xdan0920
Think for yourselfer
From your lips to TDOs ears.
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Anxiously Waiting for Free Dining
- Thread starter DrummerAlly
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DisneyDreamer08
Well-Known Member
Other than free dining bringing in more crowds in the fall, why do people dislike it so much?
Zippity-do-DAD
Active Member
Just curious, (not picking a fight), how come you guys are so down on the DDP and wanting free dining to go away. I'm just one opinion like everyone else, but it really makes our trip possible.
DisneyDreamer08
Well-Known Member
I totally agree. Our last trip was the first week in December, 2014. We were praying for free dining but our week was blacked out. We ended up with a room only discount but since we were staying at Pop, it only saved us about 200 bucks. We were really trying to stay on a budget for this trip so we packed a bunch of food from home. We had breakfast in the room each day, granola bars, dried fruit, cereal etc, and then packed a lunch each day. I brought bread, peanut butter, jelly, nutella, chips etc from home plus snacks for my daughter- goldfish, animal crackers, squeeze applesauce and what not. So that way, we only had to purchase one meal each day (usually counter service). It was fine and worked out ok but it was a pain to pack lunches each day while on vacation. Our next trip is planned for this September and it would be nice to enjoy eating food some one else has cooked and prepared so I don't have to do that each day
It would also be nice to have more variety and options throughout the week! I'm reallllly hoping we don't have to live off of PB & J and granola bars again!
PrincessNelly_NJ
Well-Known Member
I enjoy the money free dining saves me. However, many dislike it because it has caused many menus to be streamlined as far as offerings or pricing to limit the creative ability of the chefs. Many will say food was better prior to free dining.
CaptainAmerica
Well-Known Member
No it doesn't. It's an illusion. It sounds great that you're getting something "free" but many families would be much better off with staying off site or with a room-only offer and then buying your own food.
xdan0920
Think for yourselfer
Yes, but they wouldn't get to eat Filet Mignon for free then.
CaptainAmerica
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure which is more deserving of air quotes, "filet mignon," or "for free."
Zippity-do-DAD
Active Member
I respectfully have to disagree with Captain America. My wife and I consider it a challenge to save, review, and compare each and every receipt from decades of visits. We have photos of the receipts as well as even some of the meals, Lol. When we plan our annual visit, it's like a command center of dry erase boards and print offs. Based on our meticulous records we on average save around $600+ each 8 day visit by the free dining promotion. I can also verify that we do indeed eat steak many of the nights, (as part of the plan). Not to mention, staying on site is part of what we want to do, therefore makes the value worth it for us. I mean when you start bringing in off site, driving and flying, or not even going at all, well obviously you could save a lot more that way. So it really just depends on what you want in a trip. For us it works marvelously and indeed saves money. For you, maybe not. Someone doesn't ALWAYS have to be wrong on these forums.
First, free dining makes it almost impossible to get a ressie at certain places during those times, unless you are able to book 180 + 10. Second, it causes headaches for the restaurant managers that have to show a profit. Yes, every restaurant now has to show a profit. It used to be that a park would have to. Now every single entity has to. We have talked with several of them, and they have been forced to cut back or eliminate items due to the DDP and free dining. So instead of getting that near prime meat cut, they have to buy select grade cuts to make ends meet. You get a lower quality product because you want to eat for free. Nothing is free.
The DDP has caused all of the restaurant prices to soar over the last few years, as Disney is trying to make it look like a bargain to people. It isn't a bargain, and unless you are ordering the highest priced menu option everywhere, you are losing money. Some here claim that they still save, but I cannot ever make the numbers work. We don't want to eat steak at every meal. Heck, there are times that we will order just a few appetizers and we're good.
Now if Disney had done it right in the first place, and stated that if you are DDP then you can get most items on the menu, but not the filet mignon - except for an upcharge, then it would be a much better deal for everyone. Well, everyone but y'all that think you deserve a $45 steak for free.
