Can we talk about segmented dining for DVC?

[DanenRox]

I realize I must have missed the bus on conversations about segmented dining for DVC being discontinued but I've got some thoughts.
I LOVED the idea....hadn't done it but considered it for future trips. For us, it would be the only reason to reconsider adding the dining plan to our itinerary. I had been reading on these boards that the segmented dining had many internal problems and I could easily imagine why. Still, it appeared such a nice DVC "perk" and I hoped it would find it's way. In the end, I have to wonder if partial dining plans would work easily if Disney didn't attach specific nights to the plan. In other words, if I'm staying for 7 nights but only want dining for 3 nights, just load my room key with 3 nights worth of credits. In my simple thinking, you can get as fancy as you want with 2 nights Deluxe plan, 1 night basic plan, 1 night CS plan. The plans you buy get loaded into your account and continue to get deducted as used. No? I thought the way segmented dining was offered initially was complicated. I hope segmented dining is reconsidered and tried again....just my 2 cents....

 

[CarolMN]

I think members would love the ability to buy a certain number of DP or DxDP credits to be used over the length of their trip.

But I do not think there is any kind of win in that plan for Disney and so not very likely to happen anytime soon. The restaurants are full now and Disney makes money when guests do not use all of their credits. I think we would be surprised at how often that happens.

If Disney ever offers such a plan, I would expect the per credit price to be higher than most of us would be willing to pay.

 

[tjkraz]

If Disney ever offers such a plan, I would expect the per credit price to be higher than most of us would be willing to pay.

I agree. The rationale behind the dining plans is to get guests to commit their dollars to Disney for the entire traveling party and entire length of stay. Under those conditions, Disney is willing to give a discount on the overall dining cost.

If they allow a la carte dining plans, the benefit to Disney is gone. Letting people buy (for instance) 3 days worth of credits to be used over a 7 day period gains nothing for Disney. They would rather see you pay full menu prices for those meals.

 

[DanenRox]

If they allow a la carte dining plans, the benefit to Disney is gone. Letting people buy (for instance) 3 days worth of credits to be used over a 7 day period gains nothing for Disney. They would rather see you pay full menu prices for those meals.

OK, but without some incentive we simply avoid the meal plan and Disney restaurants all together. On a 6 day stay, Disney gets a couple of counter services out of us. Other than that, we have groceries in our Villa and we drive off-site for dinner. I would imagine since DVC'ers are repeat customers most of us have discovered there is better quality and better pricing for meals off property. Segmented dining would actually put us back in a Disney restaurant seat a couple of nights during a stay. I believe lots of DVC'ers have begun to turn their back on the dining plans for obvious reasons. From a marketing point of view, offering a segmented plan would likely re-stimulate some interest. Again, in my opinion...

 

[tjkraz]

OK, but without some incentive we simply avoid the meal plan and Disney restaurants all together.

And that's the gamble Disney is willing to take.

Restaurants have limited capacity. If Disney can comfortably fill its restaurants with people either paying full price, buying the TIW card or paying for the length-of-stay DDP, there's no reason to offer other discounts or partial stay DDP.

 

[DebbieB]

Requiring it for all nights and all people in the room is how Disney makes money on the plan. If you could pick and choose, you would use the nights you have the plan for the most expensive meals and then eat cheap for the nights you don't.

When DVC segmented dining started, I don't think they anticipated that some people would try to switch plans almost daily.

 

[DanenRox]

If there is no advantage for Disney in offering a segmented meal plan to DVC'ers, then why do you suppose they trialed the program? It doesn't make much sense to me that Disney went into the plan aware of obvious loss potential. I'm likely mistaken but I thought the plan was scrapped because it was a logistics nightmare. Also, from my perspective, I don't agree that it's not worth it (for Disney) to put me in a Disney restaurant seat for 3 nights if I'm staying for 7. I don't understand that thinking at all. But in trying to weigh the other point of view I realized with the DDP, Disney makes lots of money in unused dining credits and with a partial dining plan, I'm unlikely to leave any credits over.

 

[Chuck S]

If there is no advantage for Disney in offering a segmented meal plan to DVC'ers, then why do you suppose they trialed the program? It doesn't make much sense to me that Disney went into the plan aware of obvious loss potential. I'm likely mistaken but I thought the plan was scrapped because it was a logistics nightmare. Also, from my perspective, I don't agree that it's not worth it (for Disney) to put me in a Disney restaurant seat for 3 nights if I'm staying for 7. I don't understand that thinking at all. But in trying to weigh the other point of view I realized with the DDP, Disney makes lots of money in unused dining credits and with a partial dining plan, I'm unlikely to leave any credits over.

