Disney Dining Plan Price Increases

[Nancyg56]

I wouldn't say it "defies logic" or isn't "convenient"...I think it is those things...

I think the value is a break even. So that being said I won't give Disney $1500 (or whatever a trip would cost) in advance to play with. They haven't earned that right - especially when it comes to food.

The one thing I do fear about the dining plan is that it lowers the expectation of food quality from the patrons and that translates to lower quality across the board.

I like Disney food and it's been a 10-15 struggle for it's soul. Things have diminished in my stomachs view significantly.

So while I understand the desire to "get it out of the way" and prepay...then I see posts listing 6+ characters meals...

NO!!!! Don't, please! Those are the ripoffs and the Low quality places. The fact it's prepaid doesn't change the fact that the net effect is to encourage them to continue do more of that qualify and pricing. I always would hope people use the restaurants and try the more interesting stuff...but from what I've seen that tends to not be the approach from many dining plan fans/posters. That's just the feeling I get...I'm sure it's not the same from everyone.

The problem with your logic is that it is your logic. Not necessarily someone else's viewpoint. I can take either side in the discussion, but what I can't say is how someone reacts to a bad dining experience. Or how that use the plan to branch out and expand their choices. You cannot do so either.

It is not a secret that most of the time the plans work for my family and that since we do not qualify for the dining discounts some suggest we use, I take the next best thing for us. I know I have never just sat back and abdicated my right to what I paid for though. I am not sure others have either. I use my pocketbook to place my "vote"

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I'm not going to lie, every TS meal we did this past trip was character meal. As I said in another post to you, the food was on the level with Hoss's. But I booked them anyway and boy was I glad I did.

No, not because of the kids' faces (though they did enjoy it). No, not because it was a higher quality than I expected.

No, because my MIL turned up her nose at EVERYTHING that wasn't straight up American style fare. She still complains about the beef being too tender in Norway with that "weird" sauce. Her favorite meals were H&V and Chef Mickey's. She ate the kids' grapes and cheddar at CRT instead of trying any of the assorted meats and cheeses.

She even threw a fit about the mashed potatoes a Crystal Palace because my FIL thought they might have turnips in because they were so sweet. I asked a chef and they said they were just yukon gold. My MIL didn't believe me.

So yes, Hoss quality food was exactly what they the Dr ordered for our trip...

You're paying way too much for hoss's (the Golden Corral of the eastern rust belt...for those that aren't aware)...and it seems you know that.

There's a way to deal with "in laws" when it comes to food: tell them the plane leaves 24 hours after it does.

I personally think that if you can only eat burgers, fries, and bland prepped steaks...you lose your right to turn the nose up...and that is what stinks about the menus at WDW. Bad steak at le cellier has a line down the block.

And now I'm gonna have another nightmare about a bad streak chain...what's next? You're gonna talk about King's Restaurant?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The problem with your logic is that it is your logic. Not necessarily someone else's viewpoint. I can take either side in the discussion, but what I can't say is how someone reacts to a bad dining experience. Or how that use the plan to branch out and expand their choices. You cannot do so either.

It is not a secret that most of the time the plans work for my family and that since we do not qualify for the dining discounts some suggest we use, I take the next best thing for us. I know I have never just sat back and abdicated my right to what I paid for though. I am not sure others have either. I use my pocketbook to place my "vote"

Great post...but it wasn't really a response to anything I said...

We usually agree on most things and I don't think anything is different here.

 

[Nancyg56]

Great post...but it wasn't really a response to anything I said...

We usually agree on most things and I don't think anything is different here.

LOL!!! I was trying to respond to your suggestion that folks just do not purchase, but since I cannot do two things at once, and was baking while reading, I probably misinterpreted what I read.

WE do generally agree on most things Disney related, don't we?

 

[LaidBackDad]

I think people feel like they're being called out because it seems like they are being called out.

It defies logic.
It isn't anymore convenient.
It isn't a good value.

Those comments (which I've seen a thousand times in this thread) are calling out those who value the DDP, at least that's how it reads to me.

