Are you booked with a Free Dining Offer? Poll: Have you been contacted and what offer given?

[Erica Ladd]

I guess we will have to wait and see if they make an announcement about resorts other than DVC. I think they did and then retracted it? But I don’t know anymore - so much to keep up with!

 

[Racheldb]

I was hoping for something like that. I got the email with the 35% off the current package, but we can’t go on this trip at all (we were booked 7/7-7/12), so I was hoping there would be something we could apply to a future trip (we’re planning to rebook next spring).

I’m guessing with all of the massive changes they have to do, they’re just not there yet.
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[Racheldb]

I was hoping for something like that. I got the email with the 35% off the current package, but we can’t go on this trip at all (we were booked 7/7-7/12), so I was hoping there would be something we could apply to a future trip (we’re planning to rebook next spring).

I’m guessing with all of the massive changes they have to do, they’re just not there yet.

I am in the same boat. Our trip is July 5-July 12. I spoke to a TM last night and what he told me was that I should be receiving an email within a couple of days to modify our dates to reschedule if we like and the 35% will be applied to that. This TM seemed very knowledgeable. We will see if this happens. I sure hope so!

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

September 12-17
ASMO
Free Dining Recovery Offer
35% Off Email

I’m wondering it they’ll allow you to change your dates or resort. I originally booked my dates because we were going to book a 5 night DCL and use the free dining at WDW after. We have since decided not to cruise this year. I would like to upgrade to a deluxe resort and extend my days and maybe move the trip to October.

 

[Erica Ladd]

September 12-17
ASMO
Free Dining Recovery Offer
35% Off Email

I’m wondering it they’ll allow you to change your dates or resort. I originally booked my dates because we were going to book a 5 night DCL and use the free dining at WDW after. We have since decided not to cruise this year. I would like to upgrade to a deluxe resort and extend my days and maybe move the trip to October.

Good luck with that. I hope you can but I think they are adamant about no modifications. However September is a bit away and maybe things will change???

 

[oceanmarina]

We are booked for our happy place Wilderness Lodge villas check in last week of August - had a bounce back with park hoppers and free dining (which I upgraded to free deluxe dining)
Nota a word yet from Disney, no e-mail nothing

Did I hear correctly that the resort pools will be closed?

 

[Tay N Evie's Mom]

Good luck with that. I hope you can but I think they are adamant about no modifications. However September is a bit away and maybe things will change???

I know!!. I have a Saturday to Thursday booked at WDW because the cruise was supposed to be Monday to Saturday. I only booked ASMO because the cruise was the main part of the trip cost. I won’t keep this reservation as it now exists. We’d rather go in October and spend a week there at a nicer resort.

 

[vinotinto]

We are booked for our happy place Wilderness Lodge villas check in last week of August - had a bounce back with park hoppers and free dining (which I upgraded to free deluxe dining)
Nota a word yet from Disney, no e-mail nothing

Did I hear correctly that the resort pools will be closed?

Nothing has been said either way about the resort pools. We do know that it was posted in the hub that water parks will remain closed.

 

[vinotinto]

We also received word from our TA that "in all likelihood your resort will be changed." We are currently at CSR. With a 35% room discount and a move to a DVC resort we will happily keep this trip. May just be a lower key trip from previous ones, a change my husband will likely be thrilled about lol

CSR will likely remain closed so it can host the NBA at the end of July. I would say that if the NBA deal goes through, you will 100% be moved.

 

[vinotinto]

To be fair, the 35% off a future stay was never actually formally "announced"--it was just something people got via TA/CM inside info. Another reminder that even though there are lots of rumors floating around, we have to wait for the official announcement to know anything for sure. I expect that they felt (or got a lot of angry feedback) that (1) it was not okay to require people who had budgeted based on a free dining discount they had been promised to have to pay rack rate for their upcoming stays and not be able to make any modifications to their reservations; and (2) it wouldn't be fair to give free dining guests whose reservations have NOT been cancelled by disney a future discount, but not give a future discount to anyone whose vacation HAS been cancelled by Disney.

I don't think 35% is fair--it gives a windfall to people whose dining plan value is less (e.g., party of two staying at a deluxe hotel) and shortchanges people like us whose dining plan value is far more (i.e., family of 5 at a moderate). I think they should have given a credit in the amount of the dining plan per-day cost. But I do think it does make the vacation more affordable than rack rate plus full dining cost, and puts us closer in the position of what we would have gotten (i.e., a room only discount) if we hadn't been offered free dining in the first place.

No doubt that the 35% off is not going to be as good of a discount to some as free dining.

I ran some numbers for those (like our family) that have 4 Disney (adults):

For a family of 4 Disney "adults" at a deluxe hotel, the Free DDP had a value of $313/night. You would need to have a rack room rate of over $900 to make the 35% a better value than the DDP at a deluxe hotel (or fewer Disney adults).

