Deluxe Dining Plan-Anyone else intrigued?

[JohnathanS]

When you think about it, the DDP is no more food than is offered on a cruise. Cruises provide both food and drink almost around the clock, and it is included in your ticket.

I see the DDP as an optional vacation indulgence, just like spa treatments, VIP tours, honeymoon suites, etc. It's for some but not for others. I won't be doing it because I know that, based on my eating habits, I'd end up wasting my money on food I wouldn't be able to finish. I'd rather use the extra cash at the SSR spa, ! But as far as my health goes, I don't see a week or so of indulgence wrecking a person's physical well being unless there was already some prexisting condition.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

I'm so jealous of the person who didn't gain any weight!

When I go on vacation, I eat what I want! I was full a lot at Disney, but I enjoyed eating all that food that I didn't have to cook! I did gain some weight, but once I was back home eating healthy again, it came back off in a short amount of time. I think if you can't relax on vacation and eat what you want, you just don't love food the way some of us do! P.S. I let my kids have pop and dessert everyday on our Disney vacation!

 

[yitbos96bb]

I'm interested. We are the kind of people who like to sit down and eat three meals a day on vacation. Or at least two, because we want to see the dinner shows and the Backyard BBQ. I have been crunching numbers and it seems like my family might not get much of a savings, but we'd probably break even. I love the prepaid aspect of it.

I am only bothered by the fact that my very-small-for-her-age-and-doesn't-eat-much tween daughter (she'll be 11 when we go next year) would be charged as an adult. In what world does an 11 year old eat $70 worth of food a day? That is the only thing that really turns me off. If we choose not to get the deluxe plan, this would be why.

I guess you never have had or been an 11 year old boy... from 11 - 18, I and most of my friends ate like horses... we used to go through a gallon of milk a day.

 

[yitbos96bb]

All the "Outcry" over my post only makes me wonder.

If it doesn't apply then why are you upset?

Because it makes you come off like a real... witch. It was an extremely rude rude comment... some of us ACTUALLY believe in not insulting people in forums on a regular basis.

Your lucky I'm not a moderator because you would not have liked the result.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

All the "Outcry" over my post only makes me wonder.

If it doesn't apply then why are you upset?

I'm not "upset," your post just made it sound like everyone wants the deluxe plan just to pig out. But that is not why I personally would book it.

If and when I do book it I would probably do two TS meals a day, one one-credit one, and one signature one. The signature one I'd want because I am a foodie, and it gives me a chance to try lots of items I might not try OOP. And I don't go to buffets to "pig out," I go because I either like the food, the experience and atmosphere, or both.

I go to at least a few buffets / all-you-can eat meals every trip, usually including Boma, Crystal Palace, and Ohana, and I usually eat a pretty near regular amount. Maybe a little more then usual, but not so much that I make myself sick.

Like I said, I always eat that way in Disney, and I've lost weight before, so why would the Deluxe DDP be "the road to obesiety?"

 

[yitbos96bb]

I don't think we could ever eat 3 TS meals/day, but I could see us using 2 of the credits for signature restaurants each day.

For us, we might use a snack credit for a baked item as a light breakfast, then a TS lunch and a signature meal for dinner. (Unless, of course, they start limiting the snacks to popcorn/drink/ice cream bar as was rumored. DW probably won't be so excited about having popcorn for breakfast. )

Still probably ends up being more food then we'd eat otherwise, but it fits better than the changes which will stiff us on the appetizer and stick us with the tip. Maybe that's what they're counting on--getting people out of the current version of the DDP and get them to move up to the Deluxe version which maybe they project as being more profitable.

For our next trip we'll run the numbers for 4 different scenarios: (1) staying onsite and getting the deluxe package; (2) staying onsite with an AP discount and using DDE to eat meals onsite; (3) staying offsite and using an AP/DDE to eat meals onsite; (4) staying offsite and eating our TS meals offsite. I'm guessing option 4 will end up working best for us if the new changes come to pass, but we'll compare and see.

Agreed, THIS is why I like this plan... TO be able to eat at the GLORIOUS Signature restaurants (too bad Bistro de Paris and Victoria and Alberts isn't included... still not sure why they couldn't do a V and A one for maybe 3 credits...) more is awesome... Cali Grill is still one of my all time favs. We'd probably just pay OOP for most breakfast at CS (or use our DDE card once or twice at Kona) and then use the breakfast credit for Dinner at Signature places...

I wonder WHEN we'd be able to purchase... If they won't sell it until 2008 or if we can get it for our December 2007 trip... THAT would be AWESOME.

 

[CarolA]

Duplicate post

 

[CarolA]

Because it makes you come off like a real... witch. It was an extremely rude rude comment... some of us ACTUALLY believe in not insulting people in forums on a regular basis.

Your lucky I'm not a moderator because you would not have liked the result.

Why?

Unlike you I called NO ONE a name.

I went back and re-read the post.

It starts with IMHO. It does NOT call ANYONE on this board Obese. It says is the "road to" (which would not mean that anyone is obese would it?)

Apparently to have a view different from "Disney is GOOD" makes me a "witch" (and we all know exactly what you meant to say!)

The truth is that I am actually a nice person. I considered changing the post because it seemed to touch too many nerves. And then I found this post. I am now leaving the post up so that everyone can see why I am a "witch"

I am sorry, but I still think the fact is that this plan will have most of us consuming more food then is good for us. Maybe everyone on this board is right and this is the ONLY time they eat that much, but sadly if you look around America today it's hard to draw that conclusion. I travel weekly and I know that I consume too much food and I don't eat near as much as this plan would let me.