With 3 disney kids, an infant and 2 adults, it IS a good value for my family.

With the way I was raised (dirt poor) and my obsession need to count and recount every dime we spend on vacation, it lessens my stress and my burden because we've already paid, that is convenient for me.

I'm not going to argue logic. I think that depends on perspective. For me, we saved money on the plan and it relieved stress on me so it is the logical choice for our next vacation.

The one after that, when my eldest will be a Disney adult, I will have to recrunch the numbers and see.

Why can't these conversations be "I don't see the value of it because of XYZ" and "I do see the value of it because of XYZ"? I don't think it needs to be more than that. It is up to the vacationner to do the research and determine which is best for his family, what works for min, probably will not work for you.

I will gladly pay a bit extra (if it comes to it) to save my peace of mind. Perhaps that defies logic to some people, and that's okay, but I put a pretty high value on happiness and if putting out a little extra money can help me relax, then I will.

I don't think people are calling you out when they when they tell you the DDP isn't convenient or a good value. It genuinely bothers me to see complete strangers or virtually anonymous posters get scammed by marketing ploys like the DDP. The DDP is not "a sale" or anyway designed to save the guest money; it is supposed to do exactly the opposite, which is to get guest to spend more money in the parks than they ordinarily would. To imply that anyone can "crunch the numbers" and determine whether or not the DDP is best for them is simply an illogical proposition. It is not realistic to presume you know what everyone in your party is going to eat for every meal and snack for your entire vacation. The fact is, when you get to the parks, things change even for the best planned vacations. Pro DDP people refuse to accept this undeniable fact and get mad and offended when their carefully planned vacation and "crunched numbers" don't add up and they are proven wrong. That is not a personal attack on DDP people, it is merely saying if you use the DDP, there is no way of actually knowing what your real cost for meals would have been.

I am not a professional TA; but, between family friends, and co-workers I have persuaded dozens of families not to use the DDP. Instead I advised the to use the Gift Card method. They determine how much the DDP would have cost their party then they purchase gift cards for that amount. They then charge all of their meals to their rooms and pay off their balance with the cards on the last night of their vacation. Not even one time has anyone I advised gone over the amount of money they spent on gift cards. In fact, they often had hundreds of dollars left which they could save for another trip or buy souvenirs with which they would have been unable to do if they had purchased the DDP. The gift card method has all the same benefits of the DDP and none of the restrictions or draw backs. It also is the only real way to "crunch the numbers" and find out the DDP didn't save the money you thought it did.

 

[Madonna3]

I don't think people are calling you out when they when they tell you the DDP isn't convenient or a good value. It genuinely bothers me to see complete strangers or virtually anonymous posters get scammed by marketing ploys like the DDP. The DDP is not "a sale" or anyway designed to save the guest money; it is supposed to do exactly the opposite, which is to get guest to spend more money in the parks than they ordinarily would. To imply that anyone can "crunch the numbers" and determine whether or not the DDP is best for them is simply an illogical proposition. It is not realistic to presume you know what everyone in your party is going to eat for every meal and snack for your entire vacation. The fact is, when you get to the parks, things change even for the best planned vacations. Pro DDP people refuse to accept this undeniable fact and get mad and offended when their carefully planned vacation and "crunched numbers" don't add up and they are proven wrong. That is not a personal attack on DDP people, it is merely saying if you use the DDP, there is no way of actually knowing what your real cost for meals would have been.

I am not a professional TA; but, between family friends, and co-workers I have persuaded dozens of families not to use the DDP. Instead I advised the to use the Gift Card method. They determine how much the DDP would have cost their party then they purchase gift cards for that amount. They then charge all of their meals to their rooms and pay off their balance with the cards on the last night of their vacation. Not even one time has anyone I advised gone over the amount of money they spent on gift cards. In fact, they often had hundreds of dollars left which they could save for another trip or buy souvenirs with which they would have been unable to do if they had purchased the DDP. The gift card method has all the same benefits of the DDP and none of the restrictions or draw backs. It also is the only real way to "crunch the numbers" and find out the DDP didn't save the money you thought it did.

