Has DDP ruined your dining experience?

[PlutoLuvr]

Can you elaborate about this for me? What do you mean about the dining options? Do you mean, for example, Universal's AP and dining discounts?

Yep...not only dining, but about 90 percent of all shops give a discount (15 percent) to AP holders, too.

 

[mickey'sbud]

I noticed several have mentioned that the menus are the same...can you give an example of what you mean? I've been looking at the Deb's site and am I missing something? I see the breakfast menus are the same but how much can you vary eggs and bacon etc?
However years ago we ate a buffet breakfast at Spoodles that was out of this world and they discontiued it shortly after...I was and still am disappointed that it is no longer available.

BTW we have never made PS and we have been very spontaneous when eating at TS. It has been a couple of years since we were there. I was planning DDP for this trip. I've never wanted to make PS since I never know which park we will be in advance. All this discussion kind of scares me. I am a planner (wh/ rides are a must and where to stay for the best deal/pkg) and yet I think I don't hold a candle to many of you. I am always learning from you on these boards.

I am feeling a little overwhelmed!

This little guy doesn't mean anything. I just thought it was cute!!!
Maybe it says something about me! LOL Actually this little guy looks a little overwhelmed also!!!!!!!

 

[aes74]

BTW we have never made PS and we have been very spontaneous when eating at TS. It has been a couple of years since we were there. I was planning DDP for this trip. I've never wanted to make PS since I never know which park we will be in advance. All this discussion kind of scares me. I am a planner (wh/ rides are a must and where to stay for the best deal/pkg) and yet I think I don't hold a candle to many of you. I am always learning from you on these boards.

I am feeling a little overwhelmed!

My advice is not to rely on spontaneity. I do not know when you are planning your trip, how busy it has been, but I am still getting over my shock of the past month. That sounds dramatic, but I could not believe there was no TS available for any restaurant in any park. I am sorry you won't be able to be more spontaneous, but I wouldn't take a chance.

 

[loribell]

This is perfect timing, I was just going to post something similar to this and was still sorting my feelings out.

If you live across the country and plan a week or so for sometime in the far future, it's no big deal to get ADRs. But anything sooner than that, and you can forget it. Florida residents, for one, are really suffering. Spontaneity is no longer available. I have taken my kids to Disney in January, a month when there has NEVER been a problem getting a table service restaurant. Now, as soon as you walk into any park, there is a sign at guest services that says all table services are full and there are no reservations open. We went to MK a week ago, all TS were full, and CS closed an hour before the park closed.

When you do get an ADR, the table service is rushed, favorite dishes are being removed, and yes, the kids are terrible. And I'm a mom of two small ones. I don't expect a child to sit perfectly quiet, but I do expect a parent not to allow a child to run around the restaurant. I do not believe my children have the right to ruin everyone else's meal. The quality, in my opinion, is heading down hill.

So...what now? I don't know. I do love the DIS and don't think there is too much information. I mean obviously, I have the opportunity right now to state how I feel...that's sayin' somethin'! My husband is looking forward to going to Le Cellier in March, and I have this nagging feeling it is not going to be what we've waited for.

So what do we do? Is there any answer?

I don't know if this will ease your mind any but we finally got to go to LeCellier this past December. Although it was our first time it was all we expected and more from what I had read here. Although many of the restaurants we have always eaten at do indeed seem to have gone downhill.

Lori

 

[Barbers2005]

Ddp certainly hasn't ruined my dining experience b/c I am a compulsive vacation planner. Dh and I never go on a trip anywhere without knowing where we'll be eating dinner each night and having reservations, if possible. Most restaurants aren't even considered unless we can get a copy of the menu (usually online) or have a recommendation from someone we know. So, I would be planning my meals months out even if I knew I could walk right in...no biggie for me.

 

[kribit]

We have also had Cast Members we know say they are not happy with the changes since DDP was instituted. They are earning less in tips and they are serving more people per day than they used to.

