Shocked & Appalled Dream Maker Fan

[DeterminedOne]

I absolutely LOVE the Dream Maker Plans, or Discovery Magic Plan, or whatever Disney names them each year. These packages always include the Magical Wish options where each guest is given two Magical Wishes per day for each night's stay. The wishes can be used for dining, recreation and entertainment. We've experienced a lot of magic from the use of these plans.

I am shocked and appalled to see that nothing like them will exist next year. I'm seriously rethinking the 2005 trip I was so looking forward to planning!
What happened to the recreational options? No more surrey bikes, golf, sea racers, etc? What about the dining option? With the new plan THEY choose the number of meals I eat in a day. Not only that, but some of my favorite establishments are no longer an option (Fulton's, Portobello, Ohana for dinner.) And no more UPH? What about entry into Pleasure Island, Disney Quest and the water parks? I'm really bummed about this ... shocked... appalled!

 

[eeyore45]

It sounds like Disney is trying to make money, so they will see if we will pay for what they offered as a "perk"... so if enough people opt out, or continue to try and safe money, make shorter stays, which will result in less money being spent, I"m sure Disney will once again try and entice us to spend money in their parks... at least I'm hoping!! I know we could only afford a short vacation until I looked at the dreammaker package and realized we couldnt afford NOT to stay for a week,so of course the longer we stay the more enticed we are for souveneirs, food, etc... and a dream was made to come true!!

 

[Kimickey]

If you book a Dream Maker Package for 2005 in 2004 Disney will honor the DMP's. We have done the DMSP for the past three years and absolutely love it. In 2005 we decided to try out the DMGP. We've already talked to our travel agent and she said nothing will change.

I feel your pain thought. I too am disappointed that they are not offering anything like the Silver Package with in the next year. I hope things don't work out and they bring it back soon.

 

[RescueRanger]

I absolutely LOVE the Dream Maker Plans, or Discovery Magic Plan, or whatever Disney names them each year. These packages always include the Magical Wish options where each guest is given two Magical Wishes per day for each night's stay. The wishes can be used for dining, recreation and entertainment. We've experienced a lot of magic from the use of these plans.

I am shocked and appalled to see that nothing like them will exist next year. I'm seriously rethinking the 2005 trip I was so looking forward to planning!
What happened to the recreational options? No more surrey bikes, golf, sea racers, etc? What about the dining option? With the new plan THEY choose the number of meals I eat in a day. Not only that, but some of my favorite establishments are no longer an option (Fulton's, Portobello, Ohana for dinner.) And no more UPH? What about entry into Pleasure Island, Disney Quest and the water parks? I'm really bummed about this ... shocked... appalled!

Maybe instead of overreacting, you should do a little more investigating. They will be offering a package which will include some recreation such as surrey bikes. There will be dining options which from what I understand is even a better deal than the old silver plans. I also believe that Ohanas is on the list of participating sit down restaurants. As far as DQ, PI, and the water parks go, you can still purchase the plus pack which will include these venues. Disney like any other business has to change with the times, and I believe as many others do that this is going to be a fantastic change. Take a deep breath, step back, and see what the new plans have to offer. Sorry for being so blunt, but all of this drama from people who are afraid of change is just getting to be a little much.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Maybe instead of overreacting, you should do a little more investigating. They will be offering a package which will include some recreation such as surrey bikes. There will be dining options which from what I understand is even a better deal than the old silver plans. I also believe that Ohanas is on the list of participating sit down restaurants. As far as DQ, PI, and the water parks go, you can still purchase the plus pack which will include these venues. Disney like any other business has to change with the times, and I believe as many others do that this is going to be a fantastic change. Take a deep breath, step back, and see what the new plans have to offer. Sorry for being so blunt, but all of this drama from people who are afraid of change is just getting to be a little much.

Very well said!

I was worried at first too, because the Play 4 passes for FL residents has been downgraded to a Play 3. They tried to keep the same price, but in doing so, we lost a day. I figured, well...MGM didn't really do it for me....I like RnR and The GMR, enjoyed FANTASMIC!, and LOVED Brown Derby....but in comparison to the other parks, there's so little I like, so I don't lose anything by losing that 4th day. I'm okay with the change as I don't go to Disney enough to have to worry about how much money I'll be spending on these new tickets. It's new and A LOT of people don't like change, but often times, change is good!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Maybe instead of overreacting, you should do a little more investigating. They will be offering a package which will include some recreation such as surrey bikes. There will be dining options which from what I understand is even a better deal than the old silver plans. I also believe that Ohanas is on the list of participating sit down restaurants. As far as DQ, PI, and the water parks go, you can still purchase the plus pack which will include these venues. Disney like any other business has to change with the times, and I believe as many others do that this is going to be a fantastic change. Take a deep breath, step back, and see what the new plans have to offer. Sorry for being so blunt, but all of this drama from people who are afraid of change is just getting to be a little much.

