Is the dining plan going to change in 2011

[darthtatty]

QS plan includes 2 QS meals and 2 snacks per night (no mug)

DDP includes 1 QS meal, 1 TS meal and 1 snack per night

A QS meal includes one single serving entree or combo meal and one single serving non alcoholic beverage.

A TS meal includes a choice of one main course, one dessert (except at breakfast) and one single serve non alcoholic beverage OR 1 full buffet and one single serving non alcoholic beverage.

I like the sound of this better, rather than no dessert and an extra snack.
I was never too fussed about the dessert for lunch/although the extra drink at breakfast sounded good.
I was more worried about the table service meals as im sure we'll buy dessert at most meals. we wanted to eat at Beaches & Cream, i know this is a low value meal but the desserts make it worthwhile. without the dessert it was about the same price as a quick service meal.
I did also wonder if the no dessert would affect the fix price meals or fantasmic package meals.

cant wait until the plan is officially announced.

 

[2Tiggies]

Oh that's a good point - do you now only get one drink if you use a CS for breakfast? Disney hasn't mailed me the new brocure yet. YOu would think that now they have all the cash for my upcoming trip that they would be falling over themselves to get me to book another one

 

[darthtatty]

Oh that's a good point - do you now only get one drink if you use a CS for breakfast? Disney hasn't mailed me the new brocure yet. YOu would think that now they have all the cash for my upcoming trip that they would be falling over themselves to get me to book another one

I just assumed we wouldnt get the extra drink for breakfast, as you get that instead of a dessert.

I dont think Disney understands the planning us Dissers do for our holiday.
Ive still got over a year to go and ive planned everything

 

[2Tiggies]

I just assumed we wouldnt get the extra drink for breakfast, as you get that instead of a dessert.

I dont think Disney understands the planning us Dissers do for our holiday.
Ive still got over a year to go and ive planned everything

Oh I forgot about it being in lieu of dessert for breakfast, so that would be right.

Don't worry, I am looking at next year's trip and we still have nearly four months until this year's one

 

[sandym718]

Interesting...so for the regular DDP, it would just be a "loss" of the CS dessert. As I've mentioned, in prior year's calculations, we've always still come out way ahead even without those. Still hope the price doesn't go up, at least not much!

 

[bytheblood]

hi i'm in the UK and had a brochure sent to me yesterday from Walt Disney travel company (offical Disney UK)

The last page says Are you travelling in 2011?

It gives the dates for UK free dining 2011 (which are longer than 2010)

The small print says

QS plan includes 2 QS meals and 2 snacks per night (no mug)

DDP includes 1 QS meal, 1 TS meal and 1 snack per night

A QS meal includes one single serving entree or combo meal and one single serving non alcoholic beverage.

A TS meal includes a choice of one main course, one dessert (except at breakfast) and one single serve non alcoholic beverage OR 1 full buffet and one single serving non alcoholic beverage.

So UK disney is still advertising a dessert for 2011 unlike the UK tour operators.

It doesn't say anything about deluxe dining plan.

I do hope this is what is released in North America in 2011.

Have the dining plans always been consistent in the UK and NA or do the plans sometimes differ?

 

[Luv2Roam]

Those packaged desserts at counter service don't look so good. But surprisingly they are! At least the ones I had. I was expecting some dried up Hostess or Little Debbie style dessert. But the darn things were moist and good!

 

[dixonsontour]

The Dining plan is the same when you get to WDW whether you book with Disney UK or a UK travel agent or whether you book with Disney USA.

I don't think Disney would be able to have some guests on a different plan - it would be just too confusing - you ask what you can get for a CS credit and they have to check where you bought your package?

The difference with the UK is the offers are different and and released alot sooner as we tend to book further in advance. The language of the plan is altered to market it to the UK eg it refers to a waiter service meal not TS etc.

 

[bytheblood]

The Dining plan is the same when you get to WDW whether you book with Disney UK or a UK travel agent or whether you book with Disney USA.

I don't think Disney would be able to have some guests on a different plan - it would be just too confusing - you ask what you can get for a CS credit and they have to check where you bought your package?

The difference with the UK is the offers are different and and released alot sooner as we tend to book further in advance. The language of the plan is altered to market it to the UK eg it refers to a waiter service meal not TS etc.

Okay - that makes sense. I was certain they had to be the same for the reason you provided. I was just wondering why my European friends were being told about it so much sooner, but that makes sense.

