FREE DINING UPDATE- RUMOR and SPECULATION / Update Page 80 !

[DG-12]

Knox- Any more info on if/when a fall deal might come available? Dana

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Well, hopefully most people here will listen to those of you who know what you're talking about, & not listen to those posting nonsense.

Why is listening to my "nonsense" any better than listening to a moderator on a board, who is NOT a CM?

 

[CanadianGuy]

Why is listening to my "nonsense" any better than listening to a moderator on a board, who is NOT a CM?

People are free to listen to whomever they want. We can both make all the suggestions we want. People are free to act in what they perceive is their best interest.

We have both laid out our opinions respectfully.

There is no need to make any of this personal or turn it into something it is not.

Thanks.

Knox

 

[gigi1313]

Why is listening to my "nonsense" any better than listening to a moderator on a board, who is NOT a CM?

you don't have to be a disney CM to be "in the know" on certain things... due to my job i am privvy to various disney insights (particularly where reservations are concerned), but i am not a CM... yet i concur w/all that knox has been saying (and i've said the same myself, just not as often! LOL!)

again, i am glad your experiences with disney granting promos to previously made reservations, but that is the exception, not the norm...

 

[Melanie230]

Curious to see if anyone has had any personal experience in this. Getting told no at a resort, but eventually getting it after going up the chain of command.

I haven't. In fact last year when we went, we tried to extend our vacation by 1 more day. We were told that we could stay at Pop no problem. But we wouldn't get the FD we had because those rooms were all sold out. So we decided to just leave.

 

[book_junkie]

Anyone see this today, or are y'all arguing still?

One Enchanting Experience, Two Ways to Save!

Stay in the middle of the magic at Walt Disney World Resort and choose from two ways to save: up to 30% savings on the room rate or this 4-night/5-day Magic Your Way room and ticket package where kids, ages 3 to 9, stay and play for free.
Summertime Savings of up to 30% at select Disney
Resorts for stays most nights 5/2/10-8/14/10
or
Kids Stay and Play FREE
with this 4-night/5-day room and ticket package

So, do you think this increases chances of awesome promos (be they free dining or discounts or both) for fall if they're STILL trying to get people in for the summer?

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Anyone see this today, or are y'all arguing still?

One Enchanting Experience, Two Ways to Save!

Stay in the middle of the magic at Walt Disney World Resort and choose from two ways to save: up to 30% savings on the room rate or this 4-night/5-day Magic Your Way room and ticket package where kids, ages 3 to 9, stay and play for free.
Summertime Savings of up to 30% at select Disney
Resorts for stays most nights 5/2/10-8/14/10
or
Kids Stay and Play FREE
with this 4-night/5-day room and ticket package

So, do you think this increases chances of awesome promos (be they free dining or discounts or both) for fall if they're STILL trying to get people in for the summer?

This is not new. This came out last week.

 

[Luvmepluto]

Where are you getting this info? I can't imagine that they are full. We switched ours around to a different resort and there was no problem finding rooms for our Grand Gathering.


I am hoping for this too! I have seen DV have 2 codes out at the same time but if they are concerned with May they may not release it until after the April promo...Here's hoping for April 26th!!!!

I would be shocked if they were full for the fall.

My friend just went last week (they go every spring break) and she doesn't remember the last time that they were able to go into rides with minimal waiting. Which tells me if it is light around spring break then it will probably be quite light in the fall. I don't have a magic wand , it just would make sense.

I did call Disney this morning because I made a boo boo on our ressies..... The man I spoke to said that he believed that the promos for the fall are due to come out anytime. He also said that the phones have been blowing up because people are anxiously waiting for the fall promos. He said that they couldn't wait for an announcement to be made.

 

[disneyfantotheend]

I think everyone is entitled to their opinion, but to suggest you "insist" on something that you are not owed is just mean spirited. You are just giving the poor employee of Disney a hard time over something that they do not control.

 

[leahjade]

What I'm saying, I think, is if you book rack rate at POP, and FD comes out, even if the "FD rooms" are booked, they are still going to give you Free Dining.

