Who else hates the Dining Plan

[Pedler]

Quick question:

Do I have to make ADR's for everynight because we are on the plan or can I take my chances and see what's available???

No you can wing it if you want to. Some people have the perception that the dinning plan somehow boxes them into planning but in reality it doesn't. You have no ADR's at all and just take your chances on a table being available. No different than paying cash.

 

[westjones]

I wish you could pick levels of the Dining program. For example, you could pick:

A--1 counter service
B--1 snack
C--1 sit down

I would buy A and B and leave off C. But some might like just A and C or C and B. But each level would have a different price based on the value.

Or maybe you could pick to have 4 As, 2 Bs and 3 Cs.

Something like that.

Maybe in the future. It would just be nice to have the "Magic Your Way".
DJ

 

[mikymouse]

My DH & I spent many a years living on tips and so we are very aware of service both good and bad. We always tipped beyond what they got from the Dinning Plan if the service was excellent.

I think most people working in a tipping environment understand that service=>tips most of the time and you can tell immediately the "type" of people who will tip/won't tip right away. The dinning plan might have increased the amount of people which indirectly effects service, however, I would suggest that service is more a factor of skill of the server and attitude of the customer. If service is that critical for you to enjoy your meal then go to signature... you get what you pay for (IMHO).

 

[HayGan]

I have to say while I am not a big fan of choosing meals six months before I plan to eat them, I do love the dining plan. We really enjoyed every meal that we had on the plan last year. We never had bad service or a bad meal. Everything was delicious and our servers were all very professional. Sure, some were more friendly than others but I never felt that it was because we were on the dining plan. Beside the wonderful dining experiences, I loved not having to worry how much everything cost! My DH drives me nuts at restaurants with looking at all the prices. I think he enjoyed his meals even more being able to order what he wanted and not worrying that it cost $5 more than the cheapest thing on the menu. Since we paid for some portions of our meals OOP, our servers always received tips from us beyond what the dining plan covered.

As for the gluttony aspect, I look at the dining plan as a buffet. I take what I want and not what I don't. I do think that Disney gives generous portons but I don't think that they are so large that one human being couldn't possibly eat all of it. The appetizers are typically a moderate portion (shrimp is usually 3 pieces) and nobody says you have to order or eat it all.

I happen to appreciate that Disney allows you to make reservations. I've been to far to many restaurants in tourist areas or even in my local area where you can encounter waits of 3+ hours. I'm glad to know that I can do a little bit of planning and have plenty of options for meals. I am actually surprised that so many people expect to get a table at a limited number of facilities with tens of thousands of people (dining plan or no dining plan) competing for that same table. Given Disney's attendance levels, I think that what Disney needs to do is keep the dining plan and add more restaurants!

 

[Peter Pirate]

What would people think if Disney DID add more quality themed sit down restaurants and added them to the dining plans BUT excluded the Signature Restaurants (AS THEY USED TO BE) from the plan allowing (for example) Artist Point to go back to their wild game, northwest menu, allowing California Grill to follow the new chic California trends, allow Jiko to stay true to the African theme? Would this be possible?

 

[ZerasPride]

First off, thanks to those that commented on my weight loss. It hasn't been easy keeping my weight down and I have to work out a lot but it's so worth it. I even managed to come home 1 pound lighter from my last Disney trip and hope to maintain on this upcoming trip.

Bicker - congrats to you on your weight loss!

The more I read about everyone's comments about the plan, the more I am thinking it might work for us. I guess the best way would be to try it and see. How can I say I don't like a plan I haven't even tried yet? I will definitely be discussing this with the group. If nothing else, I can view it the way I view my DVC purchase. It's a prepaid vacation plan and any other benefits that come my way as a DVC member will be icing on the cake. With the dining plan, I can view it as a prepaid dining experience and like HayGan said above, you don't have to overeat at a buffet so I don't have to order stuff I don't want on the dining plan either.

I just wish the House of Blues was included on the plan because I really want to eat there our first night.

