Even more questions about DDP

[luvindis]

Okay, after reading all the good about DDP, we decided to try it this year. Now after reading about all the new changes in place, I am thinking about cancelling. I make my last payment this week for our trip and am thinking of taking DDP off, I have run the numbers and think we would save $200 to $300 by doing the plan. If I take it off can I put it back on before we go? The reason I am thinking about taking it off is of all the complaints about tipping and cms not giving great service if you are on the plan. We've been 3 times before and never had the plan and did fine. Just don't know if it is worth the hassle. Oh, btw, it is me, dh, ds 17, ds 12.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If your trip is less than 45 days away, there is, I think, a $50 charge to make any changes that cost the Guest less money. But yes, you can drop the DDP and then add it later - at least 72 hours in advance, and since you're paying Disney more money, there shouldn't be any change fee.

But - the complaints you've read about tipping are probably primarily opinions, vs. 2008 experience... so I wouldn't let these posts affect my decision whether or not to use the DDP.

And, since the Guest is now responsible for paying any tip, being on the Dining Plan should ensure service at least equal to, if not better than, that provided to Guests paying out of pocket.

 

[Small Town Princess]

Except if you are traveling with a party of 6 or more; then your tip is automatically 18%.
The changes DID NOT ensure us good service on our recent Jan 15-22, 2008 trip. Unfortunetly just the opposite. We were told how much the servers HATE the dining plan.
Maybe it will get better though as the year goes on.

 

[tlriv5]

We've only been to disney once and that was in 2006 on free dining plan. I had read about bad service and that free dining was to blame. We had no problems with the dining plan or the service that we got. We loved it so much that we are willing to pay for it on our upcoming trip this year. I do with that tip was still included, but we'll work with that. I think the service you get anywhere has to do with the person serving you. You can get good/bad anywhere! My husband loved the hastle free feeling we had with the ddp. You just hand them your room card to pay for your meal, I think from what we have read we will just charge our tip to our room key. We spent very little cash our last trip. And I mean very little. It was nice to have it all paid for before we got there.

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