Why I Hate the DDP

[tasha99]

I'm confused--I thought you only needed to pay rack rate for free dining. Last year I purchased the dining plan and paid $100 / night at CSR ($40 off rack rate). Maybe this has changed though.

 

[marivaid]

I'm confused--I thought you only needed to pay rack rate for free dining. Last year I purchased the dining plan and paid $100 / night at CSR ($40 off rack rate). Maybe this has changed though.

Like Disney8704 posted, you can get a discount if you are a AAA member. I think you can also get it if you are a DVC member using points (someone correct me if I'm wrong), but except for that it's rack rate. It definitely can't be combined with AP discounts though, I asked several CMs and got the same answer every time.

 

[apostolic4life]

Couldn't disagree with this more. We do not & never will use the DDP. On average when it is DH & I dinner alone at Chefs De France is almost $400, V&A another $400.....so for 2 nights alone for only 2 people we are taking $800.
This entire thread is about the changes in WDW dining & the impact of the dining plan. Our experience makes us believe there are very few places to truly have a dining experience and IMO the cause is the DDP.

I know Chefs de France (CDF) is one of the most expensive TS on the DDP, but what on Earth could two people have ordered to run a bill of $400. With a great bottle of wine you could not get at total of more that $150-$200 for two. And, it would have to be a vintage of rare availability to command such a lofty price at that rate ($400 for meal+wine). I do not think CDF would get that out of us for a family of five. V&A, now that place would easily run a bill of $400 for two people. Please explain what you had at CDF for an amount rivaling V&A. I might be interested in that obviously special menu for my DW and I when we go on our kid free trip this fall.

 

[apostolic4life]

I guess what bothers me about the DDP is that you have to pay rack rate to get it. Typically, we have had the luck to book our trips on a room-only code, and then we all go on the "Disney Diet" (with all the walking, and a concentration on healthful and economical eating, we each drop a few pounds, which is cool), so we don't stress the budget. Probably being local to New York City, and its great restaurants, makes Disney dining not all that enticing to us--counter service is never a problem, and it is really easy to pass most of the TS restaurants by. The food is definitely not a major attraction to us, since we have found that with the advent of DDP the food has, in general, gone downhill, and choices have become rather limited. For all of you who pay rack rate and enjoy the TS restaurants and DDP, mazel-tov! We don't care for it, so do our own thing. Room for everybody at Disney!

Rack rate during free dining is where they ensure profitability since there is not an additional fee for your food while there. Now, the other benefit for WDW with the free dining offer is the simple fact they keep you on property too. If you need something like shampoo, you are likely to buy it on property if it is your only reason to go off property. Last trip my DD13 needed some cold medicine and instead of leaving and hitting Walgreens we just went to the sundry shop at Poly and bought some Contact Cold for $8.00 (10 gel caps). Pricey?? Yes!! Convenient?? Very Yes!! That is the plus to DDP for Disney. By the way, it wasn't even free DDP when we were there last time either.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Couldn't disagree with this more. We do not & never will use the DDP. On average when it is DH & I dinner alone at Chefs De France is almost $400, V&A another $400.....so for 2 nights alone for only 2 people we are taking $800.
This entire thread is about the changes in WDW dining & the impact of the dining plan. Our experience makes us believe there are very few places to truly have a dining experience and IMO the cause is the DDP.

A family of four could do the DDP for about 6 days (or maybe more...it's late and my math skills were put to the test too much today at work ) for about $800. To a family that may only get to WDW once every several years, that is an opportunity to have wonderful meals and not have to worry about paying for them.

To me, blaming DDP for all of the wrongs with Disney Dining is just like saying that there is only one cause for inflation in the economy. There are many reasons, many that we the guests may never know and some that we can assume. Personally, I'm going to WDW in August for vacation using DDP (and again in December) and I will enjoy myself and not have to worry that I may not get an ADR because they were made months ago, just like Disney suggested.

 

[marivaid]

A family of four could do the DDP for about 6 days (or maybe more...it's late and my math skills were put to the test too much today at work ) for about $800.

Playing devil's advocate for a minute. That was his point. He spends more on 2 dinners than most guests on the DDP will spend in one week.
But, he is not an average guest.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Playing devil's advocate for a minute. That was his point. He spends more on 2 dinners than most guests on the DDP will spend in one week.
But, he is not an average guest.

I know, that's not the average guest, but I was just thinking about how many days at WDW meals would be covered by $800. Personally, I think to each his own. Would I spend $800 on two meals, most likely not, but that's just me.

 

[marivaid]

I know, that's not the average guest, but I was just thinking about how many days at WDW meals would be covered by $800. Personally, I think to each his own. Would I spend $800 on two meals, most likely not, but that's just me.

Hell would freeze over before I spent $400 on one meal. But I'm sure some people would question our choice to stay at the Poly when ASMU is only $120a night.

 

[cheapi86]

I think that would be against the rules and I don't know how a server could allow it without getting in trouble? Like I said this is my first time on the plan and I don't know all the ins and outs yet but this to me seems like it wouldn't be tolerated at a TS restaurant.

Sharing a CS meal, I can see, after you sit down at say, Cosmic Rays with a tray they won't stop you from sharing it. But TS? I don't think they would let you.

