2009 Dining Plan Change

[bork]

I'd be interested in this option, depending on the price. The other plans just aren't worth it for us.

Would you still be able to trade in 2 CS for a TS, so we could do at least 1 or 2 TS meals during a stay?

 

[Hotdogs]

I dont think most people would spend that much a day on the options they are offering. It will be interesting to see if they offer the quick service dining plan as the free dining plan for next year.

 

[Woozle]

i'd totally dig this if it was a little gift disney was giving out...but this sounds alot more like a DDP without table service.

 

[WickedQueen22]

This seems to be what the CM at Cosmic Rays was telling me was going to happen soon. I posted it here on the boards two weeks ago and several people said it wouldn't happen.

It seems as though Disney is going to be "giving" this to anyone who books a Magic Your Way room, free of charge, which IMO is pretty cool.

From what the CM was telling me, Disney wants people to not only stay on property but once on property not to use their car to travel anywhere, just park it. It's all part of "being kind to the environment".

I was also at Universal/IoA and we bought the one day dining plan... It was great. $25/day/person all you care to eat at several restarurants. Includes lots of choices and a dessert and you can go up as many times as you want as often as you want. We found it to be WELL worth the money (my husband, myself, my 18 year old boy, and 13 year old daughter). Boy did we get out $100 worth!! We also bought a refillable mug (that we shared) and it worked out just super. Maybe Disney took a page out of Universal's book (but is including it free of charge as long as you book a Magic Your Way stay).

OK clear this one for me real quick.. I will play the dumb blonde card for a minute.

You get FOR FREE the 2 CS and 2 snacks with the mug for purchasing the magic your way package? How long is this for? What if you want sit down? :brick::brick: I do love seeing changes at WDW but this one seems to be messin with my 8 person planned trip.... :ROFLOL::ROFLOL:

 

[nibblesandbits]

I dont think most people would spend that much a day on the options they are offering. It will be interesting to see if they offer the quick service dining plan as the free dining plan for next year.

If they did...I think I'd be a bit disappointed in free dining. I know I'd probably upgrade, just like people were able to upgrade to the Deluxe dining plan this year, if that was the case.

 

[DisneyJoe]

I contacted the author of this story and pointed out the ambiguity.

He agreed and is seeking clarification, and has removed the paragraph about the quick service dining until he has it.

-Joe

 

[AnimalMagnetism]

It is already being advertised here in the uk on Travel Agent websites for 2009 it starts 11th Jan. The price for the quick service dining plan is £18 ($34) adult, £7 ($12) child. Its not a bad option if your always on the move.

Seems awfully expensive to me. $34 for two counter service meals (what are they - $10 each?) and two snacks ($5 each?) - if it's more expensive than just buying the things individually, what's the point?

 

[marypoppins68]

Well, they're also including the refillable mug and don't they sell for around $12 now? So, two counter serve meals, 2 snacks and a refillable mug. Seperately that could come to around $40, but you're only going to buy the refillable mug once. If the price was around $25 a day I'd buy it, otherwise I'd probably still pay as I go.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Clarification posted on the original blog:

"Disney also announced a revised Magic Your Way plan. For fixed price per day, guests can add a Quick Service Dining starting Jan. 11, 2009. The package offers two quick service meals and two snacks for each night of stay, as well as a refillable drink mug for unlimited refills of non-alcoholic beverages at Disney resort hotels."

 

[GoofyFan1]

I'm not sure how I feel about the rooms...yet. I do think the change in dining plan may be something I would use now. Not much into the sit down meal type everyday, but usually eat on the run at Cosmic Ray's or Flame Tree BBQ, so this my be perfect.:slurp:

 

[AnimalMagnetism]

I'm not sure how I feel about the rooms...yet. I do think the change in dining plan may be something I would use now. Not much into the sit down meal type everyday, but usually eat on the run at Cosmic Ray's or Flame Tree BBQ, so this my be perfect.:slurp:

If you could change 2 or 3 counter credits for 1 table service then depending on the price I might well go for it too. Not sure how likely that is?

 

[RiversideBunny]

We'll have to see the details, i.e., the pricing when available.

