People Angry Over Disney Dinning Plan

[kimmychad]

But isn't that part of the point? Disney wants to sell those packages. The DDP is an enticement. Perhaps it's a loss-leader.

Question: Do posters use the signature dining part of the plan? Isn't doesn't seem to make financial sense. Salmon at Chefs de France is $27 and $31 at Citricos. $4 more but you're using two credits - essentially another $25 - to get it.

it doesnt make a whole lot of sense to use the signature restaurants for the ddp but we're making reservations for california grill just so we can watch the fireworks. the food shouldnt be bad either

 

[flagen]

We have used the plan twice....man please STOP whining about too much food....last time i looked the rooms I stayed in they have FRIDGES and some even had MICRO waves....I for one loved to have a late night left over.

Vacations are ment to relax and some of us are foodies and LOVE TO EAT. If its too much food for you ask for a small portion. Im sure the Mickey bean counters love you :hammer:

 

[flagen]

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.

What???? I use the plan and I pay for said plan (i don't go during free dining)....I also like to plan where I eat and go to WDW when hordes of people are there. Ive also CHANGED my plans while Ive been there and Not once had a issue. I also out of the all the places Ive dined never heard anyone yelling at a server or anything like that. Maybe its because we tend to goto restaurants that are more for adults then ones geared for kids?

For people who take the time and READ the plan its spells it out nice...if you cant take the 2 or 3 mins to read it it guess its your loss...Plan wins ...sorry my friend the Uniformed loses.:drevil:

Also I rather LEAVE MY OWN TIP for service....if a waiter or waitress kinda know the percent they will get no matter how good or how bad they are whats the reward for them to give excellent service? A comment card? Let me decide what I want to leave. Magical service = Great tip!

 

[Master Yoda]

I don't understand the "complaint" that you get too much food.

It is not really a complaint more so a factor to consider which option will be better when deciding on dining. When you compared the old plan to DDE, at least on the surface, it was a no brainer. The amount of food that you got per dollar was considerably more under the old DDP. However, when you looked at what you would normally order at a meal the cost in many cases came up less when you used DDE. It is kind of like that 5 gallon tub of mayo at Sam's club. If you use it all you save money but if you wind up throwing half of it away you have wasted money.

 

[bears163]

we also have used the plan the past 2 trips but our next one we will be passing on it. it is nice to eat at a nice TS each day but now it is to the point were we would not save any money by doing it. i rather just do 1 or 2 TS during our trip. then for the rest just CS

 

[Keyda]

How much of the $38 per day was allocated for tips? Doubtful that it reflected the actual cost of the bill at a particular table.

Servers were tipped on the food that was actually ordered not based on $38 a day. So they were making good money on the tips. Now they don't get a tip for the appie and it is at the discretion of the patron. I know some people said they weren't getting good service but I have yet to have someone who hasn't been less than welcoming.
I feel for the servers in the fact some countries don't tip and now they aren't getting a tip from those people.

This is a major downer for the customers who now have to have cash to tip when before you never worried about it but also for the servers who no longer are guarnteed that money. Which i know some will argue they have to "earn" but in my mind they have one of the most awful jobs and on top of it their hourly rate is like 2-3 bucks an hour.

 

[unkadug]

I am just hoping this is the beginning of the end. Let's just go back to paying for what food you want, when you want, and where you want it. The end of the DDP might also mean its possible to visit restaurants without making a reservation 180 days in advance. We might also get back to the point where people actually respect the finer restaurants again, instead of using them as a counter service.

bump

 

[DisneyJoe]

Servers were tipped on the food that was actually ordered not based on $38 a day. So they were making good money on the tips. Now they don't get a tip for the appie and it is at the discretion of the patron. I know some people said they weren't getting good service but I have yet to have someone who hasn't been less than welcoming.
I feel for the servers in the fact some countries don't tip and now they aren't getting a tip from those people.

