DisneyRunner
Active Member
Not that I need the dessert, but it adds to the value of the plan. Taking away the mug would be a shame. Again, the mug adds value to paying for the dining plan.
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Changes to dining plan for 2011
- Thread starter biggy H
- Start date
I agree the mug being removed is a big negative. That's worth at least $5 a day.
Ciciwoowoo
Well-Known Member
I don't mind losing the desserts. I always felt it was too much at one time anyway. I think having an extra snack per day is a plus; it will allow us to get those "desserts" when we are hungry for them!
I'd like to see the price of the plan drop by at least $3-4 to make up for the differences. Now will that happen? Probably not! I do think Disney is making it much easier to decide for those of us who are on the fence about whether or not to get the dining plan.
I'd like to see the price of the plan drop by at least $3-4 to make up for the differences. Now will that happen? Probably not! I do think Disney is making it much easier to decide for those of us who are on the fence about whether or not to get the dining plan.
lebeau
Well-Known Member
Not really. It's worth the cost of a mug.
Let me rephrase.....it has the potential to save around $5 a day for me.
bugsbunny
Well-Known Member
That was an absolute RIP OFF by Disney when they did that. They dropped the appetizer AND the 18% gratuity...but only dropped the price $1???? :shrug:
The DDP plan jumped the shark as soon as it did that. I still cannot fathom how people think its a bargain in its current form. The Deluxe plan basically turns your vacation into a sit down meal followed by a sit down meal followed by a sit down meal!! When do you have time to actually explore WDW at that point? You spent 4-6 hours of your day just sitting in restaurants and that doesn't even involve the getting there and waiting part!! And that is to "get your money's worth" with the deluxe plan. I hear these parents saying things like "I have teenagers and they eat a lot!" and this somehow justifies the plan. The reality of it is that you probably broke even with food, but you missed 50% of the parks. You spent $5K for a vacation at WDW to watch your kids put it away at the buffet? If that's your idea of a vacation, then I completely understand why 2/3 of Americans are overweight!
The other "great" way of using the plan is to bank your sit downs and go to dinner shows. The cost of 2 sitdowns out of pocket vs the price of the Hoop Dee Doo these days is pretty much break even, so I don't see the bargain anymore. Same thing with the Brown Derby, Artist Point, etc. Yes, I've eaten at all these places and have played the banking game with meals. In the end, the sit down meal you bank...you end up eating somewhere else, right?? And you pay for that...right? So you are lucky if you save $20 that day by banking a sit down and eating counter service somewhere.
But, if this dessert thing goes through, I GUARANTEE you will still see people in these very forums saying how the DDP is still great and that its awesome that you don't have to worry about budgeting money while in WDW since its all paid for!!! :hammer:
lebeau
Well-Known Member
Not trying to be difficult, but it's still only valued at the cost of a mug. Regardless of how much the mug may save you, the value of the mug is still whatever Disney charges for a mug.
Getting rid of the mug makes no sense to me. It costs less than $15 (I think). For most people, that's a few bucks a day. Is that really worth cutting?
Maybe people complained that they didn't use the mug and didn't want to be forced to get it. I know the one time I bought a mug, I found it to be inconvenient. I drink from it at work every day. But rarely ever used it on vacation.
:shrug:
majortom1981
Active Member
hmm
If they take away dessert and add in a snack that would not bother me. Worse comes to worse you use your snack as a dessert like a dole whip or something like that . No biggie (i think you can get a pastry in norway as a snack also)
If they take away dessert and add in a snack that would not bother me. Worse comes to worse you use your snack as a dessert like a dole whip or something like that . No biggie (i think you can get a pastry in norway as a snack also)
RiversideBunny
New Member
A little heated, but I totally agree with this good post about the dining plan.
Tks.
disneyny
Member
I agree that taking away dessert and replacing it with a snack wouldn't be bad because the cs desserts are often really bad BUT they can't take away two desserts and give you one snack in its place AND jack up the price and make me think it is still a good deal. PLUS I do like dessert at some of the TS so I would still want to be able to use my snack there. I don't know...it is looking like the end of my DP days.
kittybubbles
Active Member
Wouldn't it still be unknown as to how much of an increase there will be on menu items? I mean I think a lot of people compare the price of the plan to what they think they would order, to me, it seems the dining plans tend to inflate the cost to the folks not on the plan while making folks on the plan feel they got a good deal....so I imagine the cost of a sit down dinner would go up at the time items are removed from the plan.
