Will you pay for DDP in 2008

[buzzlightbeer]

Disney have announced details of the Dining Plan for next year.

They have scrapped the starter on the Table Service meal and the included 18% gratuity has also been removed. To compensate for these losses they will charge $1 less. :(

For those who don't get the Free DDP the deal is looking pretty unatractive . We certainly wont be using it after this year.

I was wondering how others here feel about these changes.

Cheers
Pete

[Leanne1977]

We, personally, wouldnt pay for the DDP either this year or next. We have the free DDP which is great but usually we book a few meals and the rest of the time we eat off-site so paying for it wouldnt be a great benefit to us.

We are really pleased to have the free DDP as we get to try restaurants we may not have booked without the plan.

However now Disney have changed things for next year and assuming they may offer free dining for Aug/Sept again next year, we don't think we will go for it, even if its free.
A big advantage to us was the simplicity of it all. The tip issue being a big factor. It takes the worry out of it, you just eat and go.

We havent totally decided but we are considering going in November next year instead. :wave:

[kmt]

nope not going to bother next year even though we will mainly be eating at wdw restaurants its too inflexible this time

[Lil_Missy]

We have always had the dining plan because it just made everything so much easier. Will not have it again though as it is now a total rip off.

[Cinders Mum]

nope, for my plans for my next trip would mean sacrificing too much to take the plan, so for me, it will be a no brainer financially.

I might revert back to 1 x PAP and DDE though.

[LisaH]

Hi,
Can someone explain the Dining plan for me, is it something just offered to guests staying at the Disney Hotels? It's not something I have heard of before.

[Wilderness 5]

We are on the plan for our trip in October this year and looking forward to it. :)

We are going again in April and October next year but will not book DDP. We tend to prefer starters to desserts at TS meals and the tips being extra will put lots of people off I think. Also, I have found that booking all the ADRs for this year has made our holiday look very inflexible - sometimes it's nice to just eat where looks good at the time. I don't think I would have booked DDP again for next year even without the changes as I want to eat off-site a bit more next time.

[marlouwrig]

nope, for my plans for my next trip would mean sacrificing too much to take the plan, so for me, it will be a no brainer financially.

I might revert back to 1 x PAP and DDE though.

Exactly what I was thinking :d:

[Cinders Mum]

the problem is that there is now the pattern of behaviour that even without booking DDP, people will book out the ADR's 6 months in advance, so making some level of planning and rigidity inevitable.

[marlouwrig]

the problem is that there is now the pattern of behaviour that even without booking DDP, people will book out the ADR's 6 months in advance, so making some level of planning and rigidity inevitable.


This is certainly a problem. Due to last minute change of plans I have tried to change 2 of my ADR's in the past week. Without success as there were no convenient options available for the locations and times I needed even though I was really flexible.

What chances are there now of getting a walk up which is what we have always done before this year and all the ADR madness :omg:

[JazzyDuck]

Is it really that bad?
Surely it must be a good idea if it means you can pay off some of your holiday costs before you go?
I noticed theres DDP and a New DDDP are these now both bad ideas and if you didn't opt for 1 of theese what would you do, take more $$'s, TC's or use CC's?

[zdickens]

We originally had the DDP on our trip for next year but when we read about the changes a couple of months ago we decided to remove it. If we could get it for free then we'd probably think about it but I certainly wouldn't pay for it.

[matt987106]

we might

we normally do buffet style character dining, and this would still wok out cheaper for us to do

sure, you dont get a starter and you have to leave a tip, the tip thing must be a good idea in my mind, it will help keep the level or service up

[Amyrlin]

Nope, it is no longer a good deal, giving up the AP room discount used to be worth it sometimes, but now I'll go back to DDE, but it will mean more eating off site, there are so many other nice restaurants away.

[LizzyBear]

Not sure I would have paid for the 'old' plan (got it free this year) and definitely wouldn't for the new one. I'd rather just pay OOP for the onsite restaurants we want to eat at, we'd probably eat offsite more without DDP.

[Sue]

Well, personally I would have to weigh it up against what time of year it was - we chose to pay for the DDP over Xmas and New Year, with the rationale that it was busy so we would have had to ADR most days anyway if we wanted to get in/eat at a reasonable time. AND costed it against what we would normally spend on eating out.
It made sense to pay for it then - also no additional holiday costs to consider once there.

Now they have removed the appetiser and tip though.................. it would need more thinking about.

At the moment are paying for it for next August/September, but it's all under consideration still.....

[buzzlightbeer]

I think that Disney have really messed up with this one. Like Val we will look to DDE with our annual pass, but certainly won't use Disney restaurants all the time, and will eat off property. Which is the very thing that the DDP was designed to stop.

