No way for the 2008 DP!

[auntie]

I took my 1 year old grandson and he was able to eat off our plates. At Garden Grill, they even brought him a childs plate and we didn't have to pay for it. We are still trying to decide on the plan for 2008. I really like some of the places to eat that aren't on there anymore. That is really one of my main complaints. It seems there are fewer places to eat. I loved Pepper Market and thats not on there anymore. I do wish they had just added 10 dollars and kept everything the same. It would have been easier for me. I don't like having to deal with money for appies and tip. I know you can charge it, but I don't want to fool with it. I guess I will just wait and see if the places I like to eat are added, and then decide if we are going to use it.

I feel exactly the same way..I wish they would have just charged more for the plan..even ten dollars more, and kept it the way it was. A big draw for us was the convenience of not having to add the gratuity..and that everything except alochol was included. This has me thinking twice..and then also having to add the gratuity..and who might want an appetizer, and who doesn't. I mean it's not brain surgery, and I'm sure we'll figure it out, it was just so EASY before..and made for a more enjoyable relaxed meal. I also agree with the poster that if it's just my husband and myself..I'd really be thinking twice about it. If we go with the kids my youngest is 16. So our last trip in May was alot of fun, and we tried places we normally wouldn't have. He ate things he might not have normally ordered..he wasn't afraid of wasting the money if he didn't like it. It was a good value for us given he's
6'2" and still growing!

 

[Rescue Ranger]

The waiter we had one night last week was saying that even if they get 10% tips it still works out better for them without the dining plan because the 18% they have to declare to the government.

It really sucks, but the appetizer is the worst loss to me. I really liked getting them for a change and trying different stuff. Taking that away, they should have lowered the price a lot more for both losses or added more snacks or something. Many waiters wont get tipped now because many dining plan guests do not carry cash with them, a manager at POFQ when I was there said the same thing. At still basically the same price, now without a tip, drink for a non breakfast counter service and no appetizer, thats ridiculous.

When we go back in Feb, we wont be taking the dining plan again now that I think more about it. I can eat MUCH cheaper than that. 2007 was great for wanting to try so many different restaurants you otherwise never would have, but a pass for 08.

 

[OKW Mom]

and use that day's 2 meal credits for the 1 meal. RIGHT?

This year when we ate at Cinderella's Castle and Narcoosie's in Sept. the 2 of us (Mr. and Mrs.) used 4TS in two evenings.

So with the Deluxe plan you could eat in an upscale restaurant every night.

Any word on the EPCOT restaurants coming into the fold?

Yeah- it's a long time till I eat in Italy's new place

When I walk 6-9 miles a day I can process some real food, so we are discussing the pros and cons between:
Annual Pass meal discounts (mostly lunches @ 10%)
DDE (Pay $65. as a DVC mbr to save 20%-but not at all restaurants!)
DDP
Any thoughts out there? Any experiences in your trips to share?

 

[Hornsfan]

We are definitely not using the dining plan in 2008.
Without the appetizer, tip, and gratuity - and leaving off several key restaurants at Epcot, the dining plan is no longer worth it for us.

It's a much better deal for us to pay out of pocket and eat anywhere with no restrictions.

I do agree with the idea they should have left it as-is and just raised the price 10 bucks a person. We would have gladly paid that. But not $69.99 a day per person. That's just too much.

 

[pilferk]

I took my 1 year old grandson and he was able to eat off our plates. At Garden Grill, they even brought him a childs plate and we didn't have to pay for it. We are still trying to decide on the plan for 2008. I really like some of the places to eat that aren't on there anymore. That is really one of my main complaints. It seems there are fewer places to eat. I loved Pepper Market and thats not on there anymore. I do wish they had just added 10 dollars and kept everything the same. It would have been easier for me. I don't like having to deal with money for appies and tip. I know you can charge it, but I don't want to fool with it. I guess I will just wait and see if the places I like to eat are added, and then decide if we are going to use it.

