How much more can Disney cut the DDP?? I won't do it again....

[crostorfer]

I agree with the above poster, it's all in how you like to eat and want to allocate credits. Personally, I like to do a character breakfast buffet, use a snack credit for a light lunch and another for something to drink, then eat a signature for dinner. If I was adding up totals at $25 for breakfast, $6-$8 for snack and $50-$75 for dinner I guess I come out ahead. But, as I said earlier, it isn't about savings for me, it's just like pre-payment.

 

[Colleen27]

So people who want to try "fancier" options feel like their choices are being limited due to the dining plan and their meals would be better (not necessarily cheaper) if the plan went away.

I think that's an understandable emotional reaction but not an especially logical one. The streamlining of product offerings at Disney and cuts to the number of higher priced/higher quality items available hasn't been limited to restaurant menus - you can see the same philosophy at work in the bar menus and merchandise selection as well. The "dumbing down" of menus would have happened with or without the dining plan because Disney's current business model is all about economies of scale with little thought to the impression it gives frequent visitors.

 

[hotcarib]

I get the DDP not really comparing the dollar for dollar but for the pre-paid aspect. I like to have that part of the budget taken care of. It's nice going to a restaurant and not having to worry about cost. We have a 40% pin code for WL for our 11/14 trip. We are paying for our dinning plan, and yes it is expensive. We just like that our dinning budget is already taken care of. I think that getting rid of the free dining would be a better choice rather getting rid of the entire plan. Free dining was offered for our time frame but our 40% pin was a better deal.

Absolutely!!
If we get a discounted room but are paying OOP for dining I'm watching every penny and it's not as much fun. At least in our case DDP is really worth it just for my peace of mind

 

[Colleen27]

On the Dxdp we always
seem to have something left over
and that is ok! We just think about
it in a different way...no money
flushing involved!

Well, to be more accurate, money flushing is involved. You just accept it as a part of enjoying the plan, which is fine.

Not necessarily. There's a loss of potential value with leaving credits on the table but the deluxe plan is priced at a point where you don't have to use every entitlement to spend less than you would have OOP. On our last trip we broke even on the DxDDP plan on day 5 (of 7) so we could have left quite a bit behind without losing money.

 

[HunnyJar]

I agree with the above poster, it's all in how you like to eat and want to allocate credits. Personally, I like to do a character breakfast buffet, use a snack credit for a light lunch and another for something to drink, then eat a signature for dinner. If I was adding up totals at $25 for breakfast, $6-$8 for snack and $50-$75 for dinner I guess I come out ahead. But, as I said earlier, it isn't about savings for me, it's just like pre-payment.

I totally get this. We like to use snack credits sometimes at Main Street Bakery for breakfast. One cinnamon roll, one cup of fruit and we will pay for the drinks seperately. That's a nice breakfast for us. Then those TS and CS credits can be spent somewhere else. My husband and I never try to "get the most" for our credits - we just make the dining plan work for us. It is all about trying to go into our vacation as stress free as possible.

 

[TheRatPack]

I got nervous when I saw the title of the thread....but glad to see that the things you listed were already things I'd read about so it wasn't too much of a shock. I've read the cookie sandwiches at Main St Bakery are a 'maybe' depending on who serves you....and the make your own treats at Goofy's haven't been available as a snack credit since before our last trip in 2010 (although some people still say they can get one?).

The kids meals have always been icky....those nuggets are dry and just gross looking so I agree with you about the kids meals. Luckily I have a teen that likes dry tasteless nuggets so she usually eats a kids meal and I give her 'adult' meal to my picky younger eater.

The juice/water thing at breakfast bothers me most I guess.....I don't think it's right that because you use a QS credit for breakfast that you don't get a 'dessert'. We always got a danish, extra drink or some fruit....I mean it's not a huge loss but still they should offer the same value at each meal.

