What is the effect of DDP for DVC owners?

[william4192]

We love the DDP. We get it at every stay. If nothing else, it tells me how much money I will be spending on food. I like to fix it as much as I can. I always book more meals than we get (sometimes due to certain meals being 2 dinners or 5 night but 6 days on a trip). I find the price to be in line with the food, even though I can't eat everything. But I do get to try things I wouldn't normally eat (b/c we have so much food).

 

[deerh]

We are going to SSR in July, and I just made my dining ressies in June! I HATE the 180 days out to get dining!! I don't know what I am doing 6 days from now much less 6 MONTHS from now!

Most of what I wanted was already taken.. (I know, book before 40 days out), BUT it used to be 90 days out, and that was OK, but now that it is 180 days out it stinks! I don't want to plan out our internary 6 mos out!!

Just my .02 cents worth...

deerh

 

[william4192]

Then don't book it that far out. Choice is yours. Especially if you are not a planner, if you are more go with the flow....then go with it




Plan or not to plan, that is the question!

 

[JimC]

While only about 30% of all guests are purchasing the DDP, the fact that restaurants are booked in advance can not be totally blamed on the DDP.

Disney resorts are booked solid this year due to the Dreams Promotion. Occupancy is the highest it has been in years. Many people now realize to book dining in advance in do so.

You may have simply picked a very busy time to go due to the Food and Wine Festival.

We are going the last of July and first of August and I was able to get Le Cellier this week.

Keep calling cancellations do come up.

Many people double book and then cancel when they make their mind what they are doing. We have also been able to get reservations as late as the week before.

As to the DDP affecting food quality and service is strickly opinion, no fact that it is the cause and it is opinion as to whether the change has even occurred.

We found our meals and service using the plan to be great.

Sammie, in all fairness none of us know, for sure, the cause and effect. Nor do we have valid study data regarding service and food quality. However, changes to menus and substitutes for food items are easy to establish. Both have occurred and well into the DDP initiative.

Living in Orlando (and having DDE) we have sufficient opportunity to eat on property throughout the year. Certainly we can state our experience and overall enjoyment of WDW dining. And it has diminished.

 

[ADP]

I don't think Sammie is saying food quality has not diminished. He's simply saying we don't have any facts to back it up; which I agree there is nothing factual that tells us the DDP has diminished food quality.

Although I will say, and this is my opinion, the DDP has diminished food quality, choice, and in some cases service.

As for Disney's restaurants being full and ADRs that are tough to get, who can blame Disney for that. They are simply capatalizing on our dollars. From what I can tell it's working well.

 

[DebbieB]

How does the DDE card offer more flexibility? Both DDE and DDP can be used at most restaurants or is there only a percentage of DDP reservations offered at each restaurants leaving availability DDE and “cash” patrons?

I think it's more flexible because you are not forced to eat large meals to get your monies worth. When my mom and I used to go, we would rarely order appetizers, sometimes would split the entree and split a dessert. We were not eating $38.99 a day each. It's not that we were trying to save money, we just couldn't eat all that. With the DDE, we would get 20% off what we wanted to order.

Reservations are not limited by type of payment. Whoever calls first gets them.

 

[Chuck S]

I think the DDP is a contributing factor, but not the only factor, in the perceived decline in overall quality. "Healthier" choices being wanted by guests, switching to foods that can be prepared faster, cost/profit, DDP...all of these lead to overall menu changes. I will say that I saw on our recent trip that Olivia's changed the menu again (unusual to have a lot of changes at this location) and IMO, it has greatly improved since the major (and disappointing) changes last year...they have a new manager.