Merilyn,

Don't get discouraged yet. Many of the third party restaurants that have participated in the past aren't listed. That happened last year, as well, and they all were added back to the list by mid-November-ish. Disney releases the dining plan info before they've finalized their "deals" with the 3rd party places...so just leave them off the list until all the contracts are signed, the i's dotted, and the t's crossed.

As for dealing with the cash.....I'm cautiously optimistic. You have to hand them your room key for the DDP credits to be deducted, anyway. If they have a seemless way of also charging the "extras" (tip, appies, adult beverages, etc) to my room at the same time.....not much is going to change from a convenience standpoint.

 

[bicker]

I cannot imagine that the server will risk not getting a gratuity by refusing to process a room charge for it.

 

[NMW]

Auntie,
Which dining plan would you suggest? I read in other posts, most with children our age are ging to try the deluxe dining plan. Most of these families are doing this plan because it offers them an appetizer. I was telling Pilferk that I might look into the DDE card.

Well, I have gone with both kids your kids ages and a baby and I can tell you what worked for us. I like the Deluxe dining plan. When my youngest (now 5) was a baby we did it 2 years in a row (it was called the gold plan then). We also found that we still kind of prefer eating that way, and supplemented the regular DDP to sort of make it a deluxe plan.

For example, we LIKE an early TS breakfast every morning (character ones mostly). My kids love breakfast food and it gives them the energy to go for the day. Every once and a while we used CS credits to get pasteries, doughnuts and it just didn't work. We were all staving by 10:30.

We are just not people who love CS meals. WE LIKE a few TS lunches every trip. With the old DDP, we paid OOP for these. With the deluxe plan, we can eat wherever we want and not worry about using up CS credits. Some of the nicest lunches we had when my 5 yr old was a baby or 2 yr old were TS lunches. The CM's let me bring her right in the stroller to the table because she was asleep. I think she slept through: Sci-Fi, Mexico, Brown Derby, Italy, Tony's, and Rainforest (that one was loud too). Those TS lunches were a nice break for her and all of us. Even though they are all older now, we still like a few every trip.

We like later TS dinners-7:30-8:30. We generally eat that way at home due to our kids sports practices. So, eating breakfast at 8:30, a TS lunch at 12:30 and then a TS dinner at 8 PM is perfect for us. We like signature places and appetizers. So, the deluxe plan is really the only way to go for us. With the old plan we paid some dinners OOP just so we could eat signatures. In fact, we were paying OOP for something every day with the old DDP-breakfasts, lunches, dinners. We bought extra sodas in the parks every day and with the deluxe you get 2 snack credits per day, so that won't be an issue any more.

With the deluxe our OOP expenses are $0 (not counting the tip and alcohol). We can do Disney our way and we finally have a dining plan that is perfect for our family. Yes, it's a bummer about the tip, but what are you going to do? We'd be paying a tip with or with out a dining plan in 2008.

With a baby and young children especially, I would do the Deluxe plan. You just have so many options. And no, I do not think 3 meals a day is too much food. I know people say that when picking on the deluxe plan and I don't get it. If my kids didn't eat 3 meals a day at home, they'd be starving. Why would I cut down on their food on vacation? We walk sometimes 9-10 miles a day while in Disney. While that may not be the same sort of excercise as one of my sons football or lacrosse practices, they are still burning calories. Maybe those people don't feed their kids 3 meals a day at home.

 

[pilferk]

I cannot imagine that the server will risk not getting a gratuity by refusing to process a room charge for it.

That's why I'm cautiously optimistic.

The caution isn't to do with the servers willingness to process a room charge for it....it's directed at Disney's systems ability to do it. As we've all seen, that seems to be where the rubber meets the road and at least as often as not, they system doesn't work exactly as we'd expect or like it to.

I think Disney will make SURE, in this case, the system works exactly as we'd expect....be able to charge the tip and the extras AND the DDP credits either as one transaction, or two in succession. It would make sense, and I think NOT being able to do that would be a colossal failure on their part....thus my optimism.

