More Dining Info from AllEars

[Cinderumbrella]

Wait....you forgot to figure in that you have to pay RACK RATE for your room as well....no discounted room codes allowed. I think that is a big hidden cost that people aren't calculating! From what I'm reading the codes often give you a 20 - 25% discount....

But...in Disney's defense...I don't think it quite fair to compare the cost of dining (on or off plan/site) while on vacation to the cost of groceries at home. I can't think of any vacation anywhere that didn't triple or better my food bill.....we eat frugally at home, but vacation isn't about tuna casseroles and hamburger helper, lol.

Hmmm....I'm thinking this is all a big conspiracy brought about by the people who own rental homes just minutes from WDW and all the offsite restaurants, Seems to me that getting reservations THERE is going to get harder next year.

WDW puts out public codes all the time that discount the room portion of a package

 

[pilferk]

Wait....you forgot to figure in that you have to pay RACK RATE for your room as well....no discounted room codes allowed. I think that is a big hidden cost that people aren't calculating! From what I'm reading the codes often give you a 20 - 25% discount....

Since I've posted a BUNCH of numbers (here, and in other threads) I feel I should "cop" to something:

I don't factor that piece in, and if you're a resort hotel guest, you probably should.

As a DVC member, I have the luxury of being able to ignore that piece, so DDP takes much "less" to save me $$. And those are the numbers I use. So anyone reading my numbers, PLEASE be aware of that. I don't want to mislead anyone.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Wait....you forgot to figure in that you have to pay RACK RATE for your room as well....no discounted room codes allowed. I think that is a big hidden cost that people aren't calculating! From what I'm reading the codes often give you a 20 - 25% discount....

But...in Disney's defense...I don't think it quite fair to compare the cost of dining (on or off plan/site) while on vacation to the cost of groceries at home. I can't think of any vacation anywhere that didn't triple or better my food bill.....we eat frugally at home, but vacation isn't about tuna casseroles and hamburger helper, lol.

Hmmm....I'm thinking this is all a big conspiracy brought about by the people who own rental homes just minutes from WDW and all the offsite restaurants, Seems to me that getting reservations THERE is going to get harder next year.

You do not have to pay rack rate in order to book the dining plan. Every room only code that CRO releases has a corresponding code that be used with the dining plan. I used an email code for 2005 trip. Last spring there was a code for summer, fall and winter(including Christmas) that included the dining plan. Last month I received a postcard with a pin code good for August - September that allows the dining to be added to the discounted room rate.

For example, code BYZ may be a 40% room only discount code. Code BTZ will be a 40% room discount plus dining code.

You can also add the dining plan to a AAA room discount.

The only discounts that you can not apply the dining plan to are AP, CM and group rates.

I'm pleased with the new plan.

 

[NMW]

Add me to the list of people who think that the new Deluxe plan is disgusting. If you've ever done the DDP (especially for a lengthy trip), you know it is a LOT of food. We had VERY LITTLE additional out-of-pocket food expenses with the previous DDP.

Now with the Deluxe plan, basically DOUBLE the amount of food. Of course, you don't have to eat it all (what a great lesson to teach kids: Throw away 60% of your food!), and then increase the price from $38.99 for those 10 and over to $69.99. Do the math for a 7+ day trip: No way is that affordable!

I think these proposed changes will have a significantly negative effect on the Disney restaurants, as well as on the resorts and the parks. Lots of people choose to stay on grounds because the eating is more affordable with DDP. When you take this away from people, you might as well stay off grounds if you now want to eat offgrounds as well. If you're going to stay offgrounds, maybe it's a good idea to go to SeaWorld and Universal as well. Maybe a day at the beach....

IMO, this proposed gutting of the DDP affects far more than just food at WDW.

I completely disagree with what you've said-for OUR family. We did the current dining plan and paid A LOT for OOP food. First, we like a TS/character breakfast every day. That's just us. It fuels up the kids, gets us off to a great start for the day. We also like to do a couple TS lunches-Sci-Fi and Brown Derby for example. We paid OOP for all that on the current DDP. Those extra meals for our family (4adult/1child) cost about $1200 over and above the cost of the DDP. Honestly, we would have done a couple more TS lunches, but I couldn't figure out what to do with all those extra CS credits, so we didn't. Doing quick math, that brings our cost of the current DDP to $1148+1200=2348.

