Will you cancel if they don't offer free dining for Aug/Sept?

[n2mm]

I've seen this posted before regarding the "Will they offer free dining this year?" debate. And I don't think that's quite accurate. The earliest timeframe they've released the fall discounts were in early June. But it's actually usually more like July.

http://www.mousesavers.com/historicalwdwdiscounts.html#codechart

I think the folks anticipating free dining have a bit longer to wait. Just an FYI.

I think folks are going more with the fact that the free dining promotion was released on April 1 to Chase/Dis cardholders and to the GP on April 4. I'm sure folks are looking and gauging their assumptions on this information.

 

[HayGan]

I think folks are going more with the fact that the free dining promotion was released on April 1 to Chase/Dis cardholders and to the GP on April 4. I'm sure folks are looking and gauging their assumptions on this information.

:yes:

The free dining was released April 1st last year to Disney Visa cardholders and few days later to the general public.

I wonder what effect the media blitz Disney has been putting on lately will have on the release of any rates? I know I see a commercial for them at least once an hour. Really doesn't help my cause in keeping the Sept. trip a surprise from the kids when every 20 minutes they are captivated by that music and begging to go to WDW again!!!

 

[kribit]

I booked our "free dining" trip in April last year. I don't think Disney is going to offer the promotion this year though. Maybe they will do something else..something different.

 

[everest]

After talking to the other 2 families about if we want to still go or not if they don’t offer the free DDP this fall. We have decided to take advantage of the many lower cost hotels in the DTD area (some offer free breakfasts) then take our savings and use towards our existing ADR’s (this is of course if Disney doesn‘t offer the DDP). This will also give us the oppertunity to finally go to Sea World or Universal too.

 

[bizeemom4]

We'll be downgrading to the Pop Century if there is only an AP code and no free dining. If we can't get any discount, we'll head to the Gulf for a week at the beach.

We already bought our plane tickets.

 

[G&J's Mom]

We will definitely be going with dining. DD and DS have their school fall break the first week of October.

Denise

 

[jobie61]

I've already got my airline tickets, rental car, and ADR's made for a last week of August trip.

Waiting on the free dining offer to book my reservation at POR. If Free dining isn't offered or a comparable offer ie.. 40 % discount. We will likely switch to a value resort or book a villa offsite.

But we will be there either way.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

While it would be nice, I got a 40% off discount code e-mailed to me so I will probably keep it as it.

 

[mousebit]

We'll add another trip if we can get free dining in August. Otherwise, we'll just wait...

 

[mkross]

No code here and washington state airfares to FL are expensive...add to rack rate and it is alot for me! Maybe we can swing it...hope so!

 

[Cookie Princess]

It looks like the dates it "may" be offered are too late for us (8/26 start date). Will I totally cancel...probably not. Will I shorten the stay at WDW and spend 1/2 of the trip at a Universal hotel now...yes.

 

[ShhhQ]

I booked for August (first timer here) not knowing anything about free dining, so if they do or don't I am still going.... however it still would be nice to have that extra spending money

 

[5starmom]

We won't cancel but may move back our reservation a few weeks to mid-October and change our dining options around a bit (fewer table service, eating in the room for some meals, etc.). This is the best year for us to go...we homeschool and this is our oldest ds' last year of being taught at home. Next year he goes to high school and I don't want the hassle of trying to work around the public school year!

 

[thunderbird1]

No resort package booked yet (hoping to keep projected occupancy rates low), but we've booked flights based on an 8/11-8/25 stay. If free dining doesn't happen or doesn't start until 8/26, we'll be doing something else, since our kids start school at the end of August. We may do another cruise, or try an all-inclusive resort, or perhaps even take advantage of some of the great perks over at US/IOA.

What it boils down to is we're going to spend a certain amount of $$$ on our summer vacation in mid-August, probably in the neighborhood of $5-$6k. If we can get the free dining, Disney will give us the most bang for our buck. Without it, we can probably do better elsewhere. And without it, I don't want to compete with the crowds of people in the parks and the restaurants who did get free dining.

 

[thelionqueen]

I seriously doubt they think that hard about who is mad at them. They are a large company, that is doing well, a couple hundred people who might be upset because they took a special trip is not going to bother them. How many people do you suppose are mad at Walmart and don't shop there. Do you think Walmart has even blinked? Nope, still corner the market, as does Disney!

Besides, the people who took that trip for one night did so because they wanted to be assured of free dining. Why would they even get upset if it is offered to the general public? They didn't want to gamble on it. I thought about going for the one night to get bounceback, but chose not to. If I had gone and they offered it, I would be upset with myself for believing the hype. Why on earth would it become Disney's fault. Because speculation by castmembers was incorrect? Many people and businesses have one intention then go another way. They will do what is best for business overall. If it suits the business to offer it, they will.

I just can't decide what they will do, because I don't know what the occupancy is like during this next Hurricaine Season. If it is high, I would assume no free dining. They won't need to offer it if the rooms are full. I do not think that they necessarily full. Boards like these, while having high memberships, do not make or break Disney. There are still many parents who will not pull their kids out of school. Last year we took part in free dining with the many people here who did, and the wait times at rides was typical September, 10 minutes or less on everything. Soarin was NO WAIT AT ALL the entire time we were there. The restaurants were full though!

I start doing ADR"s 3/25 for 9/22. I think if they are overbooked at the restaurants for September they will know by the end of March, beginning of April and if we all plan a bunch of ADR's (like multiple ADR's at different restaurants or the same restaurant every night to get our choices) I think that might backfire for free dining. Plan your ADR's accordingly! We probably have the numbers to goof up the restaurants, especially with the multiples I read about.

I TOTALLY AGREE!!! Disney is not going to make an exclusive offer to any group of guests if they can make money and/or fill their resorts by offering it to everyone else at a later date. Honestly, if I had booked the free dining in December, I couldn't care less what Disney did after I had my vacation booked

Also, while the DIS has a large group of members, it is only the smallest fraction in the Huge Disney worldwide equation. IMHO, I think if every DISer made a "pre" reservation it still would not impact the Disney marketing teams decision to offer or not offer the Free Dining Promo. Just my .02