DDP Trade-in Offer...

[Pkdcoastrs]

From TP

"DDP Trade-In Offer August 13 - October 7

In a bit of an odd revision to the Disney Dining Plan, guests may trade in their Table Service meal for a counter service meal during the period of August 13 - October 7, 2006, and in exchange for doing so, will ALSO get 2 vouchers for DDP snack options OR a disney trading pin and lanyard OR a Where Magic Lives poster. The snacks can be redeemed anywhere, but must be redeemed at the same time. The lanyard will be from a specified merchandise location. "

I know my family definetly won't be wasting any credits on this but maybe people with younger kids would find this worthwhile?

 

[Aimeedyan]

How interesting! I can see where a family that doesn't feel like a TS, or wants to spend more time in the parks and not dining, or doesn't have a reservation and can't easily get a table might opt for this. We won't be but I know people have asked if they can trade their TS for CS in the past so there must be a demand for it!

 

[Luv2Roam]

That could work for those who just want a quick meal for more park time, resort activities, not feeling well, time limitations, etc.
It also obviously helps free up TS meals and helps with some who don't have ADRs. I think this is a plus.

 

[Brian Noble]

IMO, this is strictly a Service Recovery move for folks shut out of theme park restaurants during free dining.

(And a pretty chintzy one at that if any guest was so clueless as to have *bought* the dining plan for this period, and then not made ADRs.)

 

[Palendat]

I don't think that this is for families who don't want to waste time at table service establishments. I think Disney sees how many free diners don't have ADRs and knows that there are practically no time slots left to dine. THis is a bit of covering their butt beforehand. I can see a family being happy with this for one or two meals, but not for an entire week (for those staying a week) or more.

 

[luv2playallday]

What is TP? Is this confirmed! I think we will have extra TS because I can't really eat, so this would be Great! We plan on going to Universal and the Ocean for a few days also, so this would be PERFECT! I don't care if it's not the best value, it will give us more flexibility!

 

[Threeriversdisneyfan]

What is TP? Is this confirmed! I think we will have extra TS because I can't really eat, so this would be Great! We plan on going to Universal and the Ocean for a few days also, so this would be PERFECT! I don't care if it's not the best value, it will give us more flexibility!

Touringplans.com web site of the Unoffical Guide. Their sources are usually pretty good.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I don't think that this is for families who don't want to waste time at table service establishments. I think Disney sees how many free diners don't have ADRs and knows that there are practically no time slots left to dine. THis is a bit of covering their butt beforehand. I can see a family being happy with this for one or two meals, but not for an entire week (for those staying a week) or more.

Hmm, the CM I know personally said there are dining options open during free dining - they just may not be at the top restaurants (and there are a lot of people who eat counter service the entire week, happily and by choice. Certainly not what I like to do but many do!)

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Hmm, the CM I know personally said there are dining options open during free dining - they just may not be at the top restaurants

I completely agree with this. We are going 8/25-8/30 and have made and changed ADRs in the last week with no problems. I'm sure there are some weeks during the free dining promotion that are more crowded; maybe that's why we are seeing an offer like this. It's also a good time to test a new program; when you know people are eating for free and that most guests will be on the DP.

 

[ReneeA]

We had 3 TS credits left on our last day last year and a manager at the food court at ASMo. had to override the transaction so that we could use them for breakfast since our CS were gone.

With a 2 & 3 year old, it wasn't always convienent or smart to sit down for an hour and a half for a TS meal. Sometimes we had to get our food and RUN.

This year they are able to sit a bit longer and have a bit more patience so we may not have to use that option...but it's nice that it's there if need be.

 

[JimMIA]

I agree this is CYA, although it will work out well for many families. I've been predicting a backlash against the DDP by those folks who thought the plan meant they'd just be able to walk up to a restaurant and eat. I've seen the calls to DDPers without ADRs as an effort to lessen that, and this tells me they've got a serious problem just around the corner. I think Disney realized that this IS one of those rare situations where "Failure to plan on your part DOES constitute an emergency on my part."

