DDE Changes Coming in November

[MarieA]

I called to renew my DDE and was told by the CM that changes were coming to the DDE program and would be announced in November. I asked a few questions to try to get some info on the changes. The CM said she couldn't answer my questions and that an official announcement regarding the changes would be made in November.

Disney's MO of late has been to give less for more money. I'm hoping that they don't destroy the DDE program. I have used the DDE in conjunction with the DDP on our last 3 trips and it has saved our family money. Our next trip we weren't going to book the DDP (since it is no longer worth the money) and were going to use the DDE. If the changes significantly reduce the benefits of the DDE, we will probably start dining off-site.

Has anyone heard anything about the DDE changes?

 

[Joan1]

Thanks for posting this and I hope someone has info on it before November

 

[allisonswonderland]

YIKES! I was thinking of getting this so thanks for posting we were on the fence!

 

[Lewisc]

We already know guests getting a DDE discount will be charged an 18% service fee/ gratuity on the undiscounted check.

There are rumors the discount may be not just blacked out on the actual holiday but during the time in which holiday pricing is in effect.

 

[MarieA]

We already know guests getting a DDE discount will be charged an 18% service fee/ gratuity on the undiscounted check.

There are rumors the discount may be not just blacked out on the actual holiday but during the time in which holiday pricing is in effect.

Thanks - I remember reading about the 18% tip being automatically added to the bill, I was wondering if there were more changes coming.

I think that automatically adding an 18% gratuity will hurt the servers. We always tip at least 20% (we just add the 20% back onto the bill) and at least 25% for outstanding service. Many people will probably just leave the 18% added to the bill.

 

[Pitti-sing]

Oh, I hope that's all it is. I already tip 20% on the gross check. I was afraid they were taking away the discount on the alcohol or something.

 

[Rozzie]

Oh, I hope that's all it is. I already tip 20% on the gross check. I was afraid they were taking away the discount on the alcohol or something.

OMG, don't speak those words---take away the alcohol, HOLY CRAP!! We save over a $100 a trip just on our Gurgling Suitcase tabs.

 

[Dawn414]

Are these changes for 2007 or 2008? I have a bunch of ADRs for Nov/Dec & January and don't want to cancel them if the changes are drastic...I imagine one of the changes they may make is as it relates to AK...if TuskerHouse becomes a reservation restaurant and YAK & YETI opens, they may not allow DDE in places like Pizzafari...

Dawn McG

 

[MarieA]

Are these changes for 2007 or 2008? I have a bunch of ADRs for Nov/Dec & January and don't want to cancel them if the changes are drastic...I imagine one of the changes they may make is as it relates to AK...if TuskerHouse becomes a reservation restaurant and YAK & YETI opens, they may not allow DDE in places like Pizzafari...

Dawn McG

I don't know - all the CM said was that changes were going to be announced in November. I was wondering how the changes would be implemented since anyone who currently has the DDE purchased under the old guidelines (20% off food and alcohol, tip not included).

 

[PrincessV]

I don't know - all the CM said was that changes were going to be announced in November. I was wondering how the changes would be implemented since anyone who currently has the DDE purchased under the old guidelines (20% off food and alcohol, tip not included).

I'm wondering the same thing. I just renewed mine and I'll be MOST unhappy if unable to use it for my trip 12/16-12/21.

 

[tkldisney]

We leave for our trip on 11/3. Hope we don't get down there and find changes without having the chance to review.
The tip part doesn't bother me, we always leave 20% before any discount. If its exceptional service then we add a little more. With the 18% added in, we'll do the same and add on. The only thing about that is if it's not good service you can't tip lower that 18%.
On my information sheet I got with my DDE cards say Participating locations revised Feb. 07. Wonder if new changes will start 1/08. With new restraurant changes Tutto, Yak & Yeti, Teppan Edo, etc. I'm sure they'll have to revise list for '08.

 

[athenna]

OMG, don't speak those words---take away the alcohol

Truer words were never spoken, Roz!

 

[1000th happy haunt]

Now let's think positive here. Maybe counter service places will start taking DDE. Wouldn't that be nice??

But I'm thinking the announcement will be Tusker House and Yak & Yeti will take the card, and the CS places in DAK won't accept it any more.

I just renewed mine (haven't received the card yet).

 

[Squidrific]

We were at the Tambu Lodge at the Poly and the bartender told us that they were going to get rid of allowing people to use the DDE at the lounges. He said that you would still be able to use it for the restaurants and for alcohol with dinner, but not in the lounges on alcohol only tabs.

 

[n2mm]

I just don't like change!

I agree, alot of the changes are probably the things we are expecting:

18% tip added

new black out dates

No discount on QS locations at AK

but no discount on alcohol, that would be awlful!!

I've been expecting an increase in price for 2008 too, so plan to renew/rebuy my card mid-December for my January trip just in case an increase occurs. (My current card expires this month.)

Hopefully more info will leak out and we'll be better informed.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Well, crap.

My DDE expired 8/31. We're not going back to WDW until 12/12, so I was going to wait for awhile to renew it, like in November. Maybe I should go ahead and order it next month, OR maybe I should wait and see if the changes are going to make it worth having another card.

