jt04
Well-Known Member
There is a McDonalds over by Blizzard Beach. Visit often.
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People Angry Over Disney Dinning Plan
- Thread starter Disney MDACK
- Start date
There is a McDonalds over by Blizzard Beach. Visit often.
I know a few Disney TA's and a few DRC CM's and according to them Disney was informing all guests that purchased the dinning plan of the changes at the point of sale. Weather that happened 100% of the time is anyone's guess. I'll speculate that it was forgotten a few times and it is even more probable that many guests simply did not listen to the changes and played the "No one told me!" card when they got the bill.
wannabeBelle
Well-Known Member
I am not terribly shocked that people are upset. I Am a tad surprised that the wait staff isnt more annoyed. Some people do tip fairly well, some not so well or not at all. Some others ( Out of country) dont have tipping in their restuarants at home and so therefore probably would not think to tip here, right or wrong. With a great dining plan which included an 18% gratuity for your wait staff, everyone, including Disney won. Now, I am not so certain this is true for 2008 anymore. Belle
New2WDW
New Member
My family and I have already booked for Fall 2008 and have added the Dining Plan again because even with the changes it still saves us money and the ease of use is still great for me.
I do agree that the tip should be added back in the way of 18% but I also think they should just cut the Appetizer and Dessert and if people want it let them pay for it, then there should be no more comments about being too much food! Most people seem to eat a TS entree each day anyway. Just like alcohol, these items probably should be extra as well. Me and my family do not drink alcohol and have not had to purchase additional items on top of our plan but I am sure many do that already.
I believe the benefit of the Dining Plan is the ease of use for your meals/tax/tip and your back out into the park!
I do agree that the tip should be added back in the way of 18% but I also think they should just cut the Appetizer and Dessert and if people want it let them pay for it, then there should be no more comments about being too much food! Most people seem to eat a TS entree each day anyway. Just like alcohol, these items probably should be extra as well. Me and my family do not drink alcohol and have not had to purchase additional items on top of our plan but I am sure many do that already.
I believe the benefit of the Dining Plan is the ease of use for your meals/tax/tip and your back out into the park!
New2WDW
New Member
I thought I heard that the tip removal was caused by the workers union? Because of the time it took to get the tip thru their paycheck or something? :veryconfu If so, the blame should be aimed at the correct people.
daliseurat
Member
I loved the old plan. It worked great for my family on all levels. Knowing about the changes, the new plan is still a decent deal for us, but the changes will definitely cause irritation for every table service meal. We love appetizers, not dessert. And having to figure the tip and pull out another card and then wait for the waiter to get that back to us... SORRY, but no. I'd rather pay more money and keep the lovely convenience. Glad to see the plan is backfiring already, but I feel bad for waiters who are going to bear the brunt of the storm. And not get tipped. Blame the union guys! Blame the union!
RiversideBunny
New Member
We tried the Dining Plan during our December 2007 trip.
We would not use it again though, even if they still included the tip and the apetizer. It was too much food and too much time tied up with table service meals.
We normally do a lot of counter service/food court, stay flexible, and just eat when hungry rather than at set times. We do include one character meal, such as breakfast at the Crystal Palace.
A odd 'problem' we found was the getting of desert with the counter service credit. We would not, on our own, order desert with counter service because it's just too much food.
It was fun to try the DDP. We visited several restaurants that we would not otherwise have tried (Boma, Coral Reef, Chefs de France).
In 2008 the math doesn't work for the DDP so that provides even more reason to go it on your own.
IMHO.
We would not use it again though, even if they still included the tip and the apetizer. It was too much food and too much time tied up with table service meals.
We normally do a lot of counter service/food court, stay flexible, and just eat when hungry rather than at set times. We do include one character meal, such as breakfast at the Crystal Palace.
A odd 'problem' we found was the getting of desert with the counter service credit. We would not, on our own, order desert with counter service because it's just too much food.
It was fun to try the DDP. We visited several restaurants that we would not otherwise have tried (Boma, Coral Reef, Chefs de France).
In 2008 the math doesn't work for the DDP so that provides even more reason to go it on your own.
IMHO.
Scooter
Well-Known Member
I'm one of those who would prefer to do away with the dining plan completely.
It's made walk ups impossible and my family likes to eat when we're hungry, not make dining plans months in advance. Disney has made this plan so complicated that it's slowing down counter service lines and upsetting a lot of people who think they are getting something for nothing.
Here's a new concept....Buy a meal, pay for it.
Not to sound rude, but I wouldn't dream of going on vacation unless I had enough money to pay for my meals.
I have practically stopped doing sit down meals because I got tired of listening to the table next to me arguing with the wait staff about the price of their (Not so Free) meals. That is of course if I can even get INTO a sit down restuarant. Now I pay 10 dollars for a meal at a Counter service place and leave no tip instead of $90 a meal at a Sit down meal where I used to leave a 20% tip. Sorry Disney Dining Plan genious creators...I win...and your plan loses.
