Urgent Poll - would you still book the Dining Plan if gratuity is not included?

[aubriee]

I fall into that catagory of people who use both the DDE as well as the DDP. I have to sit down, each and every trip, and figure which way is going to be cheaper. Usually, they come out pretty close. I tend to go with the DDP even if it's about $50 more..it's just so darn convenient. But, if they deleted the tip from the mix, then it wouldn't be so close in cost.

Same here! I like the DDP just for the convenience. I don't like to carry money around and love knowing that everything is paid for in advance. However, if I had to carry money for tips, I'd go ahead and use just my DDE card as the savings are about the same. In fact I'd probably order less (no appetizer to go with that dessert--just one or the other).

 

[disneyfav4ever]

No, but I probably wouldn't pay for the plan anyway. I'm getting it for free this fall, and while I am looking foward to all that "free" food, I think I'd do better with just keeping my DDE card, based on the way I usually eat.

 

[Marion]

The sole reason I finally went for the DDP was the convenience of everything being all paid for ahead of time. We won't be saving all that much as we're not really big eaters, we just didn't want to have to think about cost once we were on holiday. Similar to being at an all inclusive resort, or on a cruise ship. So no, if we had to figure out the tips and have to make sure we had cash/cc with us for every meal, we wouldn't bother. We'd probably just eat CS and snack our way through the world.

Was the question of WHY this poll appeared been answered yet? Is Disney considering changing things? I have to assume they can't change it for those of us that have already booked packages?

 

[brooke1]

I'm trying to figure out whey this would be "urgent"??

"The handwriting is on the wall"?? According to who?

I agree, i wish the OP would answer back and shed some light

 

[auntie]

I think if you are already visiting during a "free dining" promo...it's not the same as paying for the dining at the $38.00 a day. Those who are participating in that promo...staying at a value or moderte resort are getting a good value..and likely having to pay the gratuity is not that great an increase. If you are adding on the dining plan in a package..not during a free dining promotion, and then having to pay a gratuity, I think it would sway me to just pay out of pocket for dining. Especially for what would be considered 5 adults on the dining plan.(over 10) Also, folks that have kids at the point where they are 10 or 11...aren't so crazy about having to pay an adult dining plan fee when likely kids that age aren't going to eat as much as an older teen or adult. I think most definetly folks with kids in those gray areas will opt for Out of Pocket..rather than having to also add on an additional gratuity.

 

[novdisneydreams]

I think the gratuity being included is one of the best perks ...

 

[mouseRD]

I do agree with the posts that the all-inclusive nature of the DDP is what makes it so attractive.

 

[Minnie & Me]

I think Disney is trying to milk the success of the DDP for all they can get and trying to disguise it by saying the waitstaff should EARN their tips instead of having it added automatically.

I agree that they should have the customer determine the amount of tip by just writing in a percentage up to 18% when signing the bill; but it should still be included in the plan.

 

[dzorn]

If the cost of the plan was the same then NO. It would not be worth the saving given that we are paying rack rate for the hotel room. The only advantage I see to it is servers having to provide excellent service for their tip and not automatically getting 18%.

Denise in MI

 

[jenjersnap]

Nope, we will be canceling our planned trip completely if they intend to make us pay for the gratuity. FD isn't such a fab deal, having to pay rack rate which I would never, ever do otherwise. We thought we'd give it a try but if it doesn't work for us, oh well. I have other issues about being nickel and dimed by Disney right now anyway.

We will wait for AP discounts, renew our APs and get a DDE card. We've found that is truly the least expensive way to stay on-site at Disney.

I'd like to hear the source of this info - why is this an issue now? Why didn't they announce their intention of removing the pre-paid gratuity BEFORE starting the FD promotion? I will think its slimy if they try to sneak this into already booked reservations.

 

[Allison]

I'd like to hear the source of this info - why is this an issue now? Why didn't they announce their intention of removing the pre-paid gratuity BEFORE starting the FD promotion? I will think its slimy if they try to sneak this into already booked reservations.

We don't know that Disney has any intention to do this. I obviously don't know either way but I see no reason for anyone to be concerned at this point. Who is the OP? Until they tell us they are in Disney management and have seen such a proposal, I wouldn't get concerned about a poll by someone on the DIS.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

We don't know that Disney has any intention to do this. I obviously don't know either way but I see no reason for anyone to be concerned at this point. Who is the OP? Until they tell us they are in Disney management and have seen such a proposal, I wouldn't get concerned about a poll by someone on the DIS.

If anything I thought the OP was probably a server at one of the restaurants. Let's face it, if DDP doesn't automatically include the gratuity -- the servers are going to get $crewed because there's going to be a lot of people that will always order the most expensive things on the menu but then balk at leaving a 15% tip when they see the total. If I was a server @ WDW and heard the rumblings of a change like this I would be very nervous!

 

[jenjersnap]

We don't know that Disney has any intention to do this. I obviously don't know either way but I see no reason for anyone to be concerned at this point. Who is the OP? Until they tell us they are in Disney management and have seen such a proposal, I wouldn't get concerned about a poll by someone on the DIS.

ITA! I just wanted to know if there is a source or if this is just one of those word-of-mouth-gone-crazy rumors.

 

[Allison]

ITA! I just wanted to know if there is a source or if this is just one of those word-of-mouth-gone-crazy rumors.

I haven't seen a source so far.

 

[DizznyChick]

urgent ???

 

[tnkr_bell]

I'm already on the fence about the DDP...while it would be nice to just go to a TS restaurant and order an appetizer, entree, and dessert and not have to really worry about how much it cost, I also know that I would not normally eat that much food. So while I'm willing to pay a little more for the DDP than what I would pay if we just paid OOP for a little freedom, if the gratuity wasn't included I think I would just go ahead and pay OOP. It just wouldn't be worth it anymore.

 

[Lord Fantasius]

It's probably about as urgent as asking who would still book DME if it wasn't complimentary. That was presumably a "free" perk initiated during last year's promotion with the expectation that people would have to pay for it starting in the next year or so once the "promotion" period was over.

Not that is matters much, but I voted no mainly because we're a family of four who normally only goes out once or twice week to a TS-type restuarant while on vacation and uses either CS or stocks up at the local grocery store for our other meals. We're going for Free DDP our first time this September since it was a no-brainer, but normally we would not eat as much rich food if we weren't paying for it in advance one way or another.

I do like the idea of having a checkbox at the bottom of the receipt with the DDP that would indicate how much - 5%, 8%, 10%, 12%, 15%, 18%, or 20% - should go to the server as a tip. Kind of like the $3 political contribution question on the IRS tax form. There would be no upcharge if the guest wanted to leave a larger tip, but it would ensure a slightly more attentive level of service, if necessary.

With everything included, the cost of the DDP against what we normally would eat is about break-even, and possibly a little more, but because of the incredible amount and variety of food available under the DDP, we were swinging that way even before the "free" September DDP came out. However, if we had to pay 15% to 20% more under the plan, we more than likely would revert back to OOP.

-R

 

[jpaulgor]

Definitely not. With the tip included, the wife and I will probably just break even on the DDP. If we weren't on the DDP, we would not eat so many TS meals and would probably not stay on site. Disney would ultimately lose money from us by making a move like this.

 

[JMLBrats]

sorry, I didn't read all the posts, but why is this URGENT?

 

[luv2nascar]

I voted NO. It would not be a great deal for me then. BOO HOO. If it ain't broke don't fix it.