Who else is dissapointed by this so called "deal"?

[Microcell]

The point of the deal is to get people there and fill 'seats' for a longer period of time so your'e there to drop money in the parks. It is a HUGE savings for a lot of people. They dont generally do things to save people money for no reason other than to save them money. 7 nights is usually shorter than I would stay there, so its great for me. The point wasn't to slash prices, but to extend stays.

Its not a 'so called' great deal, its an amazing deal for a lot of people. If you go on a lot of short stays, APs and room discs are often an option.

Its still a better deal than free dining if you go in the first three months of the promotion for a week compared to free dining. Also, free dining doesn't save any money, its just convenient, thats been covered quite a bit. There are a lot cheaper ways to eat in the parks than using the dining plan. This is at worst the same as free dining if you get free dining, and if you want the cheapest vacation possible, stay at a value and dont get the dining plan. Its also not at free dining times during the extemely hot and humid part of the year.

Being that we are a Value resort family, it costs the same for the room and tickets that it usually costs us for room, tickets and dining during free dining. So in effect it is a 600.00 dollar increase if we do this as opposed to free dining.

Now if I could afford a moderate or Deluxe, I would be over the moon happy right now. As it stands we will either decide to go for free dining again if offered or will go to Yellowstone.

 

[mybabesuz]

Being that we are a Value resort family, it costs the same for the room and tickets that it usually costs us for room, tickets and dining during free dining. So in effect it is a 600.00 dollar increase if we do this as opposed to free dining.

Now if I could afford a moderate or Deluxe, I would be over the moon happy right now. As it stands we will either decide to go for free dining again if offered or will go to Yellowstone.

Us too... I priced out a vacation for the last week of June...4 get 3 Deal...
Value resort... Adding only the QUICK Dining Plan...Price 2141.54
Priced same trip during free dining time...only 1775.74

 

[phyllis1966]

The last time they offered this deal, it was the "Fairytale Pkg." in the Autumn of 2003. We like to stay 7 nights at the GF for our annual trips, and that time my parents and in-laws were coming for the first time...we all saved a bundle! Since my DU agent had already booked our rooms and tickets months before, she applied this discount and VOILA - we were now saving about 45% of what we were originally booked for. It was an awesome deal for us and I can only hope something good is offered for our next trip in November 2009...

 

[tntsmommy]

As a family of five we have gone for only 4 nights/5 days in the past. With this deal we finally get a full week of Disney.

 

[Aubie881]

Before this offer came out 7 nights at CBR with 8 day MYW tickets with park hopper we were quoted just over $2900, with the buy 4 get 3 $2164. Good deal for us.

 

[PrincessMomto2]

As a family of five we have gone for only 4 nights/5 days in the past. With this deal we finally get a full week of Disney.

Same positive for us! We usually only stay 5 days 4 nights as well but with the 4/3 we are staying a full 7 nights and 7 days and saving over $1,800! This deal is a great deal for us.

 

[SurfinTX]

This deal doesn't cover us out in Aug yet. Still booked at full price and keeping our hopes up that a good deal gets offered for then.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Us too... I priced out a vacation for the last week of June...4 get 3 Deal...
Value resort... Adding only the QUICK Dining Plan...Price 2141.54
Priced same trip during free dining time...only 1775.74

You're also comparing peak season to value season.

 

[EHakkinen]

Great deal for us as well... We saved up our receipts from our trip two years ago, and there was only 1 day out of 5 that we spent $40 or more on dining, and that was a day we treated ourselves. So the dining for us would not be as good a deal as the 4/3 deal. Plus, with the $200 gift card, and a birthday that falls during out trip, we are getting a great deal. Adding up all the discounts and savings, we are spending about $400 a person for a 7night/8 day trip. That is less than we spent 2 years ago on a 5 day trip. Now for a deal on flights...

 

[01Sweetpea]

Doesn't work for us.

We're only going for 3-4 nights, so I'm hoping for a room only code or free dining code for April/May.

