correcaminos
Well-Known Member
Sorry I angered you so. Wasn't my intent.
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Paying for the dining plan?
- Thread starter SAMANTHA
- Start date
bugsbunny
Well-Known Member
I remember when the DDP came out. You got an 18% gratuity included and dessert. It was chipped away in no time. You lost things but the price kept going up. And up. And it became noticable that menus started contracting. Lesser cuts of meat almost became common amongst the restaurants. The downsizing of what the plan offers, the cost, and the quality are not in most people's favor any longer. I guess if you don't remember the transition of the DDP over the years, then you might not see the forest for the trees like I do.
It's Disney, they are in no way going to give you a bargain or break even. The DDP is just a way to pay off high prices up front and then you have this illusion of "making out on the deal" at WDW. Comparing the price out of pocket versus the DDP is really splitting hairs at that point. It's like do you want to be ridiculously over charged now when you book your trip or later when you get there?
It's Disney, they are in no way going to give you a bargain or break even. The DDP is just a way to pay off high prices up front and then you have this illusion of "making out on the deal" at WDW. Comparing the price out of pocket versus the DDP is really splitting hairs at that point. It's like do you want to be ridiculously over charged now when you book your trip or later when you get there?
This can't even be debated....
No the quality of food at Disney is not good nor does it have a lot of excitement... PSSSS You know when the quality started to go downhill???? MMMMM Let's see oh yeah when the DDP started and it has got worse each trip...
mdcpr
Well-Known Member
Make sure the dining plan will work for you. The Disney Dining Calculator https://distripplanner.com/ can help you decide if it works for you. I was all about the dining plan when I realized this would way more food than we typically eat.
Tom P.
Well-Known Member
There is no point in continuing this conversation. You are convinced that your opinions are statements of fact. They aren't. My family and I have been to Walt Disney World numerous times and have found nothing what-so-ever wrong with the quality of the food. You have your opinion of the food and I have mine. Neither of us are wrong.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
Maybe one can say that the sucking the life out of the food has a correlation, but not causation directly. It could be that's the way Disney went as they focused more on making the food a bigger deal to people.
Tom P.
Well-Known Member
As you note, correlation does not necessarily indicate causation.
As I've said in my other posts, I still think the quality of food at Walt Disney World is good. However, I recognize that the menus are much more homogenized and "safe" than they may have been in the past, which is disappointing to some. However, I am not necessarily prepared to blame the dining plan for that, even if the timing is coincidentally the same.
Disney has two goals: they want to maximize profit from each customer and they want to attract as many customers as possible. I believe that the food has been made "safer" as a deliberate part of that strategy. There are lots of picky eaters out there. There are lots of people who have no interest in trying food that is new and different. There are lots of people who, when in a theme park, just want a burger or a hot dog. Disney is trying to cater to all of them. And that has nothing to do with the dining plan.
What makes this crystal clear for me is the direction that the design of new resorts has taken. They are getting blander and more and more similar to each other. You can't blame the dining plan for that, but it's basically the same phenomenon that has affected the food. It all has to do with their trying to lower costs and appeal to the widest possible swath of visitors.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
I actually love OKW's refurb, Riviera, and the Gran Destino. The only thing I think they've done that I don't love is the actually comforter and blankets. Too all white and too thin. The rest, I feel the resorts are taking on a classier version of what they could be. Like OKW was horrible with pink towels and salmon and teal tile. Yuck. The new look is amazing!
I cannot speak for the values as I haven't been in since the refurbs there. So I think some of what they are doing is great and not that bland.
Like you said though, correlation does not equal causation and I think I said as much in a post too. The "sucking the life" (using this term instead of sucking or sucky - which I was lazy and using) happened and my thought is that Disney does want to cater. Sadly my favorite places lost their charm. Even more interesting choices were dumbed down and made bland by comparison. Some desserts became sweet when rich or savory was the original.
Cupcakes now have like 5' of icing on them and are super sugary. Same with cookies and cakes. I am sure some of that is cheaper to do but also I think that might be what Disney Dining (as a whole) was looking to do. Though the new soft serve flavors along side Dole Whips show they might be listening to those of us who don't like overly sweet. The lime soft serve was refreshing (Dole Whips are far too sweet for my tastes).
Now they've added a few newer ones like Satuli, Skipper Canteen, Tiffins, Spice Road, Toledo, Takumi Tei that makes me think they are trying to branch out a little? It's been slow going though. If we keep giving feedback who knows... but it would take more of us to get it.
I do think that the sucking of life happened with the Dining Plan for a reason, but not that they were a cause of it. Just the cause is a bigger thing that caused them to promote the dining plan so much *and* blanding up the foods to make it more. If they bland it up, people will buy more - dining plan or not. But I think the direction happened due to who was in charge. They'd see a good correlation of food choices and the plan and run with it.
DisneyNorthFan
Active Member
Another way to think about the dining plan, and the trend toward people eating more and more meals onsite, is that it has allowed Disney dining options to proliferate - across the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs. I'm not commenting on the value of the DDP (results will vary based on many factors ... folks should just do the math to see what works for them), but it certainly has made it possible for Disney to invest in more dining locations and options. Folks will differ on opinions of quality of those offerings, but it would be tough to complain that you can't find a place at Disney that caters to your tastes or interest.
Smiley/OCD
Well-Known Member
You didn't anger me...all is good
danyoung56
Well-Known Member
Cupcakes have five feet of icing on them????
Jon81uk
Well-Known Member
I had cupcakes at Disney 10 years ago with far far too much icing and sugar, I think this is the way Disney has always made them. I also assumed it might be a USA thing as they were in general far bigger than anything you would find in the UK (well, except at Costco stores).
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
In the last few years they've added more. I will say, it's a US thing really. They've gotten taller and higher than they used to be. I'm not a fan of mounds of frosting. I found a pic of old vs newer. The blue Toy Story one is insane. The other has more than I like but not horrible.
You should see 5' me try to eat them
