DDP & DVC rules - still not liking it

[Deb & Bill]

If it's the same room type, you won't have to leave/move.

No, he will. DVC said that if you change the dining plan, you have to move.

 

[edk35]

When I thought the DDP was a good deal (don't anymore) I always wanted them to devise a plan where you picked how many days you wanted per reservation. Maybe you are staying 8 nights but you only want 5 of the dining plan or 3 or whatever.

 

[Dean]

If it's the same room type, you won't have to leave/move.

Even if they don't, they'd have to checkin again plus DVC could easily combine the reservations and cancel the dining plans.

When I thought the DDP was a good deal (don't anymore) I always wanted them to devise a plan where you picked how many days you wanted per reservation. Maybe you are staying 8 nights but you only want 5 of the dining plan or 3 or whatever.

We often have multiple rooms which gives us additional options. Even before they officially allowed paying for other's meals, most restaurant's did so for years. The perfect plans for us would leave out QS completely but have less credits. Say a basic or Dx but with 2 TS credits/day. The problem might be that the price savings wouldn't be enough to justify the changes, esp when going from 3 to 2 Dx credits.

Personally I think a totally different plan would be better (likely for Disney and the guests). Something where you paid for each component separately. Say at a TS a dessert was 1 credit, appetizer 2 credits & entree plus drink 4 credits. Increase for Signature and decrease for QS and require a minimum purchase based on the number of guests and/or LOS. So a TS meal might be 7 credits, QS 4 and a Signature 11 with snacks 1. The minimum requirement might be equivalent to QS 2 meals/day plus 1 snack for LOS for all guests but one could buy more and use them as they saw fit otherwise. If priced reasonably you open it up to a lot more guests and you sell the plan for portions they aren't getting now. You only need one plan and it's easy to fit to the current free dining program.

 

[dcfromva]

Even if they don't, they'd have to checkin again plus DVC could easily combine the reservations and cancel the dining plans.

We often have multiple rooms which gives us additional options. Even before they officially allowed paying for other's meals, most restaurant's did so for years. The perfect plans for us would leave out QS completely but have less credits. Say a basic or Dx but with 2 TS credits/day. The problem might be that the price savings wouldn't be enough to justify the changes, esp when going from 3 to 2 Dx credits.

Personally I think a totally different plan would be better (likely for Disney and the guests). Something where you paid for each component separately. Say at a TS a dessert was 1 credit, appetizer 2 credits & entree plus drink 4 credits. Increase for Signature and decrease for QS and require a minimum purchase based on the number of guests and/or LOS. So a TS meal might be 7 credits, QS 4 and a Signature 11 with snacks 1. The minimum requirement might be equivalent to QS 2 meals/day plus 1 snack for LOS for all guests but one could buy more and use them as they saw fit otherwise. If priced reasonably you open it up to a lot more guests and you sell the plan for portions they aren't getting now. You only need one plan and it's easy to fit to the current free dining program.

I was thinking along the same lines. I think it would be great if you could purchase X number of credits per stay where you decide what X equals .

Quite a few years ago, we used to buy dining certificates which were great fun to use.

 

[thebigman65]

Why 180 days, because they have your money longer at many location you pay when you book. Just how many $$$ do you think they have in their pockets interest free? Thousands maybe 10s of thousands or more.
I think it was a great perk, for those that find value in it, just to allow DVC to get the dining plan without having to pay rack rates and buy a ticket package.

You do not pay in advance....you provide a credit card guarantee so that if you don;t show up, they charge you $10 a head. This was put in place because people were making multiple ADR's on the same day, and then just not showing to the one they didn't want to go to....

Like this:
2 BR 14 days
DH & I arrive
DD arrives 2 days later and stays for 4 nights.
Guest 1 & Guest 2 arrive on days 6 (they see each other in the airport)
DH goes back to work on day 10

Disney would charge
Me DDP x 13
AND EVERYONE ELSE pays DDP X 13 nights

DH is there for 9 nights
DD is there for 3 nights
Guests are there for 7 nights

Hence phantom guests as far as the DDP goes. My DD will not be there for 9 of the nights.

To put it another way - what if Disney (and they can as so many want to point out) decided that everyone needed ticket media for the entire length of stay? Or not. Nobody is forcing guests to go to the parks. All or nothing.

