Disney raising food prices to force DDP on me?

[akadada]

Great conversation going on here.

I haven't found wait service to be any less accomodating.

The DDxP actually encourages higher tipping because you eat three courses, so I don't understand why they would be less happy. On signature restaurants we've always had excellent service.

On some regular TS, it's been a mix.

Our worst was at Kona Cafe. Our best, California Grille, Citricos, Fly Fish, Artist Point - equally - all Signatures, though.

It's a market-driven equation. Disney is a publically traded company requiring daily ongoing interest in their debt and equity offerings. They do this through profit margins riding on a value proposition. Disneyworld has built the location and the location warrants higher prices. At the point prices pass equilibrium (i.e. people choosing to drive off site or pack their own somehow), then the pricess concerns could stabilize.

For example, when you to go Manhattan New York for even a reasonable quality steak, it's going to be far more expensive than going to Manhattan Kansas.

 

[jlhill4444]

Disney has a smart marketing plan. The dinning plan is a great deal if you are getting it "free" and staying on property and filling up their hotel rooms. They want their rooms full and offering free dinning so that people think they are getting such a great deal is a great marketing idea. In order to offer free dinning some cuts must be made in the food.

As previously mentioned they are gearing it so that you never have to leave property and for the most part we haven't for our trips. The first time we visited we stayed off site and packed our lunches and left before dinner. This saved us quite a bit of money in the long run, but it was lacking in convenience. Now we don't leave property, we take the room discount because we prefer deluxe and buy either the regular or deluxe dinning because we enjoy HDDR and other shows and this is the most economical way to accomplish this.

All in all, it is all about the experience. What are we looking for during each trip? This is a deciding factor for all when choosing their Disney trip. This also includes those that choose not to come back because of the decline in quality and rise in prices.

 

[TDC Nala]

Another way the dining plan maximizes profits for Disney is that more times than I ever though to anticipate, it seems guests do not use all of the dining credits they paid for (or traded a room discount for rack rate so they could get "free.") And don't forget that signature restaurants cost two credits.

 

[PureTcrazy]

We just returned from a trip using the DxDP. I almost cried at times because of the waste. From my perspective, the appetizers are still large enough to share at a table, they're certainly too large for one person! If you can truly eat an appetizer, entree and a dessert each, then based on Disney prices it is a good deal. However, my family are BIG eaters and we could not even begin to eat all that we were served. My brother and I have discussed this and we will probably only use the DP one more time for our trip in January. I think the OP's thesis was correct, the inflated prices make it seem like a better deal to buy the DP. Of course, that does not take in to account that if one were paying oop, we would never order that much food.

As to the servers looking down on people on the DP, why would they? We were encouraged to order all of the appetizers, entree's and desserts...why? Because it was "free" right? Heck no, because it all adds to the bill and their tip is based on that bill. If I was a server, I would love it if you were on the DP!

Of course, the way they are eliminating DSA's (i'm a ) and crowding the restaurants, I am considering finishing out this year's AP trips offsite and probably won't renew.

 

[TDC Nala]

It's been noted that the servers may be relieved to hear you are not on the dining plan because they do not have to go into the explanation of how the dining plan works, which they are apparently required to give to all guests who are on the plan.

 

[jen_eck]

If you don't like the DDP, don't buy it.....pretty simple. If you don't like the food, don't eat it. Disney is not forcing anything on anybody. If you think you are paying too much for food, then share a meal. That is what I do. The one thing Disney does have going for it is the portions are HUGE!!! Stop complaining and find a solution to your problem and stop blaming Disney for it.

 

[twooley2]

If you don't like the DDP, don't buy it.....pretty simple. If you don't like the food, don't eat it. Disney is not forcing anything on anybody. If you think you are paying too much for food, then share a meal. That is what I do. The one thing Disney does have going for it is the portions are HUGE!!! Stop complaining and find a solution to your problem and stop blaming Disney for it.

I agree if the portions are still HUGE but they have been decreasing.

 

[riomaggiore]

If the meal portions are HUGE, is it possible to order 1 meal to share between 2 people? Or is that not allowed on the dining plan? My party does not consist of people who are huge eaters, and generally I don't even finish a more regular sized entry, for desserts we've always just ordered one to share.

So say for a party of 4, is it possible to use only 2 table service credits if you know you don't want that much food? And if you order extra drinks/desserts/appetizers pay OOP for those?

 

[DVCPAT]

Disney has a smart marketing plan. The dinning plan is a great deal if you are getting it "free" and staying on property and filling up their hotel rooms. They want their rooms full and offering free dinning so that people think they are getting such a great deal is a great marketing idea. In order to offer free dinning some cuts must be made in the food.

I think free dining is the best way to offer a discount without lowering resort rates. Disney has to have high resort rates to keep selling DVC contracts. DVC is a cash cow and if Disney raised the dining quality and offered resort room discounts, DVC sales would suffer.

 

[threvester]

If you don't like the DDP, don't buy it.....pretty simple. If you don't like the food, don't eat it. Disney is not forcing anything on anybody. If you think you are paying too much for food, then share a meal. That is what I do. The one thing Disney does have going for it is the portions are HUGE!!! Stop complaining and find a solution to your problem and stop blaming Disney for it.

THIS

 

[loganpaulsmom]

If you don't like the DDP, don't buy it.....pretty simple. If you don't like the food, don't eat it. Disney is not forcing anything on anybody. If you think you are paying too much for food, then share a meal. That is what I do. The one thing Disney does have going for it is the portions are HUGE!!! Stop complaining and find a solution to your problem and stop blaming Disney for it.

I completely agree with this.. any business person would tell you.. if the dining plan wasn't working or wasn't making WDW money, they wouldn't be offering it.. Disney continues to do the things they do because we continue to "eat" up all things Disney and as long as we do that they will keep offering it to us..
No matter what they change, add, delete, upgrade etc etc there is always going to be someone complaining about it.. I feel lucky to be planning my 11th time to Disney..

 

[deide71]

I had the exact same thought as the OP about the Disney raising the prices in their sit down restaurants and buffets to make the DDP look like a better value. When they took away the appetizer and tip (especially the tip) it really diminished the value...that's when you started to see a steep increase in prices at the sit down restaurants (particularly relative to inflation). I don't have a problem with anyone using the dining plan...but Disney is losing dining customers among those not on the plan. It is difficult to justify $35 for a mediocre buffet or $29 for a plate of pasta.

Interestingly I was in Orlando last week for 4 days. My friend and I decided not to stay on property though Disney was offering free dining at the time. We sayed in a very nice 1 bedroom condo for $75 a night. We were exactly 5 miles from the Epcot parking lot. I added up EVERYTHING we spent exactly $217 on all food, drinks and gratuities over the course of the trip for both of us. This includes:

Food at the airport
Dinner at Uno
Bagels, butter, and snacks for the room from Supertarget
3 bottles of wine and 2 6 packs of beer :0)
12 pack of Diet Coke
Coffee
Lunch at Tusker House (very good)
Lunch at Sunshine Seasons (Meh)
Beer and Pretzel in Germany
Pasteries in France
Margaritas at La Cava Del Tequila(awesome)
Lunch at Cosmic Rays
Dinner at Kobe Japanese steakhouse
Donuts at the airport

I would be willing to bet we would have spent almost that much on extras (tips, liquor, airport food) not covered in the dining plan and we would have had to stay in a smaller room without as many amenitites.

So go ahead and enjoy the dining plan...but realize the value is not quite what Disney is touting it to be.