Tater48
Well-Known Member
That's how we do it. We never mention it until the meal is over.
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Would you support the axing of the dining plan?
- Thread starter EpcotTraveler
- Start date
That's how we do it. We never mention it until the meal is over.
I have to disagree with you on this. I think you got what was offered rather than what you wanted. Did you really want that drink and dessert? Even if you didn't get it, it was included with your point. I saved hundereds by NOT using the plan. I got everything I wanted and still saved a bunch. I didn't have to carry cash and it was prepaid by purchasing a gift card ahead of time. So, I didn't need to worry about anything. I know if it's offered free, sure take it... but, it's not worth the money they charge.
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
First, if you drink any alcoholic beverages with your meals these are discounted as well with the TiW discount. With the dining plan you have to pay that out of pocket. This alone increases the value of TiW for some.
I had a big issue with the 18% auto-tip also. Then I found out that you do not have to pay that 18% if you didn't receive good service. You can request a manager reduce this or remove it if you want. It's not a set-in-stone thing. I want to get more people armed with that knowledge. It's important. :wave:
The 2 times we had the dining plan (once paid, once free) we ordered and ate waaaaaay more than we normally would. When I say "normally" I'm not talking spending every meal pouring over menus pinching pennies. If we want it, we order it. If the kids want the most expensive thing on the menu that's fine as long as they eat it. On the dining plan we ordered everything included in the credit expenditure which made the receipts look waaaay more than what we'd normally spend out of pocket. The inflated receipt looks like "Wow! We saved all that by being on the dining plan!" but in reality the number is skewed from the start.
Whoever stated that the food quality decline isn't the fault of the dining plans, it's poor management: you're absolutely correct. How about pricing the dining plan to be workable for restaurants puting quality dishes on the table instead of killing quality to accommodate the dining plan?
Cooking for masses is no excuse for Alpo-on-a-plate. My husband and I can whip up a jambalaya with cornbread for a couple hundred people at a whack in our backyard, amazing food that's not overly expensive. A commercial kitchen w/a trained staff could whip out good food in much larger quantities. It's a matter of relenting a little more of your profit to do it right...you know...so the food is worth the stupid prices you ask. It's all greed & money. I just don't buy it anymore. Seriously.
menamechris
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately, the dining plan also now as another purpose - It encourages guests not to stray away from Disney property. If you are planning 5 nights at Disney with the dining plan - but wanted to take a day or two to go see Universal - well, some people may not now, because it would be like forfeiting those dining credits that you paid for - and having to pay out of pocket at Universal. It would be interesting to hear if this has been a deterrent for anyone when planning days away from Disney....
sweetpee_1993
Well-Known Member
:lol:
Had to laugh...I read this as I lay here in bed thinking where we could go eat off Disney property for our meals the 2 nights/1 day we'll be at Pop next week pre-cruise. Ironic. DDP is definitely a deterrent.....deterrent from wanting to pay way too much for meals that may (but more likely won't) be worth it what they"d cost. We've had way too many of those in recent years to be jumping thru hoops to plunk our money down without being totally confident we'll have a truly delicious meal. Ya know?
This is another good point. DDP paired with Magical Express are solid tools to hold guests on-property. I'll be honest, ME paired with a discount is 99% the reason we're staying at a Disney hotel next week for the 2 nights. I'll be driving down with my boys. Hubby is flying in late Monday night to join us. The old man doesn't want me back out on the road to pick him up at the airport after a 16 hour drive. :wave:
There a tons of good places to eat off property if you have a car. You can go to an all you can eat buffet for $8.19 at Golden Corral, about 3 miles away. Plus there are a ton of resteraunts right outside of downtown disney. They have all the typicals and they have nice service too.
bethymouse
Well-Known Member
When I go DISNEY...
I go to WDW for the entire experience, which includes resort, restaurants, and such.
If I wanted to eat @ a Golden Coral or Red Lobster or any other "regular" restaurant, then I'd stay home!:fork:
If I am going on vacation, then I have saved money to immerse myself into the total package! I just don't like to worry about a thing on my vacation, and DISNEY makes that possible!
