Free Dining Plans = No avaliability

[Tara Stone]

Well, this is interesting. We just decided to go for the meal plan on our upcoming trip in Dec. over the Christmas/New Years holiday. With a grand gathering of 12 I had to spend about 1 - 1 1/2 hours on the phone getting meals set up. Still not sure if we are 100% satisfied. I was fortunate enough to know what the EMH are at this time as we like to hit them often. We didn't get all the places we wanted and on two occasions ended up going for places we've never been to : 1900 Park Fair and Ohana's. We hope those will be good experiences. Also with a grand gathering they automatically add on 20% but with the dining plan they only get 18%, so we will probably add some to our meal at the end, as long as the service is good..now if they say "Oh dining plan, I'll focus on the paying customers" then they won't earn much extra.

Regarding service (ie: plan vs paying customers) We were on platinum dining plan and had excellent service nearly everywhere. The few times it was bad it was bad for everyone around us with the same server..regardless of plan or not. We had really bad service only once. A little know fact is that you can contact concierge of your hotel and have a gratuity removed for poor service

 

[Computer Magic]

1) The markup on food is enormous. Compare the price of a good steak at a restaurant to what you pay at the butcher at your local super market. Disney doesn't even pay a price that low because they buy in bulk.

2) In order to get free dining, you have to stay at a Disney resort. So those who otherwise might stay outside will stay at a value or moderate. Those who would stay inside the property already, might be enticed to upgrade. Do you really think its costs 4 times as much to operate a room at the GF than the AS? Again, the margin here is huge (especially in the deluxe resorts)

3) Because you're saving so much money to begin with, you might be inclined to part with more of you money at the gift shops, even to a disproportionate level of what you're saving. I've heard that Disney barely breaks even on park admission, but more than makes up for it in merchandise sales.

And i'll admit, this year, i wouldn't have even gone to WDW if it wasn't for free dining. I'm really glad that i could take advantage of it.

Good Post


and Dave...I should have left my number, as I was at LeCellier on Friday Sept 22nd....You could have joined us...Of course I was on the free dining plan..which a non-local loves and keeps the non-local keeps the Orlando economy striving :wave:

I wouldn't have been to Disney otherwise and I will be there next year if the plan is offered. But I would be frustrated as a local.

 

[Computer Magic]

I don't understand why there is so much difficulty getting ADRs but when you read the trip reports it sounds like most rides are walk on or minimal wait?

It was pretty croweded the week for the 21st.

 

[Computer Magic]

I completely share your opinion... I've been experiencing this for 2 weeks now... and I'm angry... very angry...

I would have invited you to dine with us as well...:wave:

 

[Computer Magic]

It appears that WDW doesn't need the local business, as guests staying on site obviously pay more per trip than a local. And that will be fine for WDW as long as nothing happens to affect the tourist industry...again.

Exactly....

 

[Computer Magic]

The DDP is a loss leader. For those that don't know a loss leader is a product or service that is sold at less than cost or simply given away in order to get other business. Virtually every company has items that qualify as a loss leader. For example Home Depot sells their 2x4 studs and 7/16" OSB just barely above their product cost. They do this so you buy their nails, hardware molding etc at 100% or more markup. The free and paid for DDP is no different.

There are 2 inherent problems with loss loss leaders. The first problem is when you work in one of these industries that provides this product you are treated like the proverbial red headed step-child. The company does not want to pay you a decent wage or invest in newer and or better equipment because in their eyes you don't directly make the company money. This results in low morale and poor worker performance.

The second problem is a symptom of the first, bad service. An unhappy employee is a bad employee. This does not make much of a difference when you are buying 2x4's but in a service related industry, such as a restaurant, it will effect customer experience in a very negative way pretty much every time.

At one time food was a huge cash cow for Disney. Servers made a ton in tips the chefs were paid fairly at the volume of customers was at a manageable level and service was second to none because the staff was happy. Now due to this switch in focus the guests experience is suffering and will continue to suffer as long as this program continues in its current form. If it does continue the bad service and lack of available seating will make DDP free or otherwise worthless, and dinning will be back to the bad burgers at pizza of the 1970's.

IMHO Disney would be better served in the long run by discounting rooms and gate prices in order to get more people in the gate. Provide free park admission with a Disney resort stay and prepaid dinning at a profitable price and watch how many people line up.

Good post.

I would like to say ALL the CM serving us on the dining plan were excellent and friendly:sohappy: That never treaded us different.

