Why not free dining for DVC?

[Kidanifan08]

Where do you purchase the TIW with the DVC discount.

Before I bought the TIW at the International Gateway when I activated my AP. Is this still the same or do I have to buy it through MS?

You can get it at guest relations at any of the parks. You will need to show DVC membership card at the time of purchase.

 

[CdnKayDee]

Well it is not free of course.You are paying for it.It is a total package.It is the dollars you paid.Rack rate or whatever terms you use it is not free.Free dining is like buy one get one free it is just a term a sales pitch. Even if 2 families paid the same amount per night at POR and 1 family got the room only and the other got the dining with it.Guess what it was not free they still paid for it.My best example is when people buy a new car and say "Well I got the tow package added for free." Really you paid 25000 and your telling me you got something for free. I love this one to. Enter to win a free car.Why would I enter to win a FREE CAR if its free then I will just go get one of those free cars.
It could be the best value for your disney dollar or the best value for that car ever but you did not get anything for free. If no one believes me then here is my challange.The next time you see a buy one get one free.Just ask them for the free ones.There free are they not.

 

[LisaS]

It's not a good analogy because Disney is not making you pay more than rack rate for the room to get the free dining. I know that in most cases, the room discount is a much better savings but that does not negate the fact that you paid no additional cost for the dining plan.

That's why people usually put the word free in quotes as in:

Free dining isn't really "free".

because for many of us, taking everything into account, a vacation with free dining would be more expensive than other booking options. Yes technically you get the dining plan for free but if you give up a more lucrative room booking discount, and maybe you would normally eat fewer table service meals or skip dessert when paying OOP, then you would end up paying a higher price for a stay with free dining. It doesn't feel "free" if it costs more money.

There was a time when for a family of four, booking a Value room with free dining was cheaper than it would have been just to pay for the dining plan alone for four adults. Some people booked a Value room with free dining but booked and stayed in a DVC room on points and saved money in the process. I don't know if that's the case anymore but it never worked in my case (family of two).

 

[EEyorelover22]

You can get it at guest relations at any of the parks. You will need to show DVC membership card at the time of purchase.

Thank you!!

 

[Sammie]

So how does that make it "Not free"? Saying "because you paid more for the room" doesn't make sense because you DIDN'T pay MORE for the room. You paid rack rate.

Maybe it's just semantics. Call it "100% off the dining plan", "dining plan added at no additional cost", "free dining". It's all the same.

Reddog, just give in. You will never convince this bunch it is truly free.

I have tried and tried and they simply refuse to see it.

I guess they just don't understand that some people actually do pay Rack Rate for rooms.

So yes when you pay Rack Rate they give you dining without any additional cost. Is it a bargain or the best deal for everyone no. Does it work for some, yes it does especially for value and moderate resort bookings.

 

[crisi]

In marketing terms its a bundle - we'll charge you more than market rate for component X (market rate not being the list price - but we might get to the list price when we charge you more) and throw in component Y for free - or at a significant discount.

My first iPod was free....all I had to do was buy a VW Jetta.

 

[Deb & Bill]

That would happen only if the DVC program will be discontinued. If they'll continue to build new resorts (VGF and rumors on FW let us think that they will continue) they'll need the perks to sell points to new members.

Heck, if they can get people to pay over $125 a point, they can get them to buy it without any perks, except perks that expire. You know, buy 150 GFV points and get a discount on all your meals at the GF (except Victoria and Alberts) of 15% for the first year of your ownership.

 

[Dizny Dad]

I am always amazed with those that think there is anything free. When it comes to "free dining", I'm sure the wait staff, kitchen staff, food suppliers, etc all get paid. The money must come from somewhere. Disney stockholders demand that their investments make money. Although the hotel and restaurant business is not their prime money pot, no Disney P&L section will ever operate at a loss. The cost of "free dining" is just spread across all the rest of us. Sounds just like a popular governmant position.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Tanstaafl.

 

[dianeschlicht]

My OKW room was 9 points a night and at $10 a point it was $90. Or, I can pay Disney $369 a night plus 12% tax and get free dining. That is the most expensive free dining I have ever seen. Maybe people should stop asking this question once and for all.

I totally agree with you! I've usually quit posting on these "why does DVC not get "free" dining threads. Your post is the most common sense one so far!

 

[gmi3804]

I totally understand that there are people out there who regularly pay rack rates for their hotel rooms. But I strongly suspect people like that wouldn't even know of the existence of a Dining promotion.

George (consciously avoiding using the F word)

 

[Reddog1134]

I understand that it's not truly and absolutely "free" but some arguments make it sound like Disney is secretly tacking on a Free Dining Service Fee. And "No" paying rack rate for a room when you could have received a discount is NOT tacking on a fee. It's paying the standard amount.

 

[dclfun]

"Free dining" is an example of good marketing. Let's face it- IRL if we see the word "FREE" associated with any product or event, we want to get in on it. "Free" makes us take a look at something we might not have otherwise considered.

As to Disney's FD, here's what's happened over the years and I may have something a little "off"...perhaps someone else can help out here.

First plan- you got free appetizers, a main course including sides, nonalcoholic beverage, dessert and gratuities included. Two snacks included. No QSD or DxDP was offered but you could get all of this basic plan just by staying at a value resort or any other WDW resort by paying rack rate. Value resorts in particular were packed, many with Guests who could not have otherwise afforded a Disney vacation, bringing in new families who will likely want to return.

Second plan/revision- Take away the appetizers and gratuities, IMO removing a lot of the value. Not sure if one of the snacks was removed also or if this was later.

