News Round Up 2017

piglet1979 said:
We have never looked at the price difference. We get it for the convenience of it.
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And therein lies why Disney has determined that they can rip people off with the dining plan. People buy it without considering the actual value. What used to be a service to reduce cost has become a service to get more money out of their paying customers for the "benefit" of the dining plan.

Sorry I hate to rant and sound like a Disney-hater, because I'm generally not - but the DDP really bugs me - what "convenience" does the DDP give people? Because I find it a lot more convenient to eat exactly what I want where I want and pay less. (OK - I'll stop myself now, because this doesn't really belong in this thread.)
 
skier_pete said:
And therein lies why Disney has determined that they can rip people off with the dining plan. People buy it without considering the actual value. What used to be a service to reduce cost has become a service to get more money out of their paying customers for the "benefit" of the dining plan.

Sorry I hate to rant and sound like a Disney-hater, because I'm generally not - but the DDP really bugs me - what "convenience" does the DDP give people? Because I find it a lot more convenient to eat exactly what I want where I want and pay less. (OK - I'll stop myself now, because this doesn't really belong in this thread.)
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But some people are the other way in they find it more convenient and less stressful to tell the entire family - order what you want, don't worry about the price listed on the menu - and to have it all budgeted and paid for before hand

Personally I am not a fan of the dining plan in general as it just doesn't work for our family but I think it is great they offer it and so many people like having it - no one forces you to get the dining plan
 
I think something like this is tough because the price [of all of the Disney Dining Plans] increases every year and it's been years since anything 'extra' was thrown in for 'free' with that price increase. So, now with this year's increase, they've thrown in specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and folks are still unhappy.

I think it's just REALLY hard to make EVERYONE happy ALL of the time, but as long as most of the people are happy most of the time, they're doing pretty good.

Just my 2¢ :goodvibes
 
WebmasterJackie said:
I think something like this is tough because the price [of all of the Disney Dining Plans] increases every year and it's been years since anything 'extra' was thrown in for 'free' with that price increase. So, now with this year's increase, they've thrown in specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and folks are still unhappy.

I think it's just REALLY hard to make EVERYONE happy ALL of the time, but as long as most of the people are happy most of the time, they're doing pretty good.

Just my 2¢ :goodvibes
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I guess they could offer options (like the plan with and without alcohol) but overall I agree with you and I have to say, it isn't a *huge* increase and it would have gone up a bit anyway, so not much just for the drinks being added

Just another aspect to the dining plan. Each individual needs to determine if it makes sense for their family or not - and I bet this change makes it work better for them, and worse for others
 
MommaBerd said:
I am happy for those of you who are happy about it. (Not sarcasm) I just see this the same way many people viewed the addition of Memory Maker to the AP. Disney says, "Hey! We're increasing the cost of your AP, but you get free MM with your AP!" That's great - except not everyone in my family needs MM; only one person does. (I guess the same could be said about the dining & shopping discounts, too, but that's not a one-time fee.) Hypothetically, not everyone on the dining plan in my family needs (or even wants) to get the premium beverages.

So, here's a question - since 10 yo and up are technically adults on the dining plan, can an over-21 person order an alcoholic beverage utilizing the 10 yo's entitlement? (And order water for the child.) DH doesn't drink and I have two Disney adults, could I not get up to four alcoholic drinks?
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I was wondering this same exact thing.
 
TheMaxRebo said:
But some people are the other way in they find it more convenient and less stressful to tell the entire family - order what you want, don't worry about the price listed on the menu - and to have it all budgeted and paid for before hand

Personally I am not a fan of the dining plan in general as it just doesn't work for our family but I think it is great they offer it and so many people like having it - no one forces you to get the dining plan
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Except you CAN'T order what you want. If you want an appetizer instead of a dessert, tough luck. Also, if you don't want a dessert period, then you're throwing that entitlement away. Not every single person needs a dessert at every single meal. I'd much rather put the same amount of money aside on a gift card and still tell everyone the same thing, have more flexibility, and have money left over at the end.
 
wareagle57 said:
Except you CAN'T order what you want. If you want an appetizer instead of a dessert, tough luck. Also, if you don't want a dessert period, then you're throwing that entitlement away. I'd much rather put the same amount of money aside on a gift card and still tell everyone the same thing, have more flexibility, and have money left over at the end.
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That's more like how we do it. We get our rewards dollars from chase, load up a card and use it for "free dining".
 
