"All-You-Can-Eat" offer?

Brian Noble

Well-Known Member
It would save people tons of money, that's for sure.
Don't count on it.

As near as I can tell, the Dining offers so far are arranged as upsells into different market demographics. For example, we normally have 2 TS meals every 3 days or so. No matter what, my total out of pocket food costs---when we just eat what, where, and when we want---are always less than the costs of the "regular" dining plan. It would also be more expensive for me to buy the quick-service dining plan and pay for my table service meals out of pocket. So, no matter which dining plan I buy, I spend more money, not less.

If I had to guess, I'd guess the same is true for most "typical" guests at WDW. True, it works out well for some guests. But, if it worked out well for most guests, then Disney would be making less, and not more.

And, given that the Mouse is one clever Rat, I'm guessing that's not the case. ;)
 

disney4life2008

Well-Known Member
Here's the flaw in this, a person goes up to start the counter all you can eat, they get what they want eat then go back up for more, but get something different, they go and sit back down and someone else at the table starts to eat the food they brought, then they get up after the other person is finished and orders again something different. Whats to keep them from doing this?? Food police???? Big problems with this I see a comin up!!

Yes, this has been done at US. All you do is get the 1st meal, then wait a couple of minutes and stand in line and get more food for your family off the same ticket. Its not hard.. the only problem is standing in line. But, I saw many families doing that last year at US. I like the idea!!!
 

RiversideBunny

New Member
This is a truly strange concept- all you can eat at CS restaurants at WDW.

I guess we need to know the details, like
  • how would they police it to prevent abuse,
  • what can you order and when,
  • why even do it - what's the motivation,
  • etc.
Specifically, if someone wanted two hamburgers instead of a hamburger and a desert, could they do that?
What's to keep them from giving the second hamburger to a family member?
What's in it for Disney? Are not enough people using CS?

Strange business idea for WDW parks.
IMHO
:)
 

WDWFigment

Well-Known Member
I doubt this would be their motivation if they do decide to consider it...

Honestly, not a great idea. It will only encourage more waste, IMHO. I even found with the regular dining plan that so much went to waste even with great planning. Not to mention all the waste I saw by others who weren't planning/caring about it as much as we were. I can't even imagine the waste with the Deluxe dining...now they're going to let people order as much as they want? Such waste and gluttony...welcome to America. :rolleyes:

Amen to that. Unfortunately, judging by the amounts of gluttony and waste in this country, the demand for something like this is clearly there. If people were more astute, they might see how a company that has been paying lip service to concepts of "health" and "conservation" is contradicting itself by offering something like this.
 

uklad79

Member
Yes, this has been done at US. All you do is get the 1st meal, then wait a couple of minutes and stand in line and get more food for your family off the same ticket. Its not hard.. the only problem is standing in line. But, I saw many families doing that last year at US. I like the idea!!!

Will you be shoplifting in Main Street too while your in MK? Maybe steal a new car to drive home in from the parking lot loads to choose from. :rolleyes:
 

slappy magoo

Well-Known Member
This is a truly strange concept- all you can eat at CS restaurants at WDW.

I guess we need to know the details, like
  • how would they police it to prevent abuse,
  • what can you order and when,
  • why even do it - what's the motivation,
  • etc.
Specifically, if someone wanted two hamburgers instead of a hamburger and a desert, could they do that?
What's to keep them from giving the second hamburger to a family member?
What's in it for Disney? Are not enough people using CS?

Strange business idea for WDW parks.
IMHO
:)

I guess, in theory, they can modify the "all you can eat" part so that it's only one meal every hour or two hours or something. Much like the Fastpass system, they can keep track of when you get food, and make sure you're spaced out accordingly. It wouldn't necessarily eliminate thievery (who's to say you won't keep sharing each meal? The old double cheeseburger with an extra bun trick!), but considering how long it can take to get a meal, even with counter service, the idea of one person having to wait on line again and again, taking precious time away from doing anything else to save some money, it might not be as attractive as you might think. You're paying so much to get in, you want to save money when you do. But if saving money means having to wait on line for, say, over an hour, to keep getting meals until the whole family's fed, I wonder just how many people would want to do that. At that point, it may be easier to bring in your own lunch.
 

Gig 'Em Mickey

Well-Known Member
In case you folks aren't familar with Universal's Meal Deal, you basically pay $25 for unlimited trips through the line at participating quick service restaurants (limited to one entree platter and dessert per pass through the line). I'd assume Disney's would be similar, and possibly a bit pricier. It really isn't a money saver for the average guests, as you would've had to have planned on eating at least two counter service meals with entree and dessert just to get your money back. I don't know that many guests who do that.

I'm going in December with a pregnant lady. We'd definitely use this. She's probably gonna be eating all my quick-service meals off the dining plan anyway.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
:veryconfu
Judging by the size of a lot of the guests I see at MK, this could send Disney into bankruptcy pretty quick.

You beat me to the punchline. Or is it the (HUGE) waistlines?

Honestly, I've never seen more morbidly obese people in one place than I do every time I visit WDW.

It is very, very sad.
 

