will universal make an offer to counter disney's free dining?

[damo]

why not? i don't see the economic "cost" of FOTL, unlike EMH where there is payroll to meet for the extra hours CMs are working...

If Express Plus Passes are being sold at about $25/person and hotel rooms are $79/ 4 people that would include unlimited FOTL, then there would no longer be any reason to sell the Express Plus Passes. Therein lies the "cost" of FOTL. Unlimited FOTL, for hotel guests, is a perk used to encourage people to spend more money on hotels, not less.

 

[damo]

"unlike EMH where there is payroll to meet for the extra hours CMs are working..."

Universal parks usually open early anyway, if there is a demand. They just don't have a special name for it, like Disney, and pretend that it is a perk.

 

[gschmerl]

why not? i don't see the economic "cost" of FOTL, unlike EMH where there is payroll to meet for the extra hours CMs are working...

Well, a major factor here is that Disney owns the hotels on site (except the Swan/Dolphin). Universal does NOT own the on site hotels. They are Loew's hotels and will charge whatever they want. The fact that they throw in the FOTL perk is great.

 

[RyGuy]

The hotels are a joint partnership between Universal and Loews. Universal owns the land and Loews manages the hotels. Universal has some say or they wouldn't allow discounts like APH.

 

[26555]

we were booked to stay at RPR for the first two nights of our vacation, finishing up at wdw but w/the free dining offer that disney is giving, we cannot justify staying at universal, although we will still visit the parks...

does anyone familiar w/universal and their special offers think they will do something to get back those of us that are staying at wdw for the free food?

I love RPR and FOTL but with the Disney deal, since you are planning on doing Disney anyway, I'd stay onsite Disney. The time period for the promotion is when you don't really need FOTL access. You could still pop over to IOA/US if you have passes there for a couple of mornings, stay until lines form, shouldn't be that bad during those times of year, especially during the week.