Pouring cold water over the DDP flaming.

[SplashMom]

I love free dining but even when we go and it isn't offered, we pay for the dining plan. I know we "may" be able to eat more cheaply but I LOVE not worrying about the food costs. We have gone during August twice for the free dining but most of the time it isn't offered when we go. However, this year we are arriving February 16 and I got the free dining for our 12 day stay!! I was sooo excited...we love to eat!

 

[Colleen27]

I don't think when others say FD is ruining Disney that they mean anything derogatory towards the people who do if fact use it. I think they mean that the food quality has gone south and yes you can blame it on the economy but even if times were good I still believe that it would go south anyway.If anyone who gets in these discussions owned a business or had to deal with stockholders you know nothing if free and if you give stuff away something must suffer....."quality".....We personally don't do FD because we like to stay deluxe and when you do the numbers it doesn't work. I don't believe in flaming someone for their choice I just wish they would finally do away with it.People are going to go to Disney whether there is free dining or not.If that makes or breaks the trip then you really didn't want to go...Think about all the money you waste everyday outside of the house..cigs,cup of coffee,inpulse buying...just my take on it...

The comments do often get rather derogatory towards the people using the offer, though. Every DDP bashing thread will have at least a few comments along the lines of "people who couldn't afford TS making it impossible to get reservation" and "free diners ordering steak for every meal whether they really want it or not".

As far as quality goes, I think that is a consequence of the same corporate mindset that created the DDP - Disney wants full restaurants. "Weird" (creative, unusual, ethnic, foodie) menus don't fill restaurants. Safe, Americanized, Applebees-type fare does - and still we see tons of posts about whether or not sauces and seasonings can be left off, basic potatoes subbed for risotto or other less conventional sides, etc. I think we'd have seen the menu changes come with or without the DDP (free or otherwise) as a way to increase the appeal of the restaurants and keep them full more of the time.

And not all of us waste so much money on a day-to-day basis that can easily be cut to afford a full priced Disney vacation. My family couldn't have taken our first trip without the free dining offer. Room, tickets, and airfare were about the limit of our budget, and adding in dining at Disney's inflated restaurant prices absolutely would have been a deal-breaker. And while times aren't that tight for us now, we still live pretty simply and there's nothing as frivolous as coffee or impulse buying that we could cut out of our family budget to save enough to feed a family of 5 at Disney for a week.

 

[Hemlock]

Thanks for posting OP.

We are only going this year (well, January 2011) because of the free dining. I would rather get the free dining than the room discount because it works out as a bigger discount because we love to eat, and eat a lot!

I was THRILLED with the program when we went last December. It was so convenient, the food was very good (with very few exceptions) and it was good for our family and our personal situation.

I don't like being labelled as some low-down "can't afford to go to Disney" type just because we take advantage of this amazing promotion.

Firstly, thank you OP for your brave stance on FD. I have been thinking the exact same thing for some time, but was too "chicken" to post for fear of flaming.

PP, I agree with you totally. I currently do not have free dining for my dates, but am checking several times a day hoping that new dates may be added (or that a FD PIN might come my way). For my family size/hotel choice, no % discount even comes close. I love the DDP (and even QSPD). I like having my meals payed for in advance and the convenience of ordering almost anything on the menu. I agree that FD is an amazing promotion, but I also understand that it doesn't work for everyone. So, if it works for you, GREAT. If not take the room discount.

 

[DCDisney]

Free dining definitely doesn't bother me because it's essentially the same level of discount they offer at other times of year. What does bother me though is how standard things have become over the past few years whether it's the ddp or just an emphasis on efficiency at wdw. So many places now offer almost the exact same things. My poor kids hated when they switched to the little ice cream sundaes every where. For the same price they could certainly at least have a few variations so they don't get the same thing every night for the same cost. It gets so boring having the same exact bun and breads everywhere. We went to Disneyland last year and it was so much more like WDW used to be with lots of variations and places known for special desserts. They don't have many discounts there or a dining plan like WDW. They have a dining plan but it's vouchers and not popular or free ever. Whether or not it's due to the ddp I wish the food executives would think more about people eating 3 meals a day for a week at WDW might like a bit more variety. Especially with people using DME and no rental cars. I'm glad to eat all my meals at WDW as long as they are making an effort and each trip it gets a bit harder to see an effort as more and more places offer the exact same stuff.

 

[eah7]

We just returned from a great week. At no time did anyone ask us if we had free dining or did we have a 40% discount or $500.00 gift card. All of those were available in one form or another during our stay. Did I receive pins for the first 2? Yes and I was fortunate enough to have my TA determine the 40% discount worked best for us.

The dining plan is great because you don't have to carry any money unless you want to. Your card has all of the information needed to enjoy your stay. Never did I feel any of the restaurants looked at us any different because we purchased the ddp. I think Disney recognizes the convenience for many to have everything paid so you don't have to think about the cost of a meal. My grandsons loved the fact that they could buy their lunch or snack with their cards.

I am not sure why there seems to be such controversy about this. Disney has had a dining plan of one form or another since our first visit in '91. Not everyone likes it or feels it fits into their plans. Many do and for us, it works best. Isn't that why we have choices?

