I hate to say it , and I hope I'm wrong , but ...

[captain america 2003]

I have to say that all evidence is pointing in the direction of NO MORE FREE DINING ! And for that matter no more free anything . Disney is in full , all out cash grab mode , make no mistake about it . Yes , I know they'e a business that has stockholders to answer to BUT , enough is enough ....what's next ? Can you imagine them expanding the Wishes Dessert Party and/or the Illuminations Sparkling Dessert Party to the areas currently used for guests with FP+ ? I can . And once the new Star Wars fireworks show starts you can be sure they'll have a dessert party area for that as well . Rivers of Light has already begun accepting reservations for "a $pecial viewing area " for those who purchase the $pecial dinner package . Do you see where this is going ? Premium parking spots coming soon to EP , followed soon after most likely by AK & HS . Oh , I forgot to mention the rumored $15 per night resort fee that is expected to be implemented soon . All the while more and more cuts , reductions , and less amenities are taking place every day it seems . Most of us can and do accept price increases every year but it's gotten ridiculous these last few weeks and I don't see anything but more money grab moves coming . I love going to WDW with my family , and it's never been cheap , but moving forward we will look to cut our spending there wherever and however possible . I hope I'm wrong but this is , for the forseeable future what I feel Disney execs have decided to do to keep the gravy train rolling at record speed . Hope the train doesn't jump the tracks . Hey ' I've got an idea for their next advertising campaign...."Disney Parks , where less costs more !"

 

[K Gragg]

I feel like Disney is trying to cover the losses of ESPN through the parks. Ideas like that have never worked out well for business.

 

[captain america 2003]

True , and it's rumored that cost overages in the construction of Shanghai Disney has led to a lot of the cutbacks recently implemented .

 

[drp4video]

Nothing at Disney is free. (well, except for the free chocolate at Ghiridelli, and that's not Disney). Seriously, if you want "free dining" you have to pay full rack rate, otherwise go with the discount room and no free dining. Parking if you stay at a resort is free, but you are paying more for what you get in a hotel room at Disney than what you get if you stay offsite. Everything is factored in.

 

[captain america 2003]

You're right , nothing is ever really free , however , if and when the $15/night resort fee goes into effect in essence we'll be paying more for things like wifi , Magical Express , EMH , etc . . So , we'll be paying twice for these services because they were already built into the price of your room rate .

 

[Shanti]

I would love no more free dining (which of course isn't free...) if it consequently raised food quality at the restaurants.

 

[kreckl]

I've got to say captain america that it is darn near impossible to read your posts with all of those jumping creatures. Seriously.

 

[captain america 2003]

Lol...well sorry to hear that .

 

[AllieBoo]

"Free Dining" has always been an illusion anyway. It's not really free, you're paying full price for a room to get it. I've never understood why people get so excited about it.

 

[bbjunkie]

"Free Dining" has always been an illusion anyway. It's not really free, you're paying full price for a room to get it. I've never understood why people get so excited about it.

I agree completely. I have found over our last trips that it was a far better deal to use a discounted room rate/special package and pay for dining.

 

[captain america 2003]

Whenever we were able to go and get the "free dining" pkg. we always found it cost us less than a room only discount . It really boils down to how well you use the dining plan and what resort you stay in .

 

[KT0191]

"Free Dining" has always been an illusion anyway. It's not really free, you're paying full price for a room to get it. I've never understood why people get so excited about it.

Because a 20% room discount on my room would save me about $145 for 7 nights. I know we would for sure eat more than that.

 

[agavegirl1]

Well, lets see....

Record attendance
Resorts at functional capacity of over 85% per Staggs
Single day dynamic ticket pricing.
Annual pass increases.
Cuts across the board to cover losses due to Shanghai and MM+ cost overages
Milk the cash cow of WDW (and to a lesser extent, DLR) for per guest spending.
ESPN need I say more?
Surveys suggesting ala carte pricing for resorts.
Construction walls everywhere and ...promises, promises, promises,
Food price increases including the Dining Plan
Surveys suggesting a resort fee of $15 per night

You may be right. I may be crazy...


I do not plan to go back until 2018 and that may not happen unless I stay offsite, rent a car, use a stategic touring plan for only the new stuff,

 

[DebbieB]

"Free Dining" has always been an illusion anyway. It's not really free, you're paying full price for a room to get it. I've never understood why people get so excited about it.

It can be a good deal for families. Say you have 2 parents and 2 kids 10 or over. The quick service plan would be worth $176, the regular dining plan $254 per night. You're are not going to get those kind of discounts on a value or moderate. An All Star standard room is $111 to $127 a night in September, a 20% discount is only around $22. A moderate resort runs $206-$215, a 20% discount would be worth around $40. Deluxes are a little harder to figure. A Poly standard room is $529 to $582, a 35% AP discount would be around $200.

 

[bluezy]

"Free Dining" has always been an illusion anyway. It's not really free, you're paying full price for a room to get it. I've never understood why people get so excited about it.

I agree completely. I have found over our last trips that it was a far better deal to use a discounted room rate/special package and pay for dining.

The "value" of free dining really depends on the resort and the number of Disney adults in the family. We don't typically travel to Disney during the historic Free Dining periods, but we did get Free Dining through a PIN code on a trip (in June) a few years a go. When we got free dining, it saved us over $1,000 in food costs for the week (5 people). The room discount on 2 rooms at Pop Century was $600. Had we been staying in a Deluxe resort, I'm sure the room discount would have been the bigger savings (not to mention, we wouldn't have been interested in the regular dining plan). Large families staying at Value Resorts are usually the only ones that Free Dining is a good discount for.

ETA: Posted the same time as DebbieB

 

[captain america 2003]

Like I said , we will keep going but we will be very cost conscious and ultimately try to reduce what we spend for and at WDW .

 

[Alesia]

There was only ever one purpose for free dining: to get heads in beds during slow times of the year. When Disney owned hotels are staying mostly full year round, free dining is gone.

 

[kandb]

"Free Dining" has always been an illusion anyway. It's not really free, you're paying full price for a room to get it. I've never understood why people get so excited about it.

I know people say that, but for our family it is a GREAT deal. We are a family of 5, 2 adults, 2 Disney adults and 1 child. We are staying at CBR in a standard room at the end of August. The standard room rate is around $190. The regular ddp would cost our family around $280/day, so it is a great deal in our situation.

PS-We got this thru a bounceback offer

 

[larryz]

I've got to say captain america that it is darn near impossible to read your posts with all of those jumping creatures. Seriously.

You have the option in your user control panel to turn off user signatures.

 

[larryz]

I agree completely. I have found over our last trips that it was a far better deal to use a discounted room rate/special package and pay for dining.

Four adults staying in one room can max out the benefit of "free" dining. Any less than that, it's probably cheaper to take the discount.