What would you do to improve DDP?

[Pedler]

I'm not sure about three meals per day. I think the dining plan already includes too much food as it is.

Isn't there already a dinning plan that includes 3 meals a day?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Sorry don't mean to snap but every post here has a follow up by someone who has a gripe about other people. Gripe about the price, gripe about the meal, but don't gripe about other people using it the way Disney allows it.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see anybody in this thread griping about Guests abusing the plan; it appears to me everyone who brought up the (mis)use of child credits wants DISNEY to CHANGE (topic of this thread ) the plan, or more to the point, ENFORCE the rules to prevent this.

Isn't there already a dinning plan that includes 3 meals a day?

Well, there's the Platinum Plan - three meals, a light snack, Hopper/WP&M passes, various recreational options...

 

[Pedler]

Well, there's the Platinum Plan - three meals, a light snack, Hopper/WP&M passes, various recreational options...

Thats what I was thinking of. The 3 meals that are included, are they anywhere whatever you want or some combination of TS / CS credits? I forgot that in order to get this plan you had to go all out.

 

[Nancyg56]

1. Include three meals/day (two CS and one TS) as well as a snack item.

2. Enforce that if someone pays for a child's plan that it is used for a child. I think it's absurd that people are using a $11.99/day plan (for kids) to buy adult meals (complete with appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks) at TS restaraunts. No wonder childless couples are contemplating inventing kids.

This would be my vote. I would pay a little more in order to have 2 light meals. When on vacation. my DH likes 3 meals a day. I would give up the snack credit, as I always forgot w had them.

I also think allowing adults to purchase meals with child credits can be a problem, but I confess, I don't think too much aboutit.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would like to see some sort of signature dining plan option...maybe drop the snack credit and dessert with the counter service (two desserts in one day is a lot anyway) and have a basic one counter service and one signature dinner option (at a higher price at course). We tend to go to mostly signature restaurants and are trying the dining plan for the first time starting Sunday and are doing Spoodles/Kona Cafe/Cellier/Biergarten etc. during our five day trip - but my heart wants Flying Fish, Jiko's and Citrico's which we probably would have done using the DDE instead. We figure we'll give the dining plan a shot and see how it goes.

This would be nice. I would like a "Premium Plan" optio that would not incluse all of the extras on the plan. We are not ready to take all of the tours, golf, and shows etc, but would enjoy the ability to plan meals where ever we want. I would pay extra for this plan.

 

[formernyer]

This would be nice. I would like a "Premium Plan" optio that would not incluse all of the extras on the plan. We are not ready to take all of the tours, golf, and shows etc, but would enjoy the ability to plan meals where ever we want. I would pay extra for this plan.

Another reason the Premium Plan is so high is because Signature meals are included for just one credit and the plan even includes a meal at V&A.

I personally wouldn't want to see the normal DDP expanded, but I can understand the appeal and I think it would be in Disney's best interest to do it.

The only extra meal that would be included would be a CS breakfast, which only costs about $8 OOP including drink. My guess is that the DDP price would increase about $5 per day to include this meal. Personally I'd rather just eat eat poptarts in the room or CS breakfast with conserved credits (via meal-sharing). I really have no interest in paying an extra $5 for breakfast.

On the other hand, it's probably worth it for Disney to change the plan to include breakfast. It would really cut down on all of the adult vs. child credit and meal-sharing controversy. The reason why we share meals, etc. is because it "saves" credits for the meals which aren't covered.

Of course there will still be people who try to conserve credits so that they can apply kid's credits to adult Signature meals, but the abuse would certainly be a lot less than it is now.

 

[Cruz Family]

Enforce that if someone pays for a child's plan that it is used for a child. I think it's absurd that people are using a $11.99/day plan (for kids) to buy adult meals (complete with appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks) at TS restaraunts. No wonder childless couples are contemplating inventing kids.

I agree totally!
I have an 8 yr old DS and the only way I will pay OOP is if he is not ordering off the kids menu. He loves lobster and we are going to let him order it at Yachtsman so that I will be paying OOP. This works out fine because we are doing a few extra TS meals and he can his extra credits then.

 

[prairie]

From where I'm sitting, this disney dining plan results in either a) too much unnecessary food being eaten or b) too much unnecessary food being wasted.

I don't like either scenario. If an appetizer, entree and dessert are put in front of me, I guess I'm going to eat them but I can't imagine doing this every night for a week!

I would like to see a more spartan plan offered for the diners who don't order appetizers, desserts, or even drinks (I'm a water person), then if you're really feeling hungry you can pay OOP for extras on a meal-by-meal basis.

 

[Lewisc]

From where I'm sitting, this disney dining plan results in either a) too much unnecessary food being eaten or b) too much unnecessary food being wasted.

I don't like either scenario. If an appetizer, entree and dessert are put in front of me, I guess I'm going to eat them but I can't imagine doing this every night for a week!

I would like to see a more spartan plan offered for the diners who don't order appetizers, desserts, or even drinks (I'm a water person), then if you're really feeling hungry you can pay OOP for extras on a meal-by-meal basis.