I am not sure i see the issue here....the DDP ceased to be a value years ago. You are much better off to get a TIW card and save the 20%.....then everyone can eat and drink what they want.....DDP is what is it....they don't have to change it and they don't have to explain the reasons why....if guests don't want to use it....they don't have to.

 

[erionm]

You do not pay in advance....you provide a credit card guarantee so that if you don;t show up, they charge you $10 a head.

CRT and most dinner shows (just to name a few) are ones that have to be paid in full at time of booking.

 

[BillPA]

You do not pay in advance....you provide a credit card guarantee so that if you don;t show up, they charge you $10 a head. This was put in place because people were making multiple ADR's on the same day, and then just not showing to the one they didn't want to go to....

You are incorrect, if you book Hoop-dee-do, poly show, or any Castle meals with Cindy, they charge your credit card the day you make a reservation. I think there are others meals, but that's all we have done in the last few years.

 

[thebigman65]

You are incorrect, if you book Hoop-dee-do, poly show, or any Castle meals with Cindy, they charge your credit card the day you make a reservation. I think there are others meals, but that's all we have done in the last few years.

Yes....for special shows and dinner packages...not ADR's.....its like buying tickets to a concert....of course you pay in advance......

 

[supersnoop]

Even if they don't, they'd have to checkin again plus DVC could easily combine the reservations and cancel the dining plans.

No, he will. DVC said that if you change the dining plan, you have to move.

He'll be changing the guests, so DVC won't be able to combine the reservations. And its up to the resort and room assigner to decide if you have to move rooms. It's much easier for them if you don't.

 

[Brian Noble]

I always wanted them to devise a plan where you picked how many days you wanted per reservation. Maybe you are staying 8 nights but you only want 5 of the dining plan or 3 or whatever.

This will never happen. From Disney's point of view, the value of DDP is that (a) it's a slight upsell for most families who don't eat one TS per day and (b) you inevitably mix in some less-expensive restaurants with some more expensive ones. If I could pick and choose how many days I wanted, I'd just do it for the most expensive meals on my schedule and/or only have that many TS meals.

 

[Dean]

He'll be changing the guests, so DVC won't be able to combine the reservations. And its up to the resort and room assigner to decide if you have to move rooms. It's much easier for them if you don't.

Theoretically they could combine them, if it's the same room type and booking category and there are enough occupancy spots to do so. Even if hey don't they likely wouldn't have to move but would have to do separate check in. Under some of the previous dining plan options, like Food N Fun, they would have looked at this as a continuous stay for the plan purposes even if separate check ins. Often they didn't pick it up and enforce the requirement but they did at times.

 

[Dean]

This will never happen. From Disney's point of view, the value of DDP is that (a) it's a slight upsell for most families who don't eat one TS per day and (b) you inevitably mix in some less-expensive restaurants with some more expensive ones. If I could pick and choose how many days I wanted, I'd just do it for the most expensive meals on my schedule and/or only have that many TS meals.

I don't envision them even have a meal plan type option like some timeshares I know do but I could see them offering some flexibility. Part of the problem with DVC is related to the occupancy options. The DP is designed for the hotels where it fits better but for a studio or 1 BR with 5 or a 2 BR with 5-8, it doesn't fit as well. Under the Food n Fun the technical requirement was the same as today (all for LOS) but they routinely allowed dropping ONE day front or back and later in it's tenure, it wasn't uncommon to be able to drop the first and last day though this was never official. I could see something similar with the DP or even a reduced length but with a minimum of 3-5 days OR LOS if the same or less than the min.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

You do not pay in advance....you provide a credit card guarantee so that if you don;t show up, they charge you $10 a head. This was put in place because people were making multiple ADR's on the same day, and then just not showing to the one they didn't want to go to....



I am not sure i see the issue here....the DDP ceased to be a value years ago. You are much better off to get a TIW card and save the 20%.....then everyone can eat and drink what they want.....DDP is what is it....they don't have to change it and they don't have to explain the reasons why....if guests don't want to use it....they don't have to.

Millions of people get tax refunds every year - it would make any accountant cringe. Money free loan to the government.

Not for one minute do I think the DDP saves money. If we are being honest about it nothing about going to Disney *saves* money. My experience tells me that it is far easier to plan when our guests have the dining plan. Everyone wants the theme restaurants but when the menu gets handed over the actual printed prices...please no lecture - we all know about the website with the menus. Not everyone obsessively plans their entree choice sin advance.

