2008 Ddp

[dollypins]

I have read on different threads that some do not mind paying the gratuity out of pocket. Don't they realize they are paying that plus the gratuity amount that was originally figured into the old dining plan? I mean, they only reduced the amount of the plan by $l.00. if they reduced the plan by the average appetizer $ and gratuity amount originally figured in, then it would be a good deal!

 

[JimMIA]

Apparently not. I read some of those threads with great amusement!

"Nobody's going to tell me how much to tip! I'll just pay essentially the same price for much less food, and pay the darn tip myself!"

When you look at some of the logic on the DDP Board -- especially the financial logic -- you sometimes don't know whether to laugh or cry.

 

[DeeCee735]

I really really looked into the DDP for this year because of how much it changed. I actually looked at all the menus of the restaurants my DH and I like to eat at, i.e. LeCellier, Big River Grille, Kona, Ohana, Boma, Whispering Canyon Cafe, etc.

So I took a look at the Deluxe Plan because we are considering that for part of our upcoming trip and it seems to be a good deal, considering it costs just under $70 pp. It includes the appetizer and I think even with a gratuity it'll be worth it. It doesn't save as much as last years, but a savings still if we use it the way we plan to. Seems to be to make the most out of it, planning is key.

We are staying one night in AKV and three nights in BWV, then going to HH. I asked the CM if we can add the Deluxe plan to the first night and then put the basic plan on the other three nights, and he said yes.

We plan to have one sit down meal on the day of arrival - check in day at AKV Sunday - early dinner. Save the other two sit downs for day of check out, as it's good til midnight of check out day. That will also be our check in day at BWV, Monday. We will be able to use those two left over sit downs for lunch and dinner on Monday, while our basic plan kicks in that day as well. Since we are leaving very early on Thursday morning to drive to HH, we will only have Tuesday and Wednesday for use with the basic plan. So.....we will have 2 sit downs for Tuesday, plus whatever snacks. Wednesday we can use the last sit down on the basic plan for dinner, and two counter service meals - which we plan to use at either Pepper Mill at CS, or Mara at AKV, or Boatwrights at POR, or Earl of Sandwich in DTD, depending on where we are for lunch, and at BW bakery for breakfast (egg sandwiches) - snack can be used for the coffee and/or select pastries. Leaving a quick service and snack for Thursday a.m. - plan to use them at BW Bakery and take the food with us for the ride to HH.

I think even with the gratuity this is going to work out in our favor. Will post afterwards (this is not until April) to let you folks know how we liked it.

So far, this is our take on the new DDP. I know we'll enjoy checking it out!

 

[Jeremy&Susan]

When you look at some of the logic on the DDP Board -- especially the financial logic -- you sometimes don't know whether to laugh or cry.

It makes you feel even worse when some claim to be MBAs or tax consultants and then they hand out information that truely makes no financial sense.
I feel bad for the their clients or customers if they really are in positions of financial authority.

 

[JimMIA]

It makes you feel even worse when some claim to be MBAs or tax consultants and then they hand out information that truely makes no financial sense.
I feel bad for the their clients or customers if they really are in positions of financial authority.

I'm not surprised by a lot of that! Pobody's Nerfect!

The main thing is Disney does such a masterful job of marketing. A good friend and mentor of mine once told me, "If you let me frame the conversation, I can win any debate." I watched him do it for years, and he was really something to watch.

Disney does the same thing -- all they have to do to make DDP look good to most folks is to frame the conversation into a comparison between the cost of DDP vs the menu prices of the meals. If you make that comparison, DDP wins every time.

IMHO, the real comparison should be comparing the cost of DDP to what you would pay out of pocket, for the food you really would eat, if you were paying cash. If you do that comparison, some families will still save money with DDP, but many will not.

 

[Muushka]

I asked the CM if we can add the Deluxe plan to the first night and then put the basic plan on the other three nights, and he said yes.

Well that is interesting! First I had heard it. That option may come in handy for some.

 

[Boston5602]

In the last few years our family has done the free dining , used the DDE card and purchased the DDP . Our trip at the end of this week is for just two adults and we have sit down meals planned at least once a day and sometimes two, so we our going to try the Deluxe plan as we think it will save a little bit of money even with having to pay the tip too!

 

[LIFERBABE]

We are just back and we did the old plan for 6 nights. For our family of 4 it was $128 a day total including all tax and tip. Under the old plan, we got the appetizer and our snacks were anything under $4. (Their words, not mine) We got bags of chips, bagels, eggs, 1/2 gallon milk, dip and treats from Goofy's. With that, we still had 4 TS, 12 snacks and 12 counter service to use up on our last day. So definitely, too much food, but a good deal because of the daily table service we used and using counter services at DisneyQuest we would have spent that much anyway. We had the option to continue with the old plan when we checked into SSR, but we could not do another week of eating like that so we chose to go it on our own and I renewed my DDE card.

The new plan would cost us $125 per day, plus tax, plus tip which would add another $40 a day out of pocket (avg. TS meal meal was $130 before tax/tip) for a total of $165 a day. If we have to pay tax on the counter service credits, then add $10. If we add back in the appetizer for the 3 adults, that's another $21 per day for a total of $196 per day.

We dont eat $200 a day worth of food and especially not for the length of our stay. There is not anything on Disney Dining property worth $200 per day. A signature meal or two but not everyday.

The snacks are now extremely limited and avg. approx. $2 or less except the ice cream which are all pre packaged novelties that I can get at Sams Club in a variety box of 30 for $10.

The dessert offerings are frozen pre-made pre-packaged servings at the counter service places. I was in line at Columbia Harbor House when a lady came up and complained that her apple tart was still frozen. There was not a dessert I saw that I would pay oop for. If I am going to live with the calories I at least want it to be worth it.