 

[amys]

I can just see it: This time next year, instead of waiting for free dining pins, everyone is going to be waiting for Dessert pin codes Room rate discounts and if you PAY for your dining plan you can apply your dessert pin



Let me start with saying I will be bummed if they take dessert or app away... I love the indulgence and not having to worry about price. HOWEVER... this comment gives a good example of what is going wrong. I am a DVC member and a stockholder so I get to see the business side of this also. Everyone thinks that Disney is taking something away like DDP options and Free DD and not good enough coupon codes. Disney is a business and needs to MAKE alot of money to keep the magic going so strong that people cant wait to go. I think all promotions and codes should be discontinued for 1 year so that people stop relying on them. I know I'll be stoned for that comment.

 

[2Tiggies]

Let me start with saying I will be bummed if they take dessert or app away... I love the indulgence and not having to worry about price. HOWEVER... this comment gives a good example of what is going wrong. I am a DVC member and a stockholder so I get to see the business side of this also. Everyone thinks that Disney is taking something away like DDP options and Free DD and not good enough coupon codes. Disney is a business and needs to MAKE alot of money to keep the magic going so strong that people cant wait to go. I think all promotions and codes should be discontinued for 1 year so that people stop relying on them. I know I'll be stoned for that comment.

From a business perspective you have some good points. I will add however that there is another dimension to promotions. This is a form of advertising. Providing "samples" has long been an effective way of promoting a product which people may otherwise not have tried. It is also a form of advertising. Not everyone knows about free dining. It feels like we all do because we are on the dining and codes and rates boards regularly but in reality, many people don't understand the concept of the dining plan, never mind free dining.

I think for some people, they perceive free dining as the ONLY way they can go to Disney. So if it isn't offered over suitable dates for them, they write it off as unaffordable. Often what these folk do not realise is that other discounts can offer a better saving. Getting a 40% off room code is a pretty good deal. Disney offering these pins through the same period of free dining raises awareness of other options which I imagine Disney hopes that some of these folk will consider.

Interesting discussion though - I love a good discussion.

 

[Luv2CtheMouse]

Originally Posted by dixonsontour
hi i'm in the UK and had a brochure sent to me yesterday from Walt Disney travel company (offical Disney UK)

The last page says Are you travelling in 2011?

It gives the dates for UK free dining 2011 (which are longer than 2010)

The small print says

QS plan includes 2 QS meals and 2 snacks per night (no mug)

DDP includes 1 QS meal, 1 TS meal and 1 snack per night

A QS meal includes one single serving entree or combo meal and one single serving non alcoholic beverage.

A TS meal includes a choice of one main course, one dessert (except at breakfast) and one single serve non alcoholic beverage OR 1 full buffet and one single serving non alcoholic beverage.

So UK disney is still advertising a dessert for 2011 unlike the UK tour operators.

It doesn't say anything about deluxe dining plan.

I know a few people on the inside who are telling me this is the RUMOR for the 2011 DP. The information I was told is that most of the desserts from CS end up in the trash or people eat them on the busses resulting in a mess. I was also told that the snack list would have more limitations. Again, this is just rumor until it is confirmed by Disney - but it seems that it is very likely.

 

[bytheblood]

I know a few people on the inside who are telling me this is the RUMOR for the 2011 DP. The information I was told is that most of the desserts from CS end up in the trash or people eat them on the busses resulting in a mess. I was also told that the snack list would have more limitations. Again, this is just rumor until it is confirmed by Disney - but it seems that it is very likely.

Do your inside "friends" share rumored dollar amount with you as well?

 

[Luv2CtheMouse]

Do your inside "friends" share rumored dollar amount with you as well?

Well.................
Again it is just rumor, but one person told me $43 and two others told me $44. The one that said $43 was doing the conversion from GBP to USD.

 

[Tricia1972]

That's interesting. It surprises me that Disney is essentially increasing the price by $6 this year (losing $3 desserts, and increasing the price $3)

Assuming the kids plan also goes up $1, this takes our $240 savings down to about $167, and that's assuming that we want to eat and order the $70 in desserts I figured into the plan because they were there. Also, do we really need 40 snacks for $3 or more the 10 days at Disney.

I like the savings, but I also like it to feel easy. I would hate to feel I need to order dessert or more expensive things so we at least break even.

The jury is still out for me, but the plan is sounding less and less appealing.