wareagle57 said:
Except you CAN'T order what you want. If you want an appetizer instead of a dessert, tough luck. Also, if you don't want a dessert period, then you're throwing that entitlement away. Not every single person needs a dessert at every single meal. I'd much rather put the same amount of money aside on a gift card and still tell everyone the same thing, have more flexibility, and have money left over at the end.
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I full agree - and that lack of flexibility is why the plan doesn't work for us

I meant that you can pick whatever entree you want and not worry about the cost. I know some people will worry about the price and pick the cheapest option, etc..... Even if using a gift card there is still more cost with some selections than others - by having the dining plan they feel they (and the rest of the family) are able to pick which ever entree they want regardless of the cost of that specific item, that's all.
 
Just a devil's advocate sort of position regarding the alcohol being included - I don't find the inclusion of one alcoholic beverage any different than including dessert. Overconsumption of either is bad for your health (I am not touching the subject of alcoholism here as it is a real and serious disease) and many people choose not to order either or not order alcohol or not order dessert. The dining plan is generally not a good value for those people.

My family usually enjoys alcohol but we do not always order dessert. For those making the "subsidy" argument, you could make the same argument about Disney "forcing" you to subsidize someone else's dessert.

The dining plan is not required - you just have to do the math to see if it's a good deal for your family. If you aren't a family who would order an expensive specialty beverage (whether alcohol or not), the dining plan may not make sense. Just as it might not make sense if you are someone who doesn't eat meat, doesn't eat dessert, a lighter eater, etc.

But all that said, I truly don't think the dining plan is aimed at those of us debating its merits on a fan message board - we know enough and plan enough to use the dining plan wisely or just not purchase it. The dining plan is aimed at the masses who call and book everything and want it "all inclusive" - disney is likely making a fortune off of those who buy the dining plan and leave credits unused. How many times have you seen a server or a quick service cashier explaining the dining entitlements? Those people (likely) paid a lot for the dining plan and don't even know what they got in exchange.

Bear in mind how little Disney pays for the cost of drinks versus the price they charge to guests. Having alcohol included will probably sell more dining plans to families in the top 20% of earners (and foreign visitors) and if that means losing sales to the more cost-conscious families, well, hey - that just seems to be the business model these days doesn't it?:rolleyes1 And if the new alcohol inclusion doesn't sell more plans I'm sure that inclusion will be gone for 2019.
 
MommaBerd said:
I am happy for those of you who are happy about it. (Not sarcasm) I just see this the same way many people viewed the addition of Memory Maker to the AP. Disney says, "Hey! We're increasing the cost of your AP, but you get free MM with your AP!" That's great - except not everyone in my family needs MM; only one person does. (I guess the same could be said about the dining & shopping discounts, too, but that's not a one-time fee.) Hypothetically, not everyone on the dining plan in my family needs (or even wants) to get the premium beverages.

So, here's a question - since 10 yo and up are technically adults on the dining plan, can an over-21 person order an alcoholic beverage utilizing the 10 yo's entitlement? (And order water for the child.) DH doesn't drink and I have two Disney adults, could I not get up to four alcoholic drinks?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure .... in theory you would think that if you order 2 beers and your 10 year old child orders a milk they should credit you the two beers and then charge you out of pocket for the milk (I am assuming the milk is cheaper than the beer) but I don't know. The way it is worded is (just using the Quick service option as an example) that the entitlement is per guest so then you would not be able to do that for your kids. Now, you husband could definitely order an alcoholic drink and then give it to you and then pay for a soda or just get water or something

Quick Service Dining Plan
Entitlements for the 2018 Quick Service Dining Plan include the following for each guest (ages 3 and over) per night of your package stay:


  • Two Quick Service Meals (includes one entree and a beverage)
  • NEW FOR 2018: Guests under 21 years of age can choose one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered). Guests 21 and older can can choose either one non-alcoholic beverage (including specialty beverages where offered) or one single serving mixed cocktail, beer, or wine (where offered) with their meal entitlement.
  • Two Snacks
  • One Refillable Resort Mug
 
pepperandchips said:
Just a devil's advocate sort of position regarding the alcohol being included - I don't find the inclusion of one alcoholic beverage any different than including dessert. Overconsumption of either is bad for your health (I am not touching the subject of alcoholism here as it is a real and serious disease) and many people choose not to order either or not order alcohol or not order dessert. The dining plan is generally not a good value for those people.