I also want to comment on how well everyone is agreeing to disagree on this issue. I can't tell you how many threads I avoid once they break down into personal attacks. I'm so glad to see that this didn't happen with this thread.

 

[MyGoofy26]

Morning everyone.......before I head off to the gym to work out, I want to comment on this thread and have everyone take a bow who have participated in its growth without argument, personal attacks etc. Bravo!!!!!

It's not often that you get a 10 page thread of people disagreeing and being so civil!

 

[bicker]

I think the fact that signature restaurants "cost" 2TS credits effectively insulates them from the impact of the Dining Plan. The impact we're seeing on the options available at those restaurant is, instead, the result of other factors in the market -- the same factors that fostered the Dining Plan. As much as there are many folks who would gladly pay the premium for the superior food and service, that market is shrinking in favor of a newly-growing market of folks who are willing to pay the premium but for the food they like, which is decidely more pedestrian, from the perspective of folks who have more traditional, fine dining tastes.

 

[imatoad]

I haven't experienced the dining plan one way or another - yet. My last trip was January when crownds were low to begin with so restaurants weren't super-busy anyway. However, I am going in August and they happen to be offering free dining. I took it. I'll see how it works.

My concern is some of the responses to this thread. The dining plan does not encourage gluttony. People actually do have free will. You can actually push that plate away. You can actually order an appetizer, entree, and dessert, per person, and eat comfortably from each without stuffing yourself. Indeed, it is possible and Disney is not responsible for people overeating. I have never gone to Disney and gained weight. In fact, each and every time I have lost weight. And, I eat like it's going out of style while I'm there! Perhaps it's the 6-8 miles I'm walking per day while in the parks? But, when I get hungry, I eat. It may be 1/2 of a Mickey Bar, or some popcorn, or half a cookie, but nothing is denied. I really don't see how anyone can blame Disney for gluttony? People need to guage themselves.

I agree, we love the dining plan, I won't go into all the reason's, just suffice it to say it's great. As for the poster's that think it promotes gluttony, I couldn't disagree more. Just because there is food in front of you doesn't mean you have to eat it until you explode, it's called self control. We used the plan last year and will again this year, and at no point did we feel like gluttons.

 

[DISNEYLOVER70]

I have never used the dining plan, but I plan to on our next vacation. I look forward to paying it in advance and ordering whatever I feel like on the menu. I hate to say this for fear of sounding like a pig but...... I watch my weight and what I eat all year. I buy vegetables, fruits, water, etc. BUT, when I am on vacation, I want to eat whatever I want and as much as I want. It is my one time a year that I can do this without feeling guilty. I am going to order as much as I can and eat what I can. If I can't finish it, oh well. I paid for it. (usually isn't the case, because my husband always cleans off what I don't eat on my plate )

I think (my hope since I haven't used the plan yet) that this might just be another way for me to relax and enjoy myself at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Different strokes for Different folks

 

[OzFan]

octdisney:
[/quote]I do not see any positives with the dining plan. I think it may work against Disney in the future. The reasons I feel this way:
1. Have to plan too far out in advance. I think character meals should be planned and the most elegant TS, such as Artist Point, but for TS's like Whispering Canyon, Beirgarten, etc. it would be nice to have the ability to chose on that day.
2. It encourages unhealthy eating - who eats out everyday at a TS at home.
3. Tipping is regulated, thus discouraging excellent service.
4. Lack of just being able to walk into a restaurant
5. Overbooking and thus long waits will discourage people[/QUOTE]

I see it differently and this is why I feel this way:

1. Even before the dining plan you needed ADR's for the popular places. I can remember people selling Cindy ressies.
2. I'm on vacation, I want to eat at places I do not get to go to when I'm home. There are plenty of healthy choices on the menu, it's not the plan that is unhealthy but the customer.
3. I ALWAYS tip extra.
4. We walked into the 50's PrimeTime for lunch, no wait. It depends on which park, what day, and what season.
5. Last September during the FREE DINING, we were seated immediately. We were at Boma's early and guess what? We were seated 30 minutes before our ADR.

