Free Quick Service Meal Released for Summer

[ryguy]

Your Clients can enjoy a FREE Meal per person, per night at quick-service locations when they buy a non-discounted 4-night/5-day Walt Disney Travel Company room and ticket package at a Disney Value Resort hotel for arrivals most nights May 29-Jun. 30, 2016 and Jul. 5-Aug. 13, 2016 when they book Jan. 19-Feb. 29, 2016.

Booking Window:
Jan. 19-Feb. 29, 2016

Travel Window:
May 29-Jun. 30, 2016 and Jul. 5-Aug. 13, 2016
Minimum Length of Stay: 3 nights (and minimum 2-day Magic Your Way® Base Ticket)

 

[sophie_the_pooh]

From what I read on WDW website, it's one Quick service meal a day and not the Quick service dining plan for free (I'm just saying because of your title, but it's clear in your post!). Anyone thinks it changes something for the fall free dining plan offer? Is that offer replacing it? I hope not!

 

[PREMiERdrum]

Looks to me like a cheap way to make the Value resorts look a little more "valuable" at their inflated Summer rack rates.

 

[ryguy]

Very Bizarre this offer. Anti-climatic that's for sure.

 

[GhostHost1000]

yes, very surprising... considering it's summer (peak season right?) and at value resorts (normally first to fill with the exception of dvc aren't they?)

so much construction going on
prices continue to go up
etc. I wonder...

 

[prberk]

Sounds like the equivalent of throwing in a coupon for a Big Mac if you book a room at the Holiday Inn Express at any other city, to me.... Only at Hilton prices.

 

[Karenb64]

Does anyone know if your drink is included or if kids under the age of 10 have to order a kids meal? The details on the website aren't clear about the drink and say nothing about kid's meals. With the difference between adult park tickets and kid park tickets usually being about $20, and the difference between regular meals and kids meals being as much as $10, if you order a drink, the value for this offer would definitely be effected by the ages of your kids if they do require kids ages 3-9 to order from the kids menu.

 

[PREMiERdrum]

Does anyone know if your drink is included or if kids under the age of 10 have to order a kids meal? The details on the website aren't clear about the drink and say nothing about kid's meals. With the difference between adult park tickets and kid park tickets usually being about $20, and the difference between regular meals and kids meals being as much as $10, if you order a drink, the value for this offer would definitely be effected by the ages of your kids if they do require kids ages 3-9 to order from the kids menu.

I get the impression that there will be Quick Service meal credits available on the guest's MagicBand, with each meal including an Entree, Drink, and Dessert. Since there is no such thing as a children's Quick Service meal credit, I think that kids would be able to order anything off the menu, as I doubt Disney would create a "Children's Quick Service credit" specifically for this promotion.

 

[disneyflush]

If my family is taking a trip every 5 years or so we are definitely skipping this construction year and heading down mid-2017 or 2018 for some new experiences. If a family goes every year then they can find some value in these types of discounts but for the families that take a trip to WDW every few years 2016 would def seem like a more challenging sell. I think we will see a few more offers like this coming out in 2016 that we haven't seen before.

 

[ryguy]

If my family is taking a trip every 5 years or so we are definitely skipping this construction year and heading down mid-2017 or 2018 for some new experiences. If a family goes every year then they can find some value in these types of discounts but for the families that take a trip to WDW every few years 2016 would def seem like a more challenging sell. I think we will see a few more offers like this coming out in 2016 that we haven't seen before.

I see your point. You would think Disney would be more aggressive with their offers. This deal is pretty weak. It might be the worst deal I have seen in the last 10 years. It's confusing, limited in scope, and doesn't offer that much of a discount. Hopefully nobody books the stupid thing so Disney can see this sort of offer is junk.

The only thing I can surmise from the offer is that Disney is killing it and is pulling back on its discounts. Hopefully we will get the free dining plan in the fall like usual.

 

[Lirael]

The only thing I can surmise from the offer is that Disney is killing it and is pulling back on its discounts. Hopefully we will get the free dining plan in the fall like usual.

I don't think disney released any dining discount for july-august last year and if that's correct, then this might not be them pulling discounts but adding a new one at peak season (even if small). So I think we need to wait for the next discount to tell if they'll start lessening discounts from now on.

 

[roj2323]

Spend $1500 and save $10 per person per night. Now that's a deal! Sarcasm aside, It's not a bad bonus but it's far from an incentive that would actually boost sales in my opinion.

 

[ford91exploder]

Spend $1500 and save $10 per person per night. Now that's a deal! Sarcasm aside, It's not a bad bonus but it's far from an incentive that would actually boost sales in my opinion.

You are underestimating stupidity on the guest's part. I can see people doing this because of the giant FREE squirrel thrown in they see FREE and critical thinking goes out the window!

 

[roj2323]

You are underestimating stupidity on the guest's part. I can see people doing this because of the giant FREE squirrel thrown in they see FREE and critical thinking goes out the window!

Well this is true but it usually happens once they get on property, not before.

 

[AEfx]

Hopefully we will get the free dining plan in the fall like usual.

Every time someone posts something like that I cringe - because I know that the more people who expect it to continue perpetually, the more folks are going to be screaming with entitled disappointment when the day comes that it is no longer.

If it comes, great, celebrate - but folks who look forward to it are setting themselves up for disappointment. It may continue this year, it may continue next...but I feel pretty confident in saying that Fall free dining, along with most other discounts, are going to disappear within the next few years as we ramp up with Star Wars and all the other additions.

Remember, they give discounts to keep occupancy rates up - which every year becomes less and less of a problem.

 

[AEfx]

Spend $1500 and save $10 per person per night. Now that's a deal! Sarcasm aside, It's not a bad bonus but it's far from an incentive that would actually boost sales in my opinion.

Presuming it's an entree, drink, desert, when you figure tax - it's really just about $20, give or take (depending on the price of drink and desert you choose - example, I believe the $3.99 slushies at some place would be eligible). If you have a family of 4, that's $80 of "free" food a day. Over five nights, that's $400.

I agree it's not going to bring in a huge amount of guests, but I don't think it's intended to be a big promotion - it's a nice little bonus, that depending on how many folks are in your party. It more highlights to me just how much food costs at WDW now. Coming from the north where food is generally more expensive, I used to find WDW prices pretty reasonable.

But the last 5 or 7 years they have just increased so dramatically, far out-pacing normal inflation. I can't imagine budgeting for a family for a week at WDW if you stay on site without a vehicle...it's got to be astronomical at this point, even if you eat "cheap".

 

[ford91exploder]

Presuming it's an entree, drink, desert, when you figure tax - it's really just about $20, give or take (depending on the price of drink and desert you choose - example, I believe the $3.99 slushies at some place would be eligible). If you have a family of 4, that's $80 of "free" food a day. Over five nights, that's $400.

I agree it's not going to bring in a huge amount of guests, but I don't think it's intended to be a big promotion - it's a nice little bonus, that depending on how many folks are in your party. It more highlights to me just how much food costs at WDW now. Coming from the north where food is generally more expensive, I used to find WDW prices pretty reasonable.

But the last 5 or 7 years they have just increased so dramatically, far out-pacing normal inflation. I can't imagine budgeting for a family for a week at WDW if you stay on site without a vehicle...it's got to be astronomical at this point, even if you eat "cheap".

Part of the food price inflation I think is to make the Dining Plan look like a good deal, Now that you have to pay it IN FULL at reservation time just think of the interest Disney is collecting on the millions of dollars of pre-paid meal plans. I can remember when you could add it 1 day before arrival still needed to pay in full but you had time to consider whether you really wanted it.