NO MORE Dining Plan for us..my reasons

[Prinny27]

DH and I will not be using the DDP in the future. Since the tips are no longer included, not only is it not as cost effective, but the convenience is gone as well. Not to mention, that I would much prefer having an appetizer over dessert any day (I am not a sweets person), so I would just rather pay OOP and use our DDE - we will wind up saving MUCH more money than if we use this new DDP.

 

[JimMIA]

I don't have a list of snacks but it is basically anything that is under $4 and is a single serving. So a brownie, an ice cream, a pretzel, a coke, a regular sized popcorn... My favorite snack was a big ice cream cone from the ice cream shop on main street usa. My son and neice enjoyed doing the 'make your own pretzels' at Goofy's Candy at dtd. That was a snack credit.

I'd lose the < $4 part of this description. All snacks are now single servings, and the descriptions of what's allowable on the DDP board mean the snack is basically worthless. They're basically the things that would be well under a buck at home.

 

[miamimama]

I am sorry but calling Disney Greedy because a SNACK n longer includes family size bags of food that you could take home........

When you sit down to eat a SNACK is it the ENTIRE 12 box of donuts??? So why is that a SNACK at Disney? I think this was loophole that was abused by greedy folks and Disney shut it down. The Snack was never advertised as the LARGE bag of chips, the BOX of donuts etc.....It was advertised as a bottle of water, ice cream bar etc....

Totally agree - I wonder if Disney introduced the DDP in it's 2008 form for the first time, rather than the original, more generous plan, would everyone be praising the plan rather than comparing it to the previous plan?

 

[LSchrow]

So... now we get the new plan which if your REALLY lucky you'll break even on, never mind save a little. I figure a lot of people who are not familiar with WDW and all the websites will still purchase 'cause they think they're getting a deal. The rest of us...Oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

beg to differ with that.........
we go to WDW about 2x year, 7-12 days each time, from the time it originally opened. i've been a member of this board for 8 years, & involved in many others since before the web was as developed as most know it (there are still a few on DIS from RADP ).
that said, i am excellent at math lol, & found it quite simple that the DDP will save DH & myself easily over $40 each night (& that is without even attempting to "maximize" the plan). we've been to most of the restaurants at WDW, know what we enjoy (which tends to be the higher priced entrees ~ i wish DDP was offered on long island ), & go to the parks mostly for the dining (love those APs ).

example of an "average" day's meals (numbers are rounded):
coral reef (mid-priced ~ we actually eat at more of the higher-priced tho; using items we used on our last visit):
steak $32
shrimp pasta $24
2 chocolate waves $16
2 drinks $6
total $78, $83 with tax
WPE (love their food!)
2 speciality pizzas $18.50
2 brownies $5
2 drinks $4
$26 with tax
2 iced mochacinos at writer's stop $7
$7.50 with tax

$116 total for the day, DDP cost $76 (2 adults)
$40 savings per night

change CR to tutto italia (which we really enjoy), with the same items ordered as the last time we visited:
TI total $107, $114 with tax
add in the same CS & snacks, and $147 would be OOP expense, DDP cost $76
$71 savings per night

btw, for us, DDE doesn't come close to the savings we recognize on DDP. with DDP saving us an average of $50+ per night over OOP (for the 20 nights of our currently scheduled 2008 vacations), that's more than $1,000 in savings
of course the DDP isn't right for everyone (but neither is DDE, DVC, air travel, or even WDW lol), but please don't assume that guests are simply purchasing it out of ignorance: the vast majority that opted for it have found it is a great, cost-saving option for them.

 

[dsquarednz]

Ah! That is another big difference for us: we typically only drink water!

 

[robind]

This is customary for a restaurant to do this. They do not automatically receive cash for a CC transaction....it takes a while. Most people do not get paid on a daily basis...we have to wait for our paychecks. How is that greedy?

I think that is dependent on the restaurants. Everywhere I've waited tables we got a slip at the end of the night with our total $'s in credit card tips listed and we got paid in cash every night. It was reported on our payslip every week. The only tips that were withheld and put on a paycheck were for groups such as weddings.

