Free dining coming back soon????

[Backstage_Gal]

MG, I am not privy to specific details that are driving the perceived food quality issues, anything I say about that would be speculation on my part.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Personally I wish WDW would add more room only discounts and Annual Pass rates the way they milked Free Dining for most dates and months in 2011. Earlier this month when we stayed at the Boardwalk Inn we were on a room only bounceback rate, although this time we also got the Free Dining offer in our room. However we didn't reserve it because we don't think the Dining Plan in general is good for us and since we stay at the Deluxe Resorts we would rather have a room only discount. So we hated that WDW kept pushing Free Dining at us and I wish they could realize not everyone likes it.

 

[Stewy]

MG, I am not privy to specific details that are driving the perceived food quality issues, anything I say about that would be speculation on my part.

For my family, it is not a perceived food quality issue. The quality is awful compared to the way dining was before they started pushing the dining plan and offering free dining so much. Back then, every restaurant had original menus with quality food on them. Also, while the prices were higher than offsite, they were not ridiculously inflated to try to give people on the dining plan a perceived value or savings they could add up. We used to actually plan to eat at our "favorite" restaurants each trip and try others looking for new favorites. Oh how things have changed, we just came back from a 16 day trip where I had TS reservations every night, after bad quality food at 3 restaurants in a row, I canceled the rest of the reservations and we ate off site. Not only did we have great meals off site, we saved a ton of money too.

For long time and frequent visitors the quality cutbacks all the way around are not perceived, they are the reality we have been served by Disney. Don't get me wrong, we still love Disney but we don't spend money on food anymore, we don't spend money on the generic merchandise anymore and we tend to branch out and go to other non-Disney places more than we used to.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

For my family, it is not a perceived food quality issue. The quality is awful compared to the way dining was before they started pushing the dining plan and offering free dining so much. Back then, every restaurant had original menus with quality food on them. Also, while the prices were higher than offsite, they were not ridiculously inflated to try to give people on the dining plan a perceived value or savings they could add up. We used to actually plan to eat at our "favorite" restaurants each trip and try others looking for new favorites. Oh how things have changed, we just came back from a 16 day trip where I had TS reservations every night, after bad quality food at 3 restaurants in a row, I canceled the rest of the reservations and we ate off site. Not only did we have great meals off site, we saved a ton of money too.

For long time and frequent visitors the quality cutbacks all the way around are not perceived, they are the reality we have been served by Disney. Don't get me wrong, we still love Disney but we don't spend money on food anymore, we don't spend money on the generic merchandise anymore and we tend to branch out and go to other non-Disney places more than we used to.

i'm meeting my wife and kids there in a couple of days...and i honestly am DREADING going to a sitdown.
Something very wrong with that...as many of my best memories involve the dining experiences that i've had. I don't even know what to do with it anymore...hope that we get better overall quality...or try and pick some "safe" spots.

I waste thought on this...truly a waste.

They've passed the breaking point in my opinion...buy trying to make more money on me...they will make less and less

 

[racefanof88]

I have to agree and respectfully disagree with some of the posts. I agree that the food quality has gone WAY down, but I don't think it has anything to do with the "free" dining plan. As an AP holder we have used the dining plan and the free dining plan and to be honest the food was better the one time we used the free dining. This past May we paid for the dining plan and the food was HORRIBLE at 6 of the 7 restaurants we ate at. The only one I can say was worth the time it takes to keep an ADR was Tony's. LeCellier was not even close to what it was just 2 years ago; and now they want to charge signature prices for dinner? The Grand Floridian Cafe served me a steak that was full of fat and gristle so most of it was sent back uneaten. Our dinner at 'Ohana was lacking in that the chicken wings were raw at the bone, and we got all of 6 shrimp. I could go on, but most of you get the idea.

Our stay in September netted my husband a case of food poisoning after eating a burger at Backlot Express so our December stay found us eating off property for 90% of our meals. The premise that 'free' dining is actually free is a great marketing ploy by Disney to get people to stay on property so Disney gets more of their vacation dollars. When looking at rack rates for a room Disney found a clever way to sell rooms at the highest price at the lowest travel times of the year. People still feel as if they are getting a deal because the word 'free' is in the mix. They also found that when they took the appetizer and tip off the plan people still bought it, and at a higher price.