Disney is looking to charge a certain amount per day per dining customer to cover the fixed costs of the restaurants. Any reduction in the amount of food being offered will probably only reduce the price by the actual cost of the food. Disney pays next to nothing for soda and the food cost of appetizers and desserts isn't that much.

Your TS meal is worth around $22-$23 after you back out tax and tip. You'll pay that in most restaurants even if you skip appetizer or dessert.

I'll agree if you skip most drinks AND appetizers AND desserts the meal plan might not be that good a deal but if you order ANY of those items the plan still works.

 

[Hope73]

I wish the snack options would be larger or maybe you could use your snacks for anytihgin under 3.oo

 

[disneyjunkie]

From where I'm sitting, this disney dining plan results in either a) too much unnecessary food being eaten or b) too much unnecessary food being wasted.

You don't have to order everything that comes with the plan. My son and I used the plan last year. There were plenty of times when we didn't order a dessert or an appetizer. Even though we didn't max out the plan, I still came out ahead.

I'd like to see Disney add more snacks to the plan.

I'd like to see them define pooling and not allow "child credits" (I know, I know ) to cover adult meals.

I'd like to have a dining plan that includes all meals and maybe Cirque tickets, but not tours, golf, and all the other recreation options.

 

[prairie]

Disney is looking to charge a certain amount per day per dining customer to cover the fixed costs of the restaurants. Any reduction in the amount of food being offered will probably only reduce the price by the actual cost of the food. Disney pays next to nothing for soda and the food cost of appetizers and desserts isn't that much.

Your TS meal is worth around $22-$23 after you back out tax and tip. You'll pay that in most restaurants even if you skip appetizer or dessert.

I'll agree if you skip most drinks AND appetizers AND desserts the meal plan might not be that good a deal but if you order ANY of those items the plan still works.

It would still probably work dollar-wise, but not by much and in a way that does not appeal to me at all. I'd be at the table saying, bring on the appetizers and desserts not because we're hungry, but because they're paid for. NOT my cup of tea.

I understand that Disney is a business and needs to make money -- every package they offer is designed number one to keep you on-site, not to save you money your way.

I'm just saying, for a plan to appeal to me, it has to work for me and this one doesn't. I don't like a plan that tells me what my family has to eat. A flat fee package would appeal to me more.

If DDP works for others, great!

 

[disneymom3]

I like the OPs idea of adding a snack and taking out the CS dessert but adding them as snack options. I am thinking many times we will not want dessert right away, but some of them sure look yummy for later.

I for one could not care less what other people do with their child credits. Life is too short to worry about things that do not effect my vacation in the least.

 

[Pedler]

It would be nice if you were able to get Turkey legs as a CS meal.

 

[angel's momma]

It would be nice if you were able to get Turkey legs as a CS meal.

You already can - at Lunching Pad at MK.

I'm pretty sure there's a place at MGM too.

At Lunching Pad you only get a turkey leg, bag of chips, and drink - no dessert.

 

[bicker]

You mean you can't?

 

[Pedler]

You already can - at Lunching Pad at MK.

I'm pretty sure there's a place at MGM too.

At Lunching Pad you only get a turkey leg, bag of chips, and drink - no dessert.

Arghhhh!!! At the end of last August the turkey leg carts disappeared. I didn't even think of finding them elsewhere. I could have had a turkey leg.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I haven't done DDP yet but i have a few ideas.

I think we should be given two snack credits and then take away our CS dessert. But then i think Disney should allow CS desserts to count as a snack credit(for those who want dessert). This would help those of us with sugar problems plus make the coming back for dessert(icecream or at another location)much easier. I know that the CS desserts cost slightly more but i really believe DW would come out on top as it seems most people don't want dessert with every meal and they would use the extra credit for the cheaper options(the regular snack they offer now).

So what changes would you make?

That is exactly what I would suggest!

 

[disneyjunkie]

They're making a few of the changes we wanted.

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?p=12527979#post12527979

 

[Disney Debbie]

http://adisneyworld.disney.go.com/m...gespecific/eng/nontheme/tickets/MYWDining.pdf

It's amazing to me how many folks worry about people using child credits for adult meals or following "the rules". Who's rules?? They aren't Disney's rules. I've put a link to the plan as defined by WDW from their website above - no where does it say that if you pay a child's rate you can only get children's food. It specifically says "The Disney Dining Plan includes (1) Quick Service Meal etc..... per person, per night of your package stay for everyone in the party ages 3+. For example, a party of 4 staying for 5 nights would receive 20 Quick Service Meals, 20 Snacks and 20 Table Service meals to use during their package stay."
Under the "Using your Meals" in an example it specifically says "You can continue using meals any way you like for the rest of your package stay until the number of meals/snacks are depleted."
They do not distinguish between child credits and adult credits at all - and it seems to me if that was a problem for them they could easily keep up with the credits by child and adult if they wanted to. They can distinguish between snacks and counter service - so why not adult and child if it mattered to them?

My child is 20 - so it's not like I'm going to be able to do that anyway - but the only reason I can see that people are upset about it is jealousy that someone is getting meals for a real deal! If Disney sets it up this way, if they don't specifically address it and if they don't keep up with the credits separately - then what's it to me if Joe Blow is getting to have 2 table service meals a day while his 5 year old is eating peanut butter sandwiches from home???