How many DVC people would like this DVC Dining Plan???

[edk35]

I have mentioned on here before how it would be so nice if Disney would design a new dining plan .....maybe calling it "Disney Dining Done Your Way" However today it got me thinking......Wouldn't it be nice if DVC folks had the opportunity to add dining to their ressie, but NOT FOR ALL THE DAYS THEY ARE BOOKED. For example: Say you book a week and you only want a portion of your trip booked with dining. I would love to say "I would like to add 2 days of counter service, 3 of regular dining to our ressie". Then you could wing it the other two days. I would LOVE THIS OPTION.

This would be great for people that actually cook in their villas. So maybe this is something that might be available for only those booked in the villas where cooking is an option. We have never done the dining plan except for a 2 night stay at Poly this past summer. I would like to try it for shorter stays, but would not like to use it for longer stays. I guess maybe when we do another split we can try the regular dining plan since I don't see us getting it for a week or longer. I know it is not cost effective for Disney. BUT IT WOULD BE COOL FOR US as DVC members to have this available.

Just dreaming.......

 

[jpeka65844]

Yes, this does sound nice. I wish there were overall more flexibility with the DDP and DVC stays.

However, I would prefer Disney to change the policy about ALL people in your room being on the Dining Plan. Asking 8-12 people staying in a 2-BDRM or GV to all be on the same plan is a bit much.....We always travel with friends and we find it economical to do the DDP and others don't. The only solution is to split up rooms which ultimately, could cost more points.

 

[DebbieB]

Yes, this does sound nice. I wish there were overall more flexibility with the DDP and DVC stays.

However, I would prefer Disney to change the policy about ALL people in your room being on the Dining Plan. Asking 8-12 people staying in a 2-BDRM or GV to all be on the same plan is a bit much.....We always travel with friends and we find it economical to do the DDP and others don't. The only solution is to split up rooms which ultimately, could cost more points.

I doubt Disney would go for that. People on the plan would order the most expensive stuff and share with the others not on the plan. Maybe the rule would have to be everyone at the table has to be on the plan to use it, so the ones not on the plan would eat elsewhere.

 

[edk35]

I doubt Disney would go for that. People on the plan would order the most expensive stuff and share with the others not on the plan. Maybe the rule would have to be everyone at the table has to be on the plan to use it, so the ones not on the plan would eat elsewhere.

Yeah that makes sense too.

 

[edk35]

Yes, this does sound nice. I wish there were overall more flexibility with the DDP and DVC stays.

However, I would prefer Disney to change the policy about ALL people in your room being on the Dining Plan. Asking 8-12 people staying in a 2-BDRM or GV to all be on the same plan is a bit much.....We always travel with friends and we find it economical to do the DDP and others don't. The only solution is to split up rooms which ultimately, could cost more points.

Oh that is a good idea too.

 

[cvjw]

I would love either of those options. Our family isn't big eaters, but I don't want to do cooking on vacation either. The dining plan over a week is just too much food for us. We could easily share entrees, and use less credits. After a few days on either of the dining plans, we are sick of eating!! It would be great to use it for a couple of days, take a few days off, and then use it again at the end of the vacation.

 

[Daddio]

I already use a dining plan very similar to this, called " Eating My Way". Once I check in, I go to whatever restaurant or counter service I want during my stay, eat what I want, hand them my Key to the World Card and say "room charge please".

When I check out, I pay just for the food I ate. Nothing more, nothing less. It works much better than any of their current plans and I don't end up feeling over induldged.

David

 

[cvjw]

Another pet peeve of mine is making 10 year olds pay and eat off the adult menu. My kids eat like birds, and so much food and money is wasted with them on the adult plan. I wish you had the choice of paying for the kids price for older kids and having them eat off the kids menu.

 

[DebbieB]

Another pet peeve of mine is making 10 year olds pay and eat off the adult menu. My kids eat like birds, and so much food and money is wasted with them on the adult plan. I wish you had the choice of paying for the kids price for older kids and having them eat off the kids menu.

The last time I used the dining plan was when I took my then 12 year old niece in 2006. It was her first time to Disney and I wanted to get some character meals in so I thought it would be worth it (back then it included tips). She ate like a bird. Most of the week it was chicken strips and mac & cheese. If I had to do it again, I would have not got the dining plan and maybe do 1 character meal and the rest counter service.

 

[bwvBound]

I already use a dining plan very similar to this, called " Eating My Way". Once I check in, I go to whatever restaurant or counter service I want during my stay, eat what I want, hand them my Key to the World Card and say "room charge please".