It is all about the money from Disney's point of view. The restaurants are full and so is the bank. Those of us who have started eating more meals off property than on are replaced by those who have the dining plan and feel as if they have gotten a deal. The free dining this year extends though out most of 2011 and with the new strict cancellation rules on package bookings, they will keep a lot of money and make a fortune off interest from the deposits paid on trips that were booked almost a year in advance.

Sorry so long, just wanted to get my $1.50 worth in before that goes up too......

 

[doconeill]

I have to agree and respectfully disagree with some of the posts. I agree that the food quality has gone WAY down, but I don't think it has anything to do with the "free" dining plan. As an AP holder we have used the dining plan and the free dining plan and to be honest the food was better the one time we used the free dining. This past May we paid for the dining plan and the food was HORRIBLE at 6 of the 7 restaurants we ate at. The only one I can say was worth the time it takes to keep an ADR was Tony's. LeCellier was not even close to what it was just 2 years ago; and now they want to charge signature prices for dinner? The Grand Floridian Cafe served me a steak that was full of fat and gristle so most of it was sent back uneaten. Our dinner at 'Ohana was lacking in that the chicken wings were raw at the bone, and we got all of 6 shrimp. I could go on, but most of you get the idea.

There is an implication here that somehow you get better food if you are on the free dining plan than if you paid for the DDP. I don't see how that is possible as the servers and chefs wouldn't have a clue whether you paid out of pocket for the DDP or not. The DDP is the DDP. Free dining has simply made it far more prevalent - and THAT is where the problem lies.

From what I understand, dining credit is given a certain "dollar value". That value is fixed, regardless of the location or the food ordered. Since in most cases the choice of food is NOT restricted, you can order something that costs more than the value of the credit. Then when it comes time for the location to do the books, it looks as if they didn't make as much money as they should have. This has reportedly resulted in cutbacks to reduce the wholesale cost of the meal - which could mean cheaper ingredients, lower quality stuff, etc.

I think the DDP/free dining has done what Disney wanted, which includes getting bodies into the restaurants. Otherwise I think we would have seen a number of locations closed down. But I think it has also made it more difficult to get in to some places and a general dumbing down of the food.

 

[Mitzicat]

My 2009 trip had the free dining - 4 adults and we thought the food was excellent. My mom saved all her dining receipts for her and my dad. At the end of the trip she added up the money and she actually came out on top. So in her mind it was worth it.

Also my sister and I shared some meals (mostly breakfast) and was able to purchase some last minute meals for the plane ride home. Also she didn't use any of her snack credits until the last day when she used them for cookies her hubby likes (he didn't go).

I actually think it is hit or miss with restaurants. In 2009 the food was really good. In 2010, the food I had at CSR was o.k. 2009 was free dining - 2010 was out of pocket.

 

[Donut23]

We travel at WDW with castmember discounts......we admit we are VERY fortunate. Our last trip we ate off property much more than in the past. The food was far better, no planning 180 days ahead and we averaged 40% lower cost than our discounted Disney food.

Let's not forget that much of the food is prepared away from the restaurant kitchens and delivered now.

Second to last WDW trip we dined at Boatrights and discovered dining in the Castle the next night had basically the same menu for 30% more. We left and they refunded our advance payment.....just not worth it......we thought Boatrights was overpriced.

Disney dining has become a sad shadow of dining in past years.


It seems that castmember rates are closer to what the retail cost should be....and IS the costs outside WDW.

 

[TSM1993]

WDW food is definitely alot better than we can get here where I live. Most of what we have here are mom and pop pizza joints and olive gardens and red lobster. We dont really have anything that compares to some of the restaurants at WDW.

 

[eliza61]

I really, really, hope not. I think the basic Disney Dining Plan has done a lot to ruin the quality of Disney Dining, and Free Dining has made it worse!

Amen !

Amen with Aretha Franklin on top.

