2013 Free Dining Watch

[micknpluto]

I can't afford anything more than a value resort so if they take away dinning from the values. Then no dining for us. I'll turn it into a positive. And not be so concerned with scheduled dining reservations will have more time to explore the parks. And Disney won't get as much $$$ from me for souvenirs and alcohol . That's all.

[Texas Barbie]

Well, at least we have some idea now of what it will be. Why do UK residents get the first shot at it?

[babydoll65]

Originally Posted by Texas Barbie

Well, at least we have some idea now of what it will be. Why do UK residents get the first shot at it?

People from the uk tend to stay alot longer, usually a minimum of 2 weeks so they tend to spend the most in the resorts and parks

[DisneyMom5]

Originally Posted by Texas Barbie

Well, at least we have some idea now of what it will be. Why do UK residents get the first shot at it?

The UK offer isn't usually the same as the US offer. I think they were limited to Moderates and Deluxes when the US still had values, or they were limited to QS first, one of the two.
No guarantee that the US offer will be the same.

And their sales usually break very early, because they have to make more complicated travel plans.

[micknpluto]

^^^^ that's good to know!!! Thanks

[TheDisney411]

Originally Posted by micknpluto

I can't afford anything more than a value resort so if they take away dinning from the values. Then no dining for us. I'll turn it into a positive. And not be so concerned with scheduled dining reservations will have more time to explore the parks. And Disney won't get as much $$$ from me for souvenirs and alcohol . That's all.

I'll believe that when I see it. What's going to happen to those thousands of value resort rooms they need to fill during the fall value season if they don't offer free dining on those rooms? That would be crazy. I doubt Disney is going to shoot themselves in the foot like that. They might offer quick service free dining to all resort levels, but completely locking the values out of that discount seems highly unlikely.

[micknpluto]

Thedisney411: I totally agree. I don't think that would be fair at all. I hope we hear something soon. So we can all stop talking about this and start talking about where we are going to eat !

[mickey2000]

Originally Posted by TheDisney411

I'll believe that when I see it. What's going to happen to those thousands of value resort rooms they need to fill during the fall value season if they don't offer free dining on those rooms? That would be crazy. I doubt Disney is going to shoot themselves in the foot like that. They might offer quick service free dining to all resort levels, but completely locking the values out of that discount seems highly unlikely.

Look at the November / December 2012 bounce back and you decide !

When I made my BB ART OF ANNIMATION regular rooms were excluded from QS only suites for QS. >Thus I moved to POP and upgraded my dining.
If you read the flyer no offer was for the values ? However they still offered it to me, Thanks to a nice guest services person
Here is flyer from CS resort

[2Pirates2Princesses]

Originally Posted by TheDisney411

I'll believe that when I see it. What's going to happen to those thousands of value resort rooms they need to fill during the fall value season if they don't offer free dining on those rooms? That would be crazy. I doubt Disney is going to shoot themselves in the foot like that. They might offer quick service free dining to all resort levels, but completely locking the values out of that discount seems highly unlikely.

I am also interested in what free dining offer will be available for the fall and if Disney really plans on excluding the value resorts. I've read that Disney doesn't have a problem filling the values, but going this route would be a big slap in the face to many repeat WDW guests. For our last WDW trip, the primary incentive for traveling during the prime hurricane season of late August when it was the most hot, humid, and rainy was to take advantage of the free dining promotion. It seems like Disney has figured out that people found it to be a better deal to stay at a value resort and upgrade from the free quick service plan to the regular dining plan rather than stay at a moderate resort for the free regular dining plan. If Disney decides to only offer free quick service dining to the moderate resorts, then people are going to have to pay to both stay at a more expensive resort and upgrade the dining plan. For large families of six or more people (like mine) who find staying at the value resort level in two rooms or a family suite as the most financially practical onsite option, a move like this on Disney's part would make staying offsite even more attractive to me not only because of the financial aspect but also the principle of it all (even if that means missing out on the fast pass +/nextgen stuff by staying offsite). It wouldn't be financially practical for my family to have to pay rack rate for two moderate resort rooms just to get free quick service dining; and free quick service dining at the Fort Wilderness cabins wouldn't be ideal because there isn't a food court at that resort and the cabins are more so for those who plan to utilize the full kitchen that's in the cabin. I guess we'll all just have to wait and see.......

