2008 DDP discussion, questions, rants and vents

[Pumbaa_]

Now that the 2008 DDP plan has been officially announced by Disney, this thread will contain all discussions on the DDP 2008 plan.

Please keep all questions, comments rants vents tantrums woohoos and anything else you can think of on this thread.

Here is a link to the DIS 2008 DDP information
Thanks!

 

[Iggipolka]

Could someone please post the details of the new plans? I'm trying to see what the difference is between the Regular Dining Plan and the Deluxe Dining Plan.
Also, what's the major differences between the 2007 Plan and the 2008 Plan?
Thanks!

 

[Laren]

So far major differences seem to be:

On the "Basic" plan, there is no more appetizer with your TS.

Some restaurants (Epcot ones, esp.) are not included on the DDP.

And the biggie: The gratuity is no longer included. This is the one that seems to really be getting people.

Apparently, if I understand correctly there is a 'deluxe' plan that is more expensive in which you can still get your appetizer. But no included gatuity with that one either.

We got DDP for the first time with our package this trip (9/07) because it happened to be offered for free (we had already booked our plane tickets for the dates in question) and will likely be having our only experience with it this trip- I don't think it's worth all the bother after that with the new rules.

I am not personally at all surprised by the changes though, and here are my own personal opinions why (you can take em or leave em LOL) I say this as a person with more than 40 WDW trips under her belt in the past 36 years.

1. I personally believe people took advantage. They just had to cash in every single snack credit (even during free dining) instead of just eating what they needed to be full on the trip and letting it go. Think of what would happen with your average buffet place in hometown USA if they let people pack bags of food to take with. They'd be out of business soon.

2. I think that people's remarks about there being 'just too much food' got through to Disney finally.

3. I think that service likely declined (ONLY by some servers) with the gratuity automatically included, and as someone who tips BIG for good service (We plan to tip over and above the added tip on our DDP this fall for great service) I think the servers should have to earn their tips. For most Disney servers who excel, they won't have a problem, except with the people who are so cheap that they only eat TS because it's free (or cheap) with the DDP.

4. all these people sharing meals, ordering free extra buns with their burgers, etc. to save fifty cents are finally adding up and hurting Disney. They have to step in and draw a line somewhere. So many people have been trying to share meals on the plan, etc, they have to set some rules.

Again, these are only my opinions. A lot of people who are used to the plan will be ticked that it's changing. For us, we have found planning the trip a lot more tiresome with it LOL. We figure getting it once for free is a gift; we'll enjoy it, eat what we need to and then next time, likely go back to CS most meals with a few special TS meals on our trip as big occasions.

My next prediction: that free dining won't be offered come fall of 08. I think they did it purely to drive up tourism after 9/11 and the hurricanes; they won't need to again in the future. Wait till the ruckus starts with that! LOL

Laren

 

[DisneyTabby]

We were thinking of going next December and I just went on the DisneyWorld website and these are the prices I got.

11/29/08 to 12/06/08 ASMO pref.room w/ PH / dining-$2967 , deluxe dining $3863.


12/06/08 to 12/13/08 POLY/LAG.VIEW/PH/ dining-$5657.96, deluxe dining 6553.96

Wow,that's a lot!!! A DisneyCruise may be cheaper or we may be waiting an extra year at these prices and we go twice a year!

 

[TDC Nala]

Some restaurants (Epcot ones, esp.) are not included on the DDP.

This is probably the same thing that occurred last year; when the packages were announced, they had yet to work out the contracts with the non-Disney-owned restaurants, which did not appear on the dining plan lists. There was a lot of complaining on the boards about most of the Epcot restaurants being excluded. These were added to the plan later, probably after the contracts were finalized.

The deluxe plan appears to be three meals per day and you can choose table or counter service, with the understanding that signature dining and dinner shows will still count as 2 meals. So there is a bit more to it than the fact that the appetizer is included.

 

[Laren]

This is probably the same thing that occurred last year; when the packages were announced, they had yet to work out the contracts with the non-Disney-owned restaurants, which did not appear on the dining plan lists. There was a lot of complaining on the boards about most of the Epcot restaurants being excluded. These were added to the plan later, probably after the contracts were finalized.

The deluxe plan appears to be three meals per day and you can choose table or counter service, with the understanding that signature dining and dinner shows will still count as 2 meals. So there is a bit more to it than the fact that the appetizer is included.

TYVM! I appreciate the info and I know everybody else will to!

 

[JimMIA]

I'm out!

 

[CarolA]

So far major differences seem to be:

On the "Basic" plan, there is no more appetizer with your TS.

Some restaurants (Epcot ones, esp.) are not included on the DDP.

And the biggie: The gratuity is no longer included. This is the one that seems to really be getting people.

