Dining Plan & DVC - can't there be a compromise?

[ILoveMyDVC]

After taking an unheard of year off, we've booked our 2 weeks at OKW for June thereby plunging our family into the dining plan or not debate. I won't bore you with the endless arguments for and against that my family has with each other and certainly don't want to debate if the quality of food has gone down or wait times up, etc...

but I do want to ask if anyone has heard any talk of Disney being more reasonable with the rules for the dining plan for DVC stays. We've booked a 2 bedroom for 2 weeks. And, I expect that 4 of us will be there the entire time and therefore on the dining plan for the entire time. However, during that time, we expect guests (2-4) to visit us for 3-5 nights. I don't think it is reasonable for us to pay an extra 2080 dollars for 3-5 days of additional dining. I think we should be able to pay just for the time our guests are visiting (and registered). I have no problem registering my guests and having their room key privileges expire when they leave and no problem adding them to the dining plan for their stay. But I do have a problem paying for the dining plan for 8-10 days for people that are not even in the state of Florida.
Any thoughts?

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Logistical nightmare for the computers to track and note on your receipts which points you have that expire X date versus Y date or that are effective Z date.

People have a hard enough time understanding the dining plan without various expiration dates/times.

There is also a cost of adding this feature to the number of people it would benefit. I would guess you would be of a very small minority of people that this would impact and so the cost to add this feature would be spread over everyone for the benefit of a very small few.

You always have another option though. You could book different reservations (realizing you may have to move) or just not do the dining plan.

 

[CarolA]

The rules are the same for Dining plan for all guests at Disney. If you were paying cash via CRO you would play by the same rules. And this is one of the ways Disney makes MONEY off of this thing.

I don't think you will ever see this change. Paying guests complain too....

 

[Chuck S]

DVC does not control the rules of the dining plans, they are made available to DVC through an agreement with Disney Travel/Central Reservation Dvision.

The option would be for you to break up your reservation into several unlinked reservations, which would mean you need to check-out and check-in each time, and you may have to move. Or, you could reserve a one bedroom the entire time for your party of 4, and add separate studio reservations for the nights you will be joined by guests.

 

[Brian Noble]

I do want to ask if anyone has heard any talk of Disney being more reasonable with the rules for the dining plan for DVC stays

I haven't, and don't expect to.

The dining plan is not designed to save you money. The dining plan is designed to earn more money for Disney.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

DVC does not control the rules of the dining plans, they are made available to DVC through an agreement with Disney Travel/Central Reservation Dvision.

The option would be for you to break up your reservation into several unlinked reservations, which would mean you need to check-out and check-in each time, and you may have to move. Or, you could reserve a one bedroom the entire time for your party of 4, and add separate studio reservations for the nights you will be joined by guests.

This might just work for us in more ways than one. Thanks for the suggestion. I get caught up in the one big group fantasy but reality is always much different.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

The rules are the same for Dining plan for all guests at Disney. If you were paying cash via CRO you would play by the same rules. And this is one of the ways Disney makes MONEY off of this thing.

I don't think you will ever see this change. Paying guests complain too....

They only make money if we buy it. They will most definitely lose the majority our dining $$$ because we'll end up going outside of the World for the same food at a lower cost or better food for the same cost. It's fairly easy to find good food for 30+ an entree in Orlando. And as DVC members, we tend to stay longer so we don't have the pressure of 'losing time' at the theme parks.

Of course, rumor has it, that the kitchens in those OKW rooms are real - but 14 years later, I can't say that I know for sure

 

[Deb & Bill]

They only make money if we buy it. They will most definitely lose the majority our dining $$$ because we'll end up going outside of the World for the same food at a lower cost or better food for the same cost. ...

You are only one guest at WDW. As they fill up the rooms at the non-DVC resorts, they keep everyone on the property with Magical Express and force people to eat on the site. And when the guests think about the bargain they are getting for the dining plan. Well, that's all they wrote. With the "Buy 4, get 3 free" plan, they will fill the rooms and the dining facilities.

 

[bangzoom6877]

I would book a 1 BR and a separate studio for them for whatever nights they are joining you. If my parents and sister & nieces come with us in 2010, I have enough points to book each of them a studio for the amount of nights they say they would want to go...5 nights out of our 10 night stay. So if they choose to do the dining plan it will be for their own individual rooms. We will get the DDP just for the 4 of us. If my sister wants to get it for them, they will have it for their 5-night stay. And if my parents want to get it for themselves, they will have it for their 5-night stay as well. It just makes things easier. That's why I am not going to get a 2BR if my parents come without my sister. I would still get them their own studio because otherwise we would have 5 days worth of credits we would not use.