The new Deluxe plan is exactly what I've been begging Disney to offer every time I completed a survey. Plus, it's priced right-$2100 for our family on a 7 night trip. For that, ALL of our food is included. All we have to pay OOP for is tips and alcohol. It's perfect-for us. 69.99 is not expensive for 3 meals a day at Disney. I hardly think it makes us freaks or "disgusting" because we like an early character breakfast, 1:30 CS or TS lunch, and a 7:45-8:30 TS dinner. Doesn't your family eat 3 meals a day at home? None of us are overweight. We've been eating like this since our first trip to Disney. We do the parks from opening to about closing. None of us have gained any permanent weight because of our vacations. I say this because DH did gain 3 pounds last trip. I really think that's because the man went from running 4-5 miles 5 days a week, to nothing during our trip. Even though he kept saying that "tomorrow morning I am going to get up and go running on the Epcot resorts jogging trail." Somehow that never materilized. I don't even pretend to try to exercise during vacation. I do it the other 51 weeks of the year. I want to enjoy my vacation and eat what I want.

As for staying offsite, we would never do that. Just because your family may because of cost $$, doesn't mean that there are not thousands and thousands of families that won't stay offsite. I also don't teach my kids to throw food away. Nor do I teach them to finish everything on their plates. if they or I, are not hungry for something, we don't order it.

You are also forgetting families who like signature restaurants. With the new plan a family can eat breakfast and use snack credits for a quick lunch like ice cream (okay, not healthy but it is vacation ) and then eat a signature dinner. That will be fantastic for a lot of families! Yes, I wish tips were still included, but it's a small price to pay for a reasonably priced deluxe dining plan!

 

[branv]

I think where you're getting confused on the "not being able to use codes" front is that you cannot use a code for the room if you have already used a code for free dining.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

There are 2 main reasons I loved the current DDP:

1. All-inclusive. I never worried about carrying cash for meals. I just ordered and enjoyed and went about my way.

2. Entree choices. I never worried about the cost of my entree. If it looked enjoyable, I ordered it regardless of price. At home (or under any normal circumstances) price of the entree may dissuade me from "trying" new things. If what looked enjoyable was a $30 dish...I weigh that with the knowledge that I MAY not like it, and why not stick with the $14 dish that I'm KNOW I'll enjoy.

Now - they've taken BOTH of those away. I now have to:

1. Worry about how much cash/credit I have on me to tip appropriately (I'm a believer in tipping appropriately for good service.)

2. Add to that - NOW I'm back to worrying about how much $$ each thing I order is because that will increase my tip.

They've removed the 2 biggest reasons I bought DDP. Frankly - I never cared much about whether or not I was getting my money's worth. It was a fair price, and it allowed me to enjoy my WDW vacation SO much more with dining more leisurely.

If they had raised the DDP even up to $10 per person more daily... I STILL would've purchased it wasn't as much about the cost as it was about the convenience and freedom it afforded us. BUT - lowering it $1 (which frankly is insulting) and taking away my app & tax.... no thank you.

I think Disney got it wrong. If they were losing $$.... than increase the price to a point where it's still profitable. But DON'T make the types of changes that literally just don't make it attractive anymore, regardless of price.

(As for DXDDP.... there's no way in this world I'd eat that much food OR pay $70/day for a meal plan when I know I'd only use it for 1TS and 1CS.)

Oh well - looks like I'll get alot more use out of my DVC kitchen in the future.

Disney made a bad call on this one IMHO.

Looking greedy to the public will hit more than just their dining pockets I would bet. If you burn your bridges with your consumers....they're not likely to forget too soon.

 

[Diznut84]

I hardly think it makes us freaks or "disgusting" because we like an early character breakfast.

I certainly never characterized anyone or their family as disgusting. I'm sure you have a very nice family!

I regret characterizing the deluxe dining plan as "disgusting". It will be a great option for those who want more TS meals per day.

I am simply frustrated by the changes made to the Standard DDP. Previously, it was a great fit for us and for millions of other families. With the proposed changes, it will no longer be so.