I agree that we knew about the 18% tip. I agree that CS at AK will no longer accept DDE. I don't know about the lounges, but we've never been to a lounge so I could live with that. There are just 3 of us, so if they say we can't use it for up to 10 people anymore that would be OK. Black out dates for holidays would be kind of tricky, but still OK because we never go very close to a holiday.

If they raise the price of the card or reduce the amount of the discount then I'll be angry. We were barely saving money on the Dining Plan when DS counted as a child, and now that he is 11 we are MUCH better off with DDE because he still wants to order from the kids' menu!

Hmm. Decisions, decisions... Buy now, wait awhile, buy now, wait awhile...

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

Thanks - I remember reading about the 18% tip being automatically added to the bill, I was wondering if there were more changes coming.

I think that automatically adding an 18% gratuity will hurt the servers. We always tip at least 20% (we just add the 20% back onto the bill) and at least 25% for outstanding service. Many people will probably just leave the 18% added to the bill.

I promise you, that automatic pre-discount 18% definitely doesn't hurt the servers. We ate at Artist's Point last Saturday night and we gave our server our standard 20% added back into the bill. She came over and thanked us for the tip and I told her that it was so easy to simply pay the full amount and call it a day. She explained that the overwhelming majority of her DDE guests tip based on the post-discount price, even though for tax purposes, the government sees the entire bill before discount and expects the servers to claim a certain percentage of the pre-discount total as income. I think that unless you were once a server yourself or have had it explained to you, your average restaurant guest tips on the total after discount, not the total before. I'm thinking the servers would much rather have a guaranteed 18% from every DDE cardholder than a potential 1 or 2 DDE guests who might tip an extra 2-5% like you and me. I think it's great that Disney is doing right by their CMs and taking care of fixing the gap. If they want to continue getting the (for the most part) good quality restaurant employees that we've all become accustomed to, they've got to make some concessions, and as a business decision, this one's a no-brainer.

That being said, I'm with thinking positive about the potential changes. Maybe they're planning on opening up the DDE to people other than Florida residents and AP holders?

 

[MarieA]

I promise you, that automatic pre-discount 18% definitely doesn't hurt the servers. We ate at Artist's Point last Saturday night and we gave our server our standard 20% added back into the bill. She came over and thanked us for the tip and I told her that it was so easy to simply pay the full amount and call it a day. She explained that the overwhelming majority of her DDE guests tip based on the post-discount price, even though for tax purposes, the government sees the entire bill before discount and expects the servers to claim a certain percentage of the pre-discount total as income. I think that unless you were once a server yourself or have had it explained to you, your average restaurant guest tips on the total after discount, not the total before. I'm thinking the servers would much rather have a guaranteed 18% from every DDE cardholder than a potential 1 or 2 DDE guests who might tip an extra 2-5% like you and me. I think it's great that Disney is doing right by their CMs and taking care of fixing the gap. If they want to continue getting the (for the most part) good quality restaurant employees that we've all become accustomed to, they've got to make some concessions, and as a business decision, this one's a no-brainer.

That being said, I'm with thinking positive about the potential changes. Maybe they're planning on opening up the DDE to people other than Florida residents and AP holders?

I always tip on the high side because my daughter is a server and I know she lives off her tips as most servers do. I guess I wasn't thinking in terms of people who don't tip or only tip 5-10%. The thing that doesn't make sense to me is the tip being eliminated from the DDP in 2008 (which guaranteed servers an 18%) and then added to the DDE. If Disney truly cared about keeping quality restaurant employees you would think the 18% gratuity would still be included in the DDP and would just have been added to the DDE.

I can only hope that the DDE will be open to anyone, not just AP holders and Florida residents. I currently have an AP because we have been visiting WDW more often since becoming DVC owners. There may come a time when we only visit WDW 1 time during the year and at that point it wouldn't make sense to purchase an AP. It would be nice to still be able to get the DDE without the AP.

 

[tjmw2727]

I promise you, that automatic pre-discount 18% definitely doesn't hurt the servers.

I was going to post something similar - snipped for length.

My dh and I used to own a dining discount program in the New England area and the one thing we always had to "educate" our clients on was that the tip was based on the bill prior to the discount. Its 2nd nature for me to base my tip on the bill before the discount and honestly it helps when the server circles it as well. IIRC the waitress at LeCellier did as well as the waiter at the Rainforest cafe (I have a Rainforest card too).

I hope they keep the DDE at the bars and lounges, dh and I like to have an appetizer and drink in the evening sans kids, its a treat! My oldest is 13 and my other dd 11, too old for the kids club to young to be left alone. Not to mention we enjoy having them with us So we improvise a bit, in the evening we visit a resort and send the kids to the arcade for a while with cellphones and check in times. This way dh and I can relax and have a beverage, appitizer and a chat and sometimes even live music. The kids are happy, dh and I are happy, win/win. With the DDE its just that much better!

XX fingers,
TJ

 

[byoung]

Thanks - I remember reading about the 18% tip being automatically added to the bill, I was wondering if there were more changes coming.

I think that automatically adding an 18% gratuity will hurt the servers. We always tip at least 20% (we just add the 20% back onto the bill) and at least 25% for outstanding service. Many people will probably just leave the 18% added to the bill.

I totally agree here, they will lose out.