Why no free DDP for DVC?

[amblackmon]

Hi Everyone,

We have started going to WDW in September with our family of 6. Last year we travelled with two families that were not DVC and they were able to enjoy the free DDP option and it was quite a savings. My question for you is: Exactly why aren't DVCer's given the chance to participate in the free DDP option?

We are trying to decide what we are going to do for this trip and I am just curious. Oh, we will not be annual passholders this year so the TiW is not an option for us.

Thanks! I appreciate the information.

Michelle

 

[iloveokw]

Free Dining was created after the multi hurricanes hit Florida a few years ago. People were afraid to plan trips during hurricane season, especially the slow month of Sept. They do not need to offer free dining to us.....we have drank the kool aid and will go to WDW anyway.

 

[Pakey]

Besides that fact that we have drank too much koolaid, free dining isn't free. The guests utilizing free dining are paying rack rates for their rooms; we koolaid drinkers are not.

 

[amblackmon]

They got discounted rates on their rooms, also.

Still wondering...

 

[mousefan1972]

They got discounted rates on their rooms, also.

Still wondering...

There is no way possible that your friends got free dining and a room discount. Disney only allows 1 discount code per reservation. ALL free dining packages include a room at rack rate (full price) and also a park ticket purchase.

DVC does not sell vacation packages. Why would they decide to give members staying on points a dining plan for free? As PP mentioned, the "free dining" offer is used to draw visitors to WDW duirng slow times, which the entire month of September is. DVC members are always able to book a MYW package and pay rack rate in order to get free dining. But why would someone do that if they have points to use?? The whole idea that DVC members are "missing out" on free dining baffles me.

 

[Dean]

They got discounted rates on their rooms, also.

Still wondering...

There were a few options this past year with discounted rooms and free dining but I don't think the discounts were as large or available in as many options as discounts usually are off season. Still, it's not a free options, merely a package deal to sell rooms, something they don't need to do with DVC. I suspect none of us would turn down free dining and I fully expect a discount at some point for similar times for DVC members, at the present time the only way to take advantage of this options is with using cash. Actually many of the options with free dining and discounted rooms together that I saw were at DVC resorts. It does reduce the value of DVC to a degree but only likely over the short term.

 

[Sandisw]

There is no way possible that your friends got free dining and a room discount. Disney only allows 1 discount code per reservation. ALL free dining packages include a room at rack rate (full price) and also a park ticket purchase.

DVC does not sell vacation packages. Why would they decide to give members staying on points a dining plan for free? As PP mentioned, the "free dining" offer is used to draw visitors to WDW duirng slow times, which the entire month of September is. DVC members are always able to book a MYW package and pay rack rate in order to get free dining. But why would someone do that if they have points to use?? The whole idea that DVC members are "missing out" on free dining baffles me.

They did offer discounts and free dining to those from overseas. And, there were also some people who were upgraded from Pop and some of the values to SSR and OKW, so in that sense, they got both as they paid value price for a DVC villa.

 

[cvjw]

Before joining DVC, we took advantage of a free dining package where we also received 20% off of our room rate. I think it was a package that was only good for a few of the surrounding states. We stayed at the WL, it was a great deal. We liked WL so much that we bought DVC points there the next year.

 

[Tiger926]

They got discounted rates on their rooms, also.

Still wondering...

As others have said, free dining is a marketing promo aimed at securing bookings, it is NOT a reward. You are clearly thinking of it as a reward, and that is not what it is. It is an incentive used to sell cash rooms - it's nothing more than that.

As others have said, free dining guests pay rack rate for their rooms in cash, and then they are provided the dining component of their MYW package for free.

Make no mistake about it...it is used as a marketing promo, and is not a reward. We, as DVC members, have already purchased our accommodations, so no need for a free dining incentive to fill rooms, since we already have our rooms.

If you want free dining, book a cash package, which some DVC members actually do, and they then bank those points for another trip.