There are folks who can and do eat this much and don't gain weight. One of them is one of my best friends. Interestingly when she is "chowing down" folks will have the nerve to ask her "are you bulemic" and when she is eating light folks will walk up and try to make her admit she has an eating disorder. (Teen age boys are another group, but lots of them don't seem to like fancy sit down meals)

 

[Luv2trav]

This thread has gotten off topic. I would like to discuss the deluxe plan and those who are interested in using it.

 

[PolyAddict]

Based on my interpretation...

If we took a 7 night trip with 7 sit downs (with 2 of them being Signature meals), CS breakfast and CS lunch and $25 a day for snacks for my family of 5 and my food total comes to $1816.

DDP 2008 is 1168.65 for 4 adults and one child. Add in $189 for tips, $266 for my OOP meals and $175 to cover Counter Service breakfasts and my total comes to $1764.

Does anyone know if the deluxe plan will include gratuities? If it did (which I doubt), it would be $2099.65 for my family. Which is only a little over $300 more and would include a lot more sitdowns. It would be hard to figure gratuity, but I guess I'll get to work on it. ok, based on added gratuity, I figured about $66 a day on 3 tbls service meals times 7 days is $462[/COLOR] So that brings my total to $2561.65 for the deluxe plan

 

[Luv2trav]

For our family it would cost 1259.72 for 7 nights. That is about 300.00 more than we paid for 8 nights this past year.. However, include cost of mugs 55.00 + 100.00(additional groceries/Breakfast etc) and it's not much of a difference. So for about 150.00 more we would get more sitdowns and signature meals. Works out great for us. This does not include tip so add another 100-200...

 

[DisneyJimbo]

Does anyone know if the deluxe plan will include gratuities?

Nope...no gratuities are included...

 

[Becky2005]

What I'm curious is to see which restaraunts are included.

I'm wondering if some will choose to participate in the deluxe version but not the regular one, etc...

Only because I know that also tipped the scales for us when we had to decide between Dining Plan/Premium plan in 2005. On the Premium, there were more restaraunts included. It was right when everything changed structures (MYW and all).

I'm wondering what the *higher* level plans might be too (if any but I have a hunch they will have *something* like the Premium available), although really, the deluxe dining is really what we would have liked a long time ago, so I'm pretty much sold on it -- if it's like being described.

Back then room service wasn't included though either, so that will be interesting to see if that's included on the new plans or not.

 

[stitchsgrandpa]

I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone know if additional TS sites will be added?

2. As far as gratuities, do we tip on DDP/DDPE cost or the actual TS cost? I know it sounds silly but when I buy something on sale or receive services that are on sale I do not give extra just because. I just want to do the fair thing both for server and myself. Good service we tip 18% plus.

 

[timandlesley]

Also, does anyone know if the rumors about cutting snack credits back is true? If you get 2 per day per person with this plan are they only the popcorn and water as I recall reading? If so that would STINK!
Lesley

 

[CarolA]

I have a couple of questions:

1. Does anyone know if additional TS sites will be added?

2. As far as gratuities, do we tip on DDP/DDPE cost or the actual TS cost? I know it sounds silly but when I buy something on sale or receive services that are on sale I do not give extra just because. I just want to do the fair thing both for server and myself. Good service we tip 18% plus.

You tip based on the actual cost. The diner has no way of knowing what the DDP cost is and it is not considered good form to tip based on a discount.

 

[honeymo78]

Becky, I've heard they aren't really chaning the plat and premium packages but who knows. I'm sure they will keep them in some form. When they switched over to MYW they got rid of plat for one year (my honeymoon ) but I guess there was enough guest interest to bring it back the next year. I also know that there is a new platinum plan dedicated email for pre-planning. While it might not take much to set that up, I would wonder why even bothering to do it this summer if the package was going away in a few months.

 

[JohnathanS]

You tip based on the actual cost. The diner has no way of knowing what the DDP cost is and it is not considered good form to tip based on a discount.

That brings up another question: Do they calculate what it would have cost without the plan? In other words, do you get a receipt showing what the total of your would have been so that you can easily calculate the tip?

I must say, one of the things that appealed to me most about the current plan is that it allows for "no brain, no cash" dining. You don't have to calculate the tip nor do you have to supply additional payment. To me, this convenience was one of the best parts of the plan.

We will be trying out the current plan for 12 of our 18 days this October. I'm glad we are having the chance before the new plan goes into effect. Looks like it will be back to DDE in 2008!!

 

[Becky2005]

That brings up another question: Do they calculate what it would have cost without the plan? In other words, do you get a receipt showing what the total of your would have been so that you can easily calculate the tip?

I know when we were on the Premium they gave us 2 bills basically, one that showed our total & then the "0.00" one. I was trying to keep track of how much we would have spent so I know I wrote the numbers down (most of the time). They always ended up keeping the one with the total figure on it & our receipt to keep was the one with 0.00 on it.

I'm not sure with the regular dining how it worked though.

 

[Colleen27]

What I'm curious is to see which restaraunts are included.

I'm wondering if some will choose to participate in the deluxe version but not the regular one, etc...

I'm wondering about that too, although I don't think that we'll see much change, at least with the Disney owned restaurants. It would detract even further from the value of the normal plan if the "good" restaurants were excluded. The main ones I'm wondering about are places like Fultons and Wolfgang Puck.