My point is that if the rooms are nearly full (which some resorts are that I checked yesterday) why would Disney bother to offer free dining? If they can book the rooms at full-price, what's the point of a promotional offer. It's purely a business decision not just to give us a price break. They are trying to lure business to the resorts with the free dining but if business is good without it, why bother?

 

[Luvmepluto]

It happened to us at WL in Feb as well.

I have had a pin applied to an existing ressie, but I have also had to rebook to another resort. We aren't dead set at staying at CSR.......we are never in our rooms. But we do love the bakery and buying Lattes at the bar area. People have to be willing to move if they have a discount (or pin) attached or maybe they are lucky enough to get it applied to the existing one.

 

[DisGirl23]

I think everyone is entitled to their opinion, but to suggest you "insist" on something that you are not owed is just mean spirited. You are just giving the poor employee of Disney a hard time over something that they do not control.

The bottom line is that Disney eventually will have to stop somewhere. They won't be able to to just give in to every person that complains and cries all the way up the ladder. Some will get pixie dust and the rest will be offered what's left.

Knox, I hope the fall promo is released SOON just for your sanity alone!

 

[CanadianGuy]

Knox, I hope the fall promo is released SOON just for your sanity alone!

Amen sista - from your lips to Mickey's ears!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

People are free to listen to whomever they want. We can both make all the suggestions we want. People are free to act in what they perceive is their best interest.

We have both laid out our opinions respectfully.

There is no need to make any of this personal or turn it into something it is not.

Thanks.

Knox

OMG!!!!! Ok, people are getting WAY OUT OF CONTROL on this subject. No one, except the Powers That Be, knows what discount will come out when. Knox and the other moderators are just trying to help us all out by giving his opinion based on experience. I'm like everyone else hoping for free dining so that I can surprise my fiance with a stay at POR instead of ASMu for our honeymoon, but you know what, either way, we are going to enjoy our stay (along with my 12 year old daughter) and not blame Disney for us not being able to stay in a moderate. We are lucky to be going on a vacation at all!!!!

ok, sorry.....I just had to defend Knox!

 

[nikki&petey]

Yes at the rack rate or whatever you booked it at.

It does not guarantee you a room at that resort on the promo.

Some resorts have ZERO promo inventory for example. Others have very little.. but regardless..

So should I cancel my reservation? If I do, does that cancel my ADR's?

 

[CanadianGuy]

So should I cancel my reservation? If I do, does that cancel my ADR's?

No.. whats done is done. if you have it booked now with ADRs etc .. no point in changing it now.

Just remember when you call in to switch to whatever fall promo comes available.. you may have to change resorts .. (or maybe dates) ..

Maybe you won't have to change anything - in which case great.

 

[drcandon]

Okay folks the canadianguy is not telling something that is not been stated by the phone CM's over and over again.

In fact I have had the some conversation over the past two months of pestering Disney for cheap prices..so here we go again...

I have a emailer code tagged to my email and address ( nothing new so far), finally after 2 months of irritating the phone CM's I finally booked for a date/resort this year. ALL the times on the phone I was ASSURED over and over again that if free dining comes out then I can apply this to the offer at hand - therefore adjusting price (downward I assume). This promo is offered from Disney main corp and has nothing to do with the Hotel manager ( who has complete autonomous control over the rooms).

However and here are the two caveats....

1. The Hotel manager releases rooms at his/her discretion that will apply to the various codes sent out from Disney corp. This means not only how many BUT the types of rooms as well. ie water view, garden view, pool view and club..whatever....for example there are NO rooms available club level at AKL with the emailer 20/30/40% off code - however there are club rooms available at the Poly, GF, CR and others - that will take that code. I have phoned repeatedly - irritated I don't know how many supervisors and can't get them to budge..it is NOT their call...whining, wishing or pixie dust nothwithstanding...Also CR for a while would NOT release tower rooms with the code, they have a few now..apparently..Things change as the season heats up or cools down..

