I am getting worried because.....

[Disneysnel]

Every time I make a PS for my Sept/Oct trip they ask if I am on the MYW dining plan. I asked a CM why they ask and she said it was because they needed to know whether they should waive the deposit or not. Well, the problem with that answer is that not one of my 8 ressies so far have been at places that require a deposit.
I am worried that all of us who will have the free dining plan well get bad service or food. I mean we can't ask for our money back and tips are already included.
If anyone knows why they are asking this I would love to know!
Thanks

 

[natalielongstaff]

ive been asked if im on the dining plan as well ive no idea why

 

[Letsbgoofy]

I am usually asked that question, before the free dining came out. Since the free dining, I have only been asked once.

 

[Skroops]

I just made my reservations for our impromtu trip for next week, and I wasn't asked that. I wouldn't worry about bad food or service. Infact, it may be the opposite.

 

[bicker]

I doubt it would be the opposite -- it really would make no sense to provide bad service to people who haven't given up their money yet. However, I suspect that they're asking simply because someone sees some value in having that information, for some internal purpose, planning- or operationally-oriented, and not because they intend to use it to bias the service delivered one way or another as a result. One thing I could imagine is that they're using the notation to allocate guests with and without the program among the available servers, so no server gets all dining plan guests or all non-dining plan guests.

 

[Chuck S]

They may be asking so that if you reply "No!" they can try to upsell it to you? Some people may actually not know about the dining plan. It could als be that they are simply tracking how many plan ressies vs non-plan ressies are being made for any number of reasons.

 

[PoohHappens]

I would think that your server would have no way to know if you paid for the dinning plan or got it for free. We all need to stop worrying that we have a big red "F" on us noting that we got it for free. It was offered to us not something we are obtaining unjustly. There were only so many packages availble and there will be some people there during that time who paid for their plan. Back when it was just upgrades to silver or gold I don't think people felt bad, I think they felt upgraded. I am thrilled that they broke apart those upgrades to just food because we would not have used the other things in the packages. We have done the 5+2 and similar promotions before and I wasn't worried that i would be treated differently because I was staying in a free room one or two nights. We love disney, we love the service. I know we will have a great time and if I encounter a crabby server I will choose to not let it effect my vacation.

 

[Hopefully]

I imagine they also use the information for Marketing purposes. How sucessful was the promotion etc., They offer different promotions throughout the year, and I am sure they have internal criteria to measure the success of each.
It makes no sense to think that they will prepare a batch of "bad food" for those eating for free, and "good food" for those paying.
Don't worry - just enjoy your trip!

 

[DawnCt1]

I will bet that they are asking that because there is a computer screen icon that needs to be checked before the rest of the reservation can proceed.

 

[Plutes]

I'm with Letsbgoofy - IIRC, I've always been asked if I'm on a dining plan. It's not something that just came about with the free dining offer.

 

[DizzKneeLand]

Okay I just called to book my dinner for the 90 day mark related to today - and I asked. Very sweet CM told me - it is so they can verify the resturant you are choosing is on the plan you are eating on - if not they can advise you to that fact.

Now I think that is a good idea - but I am sure some folks are clueless (not anyone who posts here though) as to what resturants they can and cannot eat at.

DizzKnee

 

[jana]

You don't need to worry about getting bad service or food when on the dinning plan. Disney would not offer a special to attract people to WDW to then just treat them like crap when they got there thus making them not want to return.

The reasons they do this are
1) so the resaurant knows ahead of time so the bill is done properly. If you forget to tell them when you checked in at the podium or at the table and they do the total bill out for you then to say I'm on the dining plan they then have to go back into the system and re do everything causing you frustration and wasting time for both you and the staff. As tax and gratuity are included in the plan, if they had already posted an amount and entered into their system, to remove one tax amount and reapply another would be a major headache
2) Some signature restaurants take two coupons, by asking when you book it allows Disney to inform you of this prior to your arrival, avoiding difficult or embarrassing scenes for you and the restaurant staff. It removes the argument " well I'm on the dining plan and I didn't realize that Jiko's/California Grill etc cost me two coupons so you should let me have it for one coupon"
3) Some restaurants ( Cindy's, Princesses storybook dining+Dinner shows) have credit card booking policies that mean you pay ahead of time. IF your on the dining plan they take a credit card guarantee and it is only charged if you don't turn up or cancel less than the stipulated time. IF they didn't ask if you were on the dining plan you'd be charged in some cases $200 for a family of 4 to book the meal, then the wait staff would have to refund you the amount on your CC and take the vouchers from your meal plan.
4) Some special promotions ( like Fantasmic) are not available on the dining plan (something that makes no sense to me, but that is the case). So if you were to book Fantasmic, have your meal and ask for your Fantasmic vouchers there is another potential arguement and cause for guest dissatisfaction.

It's not some plot to give you lower service, it's so the whole process can run smoothly, reduces your wait times at the end of the meal, reduce stressful encounters for both you and the staff and helps to make your stay a more magical one.

 

[Luv2Roam]

I have been asked a few times if I am on the dining plan. I reply I use the DDE card. And I think what was posted a few replies up is the reason. I kind of recall once being told basically the same. I think one time they even checked to see if the DDE was accepted.

 

[cobbler]

Whats weird is I have a group of 6. 4 of us on DDE, 2 on the free dining plan. They ask, I tell them 2 yes, 4 no. They always ask me how I want to book it?? Do I want to book it showing everyone on the dining or no one on the dining?? I just tell them I don't care.

I don't get it, thats for sure.

 

[bigbabyblues]

When I made my PS' for last fall, I was asked each time if I was on any kind of package that included meals (silver plan, gold plan, etc.).

 

[lorisnuts]

I booked 11 people at the crystal palace in sept. we are not on the dining plan. they did not ask for a deposit. is this something I should be concerned about. this was the first time I had ever made reservations.

 

[drcmk]

Is it possible that Disney asks if a family will be using the dining plan before taking a reservation because they are setting aside a certain number of reservations for the free dining plan versus paying customers? If a restaurant is full of free diners on any given evening, they are losing money versus saving some spaces for people that are going to pay. I don't know if this is true, it is a hypothesis.

 

[shellybaxter]

I'm not sure why they ask, but they've been asking LONG before the dinning plan came out. I've been making PS/ADRs since 2002 and they've pretty much asked during each of our trips. Some CMs forget I think, but at least half of the PS/ADRs I've made they've asked. I just figured its because Disney likes to collect information. Why do they ask me for my email address EVERY time I call?? I don't know, but they do. If I say, "You already have it" they ask me to confirm it. Its just some information they want to have.

 

[bicker]

Is it possible that Disney asks if a family will be using the dining plan before taking a reservation because they are setting aside a certain number of reservations for the free dining plan versus paying customers? If a restaurant is full of free diners on any given evening, they are losing money versus saving some spaces for people that are going to pay. I don't know if this is true, it is a hypothesis.

I think we can be pretty confident that the individual restaurants don't bear the cost of dining plan considerations. There is probably some intricate transfer of payments scheme that ensures that a restaurant is credited with a certain amount of the revenue associated with a package that contains a dining plan. So at least with regard to the top-line number, the restaurant is covered.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I booked 11 people at the crystal palace in sept. we are not on the dining plan. they did not ask for a deposit. is this something I should be concerned about. this was the first time I had ever made reservations.

Crystal Palace is not a restaurant that normally requires a deposit. Usually it's just the Princess meals (CRT and Norway), or if your PS/ADR is for a holiday.

You'll be fine, enjoy the Crystal Palace!

Steph