I LOVE the dining plan! Even better when it's free. It is saving my family of 6 $1000 on food. We are taking our 4 daughters (17,15,13 and 7) to places we could have NEVER been able to afford in 1 trip. As for the gluntany thing, no one is forcing you to eat all the food. As another poster said, buy lunch for the family behind you, or give appetizers to the table next to you. Play it forward! It is nice to be able to do that! Any way thats my 2cents worth! Hope I didn't offend!

 

[01Sweetpea]

We have never used the DDP before, and for our Thanksgiving trip we will NOT use it. For us it came down to the cost-effectiveness of it for us.

We are a family of 5, with kids 13, 11 & 11. The 13yo eats like an adult, so no problem, bu the 11yos would NEVER an adult sized meal, then add appy & dessert on top of that. I ran the numbers up and down, and in the end, it's just not worth it for us.

Now I know I could do meal sharing, and stuff like that, but if the kids KNEW they would have to share a meal, undoubtedly they would NEVER agree on a meal to eat... and the fighting & headaches would begin. Way to much stress for vacation time.

I am a HUGE planner, so making ADRS 180 days out is not a probelm for me, I already have my park days picked out already, and am working on finalizing the times I want to eat.

I think the DDP can work for some people, just not my family.

 

[Mommy Poppins]

I can't say whether I like the DDP or not, since I have not used it. I am a little annoyed though that it seems that I can't get it for my trip in August. I won a trip from a radio station for 4 nights/5 days and I'm going Aug. 24-28 and staying at AKL for the prize portion of the trip. I realize that meals were not included as part of the prize package, but I inquired with my rep from the Disney promo dept about purchasing the dining plan for the 4 nights. She said that they weren't able to do that since it wasn't part of the prize package. I fully do not understand why this should matter. I offered to pay for it!! I'm going to call DVC member services (since we are staying at OKW for 3 nights after the AKL). I doubt there is anything they could do, but it's worth a shot! Any suggestions? Also, does this not make sense to others as well??????

I think there are several reasons why you cannot add the Dining Plan to the free prize portion of your vacation. In order to get the dining plan, you must book a package, pay rack rate for your room and purchase at least a one day ticket per person in your party. You are not doing any of that. Even AP holders cannot purchase the dining plan unless they give up their AP rate and purchase a package including a ticket. I believe the only exception to the ticket rule is for DVC members, so you can probably get the dining plan for the DVC portion of your trip.

Hope that helps! If I am incorrect, someone please chime in!!!

 

[buzzrelly]

I went ballistic when I noticed and brought all the food back and said I don't want it and wanted him to credit my CS meals back, so he called the manager and she very nicely explained that he had made a mistake so mcnuggets count as 1 CS and the fries and water should have been 4 snacks because apparently the CS "Meal" there is just mcnuggets, no sides, drinks or dessert.
QUOTE]

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

I thought the same thing but I guess at this one particular place they do it differently, the 1st guy even told me that it's actually called something like the
QRS or QVC plan or something like that. People here probably know more about it than I do but I was surprised to say the least.

 

[ptrbryant]

Some of you may recall an earlier post of mine...when I was booking ADR's months ago, the CM kept trying to sell me on the DDP. I explained that DS9 would turn 10 just before our trip and was a picky eater who would only order off the children's menu at T.S. restaurants, so it wouldn't be a money-saver for us. We're renting DVC points and she insisted I have the DVC owner call and ask if DS could be listed as a child, saying this happens often. Now she had me interested...was it really done commonly? Is this something like a free room-upgrade? The DVC owner called and they said they would put DS down as a child for the DDP.

Ever since then, I've felt "not right" about it. I spent a few days, pricing out how much our food budget would be OOP and the average was $87/day. If DS is on the DDP as an adult, it's $115/day. So, I called and cancelled the plan rather than having him relisted as an adult.

