Disney Dining Plan Price Increases

[lockedoutlogic]

We will never get anything close to an accurate read on how popular the plan is.

We around here are the repeat minorities that picks these things apart or look for angles...

But most are still using awful travel agents that sell these things to get a measly commission and don't explain much. Or direct from Disney that has those annoying pop ups ads with characters or happy, multinational appearance children with cgi stars emanating from their pasta with nobody else in the restaurants...

 

[mikepizzo]

We will never get anything close to an accurate read on how popular the plan is.

We around here are the repeat minorities that picks these things apart or look for angles...

But most are still using awful travel agents that sell these things to get a measly commission and don't explain much. Or direct from Disney that has those annoying pop ups ads with characters or happy, multinational appearance children with cgi stars emanating from their pasta with nobody else in the restaurants...

Completely agree, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out cost per point, look up the menu to get an idea for what might be spent at a restaurant for a given meal, and see if it's worth it.

I'm pretty sure the only one that even comes close is the cheapest one.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Completely agree, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out cost per point, look up the menu to get an idea for what might be spent at a restaurant for a given meal, and see if it's worth it.

I'm pretty sure the only one that even comes close is the cheapest one.

But people don't eat in a vacuum...and the dining plan doesn't include "all costs"...

As Nance pointed out: what good is ordering filet for the price if you're not much of a fan of steak? Or ordering dessert and eating a bite?

Sometimes it's so damn hot that you don't enjoy anything you eat and you rather would not have not paid for the plan that day...

I would say the majority of patrons order right to left...which means they bump the menu prices (again) to schlept off the cost back on the other customers...then increase the dining plan prices again to correlate to the menu prices. The Dutch door of extortion.

That's a "value"?...the thought that goes into engineering it takes away the convenience...in my book.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm glad I booked my trip before the price increase!

And that means yes, I admit to buying the dining plan.

The first time was in the old days of too much food and tips included. We kept our receipts, I ran the numbers, and we did save money. Since then, we've bought it on two of our three other trips. I realized at some point that I wasn't actually saving money anymore, but I was buying relaxation. By pre-paying, I was confining all the sticker-shock of my over-priced vacation to one scary day. On the trip itself, I could just say "yes, choose anything you want" and not weigh the cost of meals against what anyone felt like having. It was worth it to me.

The increase will mean that, on this trip, I'll probably save money one last time, because I paid before the prices went up. But on the next trip, I might ditch the dining plan and eat fewer expensive meals all together.

 

[skater]

We will never get anything close to an accurate read on how popular the plan is.

We around here are the repeat minorities that picks these things apart or look for angles...

But most are still using awful travel agents that sell these things to get a measly commission and don't explain much. Or direct from Disney that has those annoying pop ups ads with characters or happy, multinational appearance children with cgi stars emanating from their pasta with nobody else in the restaurants...

The TA's I know wouldn't sell anything to get a few extra bucks. They're on the client's side. Looking out for the client is the best way to get referrals and repeat business.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

The TA's I know wouldn't sell anything to get a few extra bucks. They're on the client's side. Looking out for the client is the best way to get referrals and repeat business.

I fear those are the exceptions...not the rules.

Do they work for apple, libgo, or AAA?

 

[Nancyg56]

You gotta stay away from the grand...or less specifically: the monorail hotels...they passed anything resembling a reasonable return on investment years ago. For most consumers...the price will gnaw at you in the back of your mind the whole trip...unless you're on points.

And the reality with Disney is that it's never the chicken or the egg...all
Prices are done in conjuction...carefully planned. Like the dinosaurs in Jurassic park (second reference this week). They are good at misdirection and coordinating pricing. Remember when the dinosaurs started eating the people though?

Did anyone think the original, cheap, more value dining plan wasn't a hook that was gonna get exploited? Like a "no money down" type gimmick?

Cause it was...and an obvious one at that.

From what you said...the dining plan is preferable to you because it hides the costs from your husband...the "convenience" is that it is buried on the back page during the trip, no?

I am a fan as long as I at least break even. I learned a long time ago that my husband likes family meals on vacation. A lot of meals. I also know what our food will likely cost. That I can bury each piece in a package is a bonus, but Buddy will still look at the prices. He's 64 and I'm not changing that! lol!!!

As far as the Grand, I had originally booked POR but as soon as the girls were joining us, my husband wanted me to switch, and when the rest of the family decided to join us, well you know...

I don't live and breathe ddp, but I do think that the plans can be a plus for people, but that before you buy them best be pretty comfortable that you know your family preferences, and that you are also prepared to do a little research.

Convenience is with something I think, but I would not like throwing money away either.

 

[Roxyfire]

I don't live and breathe ddp, but I do think that the plans can be a plus for people, but that before you buy them best be pretty comfortable that you know your family preferences, and that you are also prepared to do a little research.

