No dessert on any 2011 plan

[JACKIE153]

I know it has been mentioned on here in the VH thread that I have posted on but just wanted to say that complete orlando have updated their page on 2011 dining and it states beside all of the plans for next year that 'dessert no longer available'. Oh well I will just have to make sure I budget for more money as there is no way that either of us will only eat one course for our main meal although i'm not bothered about the counter service.

 

[orangetiggs]

makes the dining plan a bit less appertising i think, if it wasnt free then i def would not pay for it now

 

[Clare D]

I agree. I don't think that a free dessert will break the bank.

 

[fairytale]

Oh no

How much is Disney Carrot Cake, you know the one in the little plastic black tubs?

Lets say they are $3.75 x 21 = £78.75 x 2 (I know ) = $157.50

I can live with that

 

[disney_princess_85]

Did it mention anything about snacks? Someone mentioned on the other thread that in place of a dessert was another snack credit.

 

[jockey]

I always find that after starters and mains I am too stuffed for dessert! I would prefer the 2 snack credits!

 

[Neoshoegal]

It makes the DxDP more appealing now for me. Also don't see the point of paying for it now. I often use a CS dessert as a snack for later, especially love the fruit cups.
It would be good to have 2 snacks though.

 

[wayneg]

makes the dining plan a bit less appertising i think, if it wasnt free then i def would not pay for it now

When paying for DDP even with free dessert you had to eat more expensive items and use every credit to have chance of being worth doing, I can't see how its possibly worth it at all now.
For free DDP, we were talking this weekend about it. This Easter we enjoyed being offsite again, last years price at OKW was great, this year still not bad, we have said if it goes up too much for next year we will go back offsite, if this is true and no desserts its almost certain we will be back offsite.

Offsite we eat an entree each and sometimes share a dessert, onsite an entree is not enough for us, we found entree & dessert just right onsite last year.
Glad we enjoy offsite more than onsite, not good news if you are an onsite fan.

 

[igk]

It's moving further away from what Disney initially sold the DDP as - i.e. get all your meals for your stay and don't worry about the cost. Initially it really was like that with even the gratuity included, then that was dropped so now you have to think about tipping, and now less is being included so it's ending up not really a dining plan at all, more a sort of food voucher system where if you play the system shrewdly you can get value. Still worth considering on the free promotions (which obviously are popular and pulling in decent numbers for Disney), but think they might be dropping a ball on the paying guests...

 

[disney_princess_85]

It's moving further away from what Disney initially sold the DDP as - i.e. get all your meals for your stay and don't worry about the cost. Initially it really was like that with even the gratuity included, then that was dropped so now you have to think about tipping, and now less is being included so it's ending up not really a dining plan at all, more a sort of food voucher system where if you play the system shrewdly you can get value. Still worth considering on the free promotions (which obviously are popular and pulling in decent numbers for Disney), but think they might be dropping a ball on the paying guests...

Well said.

 

[wilma-bride]

Personally, I would not consider paying for the DDP. As DVC members, we always have the option to purchase the DDP without having to buy a package, however, I've never conisdered it worth it since the first change to the DDP where they took away the inclusive gratuity aspect.

Now, even getting it free is not worth it in my opinion as you are paying rack rate on the room and committed to having to buy a package, which means at least 7 day tickets (ETA - obviously, if you book through Disney US, you only need to buy a 1-day ticket). If you actually sat and worked it out - comparing all the cost elements - it probably doesn't work out any cheaper to get a package which includes dining and you are then restricted and tied to Disney.

As far as I'm concerned, it's just another sad change to something which was a great deal when they first brought it out. Instead of just admitting they are losing money on it, though, Disney are gradually phasing out the benefits and hoping that people won't realise it's actually costing them more in the long run.

 

[disney_princess_85]

Instead of just admitting they are losing money on it, though, Disney are gradually phasing out the benefits and hoping that people won't realise it's actually costing them more in the long run.

Maybe they're hoping to phase it out completely, who knows? They have certainly been making it a less attractive option, year on year.