This is a major downer for the customers who now have to have cash to tip when before you never worried about it but also for the servers who no longer are guarnteed that money. Which i know some will argue they have to "earn" but in my mind they have one of the most awful jobs and on top of it their hourly rate is like 2-3 bucks an hour.

Very strong rumor, some would even state it is a fact, is that the servers labor union wanted it this way.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I eat TS every nite I'm in town. For my wife and I, it is one of the perks of being on vacation. We very rarely get to eat out at home.

So the DDP, even in its current form is a better deal than paying for it outright every night plus the CS stops.

If they offered that Appetizer/Dessert choice it would be a perfect plan for us. I very rarely eat dessert, but always order an appetizer.

 

[emmersandjack]

We almost always have used the DDP since it's inception. However, we did just add it to our upcoming trip and I suspect that it will be our last time using it. We didn't get the premium plan as we will be staying at OKW and will have the kitchen at our disposal. I do agree with not having the gratuity and would rather pay for exceptional service if I feel it is appropriate. We are outrageously over tippers if service is terrific, and the reverse is true.

I think the thing that I never really noticed is that someone pointed out that maybe we wouldn't have to make ADR's 180 days out if they discontinued the plan. I couldn't agree more. It used to be that only certain restaurants like Cindy's required long term ADR's, but now even restaurants like Coral Reef are hard to get into if you don't get on the horn early enough. We made our trip plans in like November which is short notice for us, but in December I tried making our ADR's and was locked out of some ressie's at Coral Reef and places like Mama Melrose's. I know that these restaurants are popular, but in years past it wasn't so hard to get into them. I'm sure that in Disney's eyes, this is the point- to bring more people in, but I'm still going to whine about it anyway.

As much as my family has been able to enjoy and take advantage of the DDP over the last couple of years, I can and almost support it going away. The new changes seem like it will decrease it's popularity. Another poster also said that people don't always take the time to read about what they are really purchasing and have a hard time understanding some of the restrictions (excluding current company of course :kiss. This is where the irate customers come in I'm sure.

Oh, well. Maybe in the future we can say R.I.P. to the DDP.

 

[Ausdaddy]

When does this go into effect? I paid for the DDP in December and no one mention any changes to me. My family uses it every time we visit and it was well worth it for us.

It's already in effect. That's why they are getting the complaints mentioned in the first post. You should have been informed of the changes.

 

[DougK]

I have never used the DDP because I am an annual passholder. The DDE works nicely for us but I am miffed that they ADDED the automatic 18% gratuity this year to the DDE after getting RID of it on the DDP. That made absolutely no sense to me except of course that WE pay the DDE tip and DISNEY "paid" (indirectly) the DDP tip.

Anyway the point is that whether one used the DDP or not it has an effect on everyone because of the difficulty of getting into most table service restaurants anymore. I know this has been stated by many on this board but I just want to add my two cents: I HATE making dining reservations months in advance! I don't mind for a few special places like Cindy's and maybe even California Grill but for Mama Melrose? For Kona? We like eating around 5:30 through 6:30 pm, you can hardly get those times any more.

It has gotten so bad that on our last trip in December 07 we rented a car for the first time, I got an Impala from National at the airport for $125 for the WEEK! This allowed us to dine off Disney property (something I did not WANT to do in the past) for some of our meals. We saved more money on dining than the cost of the car, plus we had the convenience of using the car to get to MGM, etc. Free parking at the parks and the resorts is included with annual passes so parking fees were not an issue. We were able to eat at the times we wanted to. And we ate at Smokey Bones, Steak 'N' Shake etc, places we don't have here at home. Not to mention the McDonald's we went to had MCRIBS! But that's another subject...

So to be honest I am hoping this will be the death of the DDP. I miss the days of being able to make reservations a day or two in advance like we can do in the rest of the world. WDW is supposed to be a BETTER experience than everyday life, that's why it costs so much!

 

[ConstanceIrene]

We have used the plan twice....man please STOP whining about too much food....last time i looked the rooms I stayed in they have FRIDGES and some even had MICRO waves....I for one loved to have a late night left over.