[babydoll65]

Originally Posted by 2Pirates2Princesses

I am also interested in what free dining offer will be available for the fall and if Disney really plans on excluding the value resorts. I've read that Disney doesn't have a problem filling the values, but going this route would be a big slap in the face to many repeat WDW guests. For our last WDW trip, the primary incentive for traveling during the prime hurricane season of late August when it was the most hot, humid, and rainy was to take advantage of the free dining promotion. It seems like Disney has figured out that people found it to be a better deal to stay at a value resort and upgrade from the free quick service plan to the regular dining plan rather than stay at a moderate resort for the free regular dining plan. If Disney decides to only offer free quick service dining to the moderate resorts, then people are going to have to pay to both stay at a more expensive resort and upgrade the dining plan. For large families of six or more people (like mine) who find staying at the value resort level in two rooms or a family suite as the most financially practical onsite option, a move like this on Disney's part would make staying offsite even more attractive to me not only because of the financial aspect but also the principle of it all (even if that means missing out on the fast pass +/nextgen stuff by staying offsite). It wouldn't be financially practical for my family to have to pay rack rate for two moderate resort rooms just to get free quick service dining; and free quick service dining at the Fort Wilderness cabins wouldn't be ideal because there isn't a food court at that resort and the cabins are more so for those who plan to utilize the full kitchen that's in the cabin. I guess we'll all just have to wait and see.......

I agree, for larger families to stay offsite might be a lot better if they don't offer anything to the value resorts. My family and I have always stayed at the value resorts only because we spend so much time in the parks and don't really care about what our room looks like. But this year we will be celebrating my mothers 70th bday and with my son turning 16 I guess we will spend a little more this year and stay at POR. But I do prefer the QSD because we don't do the character breakfasts anymore and we will only be doing a couple of sit dows (VIA NAPOLI and ROSE AND CROWN) I guess we need to wait and see what happens

[TheDisney411]

Originally Posted by 2Pirates2Princesses

I am also interested in what free dining offer will be available for the fall and if Disney really plans on excluding the value resorts. I've read that Disney doesn't have a problem filling the values, but going this route would be a big slap in the face to many repeat WDW guests. For our last WDW trip, the primary incentive for traveling during the prime hurricane season of late August when it was the most hot, humid, and rainy was to take advantage of the free dining promotion. It seems like Disney has figured out that people found it to be a better deal to stay at a value resort and upgrade from the free quick service plan to the regular dining plan rather than stay at a moderate resort for the free regular dining plan. If Disney decides to only offer free quick service dining to the moderate resorts, then people are going to have to pay to both stay at a more expensive resort and upgrade the dining plan. For large families of six or more people (like mine) who find staying at the value resort level in two rooms or a family suite as the most financially practical onsite option, a move like this on Disney's part would make staying offsite even more attractive to me not only because of the financial aspect but also the principle of it all (even if that means missing out on the fast pass +/nextgen stuff by staying offsite). It wouldn't be financially practical for my family to have to pay rack rate for two moderate resort rooms just to get free quick service dining; and free quick service dining at the Fort Wilderness cabins wouldn't be ideal because there isn't a food court at that resort and the cabins are more so for those who plan to utilize the full kitchen that's in the cabin. I guess we'll all just have to wait and see.......

I agree. The day they stop offering free dining to values or stop free dining in general, that's the day we will go to an off site condo and pay out of pocket for dining. We have a large family and always get connecting rooms at a value. But, again, I don't think they are going to do that - at least not at this point.

[jacksgirl]

Still patiently waiting here (ok, maybe not patiently).

[TDC Nala]

Originally Posted by TheDisney411

I'll believe that when I see it. What's going to happen to those thousands of value resort rooms they need to fill during the fall value season if they don't offer free dining on those rooms? That would be crazy. I doubt Disney is going to shoot themselves in the foot like that. They might offer quick service free dining to all resort levels, but completely locking the values out of that discount seems highly unlikely.

If they don't offer free dining for the values for GP it means they've already filled them or believe they can fill them without offering it.

As for a slap in the face for returning guests, they don't offer these discounts to the general public as an appreciation for returning guests.

[TheDisney411]

Originally Posted by TDC Nala

If they don't offer free dining for the values for GP it means they've already filled them or believe they can fill them without offering it.

They can't. Let's be realistic here, the only value rooms they can fill to their satisfaction without discounts for that time frame will be the Little Mermaid rooms at AOA. And really the "new" factor is going to wear off of those eventually too. I could even see them going as far as not including preferred rooms at Pop or Movies, but beyond that they will have to offer some deep discounts to fill those thousands of rooms during the height of hurricane season and other slow weeks.

[TDC Nala]

Originally Posted by TheDisney411

They can't. Let's be realistic here, the only value rooms they can fill to their satisfaction without discounts for that time frame will be the Little Mermaid rooms at AOA. And really the "new" factor is going to wear off of those eventually too. I could even see them going as far as not including preferred rooms at Pop or Movies, but beyond that they will have to offer some deep discounts to fill those thousands of rooms during the height of hurricane season and other slow weeks.

Of course they can. They could possibly reach the occupancy rate they want using bounce backs and pin codes and discounts that are not free dining, and see no need to include them in a general public offer for free dining. The rumor could be true but we have yet to find out.