No "free dinning" rumor

[G00fyDad]

Maybe I should have said the 180 day out ADR booking is stupid in my opinion...

My last trip, I had 2 ADRs I didn't even bother going to... Booking them was more a hassle than an event I was looking forward to... And yes, I always used to look forward to the 180 mark to book my ADRs... Now??? it has worn on me... Like I said, i'll take my chances and walk up... if I can't a seat, then i'll eat at a counter service (found some great ones the last 2 trips that have now become favorites) or I'll leave property and eat at one of the better restaurants off property... Or even head to Sanaa and dine there...

My vacations aren't ruined because of no ADRs or unavailable ADRs... there are plenty of places to eat in WDW and Central Florida...

Oh trust me. I completely understand your frustration. I help family and friends plan trips all of the time and many of them go without the DDP. There just doesn't seem to be a better alternative out there that pleases everyone, or at least most everyone. I would use the DDP with or without the Free discount added on because even with the DDP at full price it saves us nearly $300. And then we would just get another discount. But with the Free discount added on it saves us around $1350. That makes those of us that use the FDDP happy But leaves others in a mess and angry. But if they ended the DDP and we had to go back to paying out of pocket then it would make those that dislike (or hate) the DDP happy. Either way they are going to tick some people off. But they are going to go where the money is. I wonder, how could Disney make as much, or more, money by removing the DDP and doing something else that might work for everyone? There has to be a way.

I have heard rumblings for a couple of years now that Disney is planning on phasing out the majority of its discounts. Personally, I doubt that very much but if it does turn out to be the case then I'd be okay with it. I'm still going to go to WDW and they are still getting my money. It's just that at that point my money will be going into the restaurant coffers instead of merchandising.

 

[Uncle Lupe]

I'll just tell you it sucks for us locals.

~ FD

It sucks for us who are not locals. At least if you are local you can enjoy the PARKS when you wish. I would take the trade of not getting into some restaurants when I want to but still enjoy the parks.

"Honey, screw mowing the grass today, I'm going to Disney World."

 

[c-one]

Maybe I should have said the 180 day out ADR booking is stupid in my opinion...

My last trip, I had 2 ADRs I didn't even bother going to... Booking them was more a hassle than an event I was looking forward to... And yes, I always used to look forward to the 180 mark to book my ADRs... Now??? it has worn on me... Like I said, i'll take my chances and walk up... if I can't a seat, then i'll eat at a counter service (found some great ones the last 2 trips that have now become favorites) or I'll leave property and eat at one of the better restaurants off property... Or even head to Sanaa and dine there...

My vacations aren't ruined because of no ADRs or unavailable ADRs... there are plenty of places to eat in WDW and Central Florida...

I hear you -- I like a degree or two of spontaneity in my trips. Can't think of another vacation I'd take that would require micro-managing my trip plan 180 days ahead of time... it's increasingly not worth the trouble.

 

[G00fyDad]

I hear you -- I like a degree or two of spontaneity in my trips. Can't think of another vacation I'd take that would require micro-managing my trip plan 180 days ahead of time... it's increasingly not worth the trouble.

Do you all really have that much trouble getting last minute tables? I have canceled TS meals before and then walked right in to places like Liberty Tree Tavern before with very little wait. Maybe 10 minutes. I hear everyone complaining about having to make PS 180 days out or they eat only CS meals.

 

[Crush Dude!]

The prices in the restaurants would be cheaper if free dining was not around.

Therefore, you would NOT be spending 140 a day to eat!

Talk about getting technical!!!

As it stands they are dear!! So no matter how you try to spin it this is what i am saving!! Either way if i somehow only saved $2000 it would still be worth it

 

[unkadug]

Talk about getting technical!!!

As it stands they are dear!! So no matter how you try to spin it this is what i am saving!! Either way if i somehow only saved $2000 it would still be worth it

While it might be technical to you, it is the whole point of NOT having Free Dining.

Free dining has caused the menus to be slashed, the food to get worse, the portions to get smaller, and the prices to be artificially inflated to make it seem like a better deal than it really is.

 

[inchy warrior]

Easy Crush Dude,I can see an invasion of Americans coming to UK to get these offers.Only joking before I get shot down.This will be our fifth WDW vacation staying onsite,but first getting free DDP. Yes,I reckon it will save us,family of three on a 14 day holiday,at least $1000,we have booked three ADRS but still it's a great offer.We did look at the deluxe TS but decided that QS was our best option and opt for a few TS meals ourselfs.That's the great thing about staying onsite,each family can choose what they feel suits them.:wave:

I dont think you would like to pay the price of our air fares:lol::lol:

 

[real mad hatter]

Whaurs Ma Sword!

That's it,I knew a battle cry was on the way,:ROFLOL: .I remember going to Greece many,many,years go,and found that my favourite malt whiskey was half the price than it was in Scotland.Angry?I was furious.So if I lived in the good ole USA I found out that other holiday makers outside my country were getting a better deal I suppose I wouldnt be too happy.But then if I were WDW in this day and age,I would be giving these perks to get more tourists to visit this magical place where some people only dream of visiting due to the cost of living nowadays.:shrug:

 

[unkadug]

I dont think you would like to pay the price of our air fares:lol::lol:

I'm a GOOD swimmer!

 

[real mad hatter]

Give Us a Clue?

I dont think you would like to pay the price of our air fares:lol::lol:

Well that depends where you come from.?:shrug::ROFLOL:

 

[Crush Dude!]