Wow, this really surprises me. I thought with the mandatory 18% added into the bill on the ddp, the CM's would be doing better. There were only 2 occasions where we didn't add "extra" to make 20% or a bit more to the tip. Do most people leave 20%? A friend of mine who worked at a well known Disney restaurant used to complain about people that would leave little to nothing for a tip, so I thought the mandatory tip would be welcome change. However, is Disney allowing that full 18% to go into the CM's pocket or do they take some of it? If they do take a cut of the 18% that is not fair.

We did the ddp and it worked well for us at the time. One of the things we didn't care for was the excess food in the chidren's plates (including applesauce in every dish). After a couple of orders, we caught on and asked that they not include the applesauce. It just seemed like such a waste of food...I can't imagine how many things of applesauce were just thrown in the garbage. The thought of all that wasted food really bothers me. The other thing is the children's menus did not have a wide variety. There are only so many days you can eat mac and cheese and chicken fingers. We're dining out of pocket next time. Don't get me wrong, I think a lot of families benefit from the dining plan but for us, we want a tiny bit more variety for our kiddos.

As for the ADR's, we didn't make one and got into every restaurant by walking in, but we went in September. To be honest, until I started searching these boards, I didn't even know it was necessary and quite frankly I think the reservation thing has gotten a little out of control. I think it's Disney's way of keeping you at arms length for eating, so you don't wander off and spend money elsewhere.

 

[sorcerermick]

It definitely has ruined my dining experience. We never really made advanced reservations anywhere except for a special meal or a character meal. the rest of the time we were very flexible, didn't want to plan what park to be in when, and we generally walked up to a restaurant and took whatever time slot they had available. Since the DDp came into effect, we can't do that. We have resigned ourselves to a couple of nice sit down meals and counter service for the rest. Don't get me wrong, i plan my itinerary and set up a calendar, but i like the flexibility to change with the weather/kids/unforseen circumstances, etc. I don't want to HAVE to go to a certain park on a certain day because I booked lunch there 5 months ago. I hope that makes sense.

For those of you who enjoy the DDp and get the chnace to go to restaurants you ordinarily couldn't try...I hope you do enjoy it! It is really a wonderful plan, it just doesn't fit my style

 

[kribit]

Don't get me wrong, i plan my itinerary and set up a calendar, but i like the flexibility to change with the weather/kids/unforseen circumstances, etc. I don't want to HAVE to go to a certain park on a certain day because I booked lunch there 5 months ago. I hope that makes sense.

I agree 100%. We're not going to rush around to get to dinner by 4:55 or 5:10. We're going to try some off-site restaraunts for our next trip and hopefully get some nice meals on-site by "walking in."

 

[Chloe'sMom]

It hasn't ruined it but I would say that it has unfavorably changed it. I no longer believe the creativity is part of the food planning mix. Most restaurants have moved toward more generic ingredients and preparation. Prices have not gone down to reflect less expensive preparation or less exotic ingredients. So when I look at a menu with an entree priced at $35, I know it's an inflated price compared to the quality of the dish prior to DDP. People think they're getting a deal but all they're getting is a generically prepared dish with an inflated price attached to it.

I'm not so concerned about crowded restaurants. I love hustle and bustle. However, Disney has never been known for leisurely meals and I believe the packed restaurants have sped up the pace. Again, that doesn't bode well for food preparation.

Obviously, I haven't been happy with the changes. We don't want to eat at signature restaurants every evening so it has severely limited our choices. Most of the less expensive restaurants seem to have resorted to a formula type menu. We hate it. So it's either counter service or signature restaurants for us with a couple of new restaurants thrown in that we hope will provide better than so-so food. That or offsite.

Exactly! I'm a compulsive planner so making ADRs in advance is no big deal to me. What is a huge deal though is the standardization of the menus. The speciality dishes are gone, and from the reviews I've read the ambience of some resturants has suffered. Because of this DH and I will not be visiting some of our past favorite resturants. Ohana's is off the list - got rid of the shrimp which was one of the reasons we ate there. And also the vegetable wontons and limit the appetizers now. Most Character meals and buffetts (except Boma) are also not being considered because the quality has become poor and the menu unexciting.

