Will the Dining Plan go away?

[Laurajean1014]

Restaurants are changing their menus and chefs aren't able to become creative with their work to better serve the needs of the DP. Will it ever go away, so we can bring back the ecclectic tastes of some of these fabulous dishes....

What are your thoughts.....

 

[bstnsprts]

What are your thoughts.....

Probably, some day, once Disney decides that it needs a fresh new gimmick to fill hotels and restaurants. Then another plan or type of discount will be offered. DDP and other discounts are not offered by Disney out of the goodness of their heart, there offered out of necessity to fill hotel rooms and restaurants. Disney would like nothing better than to be able to charge rack rate and full price at restaurants 365 days a year, but because of competition, they can't. With the current and future growth of areas surrounding Disney, they will always need enticements to bring and to keep people on-site. Contrary to what allot of people would like to believe, Disney needs us, the paying public, allot more than we need them. So if the current discounts work for you, use them to the max, when they go away another even more enticing offer will replace it.

 

[LoraJ]

I sure hope it goes away. Especially the free dining. I can't go my favorite time of year anymore because of it.

 

[sharlon]

I don't think it will ever go away. It will just change names/packages as it has in the past.
We went in 1999 on the Deluxe Magic Plan. Basically this was MYW, parkhopper plus with unlimited recreation and meals. The meal setup was similiar to the DP. We had 3 meals a day, instead of 2 meals and a snack. I think they just retool the packages ever few years to spice things up.
The good thing about today vs. 7 years ago is that now you can buy parts of the package a la carte. 7 years ago was all or nothing.

 

[Gina35]

I don't think it will ever go away. It will just change names/packages as it has in the past.
We went in 1999 on the Deluxe Magic Plan. Basically this was MYW, parkhopper plus with unlimited recreation and meals. The meal setup was similiar to the DP. We had 3 meals a day, instead of 2 meals and a snack. I think they just retool the packages ever few years to spice things up.
The good thing about today vs. 7 years ago is that now you can buy parts of the package a la carte. 7 years ago was all or nothing.

I agree with you! I think the plan as it is is great! Much better to be able to "customize" your meals somewhat...and at a more reasonable price!

 

[tracys2cents]

I don't think it's going away. Disney gets hords of people into the parks, but needs to find a way to keep the restaurants busy.

Imagine how many waiters would quit come September if the restaurants were empty and they weren't making any money (tips). Disney could deep-discount the rooms to get people in...but this wouldn't guarantee good restaurant crowds, in fact people looking for a bargain room might not have much money for dining and tips.

So, they came up with something that works. The "free diners" are happy, the waitstaff is happy, the restaurants are happy...why would they mess with a good thing.

To please those complaining, they might keep a few more restaurants exclusive and not allow free dining there.

 

[jjatwdw]

I love the DDP. I hope it stays around for a long time. We've been with and without it and with is much better.

 

[bicker]

It'll stick around as long as it keeps bringing the guests in. WDW is a mass-market attraction. The negative ramifications on dining that stem from the Dining Plan don't have much impact on the mass-market, who is, at least for now, more interested in getting a good deal than in what level of creative excellence and unique artistry is provided.

If, someday, the average American becomes as driven by fine dining as, say, my typical European friends, then that might be enough to bring the Dining Plan down.

 

[Tidus]

 

[The Sweetness]

I think the DP is a great idea. I just wish it didnt have to be a package. Id love to be able to get a discounted room or FL discounted passes....

 

[Lynne M]

If it stays as it is now, I hope it goes away soon. Very soon. It makes life much more difficult for those who don't choose to use it, what with the limited menus and need to make ADRs for every TS meal way in advance. I wonder what happens to the WDW newbies who don't use these boards, get the dining plan and have no idea that they have to make ADRs. Are they able to use their TS credits? Or are they paying $37.99 a day for counter service food?

A couple of things could help to fix this.

1. Go back to the regular menus, but only offer certain selections to people on the DDP. I understand that Disney has to put some kind of a limit on what people order on the plan if they don't want to lose money, but why make the rest of us suffer?

2. Reserve a certain percentage of tables in every TS restaurant for walkups. This lets them keep two very imporant groups of customers happy: the locals who decide to dine at WDW on the spur-of-the-moment, and the new visitors who don't understand the need for ADRs. Along with all of those who don't want to or can't plan their meals months in advance. I understand that the 'event' meals like CRT will always need to be booked early, that's fair. But when every restaurant at the monorail resorts stops taking walkups by 5PM (this happened to me), it's ridiculous.

 

[Tidus]

I think they should only allow you to book a restaurant 30 days out.(even less would be fine) 180 days is ridiculous. That is why people overbook everyday and that leads to noone getting an ADR. It would be nice if people couldn't double book, but unfortunately that is not the case.

 

[LoraJ]

Lynne,
Those are great suggestions.

What does happen if you aren't able to get TS anywhere? What happens to the credits if I want to eat at Universal one night?

Don't some of the DTD restaurants tack on an extra charge for certain items? Why can't the them park and resort restaurants do that instead of cutting the quality out?

 

[Mackey Mouse]

I think as long as it proves to be successful, moneywise, for Disney, it will continue. If it no longer works, profits fall off, it will go away and be resurrected as another way to increase profits..

