Who else hates the Dining Plan

[JuneDisney]

"Cruise is truly relaxing. DDP is not, you have to make decisions and stress yourself out making those ADR's."

Making the ADR's was actually quite enjoyable for me. We love to eat well on vacation and I got to pick through a ton of restaurants. I got all the times I wanted and I am looking foward to it and the 10lbs I am going to gain

 

[bicker]

So far it appears to have worked out VERY well for Disney and I would assume that as long as it is profitable for them, they will continue with the DDP.

This is a really important point, and bears repeating. Folks have been telling me, over and over again, that the Dining Plan is incredibly successful from Disney's standpoint. Every concern raised about the Dining Plan can readily be interpreted as a GOOD THING from Disney's standpoint.

It will be a long time before the "shift" happens where people like myself who loved dining at Disney because of the uniqueness of some of it, will start to look at dining off-site. I do predict this will happen, but it will happen fairly slowly.

I believe most of it has already happened, but it sounds like the increase in the GOOD for Disney far outweighs the BAD for Disney. The Dining Plan will cause too few people to change their purchasing habits to Disney's detriment, to register as anything Disney needs to be concerned about.

Let's face it--most people are interested in the most food for the least money.

Precisely. And for those who don't feel that way, Disney still offers the Signature restaurants.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Since we have not actually done the Free Dining yet I cannot conclusively ascertain whether it will be a good deal for us or not.

My thinking is that since the 'actual' cost for us (staying at a Value) would be in the $20-30 a day range, according to what the codes are for that time period, IF they have any, it will be a good deal cost wise.

It will enable us to try restaurants that we might not have otherwise tried. I am sure that we will love some of these choices and not care to return to others.

We made ADR's for one TS a day but if we are not hungry at that time we will cancel and eat later at whatever we can find that is available. We will not eat when we are not hungry and are not one bit interested in getting the most bang for a buck at the expense of our enjoyment.

It will be interesting in that we will not be leaving the parks to eat elsewhere (which Disney will enjoy) or packing food for the room.

That being said I sincerely doubt that we would buy the package if it were available.

I am also thinking that it would be an improvement if they had tiered dining plans instead of one standard that does NOT fit all.

I am guessing that it will be a great joy to be able to treat someone else to a free meal and surely do plan on doing so.

When we return from our Sept/Oct trip I will know more and will report in what worked for us and greatly appreciate hearing all your reports as to your experiences.

Slightly Goofy

 

[aterriq]

The only aspect about the DP that I 'hate' is, I find unless you make a ADR well in advance (along with all the planning around that) We NO longer get into any of the better restaurants! Sometimes I just dont know what I want till I want it!

I see lots of people who say this or want to be spontaneous. My question is how did you plan your wedding? Did you plan that as a spontaneous event? Did you plan the wedding meal the day or your wedding since you didn't know what you want?

I like the plan. We are trying more restaurants than we would have due to cost. Of course this means more waits for the old timers who have also eaten at TS meals.

Disney needs to increase their waitstaff during the slow periods since the DP is very popular.

Let's not forget that Disney is here to make money. It is great for us if we can go to our favorite TS places at the last minute. For Disney, they want to ensure their TS places are filled to the max capacity. This ends being beneficial to one but not too both.

As for gluttoney, you don't have to eat all of your appetizer, meal and dessert. Its a mindset issue. A lot of us have grown up with the idea to finish every thing on your plate since there starving servicemembers eating MREs overseas. I take it as an opportunity to try a lot things. Our family orders different appetizers, meals and desserts. We share and will try some of each other items. This way we can try new things we like and yes verify that there are some things we still don't like even if WDW makes it.

With the 180 days, I think only us DIS'ers plan our ADRs that far out. Its obvious you don't need to make ADRs at 180 days. Look at how many on this board change their ADRs up to the last day.

Shoot, I have been trying to get my co workers with small kids to WDW for free dining. I almost have one convinced.

 

[alikat99]

While we haven't actually tried the DDP, I'm already thinking that I don't like it. As a FL resident, only 1.5 hrs from WDW, sometimes we barely know a week in advance that we are going to go to WDW for the day. We do like to eat at TS once a day, but it's getting VERY hard to do so. Gone are the days that I could call up on Monday and get a reservation for the upcoming Saturday. That part is getting old.

Now, that being said, DH and the girls are going to use the Free Dining promotion in Sept, while I'm at a scrapbooking retreat in AZ. We'll see how he likes it. And, we're planning on purchasing DDP, while staying at DVC in October, just so we can "pre-pay" for our food.

We'll see how it goes, but for my last-minute trips, it's getting frustrating not being able to eat at my favorite TS restaurants.

 

[crisi]

Disney came up with the DDP because of LACK of demand. Their park and resort table service restaurants were being under utilized because of the expense. They created the dining plan to get people to stop staying and eating off site.

So far it appears to have worked out VERY well for Disney and I would assume that as long as it is profitable for them, they will continue with the DDP. It will be a long time before the "shift" happens where people like myself who loved dining at Disney because of the uniqueness of some of it, will start to look at dining off-site. I do predict this will happen, but it will happen fairly slowly.