Nevertheless, I'm glad that the new Deluxe DDP meets the needs of you and your family.

My apologies to any and all who were offended!

 

[NMW]

I certainly never characterized anyone or their family as disgusting. I'm sure you have a very nice family!

I regret characterizing the deluxe dining plan as "disgusting". It will be a great option for those who want more TS meals per day.

I am simply frustrated by the changes made to the Standard DDP. Previously, it was a great fit for us and for millions of other families. With the proposed changes, it will no longer be so.

Nevertheless, I'm glad that the new Deluxe DDP meets the needs of you and your family.

My apologies to any and all who were offended!

Not a problem!

I AM sorry the new plans don't fit your families needs. I was/am just excited that there is a plan that finally fits ours. The current DDP didn't (although we purchased it) and the premium/platinum plans with all those extra tours, boat rentals, and the high price tag, didn't fit either. Now there is plan for a family that's wants a character breakfast in the morning, a snack at lunch, and signature dinner at night. Previously, none of the plans fit that bill. I know that's not going to be a perfect fit for everyone.

 

[IcePrincess467]

Well, looks like DH & I won't be doing the DDP for our 2008 trip I would have if it stayed the same, but with the proposed changes I just don't see how it'll be worth it! PLUS, the Deluxe DP looks great, but there is NOOOO way DH & I would eat that much! When we pay OOP we usually have a big breakfast and dinner (no lunch- just a snack!) So this is probably what we will end up doing!

 

[Momof2J's]

I just posted this on another thread, but thought I'd post again here. I do believe the DDP and/or the DxDDP may not be for everyone, but I don't think the DxDDP is all that bad.

I just did the math (roughly) and it's not too bad. If we do DDP it will be $430 (2A/1C/<3). I figured what we would roughly spend by not ordering the most expensive items and it came to about $540. There is some savings there. I then figured the DxDDP which would be $800 for us and the amount we'd spend (2TS/1CS/2SN) would be about $1050. This is mostly character meals and no signature dining.

The question is if paying OOP would we eat that much? Probably not, however, we probably won't be back after our Jan 08 trip until 2011-12 so I don't think I'd mind trying to get the kids to do some extra character meals. I could see us doing an early breakfast, CS for lunch and a TS for a late dinner. We could use the snacks for any candy/treats/drinks we wanted during the day or for the room. Our kids are still young, so spending some time sitting down to eat would give them a nice break.

Also, regarding not being able to get a room discount if you have either of the dining plan, this may not be an issue for us. We are staying in a family suite at ASMu and so far I don't believe that discounts have ever been accepted for that type of room.

So, for us, the new plan is under consideration.

 

[triplefigs]

Not a problem!

I AM sorry the new plans don't fit your families needs. I was/am just excited that there is a plan that finally fits ours. The current DDP didn't (although we purchased it) and the premium/platinum plans with all those extra tours, boat rentals, and the high price tag, didn't fit either. Now there is plan for a family that's wants a character breakfast in the morning, a snack at lunch, and signature dinner at night. Previously, none of the plans fit that bill. I know that's not going to be a perfect fit for everyone.

That's exactly how I feel! I kept looking at the Premium plan, but we would never use all the tours, child care, etc. We just wanted the option to eat at all the Character meals, HDDR, California Grill, etc and not be stuck OOP! I'm sure we'll have tons of CS left (as we always do), but it still looks like a good option for us. In fact, we are contemplating a Jan trip, so I'm going to be making ADRs in the next couple of days and book 2TS or 1 SignatureTS per day!

 

[PoohFan97]

I think Disney got it wrong. If they were losing $$.... than increase the price to a point where it's still profitable. But DON'T make the types of changes that literally just don't make it attractive anymore, regardless of price.

I agree (with your entire post, not just the part I've quoted). If these rumors are true, then DDP just doesn't make sense for my family anymore. I'd rather see Disney keep the current DDP format and raise the price if necessary. Reducing the price by a dollar a day, while cutting out big chunks of the benefit, is just an insult.

I'll be disappointed if this rumored change happens, but can't get upset about it. We'll just make other plans, whether that's staying offsite, eating offsite, and/or sticking with mostly CS meals.