 

[jim and meesie]

Some awful restaurants actually hold the tips over a pay period and then deduct the 1 1/2% -2% that the credit card company charges. We have seen this with summer college waitresses at major resorts and restaurants on Cape Cod. Although it's illegal there is nothing they can do about it because if they complain they are out of a job and the season is short enough as it is. I will often leave a cash tip at a place I don't dine at often ( and thus don't know well) for this very reason!

 

[global_mom]

Some awful restaurants actually hold the tips over a pay period and then deduct the 1 1/2% -2% that the credit card company charges. We have seen this with summer college waitresses at major resorts and restaurants on Cape Cod. Although it's illegal there is nothing they can do about it because if they complain they are out of a job and the season is short enough as it is. I will often leave a cash tip at a place I don't dine at often ( and thus don't know well) for this very reason!

It sounds like cash tips benefit the servers in most situations. Thank ya'll for this info. b/c we will make sure to carry cash for tips as opposed to charging them to our room account.

 

[kfields1]

We were in Disney Dec. 22 - Dec. 29 at the WLV. and used the DDP for 3 adults and one child. One of the adults was actually a 10 year old. We kept very careful records of each meals or snack's total because we were curious as to whether the plan would save us money or not. We used our table services at: Whispering Canyons (1), Hoop De Doo (2), Jiko (2), Ohana(2), and Le Cellier (1). We paid $895 for our DDP and the receipts totalled approx. $1500. We were really surprised!

What we liked was obviously saving money. What we weren't fond of was the constant having to think about the meal plan and its little restrictions. One big problem we encountered initially was that my 9 year old was on the child's plan and his 10 year old brother wasn't, and the choices for the CS service meals were awful. There are usually 2 - PB and J or chicken nuggets. But, we also then found that most of the Cast Members were more than willing to let him have any of the other adult choices without an issue b/c apparently it all goes into the register as CS. And once you are in the system as a child or adult, apparently there is no way to change it. We actually almost did have it changed by going very high up the "ladder" of mouse execs., but then he would have had to have his park tickets changed to adult too! It was also a lot of food although now they have taken away the appetizer - which in many cases I may have preferred over the dessert. Maybe they should give a choice at the TS meal.

Would we do it again? I would need to study the new plan carefully.

 

[crisi]

The question is though - would you have spent the extra $600 without the dining plan? I think it was hard on the old plan not to save money - even if you didn't bother to order all the courses. Now, with tips not included its still not a bad deal - just not a fantastic one.

But one thing that's always disturbed me about dining plan talk. Before the dining plan, people would talk about how they always shared meals, or they ate more counter service, or they never ordered soda at Disney or they split one Dole Whip with the whole family. The dining plan hit, and people started valuing their 'savings' not on what they would have ordered without the dining plan, but what the cost of what they did order was. That's a whole different kind of "savings."

(I saw a lovely Coach purse at a discounter this weekend for only $60 (it may have been a knockoff, don't know). If I bought the purse, I would have "saved" $300 over the retail price of the bag. But since I have owned the same $10 purse for the past four years - it would have really "cost" me $50 more than I tend to spend on handbags. Now, if I were a designer handbag collector, it would have been a great deal!)

 

[BWV Dreamin]

If I bought the purse, I would have "saved" $300 over the retail price of the bag. But since I have owned the same $10 purse for the past four years - it would have really "cost" me $50 more than I tend to spend on handbags. Now, if I were a designer handbag collector, it would have been a great deal!)

I think you had the same professor as my husband. I hear this type of "analysis" all the time!

 

[crisi]

I think you had the same professor as my husband. I hear this type of "analysis" all the time!

You just have to convince him that you are a designer handbag collector, and isn't a $60 purse a much better deal than the $360 purse you would have bought anyway. I have a deep appreciation for other women's handbags and shoes - and absolutely no interest in owning them myself - but they are nice to admire in stores, and on others women.

