2008 DDP discussion, questions, rants and vents

[pinkerbell]

Disney will keep making the rules more and more specific until people simply can't take advantage anymore. Maybe they'll have to consider a daily expiration on credits- one CS TS and snack per day of your hotel stay and if you don't use it you lose it or something. It wouldn't surprise me if they did.

As far as using the child credit for adult meals goes, at this point it's obvious that even if no one here on the boards (and what do we matter anyway? LOL we don't )had any problem with anyone doing it in the past it's clear that Disney did because now people definitely can't do it.

I think it's sad when people justify their ways of going around the system by saying "I didn't think it up, fellow dis'ers did!" does it matter who thought it up? I guess as long a you're doing what 'works for you' then abusing the rules doesn't matter? I guess too as long as you have CM's who look the other way because they don't want the guest to make a scene, (I can sympathize, I've worked for Disney before) that makes it all okay?

I think it's all been said at this point already so I hope everybody else enjoys their time in this thread. I'm out.

wow.. well since this poster only likes to be heard & not to listen (by leaving the post) I'll reply to the poster being referenced. i think the response to your post is way off base. It reminds me of years ago when the speed limit was reduced from like 65 to 55 remember the whole "55 saves lives" campaign, ok for some I am showing my age, but the limit was reduced and yes, at least here in MA brought back up yrs later, but my point is, was I abusing the rules because I worked within them, when the limit was 65, that's what we traveled, when it was 55 we did that... and yes now 65 again! yea... It worked for me... I got to my destination sooner, heck, I didn't make the rules for the speed limit, but I did follow them and who would have thought that later they would reduce it, only to raise it again... Should I have been arrested for speeding once it was changed because I had traveled faster??? OP It may never have even crossed your mind (and why should it) that this would change.. If you have this kind of foresight... well, can you tell which stocks to buy??? This was clearly not a planned out abuse or deception... you used what you understood you were (and you were at that time! ) entitled to!

glad it worked for you.. from someone who doesnt belive there's not enough of everything a disney to go around for all of us!!!

And, No, I don't give meals to strangers or create ficticious (sp?) relatives. And yes I did leave credits on my last stay with the DDP...

 

[bicker]

Sure, a casino can ask someone to leave if they aren't gambling...but WDW isn't going to tell guests they have to go b/c they haven't bought enough Mickey dolls.

Absolutely. Disney will accomplish what they need to accomplish via profiling, product packaging and pricing, rather than by "asking someone to leave".

 

[leebee]

I LOVE the new dining plan. I am hoping it will make it easier for those of us who cannot afford to stay on-site to get reservations in the table service restaurants. If you are a last-minute planner like me, it's been almost impossible to get reservations at many of the restaurants as so many people took advantage (and I don't mean that in a bad way) of the dining plan, expecially when it was free! Restaurants were booked solid months in advance, long before I'd even considered a WDW trip!

 

[canwegosoon]

Sure, a casino can ask someone to leave if they aren't gambling...but WDW isn't going to tell guests they have to go b/c they haven't bought enough Mickey dolls. I know it's not a straight comparison b/c the casino is obviously losing money on their dinner and disney probably isn't (except for free ddp). The point is that disney gets a group of people with a strong incentive to stay on-property their entire stay, giving disney more opportunities to work their marketing mojo (which, let's face it, they're pretty good at).

Disney is making so much money from so many sources(unlike a casino) that the point is really mute. If you have a theme park and hotels you have to have dining -to provide a service-I highly doubt disney is loosing money on the food plan(2007 or 2008 or even the 2006 with all the loop holes). I personally believe that the changes were made it increase profits(hate to tell you the goal of any corporation) and to appease the union issue( allowing for waitstaff to have the opportunity to "earn" more than the standard 18%)

For me the DDP is still a great value, but that is a personal decision...we probablly will also be doing DDE too for March 08/09 so it is all up in the air. We will go on vacation and spend money on meals that is within our budget-that is our business-what WDW does is theirs(they are a business and have responsibilities to stockholders).

 

[trivial]

I LOVE the new dining plan. I am hoping it will make it easier for those of us who cannot afford to stay on-site to get reservations in the table service restaurants.

Correct me if I'm wrong -- and I could very well be -- but isn't the dining plan available to guests staying at a Disney resort only? (By the way, staying on-site doesn't have to be expensive; look into value resorts or renting DVC points.)

 

[Colleen27]

Disney will keep making the rules more and more specific until people simply can't take advantage anymore. Maybe they'll have to consider a daily expiration on credits- one CS TS and snack per day of your hotel stay and if you don't use it you lose it or something. It wouldn't surprise me if they did.

