Things not going well with the DDP changes

[Colleen27]

I don't understand why Disney doesn't offer the ddp to everyone....not just people staying on disney themed properties. and for them to make everyone in the room buy it for their whole stay and everyone buy at least one ticket is pretty crazy especially if you have a ap. I know at Universal Studio and IOA they have a dining plan which i think blows Disney's plan out of the water and it is offered to everyone not just people who stay at their hotels. Being on the DxDDp which is $70 a day and you get 3 TS/CS and 2 snacks a day at Universal for $25 you eat all day long at both parks....I don't know it sounds like a better deal to me. Disney needs to review their meal plan because Universal has beat them!!!!! I have used both and although i have a disney ap i leaning toward going to Universal because they seem to have a better deal on their meal plans and their tickets are a better value

Unless a lot has changed since I was last at Universal (which is very possible - it has been years), there's no comparison between dining at the two. Disney has a lot to offer, in variety of cuisine and dining experience, while Universal is just a step or two up from typical theme park food.

 

[KelsiesMommy]

With the exception of the UK guest, was anyone able to book the DDP before the changes were announced?
QUOTE]

Nope- I had to wait till 2008 packages were released, and the changes were included then. I booked Room only and converted to a package once it was released.

 

[Tiger926]

Unless a lot has changed since I was last at Universal (which is very possible - it has been years), there's no comparison between dining at the two. Disney has a lot to offer, in variety of cuisine and dining experience, while Universal is just a step or two up from typical theme park food.

ITA! It's been a few years since we've been to Universal, but the food offerings were just yucky, save for one really good table service restaurant that was always packed. Disney really has some type of food & snacks for all people, whereas Universald was fast food and junk, when we were there last. City Walk does have a few good restaurants, but I'm assuming that for the $25.00/day that the poster is speaking of, it's not going to include a steak dinner at Emeril's restaurant!

Tiger

 

[hipchickie]

I can understand if I had used the plan for years, I might not read the brochure as closely (my fault), or question to CM when booking - but didn't the plan name change, too, with the addition of the Deluxe plans? You'd think that might alert some people when they were asked which plan they wanted.

Maybe I'm just naive...

As has been mentioned several times - many people were not given a brocure at any point (we leave in 2 weeks and still never got one. I booked through AAA who never mentioned the "name" per se, or any changes.- why would I assume there was changes?

This reminds me of something that happened in the town we just moved from, which I will try to relate without getting too long. Someone bought a home, which had a tax abatement as "agricultural". The assessor told the new owner that all they had to do was harvest firewood to qualify, which they did for years. Assessor retires, new assessor rules retroactively that it did *not* qualify and that the homeowner owes 20K in back taxes can you imagine???
Some people said that they should have just KNOWN that it didn't qualify. That even though the person who was the source of info gave them the incorrect info, they should have persued it further and gone to the state level to find out the rules

In that case and this - if all the info you are given and told indicates something, why would you assume that was wrong and continue to investigate

 

[distherapy]

We weren't "given" a brochure, per se - I read about it on Disney's website. I can totally understand that people who have done this time and time again wouldn't go through that step.

With the situation you described, though, would you be mad at Disney? or AAA? I think I'd be mad at AAA for not letting me know about the changes - and that if I was interested in the Dining Plan that I had more than one option.

And oh, that's awful about the tax assessment.

 

[Devil_Dog99]

No letters needed. You couldn't book pre-change.

My apologies. From some of the posts I read, it sounded lile you could. It also appears that when you did book, the notice was in there and I would think that phone reps would alert callers to the changes when booked. So there should have been no surprises.

I go back to what I said earlier, anyone who knows anything about WDW knows they are constantly tweaking things, and with relatively new programs such as the DDP, almost annually until they reach a happy medium. People should have known.

 

[TLSnell1981]

My apologies. From some of the posts I read, it sounded lile you could. It also appears that when you did book, the notice was in there and I would think that phone reps would alert callers to the changes when booked. So there should have been no surprises.

I go back to what I said earlier, anyone who knows anything about WDW knows they are constantly tweaking things, and with relatively new programs such as the DDP, almost annually until they reach a happy medium. People should have known.

That's the issue.....MOST don't know much about WDW. I don't the AVERAGE guest goes but every few years and it is just another vacation spot. They are not fanatics like we are. They take whatever there TAs tell them as gospel.