My family usually enjoys alcohol but we do not always order dessert. For those making the "subsidy" argument, you could make the same argument about Disney "forcing" you to subsidize someone else's dessert.

The dining plan is not required - you just have to do the math to see if it's a good deal for your family. If you aren't a family who would order an expensive specialty beverage (whether alcohol or not), the dining plan may not make sense. Just as it might not make sense if you are someone who doesn't eat meat, doesn't eat dessert, a lighter eater, etc.

But all that said, I truly don't think the dining plan is aimed at those of us debating its merits on a fan message board - we know enough and plan enough to use the dining plan wisely or just not purchase it. The dining plan is aimed at the masses who call and book everything and want it "all inclusive" - disney is likely making a fortune off of those who buy the dining plan and leave credits unused. How many times have you seen a server or a quick service cashier explaining the dining entitlements? Those people (likely) paid a lot for the dining plan and don't even know what they got in exchange.

Bear in mind how little Disney pays for the cost of drinks versus the price they charge to guests. Having alcohol included will probably sell more dining plans to families in the top 20% of earners (and foreign visitors) and if that means losing sales to the more cost-conscious families, well, hey - that just seems to be the business model these days doesn't it?:rolleyes1 And if the new alcohol inclusion doesn't sell more plans I'm sure that inclusion will be gone for 2019.
Click to expand...

I very much agree with you on basically all of this (I was thinking about that as well, that you can't select to have the dining plan without desserts or something).

The only thing that I think makes this a little different is that they charge you for an "adult" dining plan once you turn 10, yet legally you are not allowed to have alcohol until you are 21 - now they do have the non-alcoholic specialty drinks but those are still less expensive than the drinks with alcohol ... so the charge to someone who is not legally allowed to have the alcoholic drink is partly subsidizing the cost for those that are able to and chose to do so
 
TheMaxRebo said:
I very much agree with you on basically all of this (I was thinking about that as well, that you can't select to have the dining plan without desserts or something).

The only thing that I think makes this a little different is that they charge you for an "adult" dining plan once you turn 10, yet legally you are not allowed to have alcohol until you are 21 - now they do have the non-alcoholic specialty drinks but those are still less expensive than the drinks with alcohol ... so the charge to someone who is not legally allowed to have the alcoholic drink is partly subsidizing the cost for those that are able to and chose to do so
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Don't forget about those who only go to Disney when there is a "Free Dining" special offer. Make great sense for them.

I'm personally glad to have the choice of wine with a meal...like others have said, we just don't do soda, and caffeinated iced tea isn't an option for us with dinner either...since we usually order wine OOP, I am glad to now have it included as an option. So for us, this is a great thing.

We don't try to count all the pennies during a Disney trip. I know it's going to be more expensive than eating locally, and build it into the overall vacation experience. I'm not someone who can do Disney on a shoe-string, and would rather go less often and not worry about the extra money. Just me.
 
pepperandchips said:
But all that said, I truly don't think the dining plan is aimed at those of us debating its merits on a fan message board - we know enough and plan enough to use the dining plan wisely or just not purchase it. The dining plan is aimed at the masses who call and book everything and want it "all inclusive" - disney is likely making a fortune off of those who buy the dining plan and leave credits unused. How many times have you seen a server or a quick service cashier explaining the dining entitlements? Those people (likely) paid a lot for the dining plan and don't even know what they got in exchange.
Click to expand...
Honestly though I don't feel like everyone here on the Boards are those who actually know well enough and plan to use the dining plan wisely or just not purchase it. Or for that matter are people who aren't those who call to having things books or who want it all inclusive.

Having read enough threads and posts there are plenty of people who ask "should I get the dining plan" or those who openingly admit they mainly do it because it is a pre-paid expense that they don't have to worry about during the vacation or ones who talk about how many credits they had left over or that they were in a mad scramble in the last few days to use up as many credits as they could because they had too many left.

Let's just say that by being on the Boards it doesn't mean you aren't exactly the type of guest Disney wants for the dining plan. Plenty of people here know and understand and all that jazz and plenty of people....don't.
 
I'm still on the nope wagon for disney dining. Spent $220/day nearly exactly for 3 kids, 2 adults, and no one was limited in what they were allowed to get, and that included a specialty alcoholic drink for me per day, and the light up drinks for the kids if they wanted them. At this point we might break even on it, but then we're heavily restricted to only eating on property, not using our kitchen, and no appetizers.
 
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