 

[RACHELSMOM1]

I completely disagree with what you've said-for OUR family. We did the current dining plan and paid A LOT for OOP food. First, we like a TS/character breakfast every day. That's just us. It fuels up the kids, gets us off to a great start for the day. We also like to do a couple TS lunches-Sci-Fi and Brown Derby for example. We paid OOP for all that on the current DDP. Those extra meals for our family (4adult/1child) cost about $1200 over and above the cost of the DDP. Honestly, we would have done a couple more TS lunches, but I couldn't figure out what to do with all those extra CS credits, so we didn't. Doing quick math, that brings our cost of the current DDP to $1148+1200=2348.

The new Deluxe plan is exactly what I've been begging Disney to offer every time I completed a survey. Plus, it's priced right-$2100 for our family on a 7 night trip. For that, ALL of our food is included. All we have to pay OOP for is tips and alcohol. It's perfect-for us. 69.99 is not expensive for 3 meals a day at Disney. I hardly think it makes us freaks or "disgusting" because we like an early character breakfast, 1:30 CS or TS lunch, and a 7:45-8:30 TS dinner. Doesn't your family eat 3 meals a day at home? None of us are overweight. We've been eating like this since our first trip to Disney. We do the parks from opening to about closing. None of us have gained any permanent weight because of our vacations. I say this because DH did gain 3 pounds last trip. I really think that's because the man went from running 4-5 miles 5 days a week, to nothing during our trip. Even though he kept saying that "tomorrow morning I am going to get up and go running on the Epcot resorts jogging trail." Somehow that never materilized. I don't even pretend to try to exercise during vacation. I do it the other 51 weeks of the year. I want to enjoy my vacation and eat what I want.

As for staying offsite, we would never do that. Just because your family may because of cost $$, doesn't mean that there are not thousands and thousands of families that won't stay offsite. I also don't teach my kids to throw food away. Nor do I teach them to finish everything on their plates. if they or I, are not hungry for something, we don't order it.

You are also forgetting families who like signature restaurants. With the new plan a family can eat breakfast and use snack credits for a quick lunch like ice cream (okay, not healthy but it is vacation ) and then eat a signature dinner. That will be fantastic for a lot of families! Yes, I wish tips were still included, but it's a small price to pay for a reasonably priced deluxe dining plan!

I also find the delux plan appealing. We are FL residents, and it still makes sense to me. I always have to plan on not going to some of our favorites because we would have to pay OOP for some of those favorites . Since we have already paid for DDP I feel guilty going to those places and paying out even more money. However, I will have to sell hubby on the delux plan, but I had to sell him on the regular DDP when we first started using it, and he fell in love with it. He usually leaves all the planning up to me anyway.

With the kids getting older, and taking them out of school for WDW trips becoming more of an issue, we will have to scale back the number of trips per year anyway . So, going fewer trips will justify the delux plan more, maybe even staying at a delux resort (I wish ).

 

[NMW]

That's exactly how I feel! I kept looking at the Premium plan, but we would never use all the tours, child care, etc. We just wanted the option to eat at all the Character meals, HDDR, California Grill, etc and not be stuck OOP! I'm sure we'll have tons of CS left (as we always do), but it still looks like a good option for us. In fact, we are contemplating a Jan trip, so I'm going to be making ADRs in the next couple of days and book 2TS or 1 SignatureTS per day!

The new deluxe plan has no CS credits. It's 3 meals a day (TS OR CS)!!! you can trade 2 TS meals for a signature. Meaning you can do:

Chef Mickey breakfast
California Grill dinner

OR

Chef Mickey breakfast
Liberty Tree Tavern lunch
'Ohana dinner

Plus, you get 2 snack credits per person/per day, plus refillable mugs-all for only 69.99 a day! 19.99 for kids under 10. With the extra snack credits you could eat a TS breakfast, snack lunch and signature dinner. How great is that?

 

[joybeth]

My family has never used the dining plan. It just doesn't fit our style of touring. We have dd 15 and ds 14 and have gone the last 4 years for a 4 or 5 night "long week-end." We are pretty focused on touring the parks and seeing all of our favorite attractions. My son has a fit if I even mention the work "reservation."