Love this.

I'm still trying to figure out the logic where because a meal cost a credit vs cash at the time of service that the credit has less value.

 

[quandrea]

I don't think people are calling you out when they when they tell you the DDP isn't convenient or a good value. It genuinely bothers me to see complete strangers or virtually anonymous posters get scammed by marketing ploys like the DDP. The DDP is not "a sale" or anyway designed to save the guest money; it is supposed to do exactly the opposite, which is to get guest to spend more money in the parks than they ordinarily would. To imply that anyone can "crunch the numbers" and determine whether or not the DDP is best for them is simply an illogical proposition. It is not realistic to presume you know what everyone in your party is going to eat for every meal and snack for your entire vacation. The fact is, when you get to the parks, things change even for the best planned vacations. Pro DDP people refuse to accept this undeniable fact and get mad and offended when their carefully planned vacation and "crunched numbers" don't add up and they are proven wrong. That is not a personal attack on DDP people, it is merely saying if you use the DDP, there is no way of actually knowing what your real cost for meals would have been.

I am not a professional TA; but, between family friends, and co-workers I have persuaded dozens of families not to use the DDP. Instead I advised the to use the Gift Card method. They determine how much the DDP would have cost their party then they purchase gift cards for that amount. They then charge all of their meals to their rooms and pay off their balance with the cards on the last night of their vacation. Not even one time has anyone I advised gone over the amount of money they spent on gift cards. In fact, they often had hundreds of dollars left which they could save for another trip or buy souvenirs with which they would have been unable to do if they had purchased the DDP. The gift card method has all the same benefits of the DDP and none of the restrictions or draw backs. It also is the only real way to "crunch the numbers" and find out the DDP didn't save the money you thought it did.

This is how I feel but many people on the boards call me out on this. They think it's ridiculous that I could be bothered by the idea that strangers are being ripped off. But I am. I too have steered dozens away from the plan.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The underlying idea from the "corporate" perspective is that if the dining plan is prepaid, then the majority of travelers will end up dumping more money in the aggregate into the mouse's coffers because that expense is shielded from the "sticker shock" at the time of travel for what is really high priced food. Then more libation, gift shop, upsell tickets, etc get bought on the "we're on vacation...why not?" Theory.

Like I've always said, if there's one thing I've never doubted from Disney: it's that they are very good at crunching the numbers and predicting spending habits.

 

[StuckInKS]

Im not understanding this logic. So, because you've prepaid for the food, it's ok that it sucked?

I'm not getting this either.

That is the "logic" that makes me crazy. I like my trip prepaid, and I always factor my tips, etc into my total bill, but I knwo that if my meals suck, I have lost money. Credits = money.

Here is the logic:

The meals are not valued individually anymore, but instead as part of a dining package for the entire trip. If I pay $X for 40 meals and 2 of them were bad, then I've still gotten my money's worth of value out of the other 38 great meals. Further, the bad meal actually costs less then it would OOP since we are saving a few hundred dollars each week on the DP (we wouldn't get the DP if we were actually able to eat cheaper OOP).

If you want to be mad over a bad meal either way and allow it to ruin your day, that's your decision, but its not for me. I'd rather remind myself that it was cheaper because we chose DP, find value in our other great meals and have a good trip!

 

[StuckInKS]

Like I always say...Disney implemented the dining plan as a misdirection...to get the consumer to "forget" what was already spent. It leads to more spending.

Yes, the DP causes us to spend more in park. If we save $600 on the DP ($300 per week) then my kids each get an extra $100 on their DGCs to spend while we are there.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Yes, the DP causes us to spend more in park. If we save $600 on the DP ($300 per week) then my kids each get an extra $100 on their DGCs to spend while we are there.

So that infers to me that you spend up to your maximum budget on food and junk. For 2 weeks that would be a fortune.

No apologies needed...that is your choice and no need to defend it.

If it were me (my perspective), I couldnt lock myself into 2.5 meals per day for that long...not even close. So very quickly I would start losing on my prepayments.