The proposal, if true, is not a perfect solution, but at least it gives families some other options.

Those of us here on the DIS can get all smug and call the non-planners "clueless," but they still paid a lot of money for their vacations, they're newbies just like we all were once, and Disney wants them to have a great visit.

And if WDW "vets" act like they usually do, I'm sure there will be a lot of frequent visitors taking time to help and advise the newbies - just like the help most of us got on our first visit.

 

[Lizzybee]

I actually think they are trying to contact ALL DDP'ers. We will be there in 3 days and we got a call about a week ago about making sure we had our ADRs. Of course I've had them since April and I even have one meal to pay OOP. I also think it's for CYA. Maybe they noticed that if just about everyone in the place has DDP during that period and lots of resorts are pretty much booked up, there just wouldn't be enough TS ADRs to go around. I know our first trip in 2003, the CM mentioned to me making some reservations and my parents who were going with said "nah, we don't want to be tied down so we'll just find places to eat when we get there" So the only TS meals we ate at were Boatwrights at POR because we never came across a park restaurant taking walk ups. It was fine because we had no DDP so it would have been nice to have a couple more nicer meals, but it was no big deal. If we paid to have DDP with a certain number of TS credits, and we didn't know to make ADRs and lost those credits, we'd have been upset. We're pretty calm and civilized as a group... but not everyone is.

 

[JimMIA]

We're pretty calm and civilized as a group... but not everyone is.

In May, we saw several groups, including one party of about 12 at Le Cellier, who were decidedly UNcivilized when they found out they couldn't get in.

Also saw disgruntled folks at the LTT character meal, 1900 Park Fare, and at City Hall in MK trying to get ADRs when every single seat at MK - all day and night - was booked.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I just talked to someone online this week that was leaving next week and didn't know ANYTHING about the dining plan. They had it booked but for some reason, whoever booked it didn't explain it and they (having never been to WDW before) didn't realize that basic research should be done.

Needless to say, several of us urged her to pick some restaurants and make reservations so they wouldn't be surprised when they got there.

There are lots of people like that out there - I'm glad Disney is following up with people and making sure their dining reservations are arranged. That will make things easier on the host/hostess at each restaurant.

 

[ntsammy5]

I completely agree with this. We are going 8/25-8/30 and have made and changed ADRs in the last week with no problems..

Going the last week of the free DDP and we've made and changed ADRs right up until today! At good restaurants too.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Going the last week of the free DDP and we've made and changed ADRs right up until today! At good restaurants too.

I'd say you're a heck of a lot luckier than I've been. Although I've had all my ADRs since April, I've been calling periodically looking for better times at a few places (yes, even 5 months out there were limited times at some places). When I called last week, every place I asked about was "oversold", so I was told I'd better hang on to the ADR I already had there. So I think Disney is preparing for a lot of unhappy guests trying to eat TS during free dining.

 

[PatMcDuck]

We leave next week, and could not make some changes to my DDP reservations. And we are PAYING for the plan, DVC members. I ended up taking AK Rainforest lunch ressie, they are not ON the plan, so we may end up using that trade in thing mentioned in this thread, for counter service later that day. I could not get a PS at Epcot for dinner. We are 6, which is likely the problem.

 

[PaulaSB12]

I made my last change 10 days ago. I changed my 5.55pm 50's prime time cafe, to 7.30pm Wolfgang Puck Cafe. I asked for anytime between 7pm and 9pm and got 7.30.

 

[bicker]

And we are PAYING for the plan

Remember: All Dining Plan guests are paying for the plan, one way or another.

 

[zookeeper]

I think it's a great idea to offer CS in exchange for TS. CS just works better for many families, especially those with young children. It also helps out those newbies who aren't aware of the need for ADR's. It also demonstrates a greater flexibility of the DDP which will encourage repeat users. I would imagine that someone new to WDW who goes during Free Dining without ADR's would not be thrilled about paying for it on future trips if they have a difficult experience this time.