So not only has the plan changed, but the food quality is dramatically declining. There are still some special treats, but we will pay oop for those.
We didnt really like being tied to a TS every day either.

So no 2008 plan for us, we will still dine out when we want, order what we want, snack when and what we want and charge it all back to the room with a DDE discount. That will be our dining plan for 2008. No rules, just right!

 

[psu4glory]

If we have to pay tax on the counter service credits, then add $10.

is that true?? i don't think i'd heard that one before...

 

[Muushka]

I am also confused about the tax issue. I thought under the new plan that it was $1 a day less, no appetizer and you had to pay tip on the TS. Sales tax was already included in the $37.99 a day and you paid no additional. Wrong?

 

[LIFERBABE]

is that true?? i don't think i'd heard that one before...

I was not sure of the tax, so I separated it out. I just checked the 2008 Dining brochure I got from the SSR front desk (just got back this morning) and the tax is included, so I can subtract $20 from my daily total which makes it $170 a day for us.

 

[IAMaGR8DISMOM]

We always use our snack credits at the Grocery section of whatever DVC we stay at. In the past this was good for large bags of popcorn, chips, bagels, a whole loaf of bread, milk ect.

A DVC friend of mine pointed out that you could either get a regular size coke at the parks, or get a 2 liter for the same snack credit from the store at your resort!

The rule at OKW for 2007 was a snack was food items under $4.00.

Has this changed for 2008??

 

[MarieA]

My DS (20) and DD (24) are there right now and are using the new Dining Plan. They are not very happy with it (we are used to the old dining plan). They would prefer appetizers over dessert. They did ask if they could substitute an appetizer for dessert and were told "absolutely not." They have both said they wouldn't use the dining plan again.

My DH and I are going to WDW twice this year and will not use the dining plan (first time in 15+ years). Instead we will use the DDE.

 

[tomandrobin]

We always use our snack credits at the Grocery section of whatever DVC we stay at. In the past this was good for large bags of popcorn, chips, bagels, a whole loaf of bread, milk ect.

The rule at OKW for 2007 was a snack was food items under $4.00.

Has this changed for 2008??

Yes, it has changed. You can not get the box of donuts and bags of chips, etc like you use to be able to get.

 

[JimMIA]

We always use our snack credits at the Grocery section of whatever DVC we stay at. In the past this was good for large bags of popcorn, chips, bagels, a whole loaf of bread, milk ect.

A DVC friend of mine pointed out that you could either get a regular size coke at the parks, or get a 2 liter for the same snack credit from the store at your resort!

The rule at OKW for 2007 was a snack was food items under $4.00.

Has this changed for 2008??

I believe it has changed a LOT. I've seen several posts on the DDP board indicating snacks are now only items priced $2 and below, and that none of the better snacks (box of donuts, for example) are allowable now.

One poster said the only munchie snacks they saw are the little individual chip bags (Fritos, etc) that cost nothing in a grocery store.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Based on the early (negative) reviews, we've already decided against the DDP for our 12-day jaunt in August. I would rather split a couple appetizers, maybe split a dessert of two (among my family of 6), and generally order what I'd eat, when I want. I figure, I'll be keeping an eye out--if something about the plan changes, we can always add it close to departure. But my family doesn't need 5 desserts for every meal! We don't eat like that at home. Plus, we'll have the kitchen to make simple meals/snacks.

I do plan to keep track of receipts, etc. Actually, we're looking at putting the cost of the plan (~$1800) on a Disney gift card or something, so that we can see how much we would have saved.

 

[nunzia]

This is a little off topic, but I am wondering about the impact the DDP (especially all those 'free' ones added to packages) has on the crowds at restaurants. I don't like to be tied down to many reservation times on vacation, but it seems like the huge influx of people wanting table service meals would make advance plans pretty crucial. Is this the case? I also hate to imagine how even counter service could be impacted. Is this happening? Most of Disney's food isn't worth a long wait

 

[JimMIA]

This is a little off topic, but I am wondering about the impact the DDP (especially all those 'free' ones added to packages) has on the crowds at restaurants. I don't like to be tied down to many reservation times on vacation, but it seems like the huge influx of people wanting table service meals would make advance plans pretty crucial. Is this the case? I also hate to imagine how even counter service could be impacted. Is this happening? Most of Disney's food isn't worth a long wait

Both the CS and TS outlets have been very busy for several years because of DDP. And that's especially true during the free DDP period, which is usually in September. It's just nuts then.

Even during busy times, the CS places seem to find a way to move the lines. They're really quite good at that, and we've never had either long waits or trouble finding a table (we've thought we would have to stand, but somehow a table always seems to just appear).

The TS restaurants, though, are a different matter entirely. I don't care how you are paying for your meal, you'd BETTER have ADRs or you are not getting in. Many times we have seen restaurants so overbooked they were not even accepting names on a walk-up list. And if you want to eat at one of the popular 1TS places, you'd better call at six months out to make your ADRs. If you don't, you'll be eating dinner at 4 PM or 10 PM.

With the intiial problems they're having with DDP 2008, it's too early to tell how (or if) that will change. If they continue having big disconnects between what the guests are expecting and what they're getting, those guests are going to complain online (as they are now on the DDP board and elsewhere) and also to the travel agents. If the travel agents get an earful, they will stop selling the problematic DDP, and that will impact crowds at the outlets.

 

[llmurphy17]

We are staying one night in AKV and three nights in BWV, then going to HH. I asked the CM if we can add the Deluxe plan to the first night and then put the basic plan on the other three nights, and he said yes.

I didn't know this. It gives me different planning options.