I hate Free Dining!!!!

[PrincessTrisha]

Maybe Disney should let DVC and non-dining plan folks do ADRs 90 days out and dining plan/free dining 60 days out. Or for the fine dining, charge more dining credits to balance it out more.

So, I buy into the Disney marketing - I commit to buy my hotel room, tickets, and my dining from Disney and they get to treat me like a second class citizen because I am disadvantaged when booking dining because I did what they wanted me to? Doesn't fly.

Disney wants guests to spend their entire vacation fund with them - DVC I can understand providing an incentive - but all non DDPers? Why would Disney give them the advantage? Someone staying off site and buying their ticket from a wholesaler (no hotel $$ for Disney and a decreased amount of ticket revenue) should get to book their dining before someone who is spending a higher ratio of their vacation dollars at Disney?

And fine dining places (i.e. signature restaurants) do charge more dining credits than so called "regular" restaurants. Places like California Grill, Yachtsmen Steakhouse, Jiko and the like cost 2 credits while Ohana, WCC, and the like only cost 1.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

Glad to see my rant & rave got some press....ha!

So, verdict is in...
I got Chef Mickeys on a completely different day and a different meal (wanted dinner only had BF.)
I got a CP package but on a different night and restaurant :-(
I got Ohana on a different night and several hours earlier than I wanted.
I still never got 50's PT at all for any day or any meal.
I still never got HDDR for any day at 5:15 or 7:30 (can't do the 9:30...too late for little ones.) So I got 3 of my 5 "wants" and those 3 are also on the completely wrong day/time. Yet I called on the exact 90 day mark first thing in AM.

I'm still not happy. But I'll be in WDW...so it could be worse. However, I still hold true to my belief that things like "free dining" are changing some of what I grew to love about Disney.

 

[KY Derby Girl]

This is my first experience with going to WDW when free dining was going on...guess we usually go at more popular times. We are going on the military plan this time, DH qualified for the great free pass and companion passes for DD, DD, me and Darling Grandparents and then we got a great military discount on our room. So, don't get me wrong, I'm glad to pay for the dining plan if we can make enough TS reservations to make it worthwhile. We started planning about a month ago (2 months before our trip) and Chef Mickeys, LeCellier and O'hanas were out of question; but we have had to take truly awful times for CP and CRT lunch just to get in. So, while I'm happy for those folks who were able to get their wish lists, I'm sad for my family of 6 because we won't be able to enjoy a meal at a normal time.