 

[blondietink]

Yes, the kitchens are real at all the DVC resorts! We always use them and save a ton of money. We do a couple of special dinners or character meals during our stay and pay cash for them. I cannot imagine spending the kind of money you are talking about for 2 weeks of a dining plan for a family plus guests. I guess I am just a money miser. The money saved on cooking in our room vs. a dining plan could pay for another vacation in full. Just MHO.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

Yes, the kitchens are real at all the DVC resorts! We always use them and save a ton of money. We do a couple of special dinners or character meals during our stay and pay cash for them. I cannot imagine spending the kind of money you are talking about for 2 weeks of a dining plan for a family plus guests. I guess I am just a money miser. The money saved on cooking in our room vs. a dining plan could pay for another vacation in full. Just MHO.

If only...I have a husband (of 4 years) that's spent the previous 20 years of his life eating all of his meals out. I'm trying to change the pattern but it's slow going. It really does bother me to buy the meal plan and every year I swear I won't do it and just think how fit we'll all be - all that walking and eating lightly - but in the end, I know we'll end up eating at least one TS (on or off the property) a day.

I wonder how many people actually use the kitchen beyond cereal and popcorn making...I'm sure it's been asked over the years on the boards.

 

[mikeandkarla]

I haven't, and don't expect to.

The dining plan is not designed to save you money. The dining plan is designed to earn more money for Disney.

It can and does save people money if used correctly. The real benefit is when you have children under the age of 9.
Assuming you would be eating the same amount whether on or off the DDP.(1TS and 1 CS a day)

 

[CarolA]

I don't buy the meal plan and I generally don't each much off property. For me it's more food then I want/need and I just find the DDP a waste. And I can't justify "savings" that only exist if I eat more then I normally would!

I do have normally have the Tables in Wonderland.... haven't renewed it this year, will just have to see.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We've done the dining plan and liked it, but we wont be doing it again. It was an easy way to handle meals when we had kids with us, but we find it is way more food than we want, and we end up wasting a lot of CS credits. Each time, we ended up with double digit CS credits left and could have used more TS. Now that they no longer include gratuity and make you do dessert instead of being able to choose an appetizer, we wont be doing the dining plan again. We'll use the TIW (DDE) and save even more. Since the DDE card automatically adds 18% gratuity, we'll save right there(we usually tip 20%), and the 20% savings on the meal means we are 2% ahead of the game! We do like to eat at a TS most days, but we always do breakfast in the villa, and many times a light supper as well as an occational full meal. When we have guests who are trying to save budget, we will usually cook all meals in the villa. When it's just us, we will eat one TS (usually at midday with an occational evening), and do breakfast and a light supper at the villa. If we could use the DDP for just TS and a snack, it would be perfect for us, but that's not the way it works.

 

[Brian Noble]

It can and does save people money if used correctly. The real benefit is when you have children under the age of 9.
Assuming you would be eating the same amount whether on or off the DDP.(1TS and 1 CS a day)

That's right---it can work, but only if you normally would want what the plan provides. But, you can bet your last mickeybar that, on average, that's not what most guests do when left to their own devices.

Disney doesn't care if you personally save money. They only care that averaged across all the guests who use it, the plan earns more money for the Resort than was made before its existence.

The OP wants a plan that fits their unique circumstances. But, that's not in Disney's interest. Disney doesn't want to make it easy for people to come and go. Disney wants all of your travel party on property for the whole time, as a captive audience spending time and money with the Mouse.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

Now that they no longer include gratuity and make you do dessert instead of being able to choose an appetizer, we wont be doing the dining plan again. We'll use the TIW (DDE) ...

Ten lashes for me for not doing my homework ahead of time.

I just 'discovered' the changes to the DDP plan last night. Left a note for my husband on his pillow "NO Dining Plan for YOU!" He isn't a DDP fan but was convinced to go for it after I promised not to bring the laptop and Excel spreadsheets again. However, upon reading the new rules, I changed my mind in a hurry. Now we're looking at the DDE (or Whatever Wonderland) card, too. We've used both DDP and DDE successfully in the past. What I really want is the Food and Fun cards again!

 

[jimmacmn]

The Tables in Wonderland plan with the discount sounds like it would actually work best for your situation as it is good for parties of up to 10 guests. The one drawback is if everyone is going their seperate ways and not dining together. The diners have to be with the holder of the plan card to get the discounts. Also, to I think the plan is only available to certain passholders such as Annual Passholders. I don't think a DVC member who does not have an AP can purchase this plan.

 

[crisi]

The OP wants a plan that fits their unique circumstances. But, that's not in Disney's interest. Disney doesn't want to make it easy for people to come and go. Disney wants all of your travel party on property for the whole time, as a captive audience spending time and money with the Mouse.

And part of this is about Universal and Sea World and the other area attractions making LESS. They'll take a small hit on profit if they can cause Universal's revenue to decrease, and according to industry gossip, that was exactly what ME and the DDP did to Universal.