We're saving TS credits for 2 signature dining experiences by skipping TS the day we arrive and the day we leave. We'll do CS those days, or if my men (DF and DH) are that set on TS the first day, we'll *gasp* pay for it *lol*

Cracked me up today when I told my DF that he could use his CS credit at the bakery in France at EPCOT he said "Or I could even give them money if I have to, to get what I want!" *LOL*

Laren

You have a fiance AND a husband?

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Hell would freeze over before I spent $400 on one meal. But I'm sure some people would question our choice to stay at the Poly when ASMU is only $120a night.

Good point!!!

 

[tasha99]

Like Disney8704 posted, you can get a discount if you are a AAA member. I think you can also get it if you are a DVC member using points (someone correct me if I'm wrong), but except for that it's rack rate. It definitely can't be combined with AP discounts though, I asked several CMs and got the same answer every time.

I didn't use either AAA or DVC--just a regular code that I found on mousesavers. That was last August for a September trip. I don't know about now, but last summer there was no rack rate requirement if you paid for DDP.

 

[kaytieeldr]

You have a fiance AND a husband?

DF (in this case) = Dear Father

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Is this a record for a thread to stay open that says how bad the DDP is? I thought it would have been closed by now, however I am enjoying reading some of the replies on here.

 

[marivaid]

Is this a record for a thread to stay open that says how bad the DDP is? I thought it would have been closed by now, however I am enjoying reading some of the replies on here.

I'm glad it's still open and since we're all being polite and not pulling each other's hair out there's no reason to close it

 

[keeping quiet]

"Service has suffered. I really think that the service we received was consistently less that stellar - even in the pricier places. If you have servers making consistent money because they are guaranteed a certain amount off of every DP patron - they really couldn't give a hoot about a table of "out of pockets" - they have already made their money. (Believe me I know....I was a server for a long time....take away the incentive for good service and I would be cranky too!!)"

I have tried to read this whole thread and only made it to page 3. This part of the original post just had to be addressed (forgive me if it was addressed in pages 4-24). I am a server at WDW. I am horrified to think that an out of pocket guest would feel less special. We don't see the gratuity from DDP until a week later, in our paycheck, heavily taxed. We see the gratuity from out of pocket guests that same day. For us servers, the DDP means twice the work, slower table turns and less money. HOWEVER, months that are typically dead (and without income for us) are now busy. My annual income hasn't really changed with the onset of DDP.

Regarding ADR: People are absolutely booking multiple ADRs under various names. In my location, we have seen approximately 15-20% increase in no-shows. We take walk-ins anytime it is possible (often anytime other than peak meal times). Parties of 2 are almost always able to walk-in. Parties of 4 quite often able to walk-in. Parties of 6 get tricky and anything more than that, good luck.

Are cast members allowed to book here? I was just looking for reviews on my location and saw this post. Trust me - there is lots of debate on the pros and cons of DDP by most at WDW.

 

[marivaid]

keeping quiet, to the DIS !

It's always nice to hear from people who actually work at WDW.

About this part of your post

I am horrified to think that an out of pocket guest would feel less special.

You will find some posts from guests who felt that they were treated as 2nd class guests because they were not on the DDP.
You'll find just as many posts from guests on the DDP who said they felt their server didn't work hard enough because they already earned their tip.
And you'll also find many posts from guests who saw no difference whatsoever in service whether they were on the plan or not.

 

[keeping quiet]

Thanks for the welcome. Not sure how much I will post. I see plenty that I could say or answer, but not sure about who all reads the boards.

 

[Mackey Mouse]

"We don't see the gratuity from DDP until a week later, in our paycheck, heavily taxed. We see the gratuity from out of pocket guests that same day. For us servers, the DDP means twice the work, slower table turns and less money. HOWEVER, months that are typically dead (and without income for us) are now busy. "

This is a key part of the response from keeping quiet...I am glad that he/she posted here on the Dis as you get an opinion from the server side..

I have never done DDP and will not do it, but in saying that, I have never felt that I was treated differently in a negative way because I am not doing it... never felt that at all.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

You made a choice to not use the plan effectively. Even a breakfast CS meal of $5 and a bottle of water (another $2-3) for later and a beverage as a snack at some point in the day would have been less "wasteful." And, as I said, NOW the soft pretzel is a covered snack on the plan. When did you visit and use the DDP. It's been allowed for the last 12+ months.

Oooh. I didn't use the plan effectively. What fun. Sorry I missed the opportunity to suck some of the joy out of my vacation by eating things I didn't want to choose.

I have an excel spreadsheet that helps maximize and keep track of the DDP. It is probably dated. I THINK the Passporter also has some programs to help use the DDP. I love planning my trips to WDW but that is work.

It kinda proves the point that there are people who use DDP and work hard to get the "most" out of it.

Didn't the rules change separating the childrens and adults credits because when they were pooled, the credits were not being used for children's entree's but for the more expensive adult entree's? People were working the system.

I'd love to hear an argument on why people getting something they didn't pay for and weren't entitled to was beneficial to my dining experience. It obviously was a problem because they now distinguish between a children's and adults credit.

 

[cheapi86]

DF (in this case) = Dear Father

THAT's it? I was very confused lol