2008 DDP discussion, questions, rants and vents

[mickey2000]

Unless you know something the rest of us don't, I don't think we "know" anything.

The assumption most of us are making is that this will proceed llike last year and those resturants will "join" up. It does not appear they are contractually obligated to "join up" as there are DTD resturants who don't.......

So keep watching....

I agree ! Also I wouldn't be surprised if they (in 2008) cheapen the meals with less expensive choices like chicken. I have already seen over the years less choices. Steak is a good example of this.
Look what they did at Mama Melrose, no standard bread or butter for your meal ? Its now a fancy appetizer that you will have to pay for OOP .
IMO its just typical of the Disney for the past 8 years or so. They get a good thing and MILK it for every cent they can until they kill it.
Some examples:
1. Limited art cells.
2. Beanie babies
3. Pins
Even most of the merchandise at WDW isn't specific to that store.
You see most of the same generic merchandise everywhere!
New guests have nothing to compare with, thats what Disney knows.
THUS WHY CARE what we think!
The new DDP might be good for some however your never going to be able to compare it with the old plans. Its just obvious. More money

 

[mickey2000]

I am a server, and I would rather take my chance on tips. Sure an %18 percent guarauntee is nice, but I get lots of folks that tip way more.
If your %18 percent tip is say $18.50, and its added in your bill, thats what you pay, the exact total.

If you have to add gratuity, you may just round up to $20.
If you have 30 + tables per shift, thats a lot of money.

True.....
Not me but some others on thier once in a life time visit on the plan might think " Well I don't know the sever and will never be back or see them again"
10% is ok ! My budget is geetting low after all those gifts
Its not right but could happen!

 

[CarolA]

On August 5th I spoke with a VM and questioned about any chagnes in participation of restuarants in the Deluxe Plan. The CM stated the while at the trainning seminar he made the smae inquiry as well and that he was informed that Fultons Crab house and Portobello's would be included in the Deluxe plan.

I declined booking at that time to review the plan and will decide after the updates are issued.

I also inquired about the Yak and Yetti restaurant and he stated that they would be included since that is a "Disney" restaurant. The T Rex restaurant is behind schedule but it is also a Landry's restaurant so I would not look for them to be on the plan.

So....who knows it is all speculation to me until ......updates given by Disney.

I was very much under the impression that Yak N Yeti was going to be managed by the same people that manage Fultons?
I would also be very suprised to find Fultons and/or Portobello back in. They have continued to stay out of all Disney Discounts. They don't do DDE either. They do give a lunch discount to DVC members (maybe dinner too, I can't recall)

However, as you realize, CMs are not good souces of info. There was one post in this "MEGA" thread where a CM told a guest that you could swap a desert for an appetizer. Several other posters have gotten definitive NOs on this so.......

(My theory. Disney doesn't tell these folks anything but SOME CMs and thier supervisors are unable to admit that. So they pass on what they "think" will happen as the truth. If you ever read the resorts codes boards you will see daily examples. Same day one person is told "NO AP DISCOUNTS coming for the month of XYZ" another caller gets "AP discounts will be released tomorrow" and both of them turn out to be wrong. LOL!

 

[Lewisc]

On August 5th I spoke with a VM and questioned about any chagnes in participation of restuarants in the Deluxe Plan. The CM stated the while at the trainning seminar he made the smae inquiry as well and that he was informed that Fultons Crab house and Portobello's would be included in the Deluxe plan.

I declined booking at that time to review the plan and will decide after the updates are issued.

I also inquired about the Yak and Yetti restaurant and he stated that they would be included since that is a "Disney" restaurant. The T Rex restaurant is behind schedule but it is also a Landry's restaurant so I would not look for them to be on the plan.

So....who knows it is all speculation to me until ......updates given by Disney.

Yak and Yetti is also a Landry restaurant consequently the CM you spoke to doesn't have the slightest idea what he's talking about.

Based on the cost structure of the deluxe dining plan I'll speculate the restaurants are being paid the same amount of money for deluxe guests as they're being paid for the basic plan guests, possibly a couple of dollars more to cover the appetizer but I wouldn't even count on that. I'd be surprised if there are restaurants that participate with the deluxe plan and not with the basic plan.

 

[kcminnie]

I am a server, and I would rather take my chance on tips. Sure an %18 percent guarauntee is nice, but I get lots of folks that tip way more.
If your %18 percent tip is say $18.50, and its added in your bill, thats what you pay, the exact total.

If you have to add gratuity, you may just round up to $20.
If you have 30 + tables per shift, thats a lot of money.

My family always tips 20%. For my family of five we normally only order one sometime 2 appetizers and hardly ever have room for desert. Last year on the dining plan we each order appetizer and desert with our meal. These items increased the final amount on our bill and our server was tipped 18% of that. Now if my dinner was $250 on the dining plan you would get 18% of that. If I'm not on the dining plan our bill would be a lot less and your 20% I tip you would be less. So using me as your customer your tip will be lower. I think the servers at Disneyworld in the end will lose out by not having the tip incl in the dining plan. Plus I always left an extra tip because you were only getting 18% & I thought that was lower than what we usually leave.

