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No "free dinning" rumor
- Thread starter BIGCAT1978
- Start date
G00fyDad
Well-Known Member
A lot of young families depend on these discounts to make a WDW trip a reality for them!
I understand that because my family really depends on the FreeDDP promo as well but when it is all said and done if we do not get it then it is not a deal breaker. We LOVE having it but if we don't get it then we still, usually, end up with another discount that saves nearly $500 or $600 off the trip. That makes the difference between the FreeDDP and the other discount about $600 for us. And $600 is not something that we would put off a Disney trip for.
I'm pretty sure most families would agree. If the loss a $600 in a discount is a deal breaker for the family then they probably are too strapped financially to even be going to Disney.
Considering the OP had no real information or source to back up his rumor, thread drifting was practically an inevitability.
And yes, people are going to take a thread like this and apply it to their personal wants and desires, as has happened here. Not really a big deal....:shrug:
mickeyminiemom
New Member
I understand that because my family really depends on the FreeDDP promo as well but when it is all said and done if we do not get it then it is not a deal breaker. We LOVE having it but if we don't get it then we still, usually, end up with another discount that saves nearly $500 or $600 off the trip. That makes the difference between the FreeDDP and the other discount about $600 for us. And $600 is not something that we would put off a Disney trip for.
ITA!!! I would never pay for the dinning plan because we just don't eat like that and I would stress if I had a credits that were wasted but when it is free who cares. We had a pin last year for free dinning in July and after a 10 day trip we had 5 CS credits and 4 TS credits left. I love getting a discount but if they do away with it it won't make or break my trips to Disney they just may not be every year and for as long or we will go back to staying at Shades of Green.
A lot of young families depend on these discounts to make a WDW trip a reality for them!
I understand that because my family really depends on the FreeDDP promo as well but when it is all said and done if we do not get it then it is not a deal breaker. We LOVE having it but if we don't get it then we still, usually, end up with another discount that saves nearly $500 or $600 off the trip. That makes the difference between the FreeDDP and the other discount about $600 for us. And $600 is not something that we would put off a Disney trip for.
I think - and that's why Disney is offering Free Dining in the first place - it does not make a WDW trip reality for a lot of family, but it does make an onsite stay in a Disney resort reality for many. I am sure if you want to do a cheap trip to WDW, you could even get a better deal with staying (and dining) offsite than the Free Dining and full price Disney hotel room. But the feeling of getting such a wonderful discount makes people actually not look at prices seriously and they don't see that they could be able to even get a cheaper trip if they did not stay onsite...
G00fyDad
Well-Known Member
I could not imagine going to WDW and not staying onsite. Before everyone gets their pitchforks sharpened, I understand that for some the offsite options are more to their financial needs but for us, if we cannot stay onsite, then we wouldn't go.
DisneyJunkie
Well-Known Member
My wife and I always benefit from the free dining plan, in fact it's one of the main things that determines when in the year we take our trip, or if we take our trip. We'd prefer a heavy discount on the room (i.e. one year when it was stay 4 nights get 3 more free) and then include the dining plan; but it's just as good to us if we go during a value season and have the DDP thrown in for free. It really makes it worth our while since most of the places we eat at on the plan we probably wouldn't ever go to simply because of the outrageous costs.
audiotinker
Member
The dining has been getting more expensive every year, we haven't always used the DDP. I doubt you are making up that much of a difference considering the prices of almost everything around the parks, including tickets, are up... probably because of the economy, the FE, and all of the renovations for 2013. I'm suspecting everything to inflate yet again b/c of the 200Mil they just lost on John Carter. $20.00 of which was from two disappointed Michiganders. I think most of their budget was spent on clothing.... LOL! :lol:
Just as a note: I don't think DDP is perfect, but it's definitely beneficial for families and big eaters IMHO. :slurp:
AEfx
Well-Known Member
I'm all for free dining, but...I have to say, like with any discount - do NOT expect one. When they offer one, be happy and take advantage - but Disney has made no promise it will be a regular thing, and it may or may not be available at any time. Just managing expectations.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
And to some the off site options are great because of the privacy, convenience, and ability to control your own vacation.
Yes, it's another topic - but don't assume it's always financial. I prefer to stay in a condo with my own yard, private pool, bedrooms for everyone, and the ability to get myself anywhere whenever I want to go without waiting on some schedule-less bus system. And sometimes - it's so nice to step out of the magic a bit, too. Or stop at a Wal-mart to buy a toothbrush. LOL.
It's not always a financial decision, is all.
murphysmom
Member
I think a lot of the dumbing down of the menus that people blame on the dining plan should just be blamed on the park guests in general. Too many park visitors with unadventurous tastes. It just makes financial sense to cater to the masses. If they have something a bit outside of the comfort zone on the menu they may please a few people, but if hardly anyone orders that item, or most of it goes into the garbage, then it makes financial sense to not have it on the menu.
Quoted for truth. Free dining isn't a right nor the norm. It's a perk. Let's enjoy it while it lasts.
murphysmom
Member
It totally depends on what resort you are staying at. A couple years ago I had booked a stay at the Beach Club with a 40% off code. Then Disney offered up Free Dining. I ran the numbers and figured out I could stay at the All Star Music, and upgrade to the regular dining plan, and have it cost the same as what my room only was costing me at the Beach Club. Oh, and that also included adding a night to my stay.
JWG
Well-Known Member
It totally depends on what resort you are staying at. A couple years ago I had booked a stay at the Beach Club with a 40% off code. Then Disney offered up Free Dining. I ran the numbers and figured out I could stay at the All Star Music, and upgrade to the regular dining plan, and have it cost the same as what my room only was costing me at the Beach Club. Oh, and that also included adding a night to my stay.