Rob562
Well-Known Member
FYI, all Disney Table Service restaurants will gladly package up your non-refrigeration-necessary dessert(s) to take with you upon request. We've done this a few times in the past. (Usually we'll share one dessert and take the other one to-go)
-Rob
DiPSU224
Member
We have used some version of a DP on every trip since 2003...I remember back when it used to be the "silver" and "gold" packages that you could use your points on various things including dining.
With that being said, being 2 adults with no children it has always worked well for us. Back when it included an app/entree/dessert/gratuity we always felt it was WAY too much food for us and we felt the need to eat just because it was there. I would feel so guilty picking at a dessert and leaving the majority of it there...so wasteful. Personally, I wish you could pick between an app or dessert at TS now since we are not big on sweets or desserts.
The fact that it may include 2 snacks now is interesting though. We have found that the snack options have expanded over the years and usually use our snacks on a pastry for breakfast or drinks throughout the day.
We will just have to agree to disagree on this point though. We have banked our sit downs and have enjoyed eating at California Grill, Artist Point, and Citricos, etc...places we would not have had the opportunity to dine at without the dining plan. But, the nights we are not enjoying table service, we have used our snack options for things to eat on those nights. It's worked fine for us.
I've calculated it out and we've almost always come out ahead or have broken even. As far as having my meals budgeted out ahead of time, it's something I like. I don't have to have a panic attack at the end of the week thinking about how much I've spent without realizing, nor do I have to nitpick and budget either the whole week I'm on vacation. What may not work for you, may work for others....
With that being said, being 2 adults with no children it has always worked well for us. Back when it included an app/entree/dessert/gratuity we always felt it was WAY too much food for us and we felt the need to eat just because it was there. I would feel so guilty picking at a dessert and leaving the majority of it there...so wasteful. Personally, I wish you could pick between an app or dessert at TS now since we are not big on sweets or desserts.
The fact that it may include 2 snacks now is interesting though. We have found that the snack options have expanded over the years and usually use our snacks on a pastry for breakfast or drinks throughout the day.
We will just have to agree to disagree on this point though. We have banked our sit downs and have enjoyed eating at California Grill, Artist Point, and Citricos, etc...places we would not have had the opportunity to dine at without the dining plan. But, the nights we are not enjoying table service, we have used our snack options for things to eat on those nights. It's worked fine for us.
I've calculated it out and we've almost always come out ahead or have broken even. As far as having my meals budgeted out ahead of time, it's something I like. I don't have to have a panic attack at the end of the week thinking about how much I've spent without realizing, nor do I have to nitpick and budget either the whole week I'm on vacation. What may not work for you, may work for others....
mitchk
Well-Known Member
I know that, I was simply suggesting that they have a alternative desert on the menu that would be easy to take with you. Try takin home a hot fudge sundae:hammer:. That's all I was saying :wave:
popsicletrees
Well-Known Member
I agree. Most of the time during my last trip at CS I was faced with two dessert options that I did not care for. At least they allowed you to get a bottle of water instead of a dessert at CS.
JimboJones123
Well-Known Member
People will still purchase of they promote it on the web site as saving 25% on dining. This only takes place for the absolute highest purchased meals, but if you tell people they are getting a discount, they will buy.
Plus, as we have seen here, many people would rather LOSE money for the convenience of knowing that their food is paid for. Even putting $1000 on a Disney gift card for themselves is too much struggle to balance out higher meal cost.
It will still sell just fine, heck, the Disneyland version is a guaranteed money loser and people still pay it.
Plus, as we have seen here, many people would rather LOSE money for the convenience of knowing that their food is paid for. Even putting $1000 on a Disney gift card for themselves is too much struggle to balance out higher meal cost.
It will still sell just fine, heck, the Disneyland version is a guaranteed money loser and people still pay it.
RiversideBunny
New Member
From a restaurant's stand point, an appetizer costs them much more than a desert. Deserts are basically cheap (to the restaurant) profit makers.
So they first dropped the appetizer.
(By the way, personal observation, I always thought that 'appetizer' is a bad name for something that fills you up before you even get started. It reduces the appetite. Oh, well.)
Now they are dropping the desert. Times must be tough and they need to cut something else.
Tks.
So they first dropped the appetizer.
(By the way, personal observation, I always thought that 'appetizer' is a bad name for something that fills you up before you even get started. It reduces the appetite. Oh, well.)
Now they are dropping the desert. Times must be tough and they need to cut something else.
Tks.