For a family of 4 Disney "adults" at a Mod or Value, the Free QSDP had a value of $220/night. You would need a rack rate room of over $600 to make the 35% a better value than the QSDP at a value or mod (or fewer Disney adults). And, yes, there are very few rooms at a mod that would be over $600 (I think only the suites at CSR).

I completely understand that they cannot have the dining Plans right now, but it will certainly be tough for some families who had envisioned their meals covered, suddenly to have to budget for this. Even if you can afford it, suddenly having to pay for every meal when you thought you could relax and not look at prices is going to be tough for sure.

 

[Sandisw]

To be fair, the 35% off a future stay was never actually formally "announced"--it was just something people got via TA/CM inside info. Another reminder that even though there are lots of rumors floating around, we have to wait for the official announcement to know anything for sure. I expect that they felt (or got a lot of angry feedback) that (1) it was not okay to require people who had budgeted based on a free dining discount they had been promised to have to pay rack rate for their upcoming stays and not be able to make any modifications to their reservations; and (2) it wouldn't be fair to give free dining guests whose reservations have NOT been cancelled by disney a future discount, but not give a future discount to anyone whose vacation HAS been cancelled by Disney.

I don't think 35% is fair--it gives a windfall to people whose dining plan value is less (e.g., party of two staying at a deluxe hotel) and shortchanges people like us whose dining plan value is far more (i.e., family of 5 at a moderate). I think they should have given a credit in the amount of the dining plan per-day cost. But I do think it does make the vacation more affordable than rack rate plus full dining cost, and puts us closer in the position of what we would have gotten (i.e., a room only discount) if we hadn't been offered free dining in the first place.

No offer is ever going to be a winner for all guests and as you said, for some families, this 35% discount may work out better than the free dining recovery offered in the first place.

I was just happy to see that they did end up doing some ing instead of what many first thought which was take it away and be left with rack rate,

 

[vinotinto]

No offer is ever going to be a winner for all guests and as you said, for some families, this 35% discount may work out better than the free dining recovery offered in the first place.

I was just happy to see that they did end up doing some ing instead of what many first thought which was take it away and be left with rack rate,

Agreed! Given all the changes I am happy to get that 35% off!

 

[pooch]

And not needing PH anymore will also save some. I’m thinking between that and the 35%, it might be enough to cover food costs for DGS and I. I’m also going to age him down again to his real age since I only did that for the better QS dining plan. I just can’t decide!!!

 

[AmberMV]

August 24-26
Contemporary
Free Dining Recovery from March 30 cancellation
No emails regarding resort stay.

I have received the AP email as of this morning.

 

[SarahC97]

I finally got the email. I'm pretty happy with 35% off. Now I just hope I can get rid of the tickets from the FD package. I don't need them as I have an AP.

 

[pooch]

So your understanding is they are subbing a 35% room only discount with no ticket requirement? Would this also change the rules for cancellation?

 

[vinotinto]

I finally got the email. I'm pretty happy with 35% off. Now I just hope I can get rid of the tickets from the FD package. I don't need them as I have an AP.

Me too! I think I mentioned this in another thread, but I need two things to happen: 1) I need them to extend my AP, which expired almost two months ago, but would exactly cover my July trip if extended and 2) I need to be able to drop the tickets. I don’t see why these things would not happen, but I don’t want to make assumptions.

 

[vinotinto]

So your understanding is they are subbing a 35% room only discount with no ticket requirement? Would this also change the rules for cancellation?

I think if we drop the tickets, it would be a ticketless package, and the cancellation rules would remain the same.

 

[tj2002]

No doubt that the 35% off is not going to be as good of a discount to some as free dining.

I ran some numbers for those (like our family) that have 4 Disney (adults):

For a family of 4 Disney "adults" at a deluxe hotel, the Free DDP had a value of $313/night. You would need to have a rack room rate of over $900 to make the 35% a better value than the DDP at a deluxe hotel (or fewer Disney adults).

For a family of 4 Disney "adults" at a Mod or Value, the Free QSDP had a value of $220/night. You would need a rack rate room of over $600 to make the 35% a better value than the QSDP at a value or mod (or fewer Disney adults). And, yes, there are very few rooms at a mod that would be over $600 (I think only the suites at CSR).

I completely understand that they cannot have the dining Plans right now, but it will certainly be tough for some families who had envisioned their meals covered, suddenly to have to budget for this. Even if you can afford it, suddenly having to pay for every meal when you thought you could relax and not look at prices is going to be tough for sure.

Yes we are a family of 4 Disney “adults” and 1 “child” and the 35% definitely does not make up the difference of a free QSDP (suite at AOA). It really makes me mad to be honest. I understand that this is an unprecedented situation, but I feel like I’m getting screwed. I would like to cancel, but we have flights already booked. We shall see.

 

[vinotinto]

Yes we are a family of 4 Disney “adults” and 1 “child” and the 35% definitely does not make up the difference of a free QSDP (suite at AOA). It really makes me mad to be honest. I understand that this is an unprecedented situation, but I feel like I’m getting screwed. I would like to cancel, but we have flights already booked. We shall see.

I totally understand