 

[JACKIE153]

For us I am a bit miffed at no dessert but wanted to stay onsite and have got it free although I upgraded from QSDP to DDP but there is no way I would pay for it it it wasn't free anymore.

 

[disney_princess_85]

For us I am a bit miffed at no dessert but wanted to stay onsite and have got it free although I upgraded from QSDP to DDP but there is no way I would pay for it it it wasn't free anymore.

You'll be getting two snacks a day instead of just one (assuming the given information is correct). How do you feel about that? You could grab a dessert after your meal with a snack credit.

 

[crabbie1]

Always stayed onsite but this year doing a mixture and to be honest am looking forward to the offsite just as much. After reading about the good meal deals you can get for half the price you pay onsite(questions coming about resturants to eat at offsite near LBV resort village and spa.Wayne can you recommend any), we may be staying off site more. The best thing I suggest is to book as many buffets as possible ie chef mickeys ,ohana,then all is included hey

 

[WiganTony]

It does seem that the objective is to make the DDP a less attractive option for people, so that in another year or two, Disney will be able to point to the low demand as justification for withdrawing it completely.

Personally, I would rather have a starter than a dessert. When we first enjoyed free DDP in 2007, it was three courses and tip included. Quite often, we would ask for our dessert "to go" and have it for breakfast in the morning!!

 

[disney_princess_85]

Personally, I would rather have a starter than a dessert. When we first enjoyed free DDP in 2007, it was three courses and tip included. Quite often, we would ask for our dessert "to go" and have it for breakfast in the morning!!

Me too!

 

[Disneymad]

When I had the DDP in the past I paid for it (DVC) back when both an appetiser and gratuity was included.

At the time I felt it completely dominated my eating habits in all the wrong ways. Our normal eating habits are to usually share a starter or dessert, very occasionally both. We would also never have a dessert with a QS meal (though at least that was something we could save for later) so for us to both have this constant stream of appetisers and desserts on every meal was excess food rather than an actual saving. Hence we would tend to gravitate to more expensive entree's because that's the only place we were getting the real value. We have very healthy appetites but really, by the end of it we were pretty much sick of the sight of having to face another 3 course meal and it was a bit of a relief to be free of it. When they downgraded the plan it wasn't the removal of appetiser I didn't like (though I'd have preferred if they'd given a choice of either appetiser or dessert) but the gratuity that made it even less attractive and I've never really been tempted it by it since.

That said, while I can see that this change doesn't suit everyone, removing a dessert and adding a snack is actually more attractive to me. It's not that I don't ever want something sweet and tasty, just I couldn't fit it in straight after a big dinner. Being able to leave the restaurant, walk a bit of it off for an hour and then get a snack item for dessert later on is much more up my street.

Still not enough up my street to consider paying for it though.

My personal theory about this is that Disney painted themselves in to a corner with Free Dining. They used it to encourage people to get back on site as they left in droves for cheaper options and it was too successful and now people expect Free Dining as a given. I reckon that this is their way of weening people off of it and letting them think that it's their own choice to go back to room discounts rather than Disney actually removing it which creates a more negative feel

It's a shame as the DDP in it's first incarnation, whilst a bit over the top for my own tastes was great option for a lot of other people. It's been in a downward spiral ever since it went 'Free' though.

Edit: The to go option for dessert wasn't really for us. We tend to dine early so would have meant lugging a dessert around with us afterwards. Ok for a carrot cake from a QS location, but not so much fun for me cheesecake!

 

[DISWolves]

When we first enjoyed free DDP in 2007, it was three courses and tip included. Quite often, we would ask for our dessert "to go" and have it for breakfast in the morning!!

So in the space of less than 3 years, Disney have excluded the tip - excluded the appetiser and soon to be excluding the dessert.
This I must say is brilliant marketing strategy by Disney since we are attempting to get out of a global recession
Time to think about voting with our feet

 

[JACKIE153]

You'll be getting two snacks a day instead of just one (assuming the given information is correct). How do you feel about that? You could grab a dessert after your meal with a snack credit.

Good Idea.