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

[Mickey'sApprentice]

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.....

you know...if you change resorts and therefore change reservations...you can be on the dining plan for one room reservation, but not the other if you choose.

You can also have the dining plan all day for the day you check out of the first resort.

 

[edk35]

you know...if you change resorts and therefore change reservations...you can be on the dining plan for one room reservation, but not the other if you choose.

You can also have the dining plan all day for the day you check out of the first resort.

Yep I know...we did this in July at Poly. We stayed there 2 nights and then moved to DVC. However...I have done enough split stays for a while.

 

[Sandisw]

you know...if you change resorts and therefore change reservations...you can be on the dining plan for one room reservation, but not the other if you choose.

You can also have the dining plan all day for the day you check out of the first resort.

That is what we currently will be doing. Next summer, we are doing 2 nights at BCV with the DDP, and then will move to BLT for 4 nights with the QSDP.

If we ever decide to stay the entire time at BLT, then we will do only the QSDP and pay OOP for one TS meal during our stay.

It would be nice if we could pick and choose for each night of the trip but I do agree with Chuck, that I view the dining plans more of a way to know in advance the cost of your food and not so much a money saver.

So far, we have saved over what it would have cost us without the plan and felt we ate better than before (we always watched the prices and therefore, didn't get something we really wanted if we felt it would go over budget).

Unless the price gets to a point where it is so much more and it outweighs the ease of using it to fit our needs, we will continue to use it.

 

[DVC-Don]

Not interested as most of our meals are in our DVC unit or offsite.

 

[RobPickles]

Well, we did try OOP vs. DP and discovered that, for us at least, it was worth it more to get the DP. OOP costs were ridiculous. Now with a TiW, it might have been different.

The real change or option i want to see for the DP is for it to have a choice between an appetizer or dessert.

I know... I know... apps tend to cost more and that is why they don't do it, but hey... even if they took the most expensive apps off - I would still choose an app over dessert. My DW is the exact opposite of me though.

With the cost of the DP going up and the changes they made to it over the last 3-4 years, it is getting less and less worth it. We are considering doing it again with the TiW supplimenting costs of apps and any possible drinks. We have been doing all off our plannig in advance with rezzies, etc.

We will have to see what happens this year with our lovely (going to be) 8 month year old DD and how this will affect things.

 

[Disneypubgal]

We do TIW exclusively! This way we get what we want rather than what is on the plan... split an App and a dessert, and a cocktail or two!

 

[dvcdisney]

Actually, a year or so ago, I was thinking that it would be a great idea if DDP would be more flexible for everyone, not just DVC.

I figured they could remove all dining type plans and just allow people to purchase as they want. For example, for a 14 night onsite stay, I could purchase 21 TS, 7 CS and 14 snacks.

BUT since then I realized that I would probably just prefer a DVC discount perk for all the restaurants for all meals (and not just for lunch) or even more simpler....a free TIW for DVC members with annual passes....we'll save $75! ...that would be great! That way, there is no more complaints about what is included in the DDP, kid's meal choices, no appetizers etc. We can just order what we want and get a discount.

 

[tinkerfan1]

We do use the DDP and like the convenience of it. On our next short trip in May, we are going to try the QSP and see if we like that as well. It would be nice if DVC owners got something different. I like your ideas. We took our receipts last time to see if it really worked out to be a spectacular discount and it didn't but, again, the convenience is worth it to us. We, on the other hand, have wavered back and forth about TIW. We will be going to Disney multiple times this year so this would be the first time it would probably be worth it for us. I just wish there was something that offered discounts to counter service meals as well. As far as adding extra pounds, that has never seemed to be a problem. With all of the extra walking you get while at Disney World, the extra eating doesn't seem to add any weight. So, we don't watch what we eat AT ALL while we are there.

 

[crisi]

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).

The deal with how the WDW plan works is that they are dependent on breakage in order to keep it affordable. Breakage being, in this case, unused meal credits.

To make the plan more flexible would be to reduce the amount of breakage in the plan. Whether that's not tying it to length of stay or not tying it to room occupants.

If you use the plan intelligently - it can certainly save you money. But Disney is pretty much counting on a certain percentage of its guests skipping meals, or not making ADRs and not being able to use their credits - or the plan would be more expensive.

 

[Brian Noble]

There are two other factors as well.

First, it is in Disney's best interests to get you to commit to as much as possible *before you arrive*, and to commit to spending time and money with Mickey, and not some offsite charlatan. The reason is that people tend to *drop* things that they've planned, rather than *add* things that they didn't---Rasulo actually got quoted saying that to some investing analysts some years back. But, if you get them to pre-purchase, they can't do that.

