Huge increase for 2009 DDP? Just read it.

[mom2aredhead]

Can anyone actually eat an ap, entree, and desert in the same sitting.. multiple times over the course of a week? My tummy screams "ow!". If it is the case, almost positive that I'll never get the DDP if it isn't free.

Yup - every day, probably not. But 4 or 5 out of 7 nights - probably. We tend to have a light breakfast (snack - muffin, yogurt), early lunch, then do mostly TS dinners...and honestly I never found the portions at many of the TS restaurants to be so huge that I could not have at least a few bites of dessert.

But I think it's kind of funny that you're screaming "ow"...unless it was free. For free maybe you'd be able to squeeze the food in ??

 

[Pumbaa_]

Great discussion, at this point anything with 2009 is rumor until Disney makes an official announcement thisis rumor.

Moving from Restaurant Board to Rumors Board

 

[mom2aredhead]

I am one of those poeple received a survey from Disney after our last trip and I told them I would have been fine paying a reasonable increase in the price of the dining plan to have it include what it did before, but that I would no longer be purchasing it if it was left as is. And I still mean that.

I HATED the plan in May. It was a pain in the neck to not have the all inclusive aspect, and with the exclusions it was no longer a value for us. I understand that Disney is a corporation, they're in business to make a profit and their costs increase. But I HATE when companies give you less for the same price and try to make you feel like they're still giving you a bargain. Many boxes of pasta are now 12 or 14 oz instead of a pound. Same thing with coffee...but then they put it "on sale" for 50 cents less to try to make you think you're getting a deal. It's ridiculous.

The plan used to be $39 per day for adults. I would have gladly paid $45 in May to have the same inclusions.

 

[marathonmommy]

There are now two dining plans.

Basic is $37.99 per person per night for 10 and over, $9.99 per night for ages 3-9. Same as you remember last year except the TS meal does not include an appetizer for adults. As mentioned above, subbing appetizers for desserts is not permitted. Children's TS meals include three courses on the children's menu.

Deluxe is $69.99 per person per night for 10 and over, $19.99 per night for 3-9. This one gets you 3 meal credits per night of your stay that can be used for either table or counter service (your choice), 2 snacks per night, and one refillable resort mug per person on the plan. Adult TS meals include appetizers.

Neither plan includes the table service gratuity.

Am I able to just purchase the DDP for the kids and not the adults?

 

[Luv2Roam]

No. Everyone in the party must be on the plan. (All or nothing.)

 

[marathonmommy]

No. Everyone in the party must be on the plan. (All or nothing.)

Thanks. Sounds like DDP is no longer a deal for us.

Do they still have the DDE?

 

[rentayenta]

Can anyone imagine pay $50 per adult with just whats being offered now?

No way. As I do the math for our upcoming trip I can barely rationalize the DDP as it stands now.

Can anyone actually eat an ap, entree, and desert in the same sitting.. multiple times over the course of a week? My tummy screams "ow!". If it is the case, almost positive that I'll never get the DDP if it isn't free.

Again no. Last year while on the DDP we had so many leftover credits due to being so full half way through the trip.

 

[suprgrlx]

Thanks. Sounds like DDP is no longer a deal for us.

Do they still have the DDE?

Yup, they still have the DDE, however just in case you're not aware - there's now an automatic 18% gratuity added regardless of party size. Just in case that affects your decision.

Originally Posted by ShellyLynn3630
Can anyone imagine pay $50 per adult with just whats being offered now?

I think that if you were the type of person to "maximize" the dining plan (i.e. order the most expensive things possible because they were included), then you might be able to still justify it. Otherwise, I can't see that it would be that great a deal for the average person. If you think about it, I would consider the following very reasonable:

Snack - $5
Lunch - $10
Dinner - $25 (entree or buffet)
Dessert - $7 (if applicable, since wouldn't need to pay separately at a buffet)
Total - $47

So for the average person, $50 for what's included now is totally not worth it. You'd get very little in the way of advantages, and you'd feel forced into multiple sit-down meals throughout the course of your vacation. If you were paying OOP, then you'd be able to do days like the sample I listed above, but also days with smaller meals, no planning or going offsite with there being no financial penalty to you. Now admittedly, I don't have children, so if the plan is super-wonderful for them, maybe parents might consider it worth getting it if they wanted it for everybody. Now, if tips and appetizer were back... That's a whole different story.