Really, for those of us who have gone to WDW for years, really didn't have a lot of change until the Eisner years. At one point, I was afraid they were going to remove Cindy's Castle

 

[hematite153]

disneyfav4ever: That's odd, because my trip isn't until September, and I already got something.
NMW: Maybe because the CM offered to email the confirmation? I have to call them to add limo transportation anyway. I'm going to ask for dining plan info to be sent to me.
moparop: It seems as thought the people who said they received something were on the deluxe plan. I wonder if WDW only sent out info on that plan as it was brand new??

I received a paper confirmation letter and receipt, but no brochures. disneyfav4ever, you're in the UK, right? Is it possible that only people in the UK are receiving brochures? (As for the deluxe theory, we booked deluxe dining for next Sept. and haven't received anything.)

No letters needed. You couldn't book pre-change.

Okay. But, this afternoon, you can still go to the Tickets & Packages FAQ on the disneyworld website and read that:

Q. Are gratuities included with the Magic Your Way Plus Dining Package and the Magic Your Way Premium Package?
A. Yes. As a benefit of purchasing these packages, all gratuities are automatically included where applicable.

(They've finally gone in and corrected the line that you posted. But, it was done by a poor editor who apparently missed the fact that the WHOLE FAQ needed to be revised for accuracy.)

So, just to see how easy it would be to book a package without noticing the changes, I put in a couple of dates for booking on the website and was given the following information about the Magic Your Way Package with Dining:

All the benefits included in the Magic Your Way Package
One table-service meal per person, per night (ages 3+)**
One snack per person, per night (ages 3+)**
Admission to select Grand Gathering Experiences

Wine and Dine
Upgrade your selection with a wine add-on. Learn More.


So, if I've done my research before booking and read up on all of the packages (in their own FAQs), I go to book assuming that I know everything I need to know and find nothing that suggests my prior information may be wrong.

Therefore, I, rather legitimately, would assume that the dining plan works the same way as the one I used last year--except that now I could pay more to add wine, if I wanted.

Yes, you could get the information about the changes if you knew how to look for it:
- there was a relatively hard to find link that sent me to the detailed information that said "entree, dessert, & drink...gratuity not included"
- If I copied the information above and pasted it into a word processor, the explanations of the headings pasted too. But, they did not show up with the internet standard underlining to indicate that they were clickable links. And, who, other than someone hunting around for the information would go to the extreme of taking the information and copying it into a document rather than just printing it???

Ah well, I won't take this out on the servers, and, I do/did know about the changes. But, I think it is perfectly reasonable that some people arrived at wdw without knowing about them.

 

[VacationDad]

Okay. But, this afternoon, you can still go to the Tickets & Packages FAQ on the disneyworld website and read that:

Q. Are gratuities included with the Magic Your Way Plus Dining Package and the Magic Your Way Premium Package?
A. Yes. As a benefit of purchasing these packages, all gratuities are automatically included where applicable.

.

It is ridiculous that this is still there. They should have at least added the qualifier "2007 Magic Your Way Plus Dining" in the FAQ.

 

[hematite153]

It is ridiculous that this is still there. They should have at least added the qualifier "2007 Magic Your Way Plus Dining" in the FAQ.

Okay--but since it is 2008 already, they should have just changed the answer!!!

 

[paulh]

Disney have known about this problem for a while now,I contacted them 1st September 2007 regarding the changes.they phoned me a couple of weeks later(am in uk as well)and i was told that there had been a lot of feed back then
I told them that the removal of the app and having to pay the tip was not a good idea,plus was told then about the auto 18%(but got slapped down on boards for mentioning it),because of these changes told them we wouldent be using in 08
She thanked me for the feedback as "Disney listiens to its guests" but there were no plans to change the 08 ddp
After hearing the stories they might change proberly not this year but for 09
Paulh

 

[Tricia1972]

...
I told them that the removal of the app and having to pay the tip was not a good idea,plus was told then about the auto 18%(but got slapped down on boards for mentioning it),because of these changes told them we wouldent be using in 08...
Paulh

Though the 18% auto gratuity for all DDP guests didn't come true (I remember your forecast back in Sept, we even had a few good natured PM's about it)

Auto gratuity is only for parties of 6 or more and all DDE guests.