Also, this year, I've had issues with cholesterol creeping up and am still battling to take off 15 pounds. DH has high blood pressure. Although I know you can order as healthfully as possible, it's just too much temptation to have "prepaid" dessert offered to you 2x a day, let alone appetitizers with your entrees and 2 snacks...every day! It's not fun if you feel like you're a glutton! (at least not to me!)

I really think it's a very individual thing about whether it's right or wrong for your particular family.

Karla B.

 

[goodeats]

For my December trip I had NASA level calculations going trying to figure out if the DP would be a good value for us. We decided it would not be.

My sister and I are in our 20's and don't have the largest appetites, but we do enjoy good food. We were going to be dining at California Grill and Artist Point in addition to Le Cellier, Kona Cafe, Chefs De France for dinner plus a few breakfast plans and one lunch ADR. We greatly prefer TS meals to CS meals. In fact on one day when we had no plans for lunch we ended eating in Yacht Club Galley instead of stopping at CS. Generally we had a larger breakfast, a mid day snack, and a great dinner.

In September 2002 we used the Discovery Magic Plan, and that was perfect. You got 2 wishes per day and could use them for meals (Signature restaurants were two wishes), tours, Cirque, spa treatments, etc. I really wish it was still available. The Premium plan is just too big, the DDP is too restrictive, but this mid-level plan was perfect!

 

[DaniDownUnder]

If the cost is $37.99 for one adult day on the DDP.... the "I paid for it so I have to eat it (app/entree/des)" doesn't really make sense.

For instance, when DFi and I went last time (2003) we paid for our meals as we were staying offsite.

Day 1 (for me only)
Snack: turkey leg and coke...cost approx: $7(using current WDW pricing)
drink: counts as a snack: $2.50

Lunch: Cosmic Rays Combo: $8.99 currently
drink: another $2.50....no desert
total: $11.49 (would count as 1 CScredit)

Dinner: Liberty Tree Tavern
Main: Patriot Platter thing: $27.99
Coffee: $3.49 (counts as 1 TS credit)

Total for the day: 45.47 that is $7.48 OVER the cost of one day on the DDP...and I didn't order all of the stuff that the DDP includes for each meal.

So, I figure for us, we would pay more than the DDP if we paid OOP, for less food. Therefore, we get the DDP and don't feel any pressure to actually ORDER all of the food that is included...I suppose for some people the whole "I paid for it so I have to eat it" thing comes back to wanting to get the most for their money. I figure I'm already saving money, so there is no need to feel like I have to eat it all.

Just my .02 cents..or more precisely, my $7.48

 

[bicker]

Yup, I found the same thing Dani:

With appetizers and dessert - save $515.14
http://brianandrobbie.com/DiningPlanEstimatedCosts.htm

Without appetizers and dessert - save $142.80
http://brianandrobbie.com/DiningPlanEstimatedCostsNoAppyNoDessert.htm

 

[Tiger926]

Good points Dani and Bicker - I made the same point a bunch of pages back as well, as this argument just doesn't hold water as we aren't paying for these extra things since the cost of the plan is under the actual costs for the food itself if paying OOP. This is the same argument that people who waste food at a buffet use too - I've heard people say that they would rather pile their plates high with food that they are not going to eat, because this makes them feel like they are getting their money's worth! Wrong - all this does is show how selfish and greedy people are since many of us should have learned a long time ago, that if you have no intention of eating something, or using something, then don't take it! A simple principle that I see many people who travel to WDW forgetting about as the wastage is unbelievable for these very reasons that we are discussing.

Such an interesting discussion! Tiger

 

[bicker]

To be fair, I draw a big distinction between ordering something (like an appetizer) and eating only a few bites of it, versus taking three of something from a buffet and only eating one of the three. One of the great benefits of the Dining Plan is that you can order appetizers and desserts, even though you normally wouldn't, and enjoy experiencing something special like that, without being a glutton. You can eat just enough to get the experience, and leave the rest. If you're concerned about the "wasting" of food, the food isn't even "wasted" in that case: It was prepared for your enjoyment and you did enjoy it.