Free DDP coming to an end?

[gjdjud]

These "rumours" appear every year along with is it actually free. One day I'm sure it will end but it depends on how you look at it. Universal are making a massive push adding at least 3 new hotels over the new few years and they have lots of newly acquired land rumours say will be another theme park. Taking away free dining will send many offsite but on the other hand will losing us Brits be a big deal to Disney? we Brits make up a tiny fraction of their visitors and the free dining deals to others are different to our deals. For me the 60 days fastpasses is a big draw. I'm happy to stay at a value without free dining and eat offsite. It's only rumours. I got totally sucked in a couple of years ago about the characters meals becoming two credits. It was nearly taken as gospel that this was happening but it never did. Only Disney know.

[Ridersmom]

Free dining isn't free. YOu pay rack rate for the room, which in dozens of trips to WDW, I never have. There are times when Deluxe resorts are discounted 45%. You can save a lot more than "free dining." I guess most people who do free dining eat TS more than they otherwise would, increasing business at TS restaurants and tips for servers.

Each individual needs to decide what they want to spend and then decided what is best for them. But many may find it less expensive to book at a discount and eat what and how they like.

[duchy]

Which if you happen to like QS breakfast or lunch and TS dinner probably works quite well. If you were paying OOPyoud always go for QS then free dining isn't so useful if staying in a deluxe. I know I couldn't sustain 2 weeks of DDP ... I'd go pop !

[johnandmaz]

Originally Posted by Clamshell

It’s funny how this rumour always does the rounds a couple of months before the next free dining offer is released...

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Every single year. Without fail... Same time next year?

[Guest]

Star wars land will bring in guests, of course it will

BUT

the defining factor is the US economy, when its good, WDW is full, when its not, WDW is empty ( ish )

while the US economy is good, guests will have money to go on vacation, thus, no need to offer free DDP

[Ridersmom]

Free dining is not a big factor in US Disney vacations. There are lots of other discounts that bring in guests.

I also don't think the economy as a whole has a huge impact on attendance. While the exchange rates may determine whether a vacation iin Florida makes sense for foreign guests, most US guests plan their time based on their own personal finances.

[tracey1302]

I would be devastated if they stopped free dining and it would end a run of nearly 10 years of eating in some of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at... making some of the most magical memories of my life.

Yes, I am aware that I sound like a walking advert for the dining plan. But as we eat at a lot of Signatures... this is genuinely how I feel.

I do kind of agree with an earlier post on this thread, saying that SW Land won't necessarily draw people into staying on site... so this is what I'm going with.

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by jnc2345

The day Disney doesn't have rooms to fill in September is the day I stop going to Disney. There's always going to be some kind of deal for the off-season. It might change in the coming years, who knows, but there's no chance they are all going to disappear.

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September is getting much busier, particularly with Food and Wine starting earlier. Summer is becoming the quiet time.

[YorkshireT]

Star Wars, Toy Story, 50th anniversary stuff ( Tron, Gaurdians, Ratatouille, New Epcot Lands and more..). Disney even now have industry record hotel occupancy. The word in the market is they'll be targeting 20%+ hotel price increases.
If the US economy stays strong, expect incentives to disappear. Whether the free dining plan is a true incentive (there was discounted rooms and free dining, got a great deal on am OKW myself in 2016, but prices are going up, you pay more for the tickets and rooms on free dining now) I'm not sure, they may still offer it, but you'll almost certainly be paying a lot more.
Personally I'd love to see an end to it. It's led to an artificial increase in food prices to make DDP look a better deal, and a reduction in quality.

[jbrockwell5081]

I almost hope they do stop free dining. It will force me to look at staying off site again; and therefore mean I don't spend every waking minute reminding myself which "food" place we were supposed to be heading to next, and what time.


I'm one of those people that likes to use every credit possible, even though it isn't required; and we certainly don't need or eat all those puddings or snacks. I almost find it a challenge to use them all! Would be nice to go back to not thinking about it...