Dining Plan Changes in 2009 Prices Released

[kucarachi]

To me its really an insult because every year we've gotten the dining plan. And even as far as 2 years ago the dining plan was around 37 bucks a night. That was with an appetizer, meal and dessert at almost any sit down place. Now basically your getting one step above mcdonalds for the same price. If its free then you best not complain but i cant see paying for that.

If they are not going to add tips or appetizers to your dining plan then why has the price gone up when youve easily lost 10 per tip a night.....lets say 70 bucks times 7 nights worth of appetizers...lets say 56 bucks...thats 126 dollars of value you've lost for what? because gas is 1.50 a gallon more this year? i say boo to this and anyone whos been loyal to the dining plan should never pay for it again until they right this slap in the face to the bread and butter (so to speak) of its whole business.

2 counter service meals will save you a few measly bucks and get you a mug to keep drinking so that you arent hungry thinking about all the stuff you dont get for your dollar any more. i know its a recession but if your losing value shouldnt the price of the product reflect that.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Your 2008 version of the dining plan still exists, but now at $39.99 instead of $37.99. You still get 1 TS, 1 counter service and 1 snack per nights stay.
(When the appetizer was included, the plan was $38.99. They lowered it to $37.99 when they removed the tip and appetizer.)

The appetizer and tip disappeared in August 2007 when the 2008 plans were announced.

Many people got that plan, as can be seen by the overcrowded Table Service restaurants.

Now they have another plan, that will make more people happy, and hopefully spread around the crowds.

 

[dreamscometrue]

Snacks can cost as much as $4 each, so $27.99 - $8 = $19.99.
Even if snacks are only $2.50, $27.99 - $5 = $22.99

That puts a counter service meal at between $9.99 and $11.50.

The average counter service meal is just over $7.00.
The average counter service drink is $2.00

That brings us to $9.00.

Add fries or side salad or fruit or dessert, and you are adding between $2 and $3.60, so we are up to $11-$12.60.

Its not for everyone, as it depends on what you eat, but I can see it being a hit, because people don't like to do math, and they don't like to worry about carrying money on vacation. They just like to go and enjoy it and not worry.

I predict that this will be very popular, and many people on these boards will be complaining about how crowded counter service places are in 2009, while, hopefully, table service will be a little easier to get.

I agree with your prediction.

We have done trips with and without the plan, but decided not to use it during our trip last week. I kept track of the cost of all meals. Our counter service meals (4 adults) averaged about $12, as we often got a dessert as well as a drink and entree. Snacks can be up to $4 each, so you might save $2 or $3 per day on the plan and that's all. Regardless of the fact that this is practically a break even plan, I too believe that it will be popular. Many people like to pre pay meals (to help budget) or simply like the convenience of not having to think, add, etc. I think it's a great option for many families. It's simply nice to have the convenience if you want it.

 

[dreamscometrue]

I don't understand how keeping up with meal credits is less worry-free than paying for meals as you go. :shrug: I charge everything to my Disney Visa or my room (charging privileges added to room key) and use my DDE card. It's very easy to manage – much easier than wrangling a week's worth of dining credits.

I don't really understand that either, BUT for many people it isn't something they want. A lot of people like all inclusive trips, and this is a form of that.

We helped about a dozen families plan their Disney trips last year before sending them to a travel agent to book. Every single family wanted a meal plan. Our travel agent told us that nearly 100% of the Disney trips she booked in 2007 and 2008 included a dining plan.

I feel comfortable with or without a dining plan, but for a number of reasons, the majority of 'normal' people travelling to Disney (remember, we're not 'normal' Disney fans) want it as all inclusive as possible. It's typically how they've done their cruises and trips to the Caribbean, etc.

 

[DougK]

I think they should do the Dining Plan based on points. this would allow people to:
A. Get breakfast, lunch and dinner
B. Get and appetizer OR a dessert at a sit down
C. Allow for people to switch between CS and Sit down.
D. Allow people to use the Character dining when they needed to.

Just give points to each item, and give a price to each point.
If you don't want a sit down every night your there, you don't have to.
I think it would just give guests A LOT more freedom.

POINTS!? Sounds like the DMC. Disney Meal Club! You can book ADRs at your home restaurant 11 months out or at any restaurant 7 months out!

 

[jpm46]

Well let me just say regarding the Basic DDP (1 Table Service, 1 Counter Service, 1 Snack per day), it was WELL worth it. We just got back from an 8 day trip and cost of the meals that were included in the dining plan were very expensive.

For example, as a couple:

$88.21 at the Coral Reef, cost us 1 TS each,

A counter service at Pinocchio's in Fantasyland, we would have paid $29.

Stopped at Wolfgang Puck Express in DTD to use a counter service, would have paid $35.78 (...for a counter service!)

