Disney Dining Plan 2010

[LIFERBABE]

I thought the holiday upcharge, for cash customers, only applies to Buffets and Character meals, not standard TS? I agree, if they apply the charge to our regular TS lunch time meals, we'll likely dine offsite as well in June. I've never used a DDP and have no plans to do so, I have the DDE/TiW.

Yes Chuck you are correct for 2009 but for those that use the DDP next year during the broad sweeping "holiday" periods they will pay the higher price for the ddp. Some believe dvcers will be exempt from the holiday charge, I don't understand why?
Also this is our 6th year for Christmas. Last year we watched the staff at PEpper Market change all the prices on the menu board and take off the steak on Dec 24th. Ex. The egg rolls (1 of the few things DS eats) went from $2.95 to $5.95) right before our eyes.
I was going to purchase TIW but after I saw how they manipulate the prices during peak times and lowered food quality, I decided it was not worth it for us and we will just skip CM this season as we were disappointed the last few times anyway. So everyone not on "free dining" is affected and paying more for food. The burden is jut being shifted around IMO .

 

[Chuck S]

Yes Chuck you are correct for 2009 but for those that use the DDP next year during the broad sweeping "holiday" periods they will pay the higher price for the ddp. Some believe dvcers will be exempt from the holiday charge, I don't understand why?
Also this is our 6th year for Christmas. Last year we watched the staff at PEpper Market change all the prices on the menu board and take off the steak on Dec 24th. Ex. The egg rolls (1 of the few things DS eats) went from $2.95 to $5.95) right before our eyes.
I was going to purchase TIW but after I saw how they manipulate the prices during peak times and lowered food quality, I decided it was not worth it for us and we will just skip CM this season as we were disappointed the last few times anyway. So everyone not on "free dining" is affected and paying more for food. The burden is jut being shifted around IMO .

Oddly enough, the Pepper Market is privately operated, not a Disney restaurant. So you really can't blame Disney for that particular change.

However, again, if the cash prices for standard TS restaurants aren't involved, it likely won't affect me as I don't get the DDP, ever. My biggest complain is the overall lowering of food selections and quality for cash customers that the DDP in general, free or not, seems to have brought to the table. I've noticed locally some restaurants have raised prices, some twice, just within the last couple of months, using the increased minimum wage as an excuse. Some to "Disney" prices. One local restaurant increased prices 30% across the board. One has to wonder if the Orlando off-site restaurants have followed suit?

Let's hope these increased DDP prices allow a better quality of product.

 

[Magic4Four]

When the dining plan included appetizer and tip, we really felt like we were getting something. After we ate, we signed our bill and got off of the table and somehow, it felt like it was free! We just returned from a 9 day stay and used the ddp but put any tips and appys on our KTTWC. At the end of the stay, we looked at our itemized bill and saw that for just about every TS meal, we had added an additional $40-$50 in tips and misc. Multiply that by the 8 days and that's a lot of money that we are spending in addition to paying for the plan itself!!

That being said, the minute I go to Chef Mickey's for breakfast and have to shell out $120 from my pocket for a buffet for my family b/c I am not on the ddp, will completely take the "magic" out of that experience for me and my family. Disney definitely knows that the ddp is more for convenience and that "all inclusive" feel than true value. The prices are over-inflated, of course, but you do have to eat and the few times that you want to sit down and have a decent meal instead of a quick bite, the dining plan usually pays for itself especially if you are in a studio or regular hotel room. If you have a 1-bedroom, now that's a different story b/c you can make lunch and take it to the park or start off your day with a good breakfast in your room.

Next time we go, we are really going to do the math to see if it is worth it. BTW - what's the increase in the rate for the children's plan?

 

[KiminChicago]

What I don't understand about the DDP is why do they charge 10-12 year olds as if they were adults? That's why we never use the dining plan -- there's no way either of my children will eat that much food. I'm annoyed that I have to pay adult prices for the buffet for them too -- I guess my two kids must be subsidizing some of the real adults who load up at the buffets. I wish they'd adjust the dining plan to have three categories, adult, junior and child so that we might be able to justify adding it on once in a while.

I can understand charging my kids full adult price for admission to the parks -- they probably get more benefit out of the park admission than DH and I do, but until my DS and DD start eating like adults, I don't see why I should pay for them like adults.

 

[DVCtinkerbell]

This past July the seasonal price increase included all cash TS meals we had. My 9dd and 15dd could never eat enough to justify the cost of the ddp. My 15yo ate 3 chicken nuggets at Boma's for dinner one night. Three chicken nuggets period; no salads, no soups, no desserts. $30 or in other words $10 per chicken nugget. I think she is the exception to the norm but will do what works for our family.