 

[GreatLakes5]

I just wanted to add a "me too" in regards to not receiving any hard copies in regard to the dining plan. AND though we are returning users I would not have thought to re-read information on the WDW website even if it were there. We are nearing 20 days from the trip and have only received our paid receipt paper - that's it. Had it not been for this board I can picture us being the DDP users who were shocked after their first TS experience.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

It's really interesting watching all the confusion and hysteria--kind of the same way it's interesting to drive by a traffic accident.

We're not going down until August, and have decided to skip the DDP. I figure, we can always change our minds and add it, fairly late in the game, if things improve.

I think it's very unreasonable that Disney wasn't clearer on the changes. If there's THIS much miscommunication, it's not reasonable to blame the patrons. I don't understand why people aren't getting a clear description of their uprchased package, both at time of purchase, then again at check-in. Perhaps Disney will add clarification at check-in.

Look at it this way: I go to WDW on the DDP in early 2008. My budget is tight, but I have $500 for souvenirs. We get to our first TS meal, and I find out I have to shell out $50 for tip--that I didn't plan or budget for! I'm either going to (a) take on credit card debt that I hadn't planned on, or (b) put a lot of my souvenir $ towards tips. (You could do some of both, too.) But if I pick (a), and I would, WDW isn't getting MORE money out of me--they're getting the same amount because I'm spending my souvenir money on tips, and I have a bad feeling about WDW because they blindsided me! So, that might affect my decision to go there next year or the year after. After all, who knows what surprises they might have up their sleeves for the next trip?

 

[HopperFan]

I don't understand why Disney doesn't offer the ddp to everyone....not just people staying on disney themed properties. and for them to make everyone in the room buy it for their whole stay and everyone buy at least one ticket is pretty crazy especially if you have a ap. I know at Universal Studio and IOA they have a dining plan which i think blows Disney's plan out of the water and it is offered to everyone not just people who stay at their hotels. Being on the DxDDp which is $70 a day and you get 3 TS/CS and 2 snacks a day at Universal for $25 you eat all day long at both parks....I don't know it sounds like a better deal to me. Disney needs to review their meal plan because Universal has beat them!!!!! I have used both and although i have a disney ap i leaning toward going to Universal because they seem to have a better deal on their meal plans and their tickets are a better value

There is no comparison in the two. Universal limits you to four locations at each park of counter service/fast food only.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

disneyfav4ever, you're in the UK, right?

Nope, I'm in the US.

 

[LexPlayer]

I think it's very unreasonable that Disney wasn't clearer on the changes. If there's THIS much miscommunication, it's not reasonable to blame the patrons.

Very well said on a very astute point!

I would add that if changes are being made to the DDP, the burden is upon Disney to ensure that the patrons/visitors are fully informed. This whole "buyer beware" concept seems to be unduly harsh on the visitors. Yes, we can all agree that a great many number of visitors are "ignorant" of what they have purchased, but it is ultimately up to Disney to make sure that the visitors are made aware of any and all changes. The number of Disney-defenders on this Board is quite perplexing.

 

[desertbloom]

I just booked my trip for this year approx 3 weeks ago and have yet to hear of the changes from a CM or a TA. I first booked with Disney directly then cancelled it after getting a better rate with AAA. I do feel sorry for the wait staff. I had a feeling that they would get stiffed. I know that when I waitressed people were always stiffing you. Most elderly would tip 10%, Europeans didn't tip ( I believe they don't tip as that is norm for them, not because they were being cheap). Of course there are always exceptions...I'm not trying to say that it was always the case. However, it was often the case. I did get a lot of copies of the bible as a tip. I must look like I need to be saved. Maybe the bank will take those as payment for my mortgage. I can see where people on the DDP might just decide to not pay a tip or to pay little tip because they are angry. I still went with DDP this year as I know I would cheap out and eat all cs all week. With it paid up front I can get what I really want without my cheapness gene kicking in. Maybe the waitstaff will strike. Can you imagine no servers showing up for work one day? Now that would shake things up!! Hopefully not on a day I'm there though!

 

[Alicnwondrln]

this doesnt surprise me at all
people who read here on somewhere else or dont use a TA probably werent told by Disney. I am more surprised disney wasnt prepared for this.

 

[hematite153]

Nope, I'm in the US.

Hmmn, I must have mixed you up with another poster.

So much for that theory then!