Is Disney trying to discourage use of the Dining Plan???

[RobDIS]

Dining plan doesn't make since for us as we generally drink water or an adult bev and rarely get dessert, would rather get something from a cart later. Would be fun to try some trip, but I doubt we'll ever be willing to pay the premium.

 

[orangecats2]

Did I just read right that the regular DDP includes a mug?
If so, that would be awesome!

 

[larryz]

Did I just read right that the regular DDP includes a mug?
If so, that would be awesome!

No, not on the 2011 regular -- QS and Deluxe and higher only.

For 2012, however, it is... I guess that makes up for the lost snack...

Thanks to rt2dz for correcting my error!

 

[rt2dz]

No, not on the regular -- QS and Deluxe and higher only.

I thought they added it to the 2012 regular dining plan?

Off to check...

ETA: They sure did! Check HERE

 

[rt2dz]

Don't forget that the TIW card automatically adds 18% gratuity to every check, negating any real discount. Basically, consider paying full price for your meals and having the tip included.

I'm not going to comment on the whole post, because it's just too darn long. I do see quite a few errors in thinking, imo. BUT, I do want to point this out...

I just don't see how you are paying full price with tip included. Are you not going to tip anyhow??? Plus, if your a family of 5+ you have the tip included regardless. Heck, we tip 20% and if you include the tip, I'm not leaving extra (unless you do something totally above and beyond). I'm still coming out 2% ahead even with your thought process.

 

[dclfun]

For us, it's not worth it. We don't want desserts but would often enjoy an appetizer. Since there are no substitutions, if someone would like one- two appys vs. a main course or vs. a dessert, you can't do it with the basic ddp. We've done the qsdp before and felt it was a better value as we then planned for any TS meals OOP and the two QS meals/two snacks were plenty anyway. We'd get a muffin for dessert which became breakfast the next morning along with a refillable mug of coffee and that left lunch/dinner covered at a QS location which fit better with our touring style. Since they're scaling back on discounts, perhaps there will be a discounted ddp/tix/full price resort stay vs. free dining. I'm rather glad we were weaned off the ddp after the first two years when appy's and tips were included as it's no longer a meaningful offer for us. In fact when pricing the same length of stay during value season, same inclusions, the price of the same vacation, for us, has more than doubled since 2007 and that doesn't include the additional amount needed for tips. Obviously though, the ddp and of course "free dining" is doing well as if you don't plan 180 days out for some of the more popular restaurants for ADR's, then you might not get to dine at your preferred location. Since the ADR process adds stress and/or disappointment to people's vacations,it's also a loss vs. benefit for those who don't want to plan as much. ---Kathy

 

[nrpofp]

I think that the basic & quick service dining plans now are shifting into a role of "promotional item" rather than something Disney really hopes to sell on their own merits, at least for savvy travelers. They're a great deal when they're free and raising the price only makes "free dining" look like an even better offer, but it is difficult to get real value out of them if you're paying full price.

There's still some savings potential with the DxDDP at non-holiday pricing, and I think they sell that one on the "all-inclusive" aspect as much as on the value. I know that's a big factor for us and one that no other alternative can equal; I could buy an AP and a TiW card and put $2500 on a gift card for our dining, but neither the discount or the over-large dining budget would stop DH from balking at Disney's inflated (as compared to what we're used to here in small town middle America) menu prices.

When it comes to holiday pricing, I can only assume they're marketing towards first timers who don't know any better because with only the buffets/character meals having higher holiday pricing the peak season DDP/DxDDP surcharge erases any potential savings in a hurry.

ETA: I personally an not holding my breath on restaurant price increases that will make the new dining plan prices worth paying. The DxDDP went up 10% last year and 8% this year, while restaurant prices went up 2-4%. Disney seems to be very deliberately scaling back the value of the plans, not adjusting the cost to account for higher menu prices.

