Why no discount for Dining Plan for DVC members??

[tara98]

Has anyone else wondered this? Disney is running all these deals that include "free dining", but yet still no discount for us DVC members. Even a 10-15% discount would be great! I see that they just started offering a small discount for Cirque du Soleil, and MNSSHP (which the discount is not being offered for the time that we are going!). Why not DDP??

 

[Lewisc]

Has anyone else wondered this? Disney is running all these deals that include "free dining", but yet still no discount for us DVC members. Even a 10-15% discount would be great! I see that they just started offering a small discount for Cirque du Soleil, and MNSSHP (which the discount is not being offered for the time that we are going!). Why not DDP??

MYW Dining generally requires a rack rate room reservation and a pass purchase. Disney doesn't normally let you add dining to a discounted room since dining is considered a promotional package.

A better question is why Disney didn't surcharge the cost of dining for DVC guests. Dining is used to help sell rack rate hotel rooms. DVC guests don't book available hotel rooms.

"Free dining" requires a rack rate reservaion during a time period that used to offer room discounts. Again there isn't any reason to stimulate DVC bookings.
Look at it this way, would you expect Disney to send you a check if you booked when they were offering a resort discount? Free dining is no different than a resort discount.

 

[OKWJan]

DVC members already get discounts at a lot of places, restaurants included. Why on earth would they give us a discount on the already discounted food with the dining plan. We are just lucky that they decided to let DVC members even buy the dining plan.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I don't even really see a reason for Disney to offer us the dining plan, let alone a discount on the dining plan! If you were willing to pay rack rate in points for your DVC accommodations.... Nope, I just don't see the logic to it. We get our discounts by getting great delux accommodations for less each year. No need to rob Disny any further.

 

[Sherri]

I am SO happy they finally added the dining plan option, it makes life so much easier as far as budgeting. I hope they keep it on their list of perks always.

 

[Anewman]

Well the Disney Dining Plan is a discount itself. On our last trip we paid about $980 for the plan and reciepts added up to about $1600. So you want a discount on a discount??

MYW Dining generally requires a rack rate room reservation and a pass purchase. Disney doesn't normally let you add dining to a discounted room since dining is considered a promotional package.

AAA is the only Room Discount I am aware of that can be applied and still allow you to purchase the Dining plan. And yes for the FREE dining rack rate must be paid.

 

[DebbieB]

I used the dining plan for the first time 2 weeks ago. The table service meal itself usually covered the $37.99 a day, then add the counter service & snack. I was surprised they offered it to members, I thought of it as a "loss leader" to get people to pay rack rate on rooms.

 

[tara98]

I guess we were just spoiled last time we visited. We received the free dining, even though this was not the reason why we booked. So since we became DVC members, just looking for more perks! I guess just being toooo spoiled!

 

[Lewisc]

AAA is the only Room Discount I am aware of that can be applied and still allow you to purchase the Dining plan. And yes for the FREE dining rack rate must be paid.

4Q last year there was code promotion, available to the general public, that let you purchase dining and hotel for a rate that was a little less than booking with a AAA hotel discount/dining package.

Most of the deeply discounted room rates such as CM, FL resident, AP and now PL are not eligible for MYW Dining add on.

 

[CarolA]

I used the dining plan for the first time 2 weeks ago. The table service meal itself usually covered the $37.99 a day, then add the counter service & snack. I was surprised they offered it to members, I thought of it as a "loss leader" to get people to pay rack rate on rooms.

It is! And then we got the Dining plan and now people complain because its not free or discounted.

If I were DVC at some point I would issue the following press release

"Since we are unable to find ANY perk that makes all members happy, in the future we will offer no perks"

(The other key point here is that you bought from DVC... DVC is a seperate LEGAL entity from the resorts. So the "discount" you want would have to come from someplace and I don't want my dues to go up for "discounts")

 

[dianeschlicht]

Exactly, Carol!

 

[tara98]

Gee, I never thought I would get such harsh responses from you guys. It was just a question that I had. Now I understand the reasoning a little better, but I guess Ill keep my questions to myself next time.

 

[littlestar]

DVC does get a discount on the dining plan - we don't have to buy passes for everybody on the reservation and we don't have to pay rack rate for the room.

 

[Tink10]

While we may not use it with every trip. I'm very thankful that WDW now offers us the dining plan.....It really is a great deal & I'm looking forward to trying it out in June!

 

[Sherri]

Gee, I never thought I would get such harsh responses from you guys. It was just a question that I had. Now I understand the reasoning a little better, but I guess Ill keep my questions to myself next time.

Don't feel like you can't ask things. That is what this board is for, to learn things about DVC. I can't believe all the new things I learn each day (lol).
Sorry if anything came accross as harsh.
Have a good day and keep posting.

 

[Caskbill]

Gee, I never thought I would get such harsh responses from you guys. It was just a question that I had. Now I understand the reasoning a little better, but I guess Ill keep my questions to myself next time.

Don't worry. Feel free to ask anything you want. The reaction you're getting here is because the last few months there has been some heated discussion about this very issue, and about the free dining issue. Perhaps you missed those threads. Nobody is really meaning to be harsh. Ask anything you want and don't be afraid of receiving any backlash. (Exception: Occupancy questions, Smoking questions, Free Dining/Discount Dining questions.... )

You were just asking. In some of the other threads there were those were adament that we should get free dining as some type of entitlement, since others, who were paying rack rate, were getting it, even though as DVC members we get much better accommodations at very low costs. You could for example use a few points and get a DVC studio, paying about $40-$50 in dues for those points, and not get free dining, or instead pay about $300 cash instead for the room, and get free dining.

Then there were some who were making reservations at the Value resorts, at rack rate, just to get the free dining, but will be staying in their DVC resort.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Gee, I never thought I would get such harsh responses from you guys. It was just a question that I had. Now I understand the reasoning a little better, but I guess Ill keep my questions to myself next time.

You shouldn't be afraid to ask questions, but when you ask about things that have caused a lot of negetive debate in the past, folks feel they have to defend the truth. I think perhaps the use of the laughing smilie might have given a different conotation than you intended.

 

[BWVNUT]

Then there were some who were making reservations at the Value resorts, at rack rate, just to get the free dining, but will be staying in their DVC resort.

WOWWWW! Who'd a thunk to do this? Interesting. . .

BTW, thanks so much for your free software programs. I am new to the boards and DVC and I have enjoyed using them! VERY WELL DONE!!! Thanks! 2 WAY UP!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Gee, I never thought I would get such harsh responses from you guys. It was just a question that I had. Now I understand the reasoning a little better, but I guess Ill keep my questions to myself next time.

Don't stop asking questions. It's the only way you'll find out things. But maybe you might need to look at how you phrase your question.

There have been several questions similar to yours and many from non-members who were renting reservations from members. I guess some DVC DIS members kind of get tired of some of the same old questions, especially if they come off sounding like they didn't get something that everyone else did. In other words, "You want a little cheese with that whine?"

DVC members are a special group. We know a lot more about Disney (especially WDW) and we know lots of the answers to the questions.

Give us another chance when you have a question. I'll bet you'll get some great answers.

 

[CarolA]

Gee, I never thought I would get such harsh responses from you guys. It was just a question that I had. Now I understand the reasoning a little better, but I guess Ill keep my questions to myself next time.

I admit I was probably a little harsh, but this is about the fifth thread on "where's my Free dining" or "dining discount" or some variation thereon....Sorry!