2. And this is where I think the confusion applies..IF FD comes out as a code from Disney corp..again it is entirely up to the Hotel manager again IF that code can be applied to which rooms and how many to release, suffice it to say that most resorts wil release some rooms per date code..AND it is also up to the Hotel manager to allow further codes ie FD to be applied to an existing reservation under code. So in other words, I have booked the 40% off sliding code at lets say the Poly, lets say lake view rooms non club. If now FD comes out and as the CM's tell you to do phone back excitedly with code in hand expecting it to be applied to an existing reservation. You MIGHT in fact probably will be told it is not applicable and you will either have 2 options, switch resorts to one that accepts the code (in essence cancelling the existing reservation) or cancel the existing at the resort and STARTING all over again with a new one and reapply the code at the same resort. Now, that being said, some resorts that may be low in attendance or need to get up their stats, may allow you to apply the code and readjust price and away you go. Of course if you do this, the price you end with will in no way make sense - for example if you have a 40% slide code applied to resort, tickets and retail dining, then FD comes out you would expect them to take the $$$$ per night off per se - nope totally strange price results...

Come on folks it all has to do with profit margins and what Disney corp expects from each resort and hotel manager. Even though these resorts are not like the Swan and Dolphin and are directly under the Disney umbrella, they still have to produce a profit. They all get a running budget. Who knows how it really operates I can only add conjecture as I am definitely not on the Disney board of execs ( wish I was!!!). But for pure speculation, if the Hotel manager allows every room to be coded out with every code that comes along, sure it looks good as far as room occupancy stats go, but the profit margin really sucks - as I imagine that the FD promo is definitely deducted from each hotel managers running budget ( the resorts also have the major amounts of dining options).

So it all comes back to the same thing, getting the code and trying to apply it to a room without seeing the budget sheet from the resort is really a crap shoot on our end, you just have to give it and shot and see what sticks. No amount of haranguing the CM's on the phone will help. It all depends on what they see on the screen in front of them..and maybe if the supervisor feels like contacting or has the authority ( doubtful) to override the Hotel decision.

 

[CanadianGuy]

Okay folks the canadianguy is not telling something that is not been stated by the phone CM's over and over again.

In fact I have had the some conversation over the past two months of pestering Disney for cheap prices..so here we go again...

I have a emailer code tagged to my email and address ( nothing new so far), finally after 2 months of irritating the phone CM's I finally booked for a date/resort this year. ALL the times on the phone I was ASSURED over and over again that if free dining comes out then I can apply this to the offer at hand - therefore adjusting price (downward I assume). This promo is offered from Disney main corp and has nothing to do with the Hotel manager ( who has complete autonomous control over the rooms).

However and here are the two caveats....

1. The Hotel manager releases rooms at his/her discretion that will apply to the various codes sent out from Disney corp. This means not only how many BUT the types of rooms as well. ie water view, garden view, pool view and club..whatever....for example there are NO rooms available club level at AKL with the emailer 20/30/40% off code - however there are club rooms available at the Poly, GF, CR and others - that will take that code. I have phoned repeatedly - irritated I don't know how many supervisors and can't get them to budge..it is NOT their call...whining, wishing or pixie dust nothwithstanding...Also CR for a while would NOT release tower rooms with the code, they have a few now..apparently..Things change as the season heats up or cools down..

2. And this is where I think the confusion applies..IF FD comes out as a code from Disney corp..again it is entirely up to the Hotel manager again IF that code can be applied to which rooms and how many to release, suffice it to say that most resorts wil release some rooms per date code..AND it is also up to the Hotel manager to allow further codes ie FD to be applied to an existing reservation under code. So in other words, I have booked the 40% off sliding code at lets say the Poly, lets say lake view rooms non club. If now FD comes out and as the CM's tell you to do phone back excitedly with code in hand expecting it to be applied to an existing reservation. You MIGHT in fact probably will be told it is not applicable and you will either have 2 options, switch resorts to one that accepts the code (in essence cancelling the existing reservation) or cancel the existing at the resort and STARTING all over again with a new one and reapply the code at the same resort. Now, that being said, some resorts that may be low in attendance or need to get up their stats, may allow you to apply the code and readjust price and away you go.