I'm sorry that you need this to make your trip possible, but maybe you need to rethink that?? How about saving for an extra few months or going less? I know that this is a bad attitude that I have, but I really think that if you can't afford to go there, pay for everything, then maybe you shouldn't be going there in the first place. Disney is expensive, and not everyone can afford it. My parents never could when I was growing up. I didn't get to go until I moved to Orlando as an adult.
lostpro9het
Well-Known Member
The crowds don't bother me. Disney jacking up the prices to create more "value" of the DDP and "Free Dining" while lowering the quality of the offerings is what I don't care for. I would LOVE for DDP to just go away so maybe some leveling of quality and price could come back but I'm pretty sure that will never happen.
Free Dining isn't meant to bring in park crowds per se, it is meant to fill resort rooms. The parks can be packed and the resorts can still have rooms to be filled.
Zippity-do-DAD
Active Member
OK, in the spirit of free speech, I do appreciate all of the very interesting facts you bring to light. They were definitely another dimension of the topic that hasn't been mentioned, and I will file them away as new found info. My main response to the spirit of your reply, is that I don't know many people wealthy or "less wealthy" that enjoy and actively seek to pay full price for anything. I have friends from every end of the spectrum and know that the overwhelming majority seek out "deals" to make their desired purchase more affordable. You may very well be the type that pays sticker price for cars, asking prices for houses, and doesn't negotiate, on anything and if so I commend your character and principled approach. My way of operating, (that I do "rethink" from time to time) is to establish what I want, establish what I'm willing to pay, and then try to bring the two together. The free dining would not stop me from coming, it simply makes the trip "I want" possible. When there is not free dining, I cut back the number of days etc, until "the two" parameters of my trip meet. It's similar to what Walt did by purchasing the land for WDW under assumed names to get it cheaper. Glad he didn't "rethink" whether or not this expensive theme park business was for him!
CaptainAmerica
Well-Known Member
That's not savings unless you're staying at value resorts. That's only $75 per night but you're paying rack rates for rooms. A room-only offer would get you at least that much at any moderate or deluxe.
Well, if you notice under my name it says that I am a DVC owner. We pay less than anyone staying even at moderate resorts in our deluxe resort. We get excellent discounts on the APs that we buy, and we purchase the TiW that gives us 20% off our TS meals and adult beverages - even in the lounges. We receive discounts on merchandise as well. So we don't pay "full price" for anything while we are there. Yes, we go more often - sometimes 2 or even 3 times in a year - than most people, but we can afford it, and pay cash for everything.
How much does a typical trip cost for your family? You stated that you saved $600 because you got free dining, and had steak quite a bit. We go for 7-10 days each trip, and might eat steak twice. Do you eat steak all the time at home? We do maybe once a month. If you don't eat steak at home, why do you on vacation? To make your "free" dining (which isn't anywhere close to "free") seem worth it? Why not sit down and really look at all the menus, since you take the dry erase board method, and see what you might spend if you actually only ordered what you would normally eat.
CaptainAmerica
Well-Known Member
I agree with your other criticisms but this part is incorrect and it's based on the restaurant managers not understanding their own P&Ls. Let's assume the imputed value of a TS dining credit is $40 and the menu price of a diner's meal is $50. The restaurant's P&L reflects $50 in revenue as if the customer had paid full price. The cumulative difference (in this case, $10) between menu price and the value of dining plans sold is held by the Marketing department as a promotional expense. Free dining actually helps the individual restaurant P&Ls because guests tend to order more expensive items.
That's not what we have been told by them. They are given a set amount from each person on a dining plan, and have to make the costs work. People ordering a filet mignon at a 1 credit restaurant are hurting that restaurant. Why do you think Le Cellier is 2 credits now? Because the restaurant couldn't afford everyone eating there for only the price of 1 credit.
AnnieLondon
New Member
We are being told April 21 in the UK....the waiting continues
PhilharMagician
Well-Known Member
The reason LeCellier went Signature is because it was always booked @ 180 out (for dinner) and TDO knew they could get increased revenue from this location because it had enough dedicated customer base. Smart move by the company. A few menu mods and probably less than 5% increase in food costs the get back close to 70% increase in revenue.
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