Does anyone else dislike the Dining Plan?

[dbk1029]

HOnestly I don't think the restaurants being booked up has so much to do with the DDP. Is it a factor? Sure. Is it the #1 reason? I doubt it.

I don't mind the planning aspect at all. I just make sure I visit the parks where I will be eating or try to make later reservations to allow me time to go from one park to the next.

 

[Dis Ohana]

Is it really impossible to get TS, or is it just during what's considered peak times? If we ate dinner at 4:00pm or 8:00pm would we be able to find a pretty good TS place to eat without the ADR?

 

[bicker]

Is it really impossible to get TS, or is it just during what's considered peak times? If we ate dinner at 4:00pm or 8:00pm would we be able to find a pretty good TS place to eat without the ADR?

You'd surely have more choices, but some places will still be fully-booked, days, weeks or even months in advance.

 

[dbk1029]

@Dis Ohana: if you are booking ahead of time (180days+10) you need to call early in the AM (for FL) to make sure you get the times and places you want. If you are talking about same day then yes it is pretty difficult to do.

 

[Allison]

Is it really impossible to get TS, or is it just during what's considered peak times? If we ate dinner at 4:00pm or 8:00pm would we be able to find a pretty good TS place to eat without the ADR?

We were at MK on Friday, there was no TS available for dinner without an ADR. It was the same thing on Saturday at Epcot, even Marakesh and Biergarten were full.

 

[I_Tink]

So, if we want to eat at the "drive in" at MGM, I will need ressies? Hadn't even thought of that place as somewhere I need to reserve a table. We are staying concierge at WL, I guess I assumed that on the day we decide to go there, we can just ask them to set it up. Is that plan a bad idea now?

 

[Juliah]

Thanks for all your responses. This is tough for us because we have two family members with health problems, and it is very hard to plan things out much ahead.

Is it hard to get reservations at the resort restaurants that aren't as quite as popular as O'Hana, like Kona or Maya Grill?

At the park restaurants, is it hard to get reservations for lunch?

 

[bicker]

'Ohana is relatively popular. Kona and Maya Grill are a lot easier to get reservations for.

 

[jodifla]

Bona fide DDP hater here. Hate what it has done to the ADR process, the menus, and the food quality.

DIsmayed that people are such suckers for it. It's a pyramid scheme and a loss leader.

 

[Allison]

Bona fide DDP hater here. Hate what it has done to the ADR process, the menus, and the food quality.

DIsmayed that people are such suckers for it. It's a pyramid scheme and a loss leader.

Loss leader, yes, but it doesn't fit the definition of pyramid scheme.

 

[minijeanie]

my fiance and i have just purchased our honeymoon at disney (i have been twice before he has never been), and we purchased the DP, he does not like the fact that we have to know where we want to eat and at what time now when we won't be there until the end of may. it's also causing me alot of stress since he as left the picking of the restaurants and times to me. we will have the DP for 5 table service meals, does anyone have any suggestions for places we "have" to go too. we both love good food and are looking forward to going, on both of my trips previously we only ate counter service in the park
thanks

Once you do table service you will love it:
The following ts I would recommend would be:

in MK:

LTT

in MGM

Brown Derby(2 Ts)
Prime Time Cafe

Epcot

LeCellier
forgot name but restaurant in France


AK

Boma
Jiko(2 TS)

also make sure you do

CG (also 2 TS) but well worth it

Just try to devise a plan what day you will be at what park and you can do your table service there that day

good luck and congrats in advance

 

[feet1]

Have things changed that much since last feb? We were there last year at this time of year and only made ressies for the two character breakfasts. We had no problem getting into any of the TS restaurants, but we ate lunch for all of them. We are using the dinning plan this time around, so I have a feeling we will use TS for dinners this time, and reading all thee posts, I am definatly going to plan ahead and place the ADRs.

 

[GrowingUpDisney]

We found this out in December 2005. We were staying a week and had reservations for LTT in MK, but each time we tried anywhere else the rest of the time they were booked. We are doing the DDP this time and are scheduled for: Prime Time Cafe, LTT, Crystal Palace, Princess Breakfast in Akersus (sp), Chef Mickey's and SciFi.

 

[doodle]

Just wanted to say...................

Welcome to the DIS GrowingUpDisney!!! Many happy posts!!

 

[KJF]

I agree - I hate it. I haven't done it & I won't for a few reasons. We have small kids & who knows what we'll be up for 5 minutes from now, let alone 6 months from now. They make it hard to be on time for anything! Plus, I don't like the idea of a sit-down meal every day. Yes, we plan most of our days, but I do leave 1 or 2 to be "open" to go & see stuff we may have missed or want to do again. I don't know where I'll be every day. We experienced problems too on our last trip we wanted to do one final good meal in the MK & couldn't get anything for that day - very frustrating. Luckily, we did have some nice meals a few of the days we were there that week.

 

[2angelsinheaven]

We love DDP and think it's a great value, however I too am a bit stressed over the lack of reservations. We use to be able to walk-in most places or at the very least call a day ahead or day of for a reservation. Now I find it tough even a few weeks ahead.

I believe this has to do with many booking multiple reservations so that they are covered no matter where they are/when they want to eat.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Bona fide DDP hater here. Hate what it has done to the ADR process, the menus, and the food quality.

DIsmayed that people are such suckers for it. It's a pyramid scheme and a loss leader.

I love the dining plan. It helps that I enjoy planning. As soon as I book our trip, I make a list of the restaurants we want to hit.

Once the park hours are released, I start working on which parks we'll hit each day. Since we always take advantage of EMH, this part is easy. Once the park days are set, I plug in the ADRs.

It's all very simple. Do I know WHAT we'll eat on August 25? Nope. But I do know WHERE we'll eat and that's good enough for me.

After using the dining during our last trip, I don't plan to go without it again.

 

[Nicole786]

I'm glad many people feel the same way as I do.

I would probably love the DDP if it was available to me. My problem with it is that it's not available to all resort guests and becomes an inconvenience to those without it. If you have it, you know that you will be able to eat out every night, or every other night or whatever. But without it, you're paying OOP and 4 months before I go, i'm not really sure if instead of dining out on Tuesday, i'll want a pair of Disney Crocs.

I just think they should formulate some sort of compromise. Maybe offer the DDP to resort guests as well? Or certain dinner timeslots for reservations (maybe 5-7) but 4, 8, 9 are walk in only?

 

[honeymo78]

I'm sorry it's not offered to you as a a resort guest (I'm guessing room only ressie). However, disney wants to include it as part of a room and ticket package. I'm not sure there is an incentive for disney to do otherwise. Since DDP is dining at a discount, disney makes up for that by requiring tickets and a room booked together. I think it was a great step for them to allow DVC to purchase DDP (now if only they'd include plat and premium too).

Personally I can't imagine a trip without a dining plan or without making dining reservations. Only once in 15 trips did I not have ressies and that was on a school trip and I think I ate 1 TS meal. For the most part you can still change/make ADRs when you are there. Even when they are booked for walkups you might get in by giving dining a call or even calling a day or two before and seeing what is available. I know this doesn't work for the more popular meals but it doesn't hurt to try. In other areas of my life I'm not a big planner but when it comes to disney I like to know what I'll be doing. I guess I'm not the kind of person who wakes up and says lets go to Epcot today. I know that on day 1 I'll be in MK and in Epcot on day 2.

 

[lillygator]

My problem with it is that it's not available to all resort guests and becomes an inconvenience to those without it.

My understanding it is available to all resort guests, you must pay rack rate and purchase at least a one day ticket for all in your room.