"Reeks of contempt"--thanks for saying it, Pete

[willis37862]

A server posted over on the DDP board that he feels he will make more money now that people will be tipping out of pocket. He said most people tip 20% and round that figure up. So if my tip should be $18.50 he feels most people would leave a $20 bill. I don't know about anyone else but my family would never order the amount of food that we ordered on the dining plan. This increased the overall total of my bill. If we are paying out of pocket for my family of 5 we will only order 1 or 2 appetizers and usually no desert so my bill will now be less and tip will be less. I was also surprised how many people just wanted their dining paid in advance even if it wasn't cost effective. We also will stick with the DDE card.

Absolutely....DH and I usually don't order appetizers and desserts so our bill will be less and therefore the tip will be less. I can't believe that the waiters think they will make more this way I know too many people who think 10% is a good amount to tip on good service. We tip 18%-20% on good service....so I hope they are ready to work for it now.

Secondly, I think Kevin is right on with the eventual requirement of either some sort of credit card deposit or hold with your reservation. This I think might actually be a good thing. As long as they give you a reasonable window of opportunity to cancel your reservation without being penalized, it seems like a good idea, although it does have its pros and cons.

I agree. As long as there is a reasonable time frame to cancel I would be willing to reserve PS with a credit card especially if it cuts down on people taking as many as they can so they can choose what they want later or just not show up.

 

[dpuck1998]

I agree. As long as there is a reasonable time frame to cancel I would be willing to reserve PS with a credit card especially if it cuts down on people taking as many as they can so they can choose what they want later or just not show up.

If you can cancel 24 or 48 hours out, people will still hold several ressies I would imagine. I suppose at least it would open them up 24-48 hours for people onsight to snag them...

 

[willis37862]

If you can cancel 24 or 48 hours out, people will still hold several ressies I would imagine. I suppose at least it would open them up 24-48 hours for people onsight to snag them...

Well then have a cancellation policy that requires a 30 day cancellation or a penalty. Most of us know 30 days out if we will have to cancel...what is WDW cancellation policy on rooms? Isn't it 30 days or you lose your deposit?

 

[dpuck1998]

Well then have a cancellation policy that requires a 30 day cancellation or a penalty. Most of us know 30 days out if we will have to cancel...what is WDW cancellation policy on rooms? Isn't it 30 days or you lose your deposit?

That would be HUGE for dining though. I think the 24-48 hr policy is more along the lines of what is likely. They have this is place I know for the Fantasmic Package and some other dining plans.

 

[cxcelica]

If you can cancel 24 or 48 hours out, people will still hold several ressies I would imagine. I suppose at least it would open them up 24-48 hours for people onsight to snag them...

I imagine this is more likely what Disney would do, and you are correct I am sure that many people would still hold the reservation until the the last minute they could cancel. But at least it would still give those people who are walkups a better chance of snagging a table. It seems that the two major complaints you hear about the DDP is that it makes it very hard to get the reservations you want in advance, and it has almost eliminated the spontaneous walk up to a restaurant. At least one of the problems might get better with a policy like this.

 

[JustSayin]

I don't really think it "reeks of contempt". I do think that the 2008 dining plan is a terrible deal financially speaking. I really think that you would have to jump through some very specific hoops to make it have any value whatsoever. I am actually not convinced that you can make the 2008 make any financial sense at all, but I have not run through enough simulations to be certain. The problem is that too many people are just prepared to swallow it. If people like the new plan and are willing to pay for it then I guess I can’t really criticize Disney for this one. I, on the other hand, will vote with my dollars and not purchase the plan in 2008.

Nobody is required to buy the DDP. You are totally free to pass on it if you believe (as I do) that it is a terrible deal. I honestly think that the 2008 DDP is all about minimizing the expense to Disney during the free dining promotions. I think that anybody who chooses to pay for it is just icing on the cake for them.

All the other increases are just Disney responding to market demand. If they can still fill the resorts and parks at the new prices, then why wouldn’t they? Never forget that Disney is a corporation that has a responsibility to make money for its shareholders. You can bet that this price increase trend will slow/reverse if people stop seeing the value of a Disney trip.

 

[raidermatt]

No need to play the "Disney is a corporation" card. I think we all realize that. Many of us work for corporations and are very aware of what it means to be responsible to shareholders.

However, there are different ways to go about making money. Charging as much as you think you can get away with at a given time is one pricing strategy, but it's hardly the only one.

One danger of that strategy is that if you miscalculate and enough people stop seeing the value of a Disney trip, it's not as simple as lowering the price again. As all corporations know (and should keep in mind), it costs a lot more to get a customer back than it does to keep him in the first place.