Come on folks it all has to do with profit margins and what Disney corp expects from each resort and hotel manager. Even though these resorts are not like the Swan and Dolphin and are directly under the Disney umbrella, they still have to produce a profit. They all get a running budget. Who knows how it really operates I can only add conjecture as I am definitely not on the Disney board of execs ( wish I was!!!). But for pure speculation, if the Hotel manager allows every room to be coded out with every code that comes along, sure it looks good as far as room occupancy stats go, but the profit margin really sucks - as I imagine that the FD promo is definitely deducted from each hotel managers running budget ( the resorts also have the major amounts of dining options).

So it all comes back to the same thing, getting the code and trying to apply it to a room without seeing the budget sheet from the resort is really a crap shoot on our end, you just have to give it and shot and see what sticks. No amount of haranguing the CM's on the phone will help. It all depends on what they see on the screen in front of them..and maybe if the supervisor feels like contacting or has the authority ( doubtful) to override the Hotel decision.

Best and very detailed explanation that I've read in a while - job well done!

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Well said, drcandon

 

[Luvmepluto]

Okay folks the canadianguy is not telling something that is not been stated by the phone CM's over and over again.

In fact I have had the some conversation over the past two months of pestering Disney for cheap prices..so here we go again...

I have a emailer code tagged to my email and address ( nothing new so far), finally after 2 months of irritating the phone CM's I finally booked for a date/resort this year. ALL the times on the phone I was ASSURED over and over again that if free dining comes out then I can apply this to the offer at hand - therefore adjusting price (downward I assume). This promo is offered from Disney main corp and has nothing to do with the Hotel manager ( who has complete autonomous control over the rooms).

However and here are the two caveats....

1. The Hotel manager releases rooms at his/her discretion that will apply to the various codes sent out from Disney corp. This means not only how many BUT the types of rooms as well. ie water view, garden view, pool view and club..whatever....for example there are NO rooms available club level at AKL with the emailer 20/30/40% off code - however there are club rooms available at the Poly, GF, CR and others - that will take that code. I have phoned repeatedly - irritated I don't know how many supervisors and can't get them to budge..it is NOT their call...whining, wishing or pixie dust nothwithstanding...Also CR for a while would NOT release tower rooms with the code, they have a few now..apparently..Things change as the season heats up or cools down..

2. And this is where I think the confusion applies..IF FD comes out as a code from Disney corp..again it is entirely up to the Hotel manager again IF that code can be applied to which rooms and how many to release, suffice it to say that most resorts wil release some rooms per date code..AND it is also up to the Hotel manager to allow further codes ie FD to be applied to an existing reservation under code. So in other words, I have booked the 40% off sliding code at lets say the Poly, lets say lake view rooms non club. If now FD comes out and as the CM's tell you to do phone back excitedly with code in hand expecting it to be applied to an existing reservation. You MIGHT in fact probably will be told it is not applicable and you will either have 2 options, switch resorts to one that accepts the code (in essence cancelling the existing reservation) or cancel the existing at the resort and STARTING all over again with a new one and reapply the code at the same resort. Now, that being said, some resorts that may be low in attendance or need to get up their stats, may allow you to apply the code and readjust price and away you go.

Come on folks it all has to do with profit margins and what Disney corp expects from each resort and hotel manager. Even though these resorts are not like the Swan and Dolphin and are directly under the Disney umbrella, they still have to produce a profit. They all get a running budget. Who knows how it really operates I can only add conjecture as I am definitely not on the Disney board of execs ( wish I was!!!). But for pure speculation, if the Hotel manager allows every room to be coded out with every code that comes along, sure it looks good as far as room occupancy stats go, but the profit margin really sucks - as I imagine that the FD promo is definitely deducted from each hotel managers running budget ( the resorts also have the major amounts of dining options).

So it all comes back to the same thing, getting the code and trying to apply it to a room without seeing the budget sheet from the resort is really a crap shoot on our end, you just have to give it and shot and see what sticks. No amount of haranguing the CM's on the phone will help. It all depends on what they see on the screen in front of them..and maybe if the supervisor feels like contacting or has the authority ( doubtful) to override the Hotel decision.

Wow...I didn't know that at the end, it is at the discretion of the hotel managers. Good to know!! I could see with hotel discounts, but also FD? I was always told by the CM's (I know I know) that FD is always applied to the existing ressie. I dont know..... This is my first attempt at the FD deal.