Why can't there be a happy medium???

[KigerKat]

I wish Disney offered a "build your own" dining plan. I like the idea of the deluxe with the many table service meals, but DH and I don't need that many appetizers. I also don't care to sit-down for breakfast, but I want to get my money out of the plan.

I'm just venting here, but is sure would be nice if they could be a little more customized. We're doing the deluxe plan on our trip next month, and I'm a little worried that it will be so much food.

One solution I have is that we are travelling with about 8 other people that are either on the basic plan or no plan and I'm hoping it's not against policy to share our appetizers with them if they are dining with us.

DH and I are celebrating our first anniversary there, and we decided to splurge and go on an eating tour of the World. There's no way I can ever see us booking the deluxe plan again, and I want to get the most out of this one.

Thoughts?

 

[Tricia1972]

We are a larger party, but we sound very similar.

We really found that we were happy splitting an appetizer, ordering an entree, and occasionally canceling an ADR because we were too full for our planned meal.

We built our own DDP by paying OOP. We set aside the amount that the DDP would have cost us and we paid for our meals with the money we'd set aside. We had money left over PLUS we'd prepaid the plan. (We just prepaid it to us not Disney)

The DDPs as they stand work great for a lot of people, but they don't work for everyone.

Go and enjoy your upcoming trip on your plan. You may find that you love it and can't live without it, or you may find out that paying OOP works better for you next time.

 

[secretpantssam]

We are a larger party, but we sound very similar.

We really found that we were happy splitting an appetizer, ordering an entree, and occasionally canceling an ADR because we were too full for our planned meal.

We built our own DDP by paying OOP. We set aside the amount that the DDP would have cost us and we paid for our meals with the money we'd set aside. We had money left over PLUS we'd prepaid the plan. (We just prepaid it to us not Disney)

The DDPs as they stand work great for a lot of people, but they don't work for everyone.

Go and enjoy your upcoming trip on your plan. You may find that you love it and can't live without it, or you may find out that paying OOP works better for you next time.

That's a great idea! Maybe I'll make my own disney dining plan on my next trip!

 

[caroline1851]

I think having a few options is more than enough. I think if neither plan works for you, then just pay oop. I think there could never be a time where they would have plans that make everyone happy. Plus, it would get even more confusing than it is now.

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm confused as to why guests who want to pick and choose their own combinations for each meal need to be on a dining plan at all. A "plan" by definition is regimented.

If you want to prepay your meals and still have flexibility, you could buy Disney gift cards and use those.

 

[sarahmae3]

Yes, I agree w/ you. To me, the DP doesn't seem like enough, but the Dexlue plan seems like too much. It would be nice if they had one inbetween that either offered 3 meals per day OR 2 snacks per day, plus maybe the refillable mug.

 

[inkedupmomma]

That's a great idea! Maybe I'll make my own disney dining plan on my next trip!

yeah the more I hear HELPFUL info like what tricia says the more I'm thinking of doing our very own ddp

 

[Katiebell]

Buying the gift cards in advance is a great idea if the DDP doesn't fit your style -- you'd rather order an appetizer for your main course, or you don't care for desserts, etc.

If the dining plan fits your family's vacation/eating style, you really can save money. But it has to be the way you would normally order, and stuff you would actually eat.

Typical day:
AK
Breakfast
Harambe Fruit Market
- bowl of pineapple 3.99 (snack credit)
Lunch
Flame Tree
- Ribs 8.49
- soft drink -- 2.09
- bottle of water for later ("dessert") -- 2.00
Dinner
Yak and Yeti
- Steak and Shrimp -- 22.99
- fried wontons (dessert) -- 7.99
- iced tea -- 2.00

total for the day: 49.55, add in tax....about 3.25?...52.80.

 

[DeeCee735]

I totally agree that there needs to be a "middle of the road" plan available.

We like sitting down to meals as opposed to CS, but 3 a day is too much. Maybe one reason they do this is because they want people to do the signature dining, and people are more likely to under a prepaid plan?

I would like to see something offered with 2 TS meals a day and one CS, with a couple more snacks per day. Something that would enable people to sit down 2 meals a day with a CS/Grab and Go type meal somewhere in the day. Or be able to use those 2 TS credits for a signature dining with the snacks usable for a quick breakfast and the CS for lunch? I don't know, but I do agree something middle road is necessary.