Vacations are ment to relax and some of us are foodies and LOVE TO EAT. If its too much food for you ask for a small portion. Im sure the Mickey bean counters love you :hammer:

I don't think anyone was whining about too much food at one sitting. They were stating that the plan didn't work for them because they cannot consume, comfortably, the amount of meals in the plan. That's the case with our family.
We have our morning coffee, cereal, etc... in our room and head out to the parks. Because many of our ADRs were early (we don't eat dinner at 8), we wouldn't have a big lunch and opted for a snack until the TS mealtime. Let's see our TS meal was at 4:30 - 6:00. We couldn't eat a counter service lunch at 1:30 and then be ready to enjoy a full dinner 3 to 4 hours later. By the end of 7 days, we had about 12 - 15 lunches left on the plan (there are 4 in our family). Our luggage was full of sandwiches, desserts, chips, etc....
Because the DDP was a good value, we used it 2 years in a row. Now, with the changes, we'll probably spend less and eat well. There will just be less food flying home with us.

While on the DDP, we didn't get to try some of the counter service restaurants that looked pretty good because we had to save room for all of our TS meals. We're going to book just a few TS meals this year and hit the CSRs for a change.

What exactly constitutes being a "foodie"? Is it the quality or quantity of food that one eats?
My family enjoys quality food as much as the next.

 

[DisneyJoe]

A WDW Dining Plan will never go away.

There has been some form of dining plan since at least 1997, if not before, be it the "Food and Fun plan" or the Silver plan - whatever you want to call it, there has been some type of meal plan since at least 1997 when I first started regularly going to WDW.

With the release of the MYW Dining plan in 2005, I believe Disney found the sweet spot as far as pricing, such that more people were willing to purchase it.

Disney's Magical Express was also released in 2005, keeping more and more people on WDW property.

At the same time, the demand for Advance Dining Reservations increased, as more and more people were planning further ahead - and the phone lines were jammed at the 90 day mark - solution? On October 28, 2005, Disney increased the timeframe to 180 days - and at the same time, promised to update their park hours and events on their website at 180 days in advance.

In the mean time, the world was recovering from the tourism decrease of September 11, 2001. From late 2005 thru 2006, and especially thru 2007, more and more people decided to travel - setting record attendance numbers at WDW in 2007.

I do believe the Dining Plan will be modified to meet the needs and demands of the guests - but it will not be going away.

 

[JimboJones123]

The plan WILL NEVER END. If you think it may... take a look at the Dining Plan at Disneyland. The plan offers MANY ways in which you can lose money. You have to be Perfect in your planning to make the DL plan even break even. There is NO savings. The plan is even designed to make you even spend MORE than the plan costs to take full advantage of it. If this plan has been in place for YEARS and still getting guest suckered in, than the DDP for WDW isn't going anywhere. It may even evolve to something that offers even less value, but it will still be there.

 

[DougK]

A WDW Dining Plan will never go away.

There has been some form of dining plan since at least 1997, if not before, be it the "Food and Fun plan" or the Silver plan - whatever you want to call it, there has been some type of meal plan since at least 1997 when I first started regularly going to WDW.

With the release of the MYW Dining plan in 2005, I believe Disney found the sweet spot as far as pricing, such that more people were willing to purchase it.

Disney's Magical Express was also released in 2005, keeping more and more people on WDW property.

At the same time, the demand for Advance Dining Reservations increased, as more and more people were planning further ahead - and the phone lines were jammed at the 90 day mark - solution? On October 28, 2005, Disney increased the timeframe to 180 days - and at the same time, promised to update their park hours and events on their website at 180 days in advance.

In the mean time, the world was recovering from the tourism decrease of September 11, 2001. From late 2005 thru 2006, and especially thru 2007, more and more people decided to travel - setting record attendance numbers at WDW in 2007.