Comparing a stay at the Beach Club to a stay at a Value Resort is like comparing a stay at the EconoLodge to a Grand Hyatt. Not really apples to apples.
So yes, if we're comparing buying a snack box on the plane in coach to getting free drinks and meals in first class as cheaper/better deal I suppose it is.
The question is, is a 35-40% off room code at the Beach Club a better/worse deal than rack rate plus free dining at the Beach Club (or any deluxe resort)?
In this scenario, would a room discount at value plus paying for dining have been cheaper than no discount at a value and upgrading to full dining (since values only come with free counter dining)?
G00fyDad
Well-Known Member
And to some the off site options are great because of the privacy, convenience, and ability to control your own vacation.
Yes, it's another topic - but don't assume it's always financial. I prefer to stay in a condo with my own yard, private pool, bedrooms for everyone, and the ability to get myself anywhere whenever I want to go without waiting on some schedule-less bus system. And sometimes - it's so nice to step out of the magic a bit, too. Or stop at a Wal-mart to buy a toothbrush. LOL.
It's not always a financial decision, is all.
I get the privacy part, and maybe the convenience too, but controlling your own vacation by using a rental car? I rent a car every single time we go. Trust me, Disney allows you to rent a car. It's not a totalitarian resort.
Btw, I hate the bus system there too, hence my own rental car. Plus, I too like to get off property once or twice per trip.original post
i must say that when i posted this question originally i had no idea the type of discussion it would invoke. but thank you to everyone for all the discussion. now i guess i will put my 2 cents in on free ddp. and the rise in costs and decline in quality.
in 1971 my parents went to florida on there honeymoon, they vistied my great grandmother who lived in orlando and she gave them special passes to visit magic kingdom before it was even open to the public. since that time disney has been a very special place for my family. we live in Wisconsin and have made the trip to disney so many times over the years i cant count them all. and now i am visiting with my wife and daughter.
with that being said i love the free ddp. it has made the financial burden that a visit to disney can put on a family much easier to handle. i have not seen a slip that much in the quality of food.
as far as planning out 180 days. i look forward to it. it is an opportunity for me to use my past memories to build new ones.
and for all the people who complain about all the kids ruining there favorite restaurants...go and listen to walt himself as to what disneyland and disney world were designed for. its purpose then and now has always been for people, especially children to act like children. After all it is the happiest place on earth. so stop your whinning and look at the faces on the children who are actually enjoying the parks, resorts and even restaurants for what the are. A PLACE TO BE A CHILD AGAIN!!!
i must say that when i posted this question originally i had no idea the type of discussion it would invoke. but thank you to everyone for all the discussion. now i guess i will put my 2 cents in on free ddp. and the rise in costs and decline in quality.
in 1971 my parents went to florida on there honeymoon, they vistied my great grandmother who lived in orlando and she gave them special passes to visit magic kingdom before it was even open to the public. since that time disney has been a very special place for my family. we live in Wisconsin and have made the trip to disney so many times over the years i cant count them all. and now i am visiting with my wife and daughter.
with that being said i love the free ddp. it has made the financial burden that a visit to disney can put on a family much easier to handle. i have not seen a slip that much in the quality of food.
as far as planning out 180 days. i look forward to it. it is an opportunity for me to use my past memories to build new ones.
and for all the people who complain about all the kids ruining there favorite restaurants...go and listen to walt himself as to what disneyland and disney world were designed for. its purpose then and now has always been for people, especially children to act like children. After all it is the happiest place on earth. so stop your whinning and look at the faces on the children who are actually enjoying the parks, resorts and even restaurants for what the are. A PLACE TO BE A CHILD AGAIN!!!
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
If the quality of the food goes down and the level of service also goes down (because of free dining) then you aren't really experiencing that restaurant, only a cheapened replica of that restaurant.
Eldon_Brasche
Member
While I understand the intrinsic differences between economy (value) lodging and deluxe lodging, perhaps the bigger question is: What is ones expectation? If one is expecting deluxe accommodations, then yes, a discount on the deluxe room would provide a higher economic value than free dining and paying rack rate on the room. Therefore the comparison is simply between free dining at rack, versus discounted deluxe room rates and paying for dining. In this case, a discounted room might better meet expectations and provide the highest economic value.
On the other hand, if one is only expecting value lodging, the comparison then becomes; should one upgrade to deluxe at the discount, or stay value and get free dining. In this case, free dining might better meet expectations and provide the highest economic value.
They really are different comparisons.
tinkerbell24
Active Member
To be honest I don't see the quality of the food changing if Disney stop the free dining plan, most things arnt the same quality it used to be and it's all down to money.
Free dining is an incentive to get people to come more often or to a resort they normally wouldn't consider due to price so in a way it's not really free as it's bringing in more customers for Disney and we are probably paying for it through other ways too. We all just like to think we are getting a bargain.
If the dining was to stop then the food quality would probably still be the same as companies are always looking for ways to save money and that's why the quality drops
Free dining is an incentive to get people to come more often or to a resort they normally wouldn't consider due to price so in a way it's not really free as it's bringing in more customers for Disney and we are probably paying for it through other ways too. We all just like to think we are getting a bargain.
If the dining was to stop then the food quality would probably still be the same as companies are always looking for ways to save money and that's why the quality drops
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
If Free Dining stopped then the restaurants would be back in competition with each other again. They would have to earn our respect again. It would go back to supply and demand and as such quality would have to increase.
Restaurants that serve ty food do not stay in business while those that balance quality with profits succeed.