Best of luck in your planning, Tiger

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Exactly why aren't DVCer's given the chance to participate in the free DDP option?

Disney doesn't restrict DVC members from participating in the Free Dining offers, you're more then welcome to call Disney Travel and book a room at rack rate and get free dining or any other discount they may be offering.

 

[jodifla]

The problem with "Free Dining" is they go through as strip all the good stuff out of the menus, too!

 

[amblackmon]

Thanks for the info. I really was just curious. I am not bashing Disney nor DVC, it was just something that I had been wondering about.

Michelle

 

[Skrutti]

Think of it like this, Disney does not own the DVC resorts until the contracts expires 2042, 2057 etc. We as members do and all costs must be covered with our dues. If DVC would offer free dining, that has to be paid by all members. Thats why it does not make sense.

 

[crisi]

Think of it like this, Disney does not own the DVC resorts until the contracts expires 2042, 2057 etc. We as members do and all costs must be covered with our dues. If DVC would offer free dining, that has to be paid by all members. Thats why it does not make sense.

It wouldn't HAVE to be - parks and resorts COULD offer us free dining or a discount on dining during down times to increase other types of spending - spending on park tickets or spending on souvenirs. But I can't think they could give away $50 worth of free dining for a week - $350 worth of free dining - to get DVC members that are coming anyway to buy at $300 park ticket and buy another t-shirt.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You buy a package and you get what the package offers. Might be free dining, might be free tickets for kids, might be a discount on the room.

You buy DVC and use points, you get a great stay for points.

 

[DebbieB]

I stayed at BWV last October during the "free dining" promo. It was 6 nights in a 1 bedroom. I could have paid around $3500 for the room through CRO, buy a 2 day ticket and got "free dining" or use 170 points and pay for dining (already had an AP). It's one or the other, you can't get the best of both worlds. Through DVC you are getting about a 60% room discount over the life of the contract.

 

[shelby101301]

Think of it this way... If you compare what you "pay" for a room (initial investment plus dues) and compare to what they pay, we really do come out ahead, even with the free dining.

We are a family of 5 that really don't fit in a value room. So I priced POFQ which suposedly has that trundle bed for a 5th child. The price was just shy of $3000 with park hopper tickets.

Now, we usually stay in a 1 bedroom that rack rate would cost us $4500 for the same time. With our dues and cost of discount aps, it costs us about $2500 (incl our initial investment built in). For that we actually get two trips in much much nicer accomodations.

Yes, it would be nice to get free dining, but I still think we are getting the better end of the deal in the long run. Hope that helps some

 

[australiankaren]

hi there

I too have been "wondering" about why there is no "free dining" for DVC members, but after reading the posts, it does become clear....there is no "free" in this world and they would have to recoup the cost some other way ie increase dues etc. So thanks for the info.

I will have to stop thinking like a guest and more like a DVC member

God I love my DVC and I havent even used it yet!

 

[RobPickles]

I do beleive that having a discount for DVC Members on any/all of the Dining Plans would be an awesome perk.

I notice a lot of discussion about people going down who do not use the Dining Plan and stick to OOP costs or use the TiW. I myself did a HUGE comparison of the costs of all three and in the end realized that all that work was really for nothing because what you save is a few dollars. It all depends on how you eat.

However, I also think it might be a good incentive to get people to use the Dining plan more and maybe get back some of those who do not use it much anymore. A little discount under the "peak/non-peak" season thing shouldn't be too much of a stretch.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I do beleive that having a discount for DVC Members on any/all of the Dining Plans would be an awesome perk....However, I also think it might be a good incentive to get people to use the Dining plan more and maybe get back some of those who do not use it much anymore. A little discount under the "peak/non-peak" season thing shouldn't be too much of a stretch.

I don't think they are trying to get people to use the dining plan. It's my guess they are trying to fill the rooms. DVC rooms are already filled and paid for whether there is a body or not in the room.