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Why does Disneyland's dining plan suck?
- Thread starter redfive13
- Start date
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
I don't know, but friends don't let friends use the DLR "Dining Plan." I hope to God they never institute DDP like WDW - we'd like to keep our table service restaurants the way they are.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Here's how the smart person's Disneyland Dining Plan works.
1. Choose which restaurant you want to go to.
2. Make a reservation up to 30 days in advance by calling (714) 781-DINE
3. If you don't have a reservation, go up to the hostess stand and ask how long the wait is. Choose to wait, or go.
4. If it's not a table-service restaurant, go in and get in line and choose your food.
5. Pay the server or cashier with cash or major credit card, depending on what you ordered.
6. Leave and go on a favorite ride.
Don't forget to tip your waitress. Enjoy!
1. Choose which restaurant you want to go to.
2. Make a reservation up to 30 days in advance by calling (714) 781-DINE
3. If you don't have a reservation, go up to the hostess stand and ask how long the wait is. Choose to wait, or go.
4. If it's not a table-service restaurant, go in and get in line and choose your food.
5. Pay the server or cashier with cash or major credit card, depending on what you ordered.
6. Leave and go on a favorite ride.
Don't forget to tip your waitress. Enjoy!
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Because far too many other places to eat are nearby. The locals and off-site tourists won't bother with eating at Disneyland if they were to cut down the menus and raise the prices to make a Walt Disney World style system cost effective.
lilclerk
Well-Known Member
So true. Any dining plan just isn't necessary in Disneyland. Even the one in WDW doesn't save you all that much money anymore.
We found DL food quality to be much better than WDW except for one place (Test Pilots Grill). If DL were to implement a DP similar to WDW they would have to intentionally dumb down their offerings.
Chipper1437
New Member
So, why does it suck so bad? We just booked a Spring Break trip from North Carolina to Disneyland and got the dining plan. Now I am questioning our decision. Few more details please!
RandomPrincess
Keep Moving Forward
They give you tickets that are worth different dollar amounts so if your meal is $32 you have to pay them in your tickets, but they don't give you change back. So you would have to give them $30 in tickets and pay $2 OOP or over pay with your tickets and lose the money.
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
Cancel the dining portion of your package. There is literally no advantage to their dining plan, in fact, you're almost guaranteed to lose money. You're better off just paying out of pocket.
Chipper1437
New Member
Thanks y'all! I am calling tonight and getting rid of it. We never have had the dining plan on our many trips to WDW because we always camp! Paying with the card it is!
flynnibus
Premium Member
Because in DL.. they are simply restaurants... and haven't succumbed to being part of a manipulative model to pump up hotel stays.
They do offer discounts on food - but only to APs.
It's far more convenient at DL.. you just call up and make reservations or do so onsite. It's WDW that has made it complex by forcing long term planning on everyone.
disneysince71
Well-Known Member
So how much did the 30.00 in tickets cost you? $30.00?
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
I believe D23 members, Disney Visa and Disney Chase Debit card holders do qualify for some dining discounts. Worth looking into if you're not buying an AP.
RandomPrincess
Keep Moving Forward
Yes it's a dollar for dollar when you buy the plan.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Disney Chase cards have discounts at only very specific locations for food. Merch is 10% across the board.
Edit: 10% on $50 or more... (not hard to do with Disney prices
)A list for Disneyland can be seen here
http://disneyrewards.com/perks/disneyland-perks
GiveMeTheMusic
Well-Known Member
Disney Chase cards have discounts at only very specific locations for food. Merch is 10% across the board.
Edit: 10% on $50 or more... (not hard to do with Disney prices
A list for Disneyland can be seen here
http://disneyrewards.com/perks/disneyland-perks
It's like not paying tax!
My wife and I have premium APs and the dining discount is 15%. She ordered a vanilla latte at Starbucks, and with the discount (and after paying tax) it was like 15 cents cheaper than the Starbucks outside the parks. TOTALLY worth the $649, as you can see.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
As another person said, its dollar for dollar. So think of it as a pre-pay system. If you get there and your meal costs more than you pre-payed you will have to pay the difference. If your meal costs less than you pre-payed you won't get change. The difference in what it cost and you pre-payed Mickey is keeping. Better to just pay as you go. You can always get a Disney gift card for the amount of your food budget if you're going to pre-pay a plan. At least that way you won't give away any money.
disneysince71
Well-Known Member
So its kind of like Disney Dollars... Ok I agree... Not a good plan at all!As another person said, its dollar for dollar. So think of it as a pre-pay system. If you get there and your meal costs more than you pre-payed you will have to pay the difference. If your meal costs less than you pre-payed you won't get change. The difference in what it cost and you pre-payed Mickey is keeping. Better to just pay as you go. You can always get a Disney gift card for the amount of your food budget if you're going to pre-pay a plan. At least that way you won't give away any money.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
Yes, but you won't get any change back. If you used actual Disney Dollars you'd get change back. And instead of it being "dollars" in varying amounts you get vouchers in set amounts. Not sure of the increments but I don't think it's $1's or $5's. So if you pay for something that's $16.01 with a $20 voucher (again, not sure of the increments) you're going to lose $3.99. The vouchers are very limiting. I can imagine myself at a register with food realizing I'm about to lose the $3.99 so I rush to figure out what I can buy to close the gap and inevitably end up adding an item to my order that costs $5.99. Now I've just hastily spent $2 to save from losing $3.99. And I've bought food I didn't want to begin which means I'm probably overeating and will end up feeling like a miserable blob. Then I'll sit at my table flustered, aggravated at myself for getting into the voucher boat to begin with and not being smarter. It'd be an awful thing for me. LOL!