Poll about banning free dining (Inspired by Geezer)

[Ramsfan28]

Free dining has caused the quality of the food at WDW to go down.

I don't realy care if Disney keeps free dining or not, but I do wish that the food quality that was available pre-free dining days would return.

 

[Sammie]

They would never offer it only in the summer as they started it to get crowds to come during off season times. I have no problem with the Dining Plan and think it could help keep restaurants full, but free dining could go.

I do wish they would remove signature dining from it.

 

[DougEMG]

I like FD. Had it twice in the past when it included app, tip and tax.

Here's my current situation though. Last winter I booked a 3 week trip for end of Aug 2011 at the CSR with FD (2A and a 16yr old). Then in Dec I purchased my first DVC contract and in Mar I bought another DVC contract. So do I now keep my CSR reservation with FD or book something with DVC (would be a studio)? Right now I'm leaning towards just keeping the CSR with FD as that seems to be more cost effective when compared to the cost/value of a DVC studio (I use $10/point to value the studio).

 

[Maryrn11168]

I would love it they expanded it to include DVC!! It cost us a lot to purchase, we pay yearly maintanence fees and get no discounts on park passes (except annual passes and I can't afford 5 of them!) or food! It would be a nice perk!

 

[kikiq]

I like FD. Had it twice in the past when it included app, tip and tax.

Here's my current situation though. Last winter I booked a 3 week trip for end of Aug 2011 at the CSR with FD (2A and a 16yr old). Then in Dec I purchased my first DVC contract and in Mar I bought another DVC contract. So do I now keep my CSR reservation with FD or book something with DVC (would be a studio)? Right now I'm leaning towards just keeping the CSR with FD as that seems to be more cost effective when compared to the cost/value of a DVC studio (I use $10/point to value the studio).

Depending on why you bought DVC to begin with. Are you going to bank your points? Will you be making another WDW trip to use your points? Or you could rent your points to pay for this CSR trip?

I tend to look at FD/DP and DVC a little different. We are not foodies and we actually use the villa kitchens to prepare meals. So I guess my question is why did you purchase DVC?

 

[robinb]

I voted for "Expand to DVC" since you didn't include "Leave FD the way it is".

I LOVE free dining and we usually do a week at a WDW resort using free dining before moving to a DVC villa. Honestly, it is the only way we can afford to eat at many of the WDW restaurants now that my picky vegetarian DD is now considered a "Disney Adult". I simply cannot pay $35+ for her to eat at some of our favorite restaurants that are Disney buffets (Boma, Cape May, Crystal Palace, etc). And YES, we have purchased the TiW card more than once but Boma's is too expensive even at 80% of the price for a kid who will only eat the flat breads, mac n cheese, fruit and dessert.

 

[robinb]

Here's my current situation though. Last winter I booked a 3 week trip for end of Aug 2011 at the CSR with FD (2A and a 16yr old). Then in Dec I purchased my first DVC contract and in Mar I bought another DVC contract. So do I now keep my CSR reservation with FD or book something with DVC (would be a studio)? Right now I'm leaning towards just keeping the CSR with FD as that seems to be more cost effective when compared to the cost/value of a DVC studio (I use $10/point to value the studio).

Doug, you can either bank your points or rent them (for $11 or $12, not $10 ) and still stay at CSR. You can also stay at CSR for a few days to enjoy the FD and then move to a DVC resort for the rest of your vacation. You can upgrade your park tickets that come with the FD package to cover your whole vacation (up to 10-days or into an AP) even if you stay fewer days. Back when the value resorts included the regular dining plan (instead of the QS dining plan) people used to book a room at the All Stars and *stay* at their DVC resort because the cost of the room was cheaper than adding the DDP to their DVC resort reservation.

 

[hakepb]

I think DDP is a bigger issue causing drops in quality than FD.

Even at the CS level. Most CS used to have deserts worth paying cash for. Now they all have pre-packaged junk shipped in from hundreds or thousands of miles away, because every restaurant has to include a desert with entree for DDP, might as well use the cheapest option.

DDP took all competition for cash out of the restaurants hands. Thanks to DDP, they will be always booked and get a fixed amount of cash. The only thing restaurant managers can do to make more$ is reduce costs.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Get rid of it. I suppose if you wanted to keep it at a few moderate type places, that would be okay. Just give me my signatures back.