Is that what Bicker said????

 

[Lynne M]

Lynne,
Those are great suggestions.

What does happen if you aren't able to get TS anywhere? What happens to the credits if I want to eat at Universal one night?

Don't some of the DTD restaurants tack on an extra charge for certain items? Why can't the them park and resort restaurants do that instead of cutting the quality out?

Well, if you don't use the credits, you lose them. I know some people have used a TS credit for a CS meal, but boy, that ends up being a waste of money.

I also like the idea of putting a surcharge on some items.

 

[NMW]

Since we have been going to Disney there has always been SOME kind of dining plan. We were big fans of the Dreammaker silver/gold plans which also included resort stays, extras like cirque tickets, signature restaurants and the old legnth of stay ultimate park hopper passes.

The very big difference between that plan and this one is price. This plan is really, really cheap compared to the previous ones. I've read posters that have written that they would have never purchased the old plans because they were too much money. There are also people who would not have purchased the old plans because they didn't think they were a "good deal for the money." Not many people can make that argument about the MYW DDP! It's an unbelievable good deal.

I love having our meals (at least many of them) pre-payed. When we were looking into buying DVC in 2003, one of the biggest things that made us hesitate was the inability to get a meal plan as DVC members. Yes, we bought the DDE card with AP's, but it wasn't the same thing. When the new, even cheaper plan came out and it was so popular, many DVC members were upset they couldn't get it. I wonder if many "prospective" DVC members were unhappy about not being able to purchase it also. DVC offered it pretty quickly. I have always wondered if MYW dining was SO popular that it was effecting DVC sales.

I am sad about some of our favorite restaurants changing. I didn't notice any of these changes with the old plans. CM's always seemed thrilled when we told them we were on the Gold plan. Plus, I miss being able to get 3 TS meals a day. We are doing the MYW dining plan in Oct but are paying oop for 7 TS breakfasts, 2 TS lunches and 1 TS dinner (so we can do a signature TS). If the premium plan was available to DVC members, I would buy it.

 

[LoraJ]

I was just looking further into this plan. There is no way it would work for us. Many of he places we like to eat dinner at are signature or don't use the dining plan (like Fulton's). So maybe we won't have such a hard time getting ADR's anyway.

 

[JimMIA]

I wonder what happens to the WDW newbies who don't use these boards, get the dining plan and have no idea that they have to make ADRs.

Actually, the same thing happens to them that happened to us -- we were all newbies once. They are inconvenienced, sometimes outraged, and they either go to school on Disney or they figure that's the way the world is. I know Disney Dining tells them about ADRs when they sign up for the DDP, but I doubt if many of them get it until they arrive and find there are no TSs available at MK the day they're there.

I think the average park visitor really doesn't give too much thought to dining. They'll do a drive-thru breakfast, commando a park for as long as they can stand it, grab a hot dog or burger if they're staying for fireworks, and they're happy. That's the way Disney is done for them.

2. Reserve a certain percentage of tables in every TS restaurant for walkups. This lets them keep two very imporant groups of customers happy: the locals who decide to dine at WDW on the spur-of-the-moment, and the new visitors who don't understand the need for ADRs. Along with all of those who don't want to or can't plan their meals months in advance. I understand that the 'event' meals like CRT will always need to be booked early, that's fair. But when every restaurant at the monorail resorts stops taking walkups by 5PM (this happened to me), it's ridiculous.

I don't see that happening. I don't think Disney cares about those two groups. Local people will call the restaurant and ask how things look, and if it's busy, they'll just go another time. You can't help the people who don't know.

Disney cares about filling their F&B outlets, and if they're full, Disney is happy.

Nor do I think all of the problems of availability can be attributed to the DDP. We are going in early November, rather than early December, because last year we had great difficulty getting ADRs. That had nothing to do with the dining plan; it was caused by the CP packages. Le Celler not only had no availability, they were so overbooked they were not even offering a waitlist. Walkups were simply told, "We're sorry -- go away."

 

[Pedler]

As long as it packs people in the hotels and keeps them on site I think it will stay. The dinning plan is about much more than food or packing in the restaurants. Disney has essentially created a cruise type of experience for the mass market.

I totally understand and appreciate the foodies being unhappy with the changes. Unfortunately for them they are not the primary target market. The dinning plan is just a means to sell hotel rooms and get people spending more on site. As long as that trend continues then I think you will see an affordable dinning plan for the masses.

 

[Lewisc]

Disney has always had a meal plan. The current meal plan includes a lot of restaurants and gives guests an opportunity to purchase meals worth more than twice the cost of the plan.

This plan seems to be very popular. I'd expect it to continue. Disney seems to be going in the direction of seperating adult and child credits. Since so many guests seem to be saying the plan gives guests too much food Disney may decide to offer less food. Maybe an appetizer or dessert sampler for the table. Guests may think sharing is the solution to too much food and Disney may think simply providing less food may be the answer.

I think restaurants should be allowed to have one or two "signature menu items" that require an up charge for dining guests.

I think more restaurants may become buffet or at least more like CRT with a limited menu for all customers. It probably gets the guests in and out quicker and it sidesteps the whole sharing issue.