I do believe the Dining Plan will be modified to meet the needs and demands of the guests - but it will not be going away.

Yes I guess having the plan go away was wishful thinking on my part!

 

[kimmychad]

i guess i just dont understand the problem with actually planning your dining reservations like you do everything else in your vacation. some people actually reserve they're rooms 499 days in advance. you wouldnt expect to just walk up to an airline and tell them you want to fly to orlando, so why would any expect to eat at nice restaurant at magic kingdom without planning?

 

[DisneyMusician2]

i guess i just dont understand the problem with actually planning your dining reservations like you do everything else in your vacation. some people actually reserve they're rooms 499 days in advance. you wouldnt expect to just walk up to an airline and tell them you want to fly to orlando, so why would any expect to eat at nice restaurant at magic kingdom without planning?

I have always completely agreed. Disney, as much as people like to think it could be, simply isn't a breeding ground of spontoneity.

Plan in advance, and you can get things done. Deciding you want to eat at Le Cellier the night of is simply unrealistic even in ideal conditions.

I liked the old plan...I hope it doesn't turn into the DL version...that really isn't good after looking at it...

 

[Scooter]

i guess i just dont understand the problem with actually planning your dining reservations like you do everything else in your vacation. some people actually reserve they're rooms 499 days in advance. you wouldnt expect to just walk up to an airline and tell them you want to fly to orlando, so why would any expect to eat at nice restaurant at magic kingdom without planning?

Vacations are known well in advance, therefor you can book a vacation destination months before you arrive.

I don't, however, know when I'll be hungry or what I'll be craving months in advance. Years ago, at Disney World, if you were hungry when you walked by any restaurant, sit down or otherwise, you could just walk up and get seated. Now you have to call and make reservations 180 days in advance. In my eyes, this is rediculous. I don't even know which PARK I will be in 180 days in advance, let alone what I will be hungry for. I don't go to restaurants here at home where I have to make reservations days in advance, so I really don't enjoy making reservations 180 days in advance.

Around here we have Applebees, TGIFs, Chili's, Bennigans, etc to have a nice sit down steak dinner. I have never waited more than 20 minutes to be seated at any given time of the day or night. before the DDP, Disney's sit down restaurants used to be like that.

My wife and I prefer to eat when we're hungry, not when we have assigned places and food. At home, when we are out driving and we pass a nice place we say..."Hey, I'm hungry, this looks like a nice place, let's eat here!" We used to do that at Disney World, but not anymore...and I miss that.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Vacations are known well in advance, therefor you can book a vacation destination months before you arrive.

I don't, however, know when I'll be hungry or what I'll be craving months in advance. Years ago, at Disney World, if you were hungry when you walked by any restaurant, sit down or otherwise, you could just walk up and get seated. Now you have to call and make reservations 180 days in advance. In my eyes, this is rediculous. I don't even know which PARK I will be in 180 days in advance, let alone what I will be hungry for. I don't go to restaurants here at home where I have to make reservations days in advance, so I really don't enjoy making reservations 180 days in advance.

Around here we have Applebees, TGIFs, Chili's, Bennigans, etc to have a nice sit down steak dinner. I have never waited more than 20 minutes to be seated at any given time of the day or night. before the DDP, Disney's sit down restaurants used to be like that.

My wife and I prefer to eat when we're hungry, not when we have assigned places and food. At home, when we are out driving and we pass a nice place we say..."Hey, I'm hungry, this looks like a nice place, let's eat here!" We used to do that at Disney World, but not anymore...and I miss that.

I think part of planning a trip to Disney is about planning that sort of thing, and having a park hopper so you can get around.

Those restaurants must be better by you, becasue here I wouldn't call a steak dinner at any of those places nice. I also frequently make reservations days in advnace to eat at a nice restaurant, it is extremely hard to walk in Thurs-Sun at any place that isn't a chain and expect to be seated in under an hour.

Every night at Disney, especially during holiday seasons, is primetime Saturday night anywhere else.