Convenience is with something I think, but I would not like throwing money away either.

Just like anything, it's buyer beware. If you know the downsides of it and you're ok with it, at least you're an informed consumer. If you don't and you're getting something that you're unhappy with, then it's on you to look into it more.

 

[StuckInKS]

I asked this in another thread, but HOW is it more convenient? It was literally the exact same procedure to use the dining plan as it was to charge something to my room.

Seeing as how this thread is 7 pages long, someone else may have said this but...it is convenient because I can pre-pay for my trip and be done with it. I know exactly how much we are going to spend on dining before we leave home. Before we started getting DP I would hold my breath every single time the bill came because its always more than I expected it to be. Mostly its because the pre-planning menu prices were off a few bucks here and there, but with 8 people that can add up to an extra $20-$30 a meal (with 2-3 meals a day for 10-14 days). With the DP, we go in, we order what we want, the credits come off our plan, I sign for the tip and done. If the meal was worse than I expected, that's OK because its just a few credits and we can make to up on another meal. But if I spend $200-$300 right then and there and the meal sucked, it throws the rest of my day WAY off.

 

[Madonna3]

But if I spend $200-$300 right then and there and the meal sucked, it throws the rest of my day WAY off.

Im not understanding this logic. So, because you've prepaid for the food, it's ok that it sucked?

This highlights an issue I have with the plan. It creates a disconnect from your money. It's been paid for at least 45 days so you've stopped thinking about it. The buyers remorse is over. You can't get it back so you accept and move on.

But to say that because you prepaid, having a bad meal won't impact your day, I don't understand why it would have if you had paid at time of service any differently. That just makes no sense to me.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Im not understanding this logic. So, because you've prepaid for the food, it's ok that it sucked?

This highlights an issue I have with the plan. It creates a disconnect from your money. It's been paid for at least 45 days so you've stopped thinking about it. The buyers remorse is over. You can't get it back so you accept and move on.

But to say that because you prepaid, having a bad meal won't impact your day, I don't understand why it would have if you had paid at time of service any differently. That just makes no sense to me.

I'm not getting this either..

"Because I know what I've spent before I left...they can do what they want to me"?

That doesn't make sense to me. And as we have talked about...it's not fully "prepaid"...unless you prefigure out your tips somehow and stick to the plan guidelines rigidly...

That doesn't seem at all "recreational" to me.

 

[Nancyg56]

I'm not getting this either..

"Because I know what I've spent before I left...they can do what they want to me"?

That doesn't make sense to me. And as we have talked about...it's not fully "prepaid"...unless you prefigure out your tips somehow and stick to the plan guidelines rigidly...

That doesn't seem at all "recreational" to me.

That is the "logic" that makes me crazy. I like my trip prepaid, and I always factor my tips, etc into my total bill, but I knwo that if my meals suck, I have lost money. Credits = money. I am as invested in my credit as I am in my dollars, and look at value per credit as my investment in my dining. The only time to disconnect is when you book a meal that you normally would not pay OOP for and consider that a good value for that credit. BOG breakfast comes to my mind.

Willy-Nilly letting prepay convenience trump value? I am a known defender of the Dining plans when it comes to my family. They tend to offer us the best value in terms of how we eat on vacation, but if one my meals stunk I would not look at it as no harm, no foul...it was just a credit. I am still peeved that my 'Ohana dinner was a cluster. I paid for it, credit or not.

THe moment that a poster abdicates all fiscal responsibilty in regards to the DDP< it nullifies anything that anyone of us who has done our math, pland accoringto the dining preferences of our families, and had tracked meals costs and compared that to DDP costs. Drives me crazy

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Like I always say...Disney implemented the dining plan as a misdirection...to get the consumer to "forget" what was already spent. It leads to more spending.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

I just don't understand why some people on the DDP feel as though they are being called out when others say it is not always a good value. As lockedoutlogic said, we bought in early and were hooked because it was a great value in the beginning. It was hard to move away from it, but when the value no longer existed FOR US, it was time.

We eat a TS and QS everyday. Running the numbers for what we would actually purchase versus the items the DDP covers, it costs us much more to purchase the DDP. It's math not magic.

If people are willing to pay for the convenience and/or it makes sense dollar wise FOR THEM, that's great. I put $ on a Disney Rewards card during the course of the year and use that to pay a bulk of our dining costs.

I do believe that TAs sell packages for customer convenience sake. TAs don't know what people's eating habits are and if the DDP will be cost effective. Most people are not going to look at menus and run numbers like many of us do, and will never realize it may not be a value for them. That drives adoption, which drives cost, which drives menu increases to justify costs of plans.