While it might be technical to you, it is the whole point of NOT having Free Dining.

Free dining has caused the menus to be slashed, the food to get worse, the portions to get smaller, and the prices to be artificially inflated to make it seem like a better deal than it really is.

This maybe so but it is irrelevant as i never experienced it so as prices now stand i am getting a deal that sllows me to vacation where i want for 20+ days!!

Works for me

 

[unkadug]

This maybe so but it is irrelevant as i never experienced it so as prices now stand i am getting a deal that allows me to vacation where i want for 20+ days!!

Works for me

OK...so you are happy with an inferior product because you never had the superior product?

It seems to reason that by simply having the information that things could be better would make you want to experience them.

 

[Crush Dude!]

OK...so you are happy with an inferior product because you never had the superior product?

It seems to reason that by simply having the information that things could be better would make you want to experience them.

Honestly i enjoy my vacations and ive rarely had a bad dining experience!
So im happy as i am able to afford my long hols because of this promotion!!

 

[Captain Chaos]

Do you all really have that much trouble getting last minute tables? I have canceled TS meals before and then walked right in to places like Liberty Tree Tavern before with very little wait. Maybe 10 minutes. I hear everyone complaining about having to make PS 180 days out or they eat only CS meals.

Last minute tables?? Not at all... But then again, like I said, I prefer not to dine at the popular places (Chef Mickeys too over priced for mediocre food, Cinderella's Royal Table - not into princess dining, etc)... I walked up to Nine Dragons and was seated in 5 minutes... I have dined in Sanaa and noticed it was never packed and getting a walk up table shouldn't be an issue... Boma may be though...

You HAVE TO make ADRs 180 days out for the popular places or else you are shut out at 179 days out and your only hope is a cancellation... I think that is what a lot of people complain about... Me, personally, I'll say it again, that much doesn't bother me because i don't like those places anyway...

And I actually would choose a counter service over a table service... it isn't settling or being forced to dine there... it is a preference...

 

[G00fyDad]

Last minute tables?? Not at all... But then again, like I said, I prefer not to dine at the popular places (Chef Mickeys too over priced for mediocre food, Cinderella's Royal Table - not into princess dining, etc)... I walked up to Nine Dragons and was seated in 5 minutes... I have dined in Sanaa and noticed it was never packed and getting a walk up table shouldn't be an issue... Boma may be though...

You HAVE TO make ADRs 180 days out for the popular places or else you are shut out at 179 days out and your only hope is a cancellation... I think that is what a lot of people complain about... Me, personally, I'll say it again, that much doesn't bother me because i don't like those places anyway...

And I actually would choose a counter service over a table service... it isn't settling or being forced to dine there... it is a preference...

Ahhh. Then maybe I have been misunderstanding others all this time. I thought they were b****ing about not being able to get into places like LTT and the Rose and Crown. I can totally see Boma getting booked up 2 hours after lines open in the mornings.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Ahhh. Then maybe I have been misunderstanding others all this time. I thought they were b****ing about not being able to get into places like LTT and the Rose and Crown. I can totally see Boma getting booked up 2 hours after lines open in the mornings.

I can only speak for myself... Maybe you are not mistaken what everyone else is complaining about... I notice a lot of the complaints center around places like Le Cellier, Chef Mickeys, Cinderella's Royal Table, Akershus... I don't recall ever seeing a complaint that Liberty Tree was booked solid...

Boma is delicious... I'll book there if I can... Only cause I can see it booking fast, but that is the only place I'd make an ADR for... Or maybe Paradiso 37 too... Sanaa, from my experiences, can be a walk up... Rose and Crown?? I don't know honestly... The one time I ate there, a crowd was forming adn the place was full.. I notice lunch times are usually open, so sometimes people may have to just adjust their dining times..

 

[RalphinSC]

Who here honestly thinks that if the DDp was scrapped that the food quality would quickly improve again and the relative cost of dining would go back down?

Honestly, I think that bird has flown the coop or as another poster so elequantly put it earlier "that toothpaste is already out of the tube".

I can understand the argument that DDP has affected the dining quality, cost, and availability at WDW. I just don't think that anything short of a miracle would reverse that course to what some long for and believe would occur if the DDP was ended.

 

[puntagordabob]

i heard a rumor that the free dinning plan would not be extended this fall. what does everyone think? will disney extend the free dinning plan past 9/29/2012?

Great News for us locals....perhaps we will be able to do the old fashioned "walk in" once in a while for two!

 

[Uncle Lupe]

The only problem we had was finding places and times for our large party of 9.

We could have broken the party up into smaller groups but that would be no fun. So our both of our character dinners were at 9:00p.m.

Maybe I could see the other side better if I could go more often. With 20 yrs between visits it's hard to see a decline in quality. Just an expansion of offerings that is being outstripped by demand. Also being able to enjoy a fine dining experience without a 2 yr old would help.

Can a kid get you kicked out of a signature restaurant?

 

[Frau Farbissina]

Free dining will be offered this fall with black out dates that are similar to the current 2012 bounce back offer. Think about it this way: Disney just opened up something like 9000 spaces with Art of Animation which means they need to lure those people on site, but what are they offering? The Fantasyland expansion is lagging behind. They need something to keep people visiting and free dining usually does the trick. Initially TAs were told that free dining wouldn't be offered at AoA for the first 6 months, but 3 weeks into the new free dining promo, they offered it for September.

Last year FD came out the 3 or 4 of August for fall (not including September) so there's time.