Sci-Fi Diner: $64.80, cost us 1 TS each


So when you add up over the course of our trip what we got vs. what we paid for the dining plan...we made out like bandits!

I just hope it doesn't go away anytime soon!

 

[devoy1701]

Well let me just say regarding the Basic DDP (1 Table Service, 1 Counter Service, 1 Snack per day), it was WELL worth it. We just got back from an 8 day trip and cost of the meals that were included in the dining plan were very expensive.

For example, as a couple:

$88.21 at the Coral Reef, cost us 1 TS each,

A counter service at Pinocchio's in Fantasyland, we would have paid $29.

Stopped at Wolfgang Puck Express in DTD to use a counter service, would have paid $35.78 (...for a counter service!)

Sci-Fi Diner: $64.80, cost us 1 TS each


So when you add up over the course of our trip what we got vs. what we paid for the dining plan...we made out like bandits!

I just hope it doesn't go away anytime soon!

just imagine if you woulda went on a free dining plan! Eating like Kings! :king:

 

[Lucky]

I heard they're even considering offering a Super-Value Feed Plan. For $9.95 a day you'll get a large scoop of Guest Chow.

 

[DisneyWall-E]

I really see no problem with this new dinning option. If this is going to be the new free dinning plan than i will prob go for it not that i'm a cheapskate but i am by no means a rich or well to do person so whatevers free is fine with me. Also, this plan will allow for a more flexable park schedual so you dont need ADRs. But, then again I have always been a to each his own motto.

 

[kverdon]

I can see this plan being good for some families and will probably be popular. I will bet however that if they do Free Dining next year, it will be with this new plan.

Kevin and Mona

 

[Dwarful]

We have done the disney dining for several years..all on different programs..starting back in 1995 on our honeymoon..right up to July 26- August. 9th 2008!

Our most recent trip was a dining disaster. We noticed several things...there were sooooooo many changes as to what a snack was it was mind boggling! Even single serving consumable (non-souvineer style) candy wasn't always on the plan. Many times snacks were $1.99 (or less) considerably lowering the value of the plan. Yes, you could still get a dole whip for $4.00 but you really had to be aware and seek out those $4 snacks. Snacks were even harder to find in the water parks and many stands didn't accept the KTTK card or dining options.

Yes, we had a pricey meal at Cosmic Rays..but we also gave away desserts to a group of high school basketball players because no one in our group wanted the desserts after a meal..and I ate the kids meal because nothing on the kids meal appealed to my daughter. Would we have ordered 4 large sodas and desserts? No. So the price we 'spent' on counter service was over inflated compared to what we would have needed or ordered if we were paying cash.

The variety on kids meals is, in a word, 'awful'. My kids don't live on nuggets, pb&j and fries. Even offerings at sit downs were no better. The only place she was able to have a steak dinner was at Le Cellier. Most of the times she ordered her kids meal and then she had steak from either her sister or myself..or both. Also, if adults can have such a choice of desserts..is it too much to offer kids a single scoop of ice cream? The fruit cup dessert at San Angel was past its prime to say the least.

As an experienced dining plan user we were very disappointed in the changes this year. We were disappointed with the length of time we had to devote to meals..longer lines, over crowded restaurants, all impacted service. At one meal we arrived 15 minutes early for our ADR and an hour later we were just being seated.

This trip was a full two weeks. We had a variety of sit down meals, from some 2 credit meals to 1 credit meals. We weren't in such a rush this trip, as we had plenty of time to take it all in. However, a lot of time was spent taking in the atmosphere of waiting to eat, or waiting to leave the restaurants.

I'd say, even on long trips, we wouldn't opt to do the dining plan again if things don't improve back to Disney standards.

 

[raven]

Here's what I think about the dining plan: If you want to experience some of WDW's finest restaurants, get it. Some meals can cost $50+ for a single person. You can get what you want and not worry about prices. So go ahead!

If you just want to eat at counter service, leave it. It's not worth the money.

 

[WIX]

My DH and I are awaiting the pick-your-own-plan day that we dream for. We are BIG fans of the table service and would rather pay more and have two table services with no counter service and no snacks.

We love to sit down early in the day to a full breakfast and skip lunch. Then sit down to a nice dinner around 7p. This is how we used to do it before it got crazy with ADR's and losing the convenience of spontaneity.

 

[WildLodgeFan]

The variety on kids meals is, in a word, 'awful'. My kids don't live on nuggets, pb&j and fries. Even offerings at sit downs were no better. The only place she was able to have a steak dinner was at Le Cellier. Most of the times she ordered her kids meal and then she had steak from either her sister or myself..or both. Also, if adults can have such a choice of desserts..is it too much to offer kids a single scoop of ice cream? The fruit cup dessert at San Angel was past its prime to say the least.