 

[Nancyg56]

Here is the logic:

The meals are not valued individually anymore, but instead as part of a dining package for the entire trip. If I pay $X for 40 meals and 2 of them were bad, then I've still gotten my money's worth of value out of the other 38 great meals. Further, the bad meal actually costs less then it would OOP since we are saving a few hundred dollars each week on the DP (we wouldn't get the DP if we were actually able to eat cheaper OOP).

If you want to be mad over a bad meal either way and allow it to ruin your day, that's your decision, but its not for me. I'd rather remind myself that it was cheaper because we chose DP, find value in our other great meals and have a good trip!

I do not get mad over anything when I am on vacation, but I also refuse to accept that my "credit" has less value because it is not longer "money."

When I purchase a DDP, and I often do, I do not believe I am less entitled to good food or service. The value of the meal should not change because of a reduction in total cost due to a prepaid commitment to Disney. While I do spread the entire cost throughout the trip, I still recognize the value of every meal. Saving money at the expense of bad food no longer is a savings to me.

The reason I have concerns when people post that they are less likely to care about substandard meals or service due to the convenience of prepaying a plan is because that kind of behavior has become one of the largest detractors of dining plans in general. I have no problem defending those who chose to purchase the plans for any reason they choose. It is possible to save money, and it is reassuring to know you have paid the bulk of the food in advance. Once it becomes acceptable to be served crappy meals by servers who are not invested in customer satisfaction, it's all over.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

When I purchase a DDP, and I often do, I do not believe I am less entitled to good food or service. The value of the meal should not change because of a reduction in total cost due to a prepaid commitment to Disney. While I do spread the entire cost throughout the trip, I still recognize the value of every meal. Saving money at the expense of bad food no longer is a savings to me.

The reason I have concerns when people post that they are less likely to care about substandard meals or service due to the convenience of prepaying a plan is because that kind of behavior has become one of the largest detractors of dining plans in general. I have no problem defending those who chose to purchase the plans for any reason they choose. It is possible to save money, and it is reassuring to know you have paid the bulk of the food in advance. Once it becomes acceptable to be served crappy meals by servers who are not invested in customer satisfaction, it's all over.

Yep...right there it is...

And this has been the case in far too many experiences since the ddp

 

[Nancyg56]

Yep...right there it is...

And this has been the case in far too many experiences since the ddp

I know, and I do not understand the disconnect between the value of a credit and "real" money. You know I am an ardent defender of dining plans because for many of us they work, and they work for a variety of reasons. I am not convinced that the DDP is the root cause of pricing of meals or the streamlining of choices across WDW, but do recognize that there is probably a connection in there somewhere. What I will say without doubt is that when consumers stop linking dollars and cents to a purchase, any purchase, there is permission granted to let quality decline. I do not like that at all.

I know that the overall cost of a WDW vacation is rising and I accept that, but I do need to see a value for the money I spend. Once the value declines to the point I cannot justify the amount spent, I'm done. I invest considerable time trying to help folks here make informed choices in regards to dining, resorts and tickets and touring choices. I invest time after trips sending feedback to guest relations, both positive and negative, and do so in order to let them know that guests pay attention, and I know that many DIS'ers do this as well. All that can be lost if a growing number of guests decide that they will pay up and shut up.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I am not convinced that the DDP is the root cause of pricing of meals or the streamlining of choices across WDW, but do recognize that there is probably a connection in there somewhere.

I do...I am...

I think what happened is that Bob the Goon's regime (to their credit...worked like a charm) drove a wedge in between the two main types of Disney travelers with the dining plan:

1. The infrequent/tourists
2. The hardliners fostered by Eisner (ap, fl res, DVC)

They wanted to massively increase the prices...but knew that doing it to the casuals without the shield of the dining plan would result in the sitdowns being vacated...so the ddp solved that. And then they knew the more knowledgeable, but more high tolerance to the prices - the frequent offenders - would swallow big increases.

They were right on both accounts...we complain but keep buying.

So know there's an alternating price war between the menu prices and the dining plan prices...back and forth.

It's the wwe...or a war where only one side gets bullets. You know who's gonna win before it starts.