 

[PhotoDave219]

and Dave...I should have left my number, as I was at LeCellier on Friday Sept 22nd....You could have joined us...Of course I was on the free dining plan..which a non-local loves and keeps the non-local keeps the Orlando economy striving :wave:

Yes, thanks for keeping my taxes low!!! :sohappy: :lol:

I think the general consensus is that when it comes to dining reservations, there just has to be a better way.

That and yeah, the menu's are getting chincy. They even serve hamburgers at Chef's de france. Which is pretty funny (IMO) if you think about it, Hamburger - a food named for a city in germany - being served in a French resturant (think WW2 kids).

Since when did offerings become that lame?

 

[Dwarful]

I was looking over some of the menu choices...and now I have a question...there are a few places that say "If you are on the dining plan you get a dessert sampler." What if I wanted just one creme brulee instead of the sampler? could i have that? or do they bring out one sampler for so many people? say one sampler per 4 people? just curious.

also PhotoDave, I agree with the irony of the hamburger...how sad though that you have to drop a big hint.

 

[Tara Stone]

To be fair, if Hoop was booked for the night you wanted, it had nothing to do with free dining. That didn't start until August 12 or 13. The show is just that popular.

We love Hoop and I make our (annual) reservations months in advance. This past August 29th's show was booked in March.

I just wanted to tell you that I have read many of your posts and I think you give excellent observations and advice:animwink:

 

[culturenthrills]

Too late!!! :wave:

I've posted extensively on this particular topic. Maybe the fact that I can't get a reservation at my favorite restaurants has absolutely nothing to do with the free dining plan. I just know that last year, and the last 24 years, I had no problem. Now I do. (Or would, if I hadn't cancelled my trip)

My in-laws in the Orlando area have voiced the same complaint.

It appears that WDW doesn't need the local business, as guests staying on site obviously pay more per trip than a local. And that will be fine for WDW as long as nothing happens to affect the tourist industry...again.

It is funny that u mention that it appears that WDW doesn't need local business because in the last 6 months they have started advertising heavily for AP's. There are billboards up all over the place and I hear radio commercials all the time.

To me the biggest effect is that Disney is dumbing and slimming down the menu's and more and more it is simply not worth it to go to most of the table service restaurants. That's just my opinion.

 

[culturenthrills]

The DDP is a loss leader. For those that don't know a loss leader is a product or service that is sold at less than cost or simply given away in order to get other business. Virtually every company has items that qualify as a loss leader. For example Home Depot sells their 2x4 studs and 7/16" OSB just barely above their product cost. They do this so you buy their nails, hardware molding etc at 100% or more markup. The free and paid for DDP is no different.

There are 2 inherent problems with loss loss leaders. The first problem is when you work in one of these industries that provides this product you are treated like the proverbial red headed step-child. The company does not want to pay you a decent wage or invest in newer and or better equipment because in their eyes you don't directly make the company money. This results in low morale and poor worker performance.

The second problem is a symptom of the first, bad service. An unhappy employee is a bad employee. This does not make much of a difference when you are buying 2x4's but in a service related industry, such as a restaurant, it will effect customer experience in a very negative way pretty much every time.

At one time food was a huge cash cow for Disney. Servers made a ton in tips the chefs were paid fairly at the volume of customers was at a manageable level and service was second to none because the staff was happy. Now due to this switch in focus the guests experience is suffering and will continue to suffer as long as this program continues in its current form. If it does continue the bad service and lack of available seating will make DDP free or otherwise worthless, and dinning will be back to the bad burgers at pizza of the 1970's.

IMHO Disney would be better served in the long run by discounting rooms and gate prices in order to get more people in the gate. Provide free park admission with a Disney resort stay and prepaid dinning at a profitable price and watch how many people line up.

If I remember correctly in the 90's WDW made a big push to improve their dining because it was pretty bad when I first went there in 1985(oh the pizza was awful). Now we seem to be going in the opposite direction and the dining is going downhill in many places.

 

[CaptainQueenJ]

yeah...anyone tried the hamburgers (here meaning normal, counter service restaurants)? They're a bit like cardboard.

 

[dandaman]

The Electric Umbrella and Pecos Bill's always seem to have good burgers, and they're both counter service restaurants.

Though, consistency seems hard to come by. The Liberty Inn's burgers seemed a bit off last time I had them.

Oh, well. Chicken strips and Jr. American Jell-O for me, then.

 

[Dwarful]

We just rolled in from WDW. We had great counter service meals at WDW. Burgers were good at America in Epcot and Peco's Bill's in MK. The worst counter service meal we had was on 12/30 at The Earl of Sandwich. The place was packed and perhaps the food prep workers were overwhelmed.