Let's face it--most people are interested in the most food for the least money. *Most* people don't care about quality, hence, the ever popular Chinese buffets that have popped up all over the U.S.

I think the whole DDP has been wildly successful for Disney; however, the people who consider themselves in the fine dining group will slowly go off-site. Especially, if there is a downgrade in quality of signature dining.

We've been dining at Disney for a long time, and I can't think of a time when the restaurants were underutilized (except Marrakesh and Askerhus). It was difficult, pre DDP, to walk into Alfredos or Coral Reef or Sci Fi or Teppanyaki. I think these restaurants WERE profitable. What was underutilized was their hotel infrastructure. People would eat onsite, but they weren't necessarily staying onsite. Also, what was happening was people were taking mid-trip days and spending them at Sea World or Universal. The Dining Plan and Magical Express both tie you to WDW, and are both great boons for the guest who wants to spend their time at Disney. But they don't necessarily fix problems for people who didn't have problems before - and, while you won't get any arguement that restaurants are busier, the hotels are busier, and this seems to be a good move for Disney as a whole, I don't think they were operating at a loss prior - and I think that the margin on the average customer for restaurants ONLY was probably better pre-DDP- but they are making up any loss on margin in increased hotel revenue, market share (poor Universal) and perhaps volume in the restaurants.

But the signature dining places continue (with the exception of the California Grill - which gets crowded at fireworks time) to offer the foodies good food without the hassle of the increased number of diners that the other restaurants have. We are usually able to book a signature place without any problem, and if we eat early, its easy to walk in.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I think if Disney's dining plan works for you, then that is terrific. I, on the other hand, do not like planning my trip that far out. To compare going to WDW and my planning my wedding, yikes that was years ago, I have to admit I went for the all inclusive wedding at a very nice restaurant, which is no longer in operation.....they did the planning, I picked what I wanted that day and walked away and they did the work.

When I go on vacation, I want it to be a vacation. I am not a commando type of Disney person...I like to go where the day takes me. When we wake up in the morning, my husband and I might decide where we want to go that day. Now we can do this as we no longer have small children that we have to worry about, eating times, nap times, etc. This is what I mean when I say I am spontaneous about WDW. If the plan makes you happy, great.....

 

[LuckyJC]

I see lots of people who say this or want to be spontaneous. My question is how did you plan your wedding? Did you plan that as a spontaneous event? Did you plan the wedding meal the day or your wedding since you didn't know what you want?

Are we comparing a Disney vacation to a Wedding now?

I am sorry, but how on earth can you consider planning a vacation the same as planning a wedding!!! I am getting married next year, my second marriage. The complexity of a second marriage after divorce, and conducting receptions in two cities, Canada and U.S., honeymoon that includes my son and parent, arranging a new living arrangement in a new city, I mean it is one of the most important event and a milestone in my life. A Disney vacation is just that, a vacation, I want to relax, not spend my time stressed out over ADR. I will not and refuse to, put in the same effort into it as I would my wedding.

Like I said, this is getting a little much!

 

[Randy K]

Count me in for spontaneity.....I am not a planner, which is unusual for a Capricorn person, but I just like to go where the day takes me.. There are a lot of reasons for this, life is too short to just plan everything to the absolute minute...so I too am feeling the crunch of the plan. I am an AP holder so I do have the Disney Dining Adventure and am also a DVC person so I am not going to be doing the dining plan......I am feeling the squeeze from the plan.

Hmm.. I'm a Capricorn as well and have complete opposite feelings. I feel that because life is too short and your trip at Disney World is usually short as well that the trip needs to be planned to enjoy it to the fullest. There are too many stories of so much wasted WDW time from people roaming around without a plan and not knowing exactly what to do next and then wishing they had a plan when its too late. I say life is too short to not plan.
Love the dining plan

 

[PlutoLuvr]

I see lots of people who say this or want to be spontaneous. My question is how did you plan your wedding? Did you plan that as a spontaneous event? Did you plan the wedding meal the day or your wedding since you didn't know what you want?

I'm one of the posters who said I liked spontaneity on vacation (whether at WDW or somewhere else). How did I plan my wedding? With tons of stress, arguments with my family and my soon-to-be-in-laws and plenty of tears. No, I also didn't plan the wedding meal the day of the wedding...but I also didn't eat what I tasted eight months earlier at the caterer's, either. I wasn't in the mood for it.

Actually, I wanted to spontaneously elope in Vegas, but my mother would have disowned me for life. Hence I had an extremely stressful, nervewracking year of planning from hell. Not something I want to ever do again, much less on vacation a couple times a year.

Some folks like to plan; some don't. Then there's a spectrum of planning, too, i.e., some folks spend a week at WDW and only make two or three ADRs while others make two per day. Like another poster said, I, too, am in Florida, and taking a quick getaway day trip to Epcot with a nice dinner with a week's notice is getting harder and harder to do. And that's fine! Because of that, my family has found some really cool and fun places other than WDW to dine at. For those that love to plan every minute of a vacation months in advance, I'm sure they're in heaven being able to plan lunch at 11:45 in a certain park so far out.

