People Angry Over Disney Dinning Plan

[wannabeBelle]

Gotta disagree with you there. Applebee's food tastes like micro-waved school food to me. :hurl:

I really look forward to eating at many places at WDW. Especially during FOOD and WINE. Now if Disney could come up with some kind of plan for THAT, that would allow me to save some money on all those kiosks I'd be REALLY happy.

For the past few years Disney has allowed the snack credits to be used for the food items at the Kiosks!!! Belle

 

[nibblesandbits]

In the candy shoppe there is a discount if you buy 6 pieces of fudge; can I use a snack credit for part of that and pay the difference

I know you were making a point, but I know this one! :lol: I actually tried it.

You can't get the 6 pieces at the discount price and pay the difference or whatever. You can get 6 pieces of fudge though and use up 6 snack credits. (It's what I did my last day with my extra credits! )

 

[wdwsog]

I think that if I decide to return to WDW after a miserable dining experience, I will make reservations 180 days in advance in each park each night @ the same times. This way, I can get the spontenaiety back into a WDW vacation like it used to be.

I actually did this in OCT/NOV 07 and the operators on the phone were fine with it sometimes. I called on several different nights to book restaurants in different parks. Then I would call and cancel the ones I wasn't going to use that day/night. I guess I am the reason they overbook the resataurants but it owrked great for my wife who wants spontaneity. :animwink:
.

 

[PintoColvig]

Another aspect of EPCOT restaurants being crowded because of the DDP and ADRs is that the concept of attractions has been lost. Canada and France, for instance, were laid out so you would pass the restaurants on your way to or from the 360 or 180 movies and say, "gee, that looks like a swell place to eat." (Okay, maybe not that exactly.) But that concept is moot if you're booking 180 days out. So what are the attractions attracting? WS needs some to justify the entrance fee and Disney needs to update them to keep them from being embarrassingly old, but if guests are booking the Japanese or Italian place six months ahead, why build an attraction to get people to come in and eat at your place? It's already full.

Your post has kept coming back to me and I'm with you. I've tried a number of times to get into Le Cellier even trying several months out (though not 180 days out) and haven't been successful. Each time I try, I think of the time we came out of "O, Canada"--just like you described--and thought for the first time "ah, let's try this restaurant." We've been trying (unsuccessfully) ever since. There should be some room for discovery. Disney should hold a certain percentage of tables open for same day ressies or walk ups. That sounds like a reasonable thing to do, doesn't it? :shrug:

 

[mofrazier05]

We had the DDP last year in May but for our return in Aug we didn't. It was HUGE difference especially with a family of 7. It worked out wonderfully in May!!! We're returning in May 08 and we're using DDP. I'm very curious to see besides the obivious changes(no appetizers or graturities) if it will be worth it or not as well as the attitude of the waitstaff. I'll be sure to let you know!!!:sohappy:

 

[davinakb]

I really look forward to eating at many places at WDW. Especially during FOOD and WINE. Now if Disney could come up with some kind of plan for THAT, that would allow me to save some money on all those kiosks I'd be REALLY happy.

Now you're talking! That is a plan I could get behind.

We've never done the DDP, always seemed like too much food, and we rarely do snacks (bring our own) or counter service. We do have the DDE card which we love and use quite often. (And will just deal with the automatic 18% tip; we used to do 20% even on wine, but not if we have to.)

Like everyone else here it seems, we too miss: the nicer quiet, relaxed atmosphere of the signature restaurants (and cackle when being reminded of the dress code when booking, like it is enforced anywhere other than V&A), the ease of booking a table without having to call at 6:59 a.m. 6 months before your trip with a clear plan of when and where you want to eat, etc.

That said I can see how the DDP is still a good deal, if used to maximum potential. Yes a choice of app/dessert would be better; I think the tipping thing is a wash (sometimes servers will get more, other times less; customers bear the brunt). Disclosure is another issue (people ordering 2007 plan, getting 2008 changes) and general consistency of the various programs (tip added or not)... guess we'll see how it goes. FWIW.

 

[tomm4004]

... Each time I try, I think of the time we came out of "O, Canada"--just like you described--and thought for the first time "ah, let's try this restaurant." We've been trying (unsuccessfully) ever since. There should be some room for discovery. Disney should hold a certain percentage of tables open for same day ressies or walk ups. That sounds like a reasonable thing to do, doesn't it? :shrug:

Imagine first time visitors? They don't know where they want to eat, then discover that they can't get into any restaurant. Talk about a turn off.

That's the way WS was supposed to work. That's why the attractions are there. You come out of the movie and see the restaurant and decide to go in and eat. But you can't do that anymore. So the whole point of the pavilion and the attraction is lost.

