Ah, facebook

[Sassagoula Billy]

I managed to rile up a few hundred Disney fans in regards to the Dining Plan on one of WDW's facebook updates.

It's amazing the vitriol people spew forth based on a few simple words: "The dining plan is ruining the Disney experience." I was called indifferent to "fly-over states", and all kinds of fun stuff.

Oh America.

Oh America...

ah, my work here is done...

 

[christopher77]

But... but... but...

what you said is 100% true

 

[Sphyrna]

That topic seems to push people's buttons. Threads on these boards are similar.

 

[RAPstar]

Where's Team America when you need them.

 

[MAF]

Ew, this is why I deleted my FB...

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

OMG! You are SO right!! DDP has single handedly (so to speak) absolutely ruined dining at WDW for any reason other than to keep blood glucose levels within tolerance.

Ugh.

Keep the faith! LOL.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Hate the dining plan, REALLY REALLY hate free dining. But that's just me.

 

[christopher77]

Hate the dining plan, REALLY REALLY hate free dining. But that's just me.

Hate is such a strong word, lol, and while I agree that it is ruining the Disney experience, I think only the table service part is to blame. I can understand the quick service plan being very helpful for tight budgets. Counter service will always have long lines, free or no, so I don't see a difference there. Plus, the snack credits work at the food and wine festival. I am using the quick service plan this year, only for the snack credits, haha

I vote they get rid of the dining plan for the sit down restaurants, and go back to how it used to be. I remember walking into Le Cellier at any time and getting a table...

 

[Sassagoula Billy]

OMG! You are SO right!! DDP has single handedly (so to speak) absolutely ruined dining at WDW for any reason other than to keep blood glucose levels within tolerance.

Ugh.

Keep the faith! LOL.

Sarcasm/truth? Truth in sarcasm? The mystery continues.

 

[wehttamrd]

why is it ruining the Disney experience? Because you need to make reservations? That's the only thing I can think of... I am really thankful for the Dining plan at the moment. I am leaving for WDW in two days and it's saving me over $300 in meal costs.

 

[Sassagoula Billy]

Hate is such a strong word, lol, and while I agree that it is ruining the Disney experience, I think only the table service part is to blame. I can understand the quick service plan being very helpful for tight budgets. Counter service will always have long lines, free or no, so I don't see a difference there. Plus, the snack credits work at the food and wine festival. I am using the quick service plan this year, only for the snack credits, haha

I vote they get rid of the dining plan for the sit down restaurants, and go back to how it used to be. I remember walking into Le Cellier at any time and getting a table...

I definitely support the last paragraph. But I don't know, there's something disconcerting and plain ol' annoying about getting breakfast now in the food courts. No more grab a cinnamon roll and go. Why? Because inevitably you have people trying to determine the best bang for their "free" buck. And they argue with CMs over what is applicable. You've got people with trays and trays of food they'll most likely never eat, ultimately extending the lines and developing this strange new panic.

Who needs the Maharajah Jungle Trek when you've got a show like this? But seriously, it's irksome irksome irksome.

 

[Sassagoula Billy]

why is it ruining the Disney experience? Because you need to make reservations? That's the only thing I can think of... I am really thankful for the Dining plan at the moment. I am leaving for WDW in two days and it's saving me over $300 in meal costs.

Reservations are a nasty byproduct, what it's really affecting is the overall quality of the product, for those both on and off the plan. Human nature is to go for the most expensive item on the menu to justify the cost - or "free" perk - of using the DDP. Disney isn't stupid, caught on, and began to mark those menu items up accordingly while slashing the portion and reducing the original conception of the dishes.

Also, now that Le Cellier has become signature - entirely due to the DDP - costs will go even higher.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I definitely support the last paragraph. But I don't know, there's something disconcerting and plain ol' annoying about getting breakfast now in the food courts. No more grab a cinnamon roll and go. Why? Because inevitably you have people trying to determine the best bang for their "free" buck. And they argue with CMs over what is applicable. You've got people with trays and trays of food they'll most likely never eat, ultimately extending the lines and developing this strange new panic.

Who needs the Maharajah Jungle Trek when you've got a show like this? But seriously, it's irksome irksome irksome.

Good points Sassagoula Billy. The counter service lines are ridiculous elsewhere too.

The odd thing is, that if you do the numbers, often what people think they are getting for free, or at a "savings" actually ends up costing them more.

The greed of some people is nasty to see. They have no intention of eating what they've ordered in its entirety, it's just ordered because they can. No personal responsibility at all.

I remember when WDW dining actually encompassed delicious food, well prepared and cheerful service (table and buffet, but even sometimes counters service). Now? Meh. Slopping hogs comes to mind.

 

[PghLybrt]

Not a fan here. I also do not like the plan and i really hate the free aspect of it. (It isnt free!) It is not that i have to make reservations, I am ok with that. However I have noticed that food quality has gone down at some of the signature resturaunts. Maybe not qaulity but selection.

I tried to us it, I really did, twice. It just does not work for us. We want to sit and eat, not grab burgers. We also are not big dessert people.

 

[wehttamrd]

I was looking at some menus online and already have certain things picked out what I want to get. Not the most expensive things, but things that sound good. Do they only give you very few things to choose from? I never ate at Disney restaurants before so i don't have anything to compare to like you all. If what you are saying is true, then it's sad that some people buy the most expensive things just because they can and are ruining things for everyone else.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Disney full service (and most buffet) restaurants have fallen off sharply in the quality of the food they serve. With very few exceptions (and there are some incredible service CMs) the service has gone begging too.

I hate being stuck in the past, but WDW didn't do it's dining reputation any favors with this plan.

Be very savvy with the numbers on this. If you are paying rack rate for the room versus a great AP rate (for instance) you really aren't getting anything free.

A good room rate with a TIW card is often a far more budget worthy approach.

However, with the sharp decline in quality at WDW restaurants, we've stopped taking the TIW card too.

We save our better dining experiences for off site.

 

[ConcKahuna]

I was looking at some menus online and already have certain things picked out what I want to get. Not the most expensive things, but things that sound good. Do they only give you very few things to choose from? I never ate at Disney restaurants before so i don't have anything to compare to like you all. If what you are saying is true, then it's sad that some people buy the most expensive things just because they can and are ruining things for everyone else.

There are still some good restaurants, and some restaurants still have good menu items, but many of the menus have suffered because of the reduced profits the restaurants get when people use the DDP (I think TS restaurants only get $7 or so per person total).

It's most noticeable in the restaurants not owned by Disney, since at least the Disney restaurants get money budgeted to them from the DDP profits. It's most noticable at Epcot, where the restaurants are almost all 3rd party (Garden Grill is the only TS I can think of run by Disney).

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Anyone who knows me will tell you I LOVE to make reservations. I have watched the quality and variety of menu items plummet since the DDP has been around. And the "free" dining just makes people more greedy and insane than they were before.

 

[rpmdfw]

Anyone who knows me will tell you I LOVE to make reservations.

No, really?




That's got to be the understatement of the century!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

See? I speak the truth.