 

[Lesley]

It seems to me the best way to evaluate changes to the dining plan (if these changes are indeed occuring and regardless of what the changes are....) is to sit down and see what you'd typically pay for dining at WDW for your family and compare it to the actual costs of the DDP. In a way, its comparing apples to oranges- yet it shows whether or not it is a good value *for your family*. The previous dining plan turned out to be a spectacular deal for our family, extending to our then 11yo son the option to order adult meals without concern for cost (he likes them) and being less expensive than what we would do without the dining plan and giving us a lot more food. At the time we had a child under 3 who was free....so she consumed some of the excess food but we also paid for a meal for her on occasion.

I've planned next years' trip based on the current plan and it still works out for us. The difference in price isn't as stunning, but we'd be saving a little money and getting a lot more food and I wouldn't have to cook at all. We do generally plan our dining reservations, though we don't often do a sit down every day without the dining plan- mainly because of cost. So far the dining plan had allowed us to eat on the same budget we'd normally have, but allow us to dine the way we would if budget was not a factor.

If next year's plan doesn't compare favorably, we won't buy it. If it does, we will. As this is still speculation, I won't bother crunching the numbers yet. When something is confirmed, I'll do the calculations and decide.

 

[MrSplashMountain #1!]

*VIRGIN HOLIDAY BOOKING PRICES*

Hey everybody, I was just this morning helping my friends plan their honeymoon for next September through Virgin Holidays (we're from the UK - we dont use Disney themselves, its almost always through a travel agent with us folks) and as we dont know at this point if free dining will be offered we checked out the prices of adding the basic ddp.

For 11 nights it was working out at £275 per person, which I didnt pay much attention to as im used to it being completely free at that time of year! However, after spying this post it dawned on me that that works out as £25.00 per person, per day for the basic DDP. And with the current exchange rate being £1.00 = $1.99461... that equates to $49.90 dollars a day

As other posters have said this could just be the agents taking advantage of us as the pound is so strong against the dollar at the moment, or it could be a good sign of things to come...

But again as others have said, we often get word sooner (free dining goes on sale waaaay before you US folks are offered it) about these things, so im sure we will find out more in the next couple of months.

 

[MrSplashMountain #1!]

*Disney OFFICIAL UK WEBSITE (www.disneyworld.co.uk) DDP BLURB FOR 2009!!!*

Hi again, just copied this info from the site whilst setting up a mock booking for next year: having chosen a resort to attend, dates etc (next September 09) it gave me various options to add on, including of course, the following....

(apologies but i cant post images so ive had to type it out as best I could - the first price is the adult, the second the kids )


"5. Disney Dining Plans

Available if Disney Park Tickets have been added to your booking

For more information click here

* Show me available Dining Plans
* No thank you

2008

Adult (12+) / Child (3-11)
Disney Dining plan £19.99 / £5.99

Disney Deluxe Dining plan £36.99 / £10.99


2009

Adult (12+) /Child (3-11)

Disney Dining plan £25.00 / £10.00

Disney Deluxe Dining plan £43.00 / £16.00


So there you have it, straight from the Mouse's mouth

 

[paulh]

*Disney OFFICIAL UK WEBSITE (www.disneyworld.co.uk) DDP BLURB FOR 2009!!!*

Hi again, just copied this info from the site whilst setting up a mock booking for next year: having chosen a resort to attend, dates etc (next September 09) it gave me various options to add on, including of course, the following....