 

[daliseurat]

For the past few years Disney has allowed the snack credits to be used for the food items at the Kiosks!!! Belle

I didn't know that. That's useful.

 

[daliseurat]

We've never done the DDP, always seemed like too much food, and we rarely do snacks (bring our own) or counter service. We do have the DDE card which we love and use quite often. (And will just deal with the automatic 18% tip; we used to do 20% even on wine, but not if we have to.)

The OLD plan was too much food for some people. The new plan is too much dessert. I have always told people to add up how much they would normally spend and see if it's a deal. The OLD plan was a good deal for us. I added up our normal costs (which didn't include dessert or appetizers) and it was a better deal. So, for us, the added appetizer and desserts were a nice bonus. We didn't feel the need to eat everything we were entitled to just to get the most out of the plan. And that's the best way to judge the new plan. But the loss of included tip wrecks it for me.

 

[LoriMistress]

I found it hilarious whenever we told a CM that we weren't on a dining plan...every CM always said, "Wonderful! There won't be any issues then!" LOL

 

[tomm4004]

Disney in general is way too much food. The two of us share counter service, such as the 1/2 chicken at Flame Tree or a pizza at Puck Express, because it's enough food. We split a sundae at Ghirardelli's, but I noticed most people eating one by themselves. People just don't need that much food. For sweet treats, your body is satisfied after four bites. People just keep eating because it's there. The portions at Chefs de France were perfect (and we each had our own dessert); but at Marrakesh my cous-cous had so much cous or rice it was obscene. Soon as he laid the plate down my appetite vanished as I knew I'd never be able to make a dent in the plate. Not to mention that it makes me feel guilty to get that much food. So now we try to go to places where the portions are reasonable, such as Artist Point. If you eat at the right places, you can have 'not' too much food.

 

[wdwmomof3]

Someone talked about the dining plan being to much food. We used it and I agree, it was a LOT of food. I just can not see for the life of me why anyone would need the next plan up with three table service meals. How could anyone possibly eat all of that food?

My biggest problem with the plan now is that my middle child is turning 10 soon so she will have to be on an adult plan. There is NO WAY that child could eat 1/2 of the food. Plus, she had rather eat what they offer on the childs menu in a couple of the places that I was looking at. If I choose not to do the dining plan next time, it will be for this reason alone. It would almost be a waste of money & food. I can see the ages of 12 & up but most kids don't eat that much, at least mine don't.

 

[imamouse]

There should be some room for discovery. Disney should hold a certain percentage of tables open for same day ressies or walk ups. That sounds like a reasonable thing to do, doesn't it? :shrug:

I submitted this very question to the Moms Panel on Jan 8, but have not received a reply. I didn't think it was that hard of a question - if the panel has a resource to check with for facts and statistics.


Bless their hearts

 

[kimmychad]

Everyone is saything that you have to choose between the app or the dessert??? I am doing the deluxe dining... besides the tip -- what has changed? What am I not seeing????

and it states: Table Service Restaurants Full buffet & non-alcoholic beverage
OR
Appetizer, entree, non-alcoholic beverage and dessert (except at breakfast)

app and dessert is included with the deluxe plan

 

[kimmychad]

Someone talked about the dining plan being to much food. We used it and I agree, it was a LOT of food. I just can not see for the life of me why anyone would need the next plan up with three table service meals. How could anyone possibly eat all of that food?

My biggest problem with the plan now is that my middle child is turning 10 soon so she will have to be on an adult plan. There is NO WAY that child could eat 1/2 of the food. Plus, she had rather eat what they offer on the childs menu in a couple of the places that I was looking at. If I choose not to do the dining plan next time, it will be for this reason alone. It would almost be a waste of money & food. I can see the ages of 12 & up but most kids don't eat that much, at least mine don't.

we have the deluxe plan and just because i have 3 credits a night doesnt mean i'll be eating 3 times a day, we'll be doing alot of 2 credit places

 

[JimboJones123]

The idea of putting a deposit down on every ADR is great in theory, but not practical from either side.

Ideally it would be great if you could gurantee that guests would show or be penalized, but to what end. What if you or one of your party got sick the day of? One must also remember that in Central Florida, you can gurantee a rain storm EVERY afternoon. In a downpour, some guests may opt out of picking up the monorail to Epcot, hiking the 15 minute trek around half the world just to make a reservation in Japan. Instead they may opt to hit the Yahtsmans steakhouse instead. I would say that, on average, a call to "cancel" a reservation does take about 10 minutes as well. That's 2-3 minutes at best just to get a rep on the phone. Plus another 3-4 minutes to ask you if your e-mail has changed since it hasn't the past 62 times you've called in the last 7 months since you made the reservation. By the time they eventually code the reservation as cancelled, you could have gone on the Flying Carpets, gone potty, and gotten a Dole Whip and been about 1/3rd of the way through. It would be a logistical nightmare.