I think the capability to segment was part of the new reservation system, and DVC ran with it. I doubt it was any sort of "official" joint trial between Disney resorts and DVC. However, it also caused problems/inconveniences for many guests and often hotel management personnel needed to be involved. Remember that the DDPs are not owned/operated by DVC, but by the Resort division. DDPs weren't even available to DVC the first year they were offered to cash guests. Disney resorts is simply enforcing their rules, likely as per agreements with DVC, that the DDPs must be for the entire length of stay and for all guests in the traveling party. DVCers that purchase an annual pass do have a fairly decent option, to purchase the TiW card for table service discounts. While it won't work for those members that travel to WDW once per year for a week, it works for many members...especially given the original minimum buy-in was 230 points.

If Disney resorts wanted to offer DVCers discounted food, rather then a DDP, I would think making the TiW available to all members would be a good option.

 

[disneynutz]

Disney is a business and their goal is to make money. Most, if not all of the perks available to the DVC either cost next to nothing or are provided by a third party at no cost to Disney.

The DDP numbers are well known to Disney, they know where the break even point is and how many ounces of food per plate turns a profit. Their model doesn't provide for a partial use of the DDP and I doubt if we will see them make that mistake again. Everything that Disney does is all numbers, that's why their Executive Management Team have accounting backgrounds, not customer service or Imagineering backgrounds.

Bill

 

[tjkraz]

Publicly DVC customer service reps have been telling members that the segmenting was discontinued due to technical issues. Not sure I completely buy that. If true, perhaps it will return someday; surely the technical problems are not insurmountable. Time will tell.

Personally I tend to share Chuck's POV. The software allowed for segmenting and DVC ran with it, however dining execs eventually put a stop to it because the policy ran counter to the intent of the DDP.

Disney does occasionally extend an olive branch to DVC members which is not financially motivated. Members have always been exempt from peak season pricing of the dining plans. But there are limits to Disney's good will. IMO, manipulation of the DDP exceeded their projections and they put a stop to it.

 

[Daddio]

Publicly DVC customer service reps have been telling members that the segmenting was discontinued due to technical issues. Not sure I completely buy that. If true, perhaps it will return someday; surely the technical problems are not insurmountable. Time will tell.

I think they are telling the correct story, however, the technical issues were related to the new room reservation system, not the dining plan. IT set up the ability to segment for varying reasons but none being DDP. But the system didn't work. It actually created lots of havoc with the reservations themselves. Further problems with segmented DDP at the resorts was a spinoff of those problems. I don't think you'll ever see it return and I am sure Disney execs still sweat over that fiasco.

David

 

[Marshay]

Just to clarify b/c I think I missed a memo ...

Are DVCers no longer allowed to book say a 3 night stay with DDP followed by a 4 night stay without DDP but guaranteed to stay in the same room by linking their reservations together?

We did this in May and loved it and wanted to do it again for our January trip.

TIA!

 

[Chuck S]

Just to clarify b/c I think I missed a memo ...

Are DVCers no longer allowed to book say a 3 night stay with DDP followed by a 4 night stay without DDP but guaranteed to stay in the same room by linking their reservations together?

We did this in May and loved it and wanted to do it again for our January trip.

TIA!

That is correct. The DDP rules are once again what they were prior to the new system. The DDP must be for the entire length of the reservation for all occupants of the room.

 

[Marshay]

That is correct. The DDP rules are once again what they were prior to the new system. The DDP must be for the entire length of the reservation for all occupants of the room.

Thank you!

So if I wanted to book 3 nights with DDP and then 4 nights separately at same resort/view/category without DDP, I run the risk that I may have to change rooms?

but I can still do this?

 

[DebbieB]

Thank you!

So if I wanted to book 3 nights with DDP and then 4 nights separately at same resort/view/category without DDP, I run the risk that I may have to change rooms?

but I can still do this?

From what I understand, the only way they will allow you to do this is to book a different resort or different room category. You can't split your reservation in 2 for the same room.

 

[Marshay]

From what I understand, the only way they will allow you to do this is to book a different resort or different room category. You can't split your reservation in 2 for the same room.

Ah, thank you! This is the part I didn't understand...

 

[tjkraz]

From what I understand, the only way they will allow you to do this is to book a different resort or different room category. You can't split your reservation in 2 for the same room.

I would agree with that. If the two reservations at least have some difference (different resort, room size or view), then it will be two separate reservations. Of course, you'll have to check-in multiple times and have to switch rooms mid-stay.

If you have consecutive nights booked in the same resort/size/view, Member Services is not supposed to split the reservation in any way and you are obligated to buy the DDP for all nights (or none.)