Why is Disney not looking after it’s UK guests?

alanandline

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 13, 2019
So we all know Disney has made a free dinning offer to the U.K. market now for many years. It is for bookings made the year before travel.

Disney do this to encourage us to book. They know we tend to stay for longer than their average guest and I understand the average spend per U.K. guest is higher too.

In recent years they have stopped giving us a room discount with the free dining offer.

Before today if we had wished to postpone our 2020 booking to next year they have been allowing the change to take place before final payment (about 2 months before start of stay) without charge. But this is not offering much as the deposit is just £50 per person. But the real kick in the teeth is you lose the free dining.

Many report that they are told if an offer is made later they can add it on ‘subject to availability’ and subject to an amendment fee, which I think might be £150. This is however not quoted in writing anywhere as being the case. In the past some have been able to make such changes and others made to cancel and rebook.

My holiday was something like £7,300 (about $10,000) so it is certainly not cheap. We are booked for 2nd half of August for a family of 4 and paid to upgrade our quick serve to regular dining plan at POFQ, staying for 17 nights. So the the increased cost of having to pay for dining is £4,150. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF SOME 57%. This of course now in effect applies to this years booking too.

of course we still do not even know if we will be allowed to travel to the US this August. Personally I’ve already decided this August is too soon to be sitting in a plane for 9 hours. Our airline Lufthansa will let us use our £3k for another flight next year.

So now is the time for Disney to do the right thing for all the existing clients. These sums of money are way above what I normally pay for an annual holiday. It takes years of saving to be able to afford a holiday to Disney.

What are your thoughts.
 
I am so sorry for everyone reading and being troubled by the news being dripfed to us. I think, let the dust settle and give Disney (and UOR) time to work everything out. These things take time but I am sure Disney will offer solutions to appease and even please people.
And, let’s face it, none of us can truly enjoy the thrill and satisfaction that comes with booking a ‘new’ holiday until Boris gets his act together and the FCO advisory is lifted. In fact it would be a mistake to book until that advisory is lifted because of the travel insurance ramifications.
So wait for the FCO to lift the advisory, wait for underwriters/travel insurers to agree cover for travel ..... then see what Disney is offering and rebook.
Posted from Wales STILL in full lockdown!
 
I am so sorry for everyone reading and being troubled by the news being dripfed to us. I think, let the dust settle and give Disney (and UOR) time to work everything out. These things take time but I am sure Disney will offer solutions to appease and even please people.
And, let’s face it, none of us can truly enjoy the thrill and satisfaction that comes with booking a ‘new’ holiday until Boris gets his act together and the FCO advisory is lifted. In fact it would be a mistake to book until that advisory is lifted because of the travel insurance ramifications.
So wait for the FCO to lift the advisory, wait for underwriters/travel insurers to agree cover for travel ..... then see what Disney is offering and rebook.
Posted from Wales STILL in full lockdown!
Generally I agree with you Welsh Dragon. I’m in a slightly different position as my travel insurance provider has said if my Disney booking is amended, rather than cancelled and a new booking made, will still be covered for next year.

i have mentioned on a number of threads, both here and on TA, about the issue of travel insurance. Way too many people are seemingly completely ignoring it. It’s one thing considering a trip within Europe, where you ought to be treated under the E111 reciprocal healthcare system, but travelling to the US without full cover could bankrupt you!
 
Generally I agree with you Welsh Dragon. I’m in a slightly different position as my travel insurance provider has said if my Disney booking is amended, rather than cancelled and a new booking made, will still be covered for next year.

i have mentioned on a number of threads, both here and on TA, about the issue of travel insurance. Way too many people are seemingly completely ignoring it. It’s one thing considering a trip within Europe, where you ought to be treated under the E111 reciprocal healthcare system, but travelling to the US without full cover could bankrupt you!
I know and I have very much appreciated your input, particularly about postponing bookings rather than cancelling and rebooking.
I suppose what I am suggesting is that the important thing, is what Disney will be offering at the time people can book and travel, rather than what they are taking away now.
By the way, my BA flight, Gatwick to MCO is still showing for 1 July!
BA cancelled my son’s (now unneeded) flight from Argentina, he pm’d them on twitter and the refund and Avios points were back in his account with 24 hours.
 




Just read UK site. They say they will be amending the price of packages that had free dining. Whether that means by the full cash price remains to be seen.

Also says they will allow you to move your booking, whether this means you can move the reduced price booking to a year later is quite another question.
 
@alanandline have you actually spoken to Disney?

I have spoken to them on multiple occasions and been offered a full refund each time or move the holiday
 
@alanandline have you actually spoken to Disney?