 

[bicker]

And as more and more people stiff the servers, not out of callousness or ignorance, but simply due to lack of opportunity, you can be sure that problem, if it actually manifests, will be fixed very quickly.

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Bicker, every single server I spoke to and I spoke to a lot on our 24 day trip was against the change in the DP. I told them that there were many on the DIS boards that agreed and several asked if we would email Disney and maybe it would be changed.

I concur that if people do not buy the plan they will change it back but if we voice our opinions via email etc. the change might come sooner.

On the face of it, it does not seem like a good direction to go in on so many levels.

Slightly Goofy/Linda

 

[asmit4]

Well, I have gone with both kids your kids ages and a baby and I can tell you what worked for us. I like the Deluxe dining plan. When my youngest (now 5) was a baby we did it 2 years in a row (it was called the gold plan then). We also found that we still kind of prefer eating that way, and supplemented the regular DDP to sort of make it a deluxe plan.

For example, we LIKE an early TS breakfast every morning (character ones mostly). My kids love breakfast food and it gives them the energy to go for the day. Every once and a while we used CS credits to get pasteries, doughnuts and it just didn't work. We were all staving by 10:30.

We are just not people who love CS meals. WE LIKE a few TS lunches every trip. With the old DDP, we paid OOP for these. With the deluxe plan, we can eat wherever we want and not worry about using up CS credits. Some of the nicest lunches we had when my 5 yr old was a baby or 2 yr old were TS lunches. The CM's let me bring her right in the stroller to the table because she was asleep. I think she slept through: Sci-Fi, Mexico, Brown Derby, Italy, Tony's, and Rainforest (that one was loud too). Those TS lunches were a nice break for her and all of us. Even though they are all older now, we still like a few every trip.

We like later TS dinners-7:30-8:30. We generally eat that way at home due to our kids sports practices. So, eating breakfast at 8:30, a TS lunch at 12:30 and then a TS dinner at 8 PM is perfect for us. We like signature places and appetizers. So, the deluxe plan is really the only way to go for us. With the old plan we paid some dinners OOP just so we could eat signatures. In fact, we were paying OOP for something every day with the old DDP-breakfasts, lunches, dinners. We bought extra sodas in the parks every day and with the deluxe you get 2 snack credits per day, so that won't be an issue any more.

With the deluxe our OOP expenses are $0 (not counting the tip and alcohol). We can do Disney our way and we finally have a dining plan that is perfect for our family. Yes, it's a bummer about the tip, but what are you going to do? We'd be paying a tip with or with out a dining plan in 2008.

With a baby and young children especially, I would do the Deluxe plan. You just have so many options. And no, I do not think 3 meals a day is too much food. I know people say that when picking on the deluxe plan and I don't get it. If my kids didn't eat 3 meals a day at home, they'd be starving. Why would I cut down on their food on vacation? We walk sometimes 9-10 miles a day while in Disney. While that may not be the same sort of excercise as one of my sons football or lacrosse practices, they are still burning calories. Maybe those people don't feed their kids 3 meals a day at home.

I know this is off topic a bit, but I wonder this too! What do these families eat at home? For me and DH, breakfast is cereal, milk, and juice.

We head to work and most likely have a mid morning snack, likely a granola bar or something from our lunch that we grab to eat early. Then around 12:30 we eat lunch which for us is a main meal (usually a lean pocket, sandwich or frozen meal), plus something sweet and something salty- say yogurt and pretzels.

When we get home from work, I cook dinner most nights. That's a starch, meat, and veggie and sometimes hot rolls (another starch). Then later on we have dessert, maybe a bowl of edy's churned ice cream. I've also been known to grab a quick snack before dinner too- usually a slice or 2 of kraft cheese and a handful of wheat thins to tide me over til dinner

I often wonder what people eat if they think 3 meals a day is too much food.

 

[fakereadhed]

I know this is off topic a bit, but I wonder this too! What do these families eat at home? For me and DH, breakfast is cereal, milk, and juice.