 

[lovinthemouse]

We were just there over New Year's week and we decided not to do it. Our DD is now 11 and would be in Disney's eyes an adult. She hates most of the things on the "adult" menu. It was just not worth it for us. Like some have said I just want to order what I want. I will pay for it. I really don't want to spend my vacation trying to utilize it properly. It is just to much of a hassle.

 

[robinb]

I am still on the fence about the new DDP.

The old plan was a no-brainer for me and we had the plan for our last 4 trips. We would usually eat a TS meal per day and we saved LOTS of money on the plan. I actually enjoyed trying some of the 3rd tier restaurants which get "mixed" reviews because I wasn't paying OOP for it. I was willing to spend a TS credit on an "iffy" restaurant when I would have been unwilling to spend real money. I also liked the ease of using the old plan, especially the included gratuity. BUT ... for the first time on our last trip I thought it was way too much food. I was full all the time! I began ordering lighter appetizers like salads and soups and left half of the dessert behind in most cases. In addition, my DH wanted to *gasp* eat off site and that messed up everything, LOL. The DDP really does keep you attached to Disney property!

I am just not sure about the new plan. I think that I will have to look my proposed ADRs and then run the numbers on whether we will save money or not. I will also compare it to the purchase and use of the DDE card which we have had in the past and used in conjunction with the DDP (one meal at V&A's paid for the card).

FWIW, I am the queen of the DDP spreadsheets (and I do hope that Greenspan would be proud, LOL) and they will help me determine if the plan will work for me or not. If you want to see my spreadsheets, here they are ...

Disney Dining Plan Rankings for 2008:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW%20Dining/DisneyDiningRanking2008.htm

One interesting thing to note is the averages found on the 2nd tab.
Average TS Meal: $27.51
Average CS Meal: $12.97
Average Snack: $2.50
Total: $42.98 per adult.

The average savings in the new plan is about $5 per adult. If you only eat at the top-25 restaurants on the first tab you'll save another $4ish per per person per day. If you eat during the "Holiday Pricing" at the buffets you will also save the holiday up-charge.

Comparison between the 2007 and 2008 plans:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW%20Dining/DDP-2007-2008-Compare.htm

One more thing ... I think that a lot of people have missed another component about Disney's profit from the DDP. The vast majority of people on the DDP are paying rack rate for their rooms in order to have the opportunity to buy the plan. It is not available as an add-on to discounted room rates (except the "bounce back" I think). For instance, AAA rates in Jan/Feb will save a family $50 per night over rack rates at Moderate resorts. The DDP family would have to pay $50 more per night than the AAA family for a $5-$10 savings per adult over what they would pay OOP. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I am still on the fence about the new DDP.

The old plan was a no-brainer for me and we had the plan for our last 4 trips. We would usually eat a TS meal per day and we saved LOTS of money on the plan. I actually enjoyed trying some of the 3rd tier restaurants which get "mixed" reviews because I wasn't paying OOP for it. I was willing to spend a TS credit on an "iffy" restaurant when I would have been unwilling to spend real money. I also liked the ease of using the old plan, especially the included gratuity. BUT ... for the first time on our last trip I thought it was way too much food. I was full all the time! I began ordering lighter appetizers like salads and soups and left half of the dessert behind in most cases. In addition, my DH wanted to *gasp* eat off site and that messed up everything, LOL. The DDP really does keep you attached to Disney property!

I am just not sure about the new plan. I think that I will have to look my proposed ADRs and then run the numbers on whether we will save money or not. I will also compare it to the purchase and use of the DDE card which we have had in the past and used in conjunction with the DDP (one meal at V&A's paid for the card).

FWIW, I am the queen of the DDP spreadsheets (and I do hope that Greenspan would be proud, LOL) and they will help me determine if the plan will work for me or not. If you want to see my spreadsheets, here they are ...

Disney Dining Plan Rankings for 2008:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW%20Dining/DisneyDiningRanking2008.htm

One interesting thing to note is the averages found on the 2nd tab.
Average TS Meal: $27.51
Average CS Meal: $12.97
Average Snack: $2.50
Total: $42.98 per adult.