We will be eating in the room (We are DVC owners now) and off site a bit more. Also we've always enjoyed counter service and it makes us try some new resturants. Marrekesh is on our list for this trip and that will be a first for us - hopefully it won't be to crowded.

~Amanda

 

[La2kw]

Yep...not only dining, but about 90 percent of all shops give a discount (15 percent) to AP holders, too.

Universal also gives 10% off at restaurants and shops for AAA members. You don't have to have an AP or be staying at their resorts.

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

Ok, so I pulled this thread back from the bottom of the pile.

We leave next Saturday (Feb 24th) and we have 2 ADRs (one of which is a Fantasmic Dinner Package). We will not be doing the DDP. We will see if going at a slow time (end of Feb / Beginning of March) allows us the flexibility to just find TS on the day that we are visiting any given park.

A lot of the responses were completely different than I thought that they would be. I honestly thought that most would tend to agree with me, but I guess not.

I will report back after our 2 week stay with only 2 ADRs made for a non-peak time visit.

There was a poster that mentioned that they set their expectations low. Having visited WDW many times and experienced about 3/4 of the onsite TS, my expectations were elevated by my past experiences. I hope that WDW can maintain that level in mind.

Edward

 

[Jubilee]

I'll be honest.. I very rarely (like maybe 1 a trip every trip) would even have a TS meal when going to WDW before the last time I went (12/06.)

This partially had to do with the lack of dining plan, but also I was a young poor adult/teen on 2 previous trips and a child (with no control over it) all the other times I had been to the world, so for me, the DP has only enhanced my WDW experiences and given me another dimension of it I had never previously experienced.

That said, I don't really like having to make reservations that far in advance, but I would rather do that than not get a table where we want it, so we do it. I am looking forward to hear how you fare in terms of getting in without reservations. I'm inclined to say you'll do fairly well!

 

[lsteadman]

I would never say the DDP has ruined my trip. My trip to Disney is what I make of it. I control the good and bad things about my trip.

If anything the DDP has enhanced, upgraded my trip in several ways:

1) My entire trip is pre-paid prior to my departure from home. Since a package has to be paid 45 day before arrival I don't have to worry about bills when I get home (I never put vacations on credit cards - If I don't have the cash we don't go)

2) 95% of my meals are included in my trip and pre-paid. The other 5% out of pocket are meals/snacks at airport and Afternoon Tea the Grand Floridian

3) I always try different restaurants when I use DDP because my DD and I can each order something different and sample off each other plates. I get to taste a little bit of everything. I started the food picture thread and everytime I plan a trip. I check the thread to see the pictures. The pictures on that thread has determine all of my ADRs. Menus don't do it but a picture....drool!!!

4) I don't have to worry if I have tip the wait staff the right amount. They get their tip upfront.

5) I don't have to carry additional credit cards to the park because all purchases food, souveniers, pictures linked to room key. No lost or stolen credit cards to report taking up time from my vacation.

6) I have more than enough food for my DD and myself because of all the dining options.

7) We love to use our snack credits...mickey bars, mickey bars .....Yummy!

8) I like the extra stuff that Disney gives you with the package (i.e., the free meal we received at Planet Hollywood)

9) Peace of mind because this package works for my family.

10) The DDP is optional. That is the best thing about the plan! Disney give us a choice. Review the options, restaurant choices, crunch the numbers..... if the DDP will work for your family use it. If not, don't use it! The choice not to use the plan is the best thing about the plan.

 

[aes74]

10) The DDP is optional. That is the best thing about the plan! Disney give us a choice. Review the options, restaurant choices, crunch the numbers..... if the DDP will work for your family use it. If not, don't use it! The choice not to use the plan is the best thing about the plan.

