That snap you heard? My camel's back is breaking!

[fngoofy]

What they have done to this place is a crime... You can get a steak at the Longhorn for the same quality... The waitress was so odd too...I'll never eat there again...

Ditto. Our waitress was odd as well. At one point, when explaining the side options she said "we'll work that out at the end." My wife and I looked at her like "by "work out" do you mean we'll work that extra cash out of our wallet?"
The difference in quality between them and BOG was staggering. BOG was head and shoulders above them.
The biggest disappointment was R&C. They are usually a solid B, and this time between the menu having nothing on it and what was there being crap... very disappointing.

 

[Hockey89]

Ohana's x2
Le Cellier
Yachtsmen
Minnie's Season Dine buffet and character
Cinderella's Castle
Askerhaus buffet and character meet
Narcossees
California Grill
Luau @ Polynesian

That does not include any QS, or ALL the snack credits we use at the EPCOT food and wine booths

QS------Casey' Corner x4, Satulli Canteen x3 and Flame Tree BBQ x2 are just a few

I never understand how people say it is not worth it, we make out every time

Dave this is very simple concept.... Do some people make out eating the most expensive thing on the menu and eating like pigs for the week... Sure, but that is the rare case.... If Disney lost on this deal, they wouldn't offer it... It is a cash cow for them.... Huge money maker... Facts

 

[Hockey89]

Yeah but when we are walking 8-10 miles a day, we sweat out all the salt and sugar

That's not how it works at all.

 

[networkpro]

Dave this is very simple concept.... Do some people make out eating the most expensive thing on the menu and eating like pigs for the week... Sure, but that is the rare case.... If Disney lost on this deal, they wouldn't offer it... It is a cash cow for them.... Huge money maker... Facts

Only resort net, not Food and Beverage net.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

Appropos of nothing, WDW raised food prices. (Yes, I know this happens every year, sometimes multiple times. Yes, I know WDW food is expensive. Yes, I know that everyone's price "breaking point" is different.) Dinner at 'Ohana is now near $60 per person, an increase of almost 33% over the $46 per person we paid when we last ate there in 2018 (as in, last year). DH and I talked it over this morning and decided that our limit has finally been reached: tradition be darned, we're canceling our last-night-of-vacation family dinner at 'Ohana in February 2020. (Neither us nor the kids can down enough food to make $60 -- actually $75 per person, with tax and gratuity -- feel worth it, and we'd eat ourselves sick if we tried!)

We plan to take a renewed look at the menus for all of our chosen restaurants as prices are updated over the next few weeks or months, to see if any more cuts should be made. It makes me sad to cancel plans, but it's a little bit liberating, too -- it helps us separate what's really important on a vacation from the things we've started buying simply out of habit.

Have any of you found yourselves doing some creative surgery on your WDW dining plans? Is there anything you cut that you later wished you hadn't? (And do you have any suggestions as to what would be a good, and less expensive, replacement for 'Ohana? We were thinking maybe Kona Cafe...)

I guess I never think about it because we always go when there is free dining, so the only time I even notice the price is when I'm leaving a tip.

 

[xdan0920]

I guess I never think about it because we always go when there is free dining, so the only time I even notice the price is when I'm leaving a tip.

Imagine the smiles on the faces at TDO reading this post.

 

[Phonedave]

Our bill at Cinderella's castle was close to $450. under the dining plan it was 8 credits for 4 people

How?

CRT is, in the high season, $85 per adult if I recall or 2 TS credits. It's a pre fix. Of course you can order extra stuff, but that would not be included in the DDP either.

4 people at $85 per is $340, not "close to $450"

Gratuity is not part of the DDP either

 

[xdan0920]

How?

CRT is, in the high season, $85 per adult if I recall or 2 TS credits. It's a pre fix. Of course you can order extra stuff, but that would not be included in the DDP either.

4 people at $85 per is $340, not "close to $450"

Gratuity is not part of the DDP either

Booze? Don’t they serve booze now?