AMEN!

 

[sters]

O'hanas is included on the dining add-on plan... for more information on what restaurants are included and what isn't see this: http://www.yourmagicaljourneys.com/MagicYourWayDining.htm There isn't much for Downtown Disney, which is a disappointment for many, but I guess Disney is trying to get you to spend your time in the theme parks. The OP suggests that Disney decides how many meals per day you can use, but it sounds to me like there is flexibility. One day I might choose 2 sit down meals and the next 2 counter service. Also, some of the entertainment/recreational stuff is included with the super deluxe packages. I haven't fully explored these packages, but I recall seeing "free" tickets to Cirque de Solei and other recreational stuff listed in the perks. I'm not sure why the OP is so attached to the Silver Plan. You'd come out ahead buying the wishes a la carte anyway.

 

[MScott1851]

I am not too pleased with the new tickets either.

I don't like the fact that they limit the pluses. I like to hop among the Pluses way too much. For example, we would get up and go to BB in the morning, hop over to TL that afternoon, to Disneyquest after dinner, then PI late night...this eats them all up in ONE day.

Also, it caters to people who stay long times...Us little weekend trippers are not getting as much value...

 

[RescueRanger]

I am not too pleased with the new tickets either.

I don't like the fact that they limit the pluses. I like to hop among the Pluses way too much. For example, we would get up and go to BB in the morning, hop over to TL that afternoon, to Disneyquest after dinner, then PI late night...this eats them all up in ONE day.

Also, it caters to people who stay long times...Us little weekend trippers are not getting as much value...

I think you are the exception and not the rule. I am sure there are others who tour like you but Disney has to appeal to the majority of people. They haven't completely taken away your options and you can always buy ala carte if you run out. Study up on the new options. You may just find they are not so bad after all.

 

[seashoreCM]

I am shocked and appalled to see that nothing like them will exist next year. ... What happened to the recreational options? No more surrey bikes, golf, sea racers, etc? What about the dining option? With the new plan THEY choose the number of meals I eat in a day. ... And no more UPH? What about entry into Pleasure Island, Disney Quest and the water parks? I'm really bummed about this ... shocked... appalled!

Are you sure?

If there is a downturn in the economy Dreammaker or something similar might re-appear without notice.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[gottaluvdis]

Call me a skeptic, but this entire thing doesn't sit well with me. Put it this way, Disney didn't re-do their entire ticketing structure in order to make less money than they previously did. Obviously they're trying to bilk us even more, particularly for those of us who breeze in and out for 2-3 days. I'm sure the hurricanes took a toll on the bottom line and they're trying to recoup, among other things. As my husband says, if all their marketing doesn't prove correct and people object by staying away, there will be discounts, other offers etc. on the horizon to get people back. Meanwhile, I'm keeping the days left on our parkhoppers and expect to get exactly what I already paid for when we go again without additional cost.

 

[diswedwish]

We're not too thrilled either. We loved the Silver Plan, liked the Gold, and this time loved the Platinum. We planned to go back late 2005/early 2006, but are not ready to book yet. We're waiting for more info too. We loved Fulton's, Portobello, RFC, and (for Plat.) V&A. Maybe the DD restaurants were an oversight. We liked our fireworks cruise and all the extras that came with Plat. We liked being able to split our stay (for our last trip just 3 nights Plat. at the Poly, and 7 nights Silver at POR). These new packages seem to be more cost-effective if you stay at one place longer. It states "unlimited tours" - but will that include Aqua Seas or Dolphins-in-Depth? So we'll wait and see. I realize that we are definitely in the minority - most people on the boards really disliked the plans and didn't see how you could possibly get your $'s worth. We "saved" a couple hundred on Silver, $100+ on Gold, and this last time over $1500 on Platinum. Thanks for letting me vent!!

 

[elastigirl]

I could be totally wrong, but didn't they start offering these great packages (7 for 4, Dreammaker, etc) when the entire travel industry was bottoming out? They put out great packages to get people back in the resorts and parks, when they wouldn't have otherwise traveled to WDW.

Well now, and not just for Disney, things have picked way back up. Resorts are full, parks are crowded, merchandise is flowing. Disney doesn't have to eat it just to get people in the door. It makes perfect business sense to me to retool the packages and up the profit. Disney wasn't giving things away just to be lovely, they were sucking people back in.

At first read (have to wait to see how well it works in practice) I really like the new ticketing structure.

But I tend to look at these things from not only a money-saving-guest perspective, but also from shareholder and former (and hopefully future after this stinking master's degree) cast member perspective.

JMO, YMMV.

 

[DeterminedOne]

Maybe instead of overreacting, you should do a little more investigating. They will be offering a package which will include some recreation such as surrey bikes. There will be dining options which from what I understand is even a better deal than the old silver plans. I also believe that Ohanas is on the list of participating sit down restaurants. As far as DQ, PI, and the water parks go, you can still purchase the plus pack which will include these venues. Disney like any other business has to change with the times, and I believe as many others do that this is going to be a fantastic change. Take a deep breath, step back, and see what the new plans have to offer. Sorry for being so blunt, but all of this drama from people who are afraid of change is just getting to be a little much.

