Please Disney Don't DDP 3 Course Meal Deal Us!!!

[WDisnut]

For about three years now I have not been to certain chain restaurants. TGI Fridays is one ( I used to go about once a week) and a number of other dining locations that have given 3 course meal deals at a fixed price. What they did was give tiny portions of anything of quality or no quality at all (excluding the good meats and dishes) and half portions of most other things. But if you take the choices, size and price of the full portion app, meal and dessert you get much more than double (size quality and choice) for your money. But the "cost" of the deal :rotfl2: is more than half of the full portions added together ( I was a MGR at one of these locations). I read in a recent thread about how Le Cellier has a pilot program that sounds just like that. Where things are excluded and the three course meal is back for 1 TS. So disney allowed us to complain about not getting an app and not wanting a dessert ( or wanting to have a choice) to giving us the choice of certain apps and some dessert and not letting us get the wanted main courses making them lots more money. thumbsup2 No one likes change and if this happens to the main dining locations or all locations making it horrible for anyone who has had the regular DDP in the past. I would say the magic will be fully gone when It comes to eating at disney for the regular ddp purchasers. Now the pilot program that I read about doesn't say you can't stll get the good meat (entree) and regular dessert, with no app or that you are being forced to get the 3 course meal. But if it ever comes to that where you have to order off of a different menu to get your DDP 1 TS. I would never eat on site again using the regular DDP. I would also have giordanos deliver at least twice..:)
Whats your opinion?

[Tricia1972]

My opinion is 'Be careful what you wish for'

I think the posters name is Rachelsmom, she has a beautiful princess in her avatar picture. Anyway, she's said for a long time this year, since the removal of the appetizer - Be careful what you wish for.

She really believes that taking away the tip is a result of customer complaints

She also really believes that the removal of the appetizer is a result of customer complaints of too much food.

Now everyone is up in arms about the appetizer or a choice. This program is working well for Friday's and Applebee's - so Disney is going to give it a shot. Be careful what you wish for.

I think that these changes have less to do with customer requests or complaints, but Disney seeing a way they can increase their profits and 'save face' by hiding behind customer complaints.

The best way to thumb your nose to the pilot program at LeCellier is to NOT ORDER IT!!

If it doesn't fly at LeCell, then you won't see it at other Disney restaurants. If it does well at LeCell, then expect to see it everywhere.

[RACHELSMOM1]

Yes, that is what I believe in all walks of life!! :goodvibes I even learned a long time ago not to pray for patience, because God will surely give me a reason to have patience. ;) Now, about the dining plan, I remember last year when a lot of posters were saying they wanted the tip removed from the dp so they could determine how much tip to leave. Well, lo and behold, I guess Genie heard them and "poof" went the tip from the dp. The next complaint was "too much food" :confused3 and now the appetiser has disappeared. Why so many can complain about the dining plan is beyond comprehension, if they don't like it or don't want it, nobody is holding a gun to their head to be sure they buy it. They can still buy all their meals OOP with no questions asked. So, yes it was me who said be careful what you wish for, you just might get it. Once the changes are made to the dp, they more than likely will be there to stay.

[ChefColette]

Some Disney restaurants, like Chefs de France, have had this kind of tasting menu for ages. It's nothing new.

[Nie0214]

Now the pilot program that I read about doesn't say you can't stll get the good meat (entree) and regular dessert, with no app or that you are being forced to get the 3 course meal.

The specifics of the Le Cellier pilot program are here: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1949970 . The reasoning for it, I assume, is to get people to not get the $35 steak. It is probably much cheaper to make the soup at Le Cellier than it is to buy steaks. ;)

I had the Soup, Chicken, and S'mores when I did the pilot program on Sunday. They definitely did not skimp on the portion sizes. I was stuffed and the chicken was the same size as the chicken I had at Coral Reef. The soup was a full plate of soup, that I couldn't even eat half of.

I wouldn't worry about Disney making everything a 3 course. I'm pretty sure it is a secluded test just for Le Cellier because they know people go there to get an expensive steak while only paying the $38/day (or whatever DDP costs), so that one entree pays for the DDP for that whole day!

[TDC Nala]

Some Disney restaurants, like Chefs de France, have had this kind of tasting menu for ages. It's nothing new.

But Chefs de France offers one specific menu and will not allow it to be ordered on the dining plan.

I think the wave of the future may be the Le Cellier pilot menu (three courses, but cheapest menu items featured, mainly to entice the basic dining plan customers with an appetizer). This could be a good thing and a bad thing - if they can dissuade the dining plan customers from ordering the expensive entrees, they may offer more expensive entrees with quality increased. On the other hand, if they anticipate the vast majority of their guests being dining plan users, the whole menu could end up being like the pilot menu, at least at the 1 credit restaurants.

The way it's currently being offered at Le Cellier, even on the dining plan you are not required to order from the fixed "pilot" menu. But if you do, and you are on basic dining, you are restricted to the cheaper entrees; if you don't, you don't get that appetizer. They're leaving it up to the guest to choose for now. And if I recall, from the boards, a lot of guests said they wanted "a choice" and you get a choice: expensive entree, or appetizer and cheaper entree.

[septbaby]

The key to TGIF's and the like is two fold: 1) We are fat and can stand to eat less 2) we need a deal to come in. As for the price vs cost analysis, the are fixed cost of parking our fat behinds at a table and being served and the variable cost of the food we eat. The value price is low enough to bring in more diners, and give a break for having less food on the plate and still cover those fixed cost.

It is your choice to avoid places that offers these deals, but they are good deal for the consumer. Dinner brought to your table for $10-15 is hard to beat.

[ChefColette]

Artsist Point also has a similar menu.

[TDC Nala]

Artsist Point also has a similar menu.

Which also can't be ordered on the basic dining plan, because it includes appetizers. If you're on the basic plan, you are free to pick the same items offered on the price fix menu from the regular menu, with the exception of the appetizer. (You could order the appetizer also, but you'd have to pay extra for it as it isn't included in basic dining.)

The real difference with the Le Cellier pilot menu is that they are offering appetizers to basic dining plan guests who agree to accept the limited menu.

[jensen]

I don't eat steak and am not much of a sweet eater, so I rarely order a dessert. I almost always order an appy and I generally end up with one of the moderate priced entrees. So, the fixed price menu may be the thing that brings me back to the DDP. I'm staying tuned to this discussion to hear if more places will be offering this menu in time for my upcoming January trip.

[Lady V]

For me I think that sounds great....i never finish my meal there so it will be nice to get to have a little of different things instead of so much of one thing. I like it!!!

[WDisnut]

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