Apparently, if I understand correctly there is a 'deluxe' plan that is more expensive in which you can still get your appetizer. But no included gatuity with that one either.

We got DDP for the first time with our package this trip (9/07) because it happened to be offered for free (we had already booked our plane tickets for the dates in question) and will likely be having our only experience with it this trip- I don't think it's worth all the bother after that with the new rules.

I am not personally at all surprised by the changes though, and here are my own personal opinions why (you can take em or leave em LOL) I say this as a person with more than 40 WDW trips under her belt in the past 36 years.

1. I personally believe people took advantage. They just had to cash in every single snack credit (even during free dining) instead of just eating what they needed to be full on the trip and letting it go. Think of what would happen with your average buffet place in hometown USA if they let people pack bags of food to take with. They'd be out of business soon.

2. I think that people's remarks about there being 'just too much food' got through to Disney finally.

3. I think that service likely declined (ONLY by some servers) with the gratuity automatically included, and as someone who tips BIG for good service (We plan to tip over and above the added tip on our DDP this fall for great service) I think the servers should have to earn their tips. For most Disney servers who excel, they won't have a problem, except with the people who are so cheap that they only eat TS because it's free (or cheap) with the DDP.

4. all these people sharing meals, ordering free extra buns with their burgers, etc. to save fifty cents are finally adding up and hurting Disney. They have to step in and draw a line somewhere. So many people have been trying to share meals on the plan, etc, they have to set some rules.

Again, these are only my opinions. A lot of people who are used to the plan will be ticked that it's changing. For us, we have found planning the trip a lot more tiresome with it LOL. We figure getting it once for free is a gift; we'll enjoy it, eat what we need to and then next time, likely go back to CS most meals with a few special TS meals on our trip as big occasions.

My next prediction: that free dining won't be offered come fall of 08. I think they did it purely to drive up tourism after 9/11 and the hurricanes; they won't need to again in the future. Wait till the ruckus starts with that! LOL

Laren

Very good post.

I think that there have been a few other considerations that may be valid.

1. Elimination of one course reduces the time you spend taking up a table allowing for "faster turn" and seating more diners. (Reducing the "Whining" over "I can't get an ADR")

2. Elimination of the appetizer reduces the "share" options. Most of us know that the appetizer is meal sized. It was not the dining plan intent for 4 adults to get 8 TS meals out of thier four night stay....

3. Over on the DVC board we did an analysis. This plan had to be "losing money" Now while Disney might have been willing to "loss lead" with dining to fill it's rooms, the increase in tourism has made that probably not as necessary, plus they HAD to be subsidizing the managed resturants who don't care if Disney's "lodging division" is having record profits....

 

[mickey2000]

Finally made up my mind! Di$ney has made it for me

 

[Laren]

Very good post.

I think that there have been a few other considerations that may be valid.

1. Elimination of one course reduces the time you spend taking up a table allowing for "faster turn" and seating more diners. (Reducing the "Whining" over "I can't get an ADR")

2. Elimination of the appetizer reduces the "share" options. Most of us know that the appetizer is meal sized. It was not the dining plan intent for 4 adults to get 8 TS meals out of thier four night stay....

3. Over on the DVC board we did an analysis. This plan had to be "losing money" Now while Disney might have been willing to "loss lead" with dining to fill it's rooms, the increase in tourism has made that probably not as necessary, plus they HAD to be subsidizing the managed resturants who don't care if Disney's "lodging division" is having record profits....

Thank you for your kind words. Your points are great here, esp. the part about loss lead and lodging.

Everyone knows tourism tanked after 9/11 and was not helped at all by the hurricanes a couple years back. Now people are returning to travel in general (look at the airline industry!) and more people are willing to pull their kids out of school in the fall to enjoy lower crowds, etc. . .they won't need to take the losses to book the rooms. Simple as that. So why should they??? I just wish the money they'll make trickled down to the average hourly CM but that is another thread entirely

You're right on the appetizers too they are huge!

And you can't tell me that with all of the people posting about 'sharing' with their kids because they 'don't eat too much' or whatever and wanting to use their kid's TS at a later time to 'share' again hasn't had an effect on the plan, either. Again, everyone pays for the people who don't follow the rules. . .if so many people post about doing it you know there are way more actually doing it who don't post.

Maybe with less people on the dining plan, less multiple ADR's will be booked and it'll be a little easier on those who do want to do TS, dining plan or no, to get ressies!

 

[4 mickey]

Hi
I'm all with you Laren
I mean about the fact that some people had to USE everything on their package ...complaining about a few cents for extra bun , sharing of meals .....
I mean wdw has a lot of expenses and wasnt making money at all on some guest they did give ddp for getting guests in hurricane seasons ... But it wont keep me from buying ddp or deluxe ddp because all in all only fast food would not go for me ,
Even the buying of just one day passes for ddp the whole lenght of stay will not last in my opinion , I like when I go and there is new attractions , new shows ,new restaurants buses to runs,,,,, all of that as a price .
I for one would have loved for it to stay the way it was but quite frankly understands.
But I know what it means for some of you a trip longer to get the money together .