It's made walk ups impossible and my family likes to eat when we're hungry, not make dining plans months in advance. Disney has made this plan so complicated that it's slowing down counter service lines and upsetting a lot of people who think they are getting something for nothing.
Here's a new concept....Buy a meal, pay for it.
Not to sound rude, but I wouldn't dream of going on vacation unless I had enough money to pay for my meals.
I have practically stopped doing sit down meals because I got tired of listening to the table next to me arguing with the wait staff about the price of their (Not so Free) meals. That is of course if I can even get INTO a sit down restuarant. Now I pay 10 dollars for a meal at a Counter service place and leave no tip instead of $90 a meal at a Sit down meal where I used to leave a 20% tip. Sorry Disney Dining Plan genious creators...I win...and your plan loses.
PintoColvig
Active Member
This change is typical Corporate Disney. They offer a great product with all the "little extras" and people buy into the product but then later on Disney figures that they can make more $$ by taking away the "little extras" while not reducing the cost. (i.e., taking away the free photo while raising the price for MVMCP). No one should be surprised by this. It is par for the course. :fork:
PintoColvig
Active Member
I don't hear anyone here saying that they are not wanting to pay for the DP. With the exception of those who take Disney up on the free Dining Plan in Sept., people are paying for it. The issue for me, as I said above, is that put this program out and then change it in a way that significantly and negatively affects the guest. It seems like it is never in the guest's favor. This latest change was a wrong move by Disney, plain and simple. If they were losing money on it then charge more for it. Would there be complaints about that? Of course but at least few people would think that something was being taken away. I like the DP mostly for its convenience. Pay up front--before the trip--and don't worry about it again. I especially love not having even to think about how much should I tip.
For my part, the changes I could live with are this:
- Charge a little more for the plan if they need to improve profit margins
- Instead of getting both an appetizer and a dessert, you choose one or the other (there was too much food to eat anyway)
- Offer multiple choices for the plan (the original plan, an entre and drink-only plan, a Counter Service only plan, etc.)
If the plan remains as is, I'll probably opt for the Scooter plan.
Advanced dinning reservations.
VT GAL
Member
I agree that the plan is not as good of a deal as before, but we opted to do it because...
1. It was an easy way to budget for meals (eventhough we know it won't cover everything)
2. Made us look more at a schedule, which would help us keep the same routine that we have at home with a little one
3. The DDP will still save us money in the end.
I wish that you could choose between appetizer and desert, too. However I am glad that you get to leave your own tip. I appreciate good service and will tip accordingly, but I feel sorry for the servers who don't get a table like mine. They will simply not make what they were used to making.
1. It was an easy way to budget for meals (eventhough we know it won't cover everything)
2. Made us look more at a schedule, which would help us keep the same routine that we have at home with a little one
3. The DDP will still save us money in the end.
I wish that you could choose between appetizer and desert, too. However I am glad that you get to leave your own tip. I appreciate good service and will tip accordingly, but I feel sorry for the servers who don't get a table like mine. They will simply not make what they were used to making.
al5957
Member
I was just going to ask the same thing.
peters
Member
DisneySaint
Well-Known Member
Why are people in an "uproar" about it? No one is obligated to get it.
If anyone should be angry it should be the servers who are going to get stiffed a lot by cheap tippers and people who assume the DDP still includes gratuity.
This new Dining Plan is WHAT THE GUESTS WANTED! They complained the servers' service fell because they knew 18% was guaranteed. But we'll see who wins in this. If you ask me, it's lose/lose for everyone.
If anyone should be angry it should be the servers who are going to get stiffed a lot by cheap tippers and people who assume the DDP still includes gratuity.
This new Dining Plan is WHAT THE GUESTS WANTED! They complained the servers' service fell because they knew 18% was guaranteed. But we'll see who wins in this. If you ask me, it's lose/lose for everyone.
brich
New Member
So let me get this straight
Too much food...
Sit down meals take to long...
I only eat 1 meal a day and snack the rest...
We generally share a meal...
Ahhh, then why would you even get on the Dining Plan?
Is it me or are some of the complaints about the Dining Plan concerning things you should be aware of before even buying into it?
In a matter of months I'll read posts from people complaining they won't do the Dining Plan again because the tip isn't included and you no longer get an Appetizer... :veryconfu
Too much food...
Sit down meals take to long...
I only eat 1 meal a day and snack the rest...
We generally share a meal...
Ahhh, then why would you even get on the Dining Plan?
Is it me or are some of the complaints about the Dining Plan concerning things you should be aware of before even buying into it?
In a matter of months I'll read posts from people complaining they won't do the Dining Plan again because the tip isn't included and you no longer get an Appetizer... :veryconfu
New2WDW
New Member
:lol: I think people already are! :lol:
yodathefrog
Member
That's the reason I had heard as well, even from a few servers directly connected with the situation.