I think you have raised some great, positive points about the plan. However, I dont think this thread is really about if the DDP is a good thing or not in general, it is more about the impact it has had on eating spontaneously and flexibly at TS restaurants. If you don't believe me, check out some of the other threads currently running right now. One poster bemoans the fact there is almost no availability left for most restaurants in May. Previous to the DDP, that would have rarely happened. I agree there are many positive aspects about the plan, I suppose one has to decide whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. And regarding your final point, regardless of whether your family chooses to use the DDP, you will still be greatly impacted by it. There is a very good chance that you will not be eating at any TS restaurants on your visit unless you make ADRs far in advance. As someone who visits the parks on a bi-monthly basis, I can tell you there are many people not on message boards like the DIS who are unaware of this new development and quite angry and dissapointed as a result.

 

[aes74]

Ok, so I pulled this thread back from the bottom of the pile.

We leave next Saturday (Feb 24th) and we have 2 ADRs (one of which is a Fantasmic Dinner Package). We will not be doing the DDP. We will see if going at a slow time (end of Feb / Beginning of March) allows us the flexibility to just find TS on the day that we are visiting any given park.

A lot of the responses were completely different than I thought that they would be. I honestly thought that most would tend to agree with me, but I guess not.

I will report back after our 2 week stay with only 2 ADRs made for a non-peak time visit.

There was a poster that mentioned that they set their expectations low. Having visited WDW many times and experienced about 3/4 of the onsite TS, my expectations were elevated by my past experiences. I hope that WDW can maintain that level in mind.

Edward

Edward, I sincerely hope you have a wonderful visit and are able to find some yummy places to eat. Please let us know how it goes!

 

[Becky2005]

I really don't know. I do know we bypassed all of this stuff by just going with the Premium plan. My DH is hooked to that plan now. He didn't want to count points & worry about we can only do counter service now or whatever. We just went with the one that you get 3 credits/day to eat wherever (it even included Fulton's & Rainforest Cafe). We happened to have our first vacation *right* as the dining plan was rolling out AND they changed the kid meal ages the week before we went (which was actually to our advantage since my DD was an adult on the plan - so they matched up even though 90% of the time she ordered off the kids menu).

I knew to plan or overplan as the case may be due to just having a larger family. It's very rare -- basically never, that we would plan any trip without it planned well in advance.

We have not been back since they have been tweaking it though. It will probably be 2009 before we get back again & I'm already semi-planning it.

We were in the middle of July, so knew to expect craziness. We were able to cancel some PS/ADR's (oh yeah the name changed too then ) and actually get some for the night of. I'm not so sure that would be possible now though.

 

[dwaddict]

I have also been to Disney several, several times. We love the dining plan. Though I agree that the menus have become generic. They have lost some of that uniqueness! Also what they have recently done to the childrens menu is really sad. It has in the past year or so made it harder to just walk in and get a table. Though, I love the whole planning part of my trips and like to look through the boards and at the various menus to decide where we eat. With a little one in tow I also like the fact that I can make my ADR's and know that MOST LIKELY we won't have to wait very long. All of you with small children know how hard it is to stand in line with lil ones!! I also like the fact that once I have paid of my trip, I don't have to budget much more for food.
If Disney is not careful with what they are doing with the menus all of their resteraunts will all be the same. Just my opinion but I thought I would share it!!

 

[landsm99]

I have to say-all the 'bad' views on the DDP do worry me. We are going in May, I have made some ADRs-not many. I don't want to sit with a calendar and map out our 9 days from morning to night. I have always made ADRs but during our trip for a day or two ahead. Planning a trip is one thing-planning down to the minute is another-I don't want to have to say right now which park/restaurant I will have to visit in six months-that is crazy.
Don't get me started on the watered down menus-creating a blander menu just because you are bringing more people into the restaurant is completely crazy. If you don't like what is on the menu eat at a counter service.
Just frustrated about the effect the DDP is having!

 

[FriendsOfEeyore]

Why was this thread moved to the DDP Board????

This does not make sense. I understand that the question mentions the Dining Plan, but it is much more than that. This thread talks about the planning that is required to eat on Onsite Restaurants without ADRs and the the standardization of the menus.

I think that this thread should be moved back the Disney Restaurants Board.