The basic plan doesn't offer enough and the deluxe is too much food. I also think the deluxe should offer a choice of appetizer OR dessert and not just be the one. This is why we most likely won't ever do the DDP again - at least not until they offer something in the middle.

JMHO

 

[Tricia1972]

I totally agree that there needs to be a "middle of the road" plan available.

We like sitting down to meals as opposed to CS, but 3 a day is too much. Maybe one reason they do this is because they want people to do the signature dining, and people are more likely to under a prepaid plan?

I would like to see something offered with 2 TS meals a day and one CS, with a couple more snacks per day. Something that would enable people to sit down 2 meals a day with a CS/Grab and Go type meal somewhere in the day. Or be able to use those 2 TS credits for a signature dining with the snacks usable for a quick breakfast and the CS for lunch? I don't know, but I do agree something middle road is necessary.

The basic plan doesn't offer enough and the deluxe is too much food. I also think the deluxe should offer a choice of appetizer OR dessert and not just be the one. This is why we most likely won't ever do the DDP again - at least not until they offer something in the middle.

JMHO

It sounds like the Deluxe may fit your family. The credits in the deluxe are not for just TS. You could do a TS breakfast, an expensive CS lunch and a TS dinner. It allows for two snacks and a refillable mug. Price it out for your family - it may be a good fit

 

[TDC Nala]

WDW will have three dining plans in 2009 (plus the premium and platinum plans, which include more than food and are priced accordingly). If none of those fit for your family, you may want to choose your own food, which you may find after research to be a better choice than trying to shoehorn your entire party into one of the plans. If they kept adding dining plans, they might as well just have everyone prepay for every meal they want - but they'd have to decide beforehand what style of meal and what courses they prefer every time they want to eat.

Disneyland has a "voucher" system, but it is strictly a prepayment deal - they do not market it as a savings tool.

 

[leanan]

Use your extra credits to do a signature restaurant or two. I do agree that it would be really nice if they offered something slightly different. I think the two snacks are useful since you need to drink lots of fluids. I would like to see something kind of a hybrid between deluxe and normal. Although they would tell us well you can use your DX Pts for CS.

I wish Disney offered a "build your own" dining plan. I like the idea of the deluxe with the many table service meals, but DH and I don't need that many appetizers. I also don't care to sit-down for breakfast, but I want to get my money out of the plan.

I'm just venting here, but is sure would be nice if they could be a little more customized. We're doing the deluxe plan on our trip next month, and I'm a little worried that it will be so much food.

One solution I have is that we are travelling with about 8 other people that are either on the basic plan or no plan and I'm hoping it's not against policy to share our appetizers with them if they are dining with us.

DH and I are celebrating our first anniversary there, and we decided to splurge and go on an eating tour of the World. There's no way I can ever see us booking the deluxe plan again, and I want to get the most out of this one.

Thoughts?

 

[familygal]

We went with deluxe dining but we have TS two meals planned per day. We will be using snack credits for lunch or breakfast and the remaining TS credits apply to signature dining.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

we are getting the deluxe next year for three days we will be doing something that costs 2 so theres 6 out of our 18-leaving us with 12 for 7 days. break fest and dinner lunch we will use our snacks
i think 2 ts and one cs and 2 snacks a day would be a good in between
ps. what is the third meal plan in 09 i only know of two

 

[TDC Nala]

i think 2 ts and one cs and 2 snacks a day would be a good in between

You can do this with the deluxe plan. The deluxe credits are not TS only credits. They can be used for either TS or CS - it's your choice.

 

[SunnieRN]

I know you have the option of using your credits for CS or TS with the deluxe dining plan, but to get the money out of the plan you have to use TS for the greater majority of your meals.
I wish they had a dining plan that was 2 CS meals, 1 TS meal and 2 snacks a day, with a refillable mug....
However I don't ever see that happening, it would just complicate things even more!
I am curious as to what they will offer next year if they offer free dining, now that they have the 3 CS meal choice.

 

[KigerKat]

While it is easy to buy gift cards or save cash for oop meals, one of the intentions of the dddp is that it saves you money. In all honesty, if you were to eat 3 table service meals or buffets and 2 snacks oop per day, it would be more than $70/day for 1 adult. I like the fact that it does save you money.

