News Disney Dining Plan Returns in 2024

[LuvtheGoof]

Unless it can be definitely proven that the dining plan hurts the customers not utilizing it, why not say "to each their own"?

You can't prove the menus were dumbed down (people still disagree on this), prices changed directly due to plan. Maybe you can make a strong case for less availability.

Otherwise, let the people use the plan if they want. We did on two trips(once quick service, once table service) , then didn't on two trips and realized the dining plan doesn't work for us. But if it works for others, I hope they enjoy it.

Actually, while I don't have recordings of the conversations, I spoke to several managers at TS restaurants about the DDP, and they all hated it. All of them told me that they had to buy less expensive cuts of meat/seafood and cut expenses where they could to cover the money they were given. Why do you think that Le Cellier went to a 2 credit restaurant? Because the manager could not give the level of food expected without the additional cost. There is no arguing. The DDP had a direct impact on the restaurants.

Now saying that - I couldn't care less if people buy and use the DDP - to each his/her own. I just wish that the top tier menu items, such as filet mignon or lobster were additional cost items so the manager can keep the quality high for those of us that pay cash and still want the filet or lobster at times.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

That is the only way it has value. If you either do character meals every day or pick to most expensive meal. It works for a small group of people but for the most part @Mr Ferret 88 it's a complete rip off.

IMO people only buy it to have that all inclusive feeling.

Definitely - which does provide some value to some people .... By the time you get to the trip the sticker shock in the price has worn off vs being smacked in the face when having to pay $200+ for the meal on the spot

What that is worth varies by every individual of course

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Correct for the most part.

Once they offered adult beverages the math got better. Going from 2018 to 2019 the DDP saw no price increase (adult beverages were added in 2018). Looking forward to the new Disney World planning puzzle on how to make the DDP plan work (if possible). The loss of a snack is pointing to a big fat no on the possibility front. But I'll enjoy seeing if I can make it work on paper.

Loss of a snack is big for people who liked using those credits at the booths during Epcot festivals

 

[JD80]

Respectfully, nobody is saying that anything, including the DDP, is a bad deal WHEN YOU GET IT FOR FREE.

The point some folks (myself included) are trying to make is that the DDP has been an increasingly bad deal in the past (and looks to be an even worse deal going forward) for those who buy it.

Respectfully - it was never free, there was an opportunity cost associated with it. Most people got free dining by staying at value or moderate resort and they had to pay $23 per adult and $4 per child to upgrade it to the DDP. And if you did free dining you were giving up any potential room discounts.

If you stayed at Deluxe (and got the DDP instead of the QSDP) a 25% - 35% discount on a $800 rack rate room was a much better savings instead of $75/day/adult or $27/day/kid. Compare this to a 15-25% discount on a value/moderate room where rack rate was $150-$300.

The free dining offer scaled with the more people you had in your room. I had 5 people in my room (6 in 2019 when my mother came and my daughter was under 3 and didn't count for anything). So the free dining with a Quick Service Plan was giving me $205.06 a day. This was better than the recent Dining Card Promo disney was offering. That offer did NOT scale, but was a better offer for people with LESS people in the room.

Obviously this all depends on what people eat on vacation. But we did full days in the parks, walking 10-15 miles a day so we needed the calories. I always lost weight being at WDW even eating at a buffet every day.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

The worst part of all of it is trying to get an ADR for dinner. Right now availability is wide open.

I totally agree with this! I just checked for my birthday next month and there is still availability at 68 TS places for dinner and even more for lunch. Once the dining plan comes back, there is serious doubt that much of anything good would be available this soon and we'll have to go back to getting online at exactly 60 days to reserve anything.

 

[Jrb1979]

Definitely - which does provide some value to some people .... By the time you get to the trip the sticker shock in the price has worn off vs being smacked in the face when having to pay $200+ for the meal on the spot

What that is worth varies by every individual of course

Agreed. My family has never found we got our money's worth with any dining plan. It's not just Disney

 

[Ayla]

Respectfully, nobody is saying that anything, including the DDP, is a bad deal WHEN YOU GET IT FOR FREE.

The point some folks (myself included) are trying to make is that the DDP has been an increasingly bad deal in the past (and looks to be an even worse deal going forward) for those who buy it.

