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Dining Plan Changes
- Thread starter Alztybrn
- Start date
JimboJones123
Well-Known Member
No crap. If you hate obeying the law so much, go spend 2 weeks in Mexico drinking tap water. Then we can talk about how bad your taxes really are.As someone who's husband is in the Air Force and whose salary is paid by the government (i.e. taxes), I always appreciate rule abiding citizens who pay their taxes properly!
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
Good Ill balance it out by not tipping, Scrooge McSak.
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
I think you may have dropped a here, read the post again.:animwink:
sillykid
Member
I am sure they do good. But think about the fact that there are a lot of people who do not tip in thier culture. When I was working in the city we had lots of out of town people, and we'd be l__________g if half of them tipped. This is just another reason DDP, does not add up, for me.
JimboJones123
Well-Known Member
What are you talking about Beavis?
hrcollectibles
Active Member
I think anohter reason for the change is simply Demand.... Disney knows this is popular so why not raise the price. I think the average Disney Guest. by that i mean not like those of us who are on several disney fan sites daily... :ROFLOL: Will just look at the plan for what it is a way to pre pay for meals. I just hope that IF these changes do occur they (Disney) has a disclaimer somewhere stating that Gratuity is not included. I would hate to see those in the serivce industry get jipped out of a tip..
fyn
Member
Minimum wage for waitstaff is set with the understanding that they don't report their tips, which is why states have a *completely* different standard for waitstaff minimum wage.
Pumbas Nakasak
Heading for the great escape.
I think she was complimenting you on doing it right at a cost to yourself....
no?
jmvd20
Well-Known Member
No, minimum wage is set lower for tipped employees because they are tipped.
Read any 1040I and you will clearly see the spaces/forms/worksheets where all tips *MUST* be reported.
It is the law that wait staff must report tips as it is part of their income, however it is not uncommon for wait staff to break those laws and not report it like the rest of us have to.
fyn
Member
Just like everyone goes the speed limit, right? The IRS is fully aware that the *majority* of waitstaff workers don't report their tipped earnings, and yet the audit rate for those workers is drastically below workers in other industries.
Most non-waitstaff workers have to report their earnings, otherwise the IRS will audit them, with pretty amazing tenacity. Yet, the IRS leaves the waitstaff industry alone. I'm sure its just a coincidence though.
Love it
We have used the dinning plan every time we visit and love it. We normally would not get an appetizer, main coarse and desert and like the fact that with the sit down dinner we can. I have always wished that more meals where included as we have to skip breakfast or pay for it out of pocket. With more meals included, I don't mind using two credits for a signature restaurant or a show, it gives us more options. I don't mind so much paying tips as that would only apply to sit down meals and when we have often paid a tip anyway when we have exceptional service, which is often at Disney.
I will defiantly paid the extra for the extended plan!
We have used the dinning plan every time we visit and love it. We normally would not get an appetizer, main coarse and desert and like the fact that with the sit down dinner we can. I have always wished that more meals where included as we have to skip breakfast or pay for it out of pocket. With more meals included, I don't mind using two credits for a signature restaurant or a show, it gives us more options. I don't mind so much paying tips as that would only apply to sit down meals and when we have often paid a tip anyway when we have exceptional service, which is often at Disney.
I will defiantly paid the extra for the extended plan!
bigpapamack
New Member
I posted this reply on a different thread on same subject but still relevant to this one ~
"first time posting so may get it wrong.
Last week was the first time we had used the dining plan, used it for 7 days.
Absolutely loved it, used the interet for research to get the best places to eat (ratings not $$$$).
Also being a brit have taken advantage of exchange rate.
Ate at Boma
Coral Reef
Cinderella Dinner
Mama Melrose - Phantasmic
Crystal - Winnie Pooh place
Ohana
All booked 180 days in advance but this plannning added to the total holiday experience.
Counter Service was good also.
Wouldn't not have eaten at all the table service without the DDP so was good in that sense, maybe did not save any money but the general feeling was made life easier and we got value for money.