 

[eliza61]

It is all about the money from Disney's point of view. The restaurants are full and so is the bank. Those of us who have started eating more meals off property than on are replaced by those who have the dining plan and feel as if they have gotten a deal. The free dining this year extends though out most of 2011 and with the new strict cancellation rules on package bookings, they will keep a lot of money and make a fortune off interest from the deposits paid on trips that were booked almost a year in advance.

Sorry so long, just wanted to get my $1.50 worth in before that goes up too......

But remember race full restaurants do not mean profits. What is happening is almost the same concept as the airlines and retail industry are facing.

You cut the price so low in order to lure people in. your new low price does not net a profit so now you have to cut "cost" either by cheaper quality, lower cost goods or cutting fixed cost like personnel. The airline industry is really suffering from this. We all want flights for $19.99, unfortunately with rising fuel and airport cost airlines are stuck, they can't raise prices because they need to keep consumers in the seats, so we are left with them slashing just about every "extra" you can think of to bring revenue in.

Why do you think most of the menus are very limited and unoriginal? It's cheaper to get one supplier to give you cheap steaks.

Last year Disney saw great profits due to their movie segment. Theme park earnings were flat, so even with all the bodies in the park and free promotions
theme park operating profits fell.

This is just my backwards analysis. I am in no way an expert on any thing. My family was in the restaurant business so I know a little about quality.

 

[Oglet]

Disney doesn't need free dining to fill the chairs in their restaurants, what they need is fair value for their food, a good atmosphere and good food.

Try go to Outback, Chilies, Applebees, Texas Roadhouse etc etc on a Friday or Saturday evening, and their customers are not captive like the ones at Disney.

Just for the record when I do eat on property I get sick and tired of being asked if I am on the dining plan, it's like they don't have any real paying guests.

If you think the DDP is a good thing then you probably also think Taco Bell is Authentic Mexican food and Alice Springs Chicken and Bloomin Onions are authentic Australian cuisine.

 

[doconeill]

Disney doesn't need free dining to fill the chairs in their restaurants, what they need is fair value for their food, a good atmosphere and good food.

I think that some locations may have had trouble getting guests for their limited dining dollars who weren't as willing to try cuisines they weren't familiar with, not wanting to "waste" their dollars. With the DDP, they may be more willing - and in some cases forced due to a lack of ADR availability at the locations that they would have otherwise dined at (read: Le Cellier).

Just for the record when I do eat on property I get sick and tired of being asked if I am on the dining plan, it's like they don't have any real paying guests.

Now that's one thing I don't get...at least most locations don't have restrictions as to what you can order on the DDP - so why do they need to know in advance? I often wondered if that would potentially affect the service, at least early on when the tip was included.

If you think the DDP is a good thing then you probably also think Taco Bell is Authentic Mexican food and Alice Springs Chicken and Bloomin Onions are authentic Australian cuisine.

Heh...I've add the onions at locations before Outback existed - they were often called "awesome blossoms" elsewhere. Outback is actually a wholly American company. Interesting through that they have some Australian locations - I wonder if they theme it after the American southwest?

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Now that's one thing I don't get...at least most locations don't have restrictions as to what you can order on the DDP - so why do they need to know in advance? I often wondered if that would potentially affect the service, at least early on when the tip was included.

I always thought it was for their records to see how many guests were on the DDP and who was not. Plus maybe it's a way for the server to know in advance.

Last August when myself and my friends from Orlando were checking in for our ADR dinner at Tony's Town Square we got asked if anyone of us was staying onsite? Since I was staying at the Contemporay I said that I was, however I never got asked that before and thought it was odd.

 

[racefanof88]

There is an implication here that somehow you get better food if you are on the free dining plan than if you paid for the DDP. I don't see how that is possible as the servers and chefs wouldn't have a clue whether you paid out of pocket for the DDP or not. The DDP is the DDP. Free dining has simply made it far more prevalent - and THAT is where the problem lies.

From what I understand, dining credit is given a certain "dollar value". That value is fixed, regardless of the location or the food ordered. Since in most cases the choice of food is NOT restricted, you can order something that costs more than the value of the credit. Then when it comes time for the location to do the books, it looks as if they didn't make as much money as they should have. This has reportedly resulted in cutbacks to reduce the wholesale cost of the meal - which could mean cheaper ingredients, lower quality stuff, etc.