We head to work and most likely have a mid morning snack, likely a granola bar or something from our lunch that we grab to eat early. Then around 12:30 we eat lunch which for us is a main meal (usually a lean pocket, sandwich or frozen meal), plus something sweet and something salty- say yogurt and pretzels.

When we get home from work, I cook dinner most nights. That's a starch, meat, and veggie and sometimes hot rolls (another starch). Then later on we have dessert, maybe a bowl of edy's churned ice cream. I've also been known to grab a quick snack before dinner too- usually a slice or 2 of kraft cheese and a handful of wheat thins to tide me over til dinner

I often wonder what people eat if they think 3 meals a day is too much food.

Nothing you described is the typical Disney TS meal. 3 meals at home is nothing like 3 TS meals, snacks, and a refillable mug.

 

[Tricia1972]

Three meals a day at Disney is a lot more food and MANY more calories than what most families eat at home. I can't think of where you'll find just a bowl of cereal on the dining plan, a snack that is as healthy as a granola bar, or a lunch that is similar to a lean pocket.

We eat three meals a day at home, did the regular dining plan in early October, and were disugsted with how much food we ate and we also wasted way too much for our tastes.

For us we're going to not do DDP at all and eat the way we want to eat. Graze throughtout the day and maybe we'll end up eating more than three meals a day, but smaller meals.

 

[Bete]

We eat three meals a day at home mostly, but they are smaller meals than what's on the plan for a meal. We prefer on vacation to eat only two meals. I want more time for the parks, not eating. You can eat lighter meals at Disney, but then the DP is not worth it on any count, basic or deluxe with the new 2008 plans.

You have more freedom without the dining plan. I prefer eating a heavier meal for lunch and again it doesn't make sense to be on the plan in that case financially. Even for the big eaters I would think it would be better to have two bigger meals than to spend the time to have three meals a day at Disney; so, the deluxe plan is not even a good answer; unless, you want to try the 2 credit TS meals and still have two meals a day. Every time you have a meal it's less time for the parks. We like counter service for both our meals for a day with an occassional TS meal during our vacation. It's quicker to go counter service and less costly (no tip). We even like to eat outside of Disney if we take our car or rent one. If you are going to Sea World or Universal, etc.; it's easy to go out of Disney and eat somewhere non-Disney.

I think with the changes coming in 2008 with the DP we will see people going to another strategy for meals. The first six months may not see too much of a change, but thereafter, I think the new DP will decrease rapidly in use. This could be a strategy Disney wants to do. Maybe, they want to open up the TS places more to walk-ins and such. Having a tip included even though I added to the tip was what attracted me to the plan to begin with. I purposely arranged a trip late this year with the 2007 DP instead of taking any trip next year to Disney. The change in the dining plan structure actually convinced me to do this right now for a vacation. Well, it was nice while it lasted.

 

[RivaLJ]

I am trying to figure out whether or not the standard plan will work for me and DS6.
It is a great deal for him- even if he only eats mac and cheese or chicken nuggets!
I listed the places where I would like to go for a TS, chose an entree and a drink, figured out tax and tip.
I did the same for the CS but without the tip.
Then did snack +tax.
Using the Dining Plan (11 nights) I would save around $90 over OOP.
It's not much but I like the convenience of not carrying so much cash.
If I were to eliminate some of the TS and just eat CS for those meals, then paying OOP is a little less.
I usually never get a chance to eat at nice restaurants so that alone is pushing me toward getting the DDP.
Yes I will miss the appetizers, but my waistline will not!
If need be, I will order one and pay OOP.

 

[annameg]

My problem with the DDP is that my 9 and 6 year olds HAVE to order from the kid's menu. They are both tiny girls and don't have huge appetites, but they LOVE a variety of foods. They like the variety on the adult menu. I am afraid that I would end up ordering from the kid's menu and the food would not be eaten. They would want what DH and I are eating. It would be better to let them split an adult entree or eat an appetizer from the adult menu. A lot of times we like to order just a bunch of different appetizers. So I think that the 2008 DDP just doesn't meet our needs. We loved it last year, but will probably not get it this year.