We ate offsite or in our villa the week we where there to balance the cost of the few cash meals (2 dinners and 2 breakfasts) we ate on-property.

 

[goofydad99]

It may seem a bit off topic but we ate two meals out and they each cost us close to $200.

We went to the grocery store and spent around $150 and it fed us the rest of the week. Hmmm, it makes me wonder why we even bothered to eat out!

 

[rentayenta]

It may seem a bit off topic but we ate two meals out and they each cost us close to $200.

We went to the grocery store and spent around $150 and it fed us the rest of the week. Hmmm, it makes me wonder why we even bothered to eat out!

Tha's about where I am for this next trip. We break midday almost daily anyway. Our friends are driving and could easlity bring a crock-pot. We will just pay cash for 'Ohana and Tony's, share CS like we normally do as the portions are HUGE, and cook.

 

[Brian Noble]

The "seasonal" price increases are during the times when the resort is at its busiest. The TS restaurants routinely turn people away during those times---people ready and willing to pay menu price. Why discount the meals for some and turn away full-freight guests when you could sell to the latter instead?

Trust me, Disney *wants* you to skip the dining plan (and eat a few fewer TS meals) during those times, so they can fit in more full-price guests.

 

[LIFERBABE]

Oddly enough, the Pepper Market is privately operated, not a Disney restaurant. So you really can't blame Disney for that particular change.

However, again, if the cash prices for standard TS restaurants aren't involved, it likely won't affect me as I don't get the DDP, ever. My biggest complain is the overall lowering of food selections and quality for cash customers that the DDP in general, free or not, seems to have brought to the table. I've noticed locally some restaurants have raised prices, some twice, just within the last couple of months, using the increased minimum wage as an excuse. Some to "Disney" prices. One local restaurant increased prices 30% across the board. One has to wonder if the Orlando off-site restaurants have followed suit?

Let's hope these increased DDP prices allow a better quality of product.

PM takes TIW and DDP so they are trying to recoup during busy times. I agree that the quality has suffered severely. We also ate at CM's and it was awful and expensive!! I doubt if we see better quality. The menus are dropping all the high end items in favor of pork, turkey and chicken. Capt Jacks dropped the Lobster and so did Narcoosees. Most steaks are now sirloin if offered at all.

My boys are 10 and 12 and dont request Disney Dining at all anymore. They dont like the food. They want steak, shrimp, crab legs and real chicken tenders, and we cant get that anymore cash or DDP. Thankfully we can still find a decent burger onsite!

I can go down the street and spend $600 on groceries (triple our budget but still cheaper than DDP) and we can eat the way we like for a week or 2. Even if I added in the cost of a cab we could do better and eat better.

We really enjoy our DVC and the resorts and Im glad that Disney Dining was never top priority on our decision matrix to purchase.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Didn't Narcoosees remove the surfturf from the menu?

Anyway , we DVC will pay the upcharge and if you look at the holiday dates there are more days at holiday pricing than not. The entire summer is considered holiday!
I too feel like DVC members that use the ddp are subsidizing these promotions. We are a big enough resource to quantify and if we all pay $5 more next year, they can cover their loss this year. We don't qualify for free dining and pay the going rate. We fill 7 resorts on the regular and have money to spare or so they think.
When we go in Dec
ember, we will not eat 1 ts meal at wdw during our 2 week stay. I have no desire to pay holiday pricing for anything they are serving when we have a THV and a car. I hate to go offsite, but we will go to Costco and buy catered platters and trays and all the restaurant quality easy to prepare meals we can get and enjoy our resort holiday.

Liferbabe,
Where do you find the dates for the seasonal increase? I have tried and tired to find that to no avail. From your above quotes, you have found the 2010 dates somehwere. Where? Share please.

 

[Brian Noble]

Where? Share please.

Mary Waring does a good job keeping on top of this stuff:

http://www.mousesavers.com/mywplusdining2010.html

Basically, it's more expensive from President's Week through Easter Week, Summer, and Christmas.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Mary Waring does a good job keeping on top of this stuff:

http://www.mousesavers.com/mywplusdining2010.html

Basically, it's more expensive from President's Week through Easter Week, Summer, and Christmas.

Wow, thanks for such a quick reply. Now how will I ever find this again next time I want to?

 

[Brian Noble]

I think they are called "bookmarks".