This is the reason I will continue to buy the dxdp. At least until my oldest turns 10 anyway. I try to explain to my dh that we would spend less money paying oop, but he likes the all inclusiveness of the deluxe plan. He likes being able to order whatever he wants and not look at the price. If this makes him happy and keeps him going to disney then I don't mind paying it. Sometimes convenience and enjoyment are worth a little extra money.

 

[Madonna3]

I'm not going to comment on the whole post, because it's just too darn long. I do see quite a few errors in thinking, imo. BUT, I do want to point this out...

I just don't see how you are paying full price with tip included. Are you not going to tip anyhow??? Plus, if your a family of 5+ you have the tip included regardless. Heck, we tip 20% and if you include the tip, I'm not leaving extra (unless you do something totally above and beyond). I'm still coming out 2% ahead even with your thought process.

You're right, you're saving 2%, but is that before or after you slap down $100 for the card? How many meals do you need to eat before the 2% adds up to the cost of the card? I'm not saying the card isn't a good idea, but as with anything Disney offers, not everything is right for everyone.

 

[Sue M]

I've always taken up for the DDPs and said what a great deal they were. I go to WDW several times a year and have used the DDP (either the basic DDP or the DxDDP) every single trip. I prefer TS restaurants, so have no interest in the counter service plan. However, we've found that the DxDDP is too much, but with the basic DDP we usually round up paying OOP for a couple more TS meals and then have a couple of counter service meals left over. We are also not snackers, so nearly always have all of those left over to use up the last day. Consequently for the first time in years, my upcoming Sept and Nov/Dec trips my meals will be OOP. I plan on using the TIW card to get 20% off almost all my meals. Since I'm not a fan of CS and eat mainly TS it works out cheaper than the DDP and I get to eat at restaurants that don't take the DDP and get to order exactly what I want. If I want two appetizers that is what I'll order.

We use our snack credits for breakfast. It works well for us. Our first time on DDP at the end we had toms of snack credits left, and were at the grab & go stocking up on things we could pack, like rice crispy mickey bars, etc, to use up our credits, The CM told us we could have used them for bagels, muffins, milk & cereal for breakfast, side of eggs, so that's what we do now!

 

[Sue M]

We loved the DDP when it included Appy & tip. Great value. We still get the basic DDP, this Aug have free DDP for POR, then took the room discount for BC and paying for DDP.
It does work for us, we enjoy a TS restaurant for dinner to relax, we eat at the more expensive CS & TS restaurants, and a TS meal can easily be $45 + for dinner. I noticed Boma is now up to $39.00!!
We use our snack credit (part of the time) for breakfast. And always use our TS credit for dinner.

But......with the price hike, I'm thinking about not getting the DDP in 2012. Without DDP we'd certainly eat differently, maybe go to the less expensive TS, and skip desserts, or share 1. Possibly not do TS every dinner. Will have to do some calculating on this one. For now, I've just booked room only for our Jan 2012 trip.

 

[chrisw127]

I think that the basic & quick service dining plans now are shifting into a role of "promotional item" rather than something Disney really hopes to sell on their own merits, at least for savvy travelers. They're a great deal when they're free and raising the price only makes "free dining" look like an even better offer, but it is difficult to get real value out of them if you're paying full price.

There's still some savings potential with the DxDDP at non-holiday pricing, and I think they sell that one on the "all-inclusive" aspect as much as on the value. I know that's a big factor for us and one that no other alternative can equal; I could buy an AP and a TiW card and put $2500 on a gift card for our dining, but neither the discount or the over-large dining budget would stop DH from balking at Disney's inflated (as compared to what we're used to here in small town middle America) menu prices. When it comes to holiday pricing, I can only assume they're marketing towards first timers who don't know any better because with only the buffets/character meals having higher holiday pricing the peak season DDP/DxDDP surcharge erases any potential savings in a hurry.

