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

[MSLRAC]

I haven't noticed a lot of hate toward free diners, actually. We are saving more money with the 40% off pin, so I would think any haters would hate us more, lol?

Seriously, free dining is just one kind of discount, and it works great for a lot of families. It is no different than other discounts, in my opinion.

That's exactly how I see it. We prefer the DxDP so we get a better deal with other discounts but if free dining would work for us, we'd take it. A discount is a discount and I think the issues with Disney dining go far beyond free dining.

 

[sydneysmom]

Personally, I don't see anything wrong w/ free diners. As the PP said, it's just a discount that Disney offers. If it makes you feel any better, there's plenty of posts slamming "pin getters". Again, only another discount that Disney uses.

Last fall when we were planning our trip, I was SOOOOO hoping for free dining. Then in November we got a pin for 40% off. Well, price wise it worked out way better for us for where we are staying. But if we got free dining, you bet I'd have jumped on that !

Honestly, go, enjoy your trip and don't worry about any negativity. The same people that are slamming free dining are probably jumping for joy this morning because it was extended through December! Sometimes people make negative comments because they might be jealous. Not always, but let's face it, it happens.

Frankly, who cares in the end if you have dining for free or we have a 40% off code. The point is, we all got great deals that let us afford to go to Disney.

 

[danissmart]

To those of you saying it was smart of Disney to offer the DDP to keep restaurants full. That is such a short sighted way of looking at things. Having jam packed restaurants and dumbed down menus might increase profit in the short term, but long term it will turn people off to dining at disney, and vacationing there at all. Disney should be a premium experience, lowering the standard hurts the company's standing in the public eye. WDW should be something special, all this free dining and %40 discounts are hurting the overall quality of the product offered. I won't speak for everyone, but I hate free dining bc it lowers the quality of the dining experience at WDW, I want a premium experience, and I am willing to pay premium prices. If you can not afford a premium experience then go to six flags and experience a nice budget experience.

 

[sydneysmom]

I won't speak for everyone, but I hate free dining bc it lowers the quality of the dining experience at WDW, I want a premium experience, and I am willing to pay premium prices. If you can not afford a premium experience then go to six flags and experience a nice budget experience.

Wow, that's kind of mean, don't you think ? So, if one cannot afford to pay premium prices that apparently you can so readily afford, the rest of us don't deserve to go to Disney ? That's a bit harsh. Not everyone can afford to "go big" at Disney, but still would like to give their kids the Disney experience. Disney isn't an exclusive park for only the rich. If you think it should be, you're mistaken as to what Disney is all about. Disney is about making dreams come true for everyone. Not just for those who are "willing to pay a premium price" but for everyone. That's why there's resorts and restaurants in EVERY price range. If the "riff raff " bothers you, I'd try to stay away.... but telling everyone else that they should be going to Six Flags for a budget experience is so beyond being a snob, it's a bit pathetic.

 

[KELLY]

To those of you saying it was smart of Disney to offer the DDP to keep restaurants full. That is such a short sighted way of looking at things. Having jam packed restaurants and dumbed down menus might increase profit in the short term, but long term it will turn people off to dining at disney, and vacationing there at all. Disney should be a premium experience, lowering the standard hurts the company's standing in the public eye. WDW should be something special, all this free dining and %40 discounts are hurting the overall quality of the product offered. I won't speak for everyone, but I hate free dining bc it lowers the quality of the dining experience at WDW, I want a premium experience, and I am willing to pay premium prices. If you can not afford a premium experience then go to six flags and experience a nice budget experience.

This comment is just rude.

 

[danissmart]

Wow, that's kind of mean, don't you think ? So, if one cannot afford to pay premium prices that apparently you can so readily afford, the rest of us don't deserve to go to Disney ? That's a bit harsh. Not everyone can afford to "go big" at Disney, but still would like to give their kids the Disney experience. Disney isn't an exclusive park for only the rich. If you think it should be, you're mistaken as to what Disney is all about. Disney is about making dreams come true for everyone. Not just for those who are "willing to pay a premium price" but for everyone. That's why there's resorts and restaurants in EVERY price range. If the "riff raff " bothers you, I'd try to stay away.... but telling everyone else that they should be going to Six Flags for a budget experience is so beyond being a snob, it's a bit pathetic.

