DVC Technology and The Dining Plan

[mcr5298]

See the thing is I am not sure. And probably will never find out, but the answer given by DVC MS is the perfect answer. It is similar to an answer you give a child, not that we are all children.

It just gives them an out without having to explain. Think about it, we would LOVE to offer our members The Dining Plan, but our systems are incompatible and we are working on trying to fix it.

It is not an outright rejection or approval, yet is impossible for us to prove that yes their systems are incompatible. It saves them from being the bad guy is saying NO, and we have to keep on going on believing them.

Come on DVC MS, what is it, Yes or No. If it's No, say so, if it is Yes, then get your act together, your Disney remember, the can do company. You have only had 8 months to get this done.

Sorry for the vent, but the excuse is flimsy at best.

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Just to clarify, I said that DVC members would be upset by a higher price because I believe that most members would feel that they are being penalized for being members and not getting the same price as everyone else staying onsite. I am not saying that it would necessarily be justified.

I think that the rack rates are the subsidy for the dining plan and I don't want to pay rack rates but boy, it would be nice to add that 35.00 dining plan to my DVC trip in May next year.

I am totally not buying the "technical difficulties" explanation. Adding the dining plan to the magnetic strip on the cards is not a technical feat of enormous magnitude. For financial reasons, offering the dining plan to DVC members would be a losing proposition financially. However, I would definitely take advantage of it when staying in a studio, as I plan to do on my next trip.

I guess I am saying that I would like to have my cake and eat it too.

 

[bicker]

the answer given by DVC MS is the perfect answer. ...

Come on DVC MS, what is it, Yes or No.

I'm confused. Why should anyone provide anything less than the "perfect answer"?

I believe that most members would feel that they are being penalized for being members

I disagree. I think the vast majority of DVC members are very satisfied with their membership and how they're treated by Disney and DVC.

 

[CarolMN]

Some random thoughts as I read through the thread -

*Unless a poster has specific knowledge or experience working with DVC's reservation platform, I think the opinions on how hard it would be to modify or how much it would cost to do so are worth very little. Even those who are experienced in computer platforms, reservation systems, project management or the systems analysis area may change their opinions if they had hard facts and data. Lacking that, I choose to believe DVC.

*Even though I completely agree with all of the arguments about the cost of a meal plan and why DVC will not offer one comparable to the current add on dining package, I hesitate to say DVC will not offer us one anyway. These discussions sound very much like those we had regarding park ticket discounts. Never in my wildest dreams did I think DVC would offer members such a good discount on annual passes. So it's not so hard for me to believe that DVC will come through with a meal plan. My prediction is that it will happen early next year and be announced at the annual meetings.

Best wishes -

 

[ratfam]

At the end of the day, I think that if we, as DVC members, are interested in having a program made available to us, then we all have to call members services and explain to them (of course nicely and politely, and I say this seriously) what we would like and why, and hope that if enough others do the same we will see some changes. We are a DVC family that has to travel to visit family, sometimes uses points for non-Disney vacations or DCL, etc, so we only hit WDW every three years or so. It doesn't make sense financially for us to buy annual passes, so the dining discounts linked to AP's aren't available to us. When we do go it is also our one true vacation a year, so while we do eat all breakfasts and cook the occasional lunch and dinner in the room, for the most part we eat afternoon and evening meals out. I called member services and emailed Disney through the general question email link on the WDW web site (and actually got a return phone call from Disney to discuss the issues I had raised in my email). Especially with lowering the ages for kids' pricing, I would love a meal plan since it would make budgeting easier and allow us to enjoy more and different experiences, and frankly if there was a rationale for why it was different or costlier to offer it to DVC members I wouldn't even have a problem paying more than the current $35 a day. This has gotten a bit lengthy, but the cast member I spoke to from Disney and the member services rep both said they are getting a lot of similar calls, they are taking note of what people are saying and they appreciate input from people, particularly if it is productive and not just calling to yell at them. I will choose to believe that they are taking note and I will hope that over time DVC is able to offer some kind of a dining program, and I would suggest that people continue to share their thoughts and perspectives with both DVC and Disney generally.