It would surprise me, because it would discourage the use of the plan for breakfasts if you couldn't do both breakfast & dinner in one day, discourage people from buying the plan despite spending a day or two at Universal because it would eliminate the ability to "make up for" those missed days by using more credits on other days, eliminate the option to make the plan work with the F&W Festival because who wants to use only one snack credit at the tasting booths, and make a plan that some already complain is too restrictive even more restrictive. Not to mention eliminating all the siganture restaurants from the dining plan. And for what? It doesn't matter if I use a snack credit for breakfast every morning or if I use them all at Goofy's on our checkout day. It is still costing Disney $3-ish per snack times however many snacks are included on the plan.

I can understand Disney cracking down on the abuses of the plan (and whether or not it was doable or even suggested by some CMs, using child's credits for adult meals was always abuse IMO - the wording of the brochure made it clear that child plan entitlements were intended for kids' meals). I can understand Disney limiting the snack options, not to the specifics mentioned in the brochure but cutting back so that a family can no longer get breakfast for 4 out of 2 snack credits. But I can't see any reason why they would make the plan as restrictive as only allowing one credit to be used per day.

 

[pilferk]

Just a quick point (and I have no strong opinion on this matter, FYI) on the "using kids credits for adult meals" thing:

My understanding (though I could be wrong....anyone have the old brochures?) was the RULES have always been that child credits are for use for childs meals, off the kids menus. It's certainly true in the paper brochure I have from '06 (and we know it was true for the '07 brochure). In reading the brochures, that certainly seemed to be the intent and spirit of the program, and was even detailed pretty clearly.

The SYSTEM wasn't set up to distinguish between the two types of credits. To the Disney System, a credit was a credit. Because of that, the ABILITY to "work the system" and use a childs credit at an adult meal existed. But that doesn't mean it was "allowed"....it just meant the system was poorly designed and they couldn't stop you. They fixed it and now credits are designated within their system as adult or child.

Now, personally, whether you worked the system or not....I don't care.

 

[Colleen27]

Just a quick point (and I have no strong opinion on this matter, FYI) on the "using kids credits for adult meals" thing:

My understanding (though I could be wrong....anyone have the old brochures?) was the RULES have always been that child credits are for use for childs meals, off the kids menus. It's certainly true in the paper brochure I have from '06 (and we know it was true for the '07 brochure). In reading the brochures, that certainly seemed to be the intent and spirit of the program, and was even detailed pretty clearly.

The SYSTEM wasn't set up to distinguish between the two types of credits. To the Disney System, a credit was a credit. Because of that, the ABILITY to "work the system" and use a childs credit at an adult meal existed. But that doesn't mean it was "allowed"....it just meant the system was poorly designed and they couldn't stop you. They fixed it and now credits are designated within their system as adult or child.
.

Exactly. We were there on the DDP in 2005, and the brochure specified that kids had to order off the kids menu. The system wasn't set up to enforce that wording, but the rule was there in black and white.

 

[Lewisc]

I personally believe that the changes were made it increase profits(hate to tell you the goal of any corporation) and to appease the union issue( allowing for waitstaff to have the opportunity to "earn" more than the standard 18%)

I agree the reason for the changes was to make the plan more profitable. Several servers said it was Disney who insisted on removing the requirement for the included tip in the new union contract. Transferring the responsibility for tipping from Disney to the customer makes the plan more profitable. Being able to attribute the change to either requests made by servers or customers is nothing more then great spin control.

 

[canwegosoon]

Transferring the responsibility for tipping from Disney to the customer makes the plan more profitable. Being able to attribute the change to either requests made by servers or customers is nothing more then great spin control.

So true Lewis...forgot about that-less responsibility to cover costs for WDW. I am hoping that not too many servers are disappointed with the changes(because instead of getting a gaurenteed 18%- they now are at the mercy of patrons again, and we all know that there will be many problems).

 

[homeboycartel]

subscribing

 

[Laren]

wow.. well since this poster only likes to be heard & not to listen (by leaving the post) I'll reply to the poster being referenced. i think the response to your post is way off base. It reminds me of years ago when the speed limit was reduced from like 65 to 55 remember the whole "55 saves lives" campaign, ok for some I am showing my age, but the limit was reduced and yes, at least here in MA brought back up yrs later, but my point is, was I abusing the rules because I worked within them, when the limit was 65, that's what we traveled, when it was 55 we did that... and yes now 65 again! yea... It worked for me... I got to my destination sooner, heck, I didn't make the rules for the speed limit, but I did follow them and who would have thought that later they would reduce it, only to raise it again... Should I have been arrested for speeding once it was changed because I had traveled faster??? OP It may never have even crossed your mind (and why should it) that this would change.. If you have this kind of foresight... well, can you tell which stocks to buy??? This was clearly not a planned out abuse or deception... you used what you understood you were (and you were at that time! ) entitled to!

glad it worked for you.. from someone who doesnt belive there's not enough of everything a disney to go around for all of us!!!