 

[bassoon2]

Well, just as WE the GUESTS are DDP guinea pigs...SO ARE THE SERVERS. That's right. NO TIPS. You know it, it is going to happen.

 

[asmit4]

Three meals a day at Disney is a lot more food and MANY more calories than what most families eat at home. I can't think of where you'll find just a bowl of cereal on the dining plan, a snack that is as healthy as a granola bar, or a lunch that is similar to a lean pocket.

We eat three meals a day at home, did the regular dining plan in early October, and were disugsted with how much food we ate and we also wasted way too much for our tastes.

For us we're going to not do DDP at all and eat the way we want to eat. Graze throughtout the day and maybe we'll end up eating more than three meals a day, but smaller meals.

I 100% agree that the foods I posted above are not "normal disney fare" but many fail to see that you don't have to eat everything offered.

For instance- getting tonga toast- just eat 1 piece with an orange juice and hot tea. For lunch- don't order the ribs/chicken combo- just order the caesar salad w/chicken, for dinner don't order the steak/lobster, order the salmon dish and split an appetizer with your spouse. Use your snack credits for waters at the park.

Certainly the food I listed above isn't exactly like my "usual" foods at home either, but it's much closer. I think it's funny that lots of people feel the need to eat a full breakfast, lunch and dinner while on the DDP.

The DDP can be of great convenience even if you don't eat every single item offered like all appys, desserts, $4 snacks. Of course, you'd have to do the math- the DDP might not be worth it if you eat the above scenario, at least not worth it financially.

 

[Tricia1972]

I 100% agree that the foods I posted above are not "normal disney fare" but many fail to see that you don't have to eat everything offered.

For instance- getting tonga toast- just eat 1 piece with an orange juice and hot tea. For lunch- don't order the ribs/chicken combo- just order the caesar salad w/chicken, for dinner don't order the steak/lobster, order the salmon dish and split an appetizer with your spouse. Use your snack credits for waters at the park.

Certainly the food I listed above isn't exactly like my "usual" foods at home either, but it's much closer. I think it's funny that lots of people feel the need to eat a full breakfast, lunch and dinner while on the DDP.

The DDP can be of great convenience even if you don't eat every single item offered like all appys, desserts, $4 snacks. Of course, you'd have to do the math- the DDP might not be worth it if you eat the above scenario, at least not worth it financially.

I guess we are in agreement. I was mostly replying to the comments questioning why people think that three meals a day is too much food. We also wasted a lot, even though we didn't necessarily order all that was 'entitled' to us.

I agree, you certainly do not need to order everything offered to you, and when I did my calculations as to DDP or no DDP I calculated what we would eat. Yes we will eat three meals a day, but not three Disney-sized meals. We'll split and share, order an extra snack if we get hungry between meals and call it good.

When I calculated costs for us doing that, it's cheaper for us to use our DDE card and not do the DDP. I think that every family has to figure out the value of the DDP for them. I also think that most families who regularly don't order desserts, split entrees (at CS and TS locations), or regularly order the salads will find that the DDP is not as cost effective for them. However, if it's close it may still be a good value, just for convenience.

 

[mjkaferle5]

I'm sure there is more emotion than fact in that comment.

While the 2008 plan offers "less" than the 2007 version there are still advantages in the plan, thus plenty of families will buy the plan. And of course many will have it for Free in September.
- Being able to order w/o considering prices
- Being able to say yes w/o so much guilt to the kids
- Pre paid meal plan
- Charging on the KTTW card
- and others will see more advantages

The introduction of the Deluxe plan for an all TS experience seems to be a big hit as well. Not a great fit for my family, but will work well for others.

I agree. I think there are still advantages to the DDP for families. We have 4 young children and the dining plan made things so much easier for us on our last trip.