 

[crisi]

*Even though I completely agree with all of the arguments about the cost of a meal plan and why DVC will not offer one comparable to the current add on dining package, I hesitate to say DVC will not offer us one anyway. These discussions sound very much like those we had regarding park ticket discounts. Never in my wildest dreams did I think DVC would offer members such a good discount on annual passes. So it's not so hard for me to believe that DVC will come through with a meal plan. My prediction is that it will happen early next year and be announced at the annual meetings.

Best wishes -

I suspect we will get something different. i.e. it may cost $50 a day but include boat and bike rental and/or minigolf. Or it may by $60 a day, but all sit down restaurants are the same number of credits - no signature dining. I don't think we will get the same thing at the same price, but I don't think Disney will give us the same thing at a higher price either.

Personally, I think another big hurdle is restaurant capacity. With the dining plan so popular, restaurants are more booked than ever (and in the past it was difficult to do walk ups in busy seasons).

 

[dianeschlicht]

Not only restaurant capacity, but weather or not Disney is seeing a larger profit with the program. That's the bottom line.

Do I think we will be offered some sort of DVC dining program? Probably, but it wont be the same or at the same cost as that offered to folks paying rack rate. I don't even think it SHOULD be the same. I have never been terribly interested in dining programs that require me to consume $X of food each day. I much prefer the DDE card that lets me choose how much I spend each day. Of course, I never eat at counter service places, so maybe that's why I'm not too interested in the dining plan as it is.

 

[DebbieB]

"Quote:
I believe that most members would feel that they are being penalized for being members "

I disagree. I think the vast majority of DVC members are very satisfied with their membership and how they're treated by Disney and DVC.

I think you took the original quote was out of context, which changes its meaning. The full quote was:

"Just to clarify, I said that DVC members would be upset by a higher price because I believe that most members would feel that they are being penalized for being members and not getting the same price as everyone else staying onsite. I am not saying that it would necessarily be justified."

The quote has nothing to do with members overall satisfaction with DVC. It would have to do with being charged more for the dining plan than non-members. I don't think it would go over well if DVC announced the plan was $50 for members vs $35 that everyone else pays. Even though DVC may be justified in doing so because of no rack rate room, it still would not look good. My bet is that is the root of the delay of offering this plan to members.

 

[DizWacko]

This one is so easy to understand.

Any person (DVC or not) can purchase the Free Dining, as long as you pay cash for your room and buy tickets.

The rack rate subsidizes the package .

Since there is no rack rate for using points at DVC resorts, do you want other DVC members to subsidize YOUR dining plan? THis is the only way to get it paid for.

 

[CharlesTD]

Why would it be so understandable for DVC members to be upset? We already save thousands on our accommodations over the years, have the best AP discount available, have our own discount golf program, get discounts on dining, recreation, tours, spa treatments, etc. Now we are entitled to the best dining plan available at the same price as those paying thousands extra for a room a theme park tickets?

I, too, agree with Horace's comments. The dining plan is a loss leader. It's designed to incentivize guests to buy their tickets from Disney and to stay on-site at room rates that are not as deeply discounted as they may otherwise be. Why should DVC members have any expectation of getting the same opportunity at the same price?

Personally, I suspect it's this (not so) technical hurdle that is truly causing the delay in offering a dining plan to DVC members.

I so agree with this I have no idea why so many DVC members feel we are owed a dining plan or a discounted pass or anything more than the room we have pre paid for. It is this attitude that makes me think that DVC members on the whole are selfish spoiled kids. Yes I am painting our group as a whole which shouldn't be done and I know I am taking this from these boards which is a small % of the DVC membership and that is a sad thing. I really hope our membership realises that we are only truly entitled to a room that we have pre paid for regardless what Disney is offering to other CASH paying guests using the other non DVC resorts and yes even the cash paying guests staying at our beloved DVC resorts.

 

[Anewman]

This one is so easy to understand.

Any person (DVC or not) can purchase the Free Dining, as long as you pay cash for your room and buy tickets.

If you "purchase" the MYW Dining plan it is not free. The "free dining plan" was/is a limited time offer going on right now. The MYW Dining that persons purchase @ $35/$10 per day, is currently ongoing.

The rack rate subsidizes the package .

Since there is no rack rate for using points at DVC resorts, do you want other DVC members to subsidize YOUR dining plan? THis is the only way to get it paid for.

Agian in order to get the "free" dining you pay rack rate. If you purchase the dining plan you can get AAA discounts on the room.