Personally, I love the free DDP for all you out-of-state tourists. It gets you into our state for days on end in the height of hurricane season when everyone else is getting out as fast as they can, but y'all aren't using our gas, since you're staying on site, that we need for generators and for our cars to evacuate; y'all are paying rack room rates (with that hefty hotel tax to boot on rack rates) and full price tickets (again, fully taxed to the hilt) to get some free meals. This kind of thing keeps my taxes low year-round when everyone else is scared to death to come to Florida during September, thus bringing our state's economy to a screeching halt, considering tourism is Florida's biggest industry.

But for me personally, having to plan so far out to get a decent meal on vacation, especially while the free DDP is going on, is simply a headache and not worthwhile IMO.

 

[MICKEEP]

I am one who remembers the day when you could go into Epcot and stand across from a screen and make a ps with a person you were talking to on a screen for that day, no more.

I too remember those days and that is the reason I started this thread. I also remember the days when you could call Disney Dining at 2 or 3 in the afternoon and get your choice of restaurants to eat at that evening.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

Mickeep.....I want you to know that I think this has been a very good discussion, and of course, we all have our opinions, makes the world go round. So bravo to you for starting a good thread here.

I am wondering out loud here is the reason that we cannot get into restaurants as we did before the result of the dining plan or just generally that WDW is very popular and crowded....People want to experience everything and therefore eating at Epcot restaurants, character meals and just general restaurants in the World are becoming wanted experiences. Or is it the result of the dining plan, which I cannot avail myself of as I am DVC and an annual passholder. Or because they offer the plan and you take it as part of your reservation with WDW, you want to eat at the sit down restaurants, almost feel compelled to get your money's worth...thus making them a hard reservation to get.

 

[aterriq]

I only picked the wedding day since its a day where people plan their meal months in advance.

All I'm trying to say is that we can all do some planning when the occasion calls for it, but it will take work. I know its a vacation and you don't want to have to do some work since its your time to relax.

Just realize that WDW is a popular place. Boards like DIS help people decide where to eat and to try different restaurants. So those of you who have given reccommendations may contributed to your favorite places being full.

 

[MyGoofy26]

I have not used the DDR and I don't think I ever will.

1. No offense but I can't not for the life of me imagine eating at a TS EVERYDAY. Way way WAY too much food.

The only way we can use all our TS credits is to add Signature dining into our "plan" . . . we could easily have 2 Signature meals and still not starve on the plan. We still came out way ahead, spending less money than we usually would PLUS we got to "upgrade" a meal to a Signature that we wouldn't have paid for OOP.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

"Just realize that WDW is a popular place. Boards like DIS help people decide where to eat and to try different restaurants. So those of you who have given reccommendations may contributed to your favorite places being full."

Good point.....all my recommendations about Citrico's.....I didn't mean it.

 

[Kitka]

Hmm.. I'm a Capricorn as well and have complete opposite feelings. I feel that because life is too short and your trip at Disney World is usually short as well that the trip needs to be planned to enjoy it to the fullest. There are too many stories of so much wasted WDW time from people roaming around without a plan and not knowing exactly what to do next and then wishing they had a plan when its too late. I say life is too short to not plan.
Love the dining plan

I'm a Capricorn who agrees with you.

 

[swimmom]

More reasons I hate the Dining Plan (besides the gluttony thing...)

1. The menus are being dumbed down in the good TS restaurants

2. The first question that comes out of your servers mouth is - Are you on the dining plan?

3. Standing behind people in line at CS restaurants trying to max out their credits and arguing with the poor kids behind the counter that they were charged for a snack when its really just their desert!!

4. Watching people eat soup for an appetizer when its 95 degrees in the shade just becasue its on the plan. And its not gazpacho!!

We always made a point of making a reservation at the Flying Fish and California Grill - not this year. We are headed to Blue Zoo and Normans (Blue Zoo isn't on the DP and Normans is 10 miles away)

 

[Kitka]

Hmmm, that is weird. I was under the impression that even CS meals included at least a drink?

Yes, CS meals do include a drink. They also include a dessert for each person.

 

[BillSears]

I'm beginning to dislike the DDP.

I'll be taking advantage of the free dining this September but it's the first time I've used the DDP.

I used to really love the spontanity of walking up to a podium and getting a sit down meal. I used to do this at Le Cellier and King Stephans on many of my past trips. Knowing that this is impossible now makes me sad.

I'll still go to WDW but now I'll make lots of plans. I don't think I'll be using the DDP unless it's free though. To tell the truth one TS meal a day really isn't enough. On all of the non DDP trips I've taken I usually eat TS for eveything but a couple of meals.

I do agree with others about the huge amount of food. It will be interesting to see how I handle it since this will be my first DDP experience. I know I can't normally eat an appitizer, meal and desert all in one sitting. I suspect that there will be alot of left over food on the table.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

This is just way too much fun....I love it when we have discussions and have a little fun..

OK.. you planning Capricorns, I am not a planning Capricorn. I agree that life is way too short, but I hate the planning thing. Must be the other signs that come into play with my Capricorn side......they want to be spontaneous.