The basic plan still leaves you buying some of your meals or snacks oop, and I also like the idea of having everything paid for in advance, and all you have to do is show your room key. I worry about taking so much cash, and gift cards can be easily lost. At least with your room key, as soon as you notice it is missing it can be replaced. I know someone who tried the gift card route, and they accidentally left them at home and didn't realize it until they got to the airport and it was too late to turn around and get them. They ended up having a neighbor overnight them to the resort, but they were still without them for a day and a half, not to mention the stress of having forgotten one of the most important things!

Since we're celebrating on this trip, I don't mind spending the extra $$$ and eating at a lot of places we probably would not normally be eating at. Plus, I'll have tons of great pics for dining reviews!! But for future trips, I really don't see us buying this plan again. I guess I was just venting, and wishing "Magic My Way" really was My Way.

 

[TDC Nala]

A dining plan that you describe (2 TS, 1 CS and a refillable mug) could not possibly cost much less than the deluxe.

And then you have folks that want 2 CS, 1 TS and snacks. And the ones who want appetizers and the ones who don't want appetizers. Who want appetizers for only part of their party. Who have kids who eat more, who have teenagers who don't eat enough. Who don't want desserts and who want the option of having desserts with only a few meals. Who only want the dining plan for the kids, not for the adults. Why those people want the dining plan for anything other than convenience makes no sense.

And if you are not using the DDP to its fullest capacity (skipping meals, leaving snacks, not ordering desserts - or appetizers on deluxe, trading TS for CS on the basic where it's permitted, eating mostly CS on deluxe, etc), it most likely is not saving you money and you might be better off ordering what you want from each menu and paying for it. At this point if you had the dining plan you would be paying only for the convenience of prepaying your meals. If you're buying it for the convenience, you do understand that convenience is something vacationers gladly pay a premium for.

If you choose the dining plan, you are signing up for a form of regimentation and agreeing to give up your spontenaity - to get the most out of it, you need to go in knowing where you will be eating, what you will be eating, and how much. It's a tradeoff if you are using it as a moneysaving device.

My personal opinion is that there are quite enough dining plans in place and they are already confusing. Imagine the questions we'd have to answer here if they had a build your own prepaid dining plan - the restrictions involved for different price points could be mindboggling.

 

[Tricia1972]

A dining plan that you describe (2 TS, 1 CS and a refillable mug) could not possibly cost much less than the deluxe.

And then you have folks that want 2 CS, 1 TS and snacks. And the ones who want appetizers and the ones who don't want appetizers. Who want appetizers for only part of their party. Who have kids who eat more, who have teenagers who don't eat enough. Who don't want desserts and who want the option of having desserts with only a few meals. Who only want the dining plan for the kids, not for the adults. Why those people want the dining plan for anything other than convenience makes no sense.

And if you are not using the DDP to its fullest capacity (skipping meals, leaving snacks, not ordering desserts - or appetizers on deluxe, trading TS for CS on the basic where it's permitted, eating mostly CS on deluxe, etc), it most likely is not saving you money and you might be better off ordering what you want from each menu and paying for it. At this point if you had the dining plan you would be paying only for the convenience of prepaying your meals. If you're buying it for the convenience, you do understand that convenience is something vacationers gladly pay a premium for.

If you choose the dining plan, you are signing up for a form of regimentation and agreeing to give up your spontenaity - to get the most out of it, you need to go in knowing where you will be eating, what you will be eating, and how much. It's a tradeoff if you are using it as a moneysaving device.

My personal opinion is that there are quite enough dining plans in place and they are already confusing. Imagine the questions we'd have to answer here if they had a build your own prepaid dining plan - the restrictions involved for different price points could be mindboggling.

Well put, I agree with you.

 

[Katiebell]

I agree with Nala, too, she made some excellent points.

Bottom line, it really has to do with vacations styles and personal preferences. There are a lot of different dining plans now -- all CS, basic, deluxe, wine and dine, premium, platinum...the basic suits us best, with one TS, one CS and a snack every day. We don't want to eat all CS meals, we don't drink wine every day, we don't want an appetizer with every TS meal, we like desserts, we don't want to stop what we are doing every day to go back to the resort and change for a signature restaurant. But that is us -- other folks have totally different vacation styles, and that's fine! Some people say the basic is too much food -- not for us We often do the parks commando style, usually there at rope drop, stay until closing, walk 10-15 miles a day -- a small meal, a larger meal, and a snack is just about right. To some degree it's a pre-payment plan, but when we've figured out what we spend per person OOP each day on food it almost always is more than $40, sometimes quite a bit more, so it does save us money.