(apologies but i cant post images so ive had to type it out as best I could - the first price is the adult, the second the kids )


"5. Disney Dining Plans

Available if Disney Park Tickets have been added to your booking

For more information click here

* Show me available Dining Plans
* No thank you

2008

Adult (12+) / Child (3-11)
Disney Dining plan £19.99 / £5.99

Disney Deluxe Dining plan £36.99 / £10.99


2009

Adult (12+) /Child (3-11)

Disney Dining plan £25.00 / £10.00

Disney Deluxe Dining plan £43.00 / £16.00


So there you have it, straight from the Mouse's mouth

still wouldent go of those prices for the usa ones as tradicnaly the uk TAs including disney uk,always charge more for the DDP and rooms as well
look at what virgin are chargeing for a chief mickey meal for this year compaired towhat disney charge themselfs https://www.virginholidays.co.uk/ex...actions/walt_disney_world/tickets_prices.aspx
virgin £53 = $105 disney direct inthe usa $29.99=£15
would also look at what virgin are charging for this years DDP its the same as next year £25 = $50
so cost for those bookig with a usa TA or disney usa direct it will stay the same at $37.99
This is the reason we book direct with disney in the usa as it cheaper for us
Paulh

 

[PaulaSB12]

Can anyone actually eat an ap, entree, and desert in the same sitting.. multiple times over the course of a week? My tummy screams "ow!". If it is the case, almost positive that I'll never get the DDP if it isn't free.

I can and did do the dining plan for 21 days last year with ap, entree and desert no problem.

 

[marathonmommy]

I can and did do the dining plan for 21 days last year with ap, entree and desert no problem.

You're my kind of girl!
(Or guy named Paula.)

 

[yellowfish78]

Does anyone remember the Silver Plan from years ago? I remember paying $70 for that way back when. (2001 I think?) I wish they'd bring that one back.

 

[sandym718]

*Disney OFFICIAL UK WEBSITE (www.disneyworld.co.uk) DDP BLURB FOR 2009!!!*

Hi again, just copied this info from the site whilst setting up a mock booking for next year: having chosen a resort to attend, dates etc (next September 09) it gave me various options to add on, including of course, the following....

(apologies but i cant post images so ive had to type it out as best I could - the first price is the adult, the second the kids )


"5. Disney Dining Plans

Available if Disney Park Tickets have been added to your booking

For more information click here

* Show me available Dining Plans
* No thank you

2008

Adult (12+) / Child (3-11)
Disney Dining plan £19.99 / £5.99

Disney Deluxe Dining plan £36.99 / £10.99


2009

Adult (12+) /Child (3-11)

Disney Dining plan £25.00 / £10.00

Disney Deluxe Dining plan £43.00 / £16.00


So there you have it, straight from the Mouse's mouth

Here's a question - have the ages always been different for those in the UK? I mean, has it always been 3-11 child dining and tickets or is that a change? If it's a change, I think a lot of people will be happy that it's gone up 2 years from age 9!

 

[DisFlan]

I'd think $50 would reflect the increase in food costs with no changes to the plan.

We use the DDE. It's worked out as a better value for us than the dining plans - it's less hassle and less restrictive. I wouldn't be at all suprised if Disney increases the plan prices even more (or scaled back more on what's included) - hoping fewer people will use them. Food prices are WAY up. People on the plans tend to go for the expensive items that they might not normally order if it weren't pre-paid at a discount.

I'd also expect "free dining" to be scaled back if it's offered again in the future, either by availability slots or items allowed. With the steep increases in food costs, Disney may be close to the margin where "giving food away to get people in rooms" is making them any money. At this point, deep/deeper room discounts may provide a better profit margin than free food and rack rate rooms.

DisFlan

 

[ibouncetoo]

Well, $50 a day is what I've always budgeted for my WDW trips, so if the 09 plan put the tips back in, it would still work for me.

And as far as being forced to plan/book dining in advance, all of us who would usually do a TS meach each day have had to do that since the inception of the DDP, as it has caused the restaurants to be booked to capacity.

.

 

[MrSplashMountain #1!]

Here's a question - have the ages always been different for those in the UK? I mean, has it always been 3-11 child dining and tickets or is that a change? If it's a change, I think a lot of people will be happy that it's gone up 2 years from age 9!

Good question, but I dont know the answer sorry! I dont suppose Disney check kids ages when they're served do they? If not then maybe its always been like that on the UK based ones? Im sure someone will know more about this though

 

[sandym718]

I'd think $50 would reflect the increase in food costs with no changes to the plan.
DisFlan

Oh, I hope not!! I don't think it would be worth it to us for the same plan at $50. You're right, though, food costs are up everywhere. Not sure that much though!