Second, most guests, left to their own devices, wouldn't necessarily have one TS meal per day, or would not get dessert at every QS meal, etc. So, while the various Plans *can be* a discount for some, for *most*, it's an upsell program in disguise. Anecdotally, I have *never*, *not once* spent as much OOP as the plan that would have covered all my dining would have cost---and it would have required me to add more TS meals to an already full schedule.

Allowing you to pick and choose which plans on which days (and not have it on certain days) goes against both of these factors. I believe it will never happen.

 

[Sammie]

The DDP does save money for some. It truly does depend on your eating patterns. Many say it does not save them any money because without it they would not eat that much. Well, then it does not work for you, simple as that.

However for guests who would eat the same number of meals with or without the plan, then yes it can save them money.

 

[edk35]

Actually, a year or so ago, I was thinking that it would be a great idea if DDP would be more flexible for everyone, not just DVC.

I figured they could remove all dining type plans and just allow people to purchase as they want. For example, for a 14 night onsite stay, I could purchase 21 TS, 7 CS and 14 snacks.

BUT since then I realized that I would probably just prefer a DVC discount perk for all the restaurants for all meals (and not just for lunch) or even more simpler....a free TIW for DVC members with annual passes....we'll save $75! ...that would be great! That way, there is no more complaints about what is included in the DDP, kid's meal choices, no appetizers etc. We can just order what we want and get a discount.

Wouldn't that be GREAT...NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT. Oh boy....that would be AWESOME......FROM YOUR MOUTH TO DVC'S EARS!!! However we do get some discounts at certain restaurants for certain meals. But wouldn't it be great to get a straight up discount for everything?! Never happen but we can dreammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[DebbieB]

The DDP does save money for some. It truly does depend on your eating patterns. Many say it does not save them any money because without it they would not eat that much. Well, then it does not work for you, simple as that.

However for guests who would eat the same number of meals with or without the plan, then yes it can save them money.

I agree, it depends on the person/family. On my trip last month, we ate breakfast in the room (except Boma one morning), had a late lunch at a table service and then maybe a quick service later. What we ate did not add up to $42 before tip each. The lunches were in the $20-$30 range with tip.

 

[Brian Noble]

Many say it does not save them any money because without it they would not eat that much. Well, then it does not work for you, simple as that.

True. But, many folks end up buying it anyway, and let the tail wag the dog. How often do you see threads in the Dining board: "I've booked everything I want and I need two more TS meals, where should I eat?"

The answer: drop DDP and just pay for what you want to eat, rather than what Disney has told you is a "good deal". It will be less expensive in the end.

He's clever, that Mouse. Clever indeed.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

We have tried the dining plans a few times, I found them to be a major pain!! If anything, I may do the Quick Service but thats it. We did the deluxe and just way to much food, sure you can save money, but we don't usually that big every night, so we felt we were forced to eat big. Didn't like that. I much prefer to just wing it. if there are any must restaurants than I plan, but other than that, I hate having the brown Derby booked, and but wake up and we don't feel like going to Studios!!

So next time, either just quick service, or nothing at all. We don't do AP's so no way to get the TIW card, that is what I wish they would offer to DVC Members!!

 

[keishashadow]

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.

you lost me when you used the 'c' word...cookon vacation

it took DVC almost a year to add it when it was first rolled out, im not going to rock the boat by asking for partial usage when I still feel it's 'a deal' since ticket media purchase isn't involved ala a WDTCo package.

it's not a perc that is appealing for every DVCer, yet it's the one i use nearly every trip

 

[corpcomp]

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.

Agree. We always come out cheaper by not buying the plan. And we don't feel obligated to eat as much as possible to get our money's worth.

 

[kdzgon]

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.

If I traveled with friends (esp if sharing the same villa) yet could not eat at the same table in a restaurant just because we had different budgets and/or dining plans, I'd be pretty upset.

 

[mikron]

Disney is selling dinning faster then the restraunts can cook. Why would they change anything. I have rented points to guest and the dinning in a lot of large family rentals cost as much as the points I rent to them. 9 out on 10 renters want the dinning plan, as a busuness I don't see Disney changing anything. They took the tip away and it didn't stop the dinning plan at all.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

As long as we're staying in a DVC unit, we'd never consider the dining plan. One of the benefits for us is the kitchen. I'd rather cook a quick meal or two than have to eat out since it was already paid for.

I think the TiW would work well for us if there were a few of us travelling, or we had specific meals planned.