Is free Dining a thing of the past?

[mitchk]

I was checking out the promos they had out for last year, as well as this year, and it looks like they have not offered free QS for over a year now. I'm going in Nov. and was hoping to get free QS, but it looks like all they do now is a certain % off your room rate. So are we never gonna see free dining again?

 

[GoofGoof]

One thing that free DDP did for Disney is keep people on property. The more time you spend at Universal or Sea World eating meals off property the less value you would get out of free dining. Plus they required you to get a length of stay park ticket. Combine that with a free ride from the airport to make a rental car unnecessary and you have a captive audience. It makes it harder to go to Universal for the day and pay $90 to get in plus pay for meals and a rental car when you have free meals and a park ticket at WDW already paid for. If they switch to more room discounts instead of free dining they will run the risk of more people staying at the hotels, but using them as a base to visit Uni and SW or just eating meals off property. The cost of the rental car can be made up quickly with a few off property meals and/or a trip to the grocery store. You don't save much by going down from a 7 day ticket to a 5 day, but I could see people doing it and spending a few additional days at one of the other parks.

 

[mitchk]

Even at a deluxe, the Free Dining Plan works better for us, a family of 4. It all boils down to the size of your party and your eating habits. We enjoy having a sit down meal each day.

Yup

 

[mitchk]

Good point. The value of free DDP is much greater at a value resort vs a deluxe. It's also a better deal the more people you have in a room. QS DDP for 4 adults costs more per day than a room at a value. I thnk the room discounts can get higher too at the more expensive resorts.

It would cost me about $1,000 for the week to buy the basic DDP for a family of 4. If I wanted to stay at CR in a MK view room in May for a week I would have to pay $4,600 for my room if I paid rack rate (I know that sounds insane, but I pulled it from the Disney website). If my room discount exceeds 20% then it's a better deal than free dining. If its less, free dining saves me money. Of course if someone is dropping $4,600 on just their hotel room maybe they wouldn't care that much about how much money they can save

Indeed

 

[bluejasmine]

I respectfully disagree. I think the free dining was an answer to tumbling sales due to the economy and the recession. People are working again... The parks are booked for the rest of the year... they do not have to offer any additional discounts. It was a special and it is over. As far as DVC goes.. I have purchased 3 times. I am a huge fan and if we have it in our budget I will purchase again... But that is just me... Like I said.. Not trying to argue I just respectfully disagree...

Economy started the decline in 2008 they started FD in 2005 so while I'm sure it helped to fill rooms during 2008-2009 they run the discount before and after as well to bring in guests during slow periods. Then again for yrs now they run it Nov/Dec when the crowds were there so I don't think we can actually pinpoint Disneys reasoning. I know they have been talking about scaling back the discounts and while Fantasyland is new it will draw crowds but the newness will wear off..

 

[DManRightHere]

I may be wrong, but free dining is not offered with room discounts. Its not an and its an or. In the past you had to book a package through Disney at rack rates along with a length of stay park ticket to get the free dining. To me it's just math. If the room discount saves you the same amount of money as not paying for dining it's a wash. They keep increasing the price of the DDP and decreasing the offerings to make free dining seem like a better deal.

Oh I thought both could be used because it was at the same time. If it is table service and comes to about the same discount id probably go dining.

 

[Mr.Skunkape]

Ok. Your one of these guys .... Have a magical day!

Yes I am one of those guys....... The worst kind........ A DVC member so I always have a Magical day

 

[luv]

I wish to God they'd get rid of the dining plans.

 

[luv]

Oh I thought both could be used because it was at the same time. If it is table service and comes to about the same discount id probably go dining.

No, lol. If you want "free" dining, you have to pay more for the room. (That's why they can give you the dining for "free", you pay for it in the cost of the room.)

You cannot get a cheaper room and "free" dining.

 

[GoofGoof]

No, lol. If you want "free" dining, you have to pay more for the room. (That's why they can give you the dining for "free", you pay for it in the cost of the room.)

You cannot get a cheaper room and "free" dining.

You can if you stay off property and bring your own food from home

 

[Violet]

I respectfully disagree. I think the free dining was an answer to tumbling sales due to the economy and the recession. People are working again... The parks are booked for the rest of the year... they do not have to offer any additional discounts. It was a special and it is over. As far as DVC goes.. I have purchased 3 times. I am a huge fan and if we have it in our budget I will purchase again... But that is just me... Like I said.. Not trying to argue I just respectfully disagree...

I agree that free dining was linked to the economy. DVC..once they get people to buy, they don't have to work as hard at getting people to come back, for obvious reasons, but that is probably a separate topic

I just get the feeling that they know that most families go to Disney once, twice, etc while their kids are little. So it's more critical for them to make sure they get every family in America to go once rather than worry too much about what their repeat customers think or that someone won't come back because of free dining going away. But of course, this is just a theory of mine and a total opinion.

 

[disneysince71]

I agree that free dining was linked to the economy. DVC..once they get people to buy, they don't have to work as hard at getting people to come back, for obvious reasons, but that is probably a separate topic

I just get the feeling that they know that most families go to Disney once, twice, etc while their kids are little. So it's more critical for them to make sure they get every family in America to go once rather than worry too much about what their repeat customers think or that someone won't come back because of free dining going away. But of course, this is just a theory of mine and a total opinion.

I never thought about that with DVC. I guess not going back was not an option for us... But if you cant afford the travel... or the tickets... I can understand why you do not come back...

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

No, lol. If you want "free" dining, you have to pay more for the room. (That's why they can give you the dining for "free", you pay for it in the cost of the room.)

You cannot get a cheaper room and "free" dining.