 

[bicker]

Unless you know something the rest of us don't, I don't think we "know" anything.

I said "As far as we know..." -- not "We know..." What we know is that the list in the brochure that comes out in August of the previous year is pretty-much irrelevant and that the list of participating restaurants from the current year's brochure is closer to the reality. Make sense?

 

[the Fidge]

I guess I should clarify to some so that way no one is under the imprssion that what any CM is fact.

Yak and Yetti 80% interest held by Landry's, that is why I found the CM's comments so amusing!

OK SO FOR ALL FOLKS I THOUGHT I STATED BUT AHHHH I COULD BE REMISS,

ANY STATEMENT FROM A CM IS 99% GUESS, SPECUALTION AND ANYTHING THAT MAY SWAY YOU TO INFACT BOOK WHILE YOU ARE ON THE PHONE AS APOSED TO WAITING TILL THE FACTS ARE COMMITED TO PAPER BY WALT DISNEY WORLD.

THANK YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY!

Additional note that same CM was not aware that T REx is commited to Downtown Disney and he was even there the night before, sheesh!

 

[bicker]

I thought folks might get a kick out of reading this old thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1190093

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

I haven't read through all the previous pages, so I'm sure this has been said before, but we won't be using the DDP again (although we used it several times this past year.)

Assuming a typical meal at Le Cellier, and our usual 20% tip (our daughters were both servers at one time and so we might tip a little more than some) the per person per day charge for DDP would go up to at least $54 per person per day (to subtract one dollar for the plan but add an appetizer and tip.) I know we would probably skip the appetizer in real life, but that's a huge 38% increase in the cost of the DDP for the same value as 2007. NOT worth it for our family!

 

[mickey2000]

I haven't read through all the previous pages, so I'm sure this has been said before, but we won't be using the DDP again (although we used it several times this past year.)

Assuming a typical meal at Le Cellier, and our usual 20% tip (our daughters were both servers at one time and so we might tip a little more than some) the per person per day charge for DDP would go up to at least $54 per person per day (to subtract one dollar for the plan but add an appetizer and tip.) I know we would probably skip the appetizer in real life, but that's a huge 38% increase in the cost of the DDP for the same value as 2007. NOT worth it for our family!

Your correct! The real test is to compare it with 2007

 

[Hodder]

I don't have a problem w/the way the new plan is laid out. Alot of people were complaining about too much food and taking away the appetizer is a good way to cut down on it. Then again our family would rather dessert...LOL but I guess some are right in that it could be changed to a choice between app. or dessert maybe? Regarding the tip...that doesn't bother me as well. While I didn't receive bad service there last time I did receive some shall I say indifferent service. I won't mind leaving my own tip. I guess that maybe when they bring the bill for you to sign the tip would show there??? That way you would know how much and if you feel your service sucked then you would ask for the manager.

We probably won't be back for another 2yrs at least after this trip anyway. But The new 2008 plan I would still purchase it because it is a good value to me to have the meal itself prepaid.

 

[medalla74]

That depends on the family.

???

 

[mickey2000]

???

 

[trivial]

Alot of people were complaining about too much food and taking away the appetizer is a good way to cut down on it.

Surely you don't really think Disney's doing this for the benefit of its customers, do you? A better way to deal with complaining about too much food would be to reduce the portion sizes, not to cut out one of the courses altogether.

 

[Luv2Roam]

For those who may be interested --
Apply for the Levy's Preferred card on their website.
It's free. (Unless that has changed since I joined a few years ago. But I don't think it has.)
Members get special offers, discounts and points when dining that will add up to Levy gift cards. Can't double up on discounts and promotions. But that is the only catch. And the card is good at Levy restaurants across the U.S. (Levyrestaurants.com, and look under Levy Preferred.)

 

[bicker]

The real test is to compare it with 2007

That's not the case. Rather, the real test is to compare it to the available alternatives for 2008.

 

[mickey2000]

That's not the case. Rather, the real test is to compare it to the available alternatives for 2008.

IMO Guess thats all thats left ( alternatives for 2008 ) after seeing that its not as good as 2007 for my budget...

JMO !!!!!

38% increase = SHRINKING

for extras ,,,,

 

[the Fidge]

Hey now when did you snap that picture of my family??

 

[mickey2000]

Hey now when did you snap that picture of my family??

Thought it would make you smile after whatever was said to you ??????

 

[racefanof88]

I thought folks might get a kick out of reading this old thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1190093

This is too funny. But the thing I think is the funniest is the posts stating people were abusing the ddp buy getting every pennies worth by using all their credits. I wonder how may of these people go to the gas pumps and pay for $20.00 in gas and only get $15.00 and say "if I got the full 20 that would be abusing the system", or go to the grocery store and pay for $200.00 worth and telling the cashier "I am paying the full 200 but only taking 150.00 worth cause I don't want to abuse the grocery store".

No matter what the system or the plan there are always gonna be people who abuse things and people who complain. Sometimes ya just gotta mind your own and roll with the flow.