but a non-member can get a cash reservation for the same time.

Anytime a DVC member decides to use their points for something other than DVC or RCI, those points are given over to DRC to sell. DVC has to pay for those points stays somehow. And if DRC decides to upgrade a cash paying guest to a DVC one bedroom villa, they can do that if they have the inventory to do so.

 

[disneynutz]

To add to Deb's post. 60 days prior to any given date, unbooked rooms are made available for Disney's cash Guests, once reserved, they are not available for DVC Members.

In addition Disney holds back 3% of the DVC room inventory for "Breakage" or maintenance. Unfortunately most of those room are also used for cash Guests instead of maintenance spares. It is also known that rooms are set aside for VIPs, I don't know where those room come from.

Bill