The trade off in the past was, in order to get the DDP "free", you had to pay rack rate for your resort room.

 

[King Capybara 77]

The trade off in the past was, in order to get the DDP "free", you had to pay rack rate for your resort room.

Which is great if you can't get room discount.
It's something that requires much time with the calculator to see whatever available promotion works best. I don't think you can say it's a rip off or good value unless you factor in individual circumstances.

 

[dreday3]

Actually, while I don't have recordings of the conversations, I spoke to several managers at TS restaurants about the DDP, and they all hated it. All of them told me that they had to buy less expensive cuts of meat/seafood and cut expenses where they could to cover the money they were given. Why do you think that Le Cellier went to a 2 credit restaurant? Because the manager could not give the level of food expected without the additional cost. There is no arguing. The DDP had a direct impact on the restaurants.

Now saying that - I couldn't care less if people buy and use the DDP - to each his/her own. I just wish that the top tier menu items, such as filet mignon or lobster were additional cost items so the manager can keep the quality high for those of us that pay cash and still want the filet or lobster at times.

I will take your and their word for it that the dining plan did that. It makes sense, but then I wonder if that would have happened anyways with the cost cutting companies are doing along with rising costs for consumers.

Still, to each their own. I've never been a fan of judging how other people vacation.

(Personal opinion alert - we tried Le Cellier on a whim this trip for the first time. Did not care for it. Didn't hate it, but definitely wouldn't do again)

 

[LuvtheGoof]

I will take your and their word for it that the dining plan did that. It makes sense, but then I wonder if that would have happened anyways with the cost cutting companies are doing along with rising costs for consumers.

Still, to each their own. I've never been a fan of judging how other people vacation.

Good point. Some of the cutting might have happened anyway.

I would not judge how other people vacation at WDW. Like I said, if people want the convenience of the DDP, then go for it.

 

[JD80]

I totally agree with this! I just checked for my birthday next month and there is still availability at 68 TS places for dinner and even more for lunch. Once the dining plan comes back, there is serious doubt that much of anything good would be available this soon and we'll have to go back to getting online at exactly 60 days to reserve anything.

It'll be interesting to see how much the dining plan effects that. Restaurants have been understaffed for the past few years which artificially reduced seating availability at restaurants. What I suspect now is a combination of restaurants getting to back to a full complement of staff as well as a reduced amount of guests overall right now which results in increased ADR availability right now.

The question will become what has a higher percentage of responsibility for reduction of ADR availability:
1) People coming to WDW anyway also having a dining plan and they eat out more.
2) People coming to WDW BECAUSE the the dining plan is back and restaurants are more full.

It's a combination of both, but only Disney will know based on their inevitable surveys whether or not the return of the Dining Plan was the "main motivation for booking a WDW vacation package". That's not even thinking about the inevitable "Free Dining" offer which is the only way #2 above has a chance of becoming the main reason for the Dining Plan to cause significant ADR shortages.

 

[sullyinMT]

I wouldn’t necessarily judge people for returning to purchasing DDP for their trips, but I would suggest trying what we did during the period when it wasn’t available.

We did a trip late 2020 where we “prepaid” our meals based on the cost of the most recent dining plan for each guest. We used the Target Red Card to buy gift cards in that amount. During the week, we bought 2 resort mugs instead of 4, ate like we normally would (instead of eating to maximize credits), and came out with a couple hundred bucks left on our dining gift cards for merch (8 night trip). Disney still got our money, but we got more value from our trip. And it still felt “prepaid.”

This included a TS every day, since we like the slow down time in the AC. So we didn’t “cheat” in order to come out so far ahead. This will likely become our new meal budgeting plan going forward.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

It'll be interesting to see how much the dining plan effects that. Restaurants have been understaffed for the past few years which artificially reduced seating availability at restaurants. What I suspect now is a combination of restaurants getting to back to a full complement of staff as well as a reduced amount of guests overall right now which results in increased ADR availability right now.

The question will become what has a higher percentage of responsibility for reduction of ADR availability:
1) People coming to WDW anyway also having a dining plan and they eat out more.
2) People coming to WDW BECAUSE the the dining plan is back and restaurants are more full.