Correct, you cannot combine discounted offers....I will tell you it was almost $400 cheaper last December to choose the free dining and pay regular price for the room, than it was to take the room discount and buy the dining plan.

 

[disneysince71]

I wish to God they'd get rid of the dining plans.

NOT going to happen!! But I totally agree....

 

[GoofGoof]

DVC..once they get people to buy, they don't have to work as hard at getting people to come back, for obvious reasons, but that is probably a separate topic

DVC owners still represent a small portion of total guests at WDW. There are roughly 3,000 DVC rooms out of 30,000 total rooms at WDW so only 10% are DVC. Some DVC rooms are filled with people paying cash rates to Disney or renting DVC points from an owner. On any given day you have locals as well as people staying off property too. If the mix is something like 60% of guests are staying on property than only 6% of total guests are staying in a DVC room. While 6% is not statistically insignificant it isn't enough to guarantee profits.

 

[luv]

Correct, you cannot combine discounted offers....I will tell you it was almost $400 cheaper last December to choose the free dining and pay regular price for the room, than it was to take the room discount and buy the dining plan.

I am happy that it worked out well for you.

You can if you stay off property and bring your own food from home

Well, in that event, I frequently get free dining! .

Bu seriously...

My own Craisins in a Baggie: $.25

Disney's Craisins: $2.12

 

[bluejasmine]

In truth your not paying more for your room with FD it's not like they increase the price of the room in fact it's lower than summer rates, you pay the normal base rate for the room.

Again I'd like to point out they started FD in 2005 BEFORE the failing economy, the economy got better in 2010 for most ppl and they offered it up to Dec 2012. Who's to say why Disney does what they do but even if FD doesn't make a come back this fall, mark my words when FAntasyland newness is gone and a good part of the guests that are fans of FD stop coming and start vacationing elsewhere ( as a TA I'm seeing this from guests tired of waiting for fall discounts) then Disney will bring back FD!

I never understood why ppl dislike FD so much? Sure for some RO is a better discount but why knock something that helps thousands of family's come to WDW? Even w/o it you'll not see a change in the menus or quality of food, not that there is anything wrong with it IMHO

 

[baloofigment14]

I wish to God they'd get rid of the dining plans.

How can you say that!

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

when FAntasyland newness is gone and a good part of the guests that are fans of FD stop coming and start vacationing elsewhere ( as a TA I'm seeing this from guests tired of waiting for fall discounts) then Disney will bring back FD!

stop coming and start vacationing elsewhere is the key.....no matter in 2005, 2010 or the reason....

 

[ParentsOf4]

Again I'd like to point out they started FD in 2005 BEFORE the failing economy, the economy got better in 2010 for most ppl and they offered it up to Dec 2012. Who's to say why Disney does what they do but even if FD doesn't make a come back this fall, mark my words when FAntasyland newness is gone and a good part of the guests that are fans of FD stop coming and start vacationing elsewhere ( as a TA I'm seeing this from guests tired of waiting for fall discounts) then Disney will bring back FD!

For decades, WDW's draw to get guests to return was to build new attractions. 2005 corresponds to roughly the time WDW stopped adding exciting new attractions. (EE was in soft opening in February 2006.) It also corresponds roughly to the time when Disney started looking for ways to reduce food and other costs through the "One Disney" concept. Food & merchandise became more generic at all Disney locations.

The trend was to increase profits not through investment but by reducing cost. From Disney's perspective, the problem with (for example) building new attractions is that they tend to simply make the busy times of year busier, exacerbating the attendance peaks and valleys. Free Dining was one of the methods employed by Disney to level yearly attendance, which is much more cost efficient.

Disney now has special events going on throughout the year to draw guests in during non-peak seasons. It's difficult to identify a period during "off season" where Disney isn't holding a special event such as its Marathon, Flower & Garden Festival, Star Wars Weekends, Food & Wine Festival, and Halloween & Christmas celebrations.

Late August to September is one of few remaining the slow periods not covered by a special event. For this reason, I suspect Disney will offer Free Dining again. However, Free Dining is expensive. Therefore, I also expect Disney to continue to move away from Free Dining as a way to reduce cost. One possibility is to use "bonus" FP+ experiences for onsite guests during slower periods.

 

[luv]

In truth your not paying more for your room with FD it's not like they increase the price of the room in fact it's lower than summer rates, you pay the normal base rate for the room.

Again I'd like to point out they started FD in 2005 BEFORE the failing economy, the economy got better in 2010 for most ppl and they offered it up to Dec 2012. Who's to say why Disney does what they do but even if FD doesn't make a come back this fall, mark my words when FAntasyland newness is gone and a good part of the guests that are fans of FD stop coming and start vacationing elsewhere ( as a TA I'm seeing this from guests tired of waiting for fall discounts) then Disney will bring back FD!

I never understood why ppl dislike FD so much? Sure for some RO is a better discount but why knock something that helps thousands of family's come to WDW? Even w/o it you'll not see a change in the menus or quality of food, not that there is anything wrong with it IMHO

To make the dining plans seem like a better deal, Disney jacked up the cost of food.

The restaurants took many good meals off the menus because of the dining plans.

The quality of food at WDW has begun to slide down again because of the dining plans. It had become so good again just before they started these plans.

I had to argue with a woman who wouldn't hand me a dessert because you can't have that dessert on the dining plan. "But I'm not on a dining plan!" I kept telling her. She had asked (as they all do, every time I order anything) if I was on a plan and I'd said I wasn't, but she kept insisting that I couldn't have that dessert because it wasn't part of the dining plan. Finally some other person showed up and handed me the pie, lol.

I want the plans to go so we can have more selection, better quality and cheaper prices...like we did before the plans.