Well then, You seem to be very hung up on everyone having their dreams come true at WDW. Well it is my dream to go to a restaurant that is not packed to the gills, and eat off a dumbed down menu. It is also my dream to go to the park and not have to wade through 75000 people on a Wednesday in september because the park is jammed up. Are your dreams more important then mine? You are the one coming off snobby my friend. Disney can be for everyone, but not every aspect should be for everyone all the time. If you can not afford to sit at a table service restaurant for every meal, every trip, then too bad. Some people can and some people can't.

 

[MellieluvsDisney]

It's my 3rd year at Disney in September, using the free dining promotion. I have not seen the park jammed up on a Wednesday at all, there are people yes, but I'm sure there's a hell of a lot more people in July and August. And most people who we met, didn't even know about the free dining promotion. So, not all people go in September because of free dining.

 

[pumba]

please try to keep the comments civil .....

Hubby and I went last Fall and didnt know we were going to get free dining until the CM told us as we were doing our reservations......We planned to go shortly after we booked and thought we would never get any restaurants ..but we did.....we ate at Le Cellier (on short notice), Tutto Italia, Crystal Palace, Hollywood and Vine, Biergarten. We never had a scaled down food options ...enjoyed our visit....We are not newbies to Disney World...26 visits to the house of the mouse......and we know the menus....

Please keep the comments nice

 

[BEASLYBOO]

The term "Free" in any context having to do with Disney is an oximoron! Disney created Free Dining and the Dining Plan to put more money into their pockets and in so doing, they reduced the quality of the food offered and the menu choices. It's a more generic dining experience now that still costs big buck for what I consider to be average to mediocre food in comparison to 10 years ago+/-. Any negativity, as far as I'm concerned has absolutely nothing to do with the "diners", who end up paying one way or another.

I don't travel to Disney during FD, don't like the crowds, but then I don't travel during Spring Break or other peak times either.

 

[Sassagoula Billy]

I can attest to the quality of the food taking a nosedive, and I blame it on the Economy and the Free Dining Plans. Not the diners themselves.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

I've never done free dining, have never been in a park during free dining, and frankly have never been able to take advantage of any promotional offer, leading me to think I need to put more thought into my booking strategies.

That having been said, to me Free Dining is no different than any other discount or promotion that WDW runs, and the notion that the people who book that discount are somehow different or inferior to other guests is ludicrous to me. I have seen those emotions expressed, and it always befuddles me, because if those people expressing distaste for free dining have done anything other than pay full rack rate for their room, full price for their meals (the DDP is promoted as a discount plan, after all), and full price for their tickets (none of that AP nonsense--that's a discount for frequent travelers!), they are also receiving a discount. It's just a different discount than those who receive Free Dining.

Free Dining, 40% Off Pin Codes, Bouncebacks, etc. are all designed to help WDW fill the parks and the rooms during low-travel times. Granted, perhaps Free Dining makes the restaurants more full during what used to be "slow times", but if not for those diners (who are paying full rack rate), I suspect the alternative would be for WDW to shutter some of the restaurants during the slow time.

Seems like much ado about nothing, to me...

 

[dawnmommy]

Well then, You seem to be very hung up on everyone having their dreams come true at WDW. Well it is my dream to go to a restaurant that is not packed to the gills, and eat off a dumbed down menu. It is also my dream to go to the park and not have to wade through 75000 people on a Wednesday in september because the park is jammed up. Are your dreams more important then mine? You are the one coming off snobby my friend. Disney can be for everyone, but not every aspect should be for everyone all the time. If you can not afford to sit at a table service restaurant for every meal, every trip, then too bad. Some people can and some people can't.

