No "free dinning" rumor

[Bolna]

Unfortunately, this ultimately screws DVC members and locals. We have no choice but to pay the out of control prices if we want to eat at the resort.

Why doesn't Disney recognize this and give DVC a decent discount? Oh, wait... That is not how to make money. :lookaroun Honestly, I see your point and I agree. And DVC should be given some sort of a dining discount. After all, you've bought into their time shares for God's sake. :lol:

Actually, I think Disney already sees decreased spending on food by DVCers. After all a lot of villas have a full kitchen and the studios at least the kitchenette. So if you are staying in a DVC resort, you have the option of preparing at least some meals yourself.

And I am quite certain that the fact that DVCers can now buy the TiW card is because Disney has noticed decreased spending from DVCers. That is the dining discount for DVC. It is already there.

The TiW card is quite an interesting tool to get people spend more money for dining. First of all you have to spend a certain amount before it starts paying for itself. Once you reached that, it does help getting prices down to a level that appears expensive but not so out of touch as some of the prices they charge now.

 

[lebeau]

DVC members who complain about not being included in promotional discounts intended to draw people to Disney after having already paid Disney up front and committed to going to Disney have fundamentally misunderstood the nature of their purchase.

 

[xdan0920]

DVC members who complain about not being included in promotional discounts intended to draw people to Disney after having already paid Disney up front and committed to going to Disney have fundamentally misunderstood the nature of their purchase.

This is true.

The complaint I have is different. I am DVC. I expect to pay out of pocket for my meals. I am fine with this. What I am not fine with, is the price levels, and quality of the food offerings. I, like many, link this streamlined, and up-priced dining experience to free dining, and the DDP.

 

[Master Yoda]

This is true.

The complaint I have is different. I am DVC. I expect to pay out of pocket for my meals. I am fine with this. What I am not fine with, is the price levels, and quality of the food offerings. I, like many, link this streamlined, and up-priced dining experience to free dining, and the DDP.

I would not really attribute it to free dining but a combination of supply and demand and Disney being able to maintain marketing of the DDP as a savings. Popular restaurants like character dining, etc are going to have their prices raised simply because the can. However, there does seem to be a trend to keep the DDP's value intact by artificially raising prices elsewhere. Boma is a great example of this. It is a fairly popular place but it is not incredibly hard to get even day of reservations at for a party of 4 or less, yet it is priced as high a $40 a person. I love Boma, but it is not even close to being worth that price. You could eat at Sanna or Jiko for about $10-$15 more per person.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I'm taking part in free dining for the first time in September. Personally I felt that Tables in Wonderland was always a better option for us (stay off property, get an AP, and TiW). I'm interested in trying it out, I've got good reservations (Ohana, Le Cellier for lunch, and California Grill) but I also feel that for those of us paying out of pocket, there shouldn't be higher end items eliminated from menus just to satisfy the dining plan. I understand why it's done, but I would definitely prefer to see a menu that looks like a snack stand with icons next to the items that are available on the dining plan. If it keeps the premium items on the menu it's a positive.

 

[xdan0920]

I would not really attribute it to free dining but a combination of supply and demand and Disney being able to maintain marketing of the DDP as a savings. Popular restaurants like character dining, etc are going to have their prices raised simply because the can. However, there does seem to be a trend to keep the DDP's value intact by artificially raising prices elsewhere. Boma is a great example of this. It is a fairly popular place but it is not incredibly hard to get even day of reservations at for a party of 4 or less, yet it is priced as high a $40 a person. I love Boma, but it is not even close to being worth that price. You could eat at Sanna or Jiko for about $10-$15 more per person.

I agree with your general thesis here. Disney is 100% inflating prices to make the DDP seem like a value. Doesn't the Free Dining just exacerbate the situation though? Just look through this thread, people throwing out these huge $ amounts that they are saving. The more people think they are saving, the more likely they are to go ahead and book these free dining promotions. Add in the fact that the restaurants themselves need to turn a profit, and the DDP is only giving them a set amount per guest, and they need to balance their books somehow, ie raising prices for the out of pocket guest.

I'm taking part in free dining for the first time in September. Personally I felt that Tables in Wonderland was always a better option for us (stay off property, get an AP, and TiW). I'm interested in trying it out, I've got good reservations (Ohana, Le Cellier for lunch, and California Grill) but I also feel that for those of us paying out of pocket, there shouldn't be higher end items eliminated from menus just to satisfy the dining plan. I understand why it's done, but I would definitely prefer to see a menu that looks like a snack stand with icons next to the items that are available on the dining plan. If it keeps the premium items on the menu it's a positive.

This is the type of system they need. Not all restaurants should be on the DDP. And certainly not all restaurants need to be available for free dining. Short of that however, maybe your idea is the one to use. Anything to increase the quality of the offerings. Maybe the Surf & Turf is off the menu because DDP only gives the resturant x$ for it, and it is costing the resturant y$, and x is less then y. Rather then pull it from the menu, just remove it from the DDP.

