Originally Posted By vbdad55 I wonder how much money Disney makes on unfulfilled DDP meals-- people who can't get seat, or eat counter service instead because they don't know to book way ahead and get shut out? also for those CPA's out there- is there any way Disney write's off the cost of the Free DDP meals as 'advertising' or slost revenue of some sort-- hence the raising of the meal prices across the board ? really this plan screws everyone except those eating above their norm ( and booked early) -
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Walt Disney World, The Hungriest place on Earth --- walking miles per day will do that-- especially for those that that walking represents a years exercise
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom A huge difference between Disneyland California and WDW is that in Disneyland California if there are no sitdown restaurants available you can always walk out of the parks to a nearby restaurant in under 15 minutes. WDW is the size manhattan. So if your in say the MK your a captive audience. It's going to take a while to get to food outside the parks.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom And who knows what could happen in that amount of time... there could even be a monorai crash or something.....
Originally Posted By danyoung ><<CDL????>> California Disneyland Resort.< I think you've made up a new acronym - I don't think I've ever seen that one before. >My brother and his family attempted to make dinning resevations 7 months in advance of the trip...< So wait a second - your brother tried to book more than 180 days out? I don't know how they even had a conversation with him, as they don't take bookings for ANYBODY until they hit the 180 day point. And I just don't believe that they reserve tables for DDP users and not for non-DDPers. I've reserved many tables online, and I don't believe they ask anywhere at all if you're a DDPer or not. But I do agree with vbdad that the DDP means that many more people are eating at the nicer restaurants than before, which does make it harder for the rest of us to get a good table.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >> I've since been proven to have a faulty memory. Geez, it sucks to be getting older!!! << <<It gets worse, believe me Dan!>> Believe him, Dan. The guy could pass for 102 ... on a good day! <<I don't remember the DDP even being around back in the 90's.>> That's because it wasn't. I believe it made its debut in 2005 or 2006, to prop up bookings during hurricane season. Disney has always had plans that included meals, but nothing like the DDP, which was designed based on a cruise line/all inclusive model. ~DDP: Destructive Dining Porgram~
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >> MPierce, I agree with what you're saying, but I have to say, I really believe back in the day, Disney had help keeping the parks clean. People are slobs now. No doubt about it. And I don't think they always treated the parks like their own personal toilet like they do. While I still think Disney could do a better job of keeping things clean, I think people could be vastly more considerate and give Disney some help, instead of acting like an untrained herd of cattle with diarrhea. << <<I'm not arguing the point Skipper that some people are slobs. I'm just saying bottom line that's the Mouse's problem. It's certainly not ours. We are paying him. Yes, I wish all people were considerate, but they're not. Now Skipper do you think we should make our own beds, and clean up our own rooms. Should we wash the dishes after we have a meal at WDW. How about that peeling paint or that burned out light. Is that our job to take care of those things. I spend thousands of dollars on my vacation to WDW, and I expect superior treatment. I do not expect to look at others trash.>> Very well said (must have been one of your lucid moments!) ... seriously, the old 'guests are pigs, so don't blame The Mouse' argument holds little sway with me. People have ALWAYS been pigs. Maybe younger people don't remember when it was cool to throw garbage out of your moving vehicle or dump anything in any body of water. They didn't grow up with Iron Eyes Cody crying a tear as he looked at what a dump we were making of the USA. I don't for a second believe people are worse today. Some, perhaps. But not most. People recycle. People clear trash off tables (McDonald's used to have attendants in the dining areas because people would just leave their refuse on tables ... God, I feel old having to 'splain this). Bottom line is I don't care how badly guests trash the place, it is Disney's job to clean up after them. This is the company that built a rep for spotless walkways and restrooms and for a child dropping a bucket of popcorn immediately being cleaned up barely after it hit the pavement. That is no longer the case. And when Disney allows one guest mess to sit, it gives a subtle but loud message to others that they too can trash the place. Walt and his immediate successors understood this. The current WDC mindset doesn't seem to care (although DL and DCA were damn near perfect as far as cleanliness on my recent visit). I wish folks weren't pigs, but other than some parts of Asia, it's a pretty common human failing. Disney needs to clean up the messes. ~No defending da man, please~
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Frequently there are complaints here about trash in the line for Buzz. But short of shutting down the line, what's a CM to do to clean it up before the end of the day???>> What they always USED to do and still do in Anaheim: namely send CMs into queues to regularly walk and clean them. I know WDW guests and cast are super-sized and that may make for some tough passages, but I am sure it can be done. ~Cleanliness is magical!~