Dan, I think you are off base here. "Free" dining is just one kind of discount that Disney offers. No different than "buy 4, get 3 free", or the discount pins, etc.

So "free diners" are no different than someone getting 40% off a deluxe resort, etc. Everyone chooses the discount that is best for them.

If YOU are visiting in September, which is still hurricane season, and you are paying full room rack rates, then you actually need to do some darn research or get a better travel agent.

If YOU are visiting in September and getting any sort of room discount, then you are no "better" than the "free diners" you judge.

In my opinion, the Dining Plans themselves are the reason for a decline. It is a fixed price, people scrambled to get their "money's worth" and Disney of course is naturally motivated to be profitable.

Reservations are hard to get when it isn't free dining too, so I'm not sure I understand your point.

I have the 40% off PIN, which is a much better deal for my family. So I expect you would judge me as a "discount pin type"? (all while I'll be judging you to be silly enough to pay full rack rates in September)

 

[ppony]

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?

Let me be clear that I don't have a problem with free-diners or any particular group. I just saw this part I bolded so I wanted to comment on why someone might not take advantage. We don't and won't. Not because we're now DVC owners and plan on staying w/ points and not OOP and nothing related to it including room rates applies. It's because I don't like to be limited on where and when I go anywhere and what I can have OR to have to think about anything credits and math related. That's an invitation to aggravation for me. no one wants me aggravated on vacation. Trust me. I also like to dine elsewhere where the free dining doesn't apply and that's just wasting the lack of discount on a room then. So nah. I prefer OOP for my meals. But for those that it works for and like it, hey, have at it!

 

[stmize]

I am one of those free diners I guess you could say. We went last year during free dining in Sep and saved approx $800-$1000 can't remember which. This year we are going in Nov during Thanksgiving. We already had our trip booked and paid for with dining then the free dining offer came out this morning. I moved our arrival date up by one day, same resort same dining plan we were paying for and are now saving $1300 and we get to stay an extra day. Which I will spend in the gift shops. Or as I like to call it My Stimulus plan for the ecomony.

 

[ElizabethG]

This will be our first vacation during free dining (we're DVC, so can't take advantage). I didn't find the ADRs any harder to get. The restaurants have been full on all of our family trips (3 so far, many more to come). The food is fine. If I were looking for premium dining every day, a theme park would not be my choice of vacations. I really don't understand the food snobery in Disney. If I wanted deluxe food, I would go to Italy (which I love, by the way). It's waffles shaped like Mickey, people! That's the way I like it, too.

 

[ppony]

If I were looking for premium dining every day, a theme park would not be my choice of vacations. I really don't understand the food snobery in Disney. If I wanted deluxe food, I would go to Italy (which I love, by the way). It's waffles shaped like Mickey, people! That's the way I like it, too.

Don't misunderstand tho. If you're talking about people not liking the quality of the food at Disney, it's not that people if anyone, is expecting premium food. At all. If we want that, we know where to go. It's a growing number of us that have just decided that it's not worth the premium prices for less than cafeteria quality in many places anymore. It's perfectly fine to feel differently, but it's not food snobbery, it's a difference of opinion in what we think is passable. I'm perfectly happy w/ buffet food. But even that has gone too far down for me. No food snob here. DH wishes I was. I'm perfectly happy w/ a burger/hot dog and fries.

 

[goofy4tink]

I certainly have no issues at all with those getting free dining. I own DVC and have still stayed non-DVC to get free dining. I've used it several times.
But...I do have some issues with Disney dining. Dining at WDW used to be a lot more fun than it is now. When Disney came along with the DDP, it was truly a good deal. I thought you really got what you had paid for. Then, they started taking stuff away, while raising the price...drives me nuts. The menus have changed as well. It used to be that you could get different type things at different restaurants..now, not so much. I realize that restaurants change their menus, and do it frequently. But the menus at WDW have changed a lot!!!