 

[MissMinnieMouse]

So I guess I am a little confused in this stream of posts.
Is there plans to remove Disney's Dining Plan? Or is it just for the FreeDDP?

Personally, I LOVE the DDP. I've only been to WDW once, and that was last yr. We booked through AAA and we got the free meal plan. It was just me and my wife who went and I couldn't believe that we were eating at resturaunts with bills up to $80 a night for free!! (except gratuity )
This year we're going back for my birthday/halloween but we couldn't get it free. So we are paying for it instead, which I don't mind. I know that people with families love it because they save alot on food. My wife and I love it because it's so much easier on our wallets and we can dine anywhere, knowing we don't have to pay almost $100 a day for dinner alone.
I'd be really sad if they got rid of it though, it would make it harder on some people. :\

 

[Master Yoda]

So I guess I am a little confused in this stream of posts.
Is there plans to remove Disney's Dining Plan? Or is it just for the FreeDDP?

Personally, I LOVE the DDP. I've only been to WDW once, and that was last yr. We booked through AAA and we got the free meal plan. It was just me and my wife who went and I couldn't believe that we were eating at resturaunts with bills up to $80 a night for free!! (except gratuity )
This year we're going back for my birthday/halloween but we couldn't get it free. So we are paying for it instead, which I don't mind. I know that people with families love it because they save alot on food. My wife and I love it because it's so much easier on our wallets and we can dine anywhere, knowing we don't have to pay almost $100 a day for dinner alone.
I'd be really sad if they got rid of it though, it would make it harder on some people. :\

There are plans to do neither. Much to many people's chagrin, the DDP is not going anywhere. The free DDP will come and go as needed.

 

[lebeau]

There are plans to do neither. Much to many people's chagrin, the DDP is not going anywhere. The free DDP will come and go as needed.

I need it Nov 1.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

I would not really attribute it to free dining but a combination of supply and demand and Disney being able to maintain marketing of the DDP as a savings. Popular restaurants like character dining, etc are going to have their prices raised simply because the can. However, there does seem to be a trend to keep the DDP's value intact by artificially raising prices elsewhere. Boma is a great example of this. It is a fairly popular place but it is not incredibly hard to get even day of reservations at for a party of 4 or less, yet it is priced as high a $40 a person. I love Boma, but it is not even close to being worth that price. You could eat at Sanna or Jiko for about $10-$15 more per person.

You could eat at Sanna for 15 dollars less a person...

 

[MissMinnieMouse]

Oh! Ok! Thank you! *phew!*

 

[Pioneer Hall]

So I guess I am a little confused in this stream of posts.
Is there plans to remove Disney's Dining Plan? Or is it just for the FreeDDP?

Personally, I LOVE the DDP. I've only been to WDW once, and that was last yr. We booked through AAA and we got the free meal plan. It was just me and my wife who went and I couldn't believe that we were eating at resturaunts with bills up to $80 a night for free!! (except gratuity )
This year we're going back for my birthday/halloween but we couldn't get it free. So we are paying for it instead, which I don't mind. I know that people with families love it because they save alot on food. My wife and I love it because it's so much easier on our wallets and we can dine anywhere, knowing we don't have to pay almost $100 a day for dinner alone.
I'd be really sad if they got rid of it though, it would make it harder on some people. :\

But that is exactly the point some people are trying to get across. The DDP is somewhat of fake value if you look into how prices have risen since its inception. It makes infrequent visitors want to get it because it looks like a good value...but its value is only because they have raised prices more and more over the past few years. That is where locals and frequent visitors (like myself) have a problem. We start to lose out on going to Disney restaurants because we don't want to drop $40 dollars to eat at Boma when just a few years ago it was $25 (and the food was no different or even better). Sure it looks like a value on paper, but is it really as good as it is made out to be? However, life is constructed from supply and demand, so I don't see Disney ever lowering their prices as people continue to fill the seats. However, this is why I find myself at less popular places that don't command such high prices now.

 

[G00fyDad]

but its value is only because they have raised prices more and more over the past few years.

So you are saying that dining prices wouldn't have risen over the years if DDP had not been introduced? :shrug: Sorry, but I disagree. Everything gets more expensive and dining at Disney is no exception.

 

[Master Yoda]

So you are saying that dining prices wouldn't have risen over the years if DDP had not been introduced? :shrug: Sorry, but I disagree. Everything gets more expensive and dining at Disney is no exception.

Prices will always rise buy I think that in an attempt to make the DDP more appealing Disney has artificially inflated the prices at a number of restaurants, Boma being the most glaring example.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

So you are saying that dining prices wouldn't have risen over the years if DDP had not been introduced? :shrug: Sorry, but I disagree. Everything gets more expensive and dining at Disney is no exception.

