Unhappy with DDP policy

[pinnocchiosdad]

Tell me if this sounds fair. I think not. My wife and 2 sons are arriving BCV on a Sat for 4 nights. Me and DS 11 are arriving Mon for 2 nights (All in same 2BR). DDP is charging me and DS 11 for 4 days of DDP even though we are only staying 2. There policy is that all members of the party must have the same DDP. I thought I would beat the system by letting my DS 11 use my 2 extra days of DDP, but I was told that all members staying in the room had to be on the DDP. I think you should be able to pick how many days of your stay you desire to be on the DDP and not be required to use it your entire stay. JMHO

 

[CarolA]

The DDP policy is the standard policy. Doesn't matter where you are staying or how you pay. If you had booked a room via CRO everyone has to have DDP for the entire stay.

 

[Chuck S]

DVC doesn't set the rules for DDP. Disney travel does. The DDP was designed to be part of a length of stay package for everyone in the room. DVC negotiated to be able to even offer the DDP to members on points, and they have to follow the same rules as everyone else. If you don't feel the DDP will save you any $$, then don't do the DDP for any part of the trip, your entire party can pay cash meals instead. The DDP would never save us a dime based on our normal dining habits, so we simply pay cash and spend less than the DDP would cost us.

Most "all inclusive" type plans in the travel industry aren't designed to save you $$, they are designed to get you to prepay, and view it as a convenience.

 

[dzorn]

I wish they gave you more flex with the plan also. I would like to use the plan but not everyone in our party might like it. DVC probably has more people that come for partial trips or a trade off of occupants of the larger units. I would even like it if they gave you the option to decrease it by a day under the reservation nights. If you are arriving late and leaving an early check out it is too much. They could easily make it a flex plan like the tickets. You choose the number of days you would like to purchase.

Denise in MI

 

[patsal]

So basically you're saying the plan doesn't work for you, so you want them to change the plan so it does?
This is one of those cases where the plan is not one size fits all and it usually is better to just pay as you go.
You will not be saving any money by purchasing the DDP so why not just drop it from the reservation and pay as you go.
We don't save money by using the DDP since it includes things we don't eat and excludes the things that we do. We didn't use the DDP and saved about 30% by not using it!
Marketing and advertising can make it sound all good, and like a savings, but as Chuck said it is more a conveinience thing with your $$ spent all up front rather than staggered slowly.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you have an AP, get the Disney Dining Experience card. It's about $60. You get 20% off of most table service dining and some counter service dining.

 

[Grandbuddy]

Tell me if this sounds fair. I think not. My wife and 2 sons are arriving BCV on a Sat for 4 nights. Me and DS 11 are arriving Mon for 2 nights (All in same 2BR). DDP is charging me and DS 11 for 4 days of DDP even though we are only staying 2. There policy is that all members of the party must have the same DDP. I thought I would beat the system by letting my DS 11 use my 2 extra days of DDP, but I was told that all members staying in the room had to be on the DDP. I think you should be able to pick how many days of your stay you desire to be on the DDP and not be required to use it your entire stay. JMHO

An alternative, however, is to see if a studio or 1BR is available for Saturday and Sunday nights, for your wife and daughter. If they move into the 2BR on Monday, when you arrive, they can have DDP for the weekend without your being part of their "party." You would then not be paying for extra days. (These would be separate reservations, so no problem with you and the son not being there.)

 

[Donald's Fan in PHX!]

I think you said it for yourself when you mentioned "I was trying to beat the system." They can't have a family that is staying in the same room on different days or types of the DDP. The points for the program can be pulled of anyones card, so they need to be the same.

 

[Caskbill]

An alternative, however, is to see if a studio or 1BR is available for Saturday and Sunday nights, for your wife and daughter. If they move into the 2BR on Monday, when you arrive, they can have DDP for the weekend without your being part of their "party." You would then not be paying for extra days. (These would be separate reservations, so no problem with you and the son not being there.)

This will work but you would probably have to move. You cannot link the reservations because if you do the dining plan applies for the entire length of the reservation. If you don't link the reservations, you'll have to check out and check in, and most likely have to move. That means you're 'homeless' between your 11:00 am checkout and your 4:00 pm checkin.

 

[Simba's Mom]

It's so disappointing when the DDP isn't working out for you on a trip. I can relate. On an upcoming trip, I'm staying in a studio (also at BCV) for 8 days. DH is only able to join me for 4 of those 8 days. However, the only way he'd be able to get the dining plan, since it's one room reservation, is if both of us took the DDP for the entire 8 days. As patsal said, this is one time when the DDP just doesn't work for us, so we'll be paying as we go.

 

[Dean]

Tell me if this sounds fair. I think not. My wife and 2 sons are arriving BCV on a Sat for 4 nights. Me and DS 11 are arriving Mon for 2 nights (All in same 2BR). DDP is charging me and DS 11 for 4 days of DDP even though we are only staying 2. There policy is that all members of the party must have the same DDP. I thought I would beat the system by letting my DS 11 use my 2 extra days of DDP, but I was told that all members staying in the room had to be on the DDP. I think you should be able to pick how many days of your stay you desire to be on the DDP and not be required to use it your entire stay. JMHO

This is the way they make money on the plan. With other similar programs (Food n Fun) they had the same rule but would often let you drop the first or last day. You'll have to chose but you will have to purchase for everyone for the entire stay. There might be other, dishonest ways around it, for those that chose to do so. And as noted, you could have separate reservations and possible change rooms. I assume you're in a 1 BR, you might try changing to a 2 BR for the time you're all there with a 1 BR or studio for when it's only 3. Then you can have it the way you want it and MAY not have to change rooms if you get a lockoff for the 2 BR portion.