 

[Phonedave]

Booze? Don’t they serve booze now?

You get one "booze" with the DDP. Any extra "boozes" are out of pocket.

 

[xdan0920]

You get one "booze" with the DDP. Any extra "boozes" are out of pocket.

So, say 4 boozes. Add that into the fake bill. Call it an extra $50 plus the tax for and extra $30. Now your fake bill reads nearly $450 and luckily you got the DDP(a great deal!!!) so you only owe the tip.

 

[dgauthier]

So, say 4 boozes. Add that into the fake bill. Call it an extra $50 plus the tax for and extra $30. Now your fake bill reads nearly $450 and luckily you got the DDP(a great deal!!!) so you only owe the tip.

At CRT tip is included it is one of the few places that are (I think)

 

[Club Cooloholic]

@Dave Ber
The Dining plan is a value for sure if you play it right(avoid apps, order steaks) but it is a manufactured value. We complain on here because DDP has brought the quality and diversity of food down over the years, particularly in sit down restaurants. The rising prices are there to justify the high cost of the DDP. If they were not selling 7 dollar pretzels and kept them around 4 to 5.. maybe folks would not feel compelled to get the plan. Its the rising tickets, hotel and food prices. One or two of these eh, ok but all three can leave a bad taste.

 

[drizgirl]

@Dave Ber
The Dining plan is a value for sure if you play it right(avoid apps, order steaks) but it is a manufactured value. We complain on here because DDP has brought the quality and diversity of food down over the years, particularly in sit down restaurants. The rising prices are there to justify the high cost of the DDP. If they were not selling 7 dollar pretzels and kept them around 4 to 5.. maybe folks would not feel compelled to get the plan. Its the rising tickets, hotel and food prices. One or two of these eh, ok but all three can leave a bad taste.

Disney's cheapness is what brought the quality and diversity of food down. It was going to happen with or without a dining plan.

 

[Hockey89]

@Dave Ber
The Dining plan is a value for sure if you play it right(avoid apps, order steaks) but it is a manufactured value. We complain on here because DDP has brought the quality and diversity of food down over the years, particularly in sit down restaurants. The rising prices are there to justify the high cost of the DDP. If they were not selling 7 dollar pretzels and kept them around 4 to 5.. maybe folks would not feel compelled to get the plan. Its the rising tickets, hotel and food prices. One or two of these eh, ok but all three can leave a bad taste.
[/QUOTE]
This is spot on.

 

[Weather_Lady]

@Dave Ber
The Dining plan is a value for sure if you play it right(avoid apps, order steaks) but it is a manufactured value. We complain on here because DDP has brought the quality and diversity of food down over the years, particularly in sit down restaurants. The rising prices are there to justify the high cost of the DDP. If they were not selling 7 dollar pretzels and kept them around 4 to 5.. maybe folks would not feel compelled to get the plan. Its the rising tickets, hotel and food prices. One or two of these eh, ok but all three can leave a bad taste.

This is spot on.
[/QUOTE]

Agreed! "Manufactured value" is a brilliant way to explain the concept.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

This is spot on.

We have a store near us called Kohl's, it changes the price on its items so often some have digital tags lol, anyway they will price a pair of kids pajamas at some outrageous number like $42, so when you see the "50% Sale" you think wow what a value I am going to save $21, but really you would never have paid $42 more do they probably expect you to. It's a manufactured value. The DDP is the same...look are all this money I saved, but the average person would never have bought that much food to begin with and only bought the high end entrees...but then DDP compels you to. Quite honestly with how cities are making restaurants put calories on menus, not allow super sizing etc...the DDP is a relic of a time when we were less health conscious and if Disney actually cared about the hearts of their customers more than wallets they would at least tweak it, as it is it is a super sized offering.

