People Angry Over Disney Dinning Plan

[calismic]

So I went through my receipts from last year's Disney Trip and came up with some averages. My boyfriend and I tend to make our reservations at least 6 months in advance so we always use our TS.

7 Day 6 Night Trip
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Dining Plan Add-on = $455.88

Average money spent on food per day = $115 (I removed the appetizers)

Tips for 6 day trip = $86 (Based on 18% gratuity on an $80 TS meal)

Total amount spent for 6 day trip = $776

Savings using the Dining Plan = $318.12

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Now we average $80 per meal for Table Service. Most people won't. (We choose the most expensive restaurants allowed) Your average couple will generally only spend around $80 per day on food. This is an overall savings of only ~$90. (Based on $60 TS and $11 tip per day)

So at least for us I still see a savings. If it weren't for the dining plan we certainly wouldn't be eating filet every night. Instead we'd more than likely be at Peco Bills!

 

[tomm4004]

So I went through my receipts from last year's Disney Trip and came up with some averages. My boyfriend and I tend to make our reservations at least 6 months in advance so we always use our TS.

7 Day 6 Night Trip
---------------------------
Dining Plan Add-on = $455.88

Average money spent on food per day = $115 (I removed the appetizers)

Is this $115 the (average) total off your receipts? Does it include breakfasts or other food you ate outside of the dining plan?

Do people on the DDP tend to eat breakfast or skip one meal a day, or use their snack as the third meal?

One of the drawbacks of the DDP for us would be that we like to eat at places such as Citricos, Jiko, Artist Point and Brown Derby - places that take two credits and don't make the plan feasible.

Also, at Chefs de France we like to get a large bottle of Perrier. Would the DDP cover this?

 

[calismic]

$115 was the average for the day. We never used the Dining for Breakfast because it wasn't worth it. If we wanted Breakfast we paid for it out of pocket.

 

[sleepybear]

We might also get back to the point where people actually respect the finer restaurants again, instead of using them as a coutner service.

I was thinking the same thing. It can be a little annoying to arrive at a really expensive restaurant, dressed up and prepared to shell out good money for a meal, only to be seated next to a group of people not dressed properly, not behaving properly and acting like they were basically eating really fancy for free.

I'm not judging those who use the dining plan. I'm sure the old plan was a wonderful money saver for families. And I'm not saying you shouldn't be able to go a nice restaurant when using it. It just seemed that the plan allowed more than a few bad eggs to slip into the crate.

 

[Nemo14]

I was thinking the same thing. It can be a little annoying to arrive at a really expensive restaurant, dressed up and prepared to shell out good money for a meal, only to be seated next to a group of people not dressed properly, not behaving properly and acting like they were basically eating really fancy for free.

I'm not judging those who use the dining plan. I'm sure the old plan was a wonderful money saver for families. And I'm not saying you shouldn't be able to go a nice restaurant when using it. It just seemed that the plan allowed more than a few bad eggs to slip into the crate.

We've noticed that too. We only do one or two TS meals on a trip, and so we expect to enjoy a relaxing meal with a more sophisticated atmosphere. To me the dining plan has turned many of our favorite places into just a higher-priced Applebees, as far as atmosphere is concerned.

 

[jayrose]

i just got back from the world and my family and i used ddp and my mom was a little upset because she was told she had to 07 dining plan when she got it, meanwhile she had the 08 which meant no tip and appetizer

it was no big deal, she went to concierge and they said this has been a common problem with people comming into disney after january 1 being told they had the 07 plan, and they credited my family with 120 dollars to use through out the park which was good for about 20-25 dollars a night to put towards appetizers/gratuity.

the service wasn't a problem, everywhere we went the waiters/waitresses were exceptionally nice especially at chefs de france in paris.

we had no problem with the quick counter service, at mid day who really wants to sit down and get served in the middle of the day anyways, thats when we would go on the rides. at night though my family would like to wind down though for a nice dinner.

the food was still plentiful, and if we didnt finish the desert we brought it back to the room and had it later.

 

[daliseurat]

The problem is really not whether the Dining Plan is a value or not. For people who eat TS everyday at the higher priced eateries anyway, who also eat desserts frequently will most likely still save money on the plan. Those of us who really know how to work the plan will also save money. Not as much as before, but still a good deal.