ETA: I personally an not holding my breath on restaurant price increases that will make the new dining plan prices worth paying. The DxDDP went up 10% last year and 8% this year, while restaurant prices went up 2-4%. Disney seems to be very deliberately scaling back the value of the plans, not adjusting the cost to account for higher menu prices.

This is the key for me. I know I could do the same thing. It's been done a lot, I've seen the numbers and I could probably save more that way, but my husband is cheap and I know that our vacations are just easier if I just pay for it before I go and I don't have to perform CPR on him every time he gets the check. It's worth the $150 or so that I would save.

 

[rt2dz]

You're right, you're saving 2%, but is that before or after you slap down $100 for the card? How many meals do you need to eat before the 2% adds up to the cost of the card? I'm not saying the card isn't a good idea, but as with anything Disney offers, not everything is right for everyone.

We gain our $75 investment back in 2 meals. And seeing how the card is good for 1 year, which is at least 16 meals per trip with a minimum of 2 trips, it more than covers itself, especially when it covers restaurants that the dining plans won't cover (or would be insane to use at--signature meals). Not to mention food that isn't included on the dining plan. Nor do we have to purchase things we don't want to get a value/see a savings. And our under 3 year old is discounted.

But it is still more than a 2% savings, because we would tip anyhow.

I don't disagree that different plans/items are good for everyone. What I was disagreeing with was your designation that you don't save because tips are added in. And since you should be tipping anyhow, that makes no sense. It's a faulty argument.

 

[vicki_c]

I'm not going to comment on the whole post, because it's just too darn long. I do see quite a few errors in thinking, imo. BUT, I do want to point this out...

I just don't see how you are paying full price with tip included. Are you not going to tip anyhow??? Plus, if your a family of 5+ you have the tip included regardless. Heck, we tip 20% and if you include the tip, I'm not leaving extra (unless you do something totally above and beyond). I'm still coming out 2% ahead even with your thought process.

Agree, unless you don't tip - the logic that it's not saving you anything is flawed. We normally tip about 18-20% so TiW saves us the entire tip amount.

$375 is the breakeven for the card price as an AP holder. Our family easily spends $1000 on dining in a week, and probably 75% of that is TiW eligible. It usually takes us 4 days or so to breakeven, the rest is savings and if we visit more than once that year, it's a lot of savings for us.

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

Thi s is a timely post for us. We are doing a split stay next trip and only have the dining plan for the 1st 4 nights. We already have our reservations for the meals and last night sat down and figured out what we would be paying OOP for the same meals. Since they are all buffets, (Cape May, Biergarten, Boma, 'Ohana's) we know how much they would be per person. We also estimated what we would be getting at counterservice and snacks (since we do enjoy getting things like Mickey bars, popcorn, etc.)

When we figured it out the Dining plan saved us about $100.
However this will be the last time we will have our DS as a child on the plan, and so our next trip we will pay OOP unless there is some deal. Also we would not necessarily do a TS each day, or we would pick cheaper ones (like The Plaza or Sci-Fi) and maybe do them every other day.

We also figured out the OOP costs for food the last 4 days of our trip will be $650-$700. We plan to have that saved and ready to go in cash before we get there, but it is good for us to have a goal as far as how much we need to budget for our trip.

 

[Madonna3]

It's not a faulty argument, it's my perspective. I see your side of it, but you are having difficulty seeing it my way.

If I dine at Restaurant A without a discount, my cost is:

Entree 1: $10.00
Entree 2: $10.00
Total: $20.00
Tip: $4.00
Total Paid: $24.00

Now, same numbers used with a TiW discount:

Entree 1 $10.00
Entree 2 $10.00
Total: $20.00
Discount: $4.00 (20%)
Tip on meal before discount $4.00 (20%)
Total Paid...$20.00 (same price as the entrees BEFORE tip)

Therefore, the discount was like paying full price for the meal, but the tip was included. That's not flawed logic. I just don't view it as "savings". I view it as, "they paid my tip for me", but I'm still paying $40 for a $40 meal. Maybe my way of thinking doesn't make sense to you and that's fine, but don't call it flawed.

