If I could design my own dining plan...

[Lori of the Lodge]

If I could design my own dining plan it would look like this:

1 CS meal including entree/combo and non-alcoholic drink or bottled water.

1 TS meal including choice of appetizer/soup/or salad and an entree.

3 Snack credits per day, each good for any combination of items totaling $4 or less.

The 3 daily snack credits may be used to purchase dessert with either or both of your meals -- or can be used at any location that sells snacks.



We just returned from a 3 day trip with the dining plan and we found that the amount of food (especially the TS credit) was just too much to eat at once. We used our snack credits for a breakfast item, but had to purchase coffee every morning. In the mid-afternoon we usually bought a snack somewhere and split it. In my opinion, the dining plan is not ideal for those who prefer to eat smaller meals, spread throughout the day.

I can see where people who enjoy large meals or always have room for dessert would thoroughly enjoy the plan!

Just my 2 cents

 

[patsal]

Interesting! It would be nice to control that a bit more.

 

[jensen]

The beauty of it is... you can design your own dining "plan". It just won't be part of the package deal.

 

[bicker]

The neatest part of this is that you can set your own price: How about $15 per day!

 

[reeeoga]

So what about more choices.

Donald Plan: 3 CS meals (Entree, Side, Drink, Dessert)
Goofy Plan: 1 TS (App., Entree, Drink, Dessert) 1 CS (Entree, Side, Dessert, drink).
Pluto Plan: Goofy plus one Snack ($4 and under). This is current DDP.
Minnie Plan: Pluto plus 1 CS (Entree, Side, Dessert, Drink). (1 TS, 2 CS, 1 Snacks).
Mickey Plan: Pluto plus 1 TS (App., Entree, Side, Dessert, Drink). (2 TS, 1 CS, 1 Snacks).

This would add to the confusion. Plus I want to call the Donald Plan the Scrooge McDuck plan

 

[Cindy's Mom]

The beauty of it is... you can design your own dining "plan". It just won't be part of the package deal.

Funny!

 

[The Sweetness]

Here's my 2 ideas
I~
Mickey plan~ 3 meals a day, anywhere you want ($60 pp/ pd)
Minnie plan~2 CS and 1 TS a day ($50 pp/pd)
Pluto's plan~ 1TS, 1CS, 1snack ($45 pp/pd)
Donalds plan~ 3 CS a day ($30 pp/ pd)
Chip and Dales plan~6 snacks pp/pd ($20 pp)

CS meal would inc dessert OR an additional side, B, L, or D

II~
I might like to see the plan broken down into *items* rather than meals. For instance, each person would be allowed 1 snack (drink or food under $5), 1CS bev, CS entree, 1CS dessert, 1TS ap, 1TS entree, 1TS dessert, 1TS bev. (price of 45 pp/ pd sounds fair to me. This way, I could choose to order my meal and dessert together, or not. my decision

 

[bicker]

Your Idea I~ sounds reasonable. The Mickey Plan sounds pretty much the same as the Premium Plan (not sure if your pricing is correct, though), and the Pluto Plan is, of course, the Dining Plan (perhaps a little more expensive than it needs to be). The other three Plans are interesting (and the pricing for each sounds about right); I think the main reason why Disney wouldn't do this is because it would lead to too much guest confusion.

 

[Lewisc]

I think dessert with the CS meal is over-kill. I'd like to see it either replaced with a second snack or deleted as an alternative to a price increase.

Some "foodies" think signature dining is taking a hit. I wouldn't object if a couple of signature restaurants were removed from the DDP but DDP guests got a 20% discount, same as DDE. The GF could drop Citros. GF would still have a signature restaurant, buffet, casual TS restaurant and CS restaurant in the plan.

Several DIS members started threads. It appears Disney is doing dining surveys. It looks like Disney is considering lowering the price of a premium plan. It's not clear if the recreational benefits will stay or if the extra restaurants will stay in the plan.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I would like to see 2 CS a day with 2 snacks.

Then maybe you could add a certain amount of TS to the package for a price as we do not want to eat TS every single day of our trips.

Of course, our trips are usually pretty long ones.

Maybe 5 day packages with 6CS and 2 TS with 3 snacks/beverages a day? People who stay for longer could just get more packages??