The problem is that for MANY, the new plan kills the fun of being able to treat yourself royally at mealtime with appetizers and desserts that you might not order normally.

It also adds what bugs me the most...INCONVENIENCE. Now if I want an appetizer, I have to pay for it separately. I also have to figure out the tip and pay that separately. And now I have to hand over two different cards and have twice the amount of time getting through checkout. Unless of course I've thought ahead and attached my credit card to my room key. But, I still have to figure stuff out. I'm not lazy, but for me, the best part of the old plan was not having to think about any of this.

 

[New2WDW]

I am curious as to how many people that are complaining about the new DDP already order additional items like alcohol that are not covered under the old or new plan which causes the additional receipt, etc.

When I have ordered above and beyond the DDP the server just brings me two receipts since I do have a credit link to my Room Key and there is no wasted time or problem.

 

[Dwarful]

We occasionally would purchase something extra and it was never a problem. I will miss the apptzr. and the tip being automatically included. But for us it will still be a money saver and a sanity saver. Knowing the majority of the food costs have been prepaid makes for a much easier vacation.

 

[tomm4004]

To me the dining plan has turned many of our favorite places into just a higher-priced Applebees, as far as atmosphere is concerned.

What places exactly are you referring to? It seems to me that the really nice places take two credits and probably don't get many DDP customers anyway.

 

[bears163]

I will probably still use the dining plan. For my family we still probably will save money. the thing i hate the most about the plan is that now you can not wake up in the morning & say ok what park are we doing today? to me that was just a small fun thing to look forward to

 

[kimmychad]

That's not the same list I just pulled off the PDF from the site. Musta gone to an old link or something. Thanks....

And the crow does need a little bit of salt....

yeah for a long time they had up an old list, it didnt have any of the downtown restaurants on it, pepper market and apparantly a bunch of other stuff

 

[sleepybear]

the thing i hate the most about the plan is that now you can not wake up in the morning & say ok what park are we doing today? to me that was just a small fun thing to look forward to

It was fun. Unfortunately, spontaneity goes out the window when you have to pick which Epcot restaurant you're going to eat at 180 days before you leave. I miss those days that an earlier post mentioned, when you could walk into the park, go to that video kiosk and make a reservation for later that afternoon.

 

[WDWFigment]

I will probably still use the dining plan. For my family we still probably will save money. the thing i hate the most about the plan is that now you can not wake up in the morning & say ok what park are we doing today? to me that was just a small fun thing to look forward to

With EMH, I don't think many people are really doing this anyway (at least if they have sense about crowd avoidance and time maximization).

 

[tomm4004]

With EMH, I don't think many people are really doing this anyway (at least if they have sense about crowd avoidance and time maximization).

We tend to avoid parks with EMH. We park plan the night before usually.


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.

 

[DisneyMusician2]

I always use the evening EMH, and many times I plan my TS dinners around it. Makes for some more time in whatever park I choose to hop to for dinner

 

[New2WDW]

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.

The Restaurants are the attractions for us!:lol:

 

[tomm4004]

The Restaurants are the attractions for us!:lol:

Right. People go to eat and shop and maybe hit an attraction if they have time. When I first visited WS in the mid-80s there seemed to be far less people just wandering around and more people in the movies and rides. Now the movies are empty and the walkways are jammed.

 

[Brian Noble]

many of our favorite places into just a higher-priced Applebees

Except that Applebees' food is pretty good.

 

[Kashyyyk]

If anyone is currently in WDW, or just returned can you explain something for me?

I am just reading the official 2008 DDP Brochure on the Disney website. It says that Appetizers are included for children ages 3-9. How is that working. The kids can have one but the adults cannot? Anyone with practical knowledge on how this is being applied?

Also, the brochure says gratuity is automatically added on all partys of 6 or more people. Last year it was 8 or more. Our party has 6 in it.

Although I haven't officially added the DDP to my reservation yet (you have until 48 hours prior to check-in to add it), it appears that all parties of 6 or more are going to have 18% gratuity automatically added regardless of being on the plan or not. This is what I was told when I booked all my ADR's for TS.

Trying to make a final decision. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.