2012 dining plan...I don't think so!

[TLPL]

What places do you like offsite for lunch/dinner? We are driving down for the next two trips so we can finally go off site!

My favorite is Sweet Tomatos, right outside of Downtown Disney. All you can eat fresh salad, soup and pasta. Love it!

 

[Muushka]

The TIW does not work for us (only 2 of us) and the DDP doesn't work for us. Good thing I like to cook!

 

[Sammie]

Based on this thread why so many pages complaining about loss of segmenting the DDP, sorry guys just could not resist.

 

[Doug7856]

Based on this thread why so many pages complaining about loss of segmenting the DDP, sorry guys just could not resist.

It's probably the awesome way DVC notified members about the lost option.

 

[twinklebug]

Based on this thread why so many pages complaining about loss of segmenting the DDP, sorry guys just could not resist.

That thread turned from one giving us information and reaction into one bantering back and forth on Disney's reasoning behind doing so. Seems we have quite a few members here who just have to have the last word - feels like home

 

[dansamy]

I do think the 2012 plans are worth much less than even this year's plan. I know going forward I won't buy any of the plans in 2012.

 

[Muushka]

From everyone's response, I think the bean counters may have found the spot just beyond that sweet spot.

 

[karrit2000]

Based on this thread why so many pages complaining about loss of segmenting the DDP, sorry guys just could not resist.

Not to steer this thread from it's original purpose but had the Segmented Dining worked correctly it was the answer to what many of us wanted out of a meal plan. If you set it up right you could have the meal plan of your dreams for your stay without paying for meals you weren't going to use. The related issues with multiple KTTW cards & mousekeeping mis-scheduling are what turned it into a nightmare for many.

 

[keishashadow]

maybe less guests will buy the DP and it'll be easier to get ADRs outside the 180 day window

very smart way for CRO to justify higher rack rates when the tout the value of free dining plans.Next thing you know all room-only rack rates will include mandatory QS dp component

we've taken to only buying the DP for shorter stays & when we don't have a car

 

[xipetotec]

I just checked the prices on the member site. I guess TiW it shall be again for 2012. $51.54 ...yeah right! that's $1803.90 for my family for our stay next June. NOWAY could my kids eat $51 worth of food in one day!

I know what you mean!!

We travel in large groups. And despite all the criticism the DDP has gotten in the past, it was always a good deal for us. not ONLY because it was still good for "what you get", but also, it helped us maintain a certain control on our individual families. ( "This is what you get, anything else, you'll have to pay yourselves" ).

But this... this is RIDICULOUS. Ooooh, a free resort mug... big deal... I crunched the numbers and it IS worth it on CERTAIN meals. Like the big buffets or some of the more expensive restaurants... but really at the end of the day, I think they've lost a DDP customer here.. .


P.S. Call / E-mail Guest services!! I did, they called me and we chatted about my concerns.

 

[Ryansdad0727]

I booked DDP for December only because i have a split reservation and got it for 3 days. Looking at it further i will probably not do it again. I would rather eat where and what i want and just pay OOP. We drive most of the time so we can always go off property.

 

[Disjunky]

we always do the delux dining and heres why. we dont eat lunch. we double up outrlunch and dinner points and eat at signature dining. wwhen we do this we easily spend the 71 dollar a day cost of that level of plan. maybe its just us but we always save money doing tht.

it hurts that im a spoiled pastry chef though. i do like the food everywhere in disney though.

 

[csmommy]

I know people are upset about the cost of the DP's going up & feel there isn't enough value, but we do not know what the prices on the MENUS will be come 2012. It is possible that the menu prices will increase to where the DP's make more sense. For our family we have always come out ahead whether we have done the DDP straight or segmented with DVC.

 

[Dean]

Not to steer this thread from it's original purpose but had the Segmented Dining worked correctly it was the answer to what many of us wanted out of a meal plan. If you set it up right you could have the meal plan of your dreams for your stay without paying for meals you weren't going to use. The related issues with multiple KTTW cards & mousekeeping mis-scheduling are what turned it into a nightmare for many.

No doubt it had merit to members if it worked and were a fair deal to Disney as well. The perfect plan to us personally would be an al a carte plan or a Dx plan with 2 credits per day instead of 3 PLUS being able to drop the front and/or back day like we could with the Food n Fun plan.

I do think the 2012 plans are worth much less than even this year's plan. I know going forward I won't buy any of the plans in 2012.

I think you're assuming the restaurant prices will stay the same. My assumption is they will increase proportionally to what the DDP is and thus it ends up being roughly break even compared to now.

 

[Doug7856]

I think you're assuming the restaurant prices will stay the same. My assumption is they will increase proportionally to what the DDP is and thus it ends up being roughly break even compared to now.

I've noticed an interesting trend...the lunch menus are disappearing property-wide...that is a pretty significant price increase for those who chose lunch as a means of saving money.

 

[twinklebug]

I've noticed an interesting trend...the lunch menus are disappearing property-wide...that is a pretty significant price increase for those who chose lunch as a means of saving money.

I noticed this as I was pricing out the average cost for us to go cash/TIW vs. DDP. As long as they don't charge us to cook in our villas I think we've got a pretty good insulator from the price increases to fall back on.

... Of course, this means I'll need to buy more points so we can go with the 1br units - they get me either way

 

[dansamy]

No doubt it had merit to members if it worked and were a fair deal to Disney as well. The perfect plan to us personally would be an al a carte plan or a Dx plan with 2 credits per day instead of 3 PLUS being able to drop the front and/or back day like we could with the Food n Fun plan.

I think you're assuming the restaurant prices will stay the same. My assumption is they will increase proportionally to what the DDP is and thus it ends up being roughly break even compared to now.

They're dropping one snack on next year's QSDP. Unless they raise the prices by a lot for QS, we'll do better just out of pocket. As it is now, we hover slightly above/below the break even line and only because we actually use the refillable mugs.

 

[Dean]

They're dropping one snack on next year's QSDP. Unless they raise the prices by a lot for QS, we'll do better just out of pocket. As it is now, we hover slightly above/below the break even line and only because we actually use the refillable mugs.

All they have to do is raise prices about 5% to be break even with the changes. That's not a lot in their world. IMO, if one is close enough that a 5% change is make or break, they likely should never have been getting the DDP as I believe one needs a 20% savings/value minimum to make it reasonable.

 

[Bonniec]

We have to beg him to eat and Disney

This is all of us.

We have APs and go several times a month. When I am at home on the DisBoards, I am always so jealous of those with DDP. With 5 of us, an OOP for a character meal is over $200. My 5 year old has never even been to one and it makes me sad. But we just can't afford that. All of those pics from the sit downs look amazing!


But then when we are actually at the theme parks, I find none of us eat much at all. It's not the excitment because we go a lot. I think it's the heat. Even my littlest wouldn't touch anything from the bakery in France when we watched Illuminations last time. We just don't feel hungry and the thought of food makes us nauseated. I try to make sure we drink a LOT but it's always the same. I'll be curious to see if we feel the same when the weather cools off.

We just bring outside snacks in, drink the free ice water, and occasionally buy a snack or drink. If I buy any meal at all, it's a QS meal that I share with my kid. It's not out of cheapness....we just can't stomach it!

I don't know how ya'll do it. Maybe we are just wierd!

 

[Doug7856]

...As long as they don't charge us to cook in our villas I think we've got a pretty good insulator from the price increases to fall back on.

For our July visit, we cooked most of our meals in the villa. For our December trip we had hoped to segment because we have visitors for one night of our stay, but since that's out we may just have to eat in more. I for one am not too happy with the direction Disney dinning is heading...