MG

 

[Shamus]

Just a few comments.

As pointed out earlier the Poll is flawed.

It occurs to me that some of you on this thread are confusing Free Dining with the DDP.

Free Dining is not "FREE" so is there really a significant difference between the two.

Free dining has caused the quality of the food at WDW to go down.

Just remember - "Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc"

 

[rentayenta]

Super interesting, I've read all of the responses.

Like stated before, free dining is not free. It's a marketing ploy to draw crowds which it does. Service and food have declined since our first trip in 2007. I suspect free dining has something to do with it. DH says, almost everything tastes the same after about 5 days and I agree. Having said that, the only sig we've been to is Cal Grill. That was in 2007 and it was fabulous.

During our next trip, we'll cook more, and try places we haven't before.

 

[bobbiwoz]

2 weeks ago, DSis and I had 2 table service meals and they were fabulous. One was for dinner at Le Cellier. Now that it is a Signature dining room for dinner, the filet is 8 oz. and that is way too much for either of us, so we shared it and it was probably the best filet, done just right, medium rare, that we could have had.

The second great meal was at Cali Grill. It was a Friday and we shared a fish dinner and flatbread appetizer and we each had soup....maybe asparagus and crab soup...it was delicious. For that dinner, we were seated in the Wine Room, what a view! That certainly added to our dining enjoyment.

We really have our favorite meals, places to eat at WDW and in general are very happy with our dining experiences.

Bobbi

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I also do not think free dining is to blame for the drop in quality of food. I think the dining plan itself is the main cause for that one. Still, we feel we've been able to get quality meals at WDW but hate the homogenization that only seems to increase at many of the restaurants.

We did experience the free dining way back when it first came out. I was excited at this new promotion. When we were done what we decided is that the dining plan in any shape or form is not for us.

Unless it really were free!

 

[OKWNutt]

It was without a doubt the Free DP that rekindled my love affair with Disney World. A few years back I booked my first ever all-Disney Trip (did a lot of trips before staying off site). I got the Free DP and I was instantly transformed into a Disney Nut. Back then the FDP even covered appetizers and Tips!!
Since then it’s been nothing but 100% Disney Trips and last year I bought 190 DVC points.
I hate to see the FDP go because I am sure it is resulting in more folks discovery the joy of an all-Disney trip.
That being said – I do concur that the FDP has negatively impacted the Disney Dinning Experience and maybe it’s time to do away with it (And no I’m not saying this just because I am now a DVC member)
1: The FDP without question has impacted menu selection – even for those paying OOP. Consider when the FDP was first introduced and included appetizers. Almost every TS offered Crab cakes appetizers. The Crab Cakes started to quickly disappear from the menus to the point where only the signatures offered them. Once the DP dropped appetizers, the Crab Cakes magically reappeared. My first trip to Boma they had what I considered the best Prime Rib I’ve ever eaten. The Prime Rib has long disappeared. Now we see Flanks Steaks, Beef short rips and Lamb Shanks throughout WDW.
2: The FDP was originally offered in September to lure vacationers back after a couple of pretty bad hurricane seasons. As someone who typically goes in September I can tell you that the FDP has resulted in more September guests staying in the Disney Resorts and eating in the restaurants. But since it was offered only a short period of time during the year it didn’t have the tremendous impact it has today with the FDP being offered almost year round.
3: I would image Disney is like any other corporation: Highly departmentalized. So yeah while guests getting the FDP are paying rack rates for rooms and there may be some budgetary provisions being made to the restaurants – I doubt they are being reimbursed at the same rate as if the guest was paying OOP. It is obvious from the adjustments in the menus the restaurants have to make adjustments to compensate for a lost in revenue over paying guest.
4. It seems like to me you are starting to see at Disney a Vegas-Type economy. The paying customers have to pick up more than their fair share of meal costs in order to compensate for the “comps”.
All this being said I have yet to have a bad meal at any TS or Signature Restaurant at Disney. However the selection and quality has gone down and in my opinion will continue to do so.

 

[quirty30]

I voted to do away with Free Dining....I might have chosen to include DVC, but I don't think that's a realistic option.