I don't think it's necessarily a money saver, but as a previous poster said....the pre-paid aspect of it is what appeals to us. We go when it's 'free' as well, so that helps.

 

[disneybound31]

I get the pre-paid benefit by buying a $25 or $50 Disney gift card every month or so before my trip at Kroger while doing my regular grocery shopping...a plus for me since I get 2x or even 4x the Kroger gas points and I use those giftcards for our WDW food. Another plus is that we can eat what we want...if I want an appetizer as my main meal at a sit down then it does not mess up my DDP because I have my OWN DDP...called giftcards I pre-paid for myself...lol

 

[canopynut66]

Just back and the ddp is just NOT what it used to be. For those who always complained that is was too much food...well it certainly isn't anymore! It seems there are no good deals or hidden gems in the dining plan anymore. Just a few things I noticed that changed from a couple years ago...

-no more ice cream cookie sandwich at Main Street Bakery for a snack credit

-no more milk shakes with the kids meals at Sci Fi

-Kids lunch at Le Cellier was a joke...my kids ordered the pizza...and it was a thin, small pizza brought out on a mickey head plate with Nothing in either ear! I thought it was a mistake and asked shouldn't fruit/veggies/something be in the ears?? She said no?? Um...okay.

-No more juice and water for breakfast

- No more make your own creation at Goofy's candy Shop

- No more bottled water at Earl's...have to get a fountain drink and can choose either chips or desert..not both...

Bascially...it really isn't a whole lot of food anymore...and I just don't see the worth.

Mostly all fast food places are charging extra now for bottled water so that does not surprise me Disney is. still like the free dining as we have stayed all over and finally decided we like value POP and 15% maybe 20% at most is all we would get off the room rate so might as well take the free dining. we do upgrade as we like character meals and sit down meals...so far has worked well for us have been going to Earls since it opened and we always did have to chose chips or dessert with the sandwich and did get a soda.

 

[JimmyV]

Not necessarily. There's a loss of potential value with leaving credits on the table but the deluxe plan is priced at a point where you don't have to use every entitlement to spend less than you would have OOP. On our last trip we broke even on the DxDDP plan on day 5 (of 7) so we could have left quite a bit behind without losing money.

Fair point. I imagine that it is possible to leave credits on the table but still break even (or maybe come out ahead) while on a plan. But in all my trips keeping meticulous records, my family has never come close to spending OOP what we would have paid on the DxDP. But that is not to say that it can't be done.

 

[dansyr2514]

ok flame away..but we are 2 adults and love the dxdp. Yes,we're paying for it..no free dining upgrade. With the cost of meals at Disney we always come out ahead and I order what I want, not necessarily the highest priced menu item or the lowest priced menu item. I've done some type of dining plan for many years and although things have been cut here and there I still find it a value for us.

 

[bdoyledimou]

In Aug of 2010, On a 16 day stay, my family of 6 (all "adults") would have paid in excess of $4000 for our meals OOP. We ate Great. We had a great time, we loved the food, and we were on the QSDP. Things add up with a meal for $9.99 a dessert for $3.99 and a drink for $2.50 plus taxes.

I have to wonder what the food was like before, because, to be honest, the food i eat at disney is excellent. I have traveled around the world, I have eaten at all types of restaurants, and I feel the Disney meals are on par with any other restaraunt.

 

[SPOERLX3]

I get the pre-paid benefit by buying a $25 or $50 Disney gift card every month or so before my trip at Kroger while doing my regular grocery shopping...a plus for me since I get 2x or even 4x the Kroger gas points and I use those giftcards for our WDW food. Another plus is that we can eat what we want...if I want an appetizer as my main meal at a sit down then it does not mess up my DDP because I have my OWN DDP...called giftcards I pre-paid for myself...lol

GREAT idea!

 

[SPOERLX3]

Well....2012 they are cutting out one of the snacks from the QSDP
But they added the free mugs to the DDP

 

[Oglet]

Most of the restaurants in WDW would not survive in anytown, USA.