I rent points directly from an owner, I buy tickets from a discounter, and I pay for food and alcohol OOP at places we want to go (like the lounges) without worrying if we are getting the best value for our credits. Will most Disney vacationers do this? Nope.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I just don't understand why some people on the DDP feel as though they are being called out when others say it is not always a good value. As lockedoutlogic said, we bought in early and were hooked because it was a great value in the beginning. It was hard to move away from it, but when the value no longer existed FOR US, it was time.

We eat a TS and QS everyday. Running the numbers for what we would actually purchase versus the items the DDP covers, it costs us much more to purchase the DDP. It's math not magic.

If people are willing to pay for the convenience and/or it makes sense dollar wise FOR THEM, that's great. I put $ on a Disney Rewards card during the course of the year and use that to pay a bulk of our dining costs.

I do believe that TAs sell packages for customer convenience sake. TAs don't know what people's eating habits are and if the DDP will be cost effective. Most people are not going to look at menus and run numbers like many of us do, and will never realize it may not be a value for them. That drives adoption, which drives cost, which drives menu increases to justify costs of plans.

I rent points directly from an owner, I buy tickets from a discounter, and I pay for food and alcohol OOP at places we want to go (like the lounges) without worrying if we are getting the best value for our credits. Will most Disney vacationers do this? Nope.

I've noticed the lines are blurred on this subject because of the very ardent defenders of the free dining promotion...

They equate defense of that limited promotion to the validity of the dining plan as a whole - and the two are not related. The dining plan was created prior to the promo brought during economic perile...they are mutually exclusive.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

Yes, I agree. My comments relate to plan increases. We signed up for the dining plan the first year it was introduced and used it many times after when it truly was a good value. We have also taken advantage of the free dining promotion. With 5 "adults", free dining can be a good value. Renting points and buying discount tickets is actually still a better value for us and allows more freedom of purchasing what we want, where we want. The price increases only drive this home.

Whether or not others are willing to pay for the dining plan, for whatever reason, is a personal decision. Disney markets the package as discounted dining, TAs market the package, and that is what many consumers will purchase without thinking about the "value" behind it. As a result the chicken/egg menu/plan price increases will continue until they price themselves out altogether. Just my $0.02.

I've noticed the lines are blurred on this subject because of the very ardent defenders of the free dining promotion...

They equate defense of that limited promotion to the validity of the dining plan as a whole - and the two are not related. The dining plan was created prior to the promo brought during economic perile...they are mutually exclusive.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I just don't understand why some people on the DDP feel as though they are being called out when others say it is not always a good value. As lockedoutlogic said, we bought in early and were hooked because it was a great value in the beginning. It was hard to move away from it, but when the value no longer existed FOR US, it was time.

We eat a TS and QS everyday. Running the numbers for what we would actually purchase versus the items the DDP covers, it costs us much more to purchase the DDP. It's math not magic.

If people are willing to pay for the convenience and/or it makes sense dollar wise FOR THEM, that's great. I put $ on a Disney Rewards card during the course of the year and use that to pay a bulk of our dining costs.

I do believe that TAs sell packages for customer convenience sake. TAs don't know what people's eating habits are and if the DDP will be cost effective. Most people are not going to look at menus and run numbers like many of us do, and will never realize it may not be a value for them. That drives adoption, which drives cost, which drives menu increases to justify costs of plans.

I rent points directly from an owner, I buy tickets from a discounter, and I pay for food and alcohol OOP at places we want to go (like the lounges) without worrying if we are getting the best value for our credits. Will most Disney vacationers do this? Nope.

I think people feel like they're being called out because it seems like they are being called out.

It defies logic.
It isn't anymore convenient.
It isn't a good value.

Those comments (which I've seen a thousand times in this thread) are calling out those who value the DDP, at least that's how it reads to me.

With 3 disney kids, an infant and 2 adults, it IS a good value for my family.

With the way I was raised (dirt poor) and my obsession need to count and recount every dime we spend on vacation, it lessens my stress and my burden because we've already paid, that is convenient for me.

I'm not going to argue logic. I think that depends on perspective. For me, we saved money on the plan and it relieved stress on me so it is the logical choice for our next vacation.

The one after that, when my eldest will be a Disney adult, I will have to recrunch the numbers and see.

Why can't these conversations be "I don't see the value of it because of XYZ" and "I do see the value of it because of XYZ"? I don't think it needs to be more than that. It is up to the vacationner to do the research and determine which is best for his family, what works for min, probably will not work for you.

I will gladly pay a bit extra (if it comes to it) to save my peace of mind. Perhaps that defies logic to some people, and that's okay, but I put a pretty high value on happiness and if putting out a little extra money can help me relax, then I will.