I have spoken to them on multiple occasions and been offered a full refund each time or move the holiday
No I haven’t myself. I’m sure that is still the offering. I’ve seen enough people say just what you’ve been told. The difference now is this years plan being removed and how that could apply to a booking movement to next year.
 
Just read UK site. They say they will be amending the price of packages that had free dining. Whether that means by the full cash price remains to be seen.

Also says they will allow you to move your booking, whether this means you can move the reduced price booking to a year later is quite another question.

Do you have the link? I can't seem to find it...
 
So we all know Disney has made a free dinning offer to the U.K. market now for many years. It is for bookings made the year before travel.

Disney do this to encourage us to book. They know we tend to stay for longer than their average guest and I understand the average spend per U.K. guest is higher too.

In recent years they have stopped giving us a room discount with the free dining offer.

Before today if we had wished to postpone our 2020 booking to next year they have been allowing the change to take place before final payment (about 2 months before start of stay) without charge. But this is not offering much as the deposit is just £50 per person. But the real kick in the teeth is you lose the free dining.

Many report that they are told if an offer is made later they can add it on ‘subject to availability’ and subject to an amendment fee, which I think might be £150. This is however not quoted in writing anywhere as being the case. In the past some have been able to make such changes and others made to cancel and rebook.

My holiday was something like £7,300 (about $10,000) so it is certainly not cheap. We are booked for 2nd half of August for a family of 4 and paid to upgrade our quick serve to regular dining plan at POFQ, staying for 17 nights. So the the increased cost of having to pay for dining is £4,150. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF SOME 57%. This of course now in effect applies to this years booking too.

of course we still do not even know if we will be allowed to travel to the US this August. Personally I’ve already decided this August is too soon to be sitting in a plane for 9 hours. Our airline Lufthansa will let us use our £3k for another flight next year.

So now is the time for Disney to do the right thing for all the existing clients. These sums of money are way above what I normally pay for an annual holiday. It takes years of saving to be able to afford a holiday to Disney.

What are your thoughts.
Firstly, do not believe them when they say the offer can be added on later. The offers that they make available will be dependent upon inventory being available. Offers are there to help fill rooms. If resorts are full, there is no reason to offer free anything. If your rebooking is reliant on free dining, then just get your refund now and wait it out. I suspect there will be better room rates etc once the dust has settled. It is clear that rack rates on the Disney uk website at the mo for next year are HIGH.
Secondly, free dining has always been a fairly hollow offer. There are so few cheaper rooms available during peak season for these deals that it is a way of upselling you to a more expensive rack rate room. We got a much better deal booking standard view yacht club as soon as booking were available for this year, than we would have done waiting it out and booking the free dining deal (2 ads, 1ch) when only water view or club level rooms were available with the offer!
Thirdly, I know it is disappointing, and to be honest I’m surprised that they aren’t honouring the dining packages that people booked, but it might turn out ok. There may be deals available for room rates or other things which work out much better than having the dining plan would if you find that the place is still not fully operational when you go back. For example, it would be better to get a room rate deal if most of the table service restaurants are going to be at significantly reduced capacity for the foreseeable. Who wants a bunch of free credits and nowhere to spend them?
 
Buttterbear

I know for some it can work out the way you say. Beach and Yacht Club prices did go up, but POFQ which booked only very marginally changed.

if I cancel I cannot just make another booking as my travel insurance will only cover an amended booking. Indeed pretty much all, if not all, UK policies now exclude Covid19 so making any booking highly silly.

I agree to not trust a ‘you can add it on later’ comment. These usually come from US call operators who are used to the US system where this can be done. While I know some have had it done in U.K. the policy is new bookings only. Plus you’d need the availability as you rightly say.

I cannot just take my refund as my flights are not booked through Disney. They cause more complication as Lufthansa offering rebooking and unless they end up cancelled then that could be my only option.

Also this ignores my Universal and Cirque tickets plus my Hard Rock hotel booking (2 nights). The last I know will lose most of as used Clubcard vouchers and I’d be astonished if covered by insurance!

Peter

Thanks, but that is a US site reporting the US position. I’m sure it may well be true in the cancellation of all dining plans but I’ve read their U.K. site and no mention of a room discount offer. They are supposed to be reducing existing package prices To account for removal of plan.
 
I think the point is right now they can’t answer people’s questions, just need to be patient.
Sure, but we have been waiting now for months. I do understand they are changing their plans all the time, but they still have not come up with anything sensible for anybody, bar move and pay for your dining or take your deposit back. My patience runs out in 2 weeks time when I have to pay my final balance and many others who are booked early August will be now.

They have made a decision on dining plans. They have also put words to what they are doing but then basically say they do not know what they are doing. It would be far better to have waited 24-48 hours to have been able to put a statement out with the plans. Ok then to say please do not call until we reach out to you which will be no later than X days before payment date.
 

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