How would you improve the DDP?

[TDC Nala]

I want Disney to pay for all my food and booze. Heck, I'm there enough.

 

[aksunshine]

I like the tip, b/c of the ease of not having to carry extra cash or putting my cc on my room.

 

[MomofCKJ]

I want the tip back and a choice of appy and dessert, much like a lot of other folks. I am using the plan next month and am still going to enjoy it. I love the idea of having most of our food already paid in advance. For me it is a convenience thing more than anything.

Allyson

 

[bicker]

I want Disney to pay for all my food and booze. Heck, I'm there enough.

Now you're talking... I mean if we aren't constrained by reality, why wish for these niggling little nuances like choosing between appetizer or dessert?????? Go for the gold!!!! I'd want the Dining Plan to be like a cruise ship: (1) Included in the price of the hotel room; (2) Includes all meals, as many of each item on the menu as I want; (3) They charge an extra $3.50 that fully covers gratuities for the restaurant servers for all three meals; (4) If I'm still hungry after dinner in the dining room, then I can go up to the buffet for a second dinner!

 

[Tricia1972]

Now you're talking... I mean if we aren't constrained by reality, why wish for these niggling little nuances like choosing between appetizer or dessert?????? Go for the gold!!!! I'd want the Dining Plan to be like a cruise ship: (1) Included in the price of the hotel room; (2) Includes all meals, as many of each item on the menu as I want; (3) They charge an extra $3.50 that fully covers gratuities for the restaurant servers for all three meals; (4) If I'm still hungry after dinner in the dining room, then I can go up to the buffet for a second dinner!

NOW you're talking Bicker! Why be bothered with reality or reasonableness? If we aren't going to be bothered, then let's go all the way!!

Hey can we add unlimited snacks to your plan? My group would really get into that!

 

[bicker]

Serenade of the Seas has serve-yourself soft-serve 24/7. Oh by the way, unlimited room service is included as well -- anything you want. All you pay for is beverages.

 

[TDC Nala]

All this says to me that there's a market for WDW to do a completely all-inclusive package. Which in fact I think they do...but it's priced way out of the range of most. Maybe they ought to be thinking about how to do that on a smaller scale. They were going that way with the DDP until they decided they didn't want to pay the tip anymore. Of course, tips are not included on cruise ships either, you have to pay those separately.

Hey, on the Disney ships I get unlimited Diet Coke, but I have to climb up to Deck 9 to get it. That's how I keep from gaining a lot of weight on the cruises.

 

[bicker]

All this says to me that there's a market for WDW to do a completely all-inclusive package.

How do you figure? A few of us playing "wishful thinking" on a website?

I think the opposite is true: Even the cruise lines are beginning to decompose the cruise fare, adding additional charges and such: $2 for soda, $30 extra for fine dining, $10 per night for gratuities, etc. Count on seeing more of that going forward, not less.

Which in fact I think they do...but it's priced way out of the range of most. Maybe they ought to be thinking about how to do that on a smaller scale.

I'm not sure I follow; a smaller scale would necessarily not be "all"-inclusive.

They were going that way with the DDP until they decided they didn't want to pay the tip anymore.

Which I take as an indication that they've realized that their customers are really focusing on the base price, and want to see a very low number up-front.

 

[TDC Nala]

Because of all the posts that say "I like the all-inclusiveness."

The problem on the boards seems to be that different folks want different things included.

I bet the cruise ships are going that way because the costs of food and fuel have gone up and they can't afford to be all-inclusive at prices that people will actually pay, so they start "nickel and diming." Maybe WDW is doing the same thing.

 

[bicker]

Because of all the posts that say "I like the all-inclusiveness."

I don't see that many people saying that they want to pay for the all-inclusiveness. Most are just saying that want everything included at the current low price. Only a few people (compared to the total number of WDW guests) are extolling the virtues of the Deluxe Dining Plan.

I bet the cruise ships are going that way because the costs of food and fuel have gone up and they can't afford to be all-inclusive at prices that people will actually pay, so they start "nickel and diming." Maybe WDW is doing the same thing.

Abso-friggen-lutely, and the impending recession is going to push things in that direction even faster.

 

[krissyh]

I loved the plan as it was and would be willing to pay more for the convenience. My problem with the 2008 plan is not the food being taken away, (it was too much food before and I can pack it away) but with the convenience of singing and going being taken away. I know someone will say that means we should pay OOP and charge it to the room but I did like knowing it was all paid for before we even arrived at WDW.

If I cannot have the old plan:
1. Include the tip, it simply makes life easier and on vacation, I want easy.
2A. Give the choice or appetizer or dessert. I agree that Disney probably would not like this because it does slow the turn over of tables.
2B. If I cannot have a choice, make it appetizer rather than dessert.

I have no need for dessert with CS meals. We generally do not eat them because lunch is large enough and frankly, they are not very good. I would rather have a second snack to get something really good in the parks.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Desserts are cheaper to produce than appetizers. If Disney needed to cut costs, that's why the appetizer went away instead of dessert.

A second snack might be more likely than the return of the appetizer.

 

[bicker]

I'm surprised I haven't seen contributions to this thread from that significant contingent who have been upset about the Dining Plan's impact on the restaurants in the first place. I suppose they're no longer reading these kinds of threads, but I suspect that they'd improve the Dining Plan by doing away with it. Disney's got to factor their desires into the mix too.

 

[caroline1851]

Eliminate dessert with CS
Choice of appetizer or dessert with TS
Add a snack
Include tip

Raising the price a few bucks would make sense because of these changes. Maybe $45/day for adults and $15/day for kids.

 

[bicker]

Hmmm... That's only a $7 per day increase. That would barely cover adding the tip and adding a snack. I think you're underestimating the cost associated with providing a choice between appetizer and dessert. By the same token, I think you're overestimating how much they'd have to increase the child price...

 

[Pumbaa_]

bicker, did you forget the game? There is no reality check for what you WANT, lol, this is for fun

 

[bicker]

Ah, I keep forgetting...

 

[stellablue]

I would like conversion of TS to CS. We used DDP once, but really didn't need a TS everyday, it's just not our style.
We ate more than we normally would.

Choice of either appetizer or dessert.

I agree with both of these

 

[Pumbaa_]

bicker

i have to say, we went in January, during a resort sold out weekend and had no trouble walking into Tokyo Dining and getting a table. Had a few more ressies that week including Kona, Boma and Garden Grill.

It was nice going without any ADRs and playing it by ear

 

[Tricia1972]

i have to say, we went in January, during a resort sold out weekend and had no trouble walking into Tokyo Dining and getting a table. Had a few more ressies that week including Kona, Boma and Garden Grill.

It was nice going without any ADRs and playing it by ear

I have a question, that plays into other threads about the DDP. Were there empty tables at the restaurants you walked into, or were walk ups able to fill up the tables?