What's With The Attitude Towards "Free Diners"?

[Christy1964]

What are "free diners"?

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

I noticed when I chit chatted with people in WDW on the busses that alot did NOT have free dining during the free dining period!!
It just goes to show that everyone is paying the same price for the same thing hmm.

 

[smfnj]

First off, nothing is free at WDW. If you think you're getting free meals you're sadly mistaken, one thing Disney does very well in the parks is make money.
you're paying through the nose for your package / rooms. And nobody is a "long time free diner", it hasn't been around that long.

Those who think DDP'ers or "free dining" folks are being bashed on the boards are either to sensitive or haven't read many of the threads here over the years; how about the smoking policy, refillable mugs or other topics that have been taken to the verge of thermo-nuclear war and been shut down (locked). I think these threads have been relatively civil.

The main problem we have with free dining or ddp, other than the changes in the menus is not being able to get a reservation when we do last minute trips. And now, last minute trip means anything less than 5-6 months, not 1 month. The simple fact is the TS's are packed, which Disney likes. I remember the days when you could walk up to pretty much any restaurant and get in.
Now during the ddp or free dining promos a lot of people who rarely if ever eat at TS's have wiped out all the ressies before we even decide to go.

I'd like to hear from the people (and I'm sure they are out there) who book ddp or free dining a couple of months out and then can't get reservations for any of the meals they want. I know I'd be livid if that happened to us.

Steve

 

[Uncleromulus]

No attitude (since I can't spot a free diner just by looking) but what it has done is pack the restaurants with many people who ordinarily wouldn't consider eating many (or any) meals at WDW restaurants.
Making it a lot tougher for us "regulars" to get the reservations we want.

Can't say about the "scaling down" of menus--haven't really noticed it much at the Signatures, which are where we almost always eat.

 

[BriarRosie]

Sometimes you will run across someone who doesn't care for "free diners" sometimes that same person will even dislike someone who pays for the dining plan just because of the changes Disney has made to the dining plan and the menus over the years. Just ignore them. We have done free dining just the one time and while it was a decent deal we tend to go for the 40% off discount instead. It just works out better for us. We do add the basic dining plan, though. We are big fans of the dining plan. Just love having not to worry about anything while we are on vacation since it is all pre-paid that way.

Sounds like you did the math on that one.

What many people don't realize is, if there's a resort discount like yours, it may be saving them money adding the dining plan vs. booking the Free Dining promotion. It's a matter of rack rate + free dining vs. discounted room + adding dining. It's always a good idea to do the math on that if you're offered a sweet resort discount.

 

[Melodious]

I'd like to hear from the people (and I'm sure they are out there) who book ddp or free dining a couple of months out and then can't get reservations for any of the meals they want. I know I'd be livid if that happened to us.

Steve

I'd like to know this too, because we don't normally book our trips six months in advance like we did this time. Last time we maybe booked within two months of when we wanted to go. But since I've been on the boards, I've only seen one person admit to buying the dining plan and then not being able to eat at the restaurants she wanted because she didn't book early enough.

 

[jhaig]

The restaurant boards are pretty civil toward them. Other boards here, not so much (there's a thread in the Strategies forum right now that displays this quite vividly).

As for me, I frankly don't care if you're paying full price or no price (though, if no price, take me with you k? ). I'm just too lazy to give a crap about that stuff.

As far as the menu scale backs, I'm not convinced that the restaurants would not have scaled back without the DDP getting involved. Sure, the restaurants make less per meal they serve than they would otherwise, but they do make up for it in volume. The question is, have any non-DDP restaurants cut back at all (I simply don't know)? If so, this is pretty strong evidence that the DDP did not have this effect and all the DDP places would have otherwise. Of course, non-DDP locations are typically not owned by Disney, so business decisions would be different anyway, but logic dictates that the cut backs would have happened anyway. (Is the DDP to blame for the cutbacks in CM staffing? What about other non-dining areas of Disney?) Again, it just seems strange that the DDP is blamed for everything, when in fact it very well could have saved the restaurants.