What bothers me is the hassle of no tips included and also the plan has reduced in total value but actual price reduced by a measly dollar.
Seems a large increase in cost for one year, thought it would go up in price but retain the same features.
strange choice to change a successful package, as I would have eaten off site otherwise."
"first time posting so may get it wrong.
Last week was the first time we had used the dining plan, used it for 7 days.
Absolutely loved it, used the interet for research to get the best places to eat (ratings not $$$$).
Also being a brit have taken advantage of exchange rate.
Ate at Boma
Coral Reef
Cinderella Dinner
Mama Melrose - Phantasmic
Crystal - Winnie Pooh place
Ohana
All booked 180 days in advance but this plannning added to the total holiday experience.
Counter Service was good also.
Wouldn't not have eaten at all the table service without the DDP so was good in that sense, maybe did not save any money but the general feeling was made life easier and we got value for money.
What bothers me is the hassle of no tips included and also the plan has reduced in total value but actual price reduced by a measly dollar.
Seems a large increase in cost for one year, thought it would go up in price but retain the same features.
strange choice to change a successful package, as I would have eaten off site otherwise."
Rob562
Well-Known Member
Well, now that the changes to the Dining Plan are all but official, given the 2008 Dining Plan PDF files from Disney posted in the Restaurants & Dining Forum...
(In case you missed it, here's the link: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=211545 )
I decided to once again take the spreadsheet I created to compare the 2007 DDP vs. the DDE card and use it for the new Deluxe Disney Dining Plan. Here are my results:
I'm planning on going to WDW twice next year. Once with a group of friends, and one with just one other friend. I know for a fact that the dining habits of each group will be remarkably different. Some of my friends in the larger group have very basic tastes, and shy away from the Signature restaurants. But when it's just me and the one friend, he'd totally be up for trying a Signature Restaurant almost every night.
Deluxe Dining Plan with group:
Mix of regular sit-down meals, counter service meals and one Signature restaurant dinner (we're planning on doing Universal one day, so we'd have that Lunch credit)
Out of Pocket for food: $503.55
DDDP Cost: $489.93
Total Savings: $13.62
So it's at about the break-even point. Possibly worth it just for the ease of use.
Deluxe Dining Plan with just my friend:
Many sit-down restaurants, a few counter service meals, plus 5 Signature restaurant dinners by eliminating 5 breakfasts.
Out of Pocket for food: $579.64
DDDP Cost: $489.93
Total Savings: $89.71
That's a bit more of a savings, but it's only 15.5%. The DDE would get us 20% off everything but the few counter service meals.
Again, these are food choices off the menus for what I would realistically order at these places. Just for kicks, perhaps I'll go back and fill in the ost expensive apps, entrees and desserts to see how much things cost.
EDIT: Went back and did the most expensive menu items for each of the places used in my second example, and the total OOP was $657.01 for a total savings of $167.08, or 25%.
Bottom line: You can save money with the new DDDP if you do a lot of Signature restaurants, but unless you're specifically ordering the most expensive items on the menu, you can save more with the DDE card.
EDIT AGAIN: Second example but using the DDE discount is $16.57 less than paying for the DDDP. The overall savings is 18.3% (because there's no discount on the counter service or snack options) Yes, there's now mandatory tips on top of that, but you'd be paying those anyway and at 18% it's as if you're getting the tips for free.
-Rob
(In case you missed it, here's the link: http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=211545 )
I decided to once again take the spreadsheet I created to compare the 2007 DDP vs. the DDE card and use it for the new Deluxe Disney Dining Plan. Here are my results:
I'm planning on going to WDW twice next year. Once with a group of friends, and one with just one other friend. I know for a fact that the dining habits of each group will be remarkably different. Some of my friends in the larger group have very basic tastes, and shy away from the Signature restaurants. But when it's just me and the one friend, he'd totally be up for trying a Signature Restaurant almost every night.