One can always hope.

 

[jamstew]

Just as the dining plan encourages you to eat more than you normally would, the 7/4 encourages you to stay at a deluxe.

Either plan can be shown to be superior. The value of either is highly dependent on how much you tweak the plan.

Well said! I'd also add that the 7/4 encourages some people to stay longer than they normally would and thus spend more money onsite.

Count me among the ones to whom the offer is of no value. As a DVC owner and AP holder, I just need a 40% AP discount to cover the two nights I'm not staying in a villa.

 

[kgle]

Well said! I'd also add that the 7/4 encourages some people to stay longer than they normally would and thus spend more money onsite.

Count me among the ones to whom the offer is of no value. As a DVC owner and AP holder, I just need a 40% AP discount to cover the two nights I'm not staying in a villa.

That is exactly what happened to us I had been planning a 5 night/4 day off site trip (at Best Western Lake B.V.) and that was priced at $785. I came across this deal and upped my stay to 7 days/nights for $708. This is also saving me around $300 off the normal pricing for the value resort.

So in essence, I was "given" $80 back and also able to add a few more days and nights for free.

Its only my son and I going, and $300 may not seem like a lot, but that's extra money I have to make this vacation awesome for him!

 

[Sophie's Mom]

I have to say this deal is not exactly 7 for 4. However maybe I'm not adding it up correctly

We are DVC owners but decided not to use points. When using DVC points we can buy the DDP for about $40 a day per person. We also are annual passholders so we don't really need the admission to parks. Since this trip will just be DH and I here's how the math worked out.

POFQ 2/25/09 through 3/4/09 (7 nights)

Cost of Package #1 - $1599 - This includes room, DDP and 1 day base admission

Cost of Package #2 - $1039 - This includes room and 1 day base ticket - No DDP.

So the difference between the two pacakges is $560 for the DDP. Which for two people works out to $70 a day each for dining - if infact you are only paying for the DDP for four days like the offer states. ($560 / 4 / 2 = $70). However if you divide the $560 over 7 days for 2 people the math works out to $40 a day per person.

So I guess my question is are we really paying full price for dining but getting the room at 7 for 4?

Or did the DDP go up to $70 a person in 2009? Very confused!!

 

[rt2dz]

I have to say this deal is not exactly 7 for 4. However maybe I'm not adding it up correctly

We are DVC owners but decided not to use points. When using DVC points we can buy the DDP for about $40 a day per person. We also are annual passholders so we don't really need the admission to parks. Since this trip will just be DH and I here's how the math worked out.

POFQ 2/25/09 through 3/4/09 (7 nights)

Cost of Package #1 - $1599 - This includes room, DDP and 1 day base admission

Cost of Package #2 - $1039 - This includes room and 1 day base ticket - No DDP.

So the difference between the two pacakges is $560 for the DDP. Which for two people works out to $70 a day each for dining - if infact you are only paying for the DDP for four days like the offer states. ($560 / 4 / 2 = $70). However if you divide the $560 over 7 days for 2 people the math works out to $40 a day per person.

So I guess my question is are we really paying full price for dining but getting the room at 7 for 4?

Or did the DDP go up to $70 a person in 2009? Very confused!!

The dining is NOT part of the the buy 4, get 3 deal--only the room and tickets. You would be paying full price for all 7 days of dining, as your math shows--$39.99/day.

 

[fla4fun]

I was lucky enough to get a 40% off room only code earlier this year for my upcoming trip. I was hoping this new "deal" would be better for me and was considering changing my ressies to June '09.

I priced out the 7-day trip online, and as it turns out, I am actually better off with my 40% off code for December. The "4 days, 3 days free" quote I received was for 7 nights at WL in a standard view room with 7-day MYW base tix. I would save $295 for 7 nights (I am currently booked for 9) but if you factor in the rate I am getting for the 2 extra nights ($150 per nt.), it isn't a savings at all. In fact, after factoring in the amount I paid for park tix (through UT), I realize that I would end up paying $5 MORE for the same itinerary I have now.

