Originally Posted By sjhym33 Disney officially announced that it is extending the free dining promotion until December and will reserve this promotion until September 26th. There will be a blackout period for Thanksgiving weekend. One change will be a narrower free dining plan for those staying at the Value Resorts. Here is the article: <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/orl-bk-disney-world-discounts-072709,0,3853024.story" target="_blank">http://www.orlandosentinel.com...24.story</a>
Originally Posted By MPierce I guess that's considerably cheaper than the buy 4 get 3 free deal they had earlier. Especially when you throw in a $200 gift certificate. I wonder what the long term repercussions will be when guest start expecting these kinds of discounts all the time?
Originally Posted By sjhym33 That is a dilemma that Disney will be facing at some point. When you start running discounts all the time then the feeling is why should I pay full price? Disney is aware that they may face this at some point if the discounts continue. My guess is they looked at reservations for the fall and decided to bite the bullet.
Originally Posted By MPierce I really think long term it's going to hurt them, but I guess that's their problem. It's kind of like the problem the car companys got themselves into. Now everybody expects 0% interest, and big discounts. Knowing Disney they will probably just keep increasing the prices so it seems like your getting a good deal with the discount. You know, just like they over inflate food prices to make the DDP seem like such a great deal.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Constant discounting only devalues your brand in the short term and it makes your numbers lie anyway. This is something the geniuses that run TWDC and, specifically, P&$R never seem to get. Of course, it doesn't matter to me because even free it won't entice me anymore. Not when two years ago I could get the full dining package at a value 'resort' (we call them motels in the real world) AND have an appetizer and tip included. They've devalued their product so much that even free isn't good enough for me. But I will take a CM dicounted room for October, provided it hits MY price point!
Originally Posted By danyoung >They've devalued their product so much that even free isn't good enough for me. But I will take a CM dicounted room for October, provided it hits MY price point!< Exactly the points I was making on another thread. "Free" dining isn't such a great thing when you can easily get discounts equal to or even greater than the cost of the dining plan. I've got a great PIN rate at the CSR in December, and I'm saving far more than if I were to get book rate and the "free" dining.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Constant discounting only devalues your brand in the short term and it makes your numbers lie anyway. < one need look no further than the American Auot industry to see this very clearly --
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Sad but so very true. And in Paris, the drones imported from Florida have taken a leaf out of their book. The packages are 40% off, kids under 7 free, and everyone thinks the dining plan is a bargain. But the prices have gone up about 50% and there are hardly any inducements for AP holders anymore.
Originally Posted By u k fan Ok, maybe I'm nuts, but I used the dining plan at DLP on my last trip and when taking into account exchange rates I saved quite a bit (more than I would have done with just AP discounts) and I ate better then usual. It worked for me. Having said that, it's unusual for me to stay at a Disney Hotel nowadays as I just can't justify the cost most times so it's doubtful it's something I'll repeat anytime soon. Other then the shopping discount a Dream AP at DLP offers very few worthwhile perks now other than year round admission!!!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Agreed UKFAN, the dining plan is ok, but they downgraded again, and overall, staying on site plus DDP is not (to me anyway) as great a value as many think.
Originally Posted By u k fan <<<staying on site plus DDP is not (to me anyway) as great a value as many think.>>> Agreed! However, as you know on the particular trip I'm refering to we booked the DL Hotel at 50% off so we paid similar to what we would pay to stay offsite. Now maybe they inflated the price before they offered 50% off, but was any price hike made to justify the discount or would it have been made anyway? If it would have been made anyway (as I would suspect) then anyone using the discount is still getting a good deal whether it was 50% cheaper last year or not. This is, of course, all hypothetical in this example!!!
Originally Posted By u k fan I will also add re the DDP that with exchange rates being bad as they are using the DDP was a way for us to pay for meals at a pre-agreed exchange rate which at the time was much better then what we'd have got had we bought euros and taken them over!!!
Originally Posted By tomcon21 Ok, so my wife and I booked our trip for 5 nights at the the Polynesian back in May for this coming October. At the time we booked, this offer was not available. Do you think Disney will allow us to take advantage of the free dining?
Originally Posted By danyoung I bet they would, as long as you're within the booking period and the dates are within the dates specified for free dining. Disney is really good at applying new discounts to old reservations. Give it a try, and let us know how it worked.
Originally Posted By SuperDry There's also the issue of what free DDP does to spontaneity or even the ability to get good reservations at all. Now even powerful people are starting to let their opinions on the matter known: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlfc8zZF7Wc&NR=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...7Wc&NR=1</a>
Originally Posted By dennis-in-ct <<<There's also the issue of what free DDP does to spontaneity or even the ability to get good reservations at all. Now even powerful people are starting to let their opinions on the matter known: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...7Wc&NR=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...7Wc&NR=1</a> >>> OMG ... I was on the floor laughing !!!
Originally Posted By Mr X Bob, try the original link in post 16, it worked when I clicked it. And...lmao! Thanks for the laugh SD!