When I check out, I pay just for the food I ate. Nothing more, nothing less. It works much better than any of their current plans and I don't end up feeling over induldged.

David

With all respect, we do this but take it one better. We charge the meals to our Costco Amex which gives a 3% rebate on all restaurant charges. If we put it on the room key ... then paid the room charge with the same Amex card the rebate would have been only 2% for travel charges. (I'm sure there are dozens of credit/charge cards offering various benefits. YMMV)

 

[christa112]

I agree. My DS definately does not eat adult sized portions. I would have loved to be able to just pay OPP for DS this time around, but we opted for just purchasing the DDP for the convienence of it.

Another pet peeve of mine is making 10 year olds pay and eat off the adult menu. My kids eat like birds, and so much food and money is wasted with them on the adult plan. I wish you had the choice of paying for the kids price for older kids and having them eat off the kids menu.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I already use a dining plan very similar to this, called " Eating My Way". Once I check in, I go to whatever restaurant or counter service I want during my stay, eat what I want, hand them my Key to the World Card and say "room charge please".

When I check out, I pay just for the food I ate. Nothing more, nothing less. It works much better than any of their current plans and I don't end up feeling over induldged.

David

I'm with you on this one, Dave! We decided after some very detailed research that we spent too much and ate too much on the dining plan. We do much better without it.

 

[Sandisw]

I would just like to be able to customize it by day and get a combination of QSDP and DDP as we don't want TS meals every day, but just a few.

 

[Chuck S]

What people don't seem to understand is that the DDP is NOT designed to be a discount plan, or other type of money saver. It is a budgetting/convenience package, similar to all inclusive resorts.

I agree with Daddio, if the DDP policies don't work for you, there is no reason to buy it, just pay cash. That is what we do, and we come out far cheaper overall. Some days we pay more, some days less, but over the course of a trip we save money over the DDP by paying cash.

 

[edk35]

I already use a dining plan very similar to this, called " Eating My Way". Once I check in, I go to whatever restaurant or counter service I want during my stay, eat what I want, hand them my Key to the World Card and say "room charge please".

When I check out, I pay just for the food I ate. Nothing more, nothing less. It works much better than any of their current plans and I don't end up feeling over induldged.

David

That was funny.

 

[bumbershoot]

What people don't seem to understand is that the DDP is NOT designed to be a discount plan, or other type of money saver. It is a budgetting/convenience package, similar to all inclusive resorts.

Oh, I'd have to not agree with that.

If you compare the sad sad (though a bit changed for the possibly better, but also a bit mystifying) DLR dining plan, which is absolutely only a convenience plan, you can see that the WDW plan can be used as a discount plan.

It most likely does not work for us, b/c of the way DH and I eat, and the things DS can't eat, and with all of us being vegetarian, but for plenty of people the WDW plan saves quite a bit of money vs paying OOP (and ordering the same things).



I'd say to be careful what you wish for, because if you look at the DLR dining plan, well, you do NOT want to get that in response to requests for having the plan on only a percentage of your time there (which you can do at DLR).

 

[edk35]

Oh, I'd have to not agree with that.

If you compare the sad sad (though a bit changed for the possibly better, but also a bit mystifying) DLR dining plan, which is absolutely only a convenience plan, you can see that the WDW plan can be used as a discount plan.

It most likely does not work for us, b/c of the way DH and I eat, and the things DS can't eat, and with all of us being vegetarian, but for plenty of people the WDW plan saves quite a bit of money vs paying OOP (and ordering the same things).



I'd say to be careful what you wish for, because if you look at the DLR dining plan, well, you do NOT want to get that in response to requests for having the plan on only a percentage of your time there (which you can do at DLR).

How does the DLR plan work?

 

[Daddio]

we spent too much and ate too much on the dining plan. We do much better without it.

Very true. The one thing I don't get any longer by not being on the dining plan is an extra 9 pounds.

 

[jpeka65844]

I doubt Disney would go for that. People on the plan would order the most expensive stuff and share with the others not on the plan. Maybe the rule would have to be everyone at the table has to be on the plan to use it, so the ones not on the plan would eat elsewhere.

Let's make one thing clear. I never share my food.

 

[edk35]

I am always tempted to get the Dining Plan, but what bugs me the most...is the fact that you have to plan our your meals so far in advance and you have to schedule your days around those meal times. That is why I would like more flexibility with it. I prefer to not be on such a strict schedule for meals every day of my trip. I wouldn't mind doing it for 1/2 of my trip.....