I now have 9 nights at WL, in a woods view, with 7-day park hoppers. It's not worth it to switch to this "deal" to lose 2 nights, have a standard view room and not be able to go from park to park daily.

Oh well. If we win the lotto, I might consider another trip in June....

The math worked out similarly for me, for the trip I have booked in January. First, because it's 11 nights, and the maximum you can book is 10 with the package. So I'd have to add the extra night. Then, I have an AP, so buying tickets didn't mean a lot to me. When it was all said and done, I think I was right around $5 in difference, and it would have been more for the package.

However, I did book the package for April. I have a window of opportunity to go to Disney, checking in the Wednesday after Easter. Unless they do something different this year, AP discounts are typically blocked out for the two weeks straddling Easter, and so I was really concerned about having to pay peak rates for part of my stay. When the deal came out, I was able to book it and nearly cut my costs in half for that trip, and still get the dates and resort I wanted. I did have to buy a one day ticket, which I'll either save for later or use as an upgrade on my AP renewal.

So the deal doesn't work for everyone, or for every trip. But there are circumstances where it's a really good deal.

 

[asmit4]

No need to argue Bottom line is this deal is a great deal for some and a not so great deal for others.

We stay at values and the free DDP is BY FAR a better deal than this for us. Plus- since we can go at any time of year, I can compare seasons...and in fact, I much prefer going in the fall b/c I LOVE 5 minute waits for rides which is unheard of during peak season. My mom and I rode rides twice last year during free DDP without having to even get off! We LOVED it.

For those that book deluxes, or were hoping for something extra special and want to bump up resort levels- this is a great deal! My mom and I just prefer to go bare bones, value room, free DDP, using tickets we already bought etc. etc.

I get that some people are saving 1500-2500 b/c of this deal-that's wonderful! I'm so happy for all of you. For some of us though- we will just wait for September when we can get a rock bottom price for our style trip.

 

[yarlenna]

I am looking for the next great deal. I hope it is for the free meal plan. I cannot take more that 3 or 4 days with my DH. I would love to stay more, but it isn't gonna happen. I would even love to go alone, but my MD says that is a bad idea. So selfish me, I want to go when and how I can.

 

[robinbutterfly]

The dining is NOT part of the the buy 4, get 3 deal--only the room and tickets. You would be paying full price for all 7 days of dining, as your math shows--$39.99/day.

They should give us the option of not getting the dining plan for the extra days if we don't want to.
anyway, the whole thing is not a good deal for us.

 

[rt2dz]

They should give us the option of not getting the dining plan for the extra days if we don't want to.
anyway, the whole thing is not a good deal for us.

You do have the option of no dining plan at all. The dining plan is set up that you get one day for every night you stay; it's never been negotiable on how many days (nights). I think that would make it nicer, but then it wouldn't be profitable and Disney wouldn't offer it at all.

I never go with the dining plan. It's not a good deal for us (even free dining since you can usually get a good room only discount), and we eat TS meals at least once every day. I think if more people really evaluated their dining style and checked how it fits the dining plan, they'd find out they are better off paying OOP. Of course, for some the dining plan is a good deal, but from what people say, I think it is really more for the dining plan than OOP payments when they follow their natural eating style.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

I'm not really disappointed with the deal persay, but it's just not as big a deal as everybody was hyping it up to be. There will never be a better discount deal for our family of 6 than free dining. We got the Disney Visa free dining code for this December and it is saving us $1,600.00. If we book a trip for the first of May next year the "book 4, get 3 free" deal would save us maybe $500.00, which is still a great savings, but it can't touch the savings we get with a free dining code.

We are in the same boat. For just the two of us that normally go free dining is a better deal for us as well (last trip spent over $800 in 'free dining' and still had a meal left) Since our next trip will be 12 of us there is no beating free dining. The Buy 4/get 3 deal is not that good of savings for us, it may work for some though.