Disgusted with Disney marketing and pin codes!!!

[bunny]

I don't understand why Disney only gives select groups of people discount offers. I understand that this is somehow done randomly but it seems alot of people receive these offers multiple times and other people like myself never. I have been to Disney numerous times. I called about the Fall offer and was told there was no pin next to my name. So I guess I should just pay an extra $80 a day for my family to eat at Disney. I probably won't even go this year just in protest. In fact I am a little pixxed at Disney right now and their stupid pin codes. Okay, just had to get that off my chest. If tourism is down, why not offer it to the public like they did with the 7 for 4 offer?

 

[ILoveWDW2003]

If tourism is down, why not offer it to the public like they did with the 7 for 4 offer?

That's just it - tourism is UP! They don't need to offer general public codes when tourism is up. They play with their marketing data and plans and specially targeted groups with pin codes to see what will work and what won't.

 

[bunny]

Why would they even need to offer this discount then?

 

[bunny]

Sometimes I wish I didn't even read these boards. Then I wouldn't see the discounts other people are getting and get mad when I don't get one.

 

[ILoveWDW2003]

Why would they even need to offer this discount then?

I would think that the latest one with the meal plan included for free is to stimulate interest in the meal plan - to get people to try it, who might not otherwise.

When they don't need to offer discounts to the public, they do marketing trials and experiments to stimulate interest in certain areas of their products - just like all businesses do.

 

[tigerlilly]

Right there with you Bunny!!! Sometimes ignorance is bliss.... I don't understand why they have to do all these different room rates...you have AP, you have Florida AP, you have pin codes, you have emails and post cards, you have AAA. Part of me is thankful these boards exist so I can try for discounts and another part of me wishes I still believed everyone was paying the Published rates by golly ....oh well as long as people keep coming and they are making money I don't think anything will change.

 

[safetymom]

Before the Internet message board existed Disney could do this to gauge reactions to certain deals. Now when they do this people get upset. Disney is a business. They don't have to offer these deals to everyone if they don't want to.

 

[ILoveWDW2003]

Before the Internet message board existed Disney could do this to gauge reactions to certain deals. Now when they do this people get upset. Disney is a business. They don't have to offer these deals to everyone if they don't want to.

I wonder how often they 'leak' the deals to the boards to gauge reactions?

 

[zurgswife]

I don't understand why Disney only gives select groups of people discount offers. I understand that this is somehow done randomly but it seems alot of people receive these offers multiple times and other people like myself never. I have been to Disney numerous times. I called about the Fall offer and was told there was no pin next to my name. So I guess I should just pay an extra $80 a day for my family to eat at Disney. I probably won't even go this year just in protest. In fact I am a little pixxed at Disney right now and their stupid pin codes. Okay, just had to get that off my chest. If tourism is down, why not offer it to the public like they did with the 7 for 4 offer?

The rooms are packed and have been most of the year....I'm trying to get a last minute ressie at any resort in June no luck in the value/moderate there are some deluxes left but to much for my budget...

 

[DisneyFanatik]

Some of these discounts have to be from telephone listings. When I called to inquire about one of the discount emails I received the CM asked for my name. She said that the PIN was attached to my first name and a different last name. It was my maiden name. I have been married for 17 years and the only thing that has my maiden name on it is my Verizon telephone listing.

 

[tiggergirl31]

We just returned from a week at Disney. I begged and prayed and cried for a code for spring but nothing! So what do I find when I open my e-mail today---a pin code offer for the Fall!!!! I just don't get it. My boyfriend an I decided that we were going to wait a few years before going back to Disney so now we will probably get every offer under the sun! OH well, we still had a good time.

 

[scanne]

When we were planning our trip for this past October, we were 'counting' on AP rates. Well, when the rates were released, the dates we had booked were blacked out due to the major golf tournament that was going on. The resorts were at their max. So we did what we wanted to, booked AAA rate at WL and went and had a GREAT time. Sometimes there are discounts and sometimes there aren't. It's the luck of the draw. My mom gets postcards with pins twice a year on average. I've gotten maybe one in the past 3 years. Go figure. We always travel together. I don't know how Disney selects their target group, but being a family of four, they (Disney) may feel that they don't have to offer discounts to families with small kids. It's a given (in Disney's eyes) that we'd want to take our kids there anyway.

I don't mean to sound condescending, but Disney doesn't HAVE to offer ANY discounts to ANYONE. ANd if you're lucky enough to get one, that's great! I've paid rack rate on about 1/2 of my trips. I just go with the flow.

 

[Rattat]

I didn't have a pin code next to my name. But I kept trying for 4 days straight
and kept calling back. Finally, the CM said I had a code next to my name. I really think if your persistent, one will pop up. Give it a try.

 

[flyball]

I didn't have a pin code next to my name. But I kept trying for 4 days straight
and kept calling back. Finally, the CM said I had a code next to my name. I really think if your persistent, one will pop up. Give it a try.

This is very interesting! What did the pin code do for you? Were you able to a discounted room rate, or was it for the meal plan?

 

[d96j97]

I agree with some previous posters....sometimes there is a discount and sometimes not. We just returned from a FANTASTIC trip but did NOT receive any discount except AAA. We hoped and hoped that we would get a general code before leaving but went anyway staying at the WL.

HOWEVER....I can honestly say that it will be much longer between visits to the World if they don't offer the discount room codes again. We never thought we would be able to go more that every few years but when the discounts came out in the past, we were so excited and budgeted accordingly to be able to go back to back years.

I agree that it is kinda difficult to know that you are paying ($100- in our case) more per night than those with a discount but it does happen. We just went this time and had a GREAT time anyhow. We just won't be looking at another trip anytime soon unless codes begin to emerge again.

 

[Rattat]

I received a rate of 124.00 a night (tax not included) for a standard room at AKL. I could of booked the Coronado or a value resort, but chose to go with the AKL.

 

[tripplanner2]

I know exactly how you feel. I got an e-mail from your Disney Travel Planner in my bulk folder. Most of it was garbled but some of the words were there. I KNOW I read these rates are valid for travel from 4/17 - 8/27. I called CRO and they said without the pin they could not give me the rate. I totally feel ripped off. I was told my another CM that the meal plan is available to me but we are traveling 7/12 - 7/21, the meal plan offer is not valid until 8/21. I am so frustrated with this whole situation that I feel like cancelling the whole trip. The magic is certainly being lost when they keep things so secretive yet I know that SOMETHING is available to me through a code.

 

[lab_girl]

I didn't have a pin code next to my name. But I kept trying for 4 days straight
and kept calling back. Finally, the CM said I had a code next to my name. I really think if your persistent, one will pop up. Give it a try.

What number are you calling??

 

[Bugsmom73]

I agree that it is frustrating. I have been 8 times and have never received either an email or a post card. It is very disheartening at times. We are going in Jan of 2006. If the best I can do is AAA, it is better than nothing.

 

[CharlesTD]

The problem is travel isn't down anymore we recieve codes every now and again but never use them because we are DVC members. Tourism is up actually for Canadians traveling to WDW and Orlando anyhow.