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<DDP has made table service options at WDW complicated, frustating and divisive.>> Yes. But it has made dining even more profittable for Disney. They get paid in advance. Many folks leave with loads of meals that were pre-paid but not used. Disney can streamline menus. Disney can use less labor by staffing based on DDP patterns more than traditional crowds (hence, seeing a restaurant booked while half the tables are empty) <<And anyone not participating in the DDP is treated like an unwelcome guest.>> Pretty much. Sometimes you can still luck out. If you want lunch, then you're more likely to get into popular locales. And if you're more willing to dine at resort locations and more out of the way places ... think Captain Jack's, Turf Club, Captain's Table, Grand Flo Cafe etc ... you're probably going to snag a table even in the most crowded 'free dining' periods. <<It's so blantly obvious that Disney is out to cash in on their restaurants and it forces people who are willing to spend money on property to spend that money elsewhere.>> True, but there are plenty of options both on-property (think DD, Hotel Plaza, Swan/Dolphin, Bonnet Creek) and off where you can walk in and get better food for less $$$ and not have to wake up at 6 a.m. 120 days ahead of time! <<Poor business model, especially when you consider WDW has restaurants in their parks sitting vacant.>> I think it's terrible for many guests, but it's obviously working for The Mouse. The reason EPCOT is getting two new (one reworked) WS dining locales isn't because Disney wants to keep the park fresh, but because of the money it is making on food and beverage (and these locations are third parties, so I wonder how much $$$ Disney even spent on them). ~LBV=Lots (of) Better Values (for dining)~
Originally Posted By danyoung >And anyone not participating in the DDP is treated like an unwelcome guest.< Sorry, but this just isn't true. I don't do the DDP, and I'm treated very nicely at TS restaurants, thank you.
Originally Posted By -em >>>And anyone not participating in the DDP is treated like an unwelcome guest.<< >>Sorry, but this just isn't true. I don't do the DDP, and I'm treated very nicely at TS restaurants, thank you.<< I will ditto that for the meals I've eaten I was never treated inferior.. I will say that somewhere along the line some disenchantment is happening as the cast 40% off lunch at 5-6 different restaurants has been going on for almost a year...
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub I think the implication pertains to treatment trying to make a reservation that is impossible(unwelcome guest syndrome) not to actual service once seated at the restaurant! Because I am a party of one I can almost always get table service because I am flexible with times. I do notice "empty tables" in the fully booked WDW Restaurants and have heard parties of 2 or more being turned away. I wonder how many "reservations in advance" turn into NO SHOWS! I suspect this happens frequently because I have called to cancel my reservations and the castmember is always very thankful for my call. I am sure many people fill up there itinerary with lots of reservations and then discover it is impossible to fit into actual plans on the reservation day!
Originally Posted By -em >> I wonder how many "reservations in advance" turn into NO SHOWS! << A fair amount I would bet... Someone also mentioned a newer trend I hadn't ever thought of... Dining Reservations simply for parking access with no intent to dine.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 They didn't grow up with Iron Eyes Cody crying a tear as he looked at what a dump we were making of the USA. -------------- Shameless plug, I met the man who created that ad in the early 70's- Richard Christian from Chicago based Burston Marstellar Ad/PR agency ..I interviewed for a job there out of college as PR/advertising was the field I wanted to go into at the time.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 p.s. you know the actor in the ad was Italian, not native american....not trying to take away from a great campaign, just some trivia
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub ...dining reservations for free parking access...and why do we have security lines at entrance checking our backpacks for bubblegum? I can stock a year's supply of bbubblegum in my trunk and no security worries! Just joking but I don't recall trunk inspections?
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Unwelcome guests are turned away at the door and that is exactly what happens to quest who presents to a sit down restaurant in either the Magic Kingdom or Disney's Hollywood Studios parks. In the past it was reasonable to expect that if you go into a Disney park and you were willing to wait then you always get a table at a sit down restaurant. A sitdown meal experience in the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios parks should not be exclusive to those participating in the DDP only, because they made resevations 120 days out. During my last trip to WDW, October of 2009, there was a sign outside of the Liberty Tree stating that the Liberty Tree was fully booked that day with resevations and would not be taking anyone else. I believe the assumption is that is someone makes reservations and doesn't show up then a table is available for walk ins. The reality is that the restaurant simply moves on to the next person who reserved a table. And I have seen that happen at the Biergarden in the German Pavallion in EPCOT. I'm sure that Castmembers are turning away far more guests on a daily bais then they are letting in to sit down restaurants in the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios parks.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^^^ really glad I have never been there during free DDP time...and don't ever plan to now. See there is some advantage to going in August when it's blazing hot. Now just so I'm clear- it may not only be DDP people booking 180 days out- as I do that all the time for my visits and don't use DDP. It's just that the volume increases incrementally due to the 'free' nature of the program- correct? some of those in the sit downs at that time may not be DDP users- just those who booked in advance. I do like Destructive Dining Program as explanation for acronym -- it is appropriate