Deluxe Dining Plan with group:
Mix of regular sit-down meals, counter service meals and one Signature restaurant dinner (we're planning on doing Universal one day, so we'd have that Lunch credit)
Out of Pocket for food: $503.55
DDDP Cost: $489.93
Total Savings: $13.62
So it's at about the break-even point. Possibly worth it just for the ease of use.
Deluxe Dining Plan with just my friend:
Many sit-down restaurants, a few counter service meals, plus 5 Signature restaurant dinners by eliminating 5 breakfasts.
Out of Pocket for food: $579.64
DDDP Cost: $489.93
Total Savings: $89.71
That's a bit more of a savings, but it's only 15.5%. The DDE would get us 20% off everything but the few counter service meals.
Again, these are food choices off the menus for what I would realistically order at these places. Just for kicks, perhaps I'll go back and fill in the ost expensive apps, entrees and desserts to see how much things cost.
EDIT: Went back and did the most expensive menu items for each of the places used in my second example, and the total OOP was $657.01 for a total savings of $167.08, or 25%.
Bottom line: You can save money with the new DDDP if you do a lot of Signature restaurants, but unless you're specifically ordering the most expensive items on the menu, you can save more with the DDE card.
EDIT AGAIN: Second example but using the DDE discount is $16.57 less than paying for the DDDP. The overall savings is 18.3% (because there's no discount on the counter service or snack options) Yes, there's now mandatory tips on top of that, but you'd be paying those anyway and at 18% it's as if you're getting the tips for free.
-Rob
southcarolina4
New Member
all i know is we love the dining plan....never have made mutiple reservations...we know what we like and thats where we eat...
in March 2006 we saved all our receipts and for a 2 adults,2 children we would have spent 1,100 and I think we paid around 500 for the dinning plan..
so to us it was easy to use.the kids got chracter meals,we got our meals we knew where and when we were eating...and we have never planned 180 days out....the only place i have ever had a problem getting a reservation was Coral Reef and they had them they were just too early for us...
in March 2006 we saved all our receipts and for a 2 adults,2 children we would have spent 1,100 and I think we paid around 500 for the dinning plan..
so to us it was easy to use.the kids got chracter meals,we got our meals we knew where and when we were eating...and we have never planned 180 days out....the only place i have ever had a problem getting a reservation was Coral Reef and they had them they were just too early for us...
Abbyjoe
Member
Ok...Something I always think about with the dining plan is: It keeps us on property. We like a nice sit down meal each night, I don't know that we could "out of pocket" have a 100 - 150 dollar meal each night for 7 to 10 days and not feel guilty. It is a whole 'nother thing when it was paid for 8 months ago.
Also...the tip... the other reason we get the package is no out of pocket cash for meals, it again was paid for "8 months ago". This blows that too.
And!! We have friends who ONLY use their credit card on trips. They are going to have to break out their card for tip only at the end of the meal?
So, I am not so happy with this either. I think we will pass on the dining plan in 2008.
Also...the tip... the other reason we get the package is no out of pocket cash for meals, it again was paid for "8 months ago". This blows that too.
And!! We have friends who ONLY use their credit card on trips. They are going to have to break out their card for tip only at the end of the meal?
So, I am not so happy with this either. I think we will pass on the dining plan in 2008.
Maerj
Well-Known Member
There are also many people who don't like to carry cash on them, especially on vacation. The DDP will now be a little more inconvenient for those folks. I don't know... I always enjoyed using the plan before but to only reduce the price by a dollar then to take away the appetizer and gratuity is not really a good trade off. I think they are making a big mistake for guests and servers alike. You think that everyone tips 18%? In fact many people may not tip at all, thinking that its included.
On the other hand maybe the service will be better? On our last trip to Ohana at the Poly, I had to actually get out of my seat and jump in front of our server to ask for a glass of water. Our server literally ran from us! Not those most magical way to have a meal on your honeymoon.
On the other hand maybe the service will be better? On our last trip to Ohana at the Poly, I had to actually get out of my seat and jump in front of our server to ask for a glass of water. Our server literally ran from us! Not those most magical way to have a meal on your honeymoon.