 

[Hockey89]

We have a store near us called Kohl's, it changes the price on its items so often some have digital tags lol, anyway they will price a pair of kids pajamas at some outrageous number like $42, so when you see the "50% Sale" you think wow what a value I am going to save $21, but really you would never have paid $42 more do they probably expect you to. It's a manufactured value. The DDP is the same...look are all this money I saved, but the average person would never have bought that much food to begin with and only bought the high end entrees...but then DDP compels you to. Quite honestly with how cities are making restaurants put calories on menus, not allow super sizing etc...the DDP is a relic of a time when we were less health conscious and if Disney actually cared about the hearts of their customers more than wallets they would at least tweak it, as it is it is a super sized offering.

Agree with all of this outside of not wanting to see calories on menus ate high end places.... I like it for lunch during the week to make healthy choices, but not on vacation lol.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Agree with all of this outside of not wanting to see calories on menus ate high end places.... I like it for lunch during the week to make healthy choices, but not on vacation lol.

Oh I agree, for sit down restaurants, it's too limiting in how they prep food, though often disney anymore just churns out the same stuff year in and out.

 

[Phonedave]

So, say 4 boozes. Add that into the fake bill. Call it an extra $50 plus the tax for and extra $30. Now your fake bill reads nearly $450 and luckily you got the DDP(a great deal!!!) so you only owe the tip.

The original 'fake' bill was $340, the target is $450, that's a delta of $110

4 drinks = $110. Even at WDW prices that is pushing credulity. In fact I took a look and the most expensive alcoholic beverage that is on the menu that is allowed by the plan (remember, sparking wines are plan approved, champagne is not - an other example of being dictated by the plan) is $17. Lets say everyone orders the most expensive drink on the menu. That is still only $78. Approaching $110, but not quite there.

Lets look at this an other way

The Standard DDP is $74 and change per person per night. For sake of argument call it $75. Call the TS portion $50, and the Snack and QSFB offering $25

In the case of CRT, OOP is, with the most expensive drink included, $340 for the meal + $78 in drinks = $418 With it "costing" 2 credits each on the plan, it comes to a $400 value. in this case you save $18. However everybody had to get the most expensive drink to make the numbers work. As soon as people start ordering soda, the benefits dissolve.

Most places on the DDP are like this. If you get the most expensive stuff on the menu, then the plan is cheaper. But, as soon as you get cheaper stuff, it looses value. If you are getting expensive things just to make the plan work out when normally you would not, then you are not saving money.

Remember, Disney has been running their business for years, they know what they are doing. They would not offer the plan year over year unless there was some financial benefit to them - i.e people somehow spending more money than they would have.

 

[xdan0920]

The original 'fake' bill was $340, the target is $450, that's a delta of $110

4 drinks = $110. Even at WDW prices that is pushing credulity. In fact I took a look and the most expensive alcoholic beverage that is on the menu that is allowed by the plan (remember, sparking wines are plan approved, champagne is not - an other example of being dictated by the plan) is $17. Lets say everyone orders the most expensive drink on the menu. That is still only $78. Approaching $110, but not quite there.

Lets look at this an other way

The Standard DDP is $74 and change per person per night. For sake of argument call it $75. Call the TS portion $50, and the Snack and QSFB offering $25

In the case of CRT, OOP is, with the most expensive drink included, $340 for the meal + $78 in drinks = $418 With it "costing" 2 credits each on the plan, it comes to a $400 value. in this case you save $18. However everybody had to get the most expensive drink to make the numbers work. As soon as people start ordering soda, the benefits dissolve.

Most places on the DDP are like this. If you get the most expensive stuff on the menu, then the plan is cheaper. But, as soon as you get cheaper stuff, it looses value. If you are getting expensive things just to make the plan work out when normally you would not, then you are not saving money.

Remember, Disney has been running their business for years, they know what they are doing. They would not offer the plan year over year unless there was some financial benefit to them - i.e people somehow spending more money than they would have.

Oh I agree completely. I was just trying to figure how this fellow came up with his numbers.