I have answered in the body of your post, since I felt it was easier to do that way.Ok, so I've been having a heated debate with a co-worker about this topic.
As DVC members - What do you think about free dining?
Do you think that it has lowered the food quality at WDW?Absolutely! Food used to be interesting and authentic to the culture it represented at Disney. Now it's all generic and "plastic" (my word for run of the mill buffet food).
Do you think free dining attracts a different crowd to WDW?Maybe.
Do you think Value resort stays should qualify for free dining at all?I don't think there should be free dining, so I don't see why ANY resort should qualify.
Do you think that it packs the restaurants 'too' full?Absolutely!
Does the lack of available dining reservations during free dining periods annoy you?Yes and no. I find we can still get in as a walk up to places like Teppan Edo etc, if we go at off times. The thing that annoys me most is not being able to get my favorite Signature/White table cloth place. Of course the real issue is that when I do get into my favorite signature, it's filled will very young screaming and running youngsters who are with their parents on free dining. These are restaurants that would not normally see very young children during most stays. I have no problem with children in restaurants, but when I want to spend a quiet ADULT evening with my spouse at a restaurant where we intend to spend a couple hundred on our meal, I do NOT want to have to talk over screaming children or have them coming up to my table. Yes, those things and worse have happened to us at places like Jiko and Artist Point during Free dining.
Do you think it is a promotion that Disney will continue to offer after this year?Unfortunately, yes. I sure hope they don't though. Unfortunately, the quality will NOT return even if they do away with the free dining.
Is the value of the promotion as high as what it is perceived to be?
Have you had any free dining horror stories (overcrowded restaurants, lower quality of food, extremely large parties with WILD kids)?
I'm just curious to hear what other people with a high affinity for Disney think about this promotion that some love, and some love to hate! LOL
Does anyone know how long free dining has been offered? Not exactly sure, but I think it's been about 5 years now.
Was it ever offered when the gratuity and appetizer were included?Yes, it started with gratuity being included and you could choose between either an appetizer or a dessert.
Thanks for any and all feedback!
I have answered in the body of your post, since I felt it was easier to do that way.
I have answered in the body of your post, since I felt it was easier to do that way.
Ok, so I've been having a heated debate with a co-worker about this topic.
As DVC members - What do you think about free dining?
Do you think that it has lowered the food quality at WDW? Yes, some of my favourite meals have either disappeared or changed so much that I no longer enjoy them as much.
Do you think free dining attracts a different crowd to WDW?
Do you think Value resort stays should qualify for free dining at all?In the UK they don't. You can only get free QS plan at a moderate and the DDP at a deluxe.
Do you think that it packs the restaurants 'too' full?
Does the lack of available dining reservations during free dining periods annoy you? I've always booked in advance so never had a problem.
Do you think it is a promotion that Disney will continue to offer after this year? I can't see them stopping it anytime soon. It's now offered for a majority of the year for us in the UK, rather than that small window of opportunity in the fall. Next year UK residents can book with free dining for all of January, most of February and then every date from May 1st until 18th November.
Is the value of the promotion as high as what it is perceived to be? It depends on the size of the party and whether one would order in the same way if they were paying for the food.
Have you had any free dining horror stories (overcrowded restaurants, lower quality of food, extremely large parties with WILD kids)? No
I'm just curious to hear what other people with a high affinity for Disney think about this promotion that some love, and some love to hate! LOL
Does anyone know how long free dining has been offered? I booked a free dining trip in September/October 2005. It was available for a window of about 5 weeks and we received appetiser, entree and dessert, as well as gratuities included.
Was it ever offered when the gratuity and appetizer were included?See previous response.
Thanks for any and all feedback!
I have answered in the body of your post, since I felt it was easier to do that way.
Does the lack of available dining reservations during free dining periods annoy you?Yes and no. I find we can still get in as a walk up to places like Teppan Edo etc, if we go at off times. The thing that annoys me most is not being able to get my favorite Signature/White table cloth place. Of course the real issue is that when I do get into my favorite signature, it's filled will very young screaming and running youngsters who are with their parents on free dining. These are restaurants that would not normally see very young children during most stays. I have no problem with children in restaurants, but when I want to spend a quiet ADULT evening with my spouse at a restaurant where we intend to spend a couple hundred on our meal, I do NOT want to have to talk over screaming children or have them coming up to my table. Yes, those things and worse have happened to us at places like Jiko and Artist Point during Free dining.
I will never forget the one and only reservation my DH and I made at Jiko a few years ago. We paid the $$ so that our 3 DSs could go to Simba's Cubhouse for a couple of hours and were seated at our table for enough time to have ordered and been served a drink - enjoying the atmosphere. A family with 3 boys far younger than ours were then seated right near us and to keep his children occupied the father proceeded to take out some sort of bingo board game - calling out numbers, etc. in the middle of the dining room. The people next to us had luckily just been seated and were able to switch tables - we were stuck there eating our appetizer. The father continued to jump through hoops to "entertain" his kids. We couldn't choke down our food fast enough. Now, I have no idea whether or not they had free dining but either way they should have stuck with a different type of TS restaurant.
I will never forget the one and only reservation my DH and I made at Jiko a few years ago. We paid the $$ so that our 3 DSs could go to Simba's Cubhouse for a couple of hours and were seated at our table for enough time to have ordered and been served a drink - enjoying the atmosphere. A family with 3 boys far younger than ours were then seated right near us and to keep his children occupied the father proceeded to take out some sort of bingo board game - calling out numbers, etc. in the middle of the dining room. The people next to us had luckily just been seated and were able to switch tables - we were stuck there eating our appetizer. The father continued to jump through hoops to "entertain" his kids. We couldn't choke down our food fast enough. Now, I have no idea whether or not they had free dining but either way they should have stuck with a different type of TS restaurant.