(For fun I recalculated CS desserts into our spreadsheet to see what the savings would have been this year and it was $312 figuring Cokes/water bottles/desserts at each CS location)


Of course the info posted here, which my post is based upon, is by no means official. It's just given me one more thing to think about.

 

[angelmav]

Tricia, I am with you in that this may be the mile traveled too far in where the plan makes any sense from a financial standpoint.

To the business side, lets get real for a moment, even by maxing out the plan to its fullest, Disney is making a killing on this. Anyone outside the gates in the food industry would love to operate with their margins. At some point they are going to kill off the golden goose that was the dining plan.

Once again, blame it on the guests. Too many desserts in the trash, too much mess on the busses (neither of which I think are accurate) and to appease the whims of those pesky guests they will also increase the cost of the plan! Happy happy joy joy, the guest strikes again!

 

[cab0ad]

I am so bummed! My DH was apprehensive about getting the DDP once the tip and appetizer was gone! There is no way I'm going to talk him into getting it again after they increase rates and take away dessert (The only reason he still got it after the appy was gone--DESSERT!!!)We may be eating at some new places this year that are NOT on the DDP.

Sounds like there is not really a financial benefit from getting the DDP now. We probably won't be saving any money in the long run if we lose desserts from the plan (We're not the type to order the high dollar meal...we often get the cheaper choices!). The DDP assures Disney that the customers will be spending their dining dollars for every meal at Disney. Well this opens the door for some of the guests to eat at SOME disney restraunts but take the other dollars elsewhere too since there may not be a financial benefit from eating all meals at Disney. I don't think this is wise for Disney to do... I can justify either taking the dessert away and leaving prices OR hiking prices and leaving the plan the same...but to increase AND take dessert away?

It may hurt bookings too. My mom and dad go there yearly and stay on property only to get the DDP. My dad prefers a cheaper hotel offsite. I doubt they'll even stay on property anymore if the DDP benefits keep diminishing.

Why not just take the dessert away from the CS meals and leave the ones for the table service? That'd be okay with most people I bet. But those TS desserts are great!

 

[2Tiggies]

I think all promotions and codes should be discontinued for 1 year so that people stop relying on them. I know I'll be stoned for that comment.

Hmmm, I thought of your post when I noticed lots of threads springing up on various boards here, protesting all the late August rehabs ..... maybe they are using a creative approach to make Free Dining less appealing

I like the savings, but I also like it to feel easy. I would hate to feel I need to order dessert or more expensive things so we at least break even. The jury is still out for me, but the plan is sounding less and less appealing.

I can relate to this completely. If I have to work for the DDP to get the DDP to break even for me - forget it. I don't want to do math on vacation!

Why not just take the dessert away from the CS meals and leave the ones for the table service? That'd be okay with most people I bet. But those TS desserts are great!

If you look at the quoted box in post #226 (top of this page) it looks like if the rumor is true, the TS keep their desserts.

 

[cab0ad]

Thanks for pointing that out to me! Maybe my mind is going to jelly from reading all gazillion posts here in the last day...The first threads indicated that the plan dropped the dessert for ALL plans.... the above UK one says that the middle one still has dessert. Excuse me for being dense but I'm now confused... are different sources saying different things or are all sources saying the same thing but we are now getting the "fine print"? Is everyone now believing that the dessert is taken away ONLY from the CS? Heck, if they leave the dessert on a TS meal I'll be okay with that...not happy about losing the CS one, but much better!

 

[darthtatty]

Thanks for pointing that out to me! Maybe my mind is going to jelly from reading all gazillion posts here in the last day...The first threads indicated that the plan dropped the dessert for ALL plans.... the above UK one says that the middle one still has dessert. Excuse me for being dense but I'm now confused... are different sources saying different things or are all sources saying the same thing but we are now getting the "fine print"? Is everyone now believing that the dessert is taken away ONLY from the CS? Heck, if they leave the dessert on a TS meal I'll be okay with that...not happy about losing the CS one, but much better!

The 1st Messages of this thread regarding the Dining plan change are from people who have booked with Uk companies eg Virgin, Travel City direct & Thompson. They all advertised the Dining plan with no Desserts for any meal- although some said there was an extra snack credit on the DDp to make up for this.
The most recent plan information was from Disney Uk, this stated that only the quick service meal would lose the dessert.
Until Disney actually releases the plan we have no guarantee of the final details. So im sure there will be a lot of incorrect information being released.
As far as im aware the plan is announced around August?
like you i will be happy if the TS still has Dessert.