And, No, I don't give meals to strangers or create ficticious (sp?) relatives. And yes I did leave credits on my last stay with the DDP...

I'm listening. I just didn't plan to post further comments. But since you say I post and run, I wanted to assure you otherwise

~Laren

 

[leebee]

trivial, I was being silly. Yes, the plan is only available to those on-site. Once the most recent (until now) iteration of the plan was instituted, it seemed like MANY more on-site guests were making TS reservations, and especially during the times the plan was offered for free. It was becoming really difficult to get reservations at the last minute, i.e., within a week or two of arriving at the park. I am suspecting that with the dining plan no longer such an amazing deal, fewer people will purchase it, resulting in more on-site guests using counter service more often and table service restaurants less frequently.

And as far as it not being more expensive to stay onsite, I beg to differ. I have stayed in value and moderate resorts, and rented points from DVC. I still get WAY more for my dollar when we stay off-site- but that's a discussion for a different board!

 

[kowalchicky]

I just found out about the dining plan changes. I must say I am highly disappointed in Disney. We paid for the dining plan last year and were very pleased with the entire experience. It was very convenient.
I just want to make sure that I'm reading it right.....The same plan that was offered last year is now roughly $30.00 more for an adult and the gratuity is not included?
I definatley think this change was a step backwards for Disney

 

[marivaid]

I just want to make sure that I'm reading it right.....The same plan that was offered last year is now roughly $30.00 more for an adult and the gratuity is not included?
I definatley think this change was a step backwards for Disney

No, there are 2 different dining plans for 2008.

Basic is almost the same as 2007's dining plan, except that there is no longer an appetizer included in the TS credit and that tips aren't included.
That plan is $37.99 per day for adults.

Deluxe includes 3 credits a day that can all be used at TS. That one does include appetizers, but tips still aren't included. There are some snack credits as well but I can't recall how many.
That plan is $69.99 per day for adults.

 

[kowalchicky]

OH! So the basic plan is the same....just no appetizer during a TS and the tip is not included

so basic consist of a snack,CS,TS each day?

 

[racefanof88]

OH! So the basic plan is the same....just no appetizer during a TS and the tip is not included

so basic consist of a snack,CS,TS each day?

Yes you still get 1 TS, 1 CS and 1 snack per person per day on the plan. The cost went down by a dollar but it does not include a tip nor an appy.

I don't have a problem with the tip being gone I just wish I could have chose between an appy or a dessert.

Our next trip will be the first for us on the DDP and I am sooooooooooo looking forward to it.

 

[heaven2dc]

I was looking forward to the old dining plan since I finally got everybody to agree to it and now it seems you get less "bang for your buck". I'm feeling like everybody on here is kind of 50/50 on liking the new plan (my youngest was excited about getting to order an appetizer with his meal, now it will have to be out of pocket - like mine lol).

As an afterthought, I'm not as upset about the tip not being included because I always tip according to the service and if the Plan doesn't include enough, I would have made sure excellent service was accommodated for. And I agree with some on here that there seemed to be a lot of food wasted but having 4 boys, we most likely wouldn't have wasted any food. I'm curious to see as well if free dining will be offered after the Fall.

Has anyone whose had the DDP preferred to just pay-out-of-pocket?

 

[WETWHISTLE]

We had the DDP this past trip and LOVED it. We thought about not getting the DDP this next trip, but then we'd be spending so much more OOP. I mean, 2 CS meals for lunch cost about $30! Wow. I know we wouldn't have to get desserts with it, but we did like that! So we're going to be getting the DDP, paying OOP for appetizers, gratuity, and 3 character breakfasts.

In the end we'll only be saving about $100.

 

[karylrocks]

Sorry if this has already been asked (don't have time to read the whole thread) but would the tip still be included in a character meal since those are priced to include tips already? Most of our TS meals would probably be used for character meals (we love them!).

No appetizer doesn't bother me at all because I can't eat an appetizer plus an entree; most of the time I can't even finish the entree, let alone the dessert (I'll be stockpiling rice crispy treats whenever possible ).