Of course, this is just my humble opinion.:shrug:
I go to WDW for the entire experience, which includes resort, restaurants, and such.
If I wanted to eat @ a Golden Coral or Red Lobster or any other "regular" restaurant, then I'd stay home!:fork:
If I am going on vacation, then I have saved money to immerse myself into the total package! I just don't like to worry about a thing on my vacation, and DISNEY makes that possible!
Of course, this is just my humble opinion.:shrug:
Computer Magic
Well-Known Member
I understand a dining plan has been around before I went, but I can only talk about what I experienced.
You are saying the same thing I did. It's not the DDP being the problem, its how Disney has decided to use the dining plan. Disney is using the bait to hook people and then raise prices. Sometimes to the point its not a value. That is how the Free Dining is being used.
Blame Disney not the the dining plan and the people using it. If used right, it can benefit everyone.
Lucky
Well-Known Member
Great point. It may not keep people from straying entirely, but you want to be around enough to use the credits as you say, and not spend much out of pocket at Universal or Sea World.
Our last trip (8 days) with the free DDP, we went to Universal one day to see WWoHP and only spent a few dollars on food while we were there.
The main thing preventing people from straying is still the MYW ticket pricing. If you're faced with a choice of adding a 7th day at WDW for $4 more or paying $90 for a day at Uni or SW, a lot of people will stick with WDW.
This is it in a nut shell. While Disney has had some form of a dining plan for quite some time, it had always been very expensive and almost unheard of. Because of this, the restaurants did not have to really worry about it as only a small percentage of guests were using it. Now that the price has been cut and it is being marketed heavily as well as being used as a promotional tool a good chunk of the people traveling to WDW are using it. The restaurants are forced to curtail their offerings to fit within the confines of the plan.
About the only way I see around this is to start allowing restaurants 1 or 2 dishes that require a sur-chage when using the DDP. That way they can offer a dish that is not shoehorned into the DDP pricing structure.
Lucky
Well-Known Member
There used to be some of those.
G00fyDad
Well-Known Member
That sounds like a very good idea. :sohappy:
Correct. One that cones to mind was at The Californian Grill. If I remember correctly the fillet had something like a $5 surcharge. I assumed that they got away from it because it confused guests, as exceptions usually do.
:lol:
I love this comparison!! :ROFLOL:
As a corporate benefits administrator, I particularly appreciate the humor in this remark (dark humor, to be sure!) :zipit:
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
Keep it, but get rid of free dining.
flynnibus
Premium Member
Using that logic.. there is no point in blaming anything anytime but the highest power possible. Of course there is blame on how the system is operated, and not just the abstract that is the DDP itself.. but the idea of the DDP and it's constructed is not without flaw either.
There are problems that are inherent to the dining plan as implemented - regardless of management. Namely that the dining plan gives access to the same full menu that non-fixed price people have access to. This alone puts pressure on the menu unless the DDP is priced at the top of the cost structure. Then, regardless of management, if a bunch of people start using DDP.. it would have negative effects on the restaurants.
Those are weaknesses in the DDP itself... then when you combine it's offering as leverage to bring people on property with very large scale free dining offers... what was a potential weakness becomes a nightmare facilities can't ignore.
The blame on management comes in when they prioritize the volume and bottom line numbers at the expense of undermining the very product they are pitching. The 'rob peter to pay paul' can only go for so long.
There are solutions to minimize the risk without necessarily making the DDP cover 'worst case' costs... you could offer a different menu.. you could limit DDP to certain restaurants with a certain cost structure... etc.
DDP is like a loaded gun... it can be very dangerous when used in the wrong way. But even when used without malice.. it still can be very dangerous.
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
Yup.
Eldon_Brasche
Member
I've discussed this as well and though we have not actually done it, we have considered going to Universal for a day or so and using the extra TS at a signature restaurant. We have a similar situation before us for our upcoming trip in November whereas we will arrive late and have an extra TS credit that we will also use for signature dining on another day.
Good, bad, or indifferent, I am leaving as little value in Disney's pocket as I possibly can.