2011 Dining Plan Changes?

[Mouse Man]

Honestly if Disney did do away with dining plans all together, I for one would eat off property where I know I could get a decent to very good meal at a reasonable price. This would make others I feel follow the same suite. Not to mention if this scenario did happen think of the money being lost to the resteraunts all over the Disney properties. Now this would stink to have to leave and go else where for dinner, but it would truly save a bundle of money that I pay for the plan or what I would have to pay out of pocket like at the Coral Reef, or Teppan Edo and so on.
We buy the dinning plan so I don't have to worry about cost's when I am at WDW and that I can eat whatever I want and not think about do I have enough cash on hand and of course staying in budget. The whole bit about planning has never really been a factor. I have canceled ressies at one place because we showed up at another resteraunt that said we could eat not if we wanted to with no issues. Now I go in September always and the parks are not as crowded like summer. So that does factor into thgis as well.

 

[SnowWhiteMomma]

The ONLY reason I like the DDP is, because I have everything paid for. I hate having to be someplace at a certain time, but generally you have to have ressies for character meals (Although, we did walk up Friday night at chef Mickey's). Most of the time character meals are over priced for mediocre food, but my 4yo loves them. It would KILL me to pay the $80+ for those meals.

I know I have paid for it, but it was in advance. It was easier to part with when I was paying for my whole trip. I know it is a mental thing, but it is what it is.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

The ONLY reason I like the DDP is, because I have everything paid for. I hate having to be someplace at a certain time, but generally you have to have ressies for character meals (Although, we did walk up Friday night at chef Mickey's). Most of the time character meals are over priced for mediocre food, but my 4yo loves them. It would KILL me to pay the $80+ for those meals.

I know I have paid for it, but it was in advance. It was easier to part with when I was paying for my whole trip. I know it is a mental thing, but it is what it is.

That honestly sounds like a miracle - two Friday's ago, I was turned away by every MK TS restaurant for lunch.

Because of that, I booked 3 meals at Crystal Palace and 3 meals at Le Celier for my upcoming August trip. All that to ensure I can have an in-park sit down meal when I feel like it!

If the DDP eventually died down, perhaps situations like that wouldn't be necessary - I miss the days of spontaneity!

 

[octoberbarry]

Because of that, I booked 3 meals at Crystal Palace and 3 meals at Le Celier for my upcoming August trip. All that to ensure I can have an in-park sit down meal when I feel like it!

Methinks this thread is about to start getting nasty...:lookaroun *ducks, then goes for popcorn*

 

[Lisalyn]

When we started going to WDW in 2005 the DDP included the gratuity so to us the DDP was the best, it was prepaid and no surprises since we always did a character TS for our kids. As the plan as changed they dropped the gratuity so now we have to take extra $$ to drop a tip to the server.

I also struggled this past yr getting the DDP since you can find the location menus on line and get an est. idea on the cost of a meal, I found that we were really not saving the up to 30% on a meal as the Disney site states, we basically paid more on the plan since we had to include gratuity. I wonder if consumers believe they are making out better on the plan but if they really had down research they find out they might not be.

Hiya Shelly! :wave: We (me and Linds) actually are ditching the DDP this year - loved it last year but face it, it was more food then the 2 of us could ever consume (lol) so we are going this year without it. Actually made my ADR's today - am PSYCHED!!! Got breakfast for Cinderella's Royal Table FINALLYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yeah!!

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I think you'll find what been unveiled here is what will be announced in the US soon, the plan as described is now appearing on other tour operators sites. The management of a multi tire system would make it difficult to manage as well as a pain for servers.

Lets hope its the death throws of the DP

If the changes are as proposed, I hope it eventually just goes away. I like to eat TS every night, and have always enjoyed the DDP, but I do see where others are coming from with their hate of it.

I don't think even the death of the DDP will mean better food quality or variety at this point. But it is silly to keep it without the dessert. The actual value would be nonexistent.

I do find it interesting that people are selling the 2011 plan when Disney will not officially confirm any details on it.

 

[betteratmk]

I think if this really happens people would start to consider staying off site as well. If there is no value to eating at Disney, more and more will eat off site. I know we stay on site to be able to have the dining plan but if it decreases in value then I'll consider a vacation home for our next trip.

 

[Dwarful]

I really wonder how many families use the dining plan. When we were there at Easter we saw many families bringing in soft sided coolers for picnics. We saw people eating on the floors by the lockers (yuck), on park benches and at outside picnic tables near quick service options. Some had simple sandwiches and chips, while others went all out. We are going back in July. June 2nd will be our 45 day mark. Sunday I called to make some ADR's. I had no problems getting what we wanted. We had three different options for Le Cellier the week of July 17-24. We selected a 12:55 lunch for that one, but we could have done an earlier lunch or a 6:55 dinner. Some places we only had a few options but others we could have gone any day we wanted. Which makes me think not as many people are using the dining plan and they are not willing to fork out such crazy 'seasonal' prices for average food.

 

[WDW-LUVR]

We have Never Purchased the DP, we have always took advantage of the FREE Dinning and sooooo do enjoy eating at all the different places and never afraid of trying some place new. But if we were to have to purchase the DP we would opt not too. You and can eat much cheaper than what than plan cost.

 

[erasure fan1]

It looks like a done deal at this point and does appear to kill the value of the plan for any previous users. The issue is that new visitors or users that haven't used it before won't know they've lost value. I just don't see it killing the DDP.