 

[Madonna3]

I am not convinced that the DDP is the root cause of pricing of meals or the streamlining of choices across WDW, but do recognize that there is probably a connection in there somewhere.

I do...I am...

I think what happened is that Bob the Goon's regime (to their credit...worked like a charm) drove a wedge in between the two main types of Disney travelers with the dining plan:

1. The infrequent/tourists
2. The hardliners fostered by Eisner (ap, fl res, DVC)

They wanted to massively increase the prices...but knew that doing it to the casuals without the shield of the dining plan would result in the sitdowns being vacated...so the ddp solved that. And then they knew the more knowledgeable, but more high tolerance to the prices - the frequent offenders - would swallow big increases.

They were right on both accounts...we complain but keep buying.

So know there's an alternating price war between the menu prices and the dining plan prices...back and forth.

It's the wwe...or a war where only one side gets bullets. You know who's gonna win before it starts.

I agree with @lockedoutlogic in response to your statement.

I remember the introduction of the dining plan and it solved a huge problem for my family at the time. The TS restaurants have always been overpriced, but less so before the dining plan. The problem was, for Disney, their table service restaurants ALWAYS had availability. I could walk into any restaurant on property at any time and eat. However, the issue was becoming for places other than Epcot, that they weren't able to manage their reservations very well. Each restaurant managed their own and each had different ways of doing it. So, they need to get people to have the culinary aspect of Disney as part of the vacation experience, so BOOM! dining plan. They get people to COMMITT to eating at their TS restaurants. In exchange, Disney gave them quite the discount. When the plan rolled out, we got app, entrée, drink, desert, AND the tip for like $25 a person. That basically left the QS and the TWO snacks we got FREE along with the mug. It was a steal, but a lot of people still didn't really understand it and then the economic issues happened and they gave the plan away for FREE along with very reasonable hotel stays. I literally remember in 2007, an entire stay for my family for a week cost $700 WITH dining. We tried all kinds of places because I HAD TO book these credits somewhere; I had to spend them. I mean, you were almost an idiot if you didn't get the dining plan. Disney is advertising saving 30% off the cost of meals and that was a MINIMUM. It was fantastic, but like all good things, it had to come to an end. The economy improved and by now, Disney had done exactly what it wanted to do, it made the culinary experience PART of the Disney vacation and now people were hooked so they started reeling in the line. They raised the price, but kept things as they were. Ok, no problem, still a great deal. Then they raised the price and took stuff away. OK, not as good of a deal, but still good. Then they raised the price and took stuff away. Now, people are crunching numbers where before it was a no-brainer. Then they raised the price and added stuff back. Number crunching.

While Disney is fluctuating the Dining plan, they're quietly raising prices at the restaurants and that occurred about the same time people started number crunching the DDP. They have to make the credits sold on the DDP have a "value". None of us really know what that is, but we're guesstimating, but that value is always based off the menu prices. If the DDP (I'm using simple, arbitrary numbers) is $20 per person and an average QS meal is 5 and an average TS meal is $15, then that's the value you apply to your credits. Then you view your snacks as "free" assigning a value to the DDP. So, if they don't raise menu prices in conjunction with the cost of the DDP, then the math for the "credits" doesn't work out and the DDP doesn't work, nor sell.

 

[dlavender]

I do...I am...

I think what happened is that Bob the Goon's regime (to their credit...worked like a charm) drove a wedge in between the two main types of Disney travelers with the dining plan:

1. The infrequent/tourists
2. The hardliners fostered by Eisner (ap, fl res, DVC)

They wanted to massively increase the prices...but knew that doing it to the casuals without the shield of the dining plan would result in the sitdowns being vacated...so the ddp solved that. And then they knew the more knowledgeable, but more high tolerance to the prices - the frequent offenders - would swallow big increases.

They were right on both accounts...we complain but keep buying.

So know there's an alternating price war between the menu prices and the dining plan prices...back and forth.

It's the wwe...or a war where only one side gets bullets. You know who's gonna win before it starts.

To your point, they've made the character buffets in essence DDP only.