Your post is more than blunt, it's just plain rude! My over reaction, or whatever you want to call it, was me stating my disdain for the new plan. You've obviously never used the Silver Plan, or at least not effectively. Otherwise you wouldn't take my comments as DRAMA. Not sure what you're looking at, but the new plan is not better than the Silver as you stated.

 

[jkjjhuddle]

I am still not sure. We are planning a trip in May for POFQ. We had planned on booking the DMS right after Jan. 1. We are only staying 3 nights. I am now planning on booking this week. Our Travel Agent told us we could change it to the new plan after Jan 2 if we found it saved us anything. We will have to wait and see.

I was all set and ready to go and then things got switched. It may be better, but I am not sure about the short stays.

Kristy

 

[Tabetha]

I'm with you. We liked the Silver plan for the flexibility it gave - you could use wishes for food or recreation. That was nice. Of course it costs twice as much as the "Meal Plan".
I'm reserving judgment until I know what the Premium package will cost, though. I was leaning towards a gold plan as our next experiment (almost did it for our upcoming Feb trip, but opted for Silver), and the premium and gold plans look pretty similar.

 

[disneymom3]

I could be totally wrong, but didn't they start offering these great packages (7 for 4, Dreammaker, etc) when the entire travel industry was bottoming out? They put out great packages to get people back in the resorts and parks, when they wouldn't have otherwise traveled to WDW.

Well now, and not just for Disney, things have picked way back up. Resorts are full, parks are crowded, merchandise is flowing. Disney doesn't have to eat it just to get people in the door. It makes perfect business sense to me to retool the packages and up the profit. Disney wasn't giving things away just to be lovely, they were sucking people back in.

At first read (have to wait to see how well it works in practice) I really like the new ticketing structure.

But I tend to look at these things from not only a money-saving-guest perspective, but also from shareholder and former (and hopefully future after this stinking master's degree) cast member perspective.

JMO, YMMV.

AMEN elastigirl! That is just the trouble I think with the special prices, codes etc. People end up taking them for granted and then when the business picks up it's like a personal affront that a business is actually trying to make a profit. Hello, magic or no magic, when it comes right down to it, Disney is a for profit organization. (And you get the magic too!! (This is not aimed at the original poster, by the way. I understand that you were expressing your opinion and respect that you are disappointed with the changes. It's just a general comment on an overall trend)

 

[RescueRanger]

Your post is more than blunt, it's just plain rude! My over reaction, or whatever you want to call it, was me stating my disdain for the new plan. You've obviously never used the Silver Plan, or at least not effectively. Otherwise you wouldn't take my comments as DRAMA. Not sure what you're looking at, but the new plan is not better than the Silver as you stated.

Using words like SHOCKED and APPALLED is most definitely DRAMA. It's one thing to be unhappy about something but give me a break. Disney hasn't even OFFICIALLY released it yet. You haven't even spoken to a REAL Disney representative to see what they have to offer or even how the new plan will work; yet, you are already passing judgement. When you make strong opinions on this board be prepared to receive strong opinions in return. JMHO.

 

[wasabi girl]

I have a trip planned, and booked, for December 2005. I have already booked the Dreammaker plus Gold plan because I like the option of 3 sit down meals every day and the unlimited recreation is great for my DH who is planning at least one round of golf per day. But...I'm wondering if I should change my reservation...maybe we could save money with the new plan and then just pay out of pocket for extras...I'm wondering if it will be a hassle with the CMs if we are on a "gold plan" nearly a year after they've stopped offering the Dreammaker plus gold plan? I feel like I need to start planning all over again....

 

[Colorado Belle]

Now you've got ME interested. Never did a package before, tho we've stayed at Disney REsorts probably 25 times over the years...starting with a lagoon front room at the Poly! Is there a place online where I can see the pricing? Is this a package that includes airfare? I always thought these packages seemed expensive for what was offered, but maybe I didnt research it enough.

RESCUE RANGER: gee, I thought that the boards were here for people who love their Disney Vacations and who want to make the most of them and NOT about,as you said, rebuking people for stating the negatives or their FEELINGS. Maybe, to you, it's DRAMA, but I thought we were all free here to post our feelings. THis isn't a board set up to DEFEND DISNEY for goodness sakes...We ALL love the Kingdom or we wouldn't bother coming here! I don't think it is EVER anyone's JOB to slam others on a message board unless a poster is slamming another poster or being racist or vulger, ya know?
If you think she is a drama queen, why not just sigh or smile and keep it to yourself?

OK enough lecturing from me...I gotta go pack. Leaving in 2 days. BE GOOD you guys, and quit fighting!!!!!!!
(Mama) Colorado Belle