 

[DG-12]

I feel like a lot of the "flaming" going on is about the free diners but the actual complaint is that the quality, consistency and variety of the food has gone downhill. I am unsure why this is due to free dining. To be honest, we don't get to go to Disney every year. It's been awhile for us and I also think (IMHO) that Disney has way overpriced their hotel rooms-so they have to compensate by offering people some sort of discount (free dining, pin, etc...). Really, the only way I see them changing is if people begin to spend their dollars elsewhere. And from what I can tell on these boards A LOT of people are complaining but they keep going back and keep spending. So, Disney really has no incentive to improve it? I am super excited about our trip. It's a first time for my daughter but there are times when I read posts about things here that really "dampen" the magic and I want to remind people, politely, how lucky they are to even be there. Just my 2cents. Dana

 

[Colleen27]

I feel like a lot of the "flaming" going on is about the free diners but the actual complaint is that the quality, consistency and variety of the food has gone downhill. I am unsure why this is due to free dining.

Yeah, free dining and the DDP in general are the scapegoat, but if you look at merchandise and bar menus the same things are happening there - standardization, declining quality, and a serious lack of variety. No more resort specific merchandise, the same mug design no matter where you stay, few if any unique signature drinks at the lounges, lower quality items in the gift shops, etc. It is the overall direction Disney has chosen for their parks division right now - homogenization and cost-cutting for the sake of higher profits, at the expense of quality and variety.

 

[disneyquilter]

Love this thread

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Love this thread

Me too.

 

[wildernesslodgefan]

 

[estherhead]

We went to Disneyland last year and it was so much more like WDW used to be with lots of variations and places known for special desserts. They don't have many discounts there or a dining plan like WDW. They have a dining plan but it's vouchers and not popular or free ever. Whether or not it's due to the ddp I wish the food executives would think more about people eating 3 meals a day for a week at WDW might like a bit more variety. Especially with people using DME and no rental cars. I'm glad to eat all my meals at WDW as long as they are making an effort and each trip it gets a bit harder to see an effort as more and more places offer the exact same stuff.

I went to DL this year as well and agree with this. The food is better. But it is unfair to compare WDW & DL as the crowd at DL seemed decidedly local and Californian with some Australians. The crowd at WDW is decidedly international. Imagine trying to make people from all walks of life EARTHWIDE happy with the food! It's crazy to even ponder.

As for the same buns everywhere (at CS places) I get that this annoying. But if I were running Disney and had to cut costs this would have been a call I would have made for sure. Why does Wal-mart have cheap prices? Buying power. The more of one item you buy the cheaper it becomes.

Out of one side of our mouths we say: "Build more roller coaster! Add more parks! Bring back the Adventurers Club! Spend 100 million dollars over & over again on all our wishes!" And out of the other we say: "Stop raising prices! Stop cutting corners! Stop cheaping up the food!"

Impossible. Something has to give. My question to myself is: Is it worth it to me? And right now Disney still is. For what they give me compared to other comparable entertainment/dining options they are still worth what they charge. When they aren't I'll quit going.

And if boring hamburger buns is all I have to suffer to get a new Fantasyland, Australia added to AK, etc. then bring them on.

Did I have things at DL I was jealous of? You betcha. But I also got a terrible pastry there I hated that France in Epcot does amazing. So there were things I hated there too.

And like I said, DL is a different crowd so there's different stuff.

And hate it all you want, Disney is in the business of making money off of us. Without a profit Disney World ceases to exist.

 

[CoolPool]

I strongly disagree that the food is better at DL. (Ariel's Grotto is horrific). And I say this as a recent former DL AP holder of 3 years. The food at Epcot and AK is seriously more varied than DL/CA. Do I think its great at WDW? NO! But DL better? No way.

 

[PrincessTiffany]

I actually thought the fast food at DL was worse than WDW. The table service meals we had were good at DL, but I've also thought we got good food at WDW. I don't think we have ever had a bad meal at WDW come to think of it. Sure, we like some place better than others, but I can't say we have ever had a bad or inedible meal at WDW.

 

[Rachaelt]

Exactly.

The fact that so many people think free dining is actually "free" is more a testament to the Disney marketing geniuses than people actually getting free food. You pay more for your room, so the food is paid for in that way. Now, clearly you are getting a discount over paying separately for the DDP, but Disney does the math - they wouldn't offer the program if it didn't bring in big $$$$ overall. Plus, in my experience most entrees are RIDICULOUSLY overpriced. You are served a $10-Applebee's quality meal for a price tag of $24.95, so you are not getting $24.95 worth of food for "free" at all.

I'm pretty tired of the posters here who suscribe to some kind of guest caste system - the free diners being the lowest of the low classes. It's not true and yeah, it gets offensive.

It is actually free. And there are only so many rooms with it available per resort. And it does sell out. And even when it isn't free, it actually does save you about 30% on your dining. I had a guest with a PIN the other night. She was only looking for the room, because her son is singing as part of Magical Music days and they get discounted tickets. I priced out the room, she told me how much their discounted tickets were. I added them to the room price, and we got an idea of what she would spend on her room and tickets. She knew most of the restaurants she wanted to eat at. I looked up the prices of those meals for that timeframe. So we had a general idea of what she would spend if paying for those meals out of pocket. Then I priced out the package with tickets and dining, and showed her approximately how much she would save by not using the discounted tickets and having the dining plan.