And, to be quite honest, splitting the checks meal after meal gets old really fast and it's just plain weird to have the TIW for yourself and not share it.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

I don't envision them even have a meal plan type option like some timeshares I know do but I could see them offering some flexibility. Part of the problem with DVC is related to the occupancy options. The DP is designed for the hotels where it fits better but for a studio or 1 BR with 5 or a 2 BR with 5-8, it doesn't fit as well. Under the Food n Fun the technical requirement was the same as today (all for LOS) but they routinely allowed dropping ONE day front or back and later in it's tenure, it wasn't uncommon to be able to drop the first and last day though this was never official. I could see something similar with the DP or even a reduced length but with a minimum of 3-5 days OR LOS if the same or less than the min.

That's the spirit! See you can do it - express things you wish DVC offered. No need to throw around words like 'entitlement'

 

[thebigman65]

Millions of people get tax refunds every year - it would make any accountant cringe. Money free loan to the government.

Not for one minute do I think the DDP saves money. If we are being honest about it nothing about going to Disney *saves* money. My experience tells me that it is far easier to plan when our guests have the dining plan. Everyone wants the theme restaurants but when the menu gets handed over the actual printed prices...please no lecture - we all know about the website with the menus. Not everyone obsessively plans their entree choice sin advance.

And, to be quite honest, splitting the checks meal after meal gets old really fast and it's just plain weird to have the TIW for yourself and not share it.

TIW is just another option....I agree splitting cheque can be tedious....what we used to do when we traveled with another family was alternate who paid and then kept all the bills and settled up at the end....and when we had some of our DD's friends along....they would give us a set amount up front based on what they thought they would spend each day and again I kept the bills and we settled up at the end of the trip.....yes the DDP is much easier.....but TIW is more cost effective and flexible.....it can be used for up to 10 people at once.....

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

TIW is just another option....I agree splitting cheque can be tedious....what we used to do when we traveled with another family was alternate who paid and then kept all the bills and settled up at the end....and when we had some of our DD's friends along....they would give us a set amount up front based on what they thought they would spend each day and again I kept the bills and we settled up at the end of the trip.....yes the DDP is much easier.....but TIW is more cost effective and flexible.....it can be used for up to 10 people at once.....

Excellent suggestions! Thank you.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

TIW is just another option....I agree splitting cheque can be tedious....what we used to do when we traveled with another family was alternate who paid and then kept all the bills and settled up at the end....and when we had some of our DD's friends along....they would give us a set amount up front based on what they thought they would spend each day and again I kept the bills and we settled up at the end of the trip.....yes the DDP is much easier.....but TIW is more cost effective and flexible.....it can be used for up to 10 people at once.....

AND alcohol

 

[Dean]

That's the spirit! See you can do it - express things you wish DVC offered. No need to throw around words like 'entitlement'

There's a difference in discussing options and possibilities or even things we like or don't like vs complaining about the choices a given company makes that they have the right to do. What I've posted here isn't anything I haven't posted several times before. Using words like sucks, aggravates, absurd and "Did we ever get a reasonable explanation for this rule?" is different than discussing the possibilities or preferences. Maybe it wasn't intended to be and maybe it isn't a true representation of your approach but your posts sounded very entitlement based.

 

[tjkraz]

If the primary goal is to pre-pay dining expenses, IMO you're probably better off buying Disney gift cards and using that for the meal expenses. At today's DDP prices, in order to actually "save" money you either have to go out of your way to order the most expensive entrees at the most expensive restaurants or you need to have a number of children under the age of 9 in your party. (The DDP still IS a good deal for younger kids)

Put $70 per person, per day on a gift card and I bet it covers the daily cost of one TS meal plus one QS meal...particularly if combined with DVC/AP/TIW discounts.

And tracking the remaining amount on the gift card is no more difficult than tracking meal credits.

 

[marko]

I didn't read through all the posts so I'm not sure if someone has mentioned this, but in the past when I have had guests staying for only part of my reservation I didn't add them to the reservation until I checked in at the resort. A room key is issued for them, and then they don't have to partake in the dining plan. This probably wouldn't work if you wanted to make fastpass reservation.... on MDE for your guests, but I never needed to. I have family living in Florida and they usually pop over for a few nights but never the whole stay; the resort has always been fine with adding them at check in. (Of course we were never over occupancy limits)