That could very well be but I wouldnt think so. I just cant see "new visitors" looking at the plan and seeing the value even if they dont know what it had in the past. The plan for us this year would cost us about $1000 including tips. We do 4 sit down meals plus our regular eating and we dont spend NEAR that much. So how anyone on a budget (and A LOT are) could look at it and go "wow what a great value!" would be beyond me.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Methinks this thread is about to start getting nasty...:lookaroun *ducks, then goes for popcorn*

Um, what's nasty about that? None of my in-park ADR's are for the same time, and over an 8-night trip, I could easily keep all of them. Plus, that's better than being turned away because I didn't know where I wanted to eat.

It's not like I booked 4 lunches at the same time that I obviously don't plan on going to...

 

[Dwarful]

That could very well be but I wouldnt think so. I just cant see "new visitors" looking at the plan and seeing the value even if they dont know what it had in the past. The plan for us this year would cost us about $1000 including tips. We do 4 sit down meals plus our regular eating and we dont spend NEAR that much. So how anyone on a budget (and A LOT are) could look at it and go "wow what a great value!" would be beyond me.

I agree with this. However, if you look at a lot of the new pricing, esp. the seasonal pricing in the summer it is crazy. Our family likes to eat at the Biergarten. Now this summer if we eat there for lunch its running w/tax $28 adult and $15 kids, dinner w/tax $37.27 adult and $18.10 kids..not including tips. Now I enjoy this meal as much as the next person, but the last time we ate there I wouldn't say it was a a $170 meal w/tip & no alcohol(2 adults, 1 14 yr old and one 9 yr old). The dinner at the Garden Grill is now up to $33 for adults...again that meal is fine but not worth $150 for our family. (These are both buffet or family style meals so people wouldn't lose dessert.) But if Disney can convince 'new visitors' that they will save money by buying the plan, some people will..others will do it for sake of ease and prepayment option.

For us, we just eat fewer sit down meals at the parks.

 

[Future Guy]

Life was so much better before the DDP; Le Cellier was a walk-up. Summers were cooler. And the mosquitoes were vegan. Seriously, though, I hope it goes away. It'd be nice not to have to pick our restaurants 180 days in advance.

 

[octoberbarry]

Um, what's nasty about that? None of my in-park ADR's are for the same time, and over an 8-night trip, I could easily keep all of them. Plus, that's better than being turned away because I didn't know where I wanted to eat.

It's not like I booked 4 lunches at the same time that I obviously don't plan on going to...

Nothing nasty at all about it Donald. Sorry if I sounded like I was flaming, I wasn't. Just read it and thought, 'boy if some folks misread that and think he's playing the adr system, something will be hitting the fan in a moment.' But you covered your butt......

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Life was so much better before the DDP; Le Cellier was a walk-up. Summers were cooler. And the mosquitoes were vegan. Seriously, though, I hope it goes away. It'd be nice not to have to pick our restaurants 180 days in advance.

I like planning that far in advance, and always have. I have never found anything appealing about the "spontaneity" of wondering if your restaurant will have a walk-up table.

It's impossible to do in most restaurants where I live, so I suppose it never occurred to me that you should be able to do it in Disney.

 

[Dwarful]

I like planning that far in advance, and always have. I have never found anything appealing about the "spontaneity" of wondering if your restaurant will have a walk-up table.

It's impossible to do in most restaurants where I live, so I suppose it never occurred to me that you should be able to do it in Disney.

But not everyone knows when they will have vacation time 180 days out. We didn't know when my husband's vacation time would be until about 45 days prior to our spring trip and about 80 days prior to our upcoming summer trip. Even then we knew it wasn't written in stone, so I didn't make any ADR's. Now that we are about 55 days out I know for sure he is guaranteed to get this week so I called and made reservations. The only one I thought we might not get was Le Cellier, but like I said before, we had 3 different options for Le Cellier the week of July 17-24 when I called on Sunday. We have cut back on our sit down meals though, mostly because the last few times they have taken far too long. I don't want to spend 3 hours at a character buffet when I could be enjoying the park. I also don't want to make reservations until I know what parks will have EHM's. We have AP's so of course we can hop if we want to but that can seriously cut into your park time esp. when you are there during the busy times.

 

[xdan0920]

I think we are probably over blowing the impact of switching from a dessert to an extra snack. In my opinion I would rather have the extra snack rather then force down a dessert immediately after a large meal.

However, I hope I am wrong and all of you are right. Death to the Dining plan. I hate it. Have never used it, and never will. If you eat a reasonable amount of food on a vacation, the DDP saves you nothing. It is cheaper to just eat like a normal person not a hippo.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I think we are probably over blowing the impact of switching from a dessert to an extra snack. In my opinion I would rather have the extra snack rather then force down a dessert immediately after a large meal.

However, I hope I am wrong and all of you are right. Death to the Dining plan. I hate it. Have never used it, and never will. If you eat a reasonable amount of food on a vacation, the DDP saves you nothing. It is cheaper to just eat like a normal person not a hippo.

I personally barely use the snacks, but always order the dessert. I always end up using 3 or four on the last day of the trip.

I also personally don't think I eat like a hippo, just as a point of information. As hippos, it would be very tough to do the marathon running my wife and I train for. I'm not sure that enjoying a dessert on vacation that I don't get to normally enjoy makes me a hippo.

How you choose to eat is your own business. However, characterizing people who might enjoy a full sit-down meal as hippos is a stark generalization based on your opinion. It is nowhere near universal truth and is quite insulting to those of us who understand nutrition and exercise. Or at least myself.

 

[sknydave]

This should get interesting

 

[DisneyMusician2]

This should get interesting

Hey, I'm not looking to start an argument. I just found the comment offensive, and said so.

People can feel how they feel, and I'm simply sharing that.