But, I'm rambling...

I think that thread in the Strategies board is the one I saw a lot of animosity towards the 'free dining types'. I've just never seen that kind of attitude towards those that get the free dining. Guess people have to be torqued about something

Disney knows what they're doing. Of course dining isn't 'free'. They wouldn't have got me down there to spend my thousands of dollars elsewhere in their parks without the deal for dining, so they make out OK in the end.

 

[bluejasmine]

used free dining almost every summer since 2005 and never had a problem or encountered a attitude.. Now the DDP and WDW menus have defanitely scaled down since then and use I blame the DDP or rather ppl who take advantage or abuse the DDP but I use the bounce back every year, except this yr we booked room only and added tickets and dining so I will see how we are treated now that we are paying for DDP since of course our servers will not know this since we will be going during FD

 

[2Tiggies]

Of course dining isn't 'free'. They wouldn't have got me down there to spend my thousands of dollars elsewhere in their parks without the deal for dining, so they make out OK in the end.

Hit the nail on the head. Free dining isn't free. It's incorporated into your room rate, commonly known as Rack Rate

Room discounts aren't free. You pay a lesser rate for the room and full price for dining.

While I do believe there are small pockets of those who don't "appreciate" the so-called Free Diners, I think much of their lashing out is really at the effects of free dining rather than free dining or the diners themselves. I also believe a lot of animosity is percieved, not actual. Simply my opinion.

 

[danielle.st]

IMO, it's not so much animosity as it is a form of snobbery. It happens regarding the free dining promotion and the dining plans in general. I think a lot of people are so used to it that they don't realize how off putting it really is.

 

[Planogirl]

I haven't nothing against people who use free dining. I do dislike the dumbed down menus and how difficult it can be to get ADR's at times but I would probably use free dining myself if I had a large enough group to make it useful.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

I've done free dining 4 times and paid for it once on the 4+3 plan, the best deal of the bunch. haters want to return to the day that TSs were empty and you could walk up to anywhere. Disney prefers full TSs and any servers who resent the dining plan are stupid. Most love it. I've eaten about 25 meals on dining plans at TSs and the service, even when the tip was included, has always been better than average. And since I've always eaten at TSs, even before ddp, I feel qualified to judge the menus. And the menus are still varied with a few items that seem to be everywhere; salmon, flank steak and a pasta dish are universal now. And for those that want to walk in and eat, they can go to the Swan or Dolphin and walk right in. I don't really care what anyone thinks of me, I stick my tongue out at people in stand by when I walk by in the fastpass line. So attitude about free dining ain't gonna bug me.

 

[Beauty & the Best]

I don't really have an opinion one way or another.

Yes during free dining the restaurants are more crowded, but usually if you plan you can get most if not all of the reservations you want, free dining or no.

 

[patsal]

Well, IMHO there is no such thing as free dining. You pay rack for the room, and unless the DDP is the QS you are putting out for tips as well.

I think the DDP was originally set up to try to keep restaurants full. Between ME and DDP the audience is captive and not straying from property which means they are spending more time at WDW. This works for some and not others.

Don't know if the DDP is to blame for the more homogenized menus, lack of creative choices, etc. It seems like it, however this may be a way for cost cutting across the board while introducing a new group of people to the TS venue who would never have been the wiser--if you never had it you don't miss it!

I am not a free dining hater, or free diner hater.

 

[hannaconda]

"I remember the days when you could walk up to pretty much any restaurant and get in."

And this is the reason why WDW did this. If you can walk up and get into any TS then they are not busy. WDW would rather have you walk up and get turned away than walk up ang get right in. ECO 101!!! If I walk up and or call to get a ressie and can't I don't cry. I can go off property and get a better quality food for a lot less money. Their lose not mine. Also there are some CS that are just as good as some of the TS.