I think the DDP/free dining has done what Disney wanted, which includes getting bodies into the restaurants. Otherwise I think we would have seen a number of locations closed down. But I think it has also made it more difficult to get in to some places and a general dumbing down of the food.

Actually what I was stating was the food quality has gone down regardless of 'free' dining. We paid for dining in 2008 and the food was good, we had free dining in 2009 and the food was OK, we paid for dining in 2010 and it was horrible. My point is that 'free' dining has nothing to do with the quality of the food. We paid OOP for the hamburger that gave my husband food poisoning, so my point is the food quality had gone WAY down. We are not picky eaters either, but when I pay for a meal I expect it to be edible and not make me sick. The restaurants are full and it is hard to get an ADR at certain restaurants and as long as the DDP is offered it will remain that way. We are planning an upcoming trip in March and the cost of adding the dining plan to our AP room rate would be almost $1000 for 5 nights. I know for a FACT my family of 4 can not eat $1000 worth of food. So to that note, Disney is making money off me if I am on the DDP.

 

[racefanof88]

But remember race full restaurants do not mean profits. What is happening is almost the same concept as the airlines and retail industry are facing.

You cut the price so low in order to lure people in. your new low price does not net a profit so now you have to cut "cost" either by cheaper quality, lower cost goods or cutting fixed cost like personnel. The airline industry is really suffering from this. We all want flights for $19.99, unfortunately with rising fuel and airport cost airlines are stuck, they can't raise prices because they need to keep consumers in the seats, so we are left with them slashing just about every "extra" you can think of to bring revenue in.

Why do you think most of the menus are very limited and unoriginal? It's cheaper to get one supplier to give you cheap steaks.

Last year Disney saw great profits due to their movie segment. Theme park earnings were flat, so even with all the bodies in the park and free promotions
theme park operating profits fell.

This is just my backwards analysis. I am in no way an expert on any thing. My family was in the restaurant business so I know a little about quality.

But they are making profits or they would have nixed the DDP long ago. There are people who buy the plan, especially the deluxe plan, and leave Disney with meal and snack credits left over. That doesn't cost Disney a dime, it costs the consumer. The prices on the menus have not been cut low, the money is recouped by those who do not have the DDP and pay OOP. I have yet to see how a chicken salad can cost $15.99 at Whispering Canyon and the same salad at Chili's is $8.99. I know it is all about the atmosphere, but if I'm paying twice the price for the same salad; I want twice the service and quality. Disney can get more people eating in their restaurants if they just lower the prices and bring back the quality. They have a lot of captive guests so they know they can charge what they want and not really worry about the slip in quality.

 

[mom2my3kids]

I am hoping they do offer it again for fall, I would be happy with just counter service..The table service meals is just to much for us, we would pay out of pocked for a couple table service meals..

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

I don't know about effects, but I like it. Try to only book durring it.

 

[Babsydoodle]

I do hope that the free DDP does return, regardless of how the food is. I have been at WDW BEFORE and AFTER the start of the plan, and yes, the quality has gone down somewhat, but I am not there to eat "Cuisine" food. I can honestly say that table service food is still good at least for my family it was. We have tried all restaurants except Coral Reef and Le Cellier. I am not there to review the food I am there to enjoy my stay at DWD and the free DDP is a perk that allows my family to go. This year, if it is offered, we will try the Quick service DDP. Even though we have not had any problems with the table service, my family now wants to get in and out from eating and quick service will enable us to do that! I know that some of the cost is absorbed elsewhere in pricing, but budgeting the food with the free DDP is well worth it!

 

[Disney-Chick]

I like the DDP. I didn't use it the first couple times we went. But have the last few years. We only did the QSP this time as sitting down takes to much time from the park and the rides. We didn't have the plan this past Dec/Jan. but are going back in 5 days and have it. Even if they didn't give free dining do you really think they will upgrade their food to better? Not if they can still serve it and have people pay for sit down. Just as some of you said, if you can't afford to go then don't. But the same goes if you don't like their food go offsite.