If you could design the Disney dining plan-what changes would you make?

James White

New Member
Original Poster
As we all know, the Disney dining plans have been put on ice while we the pandemic continues. I feel it is a sure bet that at some point Disney will bring back the dining plans. If you had full responsibility for designing the new Disney dining plan, how would you design them?
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
1. DDP buyers get to make all ADR's for their entire length of trip on 65th day. Gives them slight advantage for bookings.
2. Each dining area gets a cost value. Upon booking ADR and use of credit, the total of dining must in the end save guest 10% overall.
3. TS with appetizer, drink, dessert. QS with drink & dessert.
4. ALL snacks park wide are available. 2 / day.
5. Refillable mugs, able to be used anywhere.
6. Unused credits get reimbursed.
 
Regular DDP per pack (1 person/day)

1 TS with appetizer, dessert and drink and tips included
1 QS with dessert and drink.
2 snacks (all snacks without limits)
1 refillable mug used anywhere

Free dinning for guests who stay at Disney resort. The price of reservation must be include tickets for the parks and DDP regular.

I have visited Walt Disney world more than 15 years.
 

RememberWhen

Well-Known Member
I’d love to see it include tips (the original plan did) and have the option to not buy it for everyone in your group. I’ve got a nine year old who will definitely not eat adult food next year and there’s no way I would pay for an adult dining plan for him.
 

Tomi-Rocket

Well-Known Member
DP:
Refillable mug pp
2 snacks per day pp
1 QS meal including 1 non alcoholic drink pp
1 TS meal app or dessert, meal, 1 drink either alcohol or non pp
 

Hockey89

Well-Known Member
1. DDP buyers get to make all ADR's for their entire length of trip on 65th day. Gives them slight advantage for bookings.
2. Each dining area gets a cost value. Upon booking ADR and use of credit, the total of dining must in the end save guest 10% overall.
3. TS with appetizer, drink, dessert. QS with drink & dessert.
4. ALL snacks park wide are available. 2 / day.
5. Refillable mugs, able to be used anywhere.
6. Unused credits get reimbursed.
Lol this would get rid of DDP real quick. People not on DDP should get early res since that plan has destroyed the food at disney
 

James White

New Member
Original Poster
Some interesting responses. Just based on the few responses, I am a little surprised to not see a lot of "LOVE" for the DDP. I have used the plan several times and found it convenient. Part of the fun was doing all the pre-planning prior to the trip and the DDP creates another fun thing to take into account. This response by Jiminycr caught my eye:
DDP buyers get to make all ADR's for their entire length of trip on 65th day. Gives them slight advantage for bookings & Refillable mugs, able to be used anywhere.

I like both of these ideas. I hope to see the plan return but with some additional fun features.
 

TrojanUSC

Well-Known Member
Some interesting responses. Just based on the few responses, I am a little surprised to not see a lot of "LOVE" for the DDP. I have used the plan several times and found it convenient. Part of the fun was doing all the pre-planning prior to the trip and the DDP creates another fun thing to take into account. This response by Jiminycr caught my eye:
DDP buyers get to make all ADR's for their entire length of trip on 65th day. Gives them slight advantage for bookings & Refillable mugs, able to be used anywhere.

I like both of these ideas. I hope to see the plan return but with some additional fun features.

As has been discussed here quite a bit the DDP is terrible for a number of reasons:

1) Few people save money on it and it forces people to eat way more than they probably want to.
2) It has made table service restaurants impossible to get into unless you know what you want for dinner six months in advance.
3) It has driven up menu prices across the board, as a way to make DDP people feel like they are getting a decent deal.
4) DDP buyers are locked into getting the most expensive entree. If they just want a salad or to skip a meal, they lose money.
5) It has allowed Disney to homogenize menus, ingredients, sourcing and all other elements of various restaurant experiences to maximize their profit.
6) Similar with #5, they are not incentivized to put high-quality or interesting items on the menus, as people are pre-paying a fixed price and have to take what they are offered.

tl;dr Those of us paying cash are left with an inferior meal because 70% of the people at the restaurant wanted the "convenience" of pre-paying, when in reality they are just getting (in most cases) mass-produced banquet food at a high-markup to make people them think they are getting a good deal.
 

DznyGrlSD

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Get rid of it completely.
^^ the only correct answer but that won't happen so...

I'd redesign menus with a top tier of entrees not available to DDP guests (unless they pay extra), so that out-of-pocket guests can order get better food with higher-quality ingredients if they wish. 😇😉🤑
Meme Reaction GIF by Robert E Blackmon
 

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
I agree with all the comments as to why the DDP is not a good thing and overall I would rather see high quality affordable menus anyway rather than a plan that tricks you into thinking it’s good value.

But as a user of the DDP if I were to get it again on a UK free dining offer I would want
Tips included, this makes costs more predictable, particularly for UK visitors who maybe aren’t used to tips.
Option for alcoholic beverages on table service only.
No dessert with quick service, snacks are easier to use.
So my preferred configuration is TS with dessert or app at extra cost plus alcoholic drink, tips included.
QS meal with soft drink.
2x snacks.

I wouldn’t object to some menu items being additional cost.
 

JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
Lol this would get rid of DDP real quick. People not on DDP should get early res since that plan has destroyed the food at disney
I dont see how it would get rid of it. If I'm paying, the big gripe I have now is reserving 10 ADR days then having to come back daily to reserve the rest. I would like to get my reservations in all at once. We were asked to submit how we would redesign it, so wheres your idea?
I agree with all the comments as to why the DDP is not a good thing and overall I would rather see high quality affordable menus anyway rather than a plan that tricks you into thinking it’s good value.

But as a user of the DDP if I were to get it again on a UK free dining offer I would want
Tips included, this makes costs more predictable, particularly for UK visitors who maybe aren’t used to tips.
Option for alcoholic beverages on table service only.
No dessert with quick service, snacks are easier to use.
So my preferred configuration is TS with dessert or app at extra cost plus alcoholic drink, tips included.
QS meal with soft drink.
2x snacks.

I wouldn’t object to some menu items being additional cost.
Theres many people who like the DDP and use it effectively. Weve had savings in the past, not huge but it has saved us money. Other trips not so much only because of the menu choices DW made. Its all in how you make it work for you. As far as the quality being less, I can agree that there has been an effect on ingredients and how foods are prepared over the years, but if the DDP goes away and more quality menu choices are included there will be an increase in price. How much furor will that cause. Any increase in prices sets this board aflame with... How dare they.
 

bee

Well-Known Member
As a vegetarian I would like the option for a veg-only dining plan with a much lower price tag. Why should I pay the same up front if my entrée costs $10-25 less OOP than the meat entrées? Obviously this will never happen and this is just one reason I will never pay for the DDP.
 

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