Slightly Goofy

 

[bicker]

Yeah, I think requiring the plan for the duration of your visit is a key aspect of it... it would be a lot more expensive otherwise, and I prefer it more inexpensive.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Bicker, I have wondered if it would not be possible, since we go for extended stays and have to have 2, or more ressies under the ten day rule, if one could not just have the DP on one ressie and not the other.

For those who are just going 12-14 days they could stretch the meals out to cover 11 days since it starts when you check in and until midnight of the day you check out and leave a couple of days to let ones stomach 'rest'.

Figure if anyone would know YOU would.

I like the idea of being able to buy components, even with it being for length of stay, so that people could choose if they want more TS or CS or snacks. A set charge for each component should not be that hard to figure out.

Slightly Goofy

 

[bicker]

You absolutely can split your stay into two parts, and have the Dining Plan on only one part, as long as your two separate reservations comply with whatever length-of-stay requirements that might apply. Do keep in mind that you run a small risk of having to switch rooms mid-trip.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

That might be the solution to our too much food problem.

We shall just make SIX different reservations and only have the dining plan for every other ressie.

We work awfully hard at getting the most our of our vacations around here don't we??

BTW, I am joking, I think.

Slightly Goofy

 

[Lewisc]

I know your joking but anyone doing a split stay should make their dining stay first. MYW Dining requires a pass purchase and MYW ticket pricing give you extra days for almost free. No problem using your unused park days for your second, non-dining stay.

That might be the solution to our too much food problem.

We shall just make SIX different reservations and only have the dining plan for every other ressie.

We work awfully hard at getting the most our of our vacations around here don't we??

BTW, I am joking, I think.

Slightly Goofy

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Lewis, that is a good idea. Although we usually have AP's one never knows.

I love the exchange of ideas on forums. For all the dreck you also often come up with an idea that you had not thought of before.

My husband is sick and I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to handle his request to be at Disney as much as possible this year. Anyone got a crystal ball??

Slightly Goofy

 

[Lewisc]

Guests staying at DVC resort on points can purchase dining without having to purchase passes. Renting points may not work with a sick husband. I don't know if travel insurance will cover you and DVC owners you rent from will generally have cancellation terms that are stricter than renting directly from Disney.

Lewis, that is a good idea. Although we usually have AP's one never knows.

I love the exchange of ideas on forums. For all the dreck you also often come up with an idea that you had not thought of before.

My husband is sick and I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to handle his request to be at Disney as much as possible this year. Anyone got a crystal ball??

Slightly Goofy

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Lewis, that is an idea that I have had but I sweat enough bullets last year during the Free Dining promotion and neither one of us was sick then. I am used to the room only deals where we can cancel nearly at the last minute. Times change though and life is full of risks AND rewards.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Slightly Goofy

 

[Frantasmic]

My plan would require a lot of redoing on Disney's part.

First, ditch adult and child designations.

Then, redesign the meals. Ditch the kid menus.

A Gold meal would be $45 and would include the special
shows (HDDR) and the signature places. No Gold Jr. If the
signature places have a kids menu, you pay OOP for that.

A Mickey meal is an appetizer, an entre, a dessert,
a drink at the current table service places. All
buffets are Mickey meals. Mickey meals would cost
$25-$30 each.

A Mickey Junior meal is appetizer OR dessert, a half entre,
and a drink at the current table service places. Anyone,
any age could order a Mickey Junior meal. There
would be a Mickey Junior buffet, but only for ages 5-14.
Ages 4 and under eat free. Mickey Junior meals are
$15.

A Donald meal is a combo meal (or side and entre), plus
dessert, plus drink at current CS sites. It would cost
about $12. A Donald Jr. meal is one-half of the Donald
meal (either half it all or let the customer chose an
side OR dessert) and it would cost $8. Anyone, any age
can order the Junior meal.

A Goofy is a snack AND a drink combo. It would be $5

A Pluto is a snack OR a drink. It would be $3.

You purchase credits not days. If you are there 3 days and
staying onsite in a resort,
and want to order 30 Mickey meals for you, your wife, and
kid, you'd pay $750-$900 for those credits and you could
use them however you wanted. If you have light eaters,
you could order 30 Mickey Jr. meals for $450.

The thing with this plan would be for Disney to make sure the
junior meals reflect one half of the portions, etc. for their
own cost benefit.

If a family of four want to try to live on two Donald Jr.
meals at lunch, let them do it.

You buy credits based on the meal.