 

[tjkraz]

Part of the logic behind the dining plan is the expectation that some people will have credits which go unused.

While DVCers may be different, most people seem to subscribe to the infamous "commando" touring style for their Disney park vacations. As such, they may not find themselves willing to stop for 7 full sit-down meals (including dessert) in a week. That helps Disney justify the cost, which obviously comes in at less than menu prices.

Offering the DDP for select days would increase the percentage of credits used and lower the plan's profitability. People would just buy it for a couple days and cram their high-priced table service meals into those days.

Allowing the system more flexibility to deal with staggered arrival and departure days of folks staying in the same room would just lead to abuse. Many people would just lie to buy the plan for a small number of days as described above.

 

[Blahnde]

I appreciate the need/want for an "all-inclusive" type vacation at WDW, but no matter how hard I try I have never been able to make any DDP work for my family either eating-habit wise or financially. I've crunched the numbers and even with "maximizing" the plan (which is becoming increasingly difficult since they are removing the most expensive items on many menus!), I find we generally just break even.

So instead of complaining, I created my own dining plan system! In the months leading up to our trip I regularly load a gift-card-type Visa with monies to use for dining while on vacation. I used our food budget amount as my goal to have loaded before we left, but you could also just use the total price of the Disney plan of your choice as a target load amount. There are several benefits to this method: 1) you still get the pre-paid effect with much more flexibility; 2) it can be used with DDE to save more; 3) you are not locked in to eating the way Disney wants you to; 4) you do not have to waste a bunch of time trying to "work" the system; 5) you can use my plan to pay for everything (alcoholic drinks, appetizers, and tip!); 6) my plan works off-site, not just on Disney property; and 7) if you have leftovers, you can spend the money anywhere they take Visa, instead of having a bunch of worthless credits!

Feel free to use the BDP (Blahnde's Dining Plan) for your next WDW trip!

Blahnde

 

[Laneychris]

Great Idea your dinning plan!

 

[pinnocchiosdad]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think what we are going to do with the extra meals is for me and DW to enjoy a night out together at a signature restraunt (2 table service meals each). I am sure the extra counter service meals and snacks will not go to wast with 3 boys 11, 13, and 17.

 

[CarolA]

Part of the logic behind the dining plan is the expectation that some people will have credits which go unused.

While DVCers may be different, most people seem to subscribe to the infamous "commando" touring style for their Disney park vacations. As such, they may not find themselves willing to stop for 7 full sit-down meals (including dessert) in a week. That helps Disney justify the cost, which obviously comes in at less than menu prices.

Offering the DDP for select days would increase the percentage of credits used and lower the plan's profitability. People would just buy it for a couple days and cram their high-priced table service meals into those days.

Allowing the system more flexibility to deal with staggered arrival and departure days of folks staying in the same room would just lead to abuse. Many people would just lie to buy the plan for a small number of days as described above.

I don't commando tour. We left with LOTS of unused CS credits and a few unused snack credits. So it's not just commando touring that causes you not to eat all that food, it's self preservation.....

And don't assume that "teenagers" will eat it all. The teens on our trip were BEGGING us NOT to make them eat more LOL!

 

[DebbieB]

I agree with Dean, this is the key to how they make money on the plan. If you could pick which nights you wanted it or which people you wanted on it, you could maximum the use and pay less. By requiring all nights and all people, it puts more money into the "bank" to make it profitable for them.

 

[MiaSRN62]

The DDP is also the reason I never liked those old LOS/UPH tickets that were tied in with the number of days you stayed in WDW. What if you had a flight delay and missed most of your first day ---there went one lost day on the pass. What if someone in your party got sick ? Another lost day. What if you wanted to visit Sea World or similar---another day you paid for on your hopper that you would never get back.

I feel like DDP is similar. What if someone is sick....plans change...whatever....could potentially have a tough time spending those points. If you decide to visit Sea World or Uni one day---you're still paying for that food. It would be nearly impossible to catch up and eat all of it. Our family looked over the DDP and determined #1) we could never eat the amount of food to justify the cost #2) we don't like having our every day planned to a "T" when staying in WDW. #3) we would feel "roped-in" to eating at a certain time that might not work best for us. How will we know 90 or 180 days prior to a trip what our preferences will be ? We love the DDE. We make a few ADR's for places we really like, and then wing the rest. And we never feel like we're wasting food or money.

 

[disneynutz]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think what we are going to do with the extra meals is for me and DW to enjoy a night out together at a signature restraunt (2 table service meals each). I am sure the extra counter service meals and snacks will not go to wast with 3 boys 11, 13, and 17.

Excellent idea. I'm sure that you will enjoy your night out.

 

[alldiz]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think what we are going to do with the extra meals is for me and DW to enjoy a night out together at a signature restraunt (2 table service meals each). I am sure the extra counter service meals and snacks will not go to wast with 3 boys 11, 13, and 17.

Good plan
Kerrri