 

[TDC Nala]

I can't blame anybody for wanting to use everything in their package. I'll definitely be doing that for my "free" dining packages.

I do also believe that Disney has been offering too much in an attempt to get attendance up and now it's going to shift a bit.

 

[Colleen27]

We booked for January, having decided to push our Dec trip back a bit to try out the new deluxe dining plan, since this will be our all-out, last-time-for-a-few-years trip. Just as some background - we were booked at the Dolphin, waiting on codes that might have brought us back on property, undecided about the dining plan because we had 16 TS credits worth of meals booked for an 11 night trip and because we don't care for CS at all. I was thrilled with the quote I got this morning, $5144 for 11 nights at POFQ for 2A/2C with the deluxe plan, because it was less than I was expecting Dec to cost.

However, that's not what my thoughts were about. When I was talking to the CM in CRO, she said she had personally fielded a lot of questions in the past about the dining plan as it exists now from people who wanted 3 meals per day. So obviously there was customer demand for this plan, even if it isn't real popular here on the DIS, and it is nice to see Disney responding.

Something else a CM told me this morning, this time when I called the dining line to change my ADRs, is that WDW-DINE CMs received a memo regarding the missing restaurants this morning. They are supposed to inform dining plan guests when they are making ADRs for restaurants that aren't currently listed, but also mention that contracts for 2008 are not yet final and more restaurants are likely to be added - basically, what we already know from experienced DIS'ers. No new info, but hearing it from the source did make me feel better about the restaurants that are still missing eventually being added.

As far as the concern over ADRs with the new plan starting, I'm feeling good about it. I cancelled my Dec ADRs today and made almost all of my Jan ADRs. Of 21 ADRs I wanted, I got every single one, even Cinderella's Royal Table lunch and Le Cellier dinner , and I got them all within 10 minutes of the time I requested. I was pleasantly surprised - I called first thing in the morning, 180 out for our Dec dates and ended up with a later than I wanted dinner at LeCellier and dinner at CRT. So from my experience, it definately feels like ADRs are easier to get for Jan, at least so far.

I'm really loving the whole deluxe plan idea. It is soooooo unbelievably nice to sit down and plan our dates without having to decide "California Grill or Narcoosees", "Which two do we most want to try - Le Cellier or Marrakesh or Teppan Edo or Coral Reef?" And it is even better not to be looking at CS menus trying to find a place that we'd all agree upon. I have 4 CS meals built into our plan, and they're all places we want to eat rather than places we'll settle for because we have credits to use.

 

[Colleen27]

The deluxe plan appears to be three meals per day and you can choose table or counter service, with the understanding that signature dining and dinner shows will still count as 2 meals. So there is a bit more to it than the fact that the appetizer is included.

Yep. According to the brochure and to CRO, the credits will be handled the same way as the dining plan has been handled thus far. You get 3 meal credits per person per day and they can be used however you see fit - CS or TS or 2 credit signature dining.

 

[lindamomof3]

We are going in Feb and thinking of doing deluxe- My dh, 3 kids and i will be there a week. My parents are coming for a day and not doing dining plan. My dh is going to play golf and i want my mom to help me take the kids to CRT. Can i just use dh's points for the day since he wont be there anyway?

thanks

 

[lovedcookie]

Anyone know how much the 2008 DDP costs?
Thanks!
Erica

 

[momma23boys]

I have read that the snacks are changing in 2008. The brochure on Disney's website looks exactly like 2007 for the snacks. They only list a select few even though once inside the parks, lots of items are included. Have people seen an actual list of snacks included or are they just anticipating changes? I thought you would have to wait until you get there in 2008 to see what was and what wasn't included. (Or just watch the Dis)

 

[jtnsami]

Subscribing

I'm still trying to figure out which one will be worth the $. I like the idea that the refillable mugs come with the deluxe plan. The thing is that it's just me and DS going this year. The positive side is that I like knowing all things are paid for in advance.

 

[TDC Nala]

Subscribing

I'm still trying to figure out which one will be worth the $. I like the idea that the refillable mugs come with the deluxe plan. The thing is that it's just me and DS going this year. The positive side is that I like knowing all things are paid for in advance.

No matter which plan you select, all things won't be paid for in advance. You will have to pay the gratuities on either plan.

 

[jtnsami]

I've looked at both the plans, and why are there more participating restaurants on the DDP than on the Deluxe? Are they just not finished with the Deluxe yet?

No gratuity doesn't really bother me. Being a server for 11 years, I don't mind paying. I know they work their patoots off and deserve a great tip. At least most do.