Prices would have definitely gone up. However, I think that prices have gone up faster and more substantially thanks to the dining plan.

EDIT: Here is an example from Boma, since we mentioned it a couple of times here. Dinner at Boma in 2003 (before the Dining Plan as we know it) was $23.99. That price went up to only $25.99 by 2007, around the same time the Dining Plan really started to take off. The last pricing I can see is now 32.99 for dinner or 36.99 when they kick in the peak pricing. So in 4 years time from 03-07 the price increased by only 2 dollars. In the same 4 years from 07-11 that price now went 7-11 dollars (and this was during a major recession as well).

 

[dsdmbU2]

I don't disagree with your statement, I've (we've) still had plenty of memorable experiences at Disney restaurants....it's just that the food used to be as memorable as the experience. Now I find just the experience memorable. Lack of "wow" factor when it comes to the eats.

O.K. gotcha.

 

[G00fyDad]

Prices would have definitely gone up. However, I think that prices have gone up faster and more substantially thanks to the dining plan.

EDIT: Here is an example from Boma, since we mentioned it a couple of times here. Dinner at Boma in 2003 (before the Dining Plan as we know it) was $23.99. That price went up to only $25.99 by 2007, around the same time the Dining Plan really started to take off. The last pricing I can see is now 32.99 for dinner or 36.99 when they kick in the peak pricing. So in 4 years time from 03-07 the price increased by only 2 dollars. In the same 4 years from 07-11 that price now went 7-11 dollars (and this was during a major recession as well).

Good point.

However, I do not eat at Boma or anywhere else that expensive so that increase doesn't bother me. We only eat at places like 50's Prime Time, Hollywood Brown Derby, etc... The high end places do not appeal to us. And I have noticed a price increase but nothing I wouldn't have expected with inflation. I do pay for a few meals out of pocket each trip because we go to the Hoop Dee Doo and CRT. Those eat up 2 TS credits and then we get shorted one whole day because the DDP goes by nights you visit and not days.

 

[HM Spectre]

The "free" dining plan is all just a numbers game and has nothing to do with quality standards or affordable food.

- "Free" dining makes people think that they're saving a ton of money. Ever heard the phrase "there's no such thing as a free lunch?" You're paying for the DDP one way or the other, either through a lessened experience at the parks through cost slashing, by not getting deeper discounts for lodging, etc. Nothing is ever free.

- To make people feel like they're saving a ton of money, increased prices make people on the DDP feel like they're getting a great value. Nevermind what the meal should actually cost if there were no incentive to jack prices, if a $20 buffet costs $36, it's viewed as $36 of value.

- The DDP model mainly supports a drop in overall quality. If everyone is eating for "free", they're eating no matter what. There's no push to create a better entree at a higher price since there isn't any extra money in it if it's ordered off the DDP. If anything, there's more incentive to make a lower quality "passable" entree because it's all being bought at the same price point. No excellence to be found.

- Reservations are obviously affected... I don't know about you but I'm really not a fan of having to book certain restaurants 180 days in advance just to be sure I can get a decent time at a table. That's just WAY too far out.

All that said, I've used the DDP before because it provided the most savings on my trip but if it died a quick death this year, I wouldn't shed a single tear.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Good point.

However, I do not eat at Boma or anywhere else that expensive so that increase doesn't bother me. We only eat at places like 50's Prime Time, Hollywood Brown Derby, etc... The high end places do not appeal to us. And I have noticed a price increase but nothing I wouldn't have expected with inflation. I do pay for a few meals out of pocket each trip because we go to the Hoop Dee Doo and CRT. Those eat up 2 TS credits and then we get shorted one whole day because the DDP goes by nights you visit and not days.

But it isn't just limited to places like Boma. I think Buffet's have seen it worse, but it still hits the table serve restaurants (especially the signatures like Brown Derby and Dinner shows). In 2005 it was 12.99 for a fried chicken dinner, which increased to 14.99 by 2009. Now that same meal is already 16.99. It isn't as much of a climb, but you can see how prices are moving up faster now than they did not that long ago...and it is happening across property.

 

[Master Yoda]

Good point.

However, I do not eat at Boma or anywhere else that expensive so that increase doesn't bother me. We only eat at places like 50's Prime Time, Hollywood Brown Derby, etc... The high end places do not appeal to us. And I have noticed a price increase but nothing I wouldn't have expected with inflation. I do pay for a few meals out of pocket each trip because we go to the Hoop Dee Doo and CRT. Those eat up 2 TS credits and then we get shorted one whole day because the DDP goes by nights you visit and not days.

Boma is not high end. It is a regular 1 service buffet without characters. Realistically, I would put it on par with Ohana.