I know scores of us members have all thought through hundreds of different ideas on how ADRs could be handled better. Online -- No, there would be even MORE people making reservations they aren't keeping. Holding back a # of tables -- No, I don't know why, but since hundreds of millions are spent on WDW Dining each year, I'm sure they've got a reason. Building More Venues -- No, they do have an off season (no this is not an is there really an off season debate prompt), they can't hire a staff that only works 2 days a week.

I think they could set up an automated hotline that let you edit your reservation numbers. Or at least cancel. Maybe if they line were avaliable, they could set a $5 fee for non cancellation. But you still never know when an Everest line that says 35 minutes stand - by lets in WAY TOO MANY FASTPASS guests and the line takes you over 2 hours. So I don't think the fee would ever happen. Especially since you can't gurantee that if you left the resort 40 minutes before your reservation that you would get there in time -- it just wouldn't ever work. But they could make cancellations easier.

I actually was at a point where we had a reservation for dinner. We wern't going to make it to that park in time, so we called to get a new reservation. The CM was horrible and by the time I made the new reservation I couldn't continue to be on the phone anymore. I wasn't going to call back for 25 minutes on hold again either (we walked almost 2 full laps around Pop Century) so I didn't cancel. Once we got to Epcot and rode Rio Tiempo, we decided to forgo the second meal at Chefs De France and just eat at Mexico. So yeah, I wasted 2 reservation spots that day. Did I feel bad, Kinda. Was it mainly because I had wasted over 40 minutes of my vacation that day on the phone trying to change a reservation. Absolutely.

So, I try to cancel reservations if I can't make it, but if they are going to make it worse than security at the airport to do so, why bother???

 

[Agent1964fem]

The last time we went July 2007 I can't count the numerous times that I heard servers explaining the dining plan to guests. One particular guest was extremely rude to the server ...she couldn't grasp the fact the a bagel was a side not a entree. She told the server I don't care I'll pay the extra if I have to....why have the dining plan I thought !!

 

[Ms. Tinkerbell]

Someone talked about the dining plan being to much food. We used it and I agree, it was a LOT of food. I just can not see for the life of me why anyone would need the next plan up with three table service meals. How could anyone possibly eat all of that food?

we have the deluxe plan and just because i have 3 credits a night doesnt mean i'll be eating 3 times a day, we'll be doing alot of 2 credit places

We are doing the deluxe dining plan this next trip, since we were able to get it for half price, I think. There is no way we'll use all of our credits. We couldn't use everything on the 2007 ddp, but I think it'll be fun to try a lot more of the 2 credit restaurants and not worry so much if it isn't worth it, or not a favorite, etc. With the discounted price, it only made sense to get it, since one day's cost was less than one meal at CRT and since we've never managed to get ADR's there before, we are planning on doing breakfast one day, and dinner another. We'll use most of the snack credits to get goodies that we can send in a care package for dh, and with 2 credits a day, that'll be a nice box of disney goodies I like the idea of having everything pre-paid for. It's nice to know months ahead that your entire vacation is taken care of, with the exception of personal shopping, of course

 

[cindy'smom]

Deluxe Dining Plan Discount?

We are doing the deluxe dining plan this next trip, since we were able to get it for half price, I think. There is no way we'll use all of our credits. We couldn't use everything on the 2007 ddp, but I think it'll be fun to try a lot more of the 2 credit restaurants and not worry so much if it isn't worth it, or not a favorite, etc. With the discounted price, it only made sense to get it, since one day's cost was less than one meal at CRT and since we've never managed to get ADR's there before, we are planning on doing breakfast one day, and dinner another. We'll use most of the snack credits to get goodies that we can send in a care package for dh, and with 2 credits a day, that'll be a nice box of disney goodies I like the idea of having everything pre-paid for. It's nice to know months ahead that your entire vacation is taken care of, with the exception of personal shopping, of course

Just wondering what your discount was and how you got it for the deluxe dp?

 

[Ms. Tinkerbell]

We had our last trip October 07 when they extended the bounceback promo. Of course then I didn't know they had extended it, but since they had left the flier in our room I called about it and was able to get the basic ddp free or the deluxe dining plan for I think $33 or something to that amount, so since we had never been when they had the specials for ddp, I decided to take the offer. I priced out our package just recently on Disney site and we are saving about a $1000 if we were to buy the package with deluxe so I'm thinking I got a great deal and it's no more than what we have paid our last few trips for the regular dining plan.