Will you buy the 2008 Disney Dining Plan?

ConstanceIrene

ConstanceIrene

Member
Original Poster
Since the 2008 Basic Disney Dining Plan:

1) Does not include gratuity

2) Does not include appetizer

3) Has only decreased in price by $1 per day, per person

4) Limits what kind of table you can book for the HDD (a personal bone of contention)

Will you add it to your vacation or pay as you go for meals?

I'm only asking those who not receive the free dining during the promotion period. I'm trying to guage whether the value is completely lost or still worth it.
 
lilclerk

lilclerk

Well-Known Member
I'm sure it's still a great value, but it's really not worth it for me anymore (I'm not big on dessert, but I almost always get an appetizer.)
I absolutely loved it this year, for the convenience and for being able to save a LOT of money and try a bunch of restaurants I wouldn't have been able to otherwise.
But since I'm getting an AP for next year, I will try the DDE.
 
D

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
You may want to clarify your post to distinguish between the basic DDP and the deluxe DDP.

Yes, I would add the Basic DDP to my package; depending on the travelers on next years trip, I may splurge for the Deluxe DDP.
 
shoppingnut

shoppingnut

Active Member
No I would not pay for the DDP in 2008. I think that you should be offered a choice of appetizer or dessert, since this is very unfair to diabetics. And, yes, I know that they have sugarfree desserts, but they are pretty much all the same, the majority taste terrible and the one time we asked for it at Cape May, we had to wait 20 minutes for it.
 
Mystic

Mystic

Well-Known Member
As a matter of fact, I booked my and my mother's next trip to the World last night. I booked us a MYW package for 8 nights at the WL from Dec 2 - 10, 2008 WITH the basic dining plan.

We used the dining plan for the first time last year and loved it. When we heard about the changes for 2008 we looked to see how it would affect our dining and if the new plan was worth it for us. We decided it was definitely workable for us. We're more dessert people than appetizer people plus we found that with bread, appetizers, entrees and dessert it was too much for us and we ended up leaving the bread, which was usually one of our favourite parts, especially at WCC. Love that corn bread :slurp:
 
E

Eyorefan

Active Member
well, I agre that they should let you pick between an appetizer or dessert, however we usually eat a lot of TS meals so being on the plan saved us a ton of money last year. We will probably end up getting it again.
 
M

mary219

New Member
Iwould purchase it,its a good deal for us even with a tip.But choice of dessert or appy would be a smarter move for purchasers of the plan.But I think its a way of getting people to purchase an appy,when you first get to your table ,you are usually hungry,so an appy to start seems more tempting than a dessert when you are already full,plus most starters tend to be a little higher in price than most desserts.Honestly,the dessert at lunch could be cut,not something i would normally have.Wow,i spend a lot of time talking about food!
 
miles1

miles1

Active Member
We paid for the plan this past August after getting it free the year before. For this year it made enough sense for us financially that it was worth giving up some of the spontaneity in dining. With the changes made for next year, it's doubtful there's enough value there for us to do it again. If they had dropped the price enough to compensate for the elimination of the gratuity and the appetizer, it would still have been a good value. But to eliminate those two perks and only drop the price by one dollar a day seems just plain greedy on their part to me.
 
bradandsarabr

bradandsarabr

Member
By my calculations, you save anywhere from $7 to $15 per day per person. This saving only applies if you eat a TS every day. We don't eat TS daily, so we won't be getting.
 
Cnrtygirl

Cnrtygirl

Member
Hubby and I are going (kid-free) in September 2008. We have decided to try the deluxe plan. I think.:p:p We think there are resturant that we would like to try without DD, and if it is prepayed then Hubby is okay with where ever I choose for us to eat.
 
ImaYoyo

ImaYoyo

Active Member
I thought I'd type out and see how I would make out on the DDP next year based on a typical day for me in the parks/resorts:

Lunch at Epcot (CS): Grilled Salmon w/kalamata olive pesto, yukon gold mashed potatoes, field greens and a drink from the Sunshine Seasons 9 for place + 2 for drink = 11 dollars

Snack: Nuts from Nut Cart: 3.50

Dinner at Maya Grill: Combo plate (Filet, ribs and mahi-mahi) +27, fried cheesecake for dessert +7, drink 2 and tax (2.50).

So by my calculations, using the DDP, I come out spending 53 dollars. So I make out well.

But not everyone eats like that every day. The plan can still provide great savings, if used wisely.
 
sbkline

sbkline

Well-Known Member
Yes, I will still get the DDP in 2008.

I did the figures on several of the places we want to eat at next year (including Le Cellier and Le Chefs de France), and just on the evening table service meal alone, we either exceed 38 bucks per person, or we come darn close to it.
 
k.hunter30

k.hunter30

New Member
shoppingnut said:
No I would not pay for the DDP in 2008. I think that you should be offered a choice of appetizer or dessert, since this is very unfair to diabetics. And, yes, I know that they have sugarfree desserts, but they are pretty much all the same, the majority taste terrible and the one time we asked for it at Cape May, we had to wait 20 minutes for it.
Click to expand...
Here, here! My dad is a diabetic and this app/dessert change is disheartening news.
 
jjgoo

jjgoo

Member
We're going to use it in Feb. Yes it is less of a value because of the lack of gratuity and no appetizer but we still think it will be a value for us because we love the WDW table service restaurants.

My one thought is if when they charge for the gratuity if it will automatically be 18% like they do for alchoholic beverages when you do the dining plan now. I am going to guess yes. I don't mind that because I have always thought the service was worth 18% but I think they may annoy a lot of people who only plan on tipping 15%.

I think they are going to have trouble with the whole gratuity thing.
 
ConstanceIrene

ConstanceIrene

Member
Original Poster
ImaYoyo said:
I thought I'd type out and see how I would make out on the DDP next year based on a typical day for me in the parks/resorts:

Lunch at Epcot (CS): Grilled Salmon w/kalamata olive pesto, yukon gold mashed potatoes, field greens and a drink from the Sunshine Seasons 9 for place + 2 for drink = 11 dollars

Snack: Nuts from Nut Cart: 3.50

Dinner at Maya Grill: Combo plate (Filet, ribs and mahi-mahi) +27, fried cheesecake for dessert +7, drink 2 and tax (2.50).

So by my calculations, using the DDP, I come out spending 53 dollars. So I make out well.

But not everyone eats like that every day. The plan can still provide great savings, if used wisely.
Click to expand...

I don't see where you figured in your tip for the TS.
 
ConstanceIrene

ConstanceIrene

Member
Original Poster
ImaYoyo said:
Since a tip is not included on the 2008 dining plan, I did not include that in my figures, as it's a wash. BTW, there's a Guest Services Cast Member at the DRC known as "Constance Irene"... friend of yours?
Click to expand...

I figured as well, that once you added the tip to the $38 per day price, you'd be a wash.

There's another Constance Irene out there? Inconceivable! Nope, it's not me. Don't they make up their names so there are no two alike?
 

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