I mean, $40 per person for the Cape May breakfast buffet, with at least a $4 per person tip on that? That should be the new official definition of insanity.

From members of my misguided family, I hear it all the time. If they are planning on any character buffets, they get the DDP. Because for some unwarranted reason, they feel as if its better to pay the bill 6 months in advance, and then pretend that the meal only cost them 1 credit. They need time to mentally convert that cash into a credit. They need time to bury that cost in the package and in their minds.

I wonder what the percentage of OOP and DDP are at places like CRT and Askerhaus? It would also be interesting to know satisfaction level after the meal using both payment methods.

 

[MamaBelle4]

Sorry you feel that way. I didn't take the other comments that way. I took it more as a way of people explaining why they don't find the dining plan cost effective and the pro-dining plan people not seeing that point of view. In my post, I was very clear to discuss the dining plan from my perspective.

IMO, problem is that most WDW vacationers won't run the numbers. They will continue to purchase the dining plan at the increased prices because that is what WDW and TAs promote. The increased dining plan drives up menu prices for everyone (and decreases quality), which then in turn justifies cost increases to the dining plan.

Curious, because I had depended on a planning calculator, I decided to run the numbers based on what we actually got. I did not include tips in either what we would have paid OOP or DDP, because that was a fixed number. Now, unfortunately, I did not keep our snack receipts. I am going to assume $5.00 a snack since our snack credits were mostly redeemed in Goofy's Candy Co. (the MTO rice crispies, and about 10 trail mix bags) and Starbucks. I could be off, but I think that's probably an accurate average.

So. The same amount of food for our family would have cost us $2,039.55 OOP.

We paid $1,451.24 on the dining plan. Actually less than that because I churned GC to save money, but I'd have done that if we were paying OOP too.

So, yes, DDP DOES make sense for our family. And families like ours.

Just because the value isn't there for some, doesn't mean it isn't for all. I would urge anyone thinking of adding the DDP to do their homework and see if it is beneficial. Likewise, I would urge anyone who has decided it isn't a good value to do their research and see. It doesn't hurt to be prepared.

 

[Madonna3]

Curious, because I had depended on a planning calculator, I decided to run the numbers based on what we actually got. I did not include tips in either what we would have paid OOP or DDP, because that was a fixed number. Now, unfortunately, I did not keep our snack receipts. I am going to assume $5.00 a snack since our snack credits were mostly redeemed in Goofy's Candy Co. (the MTO rice crispies, and about 10 trail mix bags) and Starbucks. I could be off, but I think that's probably an accurate average.

So. The same amount of food for our family would have cost us $2,039.55 OOP.

We paid $1,451.24 on the dining plan. Actually less than that because I churned GC to save money, but I'd have done that if we were paying OOP too.

So, yes, DDP DOES make sense for our family. And families like ours.

Just because the value isn't there for some, doesn't mean it isn't for all. I would urge anyone thinking of adding the DDP to do their homework and see if it is beneficial. Likewise, I would urge anyone who has decided it isn't a good value to do their research and see. It doesn't hurt to be prepared.

I think $600 is quite a savings that really isn't seen anymore with the plan. I'm not saying you're alone, but I am thinking you're in the minority. I'm curious, where did you see the savings?

 

[MamaBelle4]

I think $600 is quite a savings that really isn't seen anymore with the plan. I'm not saying you're alone, but I am thinking you're in the minority. I'm curious, where did you see the savings?

I'm not quite sure I understand your question.

I had saved the amount we paid for the dining plan in my records. Then this morning, I sat down and wrote down everything we ordered and meals we had and added up everything. We returned less than a month ago, so I used the online menu pricing. Then I averaged the snack to $5.00 for reasoning above, and added that to the OOP cost. It added $350 to the OOP as there were 5 of us there for 7 nights (actually 6, but I obviously didn't count the baby).

I didn't factor in the refillable mugs (at $17 apiece, I believe, but I could have, as the last time we went we bought enough souvenir mugs in the parks for our family & the cashier at SSR actually gave us one for our baby free so she'd have one too which was amazingly sweet).