The average savings in the new plan is about $5 per adult. If you only eat at the top-25 restaurants on the first tab you'll save another $4ish per per person per day. If you eat during the "Holiday Pricing" at the buffets you will also save the holiday up-charge.

Comparison between the 2007 and 2008 plans:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~rb/DIS/MYW%20Dining/DDP-2007-2008-Compare.htm

One more thing ... I think that a lot of people have missed another component about Disney's profit from the DDP. The vast majority of people on the DDP are paying rack rate for their rooms in order to have the opportunity to buy the plan. It is not available as an add-on to discounted room rates (except the "bounce back" I think). For instance, AAA rates in Jan/Feb will save a family $50 per night over rack rates at Moderate resorts. The DDP family would have to pay $50 more per night than the AAA family for a $5-$10 savings per adult over what they would pay OOP. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me!

Do the savings increase or decrease if you factor in the 2 credit signature dining?

 

[robinb]

Do the savings increase or decrease if you factor in the 2 credit signature dining?

I do factor in the 2 credit signature dining. I divided the meal cost by two to get a per-credit cost.

 

[DeeCee735]

On our upcoming vacation we are staying one night at AKV and three nights at BWV. So I was able to get the deluxe dining plan for the first night and the basic for the following three. I think this will work in our favor (just me and DH by the way), we won't arrive til lunch time, and the deluxe plan is good til midnight day of check out, where the basic plan begins the second day at check in, so we'll actually get two sit downs on day one, and two sit downs on day two. We can be big eaters, and while we don't always order appts and desserts, we will enjoy having them (appetizers are included on the deluxe plan). I went through all the menu's and estimated what we'd order without being on DDP, and although it'll be a smaller savings, it'll be a savings nonetheless. I'm curious to see how it'll work out. I'll post after the trip (as usual )

 

[dlander]

I have never used DDP. We were considering it for our April trip. I am fascinated by all of you who think it is taking advantage to order everything you have paid for and using all of your credits. Why else would you get it? People shouldn't be made to feel that they have done something criminal by ordering the appy or dessert that is part of the plan.

And do you really need Jenny Craig to lose a few vacation pounds? Yikes!

 

[jenelope]

I've used the DDP for the past five trips, but I'm definitely not using it for my upcoming trip with my parents. I suspected that the changes to the plan would make it less desirable for me, but just in case, I ran the numbers compared to renewing my DDE and getting a discount on table service meals. There really was no comparison for us. Eight nights of DDP for three adults was over $900 (and didn't include planned dining events like tea at the GF or eating our way around the Food and Wine Festival), but when I compiled "orders" based on our chosen restaurants and what we'd likely order, it was about $750 for all of our away-from-villa dining, including tea and F&W.

It's also a lot more flexible for us. My parents are 71 and both have blood sugar issues. Luckily, Dad doesn't really have a sweet tooth, and give Mom a choice between a crab cake and a chocolate cake, she's going to go for the crab. Mom has also made it perfectly clear that she doesn't want to go out for a big meal every day, so we've got a couple of lunches and dinners in the villa planned. The DDP just doesn't make sense with our plans.

 

[DISNEY FIX]

I would like you opinions please, we currently have a DDE card and have never done the DDP. We have a split stay coming up, (3 adult-1child-1 infant)and are tossing the idea of the DDP aroung for the 2nd part(6 day) of stay. The main reasons whay are: we do mostly buffets and are there during the holiday price increase and some of these are hefty.
So when I look at the prices for the meals we are going to have like:
Boma Dinner $31 adult 15 child
LTT- $33 adult 16 child
Cape May Dinner $31 adult $15 child
Askerhus b-fast$27 adult $15 child
Cape May bfast-$23 adult $13 child
Teppan edo-I figured $34 adult $15 child
Beirgarten$24 adult $12 child

This is just one we will do in room b-fast and a light something during the day, probably use the CS for that stuff......What am I missing?
How can I not do the DDP?