How are Disney Discounts trending?

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I had the Disney email offer this morning, the one for summer. It got me wondering, it was about this time last year that I booked our rooms at POR for an after Thanksgiving trip. The thought at the time was "ok - now watch for a free dining promotion" which I believe we did get in a May email pin code.

With no Disney trip on the near horizon I haven't really been in tune with or paying attention to how the discounts have been. With the stock market going up, the economy seemingly better, is Disney now scaling back discounts? Have they done free dining for 2013? Thinking forward to maybe a late 2014 trip and wondering if the free dining will be long since gone.

I know there isn't a crystal ball to tell me what to expect next year, but as I said, just curious to see what the trend has been.

Thanks.

[Strmchsr]

They've definitely be scaling back the discounts and, no, there has not been a "free" dining offer yet in 2013.

[azcavalier]

But it's been my experience that the free dining offers for fall have been offered in April. So, i'm not sweating it too much.

My DW and I are heading down in about a month for four days, and for the first time in about 8 years, we're not going to use the dining plan. We thought about the TIW discount card, but with just two of us, for four days, the math looks like we'll break even, so there's no point.

I'm interested to see how much we wind up spending paying OOP. We're still using dinner ADRs for all four days, though.

[buzznwoodysmom]

They've definitely be scaling back the discounts and, no, there has not been a "free" dining offer yet in 2013.

My SIL and her family booked at POR with free dining in February. I wonder if that was with a pin code??? Was it not ever offered to the general public?

[Strmchsr]

My SIL and her family booked at POR with free dining in February. I wonder if that was with a pin code??? Was it not ever offered to the general public?

That was a pin code. They didn't release it as a public release. Or if they did I missed it, but I'm fairly certain that was just a pin. Some folks (very, very few) have gotten "free" dining pins for the fall, too, but no public offering yet. Of course, it's a little early for that. Disney has released a public "free" dining discount for the spring in previous years, though, so them not doing it this year shows they are following through on their public comments about scaling back discounts.

[VWL Mom]

That was a pin code. They didn't release it as a public release. Or if they did I missed it, but I'm fairly certain that was just a pin.

You didn't miss it Chris, there was no general public free dining. There was the SP&D package released where dining, room, and length of stay tickets were packaged together that some said was priced similar to free dining at some resorts, but no actual free dining.

Found it Stay, Play and Dine

[roses]

I'm really hoping they have great discounts or free dining during our stay in November! I can't wait to find out!

[Sunshine1010]

I miss the FREE DINING trend. :-) I got spoiled.

[buzznwoodysmom]

That was a pin code. They didn't release it as a public release.

Yes, it was a pin code that they booked with.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

I miss the FREE DINING trend. :-) I got spoiled.

We did too. It isn't anything that I'd pay out of pocket for anymore, but with DW and 3 DD (one of which is considered an adult) the value on a 10 day trip staying at the moderate resort level, its just too much of discount to pass up on.

Not sure how we will approach our next trip now if free dining is off the table.