Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest-ID-77855.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: 2012 Disney Dining Plan Changes</b></a> <p>The Disney Food Blog details some of the changes expected for the 2012 Disney Dining Plans including the inclusion of refillable mugs and reduction of snacks.</p>
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Do you love or dislove the disdining plan? I dislove it and really dislike it
Originally Posted By FenwayGirl We used it for the first time in May. We liked it. It was an adult only trip, so we were able to dine at a lot of places we would not normally. Next May I am taking my youngest grandson who will be turning 5. I think we will do the Quick Serve plan. Probably dont save much, but I like having all of the meals paid for before the vacation started.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Not sure if I would We left a lot of snaks on the card and had to go to the hotel front desk to "fix" mistakes made by the waiters. They keep taking away so much. Originally it was including tip w appetizer entree desert. Now it is extra tip and no appetizer...and next year fewer daily snaks ripoff. And most of the choices were a double day for one meal fee. I guess Quik Service is what they offer with Free Dining? I don't believe anything is Free when it comes to Disney.
Originally Posted By FenwayGirl We actually had "free" regular dining plan last month..depends on where you stay
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS Mickeymouseclub, you seem to be contradicting yourself here just a tad You say that you left a lot of snacks unused, but then you complain that they are taking away one snack? That is a little confusing to me. Anyway, I wish they had the refillable mug this year. It would be nice to have during our Oct trip as I hear it is going to be a tad muggy. Coming from Cali, we use the dining plan every time we visit WDW. It is so much easier to budget and include the meals in my weekly payment to the travel agent. It's much less to worry about, and it helps us to afford the restaurants we probably wouldn't eat at otherwise.
Originally Posted By FenwayGirl Thats exactly how I feel 999Haunts. We saved all of our receipts and actually came out close to savings $200 dollars. Try Kouzzina's!!
Originally Posted By Bolna <<Thats exactly how I feel 999Haunts. We saved all of our receipts and actually came out close to savings $200 dollars. Try Kouzzina's!!>> FenwayGirl, I don't want to say that your calculation is wrong and I am happy to hear that you had such a wonderful time at the restaurants. I love dining at Disney as well. But I think one should not compare the price of the dining plan with what one got on the plan. I think the price of the plan has to be compared with what you would have ordered if you had not been on the plan. I did the math for two trips. Looking at menus, considering what I would most likely eat and always came out with less money than what the dining plan would cost. Would you order dessert for every meal? I personally prefer to rather save dessert and get some ice cream later on instead, for example. I understand that this might vary for different people though. The same goes for free dining. In the recent years it was always offered at the same time as room only discounts and depending on where you are staying and how many are in your party, room only might save you more money than free dining. And for the prepaid factor: I have heard from quite a few people that they just put the money they would have spent on the dining plan on a gift card, so it was already budgeted for and if they had something left over at the end of the trip, they did use it for a bonus souvenir.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS Bolna, I totally understand your point of view, but if *I* would put that money on a gift card, it would be spent at DL before we even got to WDW - LOL! It's better that it's out of sight and out of mind budget wise. The dining plan works so much better for me. And I look at the desert with my meal as a treat that I usually wouldn't afford myself here at DL or at a restaurant by my home.
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle I used the Dining Plan in 2007 and loved it - would have to look at it again when planning my next trip to see if it was still worthwhile with all the changes, but it worked out really well for my sister and me. As 999 said, it was really nice having it pre-budgeted. Since we're coming from so far away (Australia) we like to indulge and be able to go to nice restaurants, so I think it worked out well financially for us.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Who cares? The DDP has ruined resort dining as far as I (and many others) are concerned. So, there's a part of me that laughs as they take more away each year and raise the prices because so many folks are now addicted to it. ... Much like pixie dust!
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub I guessed someone would think I was contradicting myself. They are separate issues. this year was the first time to try the dining plan. It was not free because we stayed at DVC. I did have enough Disney Visa Rewards Points to purchase so I guess it could be considered free. So for many reasons besides personal I do not recommend the Dining Plan. The reference to having many snak points leftover points out how confusing it was for the rest of the family since this was their first trip to WDW. Most of the places we wanted to eat required 2 daily point amounts and they made many mistakes. It is not fun to be on hold to talk to customer service at the end of a long day and then be told I would have to come to the front desk to resolve the issues with the ddp receipts due to the waiter's mistakes.I admit we did have 3 families and three different rooms to add to the confusion. The reduction of the daily snak amount for next year's plan is just another reduction. Just because my family are vegetarians and do not eat a lot of sweets does not seem like a good reason to reduce it for everybody else next year. And the free is not really free when they charge full price for every adult and child in the room. It might say Free but I will never believe anything is free at Disney and just laugh whenever I hear it. I just want this to be considered when people see the free. It originally included appetizer entree desert and drink and tip and snacks .Big difference to the offering for next year. I fell for the Dining Plan would simplify mealtimes on our trip. I also notice many restaurants are changing their daily meal price to equal a 2 meal allowance.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS I think there are only 4 dining options that take 2 credits (I may be wrong) - many many others are still just one credit. It's the vacationer's choice as to which way they would like to spend their credits. The dining plan totally simplifies our vacation, but I can see how the dining plan isn't for everyone. To each his own, I figure.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I much prefer paying $x for a DDE card ( (yeah I know it's now tables in wonderland) - because it didn't change the dining landscape. You had to be a resident or an AP to get it. So people like me who live 1200 miles away and paid for the Ap and DDE card-- contributed to the discounted meals anyway. DDP is bad enough on it's own- the manipulative 'free' ( and we all know nothing is free) plan just seems to be the worst of the worst for it's affect on prices/ menu options. pressure to turn tables over quicker , ressie issues etc.) - work on a plan where the frequent sit down diner gets some break....but leave the menu's alone and do not make them homogenous-- that's a problem. it's funny, I am a guy who plans every last detail of our vacation on an EXCEL format that I have shared with others. Now once there we can deviate from some of the plans based on whatever reason, but we are always covered for times- discount maxes - releases of items etc.. and yet I found the DDP plan to be far too much of a pita to manage.
Originally Posted By tashajilek What exactly is the tables of wonderland? is it the same as the ddp??
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub The Tables in Wonderland is a 20%discount and includes alcohol drinks and is available to passholders for a fee of $75 per year. As far as the 2 credits per meal it now includes The Brown derby and Le Cellier and The California Grill. And Cinderella's Royal Table. Not sure about the Polynesian Luau.
Originally Posted By Bolna <<What exactly is the tables of wonderland? is it the same as the ddp??>> I think vbdad got confused about DDP and DDE. DDP usually stands for Disney Dining Plan and DDE was the former Disney Dining Experience. DDE is now called Tables in Wonderland. Mickeymouseclub explained that quite well, even though one should be aware that it is only a discount at table service meals. The list of 2 credits meal on the Disney Dining Plan is: Jiko Yachtsman Steakhouse Flying Fish California Grill Narcoossee's Citricos Artist Point Le Cellier (dinner only) Hollywood Brown Derby Cinderella's Royal Table In-Room Dining at the deluxe resorts Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue Aloha Show
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Another benefit to having a Tables in Wonderland card is special invitations to events at DisneyWorld. Tables in Wonderland Sunday Brunch Disney's Grand Floridian Sunday July 10,2011 Noon-2:00 Tables in Wonderland Sneak Preview Food & Wine Festival Wonders Retreat at Epcot Saturday July 16,2011 6:30-9p.m.