It's a combination of both, but only Disney will know based on their inevitable surveys whether or not the return of the Dining Plan was the "main motivation for booking a WDW vacation package". That's not even thinking about the inevitable "Free Dining" offer which is the only way #2 above has a chance of becoming the main reason for the Dining Plan to cause significant ADR shortages.

When the DDP was offered, free or not, it always reduced availability at many of the better restaurants since people that would normally not pay the price for those meals, would eat there, reducing ADRs for the rest of us.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

I wouldn’t necessarily judge people for returning to purchasing DDP for their trips, but I would suggest trying what we did during the period when it wasn’t available.

We did a trip late 2020 where we “prepaid” our meals based on the cost of the most recent dining plan for each guest. We used the Target Red Card to buy gift cards in that amount. During the week, we bought 2 resort mugs instead of 4, ate like we normally would (instead of eating to maximize credits), and came out with a couple hundred bucks left on our dining gift cards for merch (8 night trip). Disney still got our money, but we got more value from our trip. And it still felt “prepaid.”

This included a TS every day, since we like the slow down time in the AC. So we didn’t “cheat” in order to come out so far ahead. This will likely become our new meal budgeting plan going forward.

This is what I always recommend to people to actually save money. Put the same amount on a gift card that the DDP would have cost you, and eat like you normally would at WDW, and like you, people will be shocked at how much they have left. Of course, if they want to eat at characters meals every day, then go for it, as the DDP might save them some money, but that is NOT how the vast majority of people eat when vacationing.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Gluttonous. Glutinous refers to chains of bread proteins.

Oh man…good catch on your part

Wait…don’t both apply to buffets?

 

[JD80]

When the DDP was offered, free or not, it always reduced availability at many of the better restaurants since people that would normally not pay the price for those meals, would eat there, reducing ADRs for the rest of us.

There is no "rest of us" everyone is paying for a meal. It's just a matter of when they are paying for it and how much. The us vs. them is not a healthy way of looking at it.

This is what I always recommend to people to actually save money. Put the same amount on a gift card that the DDP would have cost you, and eat like you normally would at WDW, and like you, people will be shocked at how much they have left. Of course, if they want to eat at characters meals every day, then go for it, as the DDP might save them some money, but that is NOT how the vast majority of people eat when vacationing.

I'd be careful when you start assuming how most people eat when vacationing.

 

[King Capybara 77]

I would not judge how other people vacation at WDW. Like I said, if people want the convenience of the DDP, then go for it.

I only judge those in black clothes

 

[GhostHost1000]

Yep. Here are the rules:

• Beverages are included with each meal. Guests under 21 years of age may choose from a variety of nonalcoholic beverages. Guests 21 and older with valid identification may substitute for beer, wine, and cocktails.
• Reservations at Table-Service restaurants are subject to availability and are highly recommended.
• Two table-service meals will be redeemed from the dining plan for each person dining at a Fine/Signature Dining experience, select Character Dining experience, or a Dinner Show.
• Guests age 3 to 9 must order from a children’s menu, where available.
• Plan must be purchased for entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3 and up).

Absurd for tweens and teens.

That is $tupid

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Respectfully, nobody is saying that anything, including the DDP, is a bad deal WHEN YOU GET IT FOR FREE.

The point some folks (myself included) are trying to make is that the DDP has been an increasingly bad deal in the past (and looks to be an even worse deal going forward) for those who buy it.

Free dining was a low occ/recession era tactic. We have a real slow time if it comes back but I don’t doubt it one bit.

And as has been - again for the amnesiacs - been discussed forever…they adjusted the fees and increase the costs year to blunt the “discount” and make it a controlled coupon plan.

And that’s ok…many liked it…but it’s not the same as paying for DDP out of pocket

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yep. Here are the rules:

• Beverages are included with each meal. Guests under 21 years of age may choose from a variety of nonalcoholic beverages. Guests 21 and older with valid identification may substitute for beer, wine, and cocktails.
• Reservations at Table-Service restaurants are subject to availability and are highly recommended.
• Two table-service meals will be redeemed from the dining plan for each person dining at a Fine/Signature Dining experience, select Character Dining experience, or a Dinner Show.
• Guests age 3 to 9 must order from a children’s menu, where available.
• Plan must be purchased for entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3 and up).

Absurd for tweens and teens.

That could be defcon 2

That is $tupid

Don’t say that. Shut your brain down and yield to Zod’s opinion