On the plus side. If the restaurants aren't packed anymore then the ADR problem should ease, Staff will offer better service because they rely on those tips. Plus, I hope, that Disney will go back to their old policy of restaurants serving a variety of meal options and signature dishes, like they used to. Since the DDP most of the restaurants all seem to be serving the same thing, which becomes very boring.

I wonder if the DDP was too successful and Disney have become a victim of their own success. But in doing this have unwittingly alienated the day guests who can never get into a restaurant because they're all packed out with people on the DDP.

It will be interesting to see how this one pans out.

Cheers
Pete

[Rebelrebel]

Since the DDP most of the restaurants all seem to be serving the same thing, which becomes very boring.



I noticed that too.

We got a good room discount for this year which we would have had to give up if we went for the free dining, plus not choosing it allows us to eat off site too where there is more choice and lower prices. We did do the free dining last year and did like the idea of the tip being included as it just made life easier, I also think they should give the choice of either a starter or desert.

[Disneybunny]

I don't think we would have bought the DDP anyway as we only do a few TS each trip. The new plan makes it even less attractive.

[Bob_and_Dawn]

Looks like it will only be worthwhile if you get the free dining plan.
I wouldn't use it again as I didn't use all the counter or snack credits last time, hence it is not financially beneficial.

Bob

[Clare]

It'll be interesting to see if they improve the food on offer - like Pete, I agree it was getting very samey.

[BarryandCaron]

We have free dining this year but wouldn't pay for it. We do like to eat in Disney restaurants but this year have sacrificed off site favourites.

Caron

[floridahippy]

We plan to try it next year as we will be staying onsite, not having a car and not going anywhere else other than Disney - neither DD nor I like starters anyhow and we want to have everything paid for before we go really - once tried it may be a different ball game though

[Hawkmoon]

I think the margin of savings is very slim now with the new DDP and I think the DDDP is a waste for anyone who wants to step foot outside Disney property. I doubt I would pay for it now as any savings will not stack up against the loss of flexibiity that using it causes. That said I am still looking forward to using the free DDP in a few weeks time.

[Sindysam]

Well I am gutted we have already paid for the DDP for May 08 so we are loosing out already? arent we??
I like starters and was thinking all the food is all paid for but now we will have to leave a flaming tip grrrrr

[Rebelrebel]

Well I am gutted we have already paid for the DDP for May 08 so we are loosing out already? arent we??
I like starters and was thinking all the food is all paid for but now we will have to leave a flaming tip grrrrr

Perhaps you can have it removed from your booking due to the changes.

[chowes]

We are going in Oct 08, 2 adults and 2 kids (9 & 6) staying onsite on the caribbean beach without a car.

Would it not work out cheaper doing the ddp (even with the changes) as we are going to eat onsite. I think £28 for an adults food for one day does not seem that bad or am i bonkers!!!

We have never stayed onsite before and I am starting to look at the restaurants, there are sooo many.

[LizzyBear]

We are going in Oct 08, 2 adults and 2 kids (9 & 6) staying onsite on the caribbean beach without a car.

Would it not work out cheaper doing the ddp (even with the changes) as we are going to eat onsite. I think £28 for an adults food for one day does not seem that bad or am i bonkers!!!

We have never stayed onsite before and I am starting to look at the restaurants, there are sooo many.

If you're planning to just eat onsite including a table service restaurant a day then the plan would probably work well for you. The removal of the tip and starter makes it less appealing to some but for others it wouldn't matter if, say, they don't eat a starter anyway.

[BarryandCaron]

We have just returned having 2 weeks free DDP. Would we pay for it? Definitely not; we had 20 un-used counter service credits at the end.

We like to eat at table service restaurants and paid for a few extra then the credits we had. Hopefully we will have free dining next year but as we are going for longer won't need to pay for any of our must do favourites.

Caron

[Siobhan]

Free dining is being offered for next year for arrivals on or after to 10/8/08 not sure to date. you have to book by 6/11/07

sorry didn't read whole thread

[Sindysam]

Has the price changed? If so then i will go to my TA and see if I can get some of it refunded to amend what we are paying for as it seems we are not getting what we paid for initially? Thanks for any replies if anyone knows the naswer.
Sam

[MattF]

The new plan is about £1 per person cheaper a day I think

[buzzlightbeer]

The new plan is about £1 per person cheaper a day I think

Yes it's slightly cheaper, but you get a lot less. As originally mentioned you now have to pay a tip the 18% gratuity has been removed, and no starter included with the Table service meal.

As far as Free Dining Plan is concerned........

I was listening to a podcast which was saying that to get free dining you have to pay full rack rate for the hotel packages and buy the theme park tickets to qualify. Which means that you are actually paying more toget the 'Free' Dining Plan than the Hotel discounts that Disney used to offer for the slower seasons. It seems that the lure of free food is just too much :tounge: :beer2:

Cheers
Pete