Third plan/revision- add the QSDP and make IT the "free" option for those in a value resort when the promo is offered. Add a refillable mug and two snacks back into the QSDP. Add the DxDP for an upgrade charge and the wine package for an upgrade. DxDP became very costly but included appetizers, two snacks, and refillable mug.

Fourth plan/revision- remove one of the two snacks from the QSDP. Add refillable mugs to all the plans.

Throughout the years- remove lobster from all menus as well as some other higher cost items. Homogenize the menus and increase the prices, esp. at TS and buffets so that people will see a value in "free dining". Initially when the FD plan was rolled out people actually complained about having too much food and feeling like the servers were not attentive as they were going to get their grats anyway. People got what they wanted and their complaints were listened to. Appetizers were removed from the basic plan and one of the snacks. We will never see free gratuities again.

For friends of mine, they wait until they can get free dining to come to WDW. They never comparison shop what a room only discount and paying for food OOP will cost instead. The word "free" gets them every time. This past year they made sure to choose a moderate resort as that included the basic dining they were used to, not comparing choosing a value resort and paying the upgrade costs. So...a value resort family who always stayed in those accommodations and were happy with them has now moved up to paying for a mod. Mission accomplished.

For DVC members, there is a much better value in our "discount" even though we are using points vs. cash. PP's have noted what the cash price would equal by using a standard value for points vs. cash and we make out pretty well!

Meanwhile we do get restaurant discounts and perks that are not available to non-Members. We do not pay holiday pricing for dining if we choose the DDP.

So this is my take on the DDP and why it's been offered and how it's worked. IMO it has been very successful for Disney and will probably continue to undergo changes to underscore the bottom line. I don't blame Disney for that- they have to answer to shareholders. I don't blame families for wanting it- there are many threads like this where WE want it too. It's FREE!.

 

[Lynne M]

My OKW room was 9 points a night and at $10 a point it was $90. Or, I can pay Disney $369 a night plus 12% tax and get free dining. That is the most expensive free dining I have ever seen. Maybe people should stop asking this question once and for all.

Agreed, but I don't think even this would stop the question. People want the free dining in addition to our already reduced rates.

Not referring to you, OP, but very often this is a perception issue. Some people perceive discounts as a reward or a gift, not as a tool for encouraging customers to spend money they wouldn't have otherwise spent. Therefore, they feel personally slighted when one group of people gets a discount that they cannot get. That's where the "Disney doesn't appreciate us" stuff comes from. In their perception, Disney is giving some guests a gift of free food, but not us, and it doesn't seem fair to them.

It's an emotional response, and no amount of number-crunching or explaining the business reasons behind it are going to change that sense of being left out for some people.

 

[DougEMG]

Free Dining for DVC is never going to happen for all the reasons previously stated.

How about a free TIW card though

 

[Reddog1134]

I'm still mad about not getting a free football phone just because I already had a subscription to Sports Illustrated.

 

[Sammie]

I totally understand that there are people out there who regularly pay rack rates for their hotel rooms. But I strongly suspect people like that wouldn't even know of the existence of a Dining promotion.

George (consciously avoiding using the F word)

It is heavily advertised, so I am sure many know about it.

 

[Sammie]

Originally Posted by GEB@okw
My OKW room was 9 points a night and at $10 a point it was $90. Or, I can pay Disney $369 a night plus 12% tax and get free dining. That is the most expensive free dining I have ever seen. Maybe people should stop asking this question once and for all.

I am assuming this is a rental.

I don't think you can compare the cost of a rental to the cost of ownership.

Everyone knows that free dining on deluxe villa and some deluxe resort is not a great deal. It is however for a family of 4 that stays in a value or moderate.

I don't expect or even want DVC to offer it and I certainly understand why they don't, but the responses on these threads always amaze me at the hostility it brings out by DVC members.

DVC does not get free dining because it is a marketing situation from Disney Resorts. Since Disney resorts does not own DVC, it would not be offered. Truly though it is really no different than the marketing situations that DVC offers to get people to buy or addon.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I don't see why so many people here poo-poo the idea of free dining for DVC stays.
First, I paid the full freight price for DVC. I didn't have a code, I didn't get an annual pass rate, and DVC was not running a sale on points. You could say I paid "rack rate" for my DVC stays.
Second, I don't think all DVC rooms are quite as deluxe as the regular deluxe resort rooms, so the argument that we getting deluxe stays for cheap doesn't hold much water with me.
Many of the DVC rooms are truly deluxe quality (not all resorts), but none of them get the same TLC (housekeeping, maintenance, and proper refurbishments) as the deluxe regular resorts.

All that said, I'm not a fan of the DDP.

MG

 

[Deb & Bill]

I don't see why so many people here poo-poo the idea of free dining for DVC stays.
First, I paid the full freight price for DVC. I didn't have a code, I didn't get an annual pass rate, and DVC was not running a sale on points. You could say I paid "rack rate" for my DVC stays.
Second, I don't think all DVC rooms are quite as deluxe as the regular deluxe resort rooms, so the argument that we getting deluxe stays for cheap doesn't hold much water with me.
Many of the DVC rooms are truly deluxe quality (not all resorts), but none of them get the same TLC (housekeeping, maintenance, and proper refurbishments) as the deluxe regular resorts.

All that said, I'm not a fan of the DDP.

MG

But they already have us. They don't need to entice us and they surely don't need anyone to book a DVC villa on points. They're already sold. We are timeshare people, not suckers looking for a deal.

But if we want to pay cash through Disney Reservation Center, I'd bet you could get that free dining.