So really how much does a night at an "all-star" resort cost during value season for a family of 4?
ANSWER $77 per night and even less if you get 15% off with a AAA discount and are still allowed to purchase the dining plan.

So how much of that room rate is used to subsidize the dining plan?
ANSWER= Even if they use 100% of that room rate to subsidize the plan it is less than $20 per person and we know the subsidy is no where near 100% of that room rate.

Now couldnt they just charge the DVC member the appropriate unsubsidized price as an option?

So no having other DVC members subsidize the plan is not the ONLY way to get it paid for, you could have the DVC members susidize their own plan if they choose.

 

[DizWacko]

Anewman,

You are right, sorry I was talking about the free dining plan. Where the MYW is concerned, they prob could offer something for DVC

 

[iluvvacay]

I think the reason it is not offered to us is that the resort guests purchasing the dining plan are also purchasing admission tickets to the parks. Remember these guests are paying alot more per day for their tickets than most of us do since we all buy annual passes or 10 day passes and plan in non theme park days into our trips, so disney is not making as much money per day on us, so cannot afford to give us that big a break on dining.
Remember also they are paying rack rates for hotel rooms or alot of money for DVC stays-much more that we pay for maintenance when you divide it out per night.
It's not worth getting upset over it, but it would be nice if they would offer us a little bigger dining discount-we do get discounts on dining already -most restaurants are 10%.
Unless you are getting appetizer,entree and dessert at dinner every night, when you figure it all out we are still ahead as DVC owners.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Well, this time I don't have to type anything new.

I agree with Bicker that we don't know enough to cast aspersions on DVC's motives.

I agree with CarolMN that not all "technical issues" are easy to resolve.

I agree with tjkraz and CharlesTD - the entitlement attitude really rubs me the wrong way.

Darned agreeable today, ain't I?

 

[Paul in CT]

IMHO the DDE discount (20% including alcoholic beverages) that you can purchase with an AP discount ($25) for those who go to the parks frequently while at DVC is a very good "dining plan" while waiting for DVC to offer something else. It works well for us.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Darned agreeable today, ain't I?

A day that will live in infamy!!!

 

[mom2alix]

First off, let's clarify again that only the FREE dining plan required a rack rate room. Currently you can purchase the dining program along with your discount rate room for $35/$10 per day. I just keep seeing that come up as a reason that DVC shouldn't be eligible for the dining program and I think we should have the facts straight.

I would really like to see the Dining Plan be available (it would just make budgeting easier for me) and I think DVC will offer it in some form (mainly because they've said they will, or so the rumor mill goes).

Why? Because they still have DVC units to sell and the last thing I think they would want is to give potential buyers an impression that that buying DVC would make them ineligible for something they could get if they continue to book hotels. I wouldn't want to be the DVC salesperson giving a tour who had to tell people, "no, that dining option is only for people who book hotel rooms." In no way do I think DVC want to give potential buyers any reason to think they are giving something up in order to buy in to DVC.

I don't think it's a sense of entitlement. I haven't seen anyone asking for free dining, just to be able to purchase the same thing people staying in discounted hotel rooms can buy. I don't see why that rubs people the wrong way?

 

[CharlesTD]

I don't think it's a sense of entitlement. I haven't seen anyone asking for free dining, just to be able to purchase the same thing people staying in discounted hotel rooms can buy. I don't see why that rubs people the wrong way?

Because people that are paying cash even at a discount are paying at that time as a DVC member we are not paying at the time of the stay we have pre paid at a greatly discounted rate as far as I am concerned anyhow. I mean you don't hear the cash paying customers saying well we pay a big chunk of money to stay at teh Grand Floridian or any other resort so why don't we get to pool hop or why don't we get a discount on shopping or dining or on Cirque tickets like the DVC members do.

 

[bicker]

Also, keep in mind that while some people are sensitive to the dining plan issue, many DVC buyers have no idea that there is an issue, and many wouldn't care.

 

[CapeCodFam]

Disney is great at incentivizing people to stay in their resorts and stay on property. I.e. magical express, meal plans, and the biggest of all incentives, DVC. Since we operate at near capacity anyway, I don't see why Disney would offer the same program at the same price to us.

But, if they decide to charge for magical express, I wouldn't be surpised if a meal plan was tied to purchsing it.