Could be that the new Counter Service dining plan is a covert way to sell resort mugs and also insure that people don't bring their old ones back.

 

[DisneyGigi]

If they did...I think I'd be a bit disappointed in free dining. I know I'd probably upgrade, just like people were able to upgrade to the Deluxe dining plan this year, if that was the case.

You could upgrade the free dining to deluxe? Does anyone know how much it added? Not that I guess I could change it now.

While it would be great to have the option of the counter services only if it was a good bit cheaper. I like a table service meal a day just because I get sick of the fast food and eating in a rush.
It will be interesting to see the bounceback offers when we go and see if the details are listed differently. Surely they would have to state it if is changing wouldn't they? Since you leaving a deposit and booking? :shrug:

 

[HoneyMnShawnee]

I would actually consider this and just book a few TS meals and pay for those out of pocket.. My hubby and I love the dining plan, however, it has always been way too much food.. I am interested to see how much this new option will cost..

 

[Daddymouse]

Depending on the cost, I would go with the new plan and get the DDE for any TS or Signature meals we may eat.:hammer:

 

[WickedQueen22]

$34 for 2 TS? Wasn't it about $39 for the 1 TS and 1 sit down with a snack?

 

[DougK]

Clarification posted on the original blog:

"Disney also announced a revised Magic Your Way plan. For fixed price per day, guests can add a Quick Service Dining starting Jan. 11, 2009. The package offers two quick service meals and two snacks for each night of stay, as well as a refillable drink mug for unlimited refills of non-alcoholic beverages at Disney resort hotels."

This is the part everyone kept missing, it says for (a) fixed price per day...
this means it is NOT free with your room.

It seems clear to me Disney is offering this as a new dining plan, not sure if it will be in addition to the regular and deluxe plans or replacing one (my guess is it is in addition). This solves 2 problems:

1) it makes ADRs easier to get again because fewer people will eat at TS restaurants with this new plan and

2) it allows Disney to offer a dining plan at a relatively low price, with food price increases I bet the existing $37.99 plan will go up at least $10, now they can offer one in the $25 range which should ensure many people will not be so upset with the new higher price for the regular plan since they won't even be using it. Not to mention they can use THIS ONE for any free dining offers. This will save them money but still be a good deal for the customers.

I guess we will find out shortly.

 

[DABIGCHEEZ]

I think it will be another option added to the current dinning plans. Right now you have the Disney dining plan which includes 1 snack 1 CS and 1 TS and the deluxe dining plan that has 3 TS meals. This would add a third lower cost option that would include 2 CS meals and a drink mug.

This is exactly how I read it. I certainly don't think is will be FREE!

 

[HauntedPirate]

This will be an add-on. Disney will NOT be giving this away with a new 2009 MYW reservation.

I suspect it will be no more than $25/day for adults and no more than $10/day for children. Going above that turns too many people off as they can do the simple math - $8-10 per CS meal, $6 or so for 2 snacks and a mug that you can only refill at your resort. In order to use this DDP option, guests need to see some kind of tangible benefit. For example, the first time we used the DDP, we paid $440 for our plan and got $650 of food (we kept all receipts). Paying $250 for a DDP-lite plan and getting $275 worth of food isn't going to cut it.

I agree with one of the above posters - if I can choose to take 2 CS credits and make 1 TS credit, I'd be for it. We typically like 2-3 table service meals during our stays (usually character buffets so the kids are guaranteed to meet most, if not all, the characters they love), so all CS wouldn't fit our needs. The 'regular' DDP has become almost too much - we're feeling very tied to the ADR's each day, and it tends to ruin the spontaneous urge to do MK and Epcot one day, but wait.... we have a 5:30 ADR at 50's Prime Time. I fear there is no perfect solution to this, other than having some kind of flexible package, ala the MYW tickets.

 

[RiversideBunny]

IF they do at some point use this for a promotional purpose, could they now do something like having Free Dining Lite (this new CS plan) for Value and Moderate resorts and the regular Free Dining Plan (with TS) for Deluxe resorts?

Or maybe use the Free Dining Lite for not-so-slow times and the regular Free Dining Plan for really slow times when a bigger promotion is needed.

Seems like there's a lot of flexibility being put into place- more marketing tools to use.