...agreed, the math for the DP (in all options) just doesn't add up. If convenience is your thing, then I guess going with the DP is worth it. Still swiping a credit card is pretty darn convenient, just do yourself a favor and pre-pay yourself the amount you would have spent on the DP (just put it away, heck stick it under your mattress in cash if you have to, whatever works for you, but put it aside), then use your credit card or that "mattress cash" to buy your meals and snacks. Guaranteed you will come out ahead.
...and that's for the current DP, let alone if they reduce it further...
...and that's for the current DP, let alone if they reduce it further...
GMRO
Active Member
Agreed, you can definitely save money if you eat smarter than using the DP.
We did it 2 ways to check what works best for us. Once in Dec08' we visited for 6nights/7days and got the DP for 2 - was given for free per a code. We have no kids and though why not try it. Also we did not have a car rental so we used WDW transportation so our choices were limited and felt that we would need to stay on property to eat. We tipped in cash at each place. We did eat like kings...in fact there was usually too much to eat. At an average of $80+ per meal for the 2 of us for a dinner reservation alone, less tip, at a nice place like Tony's or Le Celier sure you can see a value by buying the plan at $40/person/day. We consumed that easily in 1 dinner meal for the 2 of us. IF you plan to eat on property alone that is an easy sell. We kept track of each meal and any food DP usage...it would have cost us MORE out of pocket for the SAME food at the same places. DP would have been $468 for that trip for the 2 of us. In a few dinners we chewed thru that easily. Of course for FREE it was great.
BUT we are not ones to go on vacation to eat. Some do...we are just not into the posh eating while on vacation. While on the DP in Dec08' we felt compelled to eat what was given to us and as a result we ate more than what we normally would.
May09' we did our normal trip. 10 nights/11 days. DP would have been $780 for both of us less tips. We opted to NOT do DP. We kept every receipt for dinner and added our tips. We did not eat dinners on property at the parks. We did at the resort a few times. 1 time we did have our dinner at Tony's. We came home with only a $520 tally for all. So we saved $260 USD over the DP. Sure this time we had a rental car and could leave property and chose different places/chains to eat. NO we did not eat at fast food places but for snacks...so places were similar for food quality. Still shocking that we saved $260 for NOT going on the DP.
That said - this May in a few weeks we chose the QS Plan. For our type of eating we think this may work for us. We got another code and it is a pretty good deal. Sure we will eat at other places off property and I feel we will still be ahead of the game with LESS paid vs. going for full DP during our stay for 10d/11n.
Personally if they do remove the deserts I can see us NOT using it again after this May. We proved we can save a lot on food if we have a rental car so unless they reduced the price, doubt it, less food is less value for sure.
We did it 2 ways to check what works best for us. Once in Dec08' we visited for 6nights/7days and got the DP for 2 - was given for free per a code. We have no kids and though why not try it. Also we did not have a car rental so we used WDW transportation so our choices were limited and felt that we would need to stay on property to eat. We tipped in cash at each place. We did eat like kings...in fact there was usually too much to eat. At an average of $80+ per meal for the 2 of us for a dinner reservation alone, less tip, at a nice place like Tony's or Le Celier sure you can see a value by buying the plan at $40/person/day. We consumed that easily in 1 dinner meal for the 2 of us. IF you plan to eat on property alone that is an easy sell. We kept track of each meal and any food DP usage...it would have cost us MORE out of pocket for the SAME food at the same places. DP would have been $468 for that trip for the 2 of us. In a few dinners we chewed thru that easily. Of course for FREE it was great.
BUT we are not ones to go on vacation to eat. Some do...we are just not into the posh eating while on vacation. While on the DP in Dec08' we felt compelled to eat what was given to us and as a result we ate more than what we normally would.
May09' we did our normal trip. 10 nights/11 days. DP would have been $780 for both of us less tips. We opted to NOT do DP. We kept every receipt for dinner and added our tips. We did not eat dinners on property at the parks. We did at the resort a few times. 1 time we did have our dinner at Tony's. We came home with only a $520 tally for all. So we saved $260 USD over the DP. Sure this time we had a rental car and could leave property and chose different places/chains to eat. NO we did not eat at fast food places but for snacks...so places were similar for food quality. Still shocking that we saved $260 for NOT going on the DP.
That said - this May in a few weeks we chose the QS Plan. For our type of eating we think this may work for us. We got another code and it is a pretty good deal. Sure we will eat at other places off property and I feel we will still be ahead of the game with LESS paid vs. going for full DP during our stay for 10d/11n.
Personally if they do remove the deserts I can see us NOT using it again after this May. We proved we can save a lot on food if we have a rental car so unless they reduced the price, doubt it, less food is less value for sure.