 

[ppony]

If you're talking about the thread about the closed attractions where one person mentioned "types" in passing but never came back to explain it, that's much ado about nothing IMO. It was one comment and never explained. If it's not that thread...I apolgize. It is actually a bunch of people that like free dining talking about themselves and being tongue in cheek. They're WAITING for that poster to come back which I'm sure they never will realizing what they stepped in.

All I know is the food has gone so far downhill in our personally opinions and for our taste, for whatever reason, we'll be eating in our villa and dining offsite for almost all meals this trip. So I guess they better keep filling it with those that don't mind it or like it becuase we'll not going to be filling any seats like we used to.

A friend turned me on to yelp.com to find restuarants close to wherever you are while traveling. I haven't plotted our attack yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Edit to add: Just tried yelp for Orlando, Lake Buena Vista and Kissimmee. Not sure that it's all that great. It had Jiko and Boma about 3-5 miles apart. Oh well. I have some ideas anyway.

 

[fairytalesfireflies]

I saw the post you're talking about and I'll admit it hurt my feelings for about 3 seconds.

We're going in Sept for my DD's 4th birthday. Yes, we got the free QSDP and upgraded to DDP. After we booked we received the Monsters 40% pin and we stuck with FD because it still saved us considerably more money. If someone wants to look down on us for that, so be it. They're free to pay rack rate for everything if they want but I need to be a little more frugal with my money.

I didn't like the portrayal of free diners by that one poster, but overall thats the only attitude Ive ever noticed that was directed at the people rather than the actions taken because of FD.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

"TANSTAAFL" -- There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Very famous, very old, and very true quote.

Everyone picks the Disney discount that suits them best. There are free diners, and the monster code people, and probably other classes too.

I bare no anymosity towards any of them.

As to the unfortunate standardization and shrinking of WDW menus -- it is sad, but unlikely caused by the free dining offers. More likely this is just another symptom of the cyclical nature of corporate interests. There was a time when WDW was not known as a dining destination. At some point, Disney management decided to address that gap and the tables turned (sorry for the lousy pun). Now, for some business management reason, Disney management has decided to spend their money elsewhere, and the restaurants are declining.

If trends prove true, the restaurants will again experience a quality resurgence...hopefully sometime soon. Will this be coincidental to a new type of dining offer, or discontinuation of the current offer...who knows.

 

[sunset30]

We're getting free dining in october this year (I think the UK rates are slightly differently timed etc.) Why wouldn't we take advantage of the offer? Why wouldn't anyone?

We won't get a different type of discount, but this one is just great for us. We were prepared for the cost of the holiday (it's our big wedding trip) so free dining really feels like it is adding something to our stay. We are doing a load of ADRs we never would have OOP, which means we are getting to experience a little bit more Disney. Our DS will get to (hopefully) meet MORE characters, we will try themed places that are a bit different from just a regular resto, and hopefully this will contribute to us having an awesome holiday.

Of course, we will then free up what would have been our food budget for souvenir buying and we will feel better disposed towards Disney and will likely spend more than we would have before on extras, souvenirs and the like, so of course Disney will still get their $$$.

I'm just glad I found the DIS though, becasue otherwise we'd have been those people with free dining who couldn't use it, just because we would have assumed we could walk up! SO THANKS DIS, can't be THAT many free diner haters, *** you helped us make the MOST out of ours.
Lx

 

[mommycrawford]

I really appreciate the Free Dining, and think that, because it is made available to the public, it is very fair:anyone can take advantage of it (unlike pincodes)!

That said,...it is probably true that many diners would not be in the restaurants without it, but honestly, good manners matter WAY MORE to me than what someone paid for their meal! PLUS, Free Dining originated (I believe) to get people to come during hurricane season, and if someone is willing to take a risk, they should be sometimes able to have some gains from it.

I have gone during free dining, and weathered tropical storms, and I have gone w/o free dining: it is a choice, and is open to all, so it seems like an opportunity, not a problem.

For those going during FD...enjoy!