That being said.......when we want to stop and have a table service meal and some drinks it is completely out of the question. EVERY ts is completely booked (this is regular or value season, not holiday or peak) and my feeling is that it is full of DP users who would not normally eat a ts meal every day. I think (just my thought) that most people, if there was no such thing as DP would eat a few ts, mix in some Character meals and a lot of eating cs on the fly. Let's face it. We "super planners" are in the minority. Most people book their trip, show up and assume that it will be possible to eat at a sit down resturaunt from time to time without having to call 6 months in advance. I talk to people at work all of the time who have booked trips and would never make an adr unless I told them they better do it if they plan to eat sit-down. I think that if you would poll people checking in to most resorts that most would not know what an "adr" is.

I am sure that Disney would not be making any changes if they hadn't looked hard at the numbers. I would think that it would be more profitable to lose some of the dp crowd and allow for more oop diners. I know that when my family and I sit down at Le Cellier we will be spending more than the approx $30.00 per head that they would be getting from dp.

I, for one, look forward to having more availability of dining opitions for those of us who go oop and want to be just a little spontaineous. I am sorry for those families who enjoy the plan. It will be an adjustment.

jb

 

[triplefigs]

The new deluxe plan has no CS credits. It's 3 meals a day (TS OR CS)!!! you can trade 2 TS meals for a signature. Meaning you can do:

Chef Mickey breakfast
California Grill dinner

OR

Chef Mickey breakfast
Liberty Tree Tavern lunch
'Ohana dinner

Plus, you get 2 snack credits per person/per day, plus refillable mugs-all for only 69.99 a day! 19.99 for kids under 10. With the extra snack credits you could eat a TS breakfast, snack lunch and signature dinner. How great is that?

Even better! We love to eat at the Plaza in MK, but I hate wasting a TS on that. And with triplets age 7, the plan financially is great for us as we always hit:

Crystal Palace
CRT
'Ohana b'fast
Chef Mickey (usually twice)
Garden Grill
CRT
PSB
Hollywood & Vine Playhouse Disney lunch
LTT
50's PT
Mama Melrose
A country in Epcot

Now we could add another Country in Epcot for lunch, Signature Dining or HDDR, Plaza, Beaches & Cream and not pay any OOP!

 

[n2mm]

The new deluxe plan has no CS credits. It's 3 meals a day (TS OR CS)!!! you can trade 2 TS meals for a signature. Meaning you can do:

Chef Mickey breakfast
California Grill dinner

OR

Chef Mickey breakfast
Liberty Tree Tavern lunch
'Ohana dinner

Plus, you get 2 snack credits per person/per day, plus refillable mugs-all for only 69.99 a day! 19.99 for kids under 10. With the extra snack credits you could eat a TS breakfast, snack lunch and signature dinner. How great is that?

Don't forget to add in those tips too! That could run another $20 a day depending where you eat and how many TS you use per day. Personally I could never spend $90 a day for food for myself. Glad some folks like it, but it's not for us.

 

[pilferk]

That's exactly how I feel! I kept looking at the Premium plan, but we would never use all the tours, child care, etc. We just wanted the option to eat at all the Character meals, HDDR, California Grill, etc and not be stuck OOP! I'm sure we'll have tons of CS left (as we always do), but it still looks like a good option for us. In fact, we are contemplating a Jan trip, so I'm going to be making ADRs in the next couple of days and book 2TS or 1 SignatureTS per day!

Remember,the Deluxe plan is 3 meals per day....however you want them. It can be 2TS and 1CS, but could be 3CS or 3TS, or 1TS + 1 Signature..you get the drift. VALUEWISE, it seems the "break even point" is in using at LEAST 2 of those credits per day on TS meals.

 

[NMW]

Even better!
Now we could add another Country in Epcot for lunch, Signature Dining or HDDR, Plaza, Beaches & Cream and not pay any OOP!

I know! The possibilities on the new deluxe plan are practically endless!

 

[NMW]

Remember,the Deluxe plan is 3 meals per day....however you want them. It can be 2TS and 1CS, but could be 3CS or 3TS, or 1TS + 1 Signature..you get the drift. VALUEWISE, it seems the "break even point" is in using at LEAST 2 of those credits per day on TS meals.

I agree. People would get the best benefit if they eat at least 2 TS a day.