I know that last year, I had booked my WDW trip, staying on my DVC points. It was mid-August. We've been to WDW at this exact same time of year several times. I choose that time because while hot and steamy, the parks are a bit less crowded since Disney offered free dining for the last 10 days or so of August, and I didn't want to deal with those crowds. Well....last year, after I had booked my stay, Disney came along and announced free dining was being moved up a week...yep, you guessed it, my arrival day was the first day of free dining. And it was horrific in the parks. I have to imagine that many, many families decided to sqeeze in that one last WDW trip, with free food, before heading back to school. And I can't blame them. But...it was a nightmare trying to get ADRs...at that time we had to wait until 90 days out to book....and that 90 days was just about a month after Disney announced free dining, maybe even closer. All I know is that I had a hard time getting close to what I wanted for ADRs.

Do I blame those who are taking advantage of free dining? Of course not...I did it last Dec as well. Hopefully, now with the booking window at 180 days, most of us have our ADRs already booked for Dec...I know I do.
Besides.....free dining isn't available for my time frame...blacked out.

 

[creativeamanda]

To those of you saying it was smart of Disney to offer the DDP to keep restaurants full. That is such a short sighted way of looking at things. Having jam packed restaurants and dumbed down menus might increase profit in the short term, but long term it will turn people off to dining at disney, and vacationing there at all. Disney should be a premium experience, lowering the standard hurts the company's standing in the public eye. WDW should be something special, all this free dining and %40 discounts are hurting the overall quality of the product offered. I won't speak for everyone, but I hate free dining bc it lowers the quality of the dining experience at WDW, I want a premium experience, and I am willing to pay premium prices. If you can not afford a premium experience then go to six flags and experience a nice budget experience.

WOW. That is probably the rudest thing I've ever read on these boards.

I've been to Disney 5 times since 2007. In 2007 I got an AP rate courtesy of a family member. In 2008, I got 35% off the room. In June and December 2009, I got the buy 4, get 3 free, and this past June I got 30% off. For Dec, I just picked up free dining for the first time ever and upgraded to the Deluxe Plan.

Honestly, I personally think that if I'm not getting some kind of discount, I'm getting ripped off and will probably cancel my trip. I'm sorry you don't feel the same way.

 

[asudol]

Wow.. I'm going late September on the free dining.. upgraded to Deluxe (not so free anymore!).

I've made a few ADRs but mostly have the plan so we don't have to worry about it. It's a fixed price and we can do as we please.

What I really miss was the dining plan they had back when Epcot opened.. Unlimited unlimited.. and tips included. The only challenge there was the waitstaff who insisted you *need* the most expensive items on the menu, and must have apps, dessert, etc so that they could jack up their included gratuity...

But man... we ate a lot.

This plan is just like any of the other discount plans. Frankly, the costs at WDW are through the roof already (Thanks Eisner. yippee) and it's way out of line of Walt's dream of a destination for everyone.

I wouldn't be going if I wasn't getting a 'deal' of some sort... and this one's as good as any other.

 

[Mamu]

I think what makes you happy, FD, 40% off, 42% of with AP's. Go for it.

FD is a wonderful perk, if you enjoy eating at TS restaurants. I know families on budgets do benefit from the FD, there allowed to order off the menu no matter the cost. Food cost can run very high at Disney and the FD help you to know your not over your budget.

We chose the discount, although FD would have saved us more money. We decided to do CL and have lunches at TS restaurants, we have AP's and a TIW card that gives you 20% off food and beverages. There are 10 of us this trip and it will be difficult to get everyone together at meals, plus their doing Sea World one day, and Discovery Cove another. Me I'm finding a comfy chair a good book and a cool drink and resting, DH will be taking his afternoon siesta along with the youngest. With a savings of over $2100 I'm sure our meals will be covered. I also dislike meal schedules on vacation. I know in the past we've spent the day at the water park and just didn't feel like dinner at 5-6, so we canceled.

Spread that Pixie Dust around FD or discounts just keep them coming.