WDW1974

Well-Known Member
Ok, from what I understand, Disney's doing this:

* Offer is going to 300 to 500 people. These include in-park guests, and past WDW visitors who are being solicited via email.

* The emails may be targeted to people who used their Keys to the Kingdom card to pay for meals at buffets, on previous WDW visits.

* Two different offers being tested, both in the Animal Kingdom as far as I can tell:
- $15 for one all-you-can-eat meal at a counter-service restaurant.
- $25 for two all-you-can-eat meals at counter-service restaurants.
Disney's also running a host of other tests on things like rooms, tickets and meals, essentially to "see what sticks." More details on that soon.


That's my take on things as well.

There are so many different offers going out to targeted demos. I know I have received a few different deals as have friends (no one has gotten anything dining related yet ... Disney probably knows that's the one we want!)

This does show, though, just hoe desperate they are to pump up the bookings for 2009.

I wonder what will work the best ... other than our economy truly recovering some on the little people end.
 

PhilharMagician

Well-Known Member
You beat me to the punchline. Or is it the (HUGE) waistlines?

Honestly, I've never seen more morbidly obese people in one place than I do every time I visit WDW.

It is very, very sad.

It is amazing, shocking and depressing to see this. It seems to get worse every year.
 

kimmychad

Member
If it's for 'all you can eat meal at counter service' how do they control who's eating it?
Couldn't you take the food over to your family or friends and then go back to the counter for more?

Please sir, I want more.

:)


does universal have this problem or are all of their restaurants that participate sit-down. I don't see a value in this offer at all, if it turns out the way len describes it.
 

mickeysaver

Well-Known Member
Our upcoming trip's dining is very atypical for us because there is a sitdown meal almost everyday. We are very much CS and snack people. We rarely purchase the dining plan. We did last year only because we wanted to try it and it worked out to be a pretty good deal for us during the F&W Festival.

Typically, our meals for a day are a CS/TS breakfast at 7am, a snack around 11am, a CS/TS lunch around 1pm, a snack around 4pm, a CS dinner 7pm, a snack at 10pm, and about 7 to 10 bottled beverages per day. In other words, we graze our way through the day. Snacks are usually a shared item and some meals are too. There is no Disney dining plan that covers that sort of lifestyle/dining choice.

Something like the all you can eat program, well, given the cost of Disney snacks and beverages, it might work out to be a deal for us.
 

heliumalias

Member
does universal have this problem or are all of their restaurants that participate sit-down. I don't see a value in this offer at all, if it turns out the way len describes it.

Universal provides "Meal Deal" participants with a wristband and they are only allowed to get one complete meal each time they queue up. Then they offer a special all-you-can-drink cup at an additional price.
 

kimmychad

Member
You beat me to the punchline. Or is it the (HUGE) waistlines?

Honestly, I've never seen more morbidly obese people in one place than I do every time I visit WDW.

It is very, very sad.


I'm sure they'll appreciate you feeling sorry for them. Everybody has a vice, whether it be drinking, smoking, gambling, or whatever.

are you as sad to see someone smoking, increasing their chances of lung cancer drammatically?

just seems immature to enjoy picking on someone for their weight.
and for the record, i'm not overweight, just thought your (and some other peoples) comments were classless.
 

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
I'm sure they'll appreciate you feeling sorry for them. Everybody has a vice, whether it be drinking, smoking, gambling, or whatever.

are you as sad to see someone smoking, increasing their chances of lung cancer drammatically?

just seems immature to enjoy picking on someone for their weight.
and for the record, i'm not overweight, just thought your (and some other peoples) comments were classless.
I personally frown upon smoking, too. It's a drain on our healthcare system, just like obesity, and inevitably is one reason premiums continue to rise. I don't think it's discriminatory to feel this way, either. For most overweight people or smokers, it was a choice they made and something they can control (I realize some morbidly obese people actually have a disease which makes it sometimes impossible to lose weight), and everyone is free to judge others based on choices they make. I say this b/c I used to weigh 240 lbs., made a choice that I no longer wanted to live like that, and lost 70 lbs 5 years ago...and have kept it off. So I don't really think it's classless to frown upon an individual who weighs 300 lbs and is eating two combos at a Disney CS restaurant. I don't feel sorry for them, though. They made a choice and I don't think they want anyone to feel sorry for them. I, however, do think their behaviors (stuffing their faces with tons of food or smoking) are disgusting. And it's my right to feel that way. I also think murderers and rapists are disgusting people.

Back on topic, I can see the appeal of this option for some guests, and at the end of the day, I think it would generate profits for Disney, so why not try it? It is almost sick how it could be set up, though--lines at CS locations are long and the only people who would really benefit from this option are people who would want 2 or 3 plates of food at a single meal...meaning they would have to stand in those long lines 2-3 times in a short time period. I don't know many 300 lb. people who would want to stand in line that much...and that could be Disney's best deterring factor to people cheating the system and feeding their entire family: only have this valid at the most popular CS locations where it's not very practical to stand in line 6 times in a row to feed your whole family. You'd be at Pecos Bill's for about 3 hours!
 

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