I'm glad we agree that not everything works for everyone. As a 1 adult and 1 child household, we would have to eat a lot of meals at Disney to make this work for us. Maybe I just need to work harder on increasing my alcohol intake

 

[havoc315]

It's not a faulty argument, it's my perspective. I see your side of it, but you are having difficulty seeing it my way.

If I dine at Restaurant A without a discount, my cost is:

Entree 1: $10.00
Entree 2: $10.00
Total: $20.00
Tip: $4.00
Total Paid: $24.00

Now, same numbers used with a TiW discount:

Entree 1 $10.00
Entree 2 $10.00
Total: $20.00
Discount: $4.00 (20%)
Tip on meal before discount $4.00 (20%)
Total Paid...$20.00 (same price as the entrees BEFORE tip)

Therefore, the discount was like paying full price for the meal, but the tip was included. That's not flawed logic. I just don't view it as "savings". I view it as, "they paid my tip for me", but I'm still paying $40 for a $40 meal. Maybe my way of thinking doesn't make sense to you and that's fine, but don't call it flawed.

I'm glad we agree that not everything works for everyone. As a 1 adult and 1 child household, we would have to eat a lot of meals at Disney to make this work for us. Maybe I just need to work harder on increasing my alcohol intake

But okay... even if the TIW card is basically just giving you "free tips" -- That would mean that the card pays for itself, in about 5 meals or less. (For your example, I don't know many Disney restaurants where an entire meal for 2, is $20... looking at a more typical $50-70, the card pays for itself in about 4 or 5 meals).

Regardless.... The tip is part of the price of the meal. Thus, "free tips" is a a really good discount!

 

[nrpofp]

It's not a faulty argument, it's my perspective. I see your side of it, but you are having difficulty seeing it my way.

If I dine at Restaurant A without a discount, my cost is:

Entree 1: $10.00
Entree 2: $10.00
Total: $20.00
Tip: $4.00
Total Paid: $24.00

Now, same numbers used with a TiW discount:

Entree 1 $10.00
Entree 2 $10.00
Total: $20.00
Discount: $4.00 (20%)
Tip on meal before discount $4.00 (20%)
Total Paid...$20.00 (same price as the entrees BEFORE tip)

Therefore, the discount was like paying full price for the meal, but the tip was included. That's not flawed logic. I just don't view it as "savings". I view it as, "they paid my tip for me", but I'm still paying $40 for a $40 meal. Maybe my way of thinking doesn't make sense to you and that's fine, but don't call it flawed.

I'm glad we agree that not everything works for everyone. As a 1 adult and 1 child household, we would have to eat a lot of meals at Disney to make this work for us. Maybe I just need to work harder on increasing my alcohol intake

It's funny whene I explained the TIW to my dh. His response was "so the tip is free". I really hadn't looked at it that way I think of it as getting 20%off the food. Just shows how people process things differently. Regardless 20% off is 20% off. Its a good discount.

 

[TandLMommy28]

This is the key for me. I know I could do the same thing. It's been done a lot, I've seen the numbers and I could probably save more that way, but my husband is cheap and I know that our vacations are just easier if I just pay for it before I go and I don't have to perform CPR on him every time he gets the check. It's worth the $150 or so that I would save.

This is exactly how I feel. The fact the my husband even agrees to go to Disney is a miracle. If he had to look at menu prices it would be all over. I'm generally VERY cheap and always after the best deal but when it comes to DDP, I'm in regardless of savings. It's not about savings for me--it's about my husband ordering his meal without having fits over the cost.

I know some people stress out over "how many credits do I have?" but I think it's far more stressful to worry about how much money you have. It's easier to say you had 7 TS credits but now you had dinner and you have 6 left than to keep a running tab of money. The only thing I have trouble with is remembering how any snacks we have left.