 

[5DisneyNuts]

Sorry you feel that way. I didn't take the other comments that way. I took it more as a way of people explaining why they don't find the dining plan cost effective and the pro-dining plan people not seeing that point of view. In my post, I was very clear to discuss the dining plan from my perspective.

IMO, problem is that most WDW vacationers won't run the numbers. They will continue to purchase the dining plan at the increased prices because that is what WDW and TAs promote. The increased dining plan drives up menu prices for everyone (and decreases quality), which then in turn justifies cost increases to the dining plan.

I think people feel like they're being called out because it seems like they are being called out.

It defies logic.
It isn't anymore convenient.
It isn't a good value.

Those comments (which I've seen a thousand times in this thread) are calling out those who value the DDP, at least that's how it reads to me.

With 3 disney kids, an infant and 2 adults, it IS a good value for my family.

With the way I was raised (dirt poor) and my obsession need to count and recount every dime we spend on vacation, it lessens my stress and my burden because we've already paid, that is convenient for me.

I'm not going to argue logic. I think that depends on perspective. For me, we saved money on the plan and it relieved stress on me so it is the logical choice for our next vacation.

The one after that, when my eldest will be a Disney adult, I will have to recrunch the numbers and see.

Why can't these conversations be "I don't see the value of it because of XYZ" and "I do see the value of it because of XYZ"? I don't think it needs to be more than that. It is up to the vacationner to do the research and determine which is best for his family, what works for min, probably will not work for you.

I will gladly pay a bit extra (if it comes to it) to save my peace of mind. Perhaps that defies logic to some people, and that's okay, but I put a pretty high value on happiness and if putting out a little extra money can help me relax, then I will.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Sorry you feel that way. I didn't take the other comments that way. I took it more as a way of people explaining why they don't find the dining plan cost effective and the pro-dining plan people not seeing that point of view. In my post, I was very clear to discuss the dining plan from my perspective.

IMO, problem is that most WDW vacationers won't run the numbers. They will continue to purchase the dining plan at the increased prices because that is what WDW and TAs promote. The increased dining plan drives up menu prices for everyone (and decreases quality), which then in turn justifies cost increases to the dining plan.

I wouldn't say it "defies logic" or isn't "convenient"...I think it is those things...

I think the value is a break even. So that being said I won't give Disney $1500 (or whatever a trip would cost) in advance to play with. They haven't earned that right - especially when it comes to food.

The one thing I do fear about the dining plan is that it lowers the expectation of food quality from the patrons and that translates to lower quality across the board.

I like Disney food and it's been a 10-15 struggle for it's soul. Things have diminished in my stomachs view significantly.

So while I understand the desire to "get it out of the way" and prepay...then I see posts listing 6+ characters meals...

NO!!!! Don't, please! Those are the ripoffs and the Low quality places. The fact it's prepaid doesn't change the fact that the net effect is to encourage them to continue do more of that qualify and pricing. I always would hope people use the restaurants and try the more interesting stuff...but from what I've seen that tends to not be the approach from many dining plan fans/posters. That's just the feeling I get...I'm sure it's not the same from everyone.

 

[MamaBelle4]

I wouldn't say it "defies logic" or isn't "convenient"...I think it is those things...

I think the value is a break even. So that being said I won't give Disney $1500 (or whatever a trip would cost) in advance to play with. They haven't earned that right - especially when it comes to food.

The one thing I do fear about the dining plan is that it lowers the expectation of food quality from the patrons and that translates to lower quality across the board.

I like Disney food and it's been a 10-15 struggle for it's soul. Things have diminished in my stomachs view significantly.

So while I understand the desire to "get it out of the way" and prepay...then I see posts listing 6+ characters meals...

NO!!!! Don't, please! Those are the ripoffs and the Low quality places. The fact it's prepaid doesn't change the fact that the net effect is to encourage them to continue do more of that qualify and pricing. I always would hope people use the restaurants and try the more interesting stuff...but from what I've seen that tends to not be the approach from many dining plan fans/posters. That's just the feeling I get...I'm sure it's not the same from everyone.

I'm not going to lie, every TS meal we did this past trip was character meal. As I said in another post to you, the food was on the level with Hoss's. But I booked them anyway and boy was I glad I did.

No, not because of the kids' faces (though they did enjoy it). No, not because it was a higher quality than I expected.

No, because my MIL turned up her nose at EVERYTHING that wasn't straight up American style fare. She still complains about the beef being too tender in Norway with that "weird" sauce. Her favorite meals were H&V and Chef Mickey's. She ate the kids' grapes and cheddar at CRT instead of trying any of the assorted meats and cheeses.

She even threw a fit about the mashed potatoes a Crystal Palace because my FIL thought they might have turnips in because they were so sweet. I asked a chef and they said they were just yukon gold. My MIL didn't believe me.

So yes, Hoss quality food was exactly what they the Dr ordered for our trip...