You are spot on with that comment.

Give me Olive Garden or a Good Steakhouse off site anytime. I will also walk away with a whole bunch of money that I saved in my pocket.

 

[CariAnn]

The dining plan is definitely not for everyone. We have not paid for it since they eliminated appetizers and tips, but we get it when it is "free", although each time I evaluate the cost and decide if it's worth it or not for us. It usually is, and I really enjoy the pre-paid aspect of it.

That being said, there are a couple things that I do not like about the current DDP:

1) I wish they had kept the appetizer and eliminated the dessert. There are so many yummy sweets throughout WDW that I almost don't want to "waste" calories on a TS dessert I may not be that excited about.

2) What is, and is not, available as a snack credit is very confusing, and it sometimes varies place to place or cast member to cast member. It was much simpler when it was just under $5 with only a very few exceptions.

 

[*love*2*shop]

We are doing the Dining plan for the ease of it( we alos like the $$ character buffets lol and never would normally pay OOP for those if we didnt do the dining plan )

Did you guys mention that Tips are Automatically added on now? How does that work with the Dining Plan? We are a party of 2 adults.

Sorry forgot to add we upgraded to a Moderate resort to be able to do the Table Service Dining Plan

 

[disneywalkers]

Folks, there's really no such thing as a "free" lunch. Someone, somewhere along the way has to pay the bill, whether it's in the rack room rate, higher prices for OOP diners, limited selection, or all. The time you spend figuring the "dollar-to-dollar" savings takes away from enjoying your vacation. None of this would be necessary if Disney simply charged fair prices for all their dining (and rooms) so everyone could choose based on what they like and can afford. Burgers for a family of five should not cost $100 and a hot dog, even a good one, should not cost $8. In the same respect, if your budget does not allow for surf and turf, you eat chicken or something you can afford. Most of the restaurants in WDW would not survive in anytown, USA.

I've never done "free" dining.. is is really free? Or are you paying out the kazooo for your room each night and really paying for the food too?
We stay offsite and pay $100 a night for a 5 bedroom house with a private pool for 10 people. We do pay OOP for meals though.
A co-worker recently went to WDW and paid $1100 a night for 2 people. I think that is insane.

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

Some of this above is not accurate based on our experience a few weeks ago.

-on 8/26 we got an ice cream cookie sandwich at Main Street Bakery for a snack credit

- We got 1 chocolate dipped pretzel stick with 1 topping for a snack credit at Goofy's candy shop.

- we got bottled water at Earl's.

no more milk shakes with the kids meals at Sci Fi - We got them at WCC

They JUST, yet again, change some things on the DDP and as of August 28th, the cookie sandwich is no longer a snack credit or on the DDP...there is the little purple symbol next to things that you can use for a snack credit...and it's not next to the cookies sandwhich and I confirmed that by asking.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I get the pre-paid benefit by buying a $25 or $50 Disney gift card every month or so before my trip at Kroger while doing my regular grocery shopping...a plus for me since I get 2x or even 4x the Kroger gas points and I use those giftcards for our WDW food. Another plus is that we can eat what we want...if I want an appetizer as my main meal at a sit down then it does not mess up my DDP because I have my OWN DDP...called giftcards I pre-paid for myself...lol

I use gift cards too. There was a deal a couple months ago at one of the local grocery stores, but a $100 gift card, get a $20 coupon for the store to use on anything except for more gift cards and like cigarettes and stuff, with a limit of 5 gift cards and 5 $20 coupons. I got $500 in Disney gift cards, and $100 total in coupons for off my next grocery order, which I had to use within two weeks, which is kind of a lot for me to spend, but it was basically free groceries, and my meals and room balance are already pretty much paid for when I go later this month.

 

[BLTLDZ]

I didn't see the worth from the beginning. I wish instead of cutting back what's available, they would just cut that darn DDP completely!!!

Took the words RIGHT out of my mouth!!