Just to drift slightly - have you ever noticed that kids meals in general are awful in many chain restaurants especially? My son really likes a bit more variety that many offer and since he was probably about 6 (he is 10 now) often begged to order adult entrees because he didn't like the choices on the kid menus. We just let him order and either shared with him or took home leftovers for a next day lunch because we really couldn't blame him.

 

[Dwarful]

Yes, kids do seem to get the short end of the stick. The one thing I noticed even at counter service restaurants was the limited options..say we were at cosmic rays..kids couldn't even get a hamburger. Also, the nuggets on the kids meal were totally different than the nuggets offered on the adult meals.

Did we get our money's worth? Yeah, probably so. But the changes were a real pain in the neck to deal with. Getting to a register and being told "Oh sorry thats no longer a snack option"..At The Main St. candy shop..you could get a $4 piece of fudge but the kids couldn't get a $2.00 sucker. I was told by the CM that a sucker was considered a souvineer but a big chunk of fudge was considered a single snack....really? I love fudge but there is no way I could sit down and eat an entire chunk of fudge.

We at in Epcot 4 times during our stay. Before the dining plan we would eat dinner at a sit down and then later on just before Illuminations enjoy a dessert from another country. If we weren't on the dining plan we'd probably go back to this option, shortening our sit down time and cutting off at least $30 on the dinner bill.

 

[bugsbunny]

The DDP is ruined and this trip is the last time I'm using it, for sure.

They took something that was:

• 
  an incentive to pay upfront under the real ability to save a few dollars

• 
  the chance for you to try something at a meal you might not normally eat since it was included and "paid for" already, especially with appetizers

• 
  not really have to worry about spending extra money since you got the tip included plus the appetizer being extra food meant you probably could spend less on your one meal you had to pay. I found that I could eat a small breakfast, get a counter service lunch and a sit down dinner with no worry of going hungry...plus a snack!

But they removed the included tip and the appetizer, yet only dropped the price $1. If the 15% tip was removed....why wasn't the price dropped 15%???? :shrug:

And now, they have made it soley that the DDP is a something you can pay for before you travel...and still have to pay for meals and tips when you get there. So......where's the incentive or perceived "deal"? And I'm not one of those people who eats like a bird and says "the DDP isnt for me". I can eat a whole pizza by myself and I ate a dozen glazed donuts one day. But even the DDP seems like a gluttonous adventure to try and get your money's worth everyday.

The counter service plan is no different, except now you are just committing yourself to standing in line to order and eating off a tray for your length of stay. At least you don't have the ADR issues, but still, I don't want to spend $3K for a vacation and feel obligated to eat counter service for a 5 or 6 days.

 

[spaceghost]

I heard they're even considering offering a Super-Value Feed Plan. For $9.95 a day you'll get a large scoop of Guest Chow.

Mmmmm....Guest Chow.

 

[raven]

I can eat a whole pizza by myself and I ate a dozen glazed donuts one day.

I found that I could eat a small breakfast, get a counter service lunch and a sit down dinner with no worry of going hungry...plus a snack!

Too much food for me there. Personally we didn't even use the snack credits that much. We got something at our resort to tack back to the room and then still had 3 snack credits each at the end of our stay. We ended up buying chips and other stuff to pack in our bags. The dining plan filled us up. :slurp:

 

[brucie]

Bye Bye Anual Free Table Service Dining. By far best Promotion ever!!

 

[brucie]

The DDP is ruined and this trip is the last time I'm using it, for sure.

They took something that was:

• 
  an incentive to pay upfront under the real ability to save a few dollars

• 
  the chance for you to try something at a meal you might not normally eat since it was included and "paid for" already, especially with appetizers

• 
  not really have to worry about spending extra money since you got the tip included plus the appetizer being extra food meant you probably could spend less on your one meal you had to pay. I found that I could eat a small breakfast, get a counter service lunch and a sit down dinner with no worry of going hungry...plus a snack!

But they removed the included tip and the appetizer, yet only dropped the price $1. If the 15% tip was removed....why wasn't the price dropped 15%???? :shrug:

And now, they have made it soley that the DDP is a something you can pay for before you travel...and still have to pay for meals and tips when you get there. So......where's the incentive or perceived "deal"? And I'm not one of those people who eats like a bird and says "the DDP isnt for me". I can eat a whole pizza by myself and I ate a dozen glazed donuts one day. But even the DDP seems like a gluttonous adventure to try and get your money's worth everyday.

The counter service plan is no different, except now you are just committing yourself to standing in line to order and eating off a tray for your length of stay. At least you don't have the ADR issues, but still, I don't want to spend $3K for a vacation and feel obligated to eat counter service for a 5 or 6 days.

Well Said!! We bought the dining plan for our trip 2 years ago after trying if for Free, when it was in it's former glory. We are going for free again this year but I would never buy the dining plan as it is now. But if it's free it still does get me to Disney. But a free counter service option gives me zero incentive to go to Disney