I should add that we have only been visiting WDW for the last 2 years...I don't know what the quality of the food was like before Free Dining, but we have generally been pleased with the quality of our TS meals. I dislike Free Dining because, IMO, it overcrowds the restaurants and sometimes makes it impossible to get ADR's even at that 6 month mark.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I think DDP is a bigger issue causing drops in quality than FD.

Even at the CS level. Most CS used to have deserts worth paying cash for. Now they all have pre-packaged junk shipped in from hundreds or thousands of miles away, because every restaurant has to include a desert with entree for DDP, might as well use the cheapest option.

DDP took all competition for cash out of the restaurants hands. Thanks to DDP, they will be always booked and get a fixed amount of cash. The only thing restaurant managers can do to make more$ is reduce costs.

Agree! Most of the offerings, I would not eat, even for free! It is getting harder and harder to find unique items that we enjoy.
We dont eat alot of prepackaged desserts at home and I dont think those enhance the quality of our vacations.
If I want prepackaged, I can go to Sams Club and stock up.

This is why Le Cellier went to 2 TS for Dinner. So they could afford to serve a decent cut of beef.

Lobster, shrimp and Crab and any beef that is not Sirloin steak are almost non existent at Disney restaurants.

If they can't afford to offer quality Free Dining or the DDP then they should not offer it. It is only a value if the quality is maintained and you want to eat it.

 

[TisBit]

I also do not think free dining is to blame for the drop in quality of food. I think the dining plan itself is the main cause for that one. Still, we feel we've been able to get quality meals at WDW but hate the homogenization that only seems to increase at many of the restaurants.

We did experience the free dining way back when it first came out. I was excited at this new promotion. When we were done what we decided is that the dining plan in any shape or form is not for us.

Unless it really were free!

Yes, I think DDP has just as much impact as the free dining promotion, but I will still contend that without either option, food quality would have gone down hill. A couple of reasons, most restaurants have gone downhill because of the increase in food costs across the board and the lack of patrons (hence my last post about the impact empty restaurants would have on WDW).

The other thing is that Disney has also changed their menu's dramatically in the last few years, especially with the recent attacks on restaurants and how unhealthy their food is. Look at the parks, how many hot dog stands, popcorn carts, etc were replaced with fruit carts...now smart water is prominent instead of Coca Cola products. The childrens menu's have become so much worse than the adult menu's. There are very few options and most of them stink. They have replaced peperroni pizza with chicken pizza, my kids hate it. They have changed their rolls and breads to more healthy options, in the hopes that they will not take major shots from the health nuts. This has as much to do with the restaurants as the dining promotions (which have been around in some fashion for many years).

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Do away with it. Or offer it just for counter service..no table service at all. If Disney put out more 'specials' for resort rooms, they wouldn't need the free dining promo. If they went back to the buy 4, get 3 free promo (as in the Fairytale package) they might find that they fill just as many rooms. But, again, it's probably a money maker for Disney as it stands now.....charge full boat for a resort room and hand over substandard food for no charge. Unfortunately, we all have to suffer with that food. Gone is any individuality at any restaurant now...they are all pretty much the same.

I agree with just offering "free" counter service. And no upgrading and paying the difference - it is free QSDP or you pay full price.

I don't like the mentality that often comes with free dining. People get insane about getting every last penny of value from the "free" plan and it makes them behave irrationally. Maybe they would be insane if they were paying for it, but I bet there wouldn't be such concentrated numbers of insane people if it wasn't "free".

 

[crisi]

I'd get rid of the DDP completely. At the very least, I'd do DDP and ala carte menus. And I'd put upcharges on the ala carte menus if you are ordering off the DDP.

Whether the DDP is free or not, the DDP seems to have really hurt dining. I suspect the point about there being other factors is right (increase in costs in particular), but without a plan that they are selling a year in advance, they can more easily react to COGS changes.

 

[Greysword]

My true vote would be for Disney to do what it takes to keep things alive, even if they need to flood the restaurants with free diners. That said, I voted for disposing of free dining (and I wouldn't be sad to see the whole dining plan go as well.

For me, Free Dining IS the DDP during those times when FD is offered. Unless I'm mistaken, wouldn't anyone that is staying at a WDW Resort (non-DVC points) be using free dining? As such, it is one and the same in my opinion.

In the end, I